inundation.

lately there has been a bit of a problem...
it is monsoon which means it rains, constantly. I understand that...and if you catch me on a good day, I don't even mind it; it is actually quite amusing to watch the seasonal depression take over the school..

this week, however, i have observed a few things that prove to be problematic. and would like them to be fixed or removed as soon as possible to make my happy shiny monsoon outlook remain.

• While torrential downpours may be great subjects for my students to write haikus about, I really do not appreciate waking up to deafening beating above my head at all hours. Last night, I woke up in a pool of my own sweat, absolutely positive that Thor himself was in my room, rampaging with his hammer against the walls while a herd of small elves pranced around him. After talking myself down and remembering that it was only rain, I sat in bed for two straight hours absolutely convinced that one of two things was going to happen: 1. the roof was going to cave in and I would drown while lying in bed or 2. a land slide was going to force the house directly above us to slide straight into my bedroom

• I enjoy water parks. I do NOT enjoy walking to school in a water park. I especially do NOT like walking to school in a water park while wearing normal, slightly moldy clothes and having to attach my backpack to my stomach like a pregnant woman.

the worst water park I have ever been to..

• I never knew my sense of smell was so acute, but today alone I puked in my mouth four times on account of atrocious smells. The first occurred when I opened the door to the non ventilated fitness room to see about 20 high school boys profusely sweating with a fellow teacher in the middle who immediately smiles and asks, 'do you think we should open a window?" dear god! yes i think you should open the window. It smells like a molding sour pumpkin melting in acid. After showering and feeling good about my own smell, I ventured into the school building for morning assembly. Until you walk into an enclosed assembly hall of 500 7-12 graders all of whom are literally dripping wet and sweating on account of living inside of a humid cloud and hiking up to school, you do not know even close to the meaning of foul. And I am not even going to try to describe the putrid smell of a classroom full of seventh graders who have been sitting in their own damp for the past three hours and are finally beginning to dry. It is by far the WORST.

Directly in front of the high school main entrance.....

• My contacts have been fuzzy for the past couple of days. I noticed this, paid it its due attention, soaking them extra long and scrubbing them extra hard..and because I do not have the best contact hygiene and may or may not go months before changing my 'two week max' contacts, I also tried putting a new pair in. Each day my eyesight became progressively worse until finally I could not take it anymore. In the middle of class I suavely removed my right contact, immediately knocking over a stack of papers and tripping over the projector cord. I recovered well and attempted to teach, only able to see out of one eye. For quite a few reasons, this did not go so well. I am not sure how many of you have tried wearing only one contact, but it is not easy or fun. Much of the day was spent with my right eye shut, my students convinced that I was trying to be a pirate and the worst headache in the world. I finally succumbed to the pressure and removed my other contact, spending the rest of the day blind. Luckily because it is monsoon, I had my large umbrella with which also doubles perfectly as a seeing eye stick. upon later examination, it was found that a film of fungus had grown on my contacts....I now have to wear glasses every day.

• I also would appreciate if I didn't have to waste 5 minutes demolding shoes and clothes in the mornings, if my peanut butter didn't have green chunks, if I could walk on concrete without having to flex every muscle in my butt and legs to try to prevent myself from flailing onto the ground in front of many people, if my passport was not completely covered in a fuzzy substance, if all my belongings did not have to be kept in zip lock bags, and if I could make it through one day without having to use my umbrella.
  

come on monsoon.. learn to cooperate.....
all photos are from ONE walk to school. photo credits: nan.