All posts tagged: random

Driving Me Crazy

Published by Sula H.

One of the reasons for why I’m trying to avoid going into the city is because of the traffic. It simply drives me crazy. While I can definitely tell that there must be some kind of rules to driving (they do have street signs), when you see the way people drive around here, you quickly begin to doubt that those rules have any kind of effect on people. Or, maybe it’s really like what we hear others tell us that you follow the rules when the police is around, but that no one really cares when there’s no one there to monitor it. Who knows. I’ve come up with a solution for the problem that works pretty well for me: stay away from the big traffic areas, and then no one’s going to drive me crazy …

Surviving the Physicals

Published by Sula H.

We did it! We made it through our annual hospital and we survived without any major disasters. Of course, we’re still amused at how haphazardly some of the examinations are done (take for example the eye test: all you’re asked to do is tell the doctor which number you are able to make out from a bunch of colored dots, despite the fact that you can hear the person before you say the number already), and of course I get nervous when the person right in front of me gets poked all over her arms for the blood test and I keep hoping they may do mine with a little more confidence. But then, we really did survive yet another dreaded physical exam, and having gotten smart from years of experience, we actually were done in no time. Yay, for another year of health!

Daily Visits

Published by Sula H.

I’m learning something these days. Learning to stay calm at the sight of my daily visitors. Of course, it’s one thing if those visitors were announced and would show up at my door. It’s another thing altogether when those visitors show up at any given time at my bedroom window. But, as I said, I’m learning to not freak out any time a strange face shows up right by my window with curious looks on their faces, and I learn to pretend that nothing curious is ever happening here. Yes, yes, the woes of living in a construction zone …

Your Presence is Requested …

Published by Sula H.

Spring is always an exciting season. The reason? Because it’s the time for butterflies, and love, and … … well, wedding invitations. Every year, someone among my dear colleagues decides to get married here, and the other day, I received an invitation to another wedding yet again. Time to get out those pretty dresses again, and time to give you a heads-up that soon you’ll be able to learn more about yet another wedding around here.

Rain Proof

Published by Sula H.

It’s raining. How I know? Well, the tell-tale sign is when you look out of the window, of course. I, however, have another way of telling that it’s raining. All I need to do is … … go down to the lobby. And then I know. I know by the number of buckets set up everywhere. And by the numbers of additional puddles collecting slowly on the floor of our, yes, brand-new lobby! Puddles that could also do with their own buckets. But I’m learning these days that “brand-new” doesn’t always mean rainproof. And I’m learning that rainproof doesn’t always mean what you think it may mean. “Rainproof” in our lobby means that our lobby will always do a good job proving to us that – in fact – it’s raining outside!

Weather the Storms

Published by Sula H.

This year’s sports days are on the rough side of things. Yesterday, we got quite the storm blowing over us, and today, it’s been rainy. Poor freshman students who are required to participate in all events, either as athletes, or as part of the audience. My advice to my freshman students earlier this week therefore was: dress warm and take something to keep you from being all too bored for two whole days with you (a good book will always do, in my opinion).

The Blessings and Curses of a Washing Machine

Published by Sula H.

Yes, I’m aware that I’m more blessed than other people around me. At least in some areas. Take, for example, the fact that I have my own washing machine. Yes, while you may wonder what’s so special about owning a washing machine, I can assure you that around here, I’m rather an exception, being – as I am – the happy owner of my own little laundry wonder. Well, except when my laundry dream turns into a nightmare, which happens to be the case whenever I forget something very essential. One of the essentials when it comes to doing my laundry is that I should never, NEVER forget to put the hose in the drain – or else, much more than just my clothes will get a thorough wash. The other day, however, that great essential just simply slipped my mind, and that’s when my whole bathroom experienced the blessing of a good wash. I guess, the good news of it is that now my bathroom floors have gotten a little rinse even in those …

That Dreaded Note

Published by Sula H.

It’s that time of the year again. The time for the dreaded physical exam which we have to endure every year that we want to stay in the country. Well, granted: things have gotten a lot better compared to the first time we had to get them – being herded in crowds along corridors through which you had to carry your urine samples up to the next floor etc. Yep. You may get the point why we all cringe at the first sign of the next physicals approaching. So, finding this email in my inbox the other day did not quite cause me to flip with excitement at the prospect of yet another opportunity to be poked and stripped and all those other dreadful things. But as always with such things: better to get it over with, sooner rather than later!

The Bicycle Quest

Published by Sula H.

I had to go on a quest again. In search of my bicycle. Well, what had happened was that I’d received an email the other day requesting us to go and move our bikes from the place we’re currently allowed to store them. Of course, it took me a couple of days until I actually got to take care of that, and when I finally managed to go deal with the matter, I discovered that my bike wasn’t where I’d last put it anymore. Fortunately, I knew where to go look first, and there it was … … my poor bicycle, squeezed in among all the other faculty transportation devices, and almost impossible to get to. (Note the bike with the little red bell. That’s the one!) But for the time being, I know it’s at least save where it is, and I won’t have to worry about going on another quest anytime soon!

Seven AM Alarm

Published by Sula H.

These days, I need neither a watch nor an alarm clock to know that it’s 7 am in the morning. Why? Because the workers, who finally decided to actually do something with the scaffolding they’ve been setting up for a month now, are kind enough to notify me of when it’s about time to get up. They do so, by banging and drilling, hammering and knocking on the other side of the wall that makes up my bedroom, bathroom, and living room walls. Yay, for the fact that neither on weekdays, nor on weekends, I ever get to sleep in again. But then, I’m fully aware that there’s no reason to complain. 7 am, after all, isn’t 6 am, right?