That kinda day!
Instead of sitting in my cushy faux-leather office chair like normal as I type this, CPU humming along reassuringly beside me from its nest of wires on the floor, I am squatting gingerly in the middle of the large puddle that was my floor, beside the computer jammed sideways under the desk on the chair, its cords snaking out from a nearby box of recycling.
This is because about an hour ago, on my way home from a jog, I opened the door on Niagara Falls - my LARGE goldfish aquarium committing hara kiri all over the place. Now it's 7pm, the emergency has passed, and all that's left is the aftermath. That's the kind of day it's been.
It all started well enough. I awoke to blazing sun and Mo's whiskers on my face, a day of promise. I thought, ahh, to be up early and already prepared for class - no need to go in ahead of time! I stewed up a delicious porridge of rice and sweet potatoes (you'd be stunned by the number of ways you can cook rice in Korea) , took my time eating it with a good book in hand. Played with Mo. Cleaned. Weeded the garden. Even heated water for a bucket bath (usually I shower at the gym), so I could pamper myself with a face mask before work. This is the life!
9:10, keying open the lock on my office door, looking forward to a leisurely peruse of the day's news, my e-mail, hot coffee before class at 10. And my phone rings. My office assistant, demanding frantically "WHAT about your class?!!!" At first I smiled, unconcerned, "What about my class?" The satisfied sigh of the early and well prepared, playing interference on the next moment of realization - on Tuesdays I start class at 9 (Thursday it's 10). Argh! Grabbing my stuff, "one minute! one minute!" all the way down the stairs, blasting the door open on my laughing class with a flourish, all of them delighted that the prof who endlessly troubles them for being even fractionally late for class has come in LONG after the opening bell. Round one!
For my second class, handing out the day's worksheet I discover that rather than copying both papers of the assignment, I've copied the 1st one twice. And it's lunchtime (the office is normally closed). Luckily for me, a couple of students are finishing a round of chess and bail me out. Ding, Round two!
After class, forgotten lunch meetings. Double booked. And both at the same time as my Chinese lesson. And the universe smiles on me again - Chinese teacher cancels at the last minute, one lunch meeting' s already eaten and wants to rebook. Saved. Round three!
On my way back to my office after lunch, apparently living in zombie land, I overshoot my 5th floor office and find myself on the roof landing above. Where did all these boxes come from?!! Absurd! Round 4!
And then the biggie. The breaker (literally!). The round of rounds. 50 liters of water gushing out of its tank and all over my office, starting with the space under the desk where the (hastily saved) computer is located. Unreal!!
And even that has me smiling. Normally I would not have come to my office at 6pm - I was after some post-run water (little did I know!) and hoping to catch a friend on his way out of the building. And normally my ANGELIC office assistant would have been long gone as well. But I did come in, and she was here, and together we managed to save the computer and the fish, and with the help of a couple of passing students, mopped the whole office dry as well. And damn does the place look good! Amazing what a little spring cleaning can do for a floor!! Some days the absurdity wins and there's nothing to do but smile. And this is definitely that kinda day!
This is because about an hour ago, on my way home from a jog, I opened the door on Niagara Falls - my LARGE goldfish aquarium committing hara kiri all over the place. Now it's 7pm, the emergency has passed, and all that's left is the aftermath. That's the kind of day it's been.
It all started well enough. I awoke to blazing sun and Mo's whiskers on my face, a day of promise. I thought, ahh, to be up early and already prepared for class - no need to go in ahead of time! I stewed up a delicious porridge of rice and sweet potatoes (you'd be stunned by the number of ways you can cook rice in Korea) , took my time eating it with a good book in hand. Played with Mo. Cleaned. Weeded the garden. Even heated water for a bucket bath (usually I shower at the gym), so I could pamper myself with a face mask before work. This is the life!
9:10, keying open the lock on my office door, looking forward to a leisurely peruse of the day's news, my e-mail, hot coffee before class at 10. And my phone rings. My office assistant, demanding frantically "WHAT about your class?!!!" At first I smiled, unconcerned, "What about my class?" The satisfied sigh of the early and well prepared, playing interference on the next moment of realization - on Tuesdays I start class at 9 (Thursday it's 10). Argh! Grabbing my stuff, "one minute! one minute!" all the way down the stairs, blasting the door open on my laughing class with a flourish, all of them delighted that the prof who endlessly troubles them for being even fractionally late for class has come in LONG after the opening bell. Round one!
For my second class, handing out the day's worksheet I discover that rather than copying both papers of the assignment, I've copied the 1st one twice. And it's lunchtime (the office is normally closed). Luckily for me, a couple of students are finishing a round of chess and bail me out. Ding, Round two!
After class, forgotten lunch meetings. Double booked. And both at the same time as my Chinese lesson. And the universe smiles on me again - Chinese teacher cancels at the last minute, one lunch meeting' s already eaten and wants to rebook. Saved. Round three!
On my way back to my office after lunch, apparently living in zombie land, I overshoot my 5th floor office and find myself on the roof landing above. Where did all these boxes come from?!! Absurd! Round 4!
And then the biggie. The breaker (literally!). The round of rounds. 50 liters of water gushing out of its tank and all over my office, starting with the space under the desk where the (hastily saved) computer is located. Unreal!!
And even that has me smiling. Normally I would not have come to my office at 6pm - I was after some post-run water (little did I know!) and hoping to catch a friend on his way out of the building. And normally my ANGELIC office assistant would have been long gone as well. But I did come in, and she was here, and together we managed to save the computer and the fish, and with the help of a couple of passing students, mopped the whole office dry as well. And damn does the place look good! Amazing what a little spring cleaning can do for a floor!! Some days the absurdity wins and there's nothing to do but smile. And this is definitely that kinda day!
posted by Roberta | 6:44 PM
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