A conspicuous tear

A quick note to say that last week I was extremely busy teaching Spanish.

My favorite quiz answer so far: “A Melanie le gusta jugar el hammer y shotput.”

I wrote it on the board. “What’s wrong with this sentence?” I asked.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

At the college library, whilst I was talking to a student who’d come to my office hours, I leaned forward in my armchair to write on a piece of paper, and my pants loudly tore open from the back to the very front. I wasn’t super pleased about it. It must have been terrible for my poor student. … However, I carried on like a pro, teaching about syllabic stress. I wonder how well my student was able to concentrate on that lesson.

Let me record that of all the people with whom I’ve discussed this so far, Stephen has been the nicest. “I’m sorry that that happened, John-Paul,” he said.