N: Ocimum basilicum

Our team (of three) at the school is made of some pretty unique people. Yes, the Todds are part of the team, and being a Todd I am partial to at least one of them. Occasionally I'm partial to myself too. After having worked together for A's first semester here, we were excited when she made the decision to return another year. In August, after arriving in Beijing, we were given a packet of materials that was designed to develop team dynamics. One of the things we were supposed to talk about was our skills. In college, I remember talking with a friend about skills. She believed that there is something, maybe only one thing, but nevertheless, something that each person is just naturally good at. As a team, we've spent some good time on this question, tweaking and adding and developing our unique skills.

K is an excellent judger of space.  I will cook something and she will know exactly what size of Tupperware to use to hold the leftovers.  Something not too big and something not too small.  Truly, I tell you, this IS a skill.  She can also apply this skill to packing for trips.

I am a box maker.  It sounds ridiculous, but I have been honing my skill for a number of years.  There was a Simpsons episode that had a chili cook-off, the one where Homer ate the peppers grown by patients from a Guatemalan insane asylum.   Homer always brought his own spoon.  In the voice of a whisper and with mystery, Lenny Leonard says, "They say he carved it himself...from a bigger spoon."  I can make boxes from larger boxes.  Give me a large box, and I will make it into a beautiful smaller box.

A can whistle.  She can whistle like crazy.  The idea that you just put your lips together and blow doesn't apply here.  She doesn't even have to purse her lips.  And she can tie a cherry stem in a knot with her tongue faster than anyone else.

We asked our friends in the city about their skills.  One that deserves to be noted comes from our friend M. She can fold a fitted sheet, by herself, with the end result being a sheet that looks like it's a folded flat sheet.  THAT is a skill.

Our week went smoothly.  A had a birthday. K rocked it in the classroom.  I got patted on the bottom by a stranger with a smile.  My basil looks good too.  All pictures were taken with A's new camera.