The last lunch

The class organised to have lunch out last Monday, at Tokyo Garden, Jason's restaurant. Some of us have been there before, at the end of the first semester. It was a wonderful way to wrap up the term - especially in anticipation of our moving campus shortly.

About a dozen of us ordered from a range of Korean and Japanese cuisine. Mami called by to join us, and my daughter Albany happened to call in too, with her boyfriend and another flatmate. Everyone was very curious and asked all sorts of questions.

"What does Albany call your wife (who is not Albany's natural mother)?"

"Mami," I replied. It's a handy name, isn't it? It half sounds like 'Mum'.

Life is not always straightforward. Below I'll load up some photographs that were taken. If you are ever in Dunedin, remember, Tokyo Garden!

Networks of networks

Yesterday I had occasion to toddle off down to our Forth Street campus. We staff of the School of Languages were to scout out the classrooms earmarked for our students, and to decide who sits where in our open-plan office.

I arrived an hour early, having run 5km at the Caledonian running track nearby. That is the last training run I'll do prior to this weekend's Moro Marathon in which I'll participate. I aim to do the half.

Anyway, I was amazed at the number and range of associates I ran into during that time. Jane W strolled by (with Michael P?). Marc D ducked out of his classroom and shared his key with me. I popped into the Kanazawa office and spoke with Jean G and Christine R, who was moving into that office that day. An I.T. person arrived in connection with that, and she answered some of my questions about computer facilities for our rooms.

I headed out the door to wait in the staffroom and drink a latte. On the way I met Terry S, who grumbled at having had to do some cleaning "which is not a carpenter's job". I spoke with Rose S concerning her online ambitions - go for it! I said hello to Alma - an important person to know. Some may say that Robin D is eaqually important, but I chose to chat with him about 24-hour athletic events.

Leigh Blackall came by to pin up a notice about a conference: The Future of Learning in a Networked World, and I was able to get the information needed to take part. He pointed out three speakers taking part, one on whom, Barbara Dieu from Brazil, has commented on my blog and also those of my students. Michael Coghlan from Australia I also heard speak at a CLESOL conference a couple of years ago.

I sat in the sun for a few minutes, joining Imogen Coxhead, and I learned about her brother, Professor Coxhead, now in Wisconsin. We were in the same class at high school for five years. Returning to join our staff meeting, I ran into a previous student of mine, Jing C, now in her second year of nursing, and she told me about two other alumni from her year, Lisa W (third year nursing) and Xiaoyan G (moved to Christchurch).

And you know, I reflected that Otago Polytechnic main campus is really rather a buzzy place.

Look forward to starting there next term!