High Times at the TAFL Center
At least there will be a lot of cockroaches to rebuild the place.
Well, some sort of new scandal has erupted at the TAFL Center here at Alexandria University and I seem to be somewhere near the center of it.
As if it weren’t bad enough that my classes here are a waste of time and quite a lot of money, now I have been dragged into some sort of political war between Universities and academics. This is not a particularly pleasant place to be. I am attempting right now to get my exam moved up so that I can be done with this place and move to Cairo.
There is also, it seems, a problem with the “contract” that I have for my apartment. I decided that it would be best to just leave and sort out the details later. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. You will be more likely to receive it.
Alas, this was not the way that it went down.
My roommate decided that we should do things in the proper way, and attempt to negotiate canceling the contract. This was a mistake. At first, I was going to attempt to find someone to replace me in the apartment. This didn’t work out as expected. Another snag was that the landlords agreed to get the internet working for us, since it has been three months and I am still without an in-home internet connection.
So, now we are being told that we cannot cancel the contract. Of course. I am not worried about this. It will all work out in the end. I am going to have a lawyer look at the contract and then we will see what we can do.
Meanwhile, back at the TAFL center. I have been ditching class a bit because I can’t justify sitting there and staring at the walls while I could be in the library researching or writing. I am sure that this is not good, but at this point, I am learning more from the novels that I am reading while not in class than I am from the pedantic, rudimentary grammar lessons and the recitation of lists of vocabulary. So, at the end of the say, I can’t say that I care very much. I will do what I have to do at this point to get my work done and get something out of this experience, even if that means completely disregarding the structure of the institution that I have stepped into. This will come as no surprise to those of you who know me well, as you should well expect such behavior on my part.
Suffice it to say, I am extremely and increasingly unhappy and I am not sure how to sort it out except to wait it out, take my exam, and leave. I have been nearly convinced, at some points, however, that coming here, to this particular school was such a grave mistake that I will be unable to correct it. Maybe I will though. Time will tell.
In the mean time, I will attempt to be more positive about the positive aspects of my situation. Above all, I am learning a great deal, just not in a very structured way. This is my preferred mode, of course, but it is harder. I rest assured that I will look back at this fondly, when we are all much older, and frustrations are long lost to the depths of my memory.
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Welcome in Egypt