2011 in all its glory

The year has just started and I'm already behind! Goodness only knows how many blog posts behind I am. It looks like some of you have been on vacation and typing away madly.

The year has started with student pile-ups. Picture a street crossing where one car blocks the way, then another drives into that one and another and so on. Everyone is having a hassle of some sorts. I've taught exactly one class this week, but the whole week has been dedicated to student-related bureaucracy. Blah!

The weather is delightful. I'm enjoying it. Ok, only half enjoying it. It's hot, but it's raining and I love the rain. Not everyone loves the rain, though... and with good reason. I'm not embedding the video this time, but here's our weather for today. Where we are, we're just above the flood line, thank goodness.

http://terratv.terra.com.br/Noticias/Brasil/4194-340495/Chuva-forte-deixa-carros-debaixo-dagua-em-Sao-Paulo.htm

In between trying to sort out students, I have been trying to complete a now-long-overdue project. It's consuming my every waking minute. I can't talk about it though, because the recipient may read this blog. I hope the recipient in question will appreciate my lack of sleep, food, social life, etc to complete this - ok, that is aside from essential procrastination time (necessary for survival, I think). Recipient, if you don't, I'll go there personally and ring your scrawny neck.

I feel better now =Þ

I have made numerous resolutions for the year. A couple are doing well. Not bad for going onto day 8. Even I'm impressed. My biggest resolution involves a whole lot of dreaming, believing and just plain faith. Keeping my fingers crossed.

To anyone who may receive a Christmas card from me before June, please ignore the Christmas part and enjoy the new year's wishes. If the cards arrive after June, just ignore them completely. By then, the new ones will be in the making. I swear... I think I'll mail them in June this year. Or maybe I'll just live somewhere where the postal system is worth something?

Hm... here's a nice project: Krochet Kids - I like what they're doing, except I do wonder about the making of very winter stuff in hot Uganda... unless you're up on the mountain.

Random riddle: What does a bubble and a bruise have in common?

Anyone got parsley?

.... for my ears, that is (ref: Asterix the Gladiator)


Text is a little fuzzy, so this is what it says:

Right! I've thought of a way to counter the bard's secret weapon... we all stuff our ears.
With what?
Parsley. There's plenty of it around.
Parsley in my ears? I don't fancy that. I'll feel like something out of a butcher shop.
Now back into ambush! When I give the signal we all attack the bard!
Not up your nose, idiot!
Soon afterwards...
Now.... what shall I sing next?

The neighbours came over earlier to "We hope you don't mind, but we're having a party." Now if we did mind, would that change it? Their speakers are no more than 3 metres away from my chair and they're LOUD. Jurgis and I have given up all hope of conversation. The music is varying between Gaga, rave, rap, some foreign-language stuff that I can't place and punctuated with the other neighbours' fire crackers. It's going to be a Loooong night.

It's a few minutes before midnight here. I managed to clean house somewhat today... at least cleaner than it's been in a while, but there's so much else I wanted to do. I have a couple of blogs in draft. They get started and something more important comes along. Perhaps I'll finish them yet, but I'll be spending the weekend in lesson prep. Yep... back to the grindstone on Monday morning.

Ah... I need a hermitage... and chocolate! They're now singing along very loudly and very badly (they don't remotely know the words) to Everybody's been kung fu fighting. At least the actual song is better than some of the dronk verdriet we've been listening to. Dronk verdriet, by the way, is the kind of music you listen to when drunk and end up crying over your shoelaces.

Eight minutes to go... wonder when the party will wind down...

Happy New Year, my friends!! 2011 is going to be AWESOME!!! Just believe it!