I drew this for my sister's birthday today. I didn't have much time to decide what colours to use or what her costume would be, so I call her "Gumby." The upside (downside?) is that she's got anime blue hair. 

Projected Movie Title: Snowstorm!

Characters: The usual gang

Setting: Inside a freezing school, today

Plot: Hapless new teacher Ms C makes doomed wish for a freak snowstorm in Quebec so she doesn't have to work the next day. Massive storm hits the day before students are to go back to school after the break. Hilarity ensues.

Really?: Well, nothing actually happens. Because knowing my luck, I'm sure there's going to be school tomorrow, despite the 40 cm of snow being dumped in our region.

Point of story: To torture kids at school.

I think it's a bad thing when you'd rather do your taxes than finish correcting things.

March Break

One good reason for having gone to Montreal this week.



I dread the day the students come back from the break, actually. Their lazy stares (or hyperactive wave of destruction) awaits me, as they collectively whine about how their breaks were too short. I am inclined to agree at this point...

Go West!

My mum just reminded me tonight that there's a wedding in Calgary of one of my cousins this July (23rd) so I have to start planning that now. Fortunately, right now, there's a marvelous seat sale for 1$ to "go west" (with return ticket purchase) from Montreal or from Quebec.

Just wondering, if I go out to Cow-gary, should I stay there for a bit longer than a week and see if I can visit (somehow) my dear friends out West? (Hint hint, Davy?)

Blogging from the Dead

Happily enough, I have enjoyed the last few days (contrasted with the last entire two months). My dear Ivo-san came to Quebec this weekend to a chess tournament being held at Laval U. We spent some time yesterday at the Cochon Dingue on Cartier, which had a nice environment but a rather lacking menu. Anyway, they have fries which I'll try next time (for lunch, because their evening prices are nuts).

So in addition to having gone to a relatively relaxing trip to Village des Sports on Friday with the high school, I had the rather gut-wrenching experience of Parent-Teacher night on Wednesday. That was the first time I conducted it alone, and I was completely terrified. My favourite moments are when the parents vowed upon their wedding bands/mortgage/threat of inexistence of the child, extra work and tutelage for their son or daughter failing miserably in my class, only to have the student in question not really coming forward for any help. Fortunately, these parents do recognize that the teacher isn't one thousand percent responsible for the student's failings.

I also enjoyed feeling mildly depressed over the shortcomings of all my students at the secondary five level. Surely there are hard workers among them, are there not? Indeed, there are exactly 4 who are consistently hard workers, 3 who work sometimes, and 1 who is the class brain but isn't working even to semi-potential. Talented students, yes. Lazy asses, yes. Undesirable group, no. They're quite delightful when they're in class and at 100% working, but this is highly rare, and consequently seems disturbing when it does happen.

I didn't enjoy feeling terribly depressed over the disruptive secondary fours. I am still in pain over ritalin kid's outburst this week, having swore so profusely in class that I very seriously considered kicking him out for the entire week. Instead, I kicked him out for the rest of class, and he was blindsided by the principal outside my door.

Other events like my new two students still adjusting to the class are rather interesting. My recent QHS-departed student is a bit of a nuisance at times for disruptive behaviour, but he doesn't seem to have a strong learning disability (for the moment). The PEI-departed student is quiet and somewhat shy, but she has yet to show difficulty in content. I will be giving them a test this week for them to catch up to the level of the rest of the class.

So there you have it. I came back from the dead to write this, and I'll be rolling over and sleeping for another week or so.

Happy New Year!

Knowing me, the likelihood of me putting up a post on the day when something happens is close to nil. I tend to forget after the big events and end up posting a huge mass of words that make people forget to read my blog.

Just to reiterate holiday greetings (because I miss them already)... 


I'm back at school since Monday. Today was the actual first day of school for kids, and people haven't changed one bit. ;)

One bit of news that was passed around today was that of a secondary 1 girl from our school having fallen off a roller coaster at the mall on Monday, undergoing surgery today. On another note, a lot of people did not sympathize with her, as she was reportedly "changing seats with her friend" on the curve while it was moving. It is also an amazing feat that she landed on the bumper cars grid while it was not electrified, otherwise this would be an obituary link.

Edit: I took out a sentence due to the fact that I don't think before I write.