Oh, don't be so docudramatic
When
you look like your passport photo, it's time to come home, as one
well-known American humorist once put it. I received my brand new
Canadian passport in mail yesterday, the loyal subject of Her Royal
Majesty that I now am. I am happy for the speedy delivery that was even
faster than promised, and now I can tour the world under the protection
of the mighty Canadian nation and its feared armed forces. What I am
not too happy about is the passport photograph. Since the ugly passport
photo is such a universal cliche, I am starting to believe that there
is some kind of ancient curse that affects the all of humankind.
Back in Finland, I used to suffer from allergies each spring when the birches started to spread their pollen. After we moved to Canada I noticed that I don't get these allergies any more. Then again, there really are not that many birches around here, whereas they are ubiquitous in Finland. This spring I suddenly got the hayfever again and was all itchy and swollen up, so perhaps some other type of plant to which I am not allergic in normal doses became especially pollenous this year. I took some allergy medicine and it worked, but inside the photographer's office, as I was sitting on the stool, I felt the allergies hitting me again. As a result of this, I look like in my passport photograph like I am just starting to cry.
I also filed the grades for my students for the term that just ended. Half the students got an A+, but each one of them deserved it, so that is what they get. As I see it, you can't punish a good student for being unfortunate to take a course with a large number of other good students. So it's a good thing that I don't grade to the curve. A few students emailed me after the final exam and thanked me for a good course, wanting to know what else I teach. And it wasn't like these guys were angling for a better grade, since they were alrady A+ students.
Back in Finland, I used to suffer from allergies each spring when the birches started to spread their pollen. After we moved to Canada I noticed that I don't get these allergies any more. Then again, there really are not that many birches around here, whereas they are ubiquitous in Finland. This spring I suddenly got the hayfever again and was all itchy and swollen up, so perhaps some other type of plant to which I am not allergic in normal doses became especially pollenous this year. I took some allergy medicine and it worked, but inside the photographer's office, as I was sitting on the stool, I felt the allergies hitting me again. As a result of this, I look like in my passport photograph like I am just starting to cry.
I also filed the grades for my students for the term that just ended. Half the students got an A+, but each one of them deserved it, so that is what they get. As I see it, you can't punish a good student for being unfortunate to take a course with a large number of other good students. So it's a good thing that I don't grade to the curve. A few students emailed me after the final exam and thanked me for a good course, wanting to know what else I teach. And it wasn't like these guys were angling for a better grade, since they were alrady A+ students.
You don't like our army or our banks...why did you leave Finland.
Posted by Anonymous | 10:43 AM