Ratna writes

Sick days are so satisfying! I've forgone dinner plans both with my Varlets and with Omar's family to get some rest, but let me first fill you in on my day full of energy and tissues! I started the morning with (a missed bus and) a meeting with a parent to discuss the college admissions process. Because I know the student in question quite well, I was able to share my insight on his strengths and areas on which to focus during the process. The conversation was a really enjoyable one, and it was touching to see the mother's concern for and appreciation of her child. During long advisory, I traipsed on over to the English hallway to get a taste of the Kotey Experience. She filled me in on married life before I took a look at her exam for editorial purposes, and started ranting about my idea of an ideal education (opinion summed up in title of this post). My big project for today was to write Certamen questions for an upcoming competition. I started this task next...

How can a semi-sick day be sooo-ho-ho sweet? It was so great to be back at work today. Grading more tests and editing Mr. Chang's final exams this morning felt like Christmas presents after the boredom of two days off. A few hours of work and catching up on the last two super eventful (not really) days with Mr. Chang were followed by lunch and a visit from the always-adorable Rachel Kernodle! Then it was time for my class with the Latin II Honors students. I gave them time to work on the English-to-Latin composition exercise they have been completing, circling around the room to give them input, and also furnishing feedback via Google Docs. When they had all finished this long-term assignment, we raced through a review of their homework with enough time to skim a trouble spot on their unit test before I handed this assessment back to them. After this period, Mr. Chang and I had a debrief on today's teaching, before branching out into a general discussion on my aspirat...

Another sick day! After reading my selection in The Power of Now , I spent most of the morning trying to decide if my room was burning hot or freezing cold. Needless to say, my hour of meditation turned into a nap even more quickly than usual. My biggest (only) accomplishment was making some progress in tidying my pigsty of a room. I am, however, feeling hopeful for tomorrow, and have been planning my last lesson for a little while now. Looking forward to returning to work!

I have been sick all day. Today has been spent sleeping.

Today was romantically rainy, through and through. At Flint Hill, I helped Mr. Chang edit essays, taught a Latin I class, and administered my masterpiece of a test to the Latin II Honors class. (They apparently found it a bit too masterful.) In the bus on the way home, I passed out, fatigued. Photo cred: Priya Gill It is a small wonder, therefore, that I nearly fell asleep at the wheel during my subsequent two-hour driving lesson. Even the exhilaration of making three-point turns could not keep me alert for those last ten minutes of the class. I took a brief nap before grading all of the tests turned in thus far, and now head back to bed. Exercise and meditation will have to wait for a day -- Ratna is feeling marginally under the weather! Time for tons of tea.

I stayed up way past my bedtime yesterday being serenaded by Zane Akhi and working on some Mothers' Day limericks. Click here to read my present for Mama. This morning, I somehow sprang out of bed to whip up a spinach omelet for the mom (after reading my Tolle). Having scarfed it down, we dashed out to the door to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , an American movie set in India. We each had greatly varying opinions on the film: I would give it 3 stars out of 5 but thought it was an enjoyable way to spend the morning! And it made me miss India a tiny bit, even though I just got back. Post-picture, Papa and I took Mama to Brighton to buy a little something for herself. I get my impossible taste in clothing and accessories from her, but we finally convinced her to buy a purse -- success! On our way out of the mall, we stopped at the Bene f it make-up counter to say hello to Mama's friend and "Chinese daughter" Suling. She is a sweetie! Back hom...

Meet my mother, we know that she’s great, and also quite blessed is her fate, she can lecture and edit, but now to her credit -- she’s gone and begun real estate! She always roams out and about, trying to find her we often do shout, but we look all around, she’s nowhere to be found -- but on Facebook and Pint’rest and Klout! If we can’t find her with one more glance, and we think she might be off to France, there’s no more need to holler, or get sick with choler -- she’s probably out with her plants! I always knew my mom was cute, but never her horn did I toot, until someone else did, yes, that glorious kid -- my best friend, he called her a “beaut”! I fancy myself full of glamor, and “eloquently” do I stammer, but in perfect truth, she’s devoid of ruth, when playing critic to my grammar! Though shopping my heart tends to frighten, and my purse strings only seem to tighten, for this good Mothers' Day, I pretended to pay -- and took ...