Big Day

Today was a big day for me.

I drove in to class today, which was good but I should never do it again. Nine bones for parking, caray. Had breakfast at Seattle's Best, which yes, I know is owned by Xingbake but still doesn't feel as gross. There were lots of non Xingbake people there, and the atmosphere was decidedly more neighborhoody. Next time I'll try the Cherry Street Cafe; I saw a sign that they have breakfast.

While I was in class today, the contractor came and reglazed my window. Yay! I went to the office today to finally pick up my replacement computer; it's HOT, I love it. So sexy and fast.

Then I went to my piano lesson, which was GREAT. I am learning a lot about jazz. I can read chord changes already, no problem, but for the last ten years, I've just been pounding out chords, with no right-hand noodle to speak of. Well, my piano teacher D is showing me how to put all those chords in my left hand, so my right will be free to do melody and noodle. What a concept!

And then when I got home, I put all the great programs I used to have on my new computer. The download from the server at work is taking a while, but I'm just so glad to get my digital life up to speed again.

Funny stuff from class; S was asked to demonstrate the verb "to find" so he said in Chinese that he had misplaced his opium. Funny! Laoshi told me the other day that Z, a student she taught 10 years ago in China, is in the French class next door to ours. Today he was sitting at the desk when I came back from break. After his travels in China, he speaks Mandarin just fine, now he's learning French so he can visit a friend in France. What kind of person can afford to travel and learn languages full time? Either you have to be a teacher with a grant, like me; or independently wealthy (unlike me), or you can be like Z, who, it turns out, is an Alaskan fisherman. He crews a fishing boat for a few weeks, makes money, and then has long stretches of time with which to spend his money. Traditionally, you were supposed to blow your salary at the bar and brothel before signing on to the next boat, but it seems the new fisherman spends his money on travel and language school.

Is that a great life, or what? Work hard, long vacations, no students. I wonder if I could cut it on a fishing boat. But then again, what's to keep me from living a life of bars and brothels now.... Oh yah, a lack of money.

Anyway, the other option is to be independently wealthy; I have to look into that...