Another sunday morning

I really enjoy my sundays. it's like the one day where everything just seems to be going slower. The day is usually very pleasant, serene, peaceful. It's definetly a time for me to just relax before another hectic week begins. I just sit at my computer, go through my itunes, and chill out. it's such a quintessential part of life. relaxation. Everyone needs it even if you don't want it. My mom for example, can't relax for her life. She's a workaholic and if she doesn't work, she'll go crazy. I mean, once in a while she indulges in a beer or the chinese newspaper, but if you truly want to relax, then i say dedicate at least half a day to it. anyway, she does what she wants. For some people, i guess cleaning windows is a way of contentment.

My week has been the same really. Nothing interesting happened. Session 3 of my camp just ended and session 4 is starting. Hardly any of the parents gave tips and I swear, it's just unfair. You give us your kids, we deal with them all day, all their eating habits, temper tantrums, crying fits, all that crap and you couldn't spare a gift card? I guess that isn't the point of the job, but still, an american express would be very appreciated. If i was rich and had nothing to do all day, I would go out on one of my busy days to buy a present for the people who are taking care of my children.

Speaking of taking care of children, so my cousin is going off to college very soon. Sad yes, confused, a little, lost, very much so. My cousin is like my sister. She's been with me since I was born so it's a little odd that she's going away. She's not even going that far away, but definetly far away enough for me to think it odd that she's not right next to me. We've been going to the same school for years and now, it seems, it's ended. It just stopped.

Anyway, children. My cousin has a saturday job in chinatown at this tutoring center for little chinese kids. So, since shes leaving soon, i'm going to be taking over her job. So i go in yesterday to check out the environment and meet the boss. To be honest, the boss lady was a little bland. Too nice I thought to be the head of a tutoring center. To be real honest, i think there isn't enough motivation for the kids to be doing anything. I walk in, the boss lady tells the kids to write a page about their favorite book, and i though to myself, "that's kind of boring." Turns out, the kids thought it too. We're talking about chinatown kids here. These are kids whose moms and dads work day and night while the kids stay at after school programs till they come back. Also, most of the parents are unaware of a lot of things they give their kids. For example, there is no supervision on the internet or the tv. These kids watch everything from barney to south park to you tube clips about god knows what. Also, since the parents don't really have the time to spend it with their kids, the kids spend all their day at school, or watching t.v waiting for their parents to come back. Once the parents come back, the parents want to watch their t.v and that's the most bonding time the kids have with them. It's too sad really.

It's really sad because these kids don't find any interest in anything but the media. The education system clearly has not gotten them to be motivated about anything else but the tv. They just don't want to do or talk about anything but cartoons, youtube, and anime. It's even worse when their parents only know that sending their kids to school must garuntee them a spot at Harvard or MIT. I mean sending to after school programs all day and night? Then, when they come back, force them to "study"? I mean, i would be totally unmotivated about school if all my parents cared about doing was making me into a child prodigy. Oh wait, I was totally unmotivated about school when my parents cared only about making me into a child prodigy. Great.

It is great, actually. I mean look how I turned out! Too bad, not everyone is as lucky as me. But it is great, because I know how I could've turned out to be if I had not rebelled against everything my mother wanted me to be. So, I know how to guide those whom are falling into the ugly hands of the stereotypical parenting ways of the chinese. I know that they are just doing it for our own good, but they need to realize that we can't all be math geniusthz, harvard graduates, and future engineers. We don't all love calculating number 24/7, and read books every minute of our lives. Anyway, enough ranting. So i tell the kids, "You tell me the one thing you know the most about, and you write it down for me." The kids, all of them gave me different topics, some of them surprising, some of them not, but topics that I knew motivated them to actually write. I said, "Show me you're the expert about the one thing you know, because hell, teach me!" And they did. It wasn't their favorite book, but it was definetly their favorite animal, cartoon, hobby, etc. It was a hell of a lot more interesting than a favorite book, especially for these kids since, well, they never get a chance to actually read.

QUE!?