Timbits

(That's a shout out to all friendly neighbors to the North and all other friends from the peri-Canadian area who are familiar with Tim Hortons. Wink, wink, Robin. Darn it, now I want donut holes...)

Anyhoo, this post is just a hodgepodge of little orts not big enough for their own postings.

The Power of Janken

A few weeks ago there was a discrepancy between a couple teachers at my LMS as to which class might use the computer room. Of course it was settled diplomatically in the teachers' room with a friendly match of Rock Paper Scissors.

Infuruenza

My GES had two days cancelled this week because too many kids were out sick with the flu or a cold. Apparently this is something that happens on occasion at elementary schools. I guess the open windows aren't helping.

Gomi

When I say that kids don't litter at school, I mean if there is a pencil lead that gets swept up at souji, they will pick it up and use it. Their eraser droppings don't even get brushed onto the floor. Not at LMS, anyway. At GS I noticed the teacher across from me had a small collection of candy wrappers, etc. on a piece of paper on his desk, which I found odd. Later I realized they were for the gomi (garbage) board being formed on the bulletin board behind my desk. Several sheets of paper with small bits of garbage glued to them had been labelled with the date of discovery and location of the litter and then pinned up there for all to see.

Buckshot George

For the last week or so the schools have been letting out a few minutes early, and kids who would otherwise have walked themselves home (albeit in groups) are being escorted by teachers. The reason? Well, last week someone decided that the back of a parked pickup truck was the best place to leave a [hunting?] rifle. And someone else thought that the back of a parked pickup truck was the best place to procure a [hunting?] rifle for free. So now there is a "criminal" on the loose with an illicit weapon. Of course the obvious assumption is that this person will use it to fire upon other people, rather than use it for hunting or sell it to someone who would. Who knows, I guess. Alls I know is (80's TV reference, a little obscure, but maybe you know it...), back home mad folks is running around with illicit weapons and there ain't no yellow patrol to walk the kids home. As excessive as I think the schools' reaction is, I guess that's why I'm glad I live here: no one steals anything, and no one gets killed or hurt, so when something does happen it's novel. I'd rather live in a world like that than the one where we're used to people being murdered and robbed and otherwise assaulted, and where we have to keep count of the victims.