A Rooftop View

Currently listening to: OK Computer by Radiohead

Currently reading: November 5th Asia edition of Newsweek


Last weekend, we went to the high school production of The Miracle Worker, which tells the story of Helen Keller. It was very well done and an-all around great production. One highlight of the play was the performances by the servants. With our school being 60 to 70 percent ethnically Korean, where do you find black people for the role of a household servant of a play set in the American South in the 1880s? Answer: Spend 3 hours in makeup to change their beautiful Asian skin into beautiful African skin. It was quite impressive! Even up close, they looked like they were African American. After the play, we took a field trip to the top floor of the school where some art classrooms used to be. Some men were working on the roof (we're still trying to figure out what's going on up there) and the door to the roof was open, so I took it upon myself to go 'investigate'. I witnessed the closest thing to a sunset that I've seen since coming back to China. It was fun to see the world around school from the equivalent of the 6th story.



Looking down on the soccer fields and basketball courts.



It's impossible to look around and NOT find a construction site more than a few blocks away (notice the cranes around the left of the two tall buildings).



This is the same view I have from my office (just a few floors below). Toyota has a car dealership next door and they maintain this racetrack behind the school. It's a rare sight to actually see someone test driving a car on it--more often it's someone jogging, or recently, someone with a push mower trying to mow the entire center of the track.



I mentioned a few weeks ago that my 8th graders were working on a huge project. It went quite well and I made them show their parents their projects last week during conferences. Before I sent the projects away for good, I wanted to get some good pictures of their projects. (I have video of their presentations but sadly I never got out my camera as we were going along.) I'm pretty sure my students would die of mortification if I posted a picture of them with their project, so I just want to show you two really good close up shots.


A memorial remembering the separation of North and South Korea.



A turtle ship representing the wars fought between Korea and Japan during the late 1500's.


Happy weekend to all!

rpm