sleep no sleep

It is hot outside and it is stuffy inside.  The power came on an hour ago and the air conditioner is not working.  The wobbly bed tumbled down, the frame was supported by five bricks in the center, the sideboards were merely resting and could not support a tired and fat American.  What the hell.

This is all part of the adjustment, right?  I feel I got sold a misleading bill of goods.  And at 10:30 in the morning, I am hungry again.  If only if only what?  Are there people out there who are more miserable than me, a headache is building up, a shit is building up and my first class is in three hours. 

I gotta adjust.  I bought a carton of UHT milk made in Iran and a box of honey cheerios made in Poland last night and they taste close enough to comfort food so I’ll have another bowl.

10:07pm

I met with a dozen Afghani businessman and academics who are interested in taking a class in TOEFL’s internet based test.  I didn’t come straight out and say it but it would be the first time for me to teach this and I guess in many ways it’s something new to put on the cv, right?  And I won’t mind prepping for it as long as I find a place to prep where I don’t sweat.

“The city simply doesn’t have enough energy to supply everyone on a daily basis”.  So I don’t get a/c when there isn’t enough and instead get the generator induced ceiling fan which ought to help me and keep me asleep but when nothing works like it did this morning, I have to rant, it’s a terrible way to start a new job.

Otherwise I met with my two classes and I think we’ll be fine.  Adding the Toefl class will keep me teaching every day of the week, except for Friday, a day I’ll have to wash and iron and maybe take a dip in the half filled pool. 

I made pasta and vegetables in the slightly tidied up kitchen and shared it with Fezel Ahmed.  I met the fourth security personnel today, Younnis. At midnight all power is off and it’s too hot to lie down and in an hour it all comes back on.  I know it’s the hottest month and it will cool off soon, in the meantime I don’t sleep.

8.4.15                                       

6:00am in the morning.  A pattern is developing.  The fan went off at five thirty and the sun bursts into the room twenty minutes later.  No electricity, I can’t sleep when I sweat so I move around.  No, I can’t imagine staying here more than a year.  'I-no Mina' is Afghanistan’s effort to modernize but it falls short.  Of all the deserts to not have electricity.  And yet, outside it is cool.  I open the front door and a window and hope for a breeze.  Nothing. 

I think I am the only person in this city who is awake.

9:00am—Fezel Ahmad was kind enough and brought in a floor fan which he spliced into the emergency light circuit.  His English isn’t great but I think I understand today there will be no city power and who knows when the generator will kick in.  I think the problem with the generator is it needs diesel fuel.  Shit.

Fezel also did something and I have internet, how important this portal is to the rest of the world cannot be understated.  Listening to the best of Bread is a small consolation in the desert.

So today I do not have any classes.  I should try and get someone to take me to the bank.  Anything else? 

I know this sounds schizo but the heat makes me sleepy though I can’t sleep when it is warm.  Just lay down and let David Gates lull you into a cool dream.