I got the deck for playing solitaire during steamy afternoons when it’s too hot or I’m feeling too restless for reading. I knew that the kids would want to play with the cards if they saw them, so I kept them in my room. It was probably out of boredom when I brought the deck out and decided to try to teach the kids the simple card game of my own childhood.
Continue reading War →

Not everything goes well, of course. I guess it’s part of my personal mythology: I believe that if I understand (or think I understand) the basic principles behind a task, then I can be successful at doing it. I never factor in things like aptitude or talent or practice. This shows up in my life in a number of ways, but always with a familiar initial shock (“I can’t get back in the kayak from here!”) and an equally familiar recognition that I am completely and unhappily out of my element (“Perl programming? What the hell was I thinking?”).
Continue reading The Terrifying Teens →

“Is he a man or a woman?” Matthew asks. English speakers here often don’t understand the gender pronouns; many times I’ve been confused when “he” turns out to be “she” and vice versa. We’ve been talking about “his” arrival, but then I realize that I’m not sure myself.
Continue reading Visitors →

We’re sitting on my porch, and the subject of robbers comes up. Matthew says something about “the time robbers attacked me.” What?
Continue reading 5 August →