Yet another murky day – though the sun has come out now and all looks much better (in terms of pollution) that it probably is in reality. Our school is at the top of a hill and so we can look down on the blanket of pollution settled over the city and kid ourselves that the air is sweeter where we are!
Driving to work takes on the appearance of travelling through the Valley of the Shadow of Death as the Dark Clouds, augmented by the pre-dawn gloom, give an end-of-times look to the motorway.
One of the consequences of the smog is that the abolition of the old speed limits of 80 kph in and around the city that was one of the bright new ideas of the incoming president of Catalonia has been put on hold.
Unfortunately the new signs are all over the place so that at ground level you have a sign limiting the speed to 100 kph while the overhead gantry with the (high expensive) warning system tells us that the limit is still 80 kph. In one section of road there are actually three different speed limits indicated for the same stretch of road depending on where you look!
The court cases and judgements about any prosecutions brought for speeding brought during this flexible time are going to be interesting.
The logic of the present action i.e. limiting the speed of traffic to limit the extent of pollution would seem to indicate that the idea of limitation to the previous level would be good for the atmosphere in Barcelona. If it is right now at a time of increasing pollution why take it away? I am probably using the wrong sort of logic! At least for this part of the world.
My usual Thursday morning is now something of a nightmare as I have three classes one after the other with no break. This horror starts at 8.15 am and finishes at 10.45 am: this is not my idea of fun! And this is going to continue until the end of June! And I still have two other teaching periods and a Departmental Meeting to go! I truly am not being paid enough!
I am soon going to have to traipse my way up to the other building to take a classes of the younger students: by the end of the day there will only be one year in the secondary system I have not taken! Perhaps I shouldn’t say that, as the Powers That Be might want to make my day all-inclusive and add another class simply for fun!
There is a new exhibition of Modern Russian art in Barcelona and I am going to make every effort to go and see it this weekend. I also feel the need to buy some sort of art book, and there is much more choice in the city than in our small town. I could look in and see if there are any further bargains in the classical music department of my favourite store as well! When in doubt or vicissitude spend money! Always works for me!
Today has been one of those days where you truthfully ask yourself what the hell you are doing still teaching. Some of our kids are supremely unrewarding to teach. All kids are essentially selfish, but some of ours have made unjustified self-importance into a sort of religious faith!
Because my day was so full I fear that my attitude has become a little less than positive and the idea of working like this until the end of June is daunting to say the least!
We are working our way towards another bout of examinations at the end of the month and, as usual, there was an outbreak of something little short of hysteria from my colleagues when the examination timetable was published. The outcry that greets the timetable is a ritual part of the gleeful acceptance of self inflicted stress that characterizes the school’s dynamic!
I have to keep telling myself that the paltry sum at the end of the month is some sort of justification for my continuing participation in the education of the spoilt darlings of our little nation.
I really do need to buy myself a new art book!
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