You only need to sleep when being awake matters later on.
Even though my new job is far less stressful than previous occupations, the anxiety dreams continue like nobody's business.
The other night, it was that I was piss drunk out of my skull - just completely looped and feeling all washy and jellylike - and then suddenly realized I had to teach small children right then and there. It felt so important and necessary to be composed, and yet here I was, a drunken mess. Up until this point in the dream, I was simply enjoying the sensation of being drunk. But being told I had to teach at that moment had the same effect of fluorescent lights and a mirror. And so, panic set in. The kids can NOT know I am drunk. They like me too much. This would ruin my rapport with them, not to mention possibly scar them for life and get me fired and deported. How do I sober up? No coffee in sight. Strong desire to just sleep. Must not sleep! Keep it together, dammit.
Ugh.
Back in the realm of real life, I had a small but important breakthrough with my class of housewives. I'd taken on this class a couple weeks ago, and we'd been getting along fine, but it was only today that I realized what I was supposed to be to them:
an ESL Oprah.
Because it's all about sharing words of encouragement and lady-bonding.
Today was the morning after for most of the citizenry. Last night was an orgy of red shirts and devil horns, near heart attacks (Togo was NOT supposed to score! Especially not first!) and tearful redemption. Although the action was several time zones away, a crowd TWICE the size of this city's population crammed into the local stadium to be the "twelfth member" of the national team. To say the excitement for the game was palpable was an understatement. Breathing it in would surely cause one to drown. So I was very careful not to inhale too much.
Today was full of cranky, half hungover teachers and very overtired, punchy children with fading temporary tattoos of various logos derived from the national flag. Total alertness was not to be had today, and yet, everything went exactly as it would on any other day.
The other night, it was that I was piss drunk out of my skull - just completely looped and feeling all washy and jellylike - and then suddenly realized I had to teach small children right then and there. It felt so important and necessary to be composed, and yet here I was, a drunken mess. Up until this point in the dream, I was simply enjoying the sensation of being drunk. But being told I had to teach at that moment had the same effect of fluorescent lights and a mirror. And so, panic set in. The kids can NOT know I am drunk. They like me too much. This would ruin my rapport with them, not to mention possibly scar them for life and get me fired and deported. How do I sober up? No coffee in sight. Strong desire to just sleep. Must not sleep! Keep it together, dammit.
Ugh.
Back in the realm of real life, I had a small but important breakthrough with my class of housewives. I'd taken on this class a couple weeks ago, and we'd been getting along fine, but it was only today that I realized what I was supposed to be to them:
an ESL Oprah.
Because it's all about sharing words of encouragement and lady-bonding.
Today was the morning after for most of the citizenry. Last night was an orgy of red shirts and devil horns, near heart attacks (Togo was NOT supposed to score! Especially not first!) and tearful redemption. Although the action was several time zones away, a crowd TWICE the size of this city's population crammed into the local stadium to be the "twelfth member" of the national team. To say the excitement for the game was palpable was an understatement. Breathing it in would surely cause one to drown. So I was very careful not to inhale too much.
Today was full of cranky, half hungover teachers and very overtired, punchy children with fading temporary tattoos of various logos derived from the national flag. Total alertness was not to be had today, and yet, everything went exactly as it would on any other day.