soaking my head

Today I dunked my head underwater in a massive school-wide (which means 19 people were involved) contest to see who could hold their breath the longest. Its break time at my smallest school, and the day is hot and beautiful. When the bell rings all the children run toward this thin sink attached to a wall outdoors where they usually wash their dishes after lunch. They find a piece of cloth, they find a large stone, and they plug the sink... then start filling it with water. And somehow, with much splashing, yelling, and fighting, they organize themselves into several teams and take turns competing to stick their heads in this sink as long as possible. I beat all the kids but lost to another teacher with a measely 40 seconds under water. But this episode illustrates what is amazing about these children in the middle of nowhere. I never imagined that one could have so much fun with a sink. Of course I went back to class soaking wet and feeling very insecure about my lung capacity but it was so, so worth it. If you find yourself on a hot day with nothing to do, I highly recommend soaking your head... and see if you can beat 40 seconds!