Today the sun is lighting up the pale walls of the houses outside the window of this computer room. I'm not in a very good mood, however. Even though Radhika sorted out a way to be the co-author of this blog, and has written yet another poem, I'm feeling rotten today. The only thing I am doing with any sense of clarity these days is writing this blog.

I saw the news after getting up at 6.30 this morning, and felt how removed I am from the rest of the world, being here. The headlines were pretty dreary, as I guess most headlines are.

I suppose this blog should also have some sort of connection with the news, and current affairs. Instead of pondering about poetry all the time, I should also be thinking about what's going on all around.

It's a fashion now to quote Orwell before saying something about the news, but I guess I'll fall into it anyway. Orwell wrote in his news chronicles that it is vital to keep a record of what actually happens - politically, socially, physically - just in case somebody comes along afterwards and tries to distort it. So perhaps a quick record of my day is in order.

Got up, got dressed, made tea, watched the news, collected teaching materials, went to school building, tried photocopying, failed, got to 7.40 staff briefing late, went to lessons, taught an English lesson on "Translations" and a Theory of Knowledge lesson about Reason and Emotion, then spent an hour reading through English materials for lessons. Got a sandwich in the shop, and bought fruits. Coffee break, chatted, wrote about residence heating and electrical breakdowns, then came here.

Our school doesn't have any tremendous news, but it's worth describing sometimes. We're preparing for the trial exams in a week's time, so the students are doing their best to get ready for it. But last night the poor souls were shivering their way around the residence, because the heating keeps breaking down. Our residence is really a summer vacation place, and isn't designed for the winter. We rarely have enough hot water to go round.

I live and teach in the same place. I come across the same faces inside lessons and out every day, at home and at work. Home is work. But the sun, the light makes it feel easy sometimes. The light in Duino reflects off everything as if it were hanging. Just like when it snows, and only one side of a branch or a car door is covered with snow. That's how the light sticks to things here. When I get a moment to look out the window, I look for metaphors which could describe the light.

But I haven't found any good ones yet.

Orwell talks of the language of politics, saying that doublespeak covers up thought like snow, smothering the detail. Maybe that's the way I see the light here.

D