Monday, December 7, 2009
by Amanda.
You never get over being an teacher. I haven’t anyway.
I still think like a teacher, looking for analogies to bridge the everyday with the more erudite.
And yep, I know how I would teach the definition of “erudite.”
Jing and Borun, the eighth-graders I tutor, reap all the benefits. Well, sometimes they reap them. Some lessons are a bust.
Like that time we were reading this really intense article from Slate.com, and I was trying to explain “hegemony” as simply as possible.
“Umm, yeah. Basically, in this case it sucks. Hegemony is something that sucks. Let’s move on.”
I felt as articulate as Sarah Palin.
Posted in: Teaching in Harlem, NYC, Tutoring.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
by Amanda.
I got my paws on more pictures of Annie in her Halloween costume.
Posted in: Ties that bind...and gag.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
by Amanda.
This isn’t breaking news or anything, but R. Kelly is out of his damn mind.
And I can’t get enough.
It started with “Trapped In The Closet.” Then I was obsessed with “I’m A Flirt.” When I was feeling low, I’d think of the video with Kels rocking those diamond-encrusted sunglasses that make him look like a mosquito.
Now there’s another R. Kelly song that’s so bad it’s good. “Pregnant” is ridiculously sexist with lyrical gems, like, “Never felt nothing like this. She’s more than a mistress, enough to handle my business. Now put that girl in my kitchen.”
For reals!
Posted in: Fluff, Liberal Arts - Holla.
Monday, November 30, 2009
by Amanda.
I used to love reading Overheard in New York when it first launched. The novelty wore off as the conversation snippets seemed more and more similar, ludicrous, or racist.
But these quotes from subway conductors - who definitely say funny stuff sometimes - made me laugh:
Posted in: I Live NY, Mentionable.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
by Amanda.
Years ago, I bought a pair of Tod’s black leather loafers at a thrift shop. They’re in perfect condition, which makes me wonder what happened that would leave these expensive and handsome shoes unworn.
Did someone die? Did someone live and break someone else’s heart?
Or were they just the wrong size and unreturned?
Posted in: Lurve/Luff/Like.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
by Amanda.
Sometimes I start writing a blog post and then abandon it for some reason.
Last week, I found orphan posts from as far back as 2007. I can even remember some of my original intentions for them.
Posted in: Everyday, I Live NY, Writing.
Friday, November 27, 2009
by Amanda.
I’ve been going through some old blog drafts written at various points in the past. Sometimes I’ll save something that tickles me, even if it’s apropos of nothing.
Or sometimes it’s too painfully apropos. For awhile, anyway.
This is from “A Dog Is No Reason to Stay Together” by Damian Kulash, Jr. as featured in Things I’ve Learned From Women Who’ve Dumped Me, edited by Ben Karlin:
Posted in: Lurve/Luff/Like, Overbooked.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
by Amanda.
I’ve started tutoring Jing again. After a few months with no contact, we’re back in the groove.
I can’t believe how much she’s grown. She’s started saying some of the most brilliant things, and her braces are coming off next week. Like, OMG!
And she’s still the reigning Junior Miss Non Sequitur.
Posted in: Conserved Conversations, Tutoring.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
by Amanda.
Some of our worst problems sneak up on us. They’re freaky little failings no one anticipates. Tiny developments we miss a million times.
My first appointment of 2010 - and the first New Year’s resolution I’ll complete - is a skin cancer screening. I’ll be dressed in a robe and checked from scalp to sole for any suspicious spots.
I’ve needed to do this for awhile. I’m blue-eyed, fair-skinned, and have a family history of skin cancer. I grew up in Texas.
In the last few years, I’ve watched my dad undergo biopsies and chemotherapy to treat his skin cancer. He’s had chunks of his face removed. Pieces of his arms, his nose, his neck.
Posted in: Everyday, Mentionable, Ties that bind...and gag.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
by Amanda.
My friend Nate, the recovering canned fruit addict, is one of those tall, quiet types to watch out for.
When we went to see R. Crumb awhile back, we talked about our impressions of each other. I had mine of him, some of which he shot down. But his impressions of me were dead-on.
I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Nate. Next stop: psychoanalysis.
Posted in: Conserved Conversations, Ties that bind...and gag.
