An empty library

Christmas is almost here, and the campus is sparsely populated - few people and few cars. The Library too is almost empty, not even a handful of people in my section; and a skeleton library crew. It seems unnatural - all the hush, empty seats and unpeopled terminals.

I am teaching myself how to use Picasa, an open source photo management program. [It can be downloaded from the Google web site]. I have been experimenting with the photos I took in Malaysia a year ago. Picasa will be useful in producing guides for students and presentations.

Round-up of the week

Monday was my evening shift, which means I work from 14h30-22h00. By 22h00 I wanted to flop onto a magic carpet that would whisk me off to my flat and drop me onto my bed. I got home around 22h20 and then couldn't find my flat keys. A cell phone call to my sister, who has a spare set, and I was saved from spending the night in the car. My next evening shift will be till 23h00, which is a killer. The extended opening is because of the final exams. By 22h00 I feel I need match sticks to prop open my eyelids. I don't understand why I get so tired as I normally go to bed between 23h00 and midnight.

Tuesday was Eid, the end of Ramadaan, so the Muslim students and staff had a religious holiday.

Thursday and Friday were distinguished by traffic chaos because the combi taxi drivers blocked freeways and demonstrated. They want their traffic fines scrapped and for Government to drop its taxi replacement programme. These taxis are the backbone of what passes for public transport in this country.

There were very many, very angry and very late commuters, besides furious taxi drivers and owners. There was violence and rubber bullets, and some vehicles were torched by the protesters. All this, so reminiscent of the bad old days of Apartheid.

Lectures ended yesterday. I was asked to attend the last lecture for Psychology I. I was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and thanked for my hard work. I got a round of applause too.All this is a first in my long career. The coming week is swot week and the beginning of exams. Exams finish in mid-November and end of year graduation is early in December. Unlike the students, we don't go on holiday, though the Library closes at 17h00 weekdays and 12h30 on Saturdays. The Library is open 51 weeks a year.

This afternoon I'm working at the GSB Library for a colleague. Again the Library is hot.

22nd October 2006 @ 18h00 local time

I had brought some Medjul dates to nibble on at work, 5 hours is long time without sustainance. As I was eating some, I was reminded of my visit to a local Fruit & Veg City (this is a green-grocer chain). There was a long queue at the dried fruit and nut counter. People were waiting for their purchases to be weighed. From the numerous headscarves I jassumed the buyers were stocking up for the evening breaking of the fast or for Eid, the end of Ramadaan.

I bought some dried apricots, local ones. They are harder and sourer (and cheaper) than Turkish ones. I prefer their hardness and sourness. (The new season's apricots, fresh ones, should be in the shops around Christmas. Besides apples and bananas, my favourite fruits are summer's offerings, peaches, apricots and nectarines. There are peaches and nectarines in the supermarket and at the green-grocer's, but they are they have been imported, and are therefore pricey. I will have to wait a bit longer.)

Seeing people buying nuts and dried fruit, particularly dates and dried figs, reminded me of my early childhood Christmasses in England. We always had dates and dried figs then. The dates were boxed still attached to a twig. There was a little wooden fork to eat them with. They were a shiny brown, soft and sweet. I have only seen dates like this once, since I came to Africa. Next April I will have lived 50 years in Africa.

Sunday 22nd October 2006 @16h30 local time

I'm sitting in the GSB Library, my Sunday afternoon job. The sun through an upstairs window is blinding me as I try and type. The Library is quite hot, despite background noise which I assume is the air conditioning. The Library is quiet. I'm by myself downstairs, though there are some students upstairs.

As I drove to work, I could see the green slopes of Devil's Peak, but around the Cape Town side of the mountains, Lion's Head was very dry, not a blade left green.

Nearly 2 months till Christmas and Spring verging on Summer, the season of craft markets, fetes, rummage sales (and the like) is almost upon us. Posters are everywhere, no telephone pole has been spared. Craftsmen, schools and churches, every organisation that can rustle up things to sell, is planning to cash in on the tourist invasion and the gift-giving mania of Yuletide. Kickoff next Saturday.

Cape Town weather has been described as four seasons in one day. The Library in which I hang my proverbial hat from Monday to Friday has a micro-climate like that of Cape Town itself. Where I work can get very hot and sticky, I wouldn't be surprised if we had our own thunderstorm on Level 5 one day.

From LIASA Blogging Workshop

Hi, all you folks in cold and wet Cape Town. The sun is shining here (the weather forecast says a high of 30C; birds singing at the St George's Hotel. We are having a tea break right now. No sound of traffic, though the hotel is not far from the freeway.

The guesthouse is very posh. It has an en-suite bathroom with a shower and a marble bath. The bath is huge, but uncomfortable. You can't relax in it. The room is almost as big as my flat. There is a full lenghth mirror, almost floor to ceiling. Tea and coffee and a little kettle are provided. There was a small fruit basket and a chocolate next to the bed.

This morning I awoke to birds chirping and a cow mooing. There must be a small holding nearby. We had a huge breakfast, fruit juice, cereal, toast, fried egg with a chicken kebab and tomato. All washed down with coffee.

The workshop is full. People from all over the country. Everyone is enthusiastic.
Must go now.