Around the World in Seven Weeks [Tuesday, July 23, 2013, 2nd period]

[sith_happened]

The Skywalkers were in their usual place in front of the map at Portalocity, both drinking from coffees they wouldn't be sharing with you.

"Hope you didn't put too much effort into your appearance today," Ben said with a tiny, wicked smile. "Today you're going to get a little messy."

"We're going to New Zealand," Anakin added, pointing it out on the map, "clear on the other side of the world from where we are, though the locals all speak English. As usual, you will have two tasks to complete before you find Ben and me."

There were chicken eggs involved again. Sorry, repeat takers of the class....

Desert Island Survival 101, Tuesday Fourth Period

[wasthecuteone]

The Danger Shop was once again their new island home, though Petra was a little distracted as today's class started, checking her phone to see if Will & Kate had left the hospital with that baby yet (no as of class time though not by the time of this writing), but when it was time for class to begin she tucked her phone away and said, "Okay, so what's next, food or shelter? We're going with shelter, because I said so, but food could be a more important priority in real life, so you need to really consider what you need most when you're in a crisis. If you'd like a handout detailing how to build a hut, with all the math you'll need and everything, using only the materials we have available here plus one machete, I have those, but that's more a longterm project, and we're thinking about immediate needs here. So, your assignment is to come up with a workable idea for shelter, using only the available materials. I know you're probably thinking 'what about the plane, can't we just go in there?' but the plane is not really set up to be comfortable long-term, it's recently been on fire, and on this heat...well, it's metal. You'd cook. So, teamwork, let's go! How are you going to make a shelter?"

Coping With Loss, Tuesday, Third Period

[not_a_whiner]

"Hey," Kaidan greeted the class. "Come in, get settled."

They were probably going to do that anyway, Alenko.

"Thanks to everyone who turned in their tests last week. And... thanks to anyone who filled it in at all, even if you got rid of it. It's good to start talking about this." His therapist told him that, anyway. "Today we're going to be talking about the influence of diversity on the ways we cope. Environment, ethnicity, gender, it all factors into how we handle grief."

His eyes briefly flitted past Cade. "'Cause we all deal with that differently," he said. "Even in married couples, you'll see that one half will deal differently than the other, leading to friction."

He took to the whiteboard. "The books generally recognize four major influences on the grieving process," he said. "First, culture and ethnicity. Every culture has a different relationship with loss: how long you're supposed to mourn, how men and women are supposed to react, coping strategies, extended family. It all factors in." He wrote that one down.

"Second, gender. Now, some old research specifically states that women are more likely to be the caregivers, while men deal with the pragmatic details. But that's just averages. In some cases, these kind of averages might even lead to expectations that muddle our ability to grieve. So I don't want to focus on that one too much, but... if you want to, we can talk about it." He jotted it down.

"Religion, obviously," he said, writing it out. "Our beliefs and what spiritual support we think we can expect. Religion serves as kind of an anchor to a lot of people. That changes their grieving process. And finally, there's family beliefs. Each family has its own way of looking at the world. Each family expects a certain kind of grieving process from its members."

He turned back towards the class.

"Today, I want you guys to talk about what factors you think are at play in your own background. You can be as detailed or as vague as you want, but sharing helps."

The Philosophy of Food | Wednesday, 3rd Period

[sharp_as_knives]

The classroom this week had been shifted around a bit. On one side, Hannibal had shifted his desk and set chairs around it, making as decent an approximation of a dinner table as was possible. Not his finest china, but good dishes and silver nevertheless. On the other side, a neat blanket was spread out, with a well-crafted wicker basket in the middle. The dishes in it were sturdier, and the silverware plainer.

"This week, we are not talking about food." He quirked his lips in a tiny smile. "We're talking about how other things relate to food." He waved between the two halves of the classroom. "What sorts of food does each of these settings demand? What sorts of conversation and manners? What culture do you expect of each?"

Between the two halves, he'd set up a few desks; all the food was set there. "This week, you need not choose. Sit where you like; move between the two. But think about this - when you choose your food and seat, is it only because of taste? Or is there a reason you prefer one over the other? What behavior do you feel is warranted in each place? What is most appropriate and most comfortable?"