November 12, 1999.

Dirk has informed me that he's about to start attending Anglican services, although he claims he's still in no rush to get baptized. I'm pleased about the whole thing; I just wish he'd stop shushing me in church. I offer joyful giggling unto the Lord - and surely He knows as well as I do how hard it is to remain solemn when the liturgy starts sounding like Monty Python.

I've been thinking more seriously about attending church on a regular basis...unfortunately, it's not as much fun to do that here as it is with Agamemnon in Edmonton. With the fellowship I felt in the West Ed Anglican community, it's going to be difficult to go back to Eastern vagueness & polite distance. Such things bore me.

Had a talk with Dav last night about careers, candy jujitsu and the magic of Sanrio. His favourite character is the bad-tempered space penguin, Badtz-Moru. I don't have a favourite...although the Chien Olivier on the Pink Bag of Justice is Sanrio-ey enough to qualify, I think.

Managed to keep my temper through a moderately difficult day with the Special Ed grade 8's. Perhaps it was because the class was down to 8. It's still difficult to keep a bunch of rowdy 13 year olds on task, ADD & Tourette's aside...but like I said, I only lost my temper once through a whole day of "you eat curry every day / go home & brush your teeth / what did you say about my mom? / but he started it! / that's why you don't have any friends / huh??"

And so on.

The problem child actually let me help him with a history report today instead of freaking out & shutting down like he did last time. I guess he couldn't sense the fear - after the way he treated me last time, I was quavering on the inside. But he actually let me help. (Bear in mind that the help consisted of me gently persuading him to complete his assignment, then finding & writing out answers for him to copy. But without that gentle prodding, he would routinely do nothing. And neither of us got upset. So that was good.)

I found out through the grapevine today that the regular teacher is leaving after Christmas. I mean, I knew she wasn't happy, but I never thought she'd duck out half way through the year. And if these kids drove a seasoned professional out the door in 3 months, imagine what they'll do to the string of substitutes sent in her place?

The mind boggles.

i know better than to rip off sanrio. they'd crush me like a paper cup.