snail mail and spring fever

There's something to be said for good old-fashioned snail mail, if you ask me.

Last week was rather routine, same as the week before. Nothing all that remarkable happening. University students seem to be experiencing an end-of-term anxiety and beginning-of-spring giddiness that translates into ceaseless nattering from all corners of the classrooms and lecture halls. It wouldn't be so bad if they just whispered, but the noises range from a low rumble of, presumably, the cool dudes who sit towards the back to the high-pitched gales of laughter of the blondes-from-a-bottle with fake'n'bake tans who evidently feel that it's everyone's basic human right to hear what they have to say, be it about carbocations in chemistry--during a chemical engineering lecture on mass balances--or comparing notes on high school friends they had in common during a tutorial on mass balances.

Tuesday morning halfway through Physics, a paper airplane landed near the front of the classroom. The professor opened it up, skimmed through it, and held onto it. The following Physics class, on Friday, I witnessed two students approach the professor before the lecture began. One explained that they had been fooling around the previous class, and that they hadn't meant for the paper airplane to disrupt him. She said that although her friend's name had been on the top of the paper, it was actually her fault that the paper had gone flying through the air, so she hoped he wasn't going to deduct marks from her friend's grade for something that wasn't her fault. He told them not to worry about it.

Actually, I find it quite surprising how lenient professors are these days. I surmise that it has a great deal to do with the increased emphasis on teaching evaluations with respect to tenure. Either that, or they feel it's futile to try to change the habits of these "digital natives," these "millenium students" used to multi-tasking (talking on the cell, chatting on messenger, checking e-mail, watching TV, listening to downloaded music, blogging, all simultaneously).

So amidst the added chatter I do my best to block out when I'm working, the feeling of impending despair at having to find work for the summer when the majority of postings state "bilingual essential," and this head cold I acquired (probably from all those door handles on campus), I've had a few "what am I doing here?" moments. That's why the snail mail was so welcome! Within the last week, we received an Easter card & note from a family friend, a package of goodies from my brother (the Office Space DVD is conspicuously absent; I think James ran off with it), a card (and cheque for the latest transcription) from the Mauro Centre, and sand and shells from Mexico courtesy of Duane & Celina. Thank you!!! You made my days.


I'm a little hesitant to add that it looks as though spring may be here to stay. (Hesitant, because it snowed big fluffy flakes on Wednesday, although they subsequently melted very quickly.) It's not just me that thinks so. Yesterday afternoon, one of the neighbor kids was standing on a snowbank bareback, watching his dad break up remaining ice at the end of their driveway. The dad is the guy who wore shorts to snowblow his driveway. Maybe their family developed a genetic mutation that makes them impervious to cold. Mind you, the sun was really that warm: I walked back with my light jacket over my arm, and given that I was wearing a black t-shirt, the idea of going bareback did hold a certain attraction.