Tuesdays and Thursdays are my especially long, extended days.

In the morning my roommate and I waited for the bus.

My first class was held, and we were immediately told to interview the person sitting next to us and report what we found out about them.

The person next to me was an international student from China.

When she told the class that I was a second degree black belt, they stared at me in envy and admiration.

"So what is a black belt?" the professor asked.
Really? I thought. It was the first time I heard anyone ask that.
"It's considered the highest rank in martial arts," I said.
She nodded, seeming slightly disinterested. "Any questions for him?"

Two hands raised up.

"So was there like a time where you practically had to apply taekwondo in real life situations?" a classmate asked.

"Nope," I said. "Never."

"How many years have you been practicing?" another asked.

"I started when I was four."

A couple of oohs and aahs.

"What made you want to teach taekwondo?" the same student asked.

"The feeling of teaching somebody a kick or a punch or a form or whatever and seeing them succeed is a great feeling."


Then my second class resumed, then the third. All based on my major courses. Most of my classmates took the same major courses I took, so I saw some familiar faces throughout.


By far the funniest professor was during my third major course. I took him last semester. A true hippy from California, as he called himself.

When he entered the room, he said.
"So is this the right classroom?" he asked.
Nods of heads.
"F*ck yeah!" he said.
A burst of laughter.
"But there's no air in here," he said. "We're going outside."

He broke out his shades and we went outside and all sat down in front of the grass field benches in front of the library as he ended up complaining about how the University of Missouri was not established during the turn of the century instead of going over the syllabus. Then the entire class had to name at least one good author or journalist off the top of our heads.

"You guys are going to write about sex," he said. "And drugs. What are the two types of marijuana?"

"Indica and Sativa," a classmate said, who happened to be a late-night hostess.

What a professor. Cracks me up every time.


I met a new friend, from another friend. Then at night my roommate and I practiced speaking Chinese to each other.

"你是日本人吗？他请我。
对，我是日本人。
你喜欢东京吗？
对，我喜欢东京。你呢？
我不知道东京。