Tis the Season and Winds of Change

(I couldn't decide on just one title).

Tis the season for all the young men of Mountainview to begin awkwardly inviting the young women of their fancy to the spring banquet held in April. Typically they don't start this early, but this year is an exception. For the first time ever, there are about three times as many boys as girls at our secondary school. Competition is fierce, people. Some girls have already received 3 or more invitations. There have been bended knees. There have been flowers (although that poor girl had to give her flowers to a friend because she was scared to take them home due to an overzealously protective father). And today? Today I had a nervous 10th grader come to me 20 minutes before school started and hand me a lovely handwritten note that says, "Will you go to banquet...", (I assume he meant "with me"). Lest you think he was inviting me (which has happened before. Every year, in fact.), he went on to ask, "Can you give this to Brittney in Geometry? But don't tell her it's from me." Eyeing the remaining stack of invitations in his hand, I asked, "How many girls are you planning to ask. Got a few fall backs there?!?" He laughed shyly and said, "These are all for her. I made one for each of her teachers to give her throughout the day. Then after school I'll tell her it's me and I'll ask her for real. So make sure you don't tell her it's from me. It's a secret." I love that I get to be a part of it! Now I just have to make sure I actually remember to give it to her.

As for winds of change, I now finally understand that phrase. In Indiana, winds usually mean a storm is coming. Might be a blizzard. Might be a tornado. Might be for no reason at all. But things don't really change all that much. Here the winds mean the season is getting ready to change and everybody will probably get really sick for a few days. Ever since yesterday afternoon, it has been really windy. One of the sheets of corrugated steel (or whatever it is) the language school right outside my bedroom window uses as roofing material came loose during the night. At approximately 2:26 AM. I didn't get much sleep after that point because every time I'd start to drift off, I'd be jolted awake to what I thought were several small bombs going off inside my house. Over and over and over. But really, I love the wind. And even though rainy season is supposed to last until April and it's the year of the water dragon and hujanuari and all that, maybe the season is changing early? Because it never rained yesterday. And it hasn't rained yet today. That would be just perfect! An early end to rainy season!

Two days ago, I grabbed my black skinny jeans out of my wardrobe thingie. The entire back of them was white and fuzzy. I have never in my life seen such a large quantity of mold growing on an article of clothing. I'm still waiting to see if they have serious mold damage or if they will be good as new after they get washed. Dry season may be hot, but at least there's no mold.