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Mon 21 Feb
After a cold January the weather is hotting up nicely. We're already at 39C and the fridge-freezer has stopped freezing the water. Mangoes are coming into season; the prices are down to a more realistic 500SDD/dozen (the price of one at home). Blue skies and mangoes what else could one desire?It's good to be back in the classroom. I don't think I'm particularly into teaching but I love being the centre of attention and showing off and being all knowledgeable about things. It's great to see the students again- the undergraduates are so young and naïve, I kind of want to shake them. The mature women students at the southern campus are fun too - we fail to have a class this week but we chat and giggle and enjoy coffee and zalabaya (donuts) instead. I think that's fine - after all I'm here to stimulate conversation - right? Getting the timetables sorted out though is a real nightmare. Just when I thought I'd shoehorned all my teaching into two days I discover the second years are no longer free then… and of course the next best arrangement would be to move everyone around - ie start all over again. I'm continuing with my Na'faj classes. Margie covered for me while I was away and (I think unwittingly) let in some of Neil's abandoned students. Though this is fine for the individuals I have chucked them out as the situation is getting out of control and I don't want to be covering for the centre's lack of planning. Unfortunately the girl I kissed last week is absent this week, she's sent her apologies as she has to work but it's not enough to stop my mood diving from deflated to down-hearted. This is crazy; what's this country doing to my head?
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