It is still "winter" here although it seems like people refer to it as the rainy versus dry season. It was a little chilly last night (maybe 65) and everyone was dressed up in coats and long pants. I even saw stocking caps! It cracked me up. I do have pants on and a blanket, but I know that I have a warped sense of temperature. I am always cold and hate air conditioning, although I might recant that statement in the dry season. There is no insulation and the windows are screened with glass slats. One of the assistants in our department asked me if I was loving this weather because she knows that I come from a cold place. It is interesting the perceptions people have about America.
Campus exploded yesterday with new students moving in the dorms and registering for class. Up to this point, the campus has been very quiet, but now many students are back on campus. They will be moving in all week and then classes start on Monday. There is a feeling of anticipation and excitement in the air. I was really missing that feeling of back-to-school a couple of weeks ago because I wasn't setting up my classroom, but now I feel it with the campus activity, writing syllabi, meetings, and planning lessons. Students also live in "hostels" around the campus. I think the dorms are reserved for first year students. There is also a group of American college students here who take part in an exchange program for part of a semester. They pretty much stick to themselves and have their own classes.
Hope you had a great Labor Day! I worked, but it was a great day. Happy Tuesday!
