Those of you who know me even passably are aware of an abiding antipathy to most faculty meetings. Lucky for us, the faculty meetings we now attend are anything but boring. Take this week's meeting, for example. Despite an inspiring secondary school principal and a well-organized meeting agenda, the reality is that faculty meetings here are anything but what they once were. For one, we currently have our meetings in the only room - the school's cafeteria - large enough to accommodate our three dozen or so faculty. So, while we attempt to discuss curriculum, the lunch crew is busily trying to finish up their day's business. Plates clatter, silverware jingles, fridge doors slam - all while the school's head is trying to focus on the finer points of getting the school up and running.
And that's the least of it, for we also feature what has to be the most active fire alarm system in any school's history. Indeed, the fire department has been to our school so many times already in two short weeks of classes that they might well consider building an extension garage for one of their trucks and just taking over part of our campus. During our 3:15 - 5:00 meeting, and already having gone off twice that day already, the fire alarm went off twice more, the gathering of now alarm-insensitive veterans staying put as if a fire alarm hardly mattered now that the kids had gone home.
Of course, in the greater scheme of Murphy's Law, a few fire alarms are nothing. So to add to the unpredictability of the day's meeting, we also had the power go out during, ironically, a Powerpoint presentation. Never so quickly has a well-intentioned electronic presentation been snuffed out, and yet the grizzled veterans we've become barely batted eyes (as if we could see eyes batting...) and continued on, as best we could, with the conversation. Eventually the lights and general power came back on (which is always underscored by the constant whir of the central air conditioning, no matter the building), the meeting found its center once again, and all seemed relatively normal - until prayer time suddenly occurred and, we soon found, the school's PA system was being perhaps inadvertently used to loudly broadcast the prayer both inside and outside the entire building. Quietly and discretely, a few of the Arabic teachers snuck out of the room, apparently talked to the appropriate folks, and soon an air of normalcy gained a foothold. By now it was 5 pm, we'd been at school since 7:30 am, and the meeting ended on time, albeit "a bit short" of the intended conclusion.
Such is life at KAUST, we are finding, where things are never quite what they seem, yet each of us endeavors as best as possible in his or her own way, hoping for that presumably far-off day when a meeting will be just that, a meeting. Of course, for my part, I kind of like the unpredictable punctuation to our meetings - heck, at least there are no sprinklers in the ceilings of the school! Of course, why there are none in a school is yet another story...
Thanks for reading,
David
Some tongue-in-cheek irony can "make the medicine go down"! Good for you not to take things too seriously. Doug
ReplyDeleteDear David and Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteJim Hamilton talked to a Bush teacher who told Jim that you have a blog, so we found it. It is really fun to read these and see what an amazing time you are having -- especially as a family. I love thinking of Jennifer wearing an abaya. I don't love thinking of anyone in that heat, though. What an incredible experience, and I am impressed at how generally excited you all seem to be. Soaking in the people and the places, finding connections with people, and even being amused at some of the crazier sides of living there. You seem to stay so positive. I would guess (and hope) that two years will go quickly.
The pictures are wonderful. The two of you will sometime age, won't you? Your children are growing older, so I think you must be, too -- yes, or no? It is a shock to see Hayden looking so old. I was going to say that he looks like a big kid, but then his father sometimes is just a Big Kid, so that might be confusing. I was very impressed by his (Hayden's -- David, yours are good to read too, though) parts of the blogs -- such clarity in what he wants to say, and it comes out so smoothly. They were very fun to read. In fact, they were all fun to read -- one can tell usually who is writing just from the style. You might be pleased (or appalled, I suppose) to know that this is the first blog I have actually really read. You are now on my toolbar, though the title of the blog is a little corny -- oh, now that I think of it, could that have been David's creation?
I hope you continue to have a wonderful time. I appreciate your taking the time to write these -- they were great for me to read as I sit in the same old same old Seattle rain pouring down. It just struck me -- part of the mood I pick up from this blog is that all the pictures are SUNNY, and it makes everything look so fun and vacation-like. That's probably not always the reality, is it? I am thinking of the rats....
I wish you the very best.
Paul Carroll
Dear David and Company,
ReplyDeleteI hope Saudi Arabia is treating you as well as Whitman is treating me. I am having the most amazing time. My kayaking orientation trip was amazing, especially since we were in the North Cascades again. It was a good thing we went on that trip because I needed my knowledge of where the Ranger Station was and where there was good cheap food. The weather was gorgeous up there, and being at the top of Desolation Peak and being able to see all the way to Canada was incredible. Also the people on that trip were amazing and we are all super tight now that school has started. Classes are great. I love my math teacher, and I have a great math buddy who lives on the floor above me. My roommate is fantastic, and we get along really well. Best part about Whitman...Frisbee six days a week! It's doing great things for my game. I can't believe I'm over half way done with my first semester.
Hope everything continues to go well for you.
-Kelley