Starting Early this Year

I have lost an biological assault on my body. Three weeks ago I felt quite good because I managed to ward off a potential disease, but in the dying days of the summer I have taken ill. It was mostly due to ignorant negligence on my part, so I guess I had it coming. Last year I was ill for a record three times and it looks like this year might be a repeat. I attribute this to my immune system suffering because of the work I have to do – I have never worked as hard as I do in university. School was a couch to be lazy in. Bleh.

The past two weeks my attention has been focused on only one thing: Computation Physics. CP was my diversion from the set plan for my course and was suppose to be only a sideline subject. Turns out it claims more than it’s fair share in the end. My other subjects are suffering: I have no idea what is going on in the Calculus class and I’m slipping in the Linear Algebra class. By Monday I need to know Java for CS. Haha. Anyway, the CP is really bugging me, but after tonight I can start breathing again: I only have a few pages to add to my notebook. It isn’t very difficult (although we continue to steadily climb the difficulty ladder), just time-consuming.

What exactly does CP encompass? First the lecturer does a tiny bit of theory with you. Then you get a tutorial which has to be done by date X. The tut has problems that need to be simulated on a computer (I’m using Matlab, the preferred language of the class). First you don’t exactly understand the questions, so you ask the lecturer who tells you exactly what to do. All good and well, but then we arrive at my favourite part of the Physics experience – write reports! Well, the tuts only need to be done in a notebook. Projects, done at the end of each quarter, however, need to be of publication standard. Our projects must be presented like a Physical Review C article. It really isn’t that bad, but the writing-up was the part of Physics I really wanted to escape last year. C’est la vie.

The following conversation that I overheard sums up the last three weeks the best:
“So, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing quite well. I haven’t spoken to a B.Com or BA student lately. If I run into anyone on campus, however, I’ll be depressed again.”

BA needs no explanation. The B.Com students are flies in our ointment: always skipping lectures and not missing anything. One of my friends started a subject late and had his first class on Wednesday. In this ‘first’ class, they received their time-table and a short introduction. Then they were given the class of the next day off. The class started three weeks ago for crying out loud!! Grr.

On a completely different note, I saw something this week on the news which I haven’t seen in twelve years! In another part of the country, black university students rioted due to an increase in tuition. The video insert covering the riot featured black students throwing rocks at a police rhino (armoured vehicle) while being hosed down. This was a common sight on the news more than ten years ago. I remember news stories like these being on the television when I, as a small child, use to climb into my parent’s bed in the morning. Ah, the memories...

Tired in a Week

Our car pool now has to take an extended detour on some days, and I drove two days in a row, so now I’m going to bitch for a while until the day’s soreness has left my feet. Varsity has been on for a week and a half now and I already feel like the flood gates have opened. Okay, maybe not entirely opened, but they are leaking and I’m already soaked. I’ve already written two tutorial tests; they’re small and easy, but my current Applied Mathematics (!) module doesn’t have an exam, so these little tests weigh more in the final mark. But I’m done worrying for the week. Only one tutorial and a demo-session left.

Ah, yes, to be a demi! I am now one of those quasi-enlightened figures who assist wide-eyed and confused first years (freshmen) in their Computer Science 1 tutorials. Not a glorious job, but it does pay. I have no idea how much, probably next to nothing, but this will be the first money I’ve actually earned. Okay, I helped a friend once with his business and got paid a little, but it didn’t compensate for the years my life was shorted with by the paraffin fumes... I’ve never had a job per se. It’s mostly due to my laziness and my high standards (I refuse to waiter or do delivery jobs, which limits opportunities through and immediately after high school). Fittingly I’ve managed to land a job that is only 3 (maximum) hours a week, terribly easy and where I can apply what I’ve learnt so far. Its really all I ask – it wasn’t too much, was it? But I don’t demi for the money – it’ll probably be shiny peanuts anyway. I don’t really know why I’m doing it: to help people, to show off what I know, to feel important, to boost my chances of later getting an academic post at the university... who knows? Does it matter? Who cares?

It is both comical and frustrating to see the next generation enter the world of higher education. They are all wild eyed, scared and to a greater or lesser degree respect everyone else for their experience. They are also hapless and confused, hence they can’t find all their classes or miss it and then contribute to the over-crowdedness of the student centre. And I blame them for the traffic congestion which we now daily encounter. But in the next few weeks and months the novelty of university and the carnival will wan and things will return to normal. Ah, normal... I have a couple of friends who started this year, so it is with glee that I assume the role of advisor and instructor as to the ways of the new world. It’ll be a short lived charade.

My second day back at university brought quite a shock: I am writing two big mathematics tests on consecutive days – the twelfth and thirteenth of April. The crux is that my brother’s wedding is on the eleventh. And the wedding is going to be an all day affair (a sunrise wedding, followed by lunch with the family and the reception is the evening). Its going to be a tight squeeze, but I’ve submitted to my brother and fiancé that I’ll attend all the events. But I’ll still have to see how things go for the next month and a half. So far mathematics has been a mess and I don’t know when I’m going to sit down and sort it out, because I’ve spent all my time (much more than usual) so far on other subjects. I really want to be there for my brother’s big day, so I guess I’m just going to have to swallow it and persevere...

My feet are better. I can walk again. I’m thirsty.

PS South Africa won the seven match ODI series 4 to 1.

The currency needed to acknowledge a fine stroke

Acting on rumours that tickets will be sold at the gate, my friends and I dared to venture to Newlands Cricket Stadium early this Sunday morning (my gratitude to the early birds who waited there from 03:30 AM, I only joined at 07:00). Unfortunately there were no R175 grass tickets available; but we did get R200 stadium tickets! For those in the know, we ended up five rows from fine leg when the facing batsman was at the north-end. And what a game it was! South Africa won by 108 runs and did very well to make up for a sluggish start (scorecard). The day’s entertainment was worth the price of entry, 2.5 litres of fluids, 3 chicken-and-mushroom pies as well as the seven hours in the sun at 35°C. We were treated to a century by Gibbs, a blitz half-century by Kemp, an unfair dismissal of Smith, flurries of fours and sixes, great catches, run outs, a bowling and some LBW’s (Ntini had 29/3) – a well rounded day of cricket. Add to the game a location at the foot of Table Mountain and the company of friends and 20000 enthusiastic strangers and the day was well worth every cent and effort! Indeed, a glorious end to a two month holiday under South African skies!

Yes, tomorrow I return to that little university town nestled between the vineyards of the Cape. Carpool expanded and I’m strapped for cash: let the adventure begin! Woo! Yes, everything is already laid out for tomorrow. Yes, I did get excited by the added features of my new calculator. Maybe the holiday was a bit too long after all, but I’m not complaining. Another week would probably have driven me up the walls, but timing worked well for me.

All that I am feeling now is a content numbness and I only care about how severe my sunburn is going to be tonight.

Knackered

The past few days I’ve been virtually useless; without trying! I’m tired and completely burned out before half the day has passed. Not ideal a week before uni starts again.

On another note, my brother and his fiancé arrived yesterday! They’ll be here for the next few months preparing for their wedding in April and relaxing in the African atmosphere that is home.

They’ve just arrived for dinner: time to douse the face with a bit of water.