conference and feeling great, for awhile

So the conference was wonderful -- the keynote really well crafted if I do say so myself. Many compliments. And the rest of the day very interesting, though much of it was in Bangla and I really wished that I would have understood more.
(One of my students, Josephine, took this picture. I was apparently concentrating and didn't notice!)

I had Friday off and did very little. some days are just recovering from everything. Saturday we had the second half of the conference and I was late and supposed to be welcoming the many 9 and 10 year olds who had come to workshops on writing! It was fascinating to see the different facilitators from creative writing, Sesame Street and other places working with these young folks. I also got a chance to talk to their teachers on the subject of English/Bangla, something that really interests me as the students study in such very different schools.

(Also got a lot of prep work done while I was in the office all day long!).

Sunday I got back to Bangla lessons, and water aerobics, and brought home pizza from the American club. feeling great. not even hearing all of the traffic noises.

Have to encourage Matan to study since this is the last week of the quarter and he's on the edge of so many grades, both up and down. I wish I knew better how to help him remember -- he does the work and then it's out of his mind before it gets to the teacher. Or that he has actually some homework in a different class. I know the answer is probably using the planner, but we've gone over that so many times and it just isn't working for him. Any ideas?

So I'm caught up in my teaching and most of my grading, and then, of course, it's been about 10 days of feeling well, and boom, yesterday morning, stomach upset again.

I went through the day quite gingerly: the generator was out at school, so we'd have electricity for an hour, and then none. Usually the generator picks up the computers, fans, lights, AND the elevators. So we don't notice that we're off the grid until it starts getting warm since the air conditioner doesn't run on generator. Yesterday we had none of the above. I just stayed up on the 13th floor. Good thing I brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and banana bread.

But today I couldn't move. Could not leave the apartment this morning with my stomach as upset as it was. Got an appointment at the clinic (the only one they had open for today) and said, yup it's me again. Sent out more samples. Got antibiotics -- if it doesn't clear up in a day or two. But at least we'll be in Nepal with the antibiotics in hand. And the questions seemed to be focused on the water now. Bottled water is not 100% certain, especially in the dry season when all of the water becomes worse. So I'll get water from only one particular company. No more brushing teeth with tap water -- it might have been ok when we got here, but that's just it, things change. After we get back from Nepal, I'll get a filter and boil and filter water to have confidence in the quality control. sigh. meanwhile, it's so hard to be upbeat and energetic.

Did get hotel reservations in Nepal, I think. After many email requests came back with everything full, and the orbitz not having anything either, I started to get a bit nervous. So I made some phone calls and if they understood me, and I understood them, we have 3 different hotels for the 10 days. 2 in Kathmandu and 1 in Pokhara. As I said, not very energetic here, and just hoping that it's a good trip.

Hope to take more good pictures and to put some up of the conference!