December 8, 2011

Another very cold morning with remnants of snow still on the ground. Mr. Boroni was concluding a testing session with his students when I came in and I could see that the photocopies of the test, for which the students have to pay, were barely legible due to poor photocopying. I continued with our exam practice with both classes today and had a lively discussion about numerous points of grammar they were either ignorant of or unsure about.

                                       These are the gorgeous suzani textiles produced locally

During the break, I dashed to the Resource Center to use the printer and found Shahlo there once again. I told her I needed help in getting the whiteboard, resting on the floor this time, hung on the wall and the bookcases pushed further back to make room for more attendees. She told me she wasn’t in charge of the Resource Center and I needed to deal with the woman who’s paid as the coordinator but whom I’ve never seen. She called her on the telephone and she agreed to come by and meet me. I waited almost 25 minutes and she got in she said she had some business to take care of that morning. I was very blunt in telling her that I had been to the room countless days and she had never been present. When I asked about her schedule, she vaguely said in the morning, knowing fully well that was a lie. I had to go back for my next class and told her we’d talk at some point in the future.

The dean finally got around to printing the memo to inform the faculty about the upcoming workshops. Still no word on when I’ll be able to bring the stand-alone whiteboard so I don’t have to stand in the hallway like a lost soul waiting for the only classroom with the miniscule one.

I’m getting addicted to the lagman noodle soup across the street. The owner serves it with what you could consider the Tajik croissant, a buttery, multilayer flat bread that practically melts in your mouth. Contrary to the other one I used to have, this one is so filling I don’t need another meal for four or five hours.

I went straight home and was glad to have running water again so I could do my dishes and flush the toilet to my heart’s content. I then got to my computer so I could put the finishing touches on my presentation for Saturday’s workshop.