Three more days ...

It is December 17 ... and I'm still teaching. The logic of this - I'm not begrudging my students their valuable time with moi - still escapes me. Last week - that is the penultimate week of term - I had a total of 9 students over two seminars. That's 9 out of a possible 40 listed on the roster. And in my 9am seminar, the two brave little students were two of my best. So we had a chat, discussed shoes and ships and ceiling wax, and then I sent them off home. I've prepared a lively seminar for today, tomorrow and Friday essentially giving them the keys to the kingdom as far as the exam goes. Of course, I'm sure if the 'last week' of term were two weeks earlier, the attendence would be the same.

First week of term, on the other hand, is a glorious 5 weeks away right now. Five weeks introduced by two weeks of Christmas hols with the library and universities CLOSED. I may accidentally lock my office keys in my office.

I'm kinda looking forward to Christmas this year. Albeit, it won't be the same so far away. But this year, we've made our own tree out of paper and stuck it to the wall (space saving! and recycleable!). Our Christmas box from Canada has arrived. Logan and Laila haven't yet ripped open the prezzies - they have a perverse fascinating with tearing paper. Office Christmas parties are done and dusted. A Christmas Carol is the book of the week on Radio 4. I found the music to Charlie Brown's Christmas special on Nasser's iPod. And we found a recipe for bagels so's to make Christmas morning extra special - since it will be extra emotional.

I was greivously dissapointed to learn that our German Christmas market is far from unique. My friend laughed when I explained my most recent disillusionment. But I really did think that Leeds was special somehow - that we got something original at Christmas. It's silly but it really did take the shine off the whole thing. Apparently, ours is just part of a chain. I guess I'm not as post-modern as I thought.

I'm feeling very blah today. I shouldn't as it is beautiful and sunny out. But then, I'll be spending the afternoon watching the sunshine recede from inside a seminar room. *sigh*

Three more days ...