Well, as I am sitting here correcting the tests from my Excel class, I can’t help but notice some xenophobic graffiti on my desk. It says “Fock you strangeiro.” Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I love high school students.

A couple things I don’t love though: The first is not having any running water. Wednesday evening, all running water in our building stopped. The next morning, I asked a guy who works for the construction company that owns the place, and he informed me that “ka ten agu’ na red’,” basically meaning that the water pipes in my neighborhood have run dry. So I am not sure when we will have it again, but it better be soon. I am going to be a very smelly gentleman if this keeps up. And we have 48 hour old dishes in the sink that need to be scrubbed. There is a community well/water tank where we can go, but there is always a wait of many hours to get the water, especially when there are shortages in town. Apparently, this is a problem with Sal Rei, so Nadia and I are going to buy a big rain barrel and keep it filled in the house, to make these unpleasant things a bit more bearable.

Next thing I don’t love: correcting really poor exams. While most of my students are getting in the good to excellent range, and clearly know their shit, there are a couple people who are… not doing so hot. As in, couldn’t do anything at all beyond type in a few numbers. Sigh. I guess there are always a few. But on the brighter side, my two star students have also signed up for my English class next month, and can’t wait to sign up for the next computer class, also in January. I’m gonna have my hands full with all the teaching, but at least I will stay very busy. I prefer that to idleness.

It doesn’t feel like Christmas season. It is sunny and in the 80s right now. There is nary a fir tree in sight. But moreover, there are no crowds of people stampeding for the latest hot toy, or clogging mall parking lots, or bidding $3000 for a PS3. These I consider good things. There are also no overbearing window displays, or holiday songs played ad nauseam. Also good things. We have a small shiny silver tinsel tree here in the CEJ with some lights strung through it, but it’s not really doing it for me. When I told my coworkers that I used to live near a Christmas tree farm, where I could walk over with a saw, pick a tree, cut it down, and drag it home, they thought that was pretty funny. When Christmas itself comes along though, we are going to do our damnedest to make it a good holiday. The crew from São Nicolau arrives on the 23^rd, so they will be around for it. We are going to ask our friend Tony’s aunt out in João Galego to hook us up with a fresh, dead chicken to roast. Nadia and I are both supposedly receiving multiple packages from friends and family in the US. My mom and grandma already sent theirs, so I am just waiting for them to arrive. The postal system is so sketchy here.

Ok, gonna finish these tests.