All accounts seem to agree that France’s 0-0 draw against Switzerland last Tuesday was less than inspiring.  Even the French press seem to be turning on them.  Maybe, just maybe, Korea could pull out a victory over les Bleus this Sunday.  They sure seem to want it more.

And…I just have to say…if I am reading the sports pages?  There is a serious imbalance in the universe.    

***

An interesting thing happened yesterday and today.  But before I can tell you about it, I have to back up a bit to last Tuesday.  

After school on Tuesday I had to go to a meeting about the summer camp I have to go to next month.  Even though it’s in my contract, and I’ve known about it for a year, I am not looking forward to it.  Add to that the 30 degree weather (that’s 90 in American) and my generally piss poor attitude.  Tuesday was a bad day is what I’m saying.  I did my best not to let it show too much during the meeting, but I wasn’t entirely successful.  

As I said before, on Wednesday I was really, really tired.  But lack of sleep was only part of it.  I was mostly just worn out by my shitty Tuesday.  Wednesdays are really long days for me.  Five regular classes plus my after-school class, which is a double session, making for seven in all.  As I mentioned previously, one of my worst classes during the week occurs on Wednesdays too.  It was a just-get-through-it day.  

Well, I was so beaten into submission by life, my job, and my own head, that I just didn’t have the energy to fight it, so I didn’t.  I just let it all wash over me and tried to keep my lesson going.  I couldn’t be bothered to force anyone to listen or to get angry about anything.  And you know what?  There were about five or six students in that class who really paid attention without any prompting whatsoever.  I never noticed them before because I was so focused on the “bad” students.  Well I’ll be damned! I thought.  So I focused on those few students and did my best to ignore the others, which worked out pretty well.  

This afternoon I had another “bad” class, so I tried the same tactic, and had the same result.  I was so serene, I was like the Buddha. My co-teacher on the other hand, who is usually quite patient, was kicking ass and taking names.  

Ok.  I know I shouldn’t call my classes “bad.”  They aren’t “bad,” they’re “difficult” or “challenging,” or “character building.” But honestly, if you saw some of these kids…I think even Mother Teresa would have kicked some asses.  

Anyway, I’m going back to my cloud to chant some more…..Ohhmmmmm…….