I think it is a natural reaction. We’ve all experienced test anxiety, whether at 16 for our driver’s license test or at 30 when defending our doctoral thesis. I’ve been “academically oriented” all my life, so testing has been a continual, and anxious, part of my entire life. Yesterday, I was hit squarely with an… Continue reading Test Anxiety
I *finally* finished it!!
Background: I learned to knit when I was on a semester abroad during college – that was 1987. While in Wales, I purchased some GORGEOUS charcoal grey alpaca yarn and started making a classically styled cardigan. At some point, about 3/4 of the way thru making the pieces of the cardigan, I decided I didn’t… Continue reading I *finally* finished it!!
Going Home
Our (first) summer vacation was a mixture of work, errands and LOADS of Belgian beer (more about the beer in another post)! We departed Cairo, after a hectic and nerve-crushing couple of weeks, on June 21st. We left in the middle of the night, and arrived for a lay-over in Amsterdam mid-morning. Nothing like a… Continue reading Going Home
Jordan – part 3: Day Tripping
From Wadi Rum, there is no easy way to get back to Amman. Our host, Zadane, suggested that we go to Aqaba, from which we can get a direct bus back to Amman. Sounds ok. Zadane “has a friend who runs a hotel”. How bad can it be? Yet another taxi takes us to the… Continue reading Jordan – part 3: Day Tripping
Catching up
Still writing up the Spring break stuff from Jordan – one more post should do it. Recently returned from nearly a month out of Cairo. A brief visit back in Seattle, for Jack to deal with some “work related stuff” and then about 2 weeks in (mostly) Belgium. The summer independent study is FINALLY done.… Continue reading Catching up
Jordan – part2: Wadi Rum
After the beautiful sensory overload experience that is Petra, we, again, hired a taxi to take our group (now down to 3 – one headed back to Cairo) to Wadi Rum. The trip was slightly more comfortable, rather accelerated but generally uneventful. We arrived in Wadi Rum and found Zadane’s house, where we met up… Continue reading Jordan – part2: Wadi Rum
Migration
We are living in a migratory population. The migration is not a wholesale yearly migration, as one sees with certain animal species, but is a fragmentary process that involves some AUCians every year. Some leave after 1 or 2 or 15 years, and every year new people arrive. The turnover is patchy, and in many… Continue reading Migration
Jordan – part 1: Petra
Ok, Ok, Ok – It has been over 2 months since the trip and I haven’t posted about it yet. Well, here goes. We headed to Amman, Jordan on March 30th with two traveling companions/colleagues for a whirlwind tour of many places that I’ve read about, but never figured I’d actually see. The “loose” itinerary… Continue reading Jordan – part 1: Petra
The end of innocence
“The administration has decided that because AUC does not acknowledge a D- grade a score of 60% shall be considered a D.”
Standards? or Bitch?
That is the current question. I have just submitted grades for the Spring semester classes. In one class (upper division, required for the major) I had 3 students fail. Their scores throughout the semester were…marginal, at best. There was a small rally near the end of the semester, but definitely a case of too little… Continue reading Standards? or Bitch?