It's Official

The same day we lost electricity in Auckland, a major snowstorm knocked out power for a big chunk of the South Island. About 600 people are still off the grid. (They were hit with a second blizzard before the damage from the first storm was fixed.) Transpower officials say everyone should have power again by next week. Assuming the weather cooperates.

We just "celebrated" the solstice, of course, so winter is in full swing. Some days it doesn't get past 11C (about 54F), and MetService is forecasting a low of 1C (about 34F) tomorrow night. Since I grew up in Chicago, this shouldn't be a big deal. But in Chicago, we had insulated walls, double-glazed windows, and central heat. Here we've got a portable space heater and some big, thick blankets.

At school I've been borrowing my office-mate's space heater in the evenings. The University doesn't seem to heat our building, which isn't a problem during the day, but when the sun goes down it's cold. With the extension, my official deadline was last Tuesday at 4:30pm; working evenings and weekends since I got back from the conference, I managed to turn my paper in early - by 4:15!

There's one good thing about all the long hours I've been pulling lately. My next class began on Wednesday, and sitting from "only" 9 to 4:30 has been a breeze. It's on Chinese commercial and foreign investment law, and really interesting. Although the disconnect between their official law on the books, and the way things actually work, well, it makes you wonder how the country has been able to grow so fast. Or how long it can last.

A few days before I finished my paper I got a nice bit of news. I've been offered a full time position as a lecturer, starting next year. When they hired me as a part-timer last year, there was a tentative offer to go full time when I finished my degree. But it's been sort of on-again, off-again for the last several months. (The UoA, along with most of NZ's other universities, has been facing pretty serious financial constraints.) I haven't actually got the contract yet, but the head of the Commercial Law department assured me he's got our budget all sorted and is putting the paperwork through. So, it's more or less official.

Cheers,
Sandie

Opus Interruptus

So, I got my extension, but am still trying to work diligently because I'd like to enjoy a day or two off before my next class starts. Despite my best efforts, however, the force is not with me today. Or, rather, the power is off.

A terrific storm knocked out a sub-station at 8:30 this morning, plunging half of Auckland into the dark - the half that includes the CBD, Parnell, and UoA.

Not knowing how extensive the outage was, I trudged up the hill in the driving rain. Fortunately, the building I work in was open - the entry door is electronic, but someone must have a physical key. I climbed the stairs to the 6th floor in the dark. (Total dark, no emergency lights.) Five minutes after I arrived, however, the Dean said there was no telling when the power would come back on so everyone should go home, the entire University was shutting down for the day.

By then the storm had cleared and the sun was shining (the weather is like that here), so Ali and I went for a walk. We got back home just as it started raining again. Made a pot of coffee and sat down to read when, what else, the power came on.

I trudged back up the hill again - all my research papers are in the office, so it's pretty useless to try to work at home. My key card got me in and the elevator whisked me upstairs. (The things we take for granted!)

I was at my desk by 3pm, got right to work and was able to . . . unfortunately, I'm not sure what I managed to do in the last 3-1/2 hours. Or, rather, what I'll be able to salvage. Before the power cut out again. Even though it came back on right away, and my computer is working. Except there's no connection to the network. Where my paper is. Yikes, what a day.

Cheers,
Sandie

Everything Has A Price

What's 665.95?

The retail price of the Beast. (A little "Day of the Devil" humor from the guys on Radio Hauraki this morning.)

After my last post, Ali dragged me away from the computer to go for a hike at Pakiri Beach, way up north. The next day I had to get working on my paper. I've been putting in 10-12 hours days ever since - including the Queen's Birthday! - because it's due this Friday, June 9th. I've applied for an extension, but I still need to finish it soon. My next class begins in just two weeks!

I'm sure it will all be worthwhile once I'm done, but there are days I have trouble remembering why I got myself into this.

Cheers,
Sandie