Off to school! Anya’s class had 5 males and 2 females today, as it was the day where most of the 9th graders go off and check out high schools. From what Anya tells me, students here have to apply to their preferred high schools. This was a day to go and visit them. So, it was a mostly do what you want day. Afterwards, Anya did some of her online English course.
We went to the big mall for a dinner and groceries. Anya has been missing Chipotle, and today it was renewed yearning after trying a Mexican restaurant. Our small chicken burrito and chicken enchilada with 2 sodas came to $43 at a restaurant where your laminated place mat is the menu, one orders at a counter, and picks up food when ready at another counter. (I can’t figure out if a tip is required at these places!?!) We’ll stick to making our own Mexican food at home.
Today’s lectures on qualitative research were done by two women, who both are fluent in three languages. The anthropologist is lecturing in English, which is her third language, after Norwegian and Malagasy, as she grew up in Madagascar. The other did her PhD after living in Thailand for eight years. I can’t imagine teaching any level in a second language, much less a PhD lecture in one’s third language. Out of the whole group in this English-medium course, I am the only native English speaker. (Though I did have some sort of a mild-British pronunciation from my early days in Hong Kong. When I was 6 and we moved to St. Paul, they sent me to speech therapy to get rid of my funny speech.)
All the gaps have been working on revising chapter 3 of my dissertation. I made some “drinking chocolate” in the appropriate mug.
With blessings,
Beth