so this is the third grade test probe for next week.  i read it and laughed out loud because, let’s be honest, if nick and mike had met in elementary school this is exactly how it would have happened.

Mike was the new kid in fourth grade. He moved from Maine and didn’t know any of his classmates. No one spoke to him or knew his name. Mike came home the first day of school in tears.

“Don’t cry,” Mike’s mother told him. “Just show those boys and girls that you’re a nice and interesting person. Why don’t you bring your marble collection to class tomorrow?”

“Maybe the teacher won’t let me have marbles,” Mike sighed to his mother. “Besides, the kids will probably think marbles are stupid. I’m positive I won’t have any friends this year.”

The next day, Mike brought his marbles to school. He carried them in a leather pouch tied to his hip. As Mike walked, the marbles made a cool clicking sound that made him feel very happy. At recess, a student who had never spoken to Mike before tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, man,” he said. “My name’s Nick. What’s inside that bag you’ve got tied to your hip?”

“My marbles,” Mike answered happily. “Would you like to play a game, Nick?”

“I don’t know how to play marbles,” Nick told Mike. “I think my grandpa used to play marbles when he was a little boy though. Who taught you how to play?”

“My grandma,” Mike said with a smile. “She was a marble champion in grade school.”

“If she taught you, you must be really good,” said Nick.

“I’m okay,” Mike said. “I still need a lot of practice, though. If you like, I can teach you, and then we can practice together.”

“That sounds fun,” said Nick. “Can I ask some of my friends to join us?”

“Sure,” said Mike. “I have lots of marbles.”

just picture ten-year-old mike with a bag of marbles strapped to his hip.  and ten-year-old nick being impressed by that.

hello from china!  sorry for the absence – remember that some websites don’t work from here, but i can explain that some other time.  what matters is now i can finally log in, so all’s good.  

real quick: 1.) my china blog, still under construction and fairly lame, is www.lemke.jimdo.com, 2.) my new email is lemke[at]clearwire.net, and 3.) my skype and AIM name is sraylemke.  now that i’ve just given out all of my personal info on the internet… i’ll prolly be solicited for hardcxre 80’s anime pRon or something.  

ok.  more to come!  i am so effing happy to be back on this thing.

Had to share this video – this was the going away ceremony they had when I left the convent I was staying at this weekend (the bennies Sara Trent and Cara Sandquist are volunteering there). Basically sums up African hospitality.

CONFIDENTIAL REPORT

Compiled by Oanh Vu, Amanda, and Jill Derouin

Agent: Steven R. Lemke

Mission: Complete All Listed Items

Completion of 817 Points = Care Package from Your Favorite Minnesotans

1. Steve boning atop the Great Wall of CHINA (13 pts.)
2. Bird’s Nest (4 pts.)
3. Protesters (7 pts.)
4. Eating a McDonald’s fish filet (1.5 pts.)
5. Old man with fumanshu (26 pts.)
6. Picture of the girl who really sang the anthem at the Olympics…not the cute one (35 pts.)
7. Asian Tourists in China…hopefully with FRANNY PACKS (7 pts.)
8. Picture with a Minnesotan…other than Katie (15 pts.)
9. Steve doing squinty eyes with a Chinese person (40 pts.)
10. Protesting the Government (2 pts.)
11. Really weird food (5 pts.)
12. Senior Picture on a rickshaw (6 pts.)
13. Steve getting arrested (50 pts.)
14. Using chopsticks in a non-traditional way (3 pts.)
15. Steve and Katie in traditional garb/costumes (10 pts.)
16. Chinese fortune cookie illustrated (20 pts.)
17. Exotic Chinese animal (4 pts.)
18. Steve getting SARS (12 pts.)
19. Chinese Factories…waa waa waa (7 pts.)
20. Rice Patty (2.5 pts)
21. Product Made in the U.S….that you didn’t bring with you (3 pts.)
22. Pagoda in the palm of your hand (5 pts.)
23. Stoopin’ on a Buddhist stupa (17 pts.)
24. Jade (20 pts.)
25. Defacing/Graffiti…Mao (2 pts.)
26. Chinese celebrity (8 pts.)
27. Yao Ming eating you, eating you out, or eating someone (20 pts.)
28. Chinese triplets (15 pts.)
29. Your students giving the peace sign (4 pts.)
30. Olympics! (2 pts.)
31. Steve/someone fight the terra cotta warriors (17 pts.)
32. American Celebrity (13 pts.)
33. A picture of yourself leaving America (1 pt.)
34. A picture of yourself arriving in China (2 pts.)
35. Not properly dressed for the weather (7 pts.)
36. Zombie picture (5 pts.)
37. Lick it up slut (10 pts.)
38. Where’s Waldo? (5 pts.)
39. Fake Out (11 pts.)
40. Chinese chick hookup (13 pts.)
41. Recreate a scene from Barbarella or Castle Freak (4 pts.)
42. X^{D (3 pts.)
43. Drunk (1 pt.)
44. Taking a shot from a non-traditional item (4 pts)
45. Picture with MaryAnn Baenninger…or her husband (30 pts)
46. Stealing a Chinese baby (for me…Jill) (50 pts.)
47. YMCA in front of a Chinese Monument (20 pts.)
48. Picture of yourself doing something illegal (35 pts.)
49. Weirdest form of transportation (6 pts.)
50. Steve and Ben wrestling (10 pts.)
51. Steve beating Ben in a wrestling match (priceless)
52. Steve and Katie acting out Boom Boom…I want you in my room (3 pts.)
53. Chinese Ceramics (2 pts.)
54. Worst dressed person (7 pts.)
55. Ugliest person (10 pts.)
56. Laserdisc Monday? (9 pts.)
57. Steve as a ninja (16 pts.)
58. Christmas in CHINA! Be creative… (17 pts.)
59. Tequila Thursday (Jill is so hardcore) (6 pts.)
60. SCRABBLE! (5 pts.)
61. All the blood vessels in my face feel drunk… (3 pts.)
62. Steve as a Chinese dinosaur (8 pts.)
63. Rocky pose on top of the Great Wall (10 pts.)
64. Eating hotdish…don’t cha know (20 pts.)
65. Eating a scorpion or dog (13 pts.)
66. Reinacting mortal combat (11 pts.)
67. Pokemon (5 pts.)
68. Katie drinking Steve’s tears or Steve drinking Katie’s pee (34 pts.)
69. Best Chinese holiday (6 pts.)
70. Touched by an Angel…Chinese style (16 pts.)
71. Steve arm wrestling a Chinese person (2 pts.)

Hey guys,

It’s been a while since I’ve been on here. But I’m finally getting settled in the Hanga Abbey. As you can gather, we have electricity and internet here. It’s pretty nice, considering I could walk down the street 1/4 of a mile and find people living in small mud huts.

But it’s been a great experience so far. I experienced the lawless roads of Dar Es Salaam, went to and played in some soccer matches, and now I’m about to start teaching English, Computers and Music. Since I don’t understand much Swahili yet, and they don’t understand much English, I’ll be in for a character-builder!

I’m recording some voice memos on my iPod that I may compile into a music/speaking podcast of sorts. Until then, you can read Ben Demarais’ blog of the trip (he’s the other volunteer):

http://ben-tanzania.blogspot.com

Otherwise, I’ve just gotten into gmail chatting. It works pretty well here even with the slower internet. So if you’re on, I’m charliemccarron@gmail.com

Good luck to everyone travelling around the world!

Charlie

This is me getting back on the bus after our “bathroom break” where everyone just gets out and pees in the woods. The bus ride was 14 hours on bumpy terrain. We watched alternating J-Lo and Celine Dion music videos at full volume from 5am onwards.