The Gulf Stream?

30th August


To our surprise we are still in calm waters: George thinks we are in the Gulf Stream which comes up from the Caribbean and flows through south and west of Britain to Norway. The sea has changed from its almost opaque milkiness yesterday to a more familiar deep blue textured with tiny ripples. The air is mild with a breeze and the skies cloudy.

I’m always suspicious of the Gulf Stream. Many years ago when I first returned to Britain from South Africa as a teen ager, I plunged into the sea on the East Lothian coast of Scotland only to retreat at top speed gasping and spluttering, aching in every limb and freezing. My God! What was that?! South African waters around Cape Town had been a lot more forgiving and I was used to spending joyful time body surfing and swimming. Not much later I was camping with the school Rangers troupe at Benderloch on Scotland's West coast. ‘I’m not swimming!’ I stated categorically ‘It’s far too cold’ Oh don’t worry I was told, this is on the Gulf Stream….it’s warm. It was not. Again I was reassured in Devon…’it’s really warm in the sea here’…. It was not. One plunge into the waves on the stunning beach at Woolacombe…freezing! This Gulf Stream is fictional I decided and I am still to be convinced!

Global Studies today were interesting but it’s difficult to listen when the voice expounding the information is loud and strained. I am very susceptible to a good voice and my kind of ‘good’ voice belongs to George or John Simpson of the BBC or Stephen Lewis our fearless leader in the SL Foundation, Christopher Plummer, Paul Gross, Paul Schofield….or Sting! Yesterday I thought how ‘at home’ I feel too with Michael William’s voice and accent. But on this second occasion in Global Studies I sat rigid, trying to focus on the words and ignore the voice…not possible I discovered and had a struggle to keep awake. Sleep after all is the ultimate escape, second only to death I suppose. Rashna Singh followed speaking in the second part of the ‘class’. Her voice is quite beautiful, soft and easy- listening. However her time was very short which I believe disorganised her and she seemed to be attempting to pick out the salient points in her chosen Feminist text…all of which I agreed with and in fact we had previously discussed…so she was somewhat disjointed and very much slowed down. Sad.

This afternoon Brenda and I will be in Rashna’s class discussing the Moroccan Memoir, Return to Childhood by Leila Abouzeid. I’m finishing it privately in the cabin in case I snooze over this as well, as I did yesterday to my shame. Perhaps losing hours as we are doing almost nightly…we have to lose 5 between Montreal and Casablanca…is the root cause of my drowsiness? That can be my excuse and l’ll stick to it.

8.15 pm Just been to a reception with free wine for Faculty, families and LLL's. Great fun and lots of good conversation in the faculty loungs. Supper afterwards with the two Brendas, Steve, George Amy and moi. We were serenaded by Johnny a student who plays the guitar most beautifilly (a la Flamenco...picking strings) Now all we women are off to learn African drumming from Amy who teaches music. Should be interesting and fun.

Later: The African drumming and dancing was the greatest fun. Amy is good! She has studied this in Ghana. She, Brenda and I pulled every suitable drum we could lay our hands on from a closet behind the lecturn curtains on stage (Left!) in the Union. A workshop on photography was in progress so we were like mice then sat down and listened to the last part. Interesting stuff on using video to which I should have given greater attention.

The drumming was very well attended by students. George and Steve stayed awhile too, watching, and Steve (unfortunately) filmed our rather pathetic attempts at drumming, shaking, cow-belling (not really sure what these beautiful cast iron instruments are called) and, last but not least, dancing. (Now I know where West African Highlife comes from.) Amy was patient and taught us by performing everything beautifully herself first. She smiled through the most God-awful racket as we attempted to please her...we loved every minute. There is nothing better than working and performing together to 'bond' a community because age and position in life couldn't matter less as you struggle together on a fairly level playing field.

George has an early class tomorrow, 8 am, and we have had to put our clocks forward yet again. (No wonder we all crash in the afternoons) Needless to say he is already asleep!

Kwa heri....more tomorrow I hope. Internet rather unpredictable at the moment.