After Graduation

So I went home from the graduation ceremony exhausted, had a snack and typed up a blog entry. Then I took a nap. I managed to wake up and spiff up to go out with my ladies. I met up with Riza, Laura and Carolina to celebrate Carolina's birthday. We munched on yummy Peruvian food. Carolina cursed us for the cake and the serenade by everyone in the restaurant. Then we went dancing at No Malice Palace. Then I met up with Tom, and we stayed out until the bar closed.

Sunday I watched The Godfather at Tom's urging. I'd never really felt the need to watch it, but Tom convinced me. It was okay, but suffered from two things: 1-Famous Movie Cliche Syndrome and 2- lack of sympathetic characters.

1- FMCS is when a movie has been tributed and referenced and knocked-off so many times that the original feels...unoriginal (think "It's a Wonderful Life.") On top of that, most FMCS flicks are so famous they've been hyped to death. How can the actual movie stack up? It was like, "Oh, I've seen this scene." "Oh, that's the context for that line. Cool."

2-Tom and I agreed when watching Sopranos. We're supposed to root for these people who make their living from crime and intimidation? We're supposed to feel sorry for the people who sponge off the people who make their living from crime and intimidation? It's all about people who treat other people like puppets. (See the poster above!) I feel the same way watching The Godfather. Tom, on the other hand, feels troubled that I don't feel overwhelming love for The Godfather. It has nice characterization and cinematography and pacing and acting. It's a well done film! It deserves the awards, the acclaim, the mantle of masterpiece. It's just...see all comments above. Maybe it will grow on me? Some movies do.

So then there was a week of work. It was hot and we were all crabby. And then one kid, lets call him "Boberto," pushed me too far. He's been moaning suggestively in my room on and off all year. Tuesday he did this weird snakey dance up in my face, proclaiming, "You're makin' me hot, you're makin' me hot, you're makin' me HAAAAAAAAAAWT!" Then Wednesday he was moaning again, and said something really rude to me, I don't even remember what. "Fine, 'Boberto,' I've been trying to decide what to do about your nasty comments yesterday. Now you've made it easy."

I turned the reports in to the dean and told them I wasn't comfortable with how 'Boberto' was treating me. They called his dad who kept saying "I don't know where these allegations are coming from. You keep making these allegations." Unfortunately, we couldn't ask "Boberto" about the incident, because he had cut school for the last few periods of the day. The AP, the dean and I had to stop ourselves from laughing out loud when his dad claimed, "'Boberto' is such a quiet, shy boy." My AP usually drives me nuts, but I loved her when she replied, "Well, that's not what we see at school."

We had to meet again the next day (Me, AP, Principal, Dean, Parent Coordinator, 'Boberto' and his parents). 'Boberto' stuck to his claims: He didn't say or do any of those things. He'd never been in trouble in my class. I just didn't like him, and was making this stuff up to get him out of my class. I emphasized that that isn't the case, I'm not a liar, and I'm trying to straighten out his child so he doesn't get sued for sexual harassment some day.

My principal stuck by me. She showed the child's father the kid's report cards (all failing), his progress reports (failing with complaints about his behavior from all his teachers) and his attendance record (absent 22 days, late 88 days). Oops. Daddy's little angel isn't so angelic after all. P.S. Dad claimed to be involved in his son's life, and to really know his son. So how didn't he know all these things? It's a mystery. Well, he's out of my class, at least. And has "Boberto" learned his lesson? Well, today I heard him tell a girl, "You don't have hair on your head, you have [Stricken because some innocent younguns read this. Let's just say, a different, inappropriate type of hair]." So obviously he's put himself on the straight and narrow path.