Like I posted last time, I didn't go to Japanese class yesterday morning. It was a pretty good morning; I did some homework, started working on my fall syllabus, got some financial things taken care of (no, not gambling debts; I had to notify my student loan people that I was still in school, which meant I had to clarify things here at PSU--all far more complicated than it needed to be). Oh, I also watched Titus. Really well-done adaptation, and also really really disturbing. It's all very theatrical, but that play is just so brutal . . . I can't decide if I liked it or not.
At any rate, I had a good morning, and went out to check the bus schedule to see what time I needed to catch the bus (usually Amelia drives me in the morning, but since she had already gone to work, that wouldn't be feasible). So the bus schedule says that buses come at 1:34 and 2:09. I decide the 1:34 is perfect, because it takes about 20 minutes to get to campus and I'd have a little time to do a few random things. I go out at 1:30 (just a little early; you never know with the old State College buses) and wait. And wait. And wait. Around 1:40 I start realizing that maybe there was a problem and look at the schedule again. And then I see the small print: "This schedule valid for Fall and Spring semesters only." What?
Apparently during the summer they only run half as many buses--which I understand, what with the fewer students and all--but they leave the school-year bus schedule posted without any indication when summer buses come.
So at 2:09, the bus finally comes. Now, the class I teach starts at 2:20, so obviously this is already bad news. I get on the bus, and I swear it was filled with old people. Every single stop took an inordinately long time because people had to get their walkers ready, or had to move slowly slowly slowly out the door. Around 2:20--still less than halfway to my stop--I figure "Well, class is a lost cause." 2:25--still on the bus. 2:30--still on the bus. I get there at 2:32, walk over to my classroom, and open the door at 2:34 to find . . .
ALL MY STUDENTS ARE STILL WAITING FOR ME! Now they gave a huge sigh of disappointment when I walked in, and they told me they had planned on leaving at 2:35, but I was amazed that they hadn't taken off. When I was an undergrad, I'd give the teacher five minutes, maybe ten if I really liked him or her, but that was it. Who are these kids that are willing to wait around for that long? Then I realized: they're still high school students in their minds. For them, you can't go to the bathroom without raising your hand still, so no way in the world they'd leave.
It was pretty entertaining, even if I was ridiculously late. I let them go about 25 minutes early since it was my fault for being late and I was impressed they'd waited that long. Yeah, I'm a softy.
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