what day is it?

a pretty good day overall. started with panic at 5am that I wasn't prepared for my classes and it took almost 15 minutes for me to realize that it's Sunday and not Monday. While I do go to class and the University on Sundays, I don't teach until Monday.

Matan was not very enthusiastic about 8am classes during his week vacation. Not sure if they'll be compelling enough. I'm sure that part of the fun for me has been my classmates. I guess we won't go away this weekend if what he'd most like is to sleep in. Another time.

Work went well and then lunch with two colleagues at a restaurant with a view of the nearby lakes (which only 10 years ago, one of them said, were beautiful. now they are surrounded by tin shanties and are very polluted). We were pretty mischievous in that one of the teachers was trying to contact a student who was avoiding her and not answering her phone. The other colleague was giving the student the benefit of the doubt, maybe she left her phone at home? or maybe she's in class? So I offered my phone to try. The student didn't answer the call from my phone, either, but within five minutes she called me back and I handed the phone over to the teacher who had been trying to get in touch with her!

The ride home took less than 15 minutes, zoom zoom zoom. And I got an hour nap before starting to work. I have to work some in the evenings since I get to work at about 10:30 am and left today by 4, with a long-ish lunch! It's still unusual to me that most of the teachers are at their desks from 10 (or so, depending on when they teach) until 5pm. And students simply expect that the teachers will be there until 5pm, and available for discussion. I like seeing my colleagues so much, but it's really different for me. Also our offices are shared and very open, so people are going in and out all the time.

Matan did the shopping today and hauled the water. Takes a lot of water to cook spaghetti. Of course the power outage comes when I cook. Cooking by flashlight, yes, you get used to it. I do miss having a microwave though. Here's the picture from yesterday of the woman doing the wash by the well.


I'm actually getting really used to the call to prayers from our local mosque. It's not annoying like the one in the University neighborhood. sort of mellow melody.


The picture: the National Assembly building from yesterday's tour.