Cultural Appreciation, Period Four

[toteshammered.livejournal.com]

There were no corgis or trickster-gods at the front of the classroom today. Just Thor, looking far more like his usual self.

"My apologies for the missed classes," he began. "Fandom is... a very strange place, sometimes." And that was even without knowing what had gone on this past weekend.

"The subject of today's class is the soup. It has been around for thousands of years, and in fact was responsible for the creation of the modern restaurant. The word once referred to a specific kind of soup said to be very good at restoring one's energy after consuming it. It was typically sold on street corners until one particularly clever vendor decided to open up an indoor shop. There are also many varieties of soup! More than I could fit in this classroom." Although he clearly did his best, judging by the number of pots cluttering the table. "Some are broth based, and some cream based. Also, not all soups are hot. Some are served cold, and others are made with fruit or other sweet ingredients to be served as a dessert." He grinned. "But that's enough talk from me. Please, go and try some for yourself!"

And there was, indeed, everything from cream of mushroom to gazpacho, chicken noodle to sour cherry

Practical Philosophy, Monday

[endsthegame]

They were back out on the lawn today - the weather and the past few days being what they were. Ender had set up a parasol, though, for anyone who wanted to escape the sunlight and sit in the shade.

"I've been catching up on radio," he said. "For anyone who got caught in last weekend's mess: I'm sorry. I know that doesn't mean much coming from me, but it warrants saying."

He settled down on the grass. "I'm not giving you any particular question to chew on this week," he said. "This weekend sounds like it's been a staggering exercise in denying consent; if you want to talk about that and your experiences, the floor is open. If you don't want to, I understand."

"I also realize not all of you might have gotten caught up in this," he added. "Talk about staying indoors and commiserating, talk about leaving the island, talk about not caring very much. Talk about something that mattered to you last week, even--" he glanced towards Cade, "... if it was just what you had for dinner. The floor is open."

Charming Your Way Into and Out of Things, Monday, Period 2

[cannotdenyher.livejournal.com]

The Danger Shop it was again this week. When the students came in, they found themselves in what looked like a waiting room. There were comfortable chairs for them, and a door on the other side of the room. The Spirit was standing next to it, greeting them with a nod and a tip of his hat.

"Today you're doing a practical exercisein charming your way out of a situation. One at a time, right through this door here. Don't be scared, it's nothing too hard. Afterwards, we'll talk about how it went, and what you should perhaps take away from the experience." He nodded at a student at random. "You go first."

[ocd up! have at!]

Introduction to Meditation | Tuesday | Period 1

[justonecondition]

"You've all probably heard of Zen meditation, or zazen," Bruce said as he settled onto a cushion at the front of the room in lotus position with his hands in his lap. "It's a practice of meditation that encourages clear-mindedness, and it's primarily practiced as a function of Buddhism. But, uh, for our purposes, we'll be adopting the technique for today without necessarily subscribing to the spiritual philosophy - that's a different class entirely. Essentially, zazen is described as the study of the self through union of body, breath and mind."

Bruce cleared his throat.

"Zazen actually means 'seated meditation,' so we'll all be sitting, but pillows are optional," he instructed. "The position that I'm in is called lotus, and it can feel a little, uh, painful, actually, if you sit this way for long periods of time, but it's also a very stable position - you physically don't stir as much, and when you're steady, you're free from physical distractions. On the other hand, if you'd rather pass on the knee pain, any seated position with your back straight is also fine, but I'd recommend against ordinary pretzel-style floor-sitting. You can also try kneeling, if you'd prefer, but that's not likely to make your knees feel any better than in lotus.

"Next you're going to cup your hands in your lap, palms up," he continued, "and whether or not your eyes are open is up to you. Then, begin breathing in through your nose, holding it for ten seconds, and then exhaling through your mouth. Try not to think about anything besides how many inhalations and exhalations you've gone through; if any other thoughts come to mind, dismiss them and then start counting over from one. When you can get to ten in a row, try for twenty. You probably won't get much further than that in the fifteen minutes we'll be meditating today."

He doubted anyone would get as far as ten, honestly. Zazen was hard.

"If you have any questions or want to take a walk in the hall before we start, now's the time," Bruce said, adjusting his position somewhat and stretching his hands out in front of him. "Otherwise, let's begin."