Gemma D. Alexander

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Back from Break – Pandemic Homeschool Diaries

{Well, this is annoying. While working on the blog last weekend, I noticed this post, which I wrote at the end of April. It was scheduled to publish May 1, but for due to some mysterious technical glitch, it didn’t. Well, I hate to waste a blog post after taking the time to write it. So here it is now. Sorry about that.}

Coming back from a remarkably slothful spring break, in the sixth week since the school buildings closed, we entered our fifth week of pandemic homeschool instruction. Nobody was particularly excited to get back to work, and for the most part we skated by on the minimum effort. But it wasn’t all drudgery. We did some interesting things.

House Rules

I have written before about the time I got bumped from a flight out of Shanghai and the airline put us up in an airport hotel of sorts. The hotel seemed fairly nice, except for a couple of sketchy elements – like the no prostitution sign inside the hotel room door. I regretted that I didn’t take a picture of that sign. Then later I found it. Proof that prostitution is not permitted at hotels near Pudong airport. So reassuring.

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money or a splash of water, Riders Catch Tomorrow, separation bribe

Money or a Splash of Water – The Separation Bribe

Even in the West, there is a story trope where the parents (usually of a wealthy and respectable young man) meet the lover (usually an impoverished and sincere, if not quite respectable, young woman) in secret to destroy the relationship. In the European canon, the most famous examples are Alexandre Dumas’ (fils) Camille and its subsequent opera, La Traviata. But rumor has it that this element of classical literature has become a K-drama staple.

Pandemic Parties and Academic Neglect

When we first found out the schools wouldn’t reopen this year, I remember wondering if we would just keep homeschooling through the summer to make up for the inefficiency of distance learning. The state eventually decided to offer summer school as a remedial option. But by that time, I couldn’t wait for summer break. With only two weeks in the school year, we were seriously running out of homeschool steam, and instead of academics, my biggest concern was throwing a socially distant sweet sixteen birthday party.

Mushroom Love

My family loves mushrooms as much as hobbits do. One of the best things that came out of our recent trip to Hong Kong was the discovery of some new ways to eat mushrooms. Yes. We love mushrooms. And sometimes mushrooms love us back.

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Back from Break – Pandemic Homeschool Diaries