Buddha, etc.

The one exciting thing happening in my life is that I've begun tutoring a Buddhist monk in ESL. His name is Sit-ka. He's thirty-two and a refugee from Burma. When I first found out I was going to be tutoring a Buddhist monk, I relished the opportunity to engage in some sort of cultural exchange and to show off my religious studies knowledge (was he in the Therevada, Mahayana, or Pure Land School etc?). However, I didn't stop to think about why I was teaching him, namely, that he doesn't know English. My hopes of talking with him about his Buddhism and his flight from his home country were squashed once I walked into the temple and realized this fact. Still, our first meeting went well, and while we couldn't relate to each other verbally, we were able to show kindness and our appreciation for one another. We were both nervous. I talked/hand-motioned to him about his tattoos and gathered that he had gotten them when he had entered the monastic order as a young boy. The meeting was only an introduction but I'm looking forward to our first session this week.

In other news, I kicked ass on the GREs. The thought of grad school in a year is the only thing getting me through living at my parent's house this year.

In fun news, I went to a wedding last weekend, got plastered, and danced the night away. We even got the DJ to play "Bizarre Love Triangle," clearing the dancefloor of the Jimmy Buffet fans who populated most of the wedding party. Also, I've discovered the Galaxy Diner's PBR deal in Carytown: $4.50 for a pitcher. That's pint night every night. Oh, that reminds me of what also happened this weekend. So I was with Brandon and Luke at Hooters (reserve your judgement) and we were waiting for a table. Just our luck, all the lights suddenly went out. The Hooters hostesses turned from flirts into bouncers, not letting anyone leave the restaurant until the power came back. They were especially cruel overlords. With no air circulation, the bar quickly became filled with smoke, causing many customers to complain that they could not leave and go outside. When one gentleman complained to the hostess, she feigned concern and reached for a menu, waving it in front of his face and replying, "Is that better?" We got the hell out of there since we hadn't even been seated yet. This provoked many behind us to yell louder at the hostesses. I can only hope that this turned into a ridiculous bar brawl with wings, cigarettes, and boobies flying everywhere. We left and went to Chili's. Instead of paying $4.50 a pitcher, I paid $4.50 for one pint. We discovered the Galaxy Diner the next night. Fuck Chili's.