Americana

Today we had intercultural day here at Arai JHS. It is interesting to me to have to teach about American culture. Funny, but I have a really hard time doing this...I mean really I have never been able to answer the question as to "What is America" but I gave it my best shot.
After a morning of pure stress, in which began last night when my computer died on me because I left the cord at school and I had nada prepared for the day. So I, carrie the really truly non-morning person- got up at 5:45 and was at school by 6:30 so I could work on my powerpoing presentation and finish it...and then go back to get Karmen at 7:30 for school. BUT the school doesn't open until 7:30...shougunai!.....I completed my powerpoint and it looked really good...complete with the classic Vashon influenced version of the Star Spangled Banner sung by her majesty herself Whitney Houston.
So I go to give my hour long speech, and low and behold the projector won't work with my computer... so now I am stuck winging it.

I have one piece of advice when you are as skilled as me when it comes to drawing on the board. Be careful on how you draw Europe. This isn't my first offence in this field...but once again I look up at my mass that is representing Europe, Asia, and Africa, and all I see is phallacy. I immediately erased and begged the laughing children to excuse me...yes I teach Junior High...ages 12-15...and I am their daily dose of comedy.

So I wing the speech, of which one child proceeds to ask me questions about the War (WWII), and I try to answer them..then the second class asked no questions and I had all this spare time to waste..what do you do when you have tons of spare time to waste and you don't have anything else prepared..?? You warn the children of how horrible it is going to be...you beg for questions....and then if you still have time...the only thing I could think of was the Hokey Pokey! How awful! Now I have to hokey pokey in front of the class.. I had already listed all the music genres I could think of that you could find at your local music store..I had talked about popular cartoons...now I have to Hokey Pokey because I was too effiecient in my time! I made all the students stand up and in my horrible acapella, I proceeded to sing and dance that horrible dance that is the Hokey Pokey...yes, I'm a fool.

So after bustin it loose...I was thinking...really...what is america? Americana is a culture of some truly messed up individuals....we require a lot of work.....in more ways than I can think.....ain't it great to be crazy?...