a productive friday evening, indeed.

Whelp.

The school grind starts in a day or so.

I have ‘prepared’ thusly.

Watched Dead Poets Society. In full, for the first time.

Finished reading A Short History of Nearly Everything –Bill Bryson

Watched Fight Club.

Re-read Stiff –Mary Roach.

Discovered how to open ZIP, and other previously recalcitrant files in the Calibre e-Book application.

Lost all hope of getting actual work done… and any desire to go out socially..

Searched through a catalogue of over 3000 books, literally searching for a book by its cover.

Found it, and some others that I now, huzzah!, knew how to open.

Compiled new reading list to be completed…

Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems –Mark Doty

Lying with the Dead –Michael Mewshaw

Great House –Nicole Krauss

Censoring an Iranian Love Story –Shahriar Mandanipour

Occupied City –David Peace

The Collected Writings of Walt Whitman, Volume II, 1860-1867

Eating the Dinosaur –Chuck Klosterman

(Incidentally, started the above just before leaving when in NYC enjoying K-Jo, Green Point and all the fish tacos the city had to offer)...

Eating Animals –Jonathan Safran Foer

In Defense of Food –Michael Pollen

The Botany of Desire –Michael Pollen

Proceeded to ignore above list, slip on my trusty spectacles and re-read..

A Time to Kill –John Grisham

And made it halfway through The Name of the Wind –Patrick Rothfuss..

While making excuses for why I wasn’t blowing off steam in Rundu via SMS. (Am hermit).

Until I realized my migraine wasn’t abating and it was 3 o’clock in the morning.

Things I should’ve been doing:

Finishing the surprisingly helpful manual compiled by RPCVs on the resource drive: Teaching English to Large Multilevel Classes.

Perusing the BIS and Art and Culture Syllabi that I have yet to download..

And nailing down the basic framework of my scheme of work for the first term..

Or perhaps sticking to my News Year’s resolution to stop procrastinating…

I fear (hope) I shall repeat a similar performance today..

Now... Off to make applesauce.

then. now. and future.

The holiday... It was interminable. Should have skipped out on it halfway through. We exceeded the ideal number of travelling companions. That is certain.

Next Christmas.. Malawi, Mozambique. Madagascar? (Maybe a little ambitious)..

This winter (or spring for youse guys in the northern hemisphere) … South Africa?

Love you, Namibia. However, I think I’m going to abandon you for a bit this year.

It’s not you. But, it’s not me either.

Inventory of the irretrievable:

1 pair of sunglasses, crushed by trailer of goats

1 (other) pair of sunglasses, discarded by accident

1 b-e-a-utiful pocket knife, lost to African finders keepers

1 ruined tank, stained by cheap mini-dress in wash (no real regrets there, I love my new inappropriate dress)

And… Some other things too depressing to deliberate on..

New Year’s resolutions:

None.

Wait.

Stop procrastinating?

I think I’ve recycled that one a few times now. I’ll get around to it eventually.

Current jealousies:

Chicago is -40°F

Col. City is enduring a snowpocalypse.

(A moniker stolen from the Chi-town blizzard. We had thunder snow, you fools.)

I miss snow.

And roast beef sandwiches (the ultimate comfort food)...

My current horoscope:

(courtesy of Rob Brezsny)

I'm guessing that in a metaphorical sense, you've been swallowed by a whale. Now you're biding your time in the beast's belly. Here's my prediction: You will be like the Biblical Jonah, who underwent a more literal version of your experience. The whale eventually expelled him, allowing him to return to his life safe and sound -- and your story will have the same outcome. What should you do in the meantime? Here's the advice that Dan Albergotti gives in his poem "Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale." "Count the ribs," he says. "Look up for blue sky through the spout. Make small fires with the broken hulls of fishing boats. Practice smoke signals. Call old friends. Organize your calendar. Dream of the beach. Review each of your life's ten million choices. Find the evidence of those before you. Listen for the sound of your heart. Be thankful that you are here, swallowed with all hope, where you can rest and wait."

On deck:

Schools open in seven days.

Am not at all prepared.

Going to attempt to break in tomorrow and start setting up shop.

Hopefully someone in the village is in possession of the keys.

I’m not a particularly skilled cat burglar.