Snowbound and Irate

So today was my first proper day of class at beautiful, historic Eupheme. Really, high school is the same anywhere you go. You can argue all you want for the differences between various types, public and private and religious and what have you, but in the end it all boils down to a simple equation: Bored Students + Disheartened Teachers x Supremely Rare Exceptions to the Standard Methodology = The Happiest Years of Your Life. Obviously, it's a generalized rule that doesn't apply in all situations equally, but the whole world is full of tiny exceptions. It gets tiring to have to declare that sort of thing each and every time.

I did what any self-respecting student does in a new school: I smiled politely for the teacher in each class, and otherwise kept my head down. If I'm going to make waves, the last thing I need to do is start them in class. I can rock the boat with the best of them, but despite my mathematical theories I actually at least try to respect the educational process. Teachers may be disheartened, but most of them do seem to actually want to make a difference. Or at least they did at one time or another; they had to have some idealism somewhere, to get into the profession in the first place. Now, psycho disciplinarians looking to impose their mold on everyone, looking to break any student that tries to step out of line? Sign me up to cut them down to size. But the rest I try to look out for.

The classes seem fairly standard, for the most part. Though I've sat through an hour of CALM and I'm still not sure what the hell it's about. Maybe it'll come clear after another week, or maybe it's just one of those required courses that no one can ever really explain what's it's for, but you still have to take it anyway because it's been on the books so long no one questions it.

I'm not sure what to think about the student population, either. There's certainly a plethora of folks who stand above the usual crowd of sheep, but it's a very...strange sort of upper crust. I don't know how to put my finger on explaining it, exactly, but given the stories I've already heard I suppose I shouldn't be entirely surprised. I think they all just bear watching. Which is in itself odd, that so many in one place are worth that.

I'll have to mull on it some more, clearly.

However, my day was not limited to academic concerns. It was actually bookended quite nicely by meeting two lovely examples of my new peers. The day started and ended at the Round Table, which was as easy to find in this one-horse-town as my breakfast companion said it would be. That would be Tanne, to be specific, who was quite happy to share coffee and biscotti. Charming, elegant, and she keeps up in conversation: I'd say those were all votes for the positive, in my book. We're even sharing a few classes, so I'll have someone's notes to copy off of when I'm otherwise engaged. The silly girl then agreed to come over for curry Saturday night. Clearly, she has no idea what she's getting into.

The afternoon, on the other hand, was meeting the lovely Lucy, of earlier Sam and Emi fame it turned out. She was working at the counter, and I was in desperately need of vast quantities of caffeine and sugar to get me through the pile of homework that I get to catch up on -- lucky me! Ah well. She was kind enough to take some time away from the counter to chat and keep a poor new boy distracted from his homework. Another intelligent conversationalist, and she even put up with my rambling on love and the afterlife. I can see why everyone wants her. I, however, was kind enough to let her get back to work, and then buried myself in my own work for the rest of the evening.

Not perhaps the best end to a day, but between those two bookends I was buoyed through until bedtime. Which in fact is now.