DEAR ALIZARIN: Salsa, no chips

Day four back at school and I am still having fun, though feeling the sleep deprivation a bit. Despite my stunning teaching skills and incredibly engaging lesson plans, the students are not doing any work. They are not being disruptive or rude, just not working. Even after sharing all my fabulous vacation stories, they all claim they did absolutely nothing over our two month vacation. Though they are supposed to have the third draft of their narrative completed, most are still working on the first draft, meaning, next week I am going to be reading essays that sound something like this:

I am writing an essay about something that happened over vacation. My friends wanted to go to the beach. I went with them. It was really hot and we had lots of fun swimming. The purpose in writing this story is to tell you about my trip to the beach and that everyone should go to the beach.

The only difference will be that their papers will not be typed and may not have any puncutation.

So, how am I remaining to calm and happy? Yoga, of course, with the very tough yet kind substitute yoga teacher.

After relaxing with yoga class last night, I put off any planning for another hour and hyped myself up by taking the salsa class after the yoga class. (Yes, I becoming one of those really annoying people who talk about how great yoga is and schedule their lives around yoga classes and the gym --ugh!) I am totally addicted to salsa now! I think I did ok, except on the turns, where I became a bit dangerous. The biggest lesson, however, was in learning how to follow. You know I am not much of a follower and always think I know best. That said, by the end of class I realized some of my seeming clumsiness was a result of their unclear leading. I am not a mind-reader, afterall. Moreover, the more they expected me to mind-read, the more critical they were of my dancing. I wished I could have stayed with my first partner (who was also much hotter and younger than the others, making it all so much easier). I guess I will have to admit my obsession with salsa includes my meeting a passionate and sexy man who knows how to dance and will fall madly in love with me, dangerous spins and all.

Love,

Lychee