Wednesday, December 16, 2009

There's only one thing you can do.

Dekiru koto ha hitotsu shika nai.

Picture a group of 30 or so boys, five or six years old, on the stage of the local civic hall. The hall is packed, with parents elbowing each other for prime video recording positions. The boys are wearing white shirts, black pants, and black neckties. They are also wearing sequined gloves on only one hand, and black fedoras on which fake jheri curls have been attached. They dance enthusiastically and skillfully to a medley of Michael Jackson music.

There is a time for everything. There is a time for pondering and discussing the irony in 30 adorable 5 and 6 year olds dancing to "Billie Jean" and "Human Nature" and "PYT." There is a time for pondering and discussing what Michael Jackson would have felt if he saw the adorable boys shaking their arms to "Thriller". There is a time to remember when you pinned the photo cards of beautiful children your internet friends had sent you on your bulletin board, and called it your Michael Jackson collection.

However, this would not be the time.

The only thing you can do when faced with a stageful of day care pumpkins trying to Moonwalk is cheer and applaud wildly.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

One after another

Tsugi kara tsugi he

This time, when my 20something co-worker came into work with her pink and blue patterned hose, I recognized them as such, and felt all up-to-date and informed.

My job for the morning was to teach a group of four university undergrads. One of them stumbled on an answer when I was quizzing him. The correct answer was "ADC" but he stammered "A...C...D...um, C..."

I couldn't resist. "No, not AC/ DC. In this particular instance, Heavy Metal would be a bad idea."

I got four blank looks.

"Have any of you heard of AC/ DC? The band?"

Again, four blank looks.

"Do any of you know what Heavy Metal music is?"

Yet another quartet of blank looks.

That's it, I'm going to wear granny shoes to work every day from now on.

That or feathered bangs, 80's style.