Other Side of the Planet dot com

Blog: Dear Forests, I’m sorry. Again.

Posted on March 25th, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

Dear Forests:
I am very sorry for this monstrosity that I was forced to compile against my will.  Next year’s resolution is to be more “green”.
Love,
Anna

[Myself, ironically in my “GREEN IS SEXY” T-shirt..]

I didn’t realize, until taking the picture, how ironic the whole thing was.

This is the second time this academic year that I have compiled such a hideous monstrosity.  Thinking this one wouldn’t be too bad, I had considered buying a 2″ ring binder, but out of paranoia, I went with the 3″ (thank goodness).  I also, mercifully, bought two black ink cartridges and a fresh ream of paper, all of which were necessary…so depressing.

But it’s over now.  I just wish I had someone other than Tarzan to celebrate it with…it all feels strangely anti-climatic.

1 comment.

Blog: Random Moments in Teaching

Posted on March 12th, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[Translation: Today is February 27th, 2009. Teacher Mermaid]

I never fully understood it, but two weeks ago some students in my class decided I looked like a mermaid (the red hair, maybe?).  Little did they realize they already knew all the characters necessary to write “mermaid” in Chinese…authentic learning for the win.

[Me, climbing from a chair onto an unstable desk onto a board laid across the heat register.]

Not included in the job description, but obligatory is this: climbing on furniture.  (Well, technically, we’re NOT supposed to climb on our furniture, less we get hurt at work, however, we’re also required to hang things up high on the walls (or shades, if half of your walls are covered by windows, like mine.)  Surprisingly, the once I got hurt at work was neither for falling off furniture nor for getting wounded by a violent student - I once slipped on a wet floor and scored a week off work.  Wish that could happen again.

[Children reading of their own volition.]

One day when I was exhausted and had too many things going on, three students declared that they were done and asked what to do next.  Normally, I would have a task in mind for them, but in my exhaustion, I merely said “Go find a way to occupy yourselves.”  Inexplicably, instead of running around, screaming and hitting other classmates, the three children slide chairs over to the Chinese reading center, got out books, and sat down to read quietly.  There’s yet hope, I dare say.

1 comment.

Blog: Christmas 2008

Posted on March 8th, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

Please hold my mother, and not me, responsible for the tardiness of this post.  She just sent me the photos this past week.

 
[Myself with Tarzan, who doesn’t mind going to Minnesota, but who does mind being dressed up as Santa Claws.]

Tarzan and I made the yearly trek to Minnesota once again.  He’s still not very mature about the whole airport thing (he’s supposed to walk through the metal detector alone, but to this day the only way he copes is by throwing half his furry mass over my shoulder and desparately trying to dig his claws into my back.)  To his credit though, once he’s on the airplane, he travels like a pro.

 
[Sophie (left) and Smokey (right) in all their fluffy, purebred glory.]

For Tarzan, going to Minnesota means spending quality time with his cousins, Sophie and Smokey.  I always think of Tarzan as a fluffy kitty, except when in the presence of these two furballs, which my brother dubbed Thing 1 and Thing 2.

[Benihana’s Tuna Steak, seared on the outside, raw on the inside…makes me hungry just looking at it now.] 

I actually got to see a few people this year as well - not that I thought to take pictures with half of them (I had to pull photos off Flickr for the food, even!), but such is life.  Karolyn and I went shopping at the Mall of America, and I met Dave and his siblings for dinner at Benihana’s (order the Tuna Steak…delicious!), I met my old high school friend Angela for breakfast (Facebook wins again!), and we went to Carol and Dave’s house for dinner.

[I chose the Original Pancake House for our brunch date, not realizing that Angela was allergic to eggs, but OH! the Dutch Baby German Pancake is to die for!!!]

I even got to see my old college roommate, Lucy, who long since moved back to Taiwan.  She and her husband (who I knew from my most recent stint in Taiwan) were on their honeymoon, which took them through frigid Canada and Minnesota in December (not a honeymoon I would choose, but it makes perfect sense if you ever witnessed Lucy’s fascination with snow.)

[Myself with my old roommate, Lucy, and her husband Leo, who had just visited our old school, the University of Minnesota…I miss that place.]

A quick trip to the Albertville Outlet Malls (for jeans that fit and the like) and then it was time to pack up the kitty and and head back to Brooklyn (the happiest place on Earth, as you all know.)

[Tarzan, enjoying the Christmas festivities.]

1 comment.

Meaningless Rant: Expiration Dates

Posted on March 3rd, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

If I’m not extremely anal about expiration dates, I tend to all but completely disregard them.  When hesitant, I call my mom and pose her with a hypothetical situation, such as “The expiration date says 12/06…but this doesn’t really go bad, does it?” or perhaps “The lunch meat has a slight green irridesence to it, but that’s natural, isn’t it?  Remember in this hypothetical situation that you happen to be very hungry.”  (Unfortunately for Lee, I was talking to him while cleaning out the frig last month…)

One thing that I’m EXTREMELY anal about, however, is the expiration date on milk. Actually, as I understand it, the date stamped on the side of my milk carton is in fact a sell-by date, not an expiration date, but I won’t touch the milk after that day.  (I blame my brother for making me drink spoiled milk as a child.)

New York City, however, brings me a new level of milk expiration paranoia.  Stamped on the side of each carton of milk sold in NYC is not one, but TWO expiration dates, the earlier date for milk sold in NYC.  And how much does the date vary?  One to seven days, generally.

Why does milk go bad faster in the City?  (because it really is turning sour by the in-NYC date.)  Honestly, what circumstance could affect NYC that doesn’t affect other regions, be they removed from the source or large population centers?  If anyone knows, or even has a theory, please do share…  For two years now this has plagued my distracted mind.

 
[Zooming in, you can see the dates on this carton of milk:
 FEB 09 09
 NYC FEB 05 09]

1 comment.

Blog: Snow Day

Posted on March 2nd, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[Myself, with Lee’s R2-D2…which has become mine…]

6:15am:
Why is R2 beeping incessantly in an alarm clock fashion?
Oh, is alarm clock.
Oops, rolled over R2.  That’s him beeping now.
Screw Monday.  Hit snooze.

6:16am:
Gah!  Phone alarm!
Eh?  Coworker.  Not alarm.
“No school today!!!”
It’s not possible.  New York City public schools NEVER close. 
“Turn on the TV!”
I don’t get TV.
“Turn on the radio!”
I don’t have a radio.

6:19am:
On the internet.
Too sleepy.  Can’t remember DOE website.  Something about schools and nyc and .gov…I’ll google that.

6:20am
Ahh…schools.nyc.gov…who knew?

[New York City public schools are closed today due to snow and wind conditions.  Department of Education offices are open.]

6:21am:
Anger.  I could have stayed in NEPA another day!!!

6:22am:
Glorious celebration!  I don’t have to work today!!!

6:23am:
Coworker: “Go back to bed!”

6:24am:
I’m not sleepy now.  Hmm…what to do?  Blog it.

[Blog it…and resolve to spend some quality time with a plush R2-D2.]

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