@Random with French teacher Jim Glenn
Text by Matt Grantz, Assistant Editor
September 29 , 2011
When he was a child, French teacher Jim Glenn dreamed of becoming a sailor; now his goal is to learn another language: Italian.
Glenn’s favorite vacation was visiting Nantucket, but he has also traveled to most countries in Western Europe, and to Canada, Mexico and Japan. The best place that he ever lived was Paris and he says the best smell in the world is that of southern France in the summer.
Were he to become independently wealthy, Glenn said he would spend his time traveling and if could be anywhere in the world, he would be in Tokyo eating sushi.
If Glenn could meet any currently living famous person, Glenn would want to meet Nicolas Sarkozy because he is the President of France. The historical figure that Glenn identifies the most with is Marco Polo because “he got lost.”
Glenn’s most treasured possession is a photo of his grandfather in World War I uniform. He has one older sister, and one lesson his parents taught him that he will never forget is to always give people a second chance.
When Glenn is bored, he reads to entertain himself and, at the time of this interview, he was reading “The Dreyfus Affair in Documents.” His favorite book is “Europe’s Last Summer” because it provides a lot of insight into World War I.
Stinky cheese is one of Glenn’s guilty pleasures; in fact, if it were okay to bribe teachers, Glenn said he would accept cheese. He says that the oddest thing he has ever eaten was a sea cucumber and that the oddest thing he enjoys eating is oysters.
Coffee is the one legal thing to which Glenn is addicted. He says what makes his classroom his own is the coffee maker and that his idea of perfect happiness is drinking a cup of coffee on a snowy afternoon.
Coq au vin is Glenn’s favorite dish at Roger the Frog, his favorite restaurant in Paris. His favorite dessert is profiteroles, a French cream puff usually “filled with ice cream and topped with hot fudge.”
Glenn owns a dog, Cyrano, who walks with only two of his legs. If Glenn had the opportunity to switch places with anyone for a day, he would switch places with Cyrano.
“The Blues Brothers” is the one movie Glenn would watch over and over because it is funny. Although people may think he is wasting his time, “Man vs. Wild” is the TV show he enjoys watching.
His favorite quote is “History is just one damn thing after another,” said by Arnold Toynbee, a British historian. If Glenn could write fortune-cookie fortunes, he would write “Try again.”
When he was in high school, chemistry was Glenn’s favorite class. Additionally, he participated in drama club, climbing and sailing. The most important lesson he learned from high school was independence. After high school he attended Kent State, Pitt and Waseda University in Japan.
Glenn worked at a Kinko’s store during high school, but his first official job was at a BMW dealership, where he worked in the stockroom.
The hobby the Glenn enjoys the most is cooking, and he said the best dishes he prepares are lamb dishes. He says the coolest thing he has ever done was cook with professional chefs at the French embassy.
One talent Glenn would like to have is the ability to play a musical instrument. The one superpower he would wish for is the ability to travel through time.
Thursday is his best day of the week because “you’re ready for the weekend, but you’re not quite tired yet.” August is his worst month of the year because it’s too hot, his birthday comes around and school starts.
Glenn says the learning something new is the best part of being a teacher, while all the paperwork is the worst part. Additionally, the cafeteria food is what he dislikes the most about Leechburg.
His most unusual ability is his ability to waterski. His favorite sport to participate in is skiing, and he enjoys watching tennis and golf.
Nature inspires Glenn and environmental issues are what catches his attention in the news.
When Glenn thinks of the future, he most fears isolationism. His biggest phobia is heights.
The thing he most dislikes about his appearance is his hair, which, he said, “looks like a toupee.” The thing he most likes about his friends is that they are “crazy.”
Whenever someone says the word “technology,” Glenn immediately thinks that “it’s broken.” A computer game that Glenn plays is “World of Warcraft.”
Linus is the fictional character that Glenn most feels he is like. Captain Nemo is one fictional character that Glenn admires because he “wasn’t afraid to give up his life and look at the world a new way.”
The chore Glenn detests most is cleaning the floors. His biggest pet peeve is people who use poor grammar, despite knowing better.
A few more facts:
- Glenn’s dream car is a 1934 Duesenberg town car.
- The best gift he has given was a vacation while the best gifts he received were handmade gifts from his nieces and nephews.
- His greatest regret is not keeping up with Japanese.
- One charity he supports is The Appalachian Trail Commission.
- Glenn says that he is a “forced early bird.”
- One thing he has never been good at is plumbing and he has never wanted to become a plumber.
- He could not live without air conditioning.
- He has moved about fifteen times in his life.
- He says that Frank Zappa’s band is the best band ever.
Glenn’s favorite color combination is green and yellow.
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