March 6, 2013

I managed to get to Lingua on time, and found Anna busily printing the remaining CATEC applications. I notified her that Jennifer had forwarded Zamira’s application this late thus signaling we should accepted even though it was past the deadline. I started to add the names to the database and when Natalia got in asked her to start putting them in alphabetical order.

The quality of the submissions didn’t improve at all. We had an applicant with a doctorate who dared submit a one-page document summarizing what she’d be presenting and nothing else. Anna and I decided on the spot to dump it into the “No” pile just because of the woman’s audacity.

Since so many of the applicants failed to write a summary or the required 250 word abstract, poor Anna has now accumulated a pile of applications for her to contact the person submitting them asking to clarify what the intend to do so we can have a second round of votes. The number of applicants who have passed the test so far doesn’t even reach ten.

Gulnara came in to let us know the staff was celebrating Maria’s wedding and birthday, taking place last Saturday, so pizza and cake were available in the kitchen. Natalia had to leave, not before checking with me that everything was all right, and then Anna and I went to the teachers’ lounge where I found Mathew having cake.

He indicated the debate club team was going well and they were replicating the activity for the American Corner twice a week. Douglas then came in, formally dressed in khaki pants and long sleeve shirt, so I asked him if he was already teaching and apparently he is. Nargiza was all over him to insure he got a piece of cake.

I ate two small slices of pizza, pretty dried stuff since the makers here don’t add any tomato sauce to the dough, and then a piece of fluffy cake topped with fresh fruit. It had come from the bakery on the first floor of my apartment building.

At two o’clock, when the computer room was needed for a lesson, I left coat in hand since it was that warm outside. I waited for the trolley for some time and it didn’t come. I hopped into a marshrutka and that was a major mistake for there was no ventilation inside and the vehicle got very crowded before it turned on Bokombaeva Street.

I got off before my exit and just walked the rest of the way stopping at the convenience store across the street to pick up a few staples including mashed potatoes and funchoza. Google weather indicated the temperature was 77 degrees and the apartment felt uncomfortably hot since the radiators were still putting out heat despite what the thermostat said and there was no way of turning  those off manually.

I had a cup of café con leche while catching up with the news on CNN. Amanpour had as her guest the Spanish actor Javier Bardem who had just completed a documentary on the ill-treatment of refugees in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa the Moroccan king had annexed back in 1977. I had never heard of this conflict and need to do some research on it.

I emailed my landlady reminding her of my need for an A/C unit as soon as possible. She replied she’d be coming by after work and did so. I had meant to print a receipt for the March rent, but simply forgot. She promised to start looking for the air conditioner and to bring the plumber along tomorrow during her lunch hour.