(no subject)
Tuesday one of my students challenged me to Chinese chess and I thrashed him pretty soundly, so he told the Chinese history teacher (who is Chinese) and we played yesterday. He won a game that was tight until about midway, but he did say I was the best western player he’d ever met. I’ve often attributed it to Dad teaching me international chess at such a young age, an explanation they find acceptable.
I also lucked out with one of my more challenging students; he likes reading philosophical novels, so Wednesday he asked me about Albert Camus’ “The Stranger,” and I told him we could talk about it Thursday. By dumb luck, I still had a book “Masterpieces of French Literature,” which included articles about his first two novels, so I reread them that evening and the next day could sound pretty erudite. I wasn’t completely bluffing, since I had read those books, just a very long time ago. Hard to believe the kid’s only fifteen years old; he has that tall, lean, intense intellectual look down pat, too.
I also lucked out with one of my more challenging students; he likes reading philosophical novels, so Wednesday he asked me about Albert Camus’ “The Stranger,” and I told him we could talk about it Thursday. By dumb luck, I still had a book “Masterpieces of French Literature,” which included articles about his first two novels, so I reread them that evening and the next day could sound pretty erudite. I wasn’t completely bluffing, since I had read those books, just a very long time ago. Hard to believe the kid’s only fifteen years old; he has that tall, lean, intense intellectual look down pat, too.