Fond Fun Due

It HAS been a while since I have written anything...I forgot my logon name!

Well the end of the school year has come. I have about seven more days of school, and I fly home at the end of the month. I can't wait to do nothing all summer. Tomorrow I finish my first week in a two-week run of half-days at school. The most idiotic system I have ever seen: come to school, take a test, mess around until noon, and then go home and study for a test the next day. These aren't even comprehensive tests! I am testing on stuff we have been learning for a month to two weeks. Who needs two weeks to study for that? Agh....the Syrian way!

Chris and I have been entertained with the school fiasco and having fun with friends. We both miss Ben and Monika very much. They were two like minded people in a place where Western thinking is hard to come by...and they were our travel partners. Now we have to go see the Euphrates without them. Sorry guys.

On a better note, I scored the best goal of my life yesterday playing football (soccer for the Americans). I was very frustrated with a high level of individuality and lazyness that was being shown on the pitch, and traded up to come out of goal to attack from the midfield. Chris and our friend Bill were playing great; passing wonderfully around each other, and in general they had amazing energy and effort. I ran toward the goal from the midfield after our attack had been bunched up to the front right of the goal. Chris was fighting hard to get the ball back and Bill just gently pushed it out to me as I was approaching from about twnety yards. I was so angry that my focus allowed me to nail the ball over the crowd, off the goalie's hands and up into the left corner of the goal. It was BEAUTIFUL. At first I didn't believe I actually pelted the ball to where I intended it to go. I was so amazed at it's beauty that I totally forgot I was the one who struck the ball. After this split second reckoning I ran away with my fingers pointing out in a pseudo-celebratory run. It was great. Cheesy, but great. :)

I am making a list of the things to bring back next year. I have this feeling of not being done here. Me being me, because this place pisses me off so much I want to come back again. I want to do better at teaching, explore more of this world, and learn to deal with frustrating situations better. Syria is a hotbed of frustrating situations. You know...the whole "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" thing. I eat that shit up. From my moments of weakness and inability I have taken away a drive to have the hardest situations thrown at me and to learn from them. I don't like feeling I don't know how to handle difficult situations, and the only way to change that is to be in them. So here I go again.

As I am making a list of things to bring back in the Fall, I will need a list of things to bring home when I come. Anyone need anything from Syria? I have the short list from those of you who I have kept in touch with, and anyone else who knows me just shoot of an email of what you want. I come in peace!