Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Avoiding the mirror

Not much going on in my life, though I did accidentally agree to marry one of my students (and not the one you'd think). I was trying to explain the difference between a proposal and a suggestion:
Me: So give me an example of a proposal.
Student: Will you marry me?
M: Yes. And a sug--
...
M: No!

I also got new glasses. A few weeks ago, a coworker of mine was trying to make me feel bad about wearing such thick glasses because, apparently, she is eight years old. Feeling bad about wearing glasses is so far outside my frame (hee!) of reference that I didn't even realize what she was trying to do until a couple hours later. What's the comeback to that, anyway?

I didn't have one, so, as you can see, I went out and purchased me some aggressively nerdy glasses. Now I can alternate between these ones and my old ones, depending on what matches my outfit more closely. Is that weird? I also bought my first pair of prescription sunglasses, which are not ready yet. That made me feel a bit old, but I really need them. Sadly, my head is too small for fasionable (read: giant) sunglasses. It has to do with centering the lenses or something like that. Something tells me I could get what I wanted if I spent a lot, but I'm not rich and don't bother trying to look nice when the sun is out anyway. Oh well.

If you're wondering why my face looks so weird in that picture, it's not the glasses. I was anticipating an argument in which I'd need that facial expression, found that I was incapable of making eyes at myself in the mirror, tried making eyes at the wall and then stepping in front of the mirror but couldn't hold the expression, and then, finally, remembered that I have a digital camera. In the end, there wasn't an argument, but I did get a picture of my new glasses (also note new dress).

The argument that never actually happened was about a good-looking guy who I didn't want to teach. I figured it would go something like this:
Me: He doesn't want to learn English! He just wants to pay some American girl to spend a few hours a week looking at him like this [makes now-perfected moony-eyed expression]
My boss: I think we should pay you never to make that face ever again.
Me: And also could I not teach this guy?
My boss: It's a deal!

It turns out that I wasn't going to have to teach that guy anyway. But that's why the picture looks funny. I was also anticipating an argument in which I'd need to not have any eyebrows.

4 comments:

amy said...

That's actually a really good picture of you.

Patrick J. Vaz said...

I saw the picture before I read the entry, and I thought, Check out the stylin' Tina Fey glasses! But why is she making that face? Then I read why, and I laughed, but I don't really understand your objection to getting paid for doing nothing but looking at a handsome guy for a few hours. I salute the scrupulous purity of your devotion to English grammar.
I wear incredibly thick glasses, as you know, and I have to confess that sometimes I wear my contact lenses just because I'm tired of that heavy weight on my nose. Plus then I can wear non-prescription sunglasses. I'd try to keep up with you by saying I can change them with my many outfits, but I only have one pair of sunglasses. But I've been thinking seriously about getting a second. Because the first pair is getting scratched up.
By the way, I tagged you with a meme.

Unknown said...

Yeah, it's not bad. But I think it's sad that it's a good picture but I'm making a creepy face. Like I missed my opportunity to take a serious good picture and now it will never come again.

Someday I'll learn how to use photoshop.

Contact lenses just seemed too expensive for me when I first came here. Now they don't, but I'm no longer used to not wearing glasses.

Okay, so there might be a bit more to that story. He's not only good-looking but interesting to talk to and well-dressed and travels a lot and owns a castle in Sweden. But he isn't a very serious student at all, AND he doesn't like the way I teach grammar. It makes for a funny story, but I certainly don't think I'm wrong about his motivation.

vicmarcam said...

The creepy face is only creepy because we know you so well. It is a good picture...of someone else.

I love the glasses and what little I could see of the dress. The fabric and cut look like they might be like the one you bought in New York that everyone liked so much.