Taking a U-turn from my last couple of posts, I thought I will write in today about some small but very positive developments at N1 that have brought back my happiness quotient to its normal level.
1) We are going to follow up Dr Rock Star's successful visit to our campus last year by yet another winter school around his upcoming visit. We have already received several applications by students interested in participating in this school. What's more, other than Dr Rock Star, yet another scientist, Dr Rock-Star-In-Making will also visit us at the same time and deliver lectures. RSIM was my colleague in my first postdoc university and has done some excellent and path-breaking work since then. He is also known to be a very good teacher and his visit will motivate our students a lot. Our department is going to rock this winter!!
2) My teaching this semester has been going well. I am teaching this course for the second time and feel that this semester, I am doing a much better job at it than last year. Although the students in both batches were very good, this particular batch is extremely motivated and enthusiastic. This year, I have also been typing up course notes for it and intend to continue with this practice. Two weeks of classes are still left and I have already covered more material than I could cover in the entire semester last time. Students have not burnt out yet and are still participating in class eagerly.
3) In a recent shuffling of job allocations for admin staff, the staff members responsible for the functioning of those units which are related to my non-academic duties have changed. These staff members are very efficient and have made the work smooth.
4) Our department is organizing an institute outreach activity in a town near by, which will be held in January. In this connection, some members of our department and one of our deans had a meeting with some people from a local council. As it happened, I was the only person in this meeting who does not speak the language of N1- state. The dean requested everyone to speak in English. The council people did not pay heed and continued to talk in their local language. But, my departmental colleagues and the dean spoke only in English and one colleague also kept translating to me what the locals were saying. I truly appreciate their thoughtfulness in ensuring that I did not feel isolated or cornered in the meeting.
5) Finally, I totally love the current weather and the greenery around our current location. If I feel like taking a break, I take a small walk or go for a joy ride on my bicycle. In general, the ride between my home and department is very pleasant. In addition, I have explored some paths which are fun to go on- while one goes through a mini forest around a river, the other path goes straight to a nearby government organization with its own residential complex. My domestic help has sternly warned me against going on the first path alone, not that I listen to her. While going on the second path, I like to imagine the future (I don't know whether near or distant) when N1 will have its own fully built campus.
1) We are going to follow up Dr Rock Star's successful visit to our campus last year by yet another winter school around his upcoming visit. We have already received several applications by students interested in participating in this school. What's more, other than Dr Rock Star, yet another scientist, Dr Rock-Star-In-Making will also visit us at the same time and deliver lectures. RSIM was my colleague in my first postdoc university and has done some excellent and path-breaking work since then. He is also known to be a very good teacher and his visit will motivate our students a lot. Our department is going to rock this winter!!
2) My teaching this semester has been going well. I am teaching this course for the second time and feel that this semester, I am doing a much better job at it than last year. Although the students in both batches were very good, this particular batch is extremely motivated and enthusiastic. This year, I have also been typing up course notes for it and intend to continue with this practice. Two weeks of classes are still left and I have already covered more material than I could cover in the entire semester last time. Students have not burnt out yet and are still participating in class eagerly.
3) In a recent shuffling of job allocations for admin staff, the staff members responsible for the functioning of those units which are related to my non-academic duties have changed. These staff members are very efficient and have made the work smooth.
4) Our department is organizing an institute outreach activity in a town near by, which will be held in January. In this connection, some members of our department and one of our deans had a meeting with some people from a local council. As it happened, I was the only person in this meeting who does not speak the language of N1- state. The dean requested everyone to speak in English. The council people did not pay heed and continued to talk in their local language. But, my departmental colleagues and the dean spoke only in English and one colleague also kept translating to me what the locals were saying. I truly appreciate their thoughtfulness in ensuring that I did not feel isolated or cornered in the meeting.
5) Finally, I totally love the current weather and the greenery around our current location. If I feel like taking a break, I take a small walk or go for a joy ride on my bicycle. In general, the ride between my home and department is very pleasant. In addition, I have explored some paths which are fun to go on- while one goes through a mini forest around a river, the other path goes straight to a nearby government organization with its own residential complex. My domestic help has sternly warned me against going on the first path alone, not that I listen to her. While going on the second path, I like to imagine the future (I don't know whether near or distant) when N1 will have its own fully built campus.
1 comment:
Nice read :-)
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