subject to change without notice

From the beginning I was surprised at how unaware the faculty were of the daily class schedule.  I'm not talking about that of other professors; I'm talking about their own.  The man whose place I took in teaching beginning Hebrew kept asking when I was teaching class.  Originally it was his class and he taught it for half a semester.

Faculty meetings are held when needed, but in general I am excused from the big ones because they are held in Mizo.  However, there are lots of short, spontaneous meetings after chapel and someone always motions me to come and sit up front where the rest of the male faculty sit during morning devotions. (The female faculty sit on the other side of the podium, but I sit in the back of the chapel.  They have finally quit asking me to sit up front.  Anyway, I'm not the only faculty member that sits in the back.) 

However, what is more troubling is the number of classes that are canceled because other events are happening.  There have already been several holidays since my arrival on January 11.  In addition, there have been several days of testing for prospective students.  These tests require use of all the classrooms and so classes are canceled.  The professors also speak regularly at conferences held off campus on the weekends, and they often don't arrive back before classes on Monday.  Again, classes are canceled.

Even more disturbing is the number of deaths and illnesses in the extended community.  Of about 25 faculty, 3 or 4 have lost family members in this past month, several have had friends or family members who went in for surgery, and several former professors have either passed away or been sick in the hospital.  For those events, the faculty is asked to rearrange their schedules in order to  attend the funeral or visit in the hospital.

It seems to me that there is a lot of illness here.  Recently the College ran a blood drive and I was told that half of the students were not allowed to give blood because of high blood pressure.  Though for many of these students this is their 2nd or 3rd degree, they are still young, in their 20's and 30's.  Some people blame it on diet, but when an affliction like this is so widespread, I imagine there is a spiritual root.  I've talked to a few people, but that idea does not resonate here.

The overall result is that sometimes the schedule is a bit erratic.  Of course, this is frustrating to me because my students need every minute of class time that they are scheduled for.  A few times I've met with them outside just for additional practice.

This irregularity reminds me of the ants in my bathroom.  I have no idea where they come from, but every two or three days there are several of them just wandering around aimlessly.

Maybe it is all something in the air here.