Productive day

As you may or may not know, in the year 2012, Hong Kong's university education system will go through the major change of switching from three to four years. This means that departments in local universities have been scrambling to offer "foundation" or "core" courses for an extra cohort of students. I was gently reminded by my dept head in an email yesterday that I was supposed to come up with some new courses (apparently I volunteered in the last departmental meeting... huh??? How come I have no recollection?), and wondered if I had already sent them but he somehow missed my email?

I lied through my fingers and said oh yes sure, I have not forgotten, sir. Just some last minute touching up to do. I didn't realise you'd want them so soon. Will have them on your desk first thing Monday morning, sir! He replied two minutes after I hit sent and said he didn't mind that they are not complete. Just send over whatever I've got "straightaway". STRAIGHTAWAY! That was ten thirty last night. I panicked. I thought about my application for a salary increment submitted two weeks ago, now lying on his desk, awaiting his supporting statement. I stayed up till 2 in the morning and got to the office at eight thirty, managed to cough up four new courses last night.

FOUR new courses. Frankly I am quite impressed with myself. I named them:

Reading Great Social Thinkers
Reading and Understanding Local and International News
Hong Kong Society
Gender Issues in Today's World

Snappy, no? Ha hahha...! okay... I hear you...

After I sent off the new courses, I went home and had a much needed nap and then had to go out to HKU to give a lecture. After that I went to Causeway Bay, snooped around the shops for a bit, bought a second hand T-shirt for $70, then met up with some friends for an "all-you-can-eat" dinner in a Japanese restaurant near the escalator.

Now, it wasn't my idea to go to this restaurant, not that there is anything wrong with it. Nor was there anything wrong with the food. It's just that I've always find it a bit of an oppressive experience to go to a buffet or an all-you-can-eat meal in Hong Kong. I really want to explain it, this complicated love-hate relationships that I, and probably lots of HK people have, with this type of dining experience. But I'm afraid I'm too knackered and too pissed from the sake and Kirin and the port to write a coherent piece of analysis on this, right this minute .... if you can wait, I will attempt. When I feel more energetic... and more brainy...