After what has felt like the longest lead up of my life, I am here. Arrived just before dawn yesterday and watched as the morning light lit up the Hindu Kush mountains.
(Math-themed digression: this [the long lead up, not the red-lit mountains] reminds me of a story that Mr. Slevin once told me in 9th grade geometry class to explain sums of infinite series [that's a sub-digression that I'll spare you]. Some smart greek guy asked another greek guy, "For you to get from Athens to Sparta, do you first have to go halfway there?" Greek guy 2 says, "Sure." So smart guy says, "Once you've made it to the half-point between Athens and Sparta, do you then need to cross the new half-way point between that spot and Athens?" Greek guy 2 says, "Sure." Now smart Greek's got him on the ropes and asks, "If you've always got to get half-way to Sparta before you actually get to Sparta, and there's always a new half-way mark ,no matter how close you are, how do you cross that final, infinite, half-way mark and actually get there?" Greek guy 2 was so perplexed he invented some new math.
I just realized this story worked a lot better when Mr. Slevin kept walking halfway to the wall as he told this story.)
Point is, after what started to feel like an infinite series of half-way theres, I am, finally, here. Safe and sound.
Not impressed. But that's the next post.
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4 comments:
Felipe, you might be the first American soldier in Afghanistan to describe your flight over using Zeno's paradox. Well done.
Stay safe. Wear a hat so you don't catch cold. Don't talk to terrorists. Don't take candy from strange officers.
guess David's comment will have to fulfil the dork quotient from this post. my memory from a similar lesson plan was the physics teacher asking if the center of gravity from two chickens somehow collided or merged what would happen? anyways, i digress. watched the election returns w. a bunch of k school folk. i made them all pour an extra toast for you. poor john detliffe was the lone R in the room...hope you are well, Alex
To add to David's post...Don't be one of the strange officers giving out candy!
Let us know where to send these soccer balls. Stay safe Felipe!
Felipe, it's a great comfort to know that all your training and traveling and halfway-thering have had no impact on your exquisite nerditude...Be well.
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