World History From a New Angle

The field trip was yesterday.  I won't say that I'm disappointed that Callie's teacher did not end up in the water tank at any time.  I guess devastated is more like it.  I felt sure he would be up to some crazy sort of tom-foolery.

Nope!

He brought his 4 year old twins along (as if 40 8 year olds to look after was not enough).  So, I guess he felt he had to be on his best behavior.

However, I rather enjoyed watching an employee of the Dolphinarium meticulously snatch people's cameras.  They announced several times that photography was strictly prohibited.  But, of course, people still tried to snap pictures.  This guy was a true camera vigilante.  He scanned the crowd and at the pop of a flash he was off.  I watched him snatch cameras the whole time.  It was very exciting.

I guess the people got them back.  I forgot to follow him out at the end to see that drama unfold!

I was sitting on the very end of the arena near the entrance.  (Next to the vigilante's post.)  At one point he pointed to my camera bag and asked if I brought my camera.  Clutching it for dear life I said yes.  He casually said that I could take pictures if I wanted!

What!?!?

I told him that I had been watching him snatch people's cameras and he was not getting his hands on mine!  He said just don't use the flash.

Ok... weird!

Did I tell you he looked exactly like a fish?  He really did.  The whole thing was crazy!  Crazy, I tell ya!

When I wasn't watching the camera nazi I found the show entertaining but creepy.  Here's the thing about trained animals... they freak me out.

BIG TIME!

I mean really... is a seal that can wave cute, sad, ridiculous, or ridiculously sad?

I vote for #4.

For the record...I do not mind trained humans.  One time Justin and I went to Cirque de Soleil and I loved it.  It seems like humans have a voice and if they want to stop looking foolish to entertain people they can just walk away.  Well, except those little Chinese gymnasts.

Have I digressed?

Let's talk the walrus then, shall we?

When I get to heaven I would like to talk with the Lord about walruses.  Are they the same as sea lions?  Why are they so nasty?  They look like a partially filled water balloon with some funky arm- paddle sort of things and some bodacious whiskers.  What is that all about?

Noah and some classmates with the walrus (sea lion?)

So, the show was fun... and creepy.  I loved the dolphins because it seems like entertaining children is precisely what dolphins were created for.  They are just the happiest animals.

We see them sometimes in the waterway that goes through our city.

The show started with a seal.  Then a big beluga whale.  Followed by the walrus (sea lion?).  The dolphins finished the show and really were the highlight!

After the show we loaded up on the busses and headed to the naval museum.  It was at this point when Callie's teacher decided to make my brain want to crawl out of my head and run away.  He began telling my about all sorts of history and war stuff.  Really I have no idea what on earth he was telling me.  I could hardly understand him.  He just kept talking and talking.  All the kids were running wild in the museum and he was just talking to me about something.  I cannot even tell you what it was.  The whole time he was talking I was just grappling for something to say in return.

He must have told me ten times that the beloved founder of the republic was only 158 cm tall, but very charismatic.

LITTLE MAN BUT VERY CHARISMATIC!

Hearing history from his perspective was very interesting.  I had to just laugh several times and tell him that I didn't agree with what he was saying.

Following the teacher's lead, one of the kids with Callie's class decided to teach me as well.  He would point out things at the museum and tell me about them.  Fun times!!  People assume that because I am a foreigner I am stupid. (Did I ever tell you about my friend who tried to teach me what a pineapple was or another friend who was explaining the "use by" date on products?)

At the end of the day we boarded the buses and headed home.  We got back just in time for me to go for my weekly coffee with the neighbors.

I must have been acting really weird because at one point they asked what on earth was wrong with me. I had to remind them that I had just gotten back from spending all day with 8 busloads of children.

They understood.

A field trip is fun, but it does have a recovery period of at least 48 hours!