See?

Surprises can be nice. When they are not the nasty kind. It's even nicer when you surprise yourself every now and then. Makes you think, wow, life is interesting! People are interesting! I am interesting! Etc.

Well, Buffalo Girl (see previous post) got the job after the interview on Friday. The decision was unanimous. All four on the interview panel agreed that she's the best candidate.

Candidate number one was a short stocky guy with receding hairline. He was wearing a dark navy suit and carrying a suitcase. Who knows, maybe he is on his way to Shenzhen or something. I've seen him around in local conferences and he's always the one who nods over-enthusiastically at every mention of the word "Marxists". This guy rambled a lot to every question thrown his way. He stuttered. But that's all okay, isn't it? I mean, most university instructors ramble anyway, don't they? The big turn off came when someone asked him what was the most challenging incident he had came across in teaching and how he had overcame it. He said he once messed up a whole class' final grades by accidentally shifting a whole column of cells one down. Cos he had been drinking, he told us. Duh!!!!

Candidate number two was one of these over-enthusiastic mainland Chinese women, full-make up, permed hair, frighteningly bubbly and ... well, the post calls for someone with a Psychology degree to teach behavioural sciences and, well, she is actually studying for a PhD in Management. So, when asked the obvious question "how are you going to each Psychology when you haven't studied it yourself?" she replied with the brightest possible grin "I'm sure I can learn it over the summer. If the students can learn it I'm sure I can learn it too." Yeah. Right.

Candidate number three ..... argh.... let me stop myself here. Without a stiff drink with me, I'm feeling a tat depressed just recalling this motley cru of academic misfits/wackos. I mean, I just watched the latest rendition of The Apprentice and that was depressing enough. Basically none of them quite fitted the bill apart from Buffalo Girl, who really stood out. She was articulate, sincere, made good sense, and I hate to say this but she really handled herself well.

Now I just hope she didn't think that her little theatrical display round at my office the other day was the magic trick that got her the job.