“Revenge” is a borrowed word in Japanese, one that I occasionally hear in class. If a student answers a question incorrectly but retries later in the class, s/he will often raise a hand with a declaration of “Ree-BEN-gee!” Were I to give them a more accurate translation of the sentiment, all my students would be shouting, “For my honor! Redemption!” I wrote earlier about my troubles with gingerbread. The mere thought of that day can make my blood boil with the fires of righteous indignation. As you may remember I ended that blog entry with a declaration of war. Or just one to make real gingerbread houses. Same thing. Either way, with Christmas right around the corner the time for my revenge drew nigh. Continue reading →