Theo of Arabia: Part 23

The academic year is slowly coming to an end and the students don’t feel like studying. Their thoughts and minds are already on vacation. Since we have made pretty good progress and have almost reached the last chapters in the books, I could try out something new. Other activities that are more interesting for the young men. This is, if our project manager approves. But of course he is against it and wants, actually demands that we continue with the books and try to finish them. That’s why we don’t listen to him and rebel.

Most students are absent during the first lesson and the ones who come are not quite fit. The room begins to fill with students after 9am and the boys start to feel fitter. That’s why we have an easy conversation class during the first lesson. From the second lesson onwards it gets more serious and demanding. Today however, I have no real desire to have a normal class due to a) I couldn’t sleep last night and feel as sleepy as my students and b) our project manager was screaming, shouting and complaining on the bus throughout the journey to work earlier on today. A theatrical and dramatic staccato of laments for the entire duration of the trip. Lately he often has such crises and screams and screams and screams and insults everybody and even some teachers, preferably the Bengalis and one of the three Pakistanis. The Pakistani doesn’t seem to mind or even care. I have the impression that he couldn’t care less. Once he said: ‘One ear in, one ear out’. That’s the right attitude. The Bengalis on the other hand feel hurt and we feel with them. But they would never contradict or raise their voice against our project manager as it is against their nature and culture. In their culture they respect the aged and/or the superiors and therefore obey and never raise their voice. Some of the staff, myself included, put up head- or earphones and listen to music very loudly so we don’t have to listen to our project manager’s marathon of complaints. In addition to the moaning in the morning and in the afternoon on the way back, he writes about 20 emails a day and sends them out to everybody involved in this project. I guess he needs his daily doses of terrorising people to feel well. Otherwise he’ll get seriously sick. And he’s afraid of the therapy costs and that the NHS might not cover. His emails however wander unread in the trash. Some colleagues have created extra folders, either with his name or ‘nonsense’. Our students gave him the nickname ‘crazy’ and make the appropriate gesture when they talk about him.

Well, I had promised my students to take them to the labs, but then one of our colleagues left and I had to take over his group in addition to mine, got sick and spent a week in bed and never took them there. I guess today is the day. They will have to spend a lot of time there in their second year of their programme. The lab is a large room full of simulators or as my British colleague says: ‘stimulators’. At the simulators they learn how to use, drive and handle the vehicles in a mine, both underground and surface. When they have learnt it on the ‘stimulators’, they are allowed to drive a real one in the mine in the third year.

We are awaited by my African colleagues from the University of Missouri. They are PhD students and this here is part of their degree. There is an introduction in terms of mines and working in a mine followed by a lengthy presentation. The students seem to get bored very soon and want to finally put their hands on the simulators. At the end of the long monologue, the boys have the possibility to ask questions. Since no one has a question, I use the opportunity to ask something. Immediately all their heads turn towards me and they throw me looks that could kill. I actually wanted to ask some more questions, but don’t dare to do so and keep them for later. Now they are finally allowed to use the machines.

They clearly seem to have fun and everyone can have a go. The African colleagues spread and assist and show the students what to do. One of the students gets nervous as he feels me standing behind him, stands up from the driver’s seat and offers me to drive the excavator. Then several students come to watch their teacher driving the mean machine. I drive a few rounds and crash the excavator into a ditch. As it catches fire, the boys cheer and clap their hands. Thus the hours pass until lunch break. In the afternoon I show them a film about mines and working in mines around the world.

On the way back on the bus I put on my earphones and listen to 30 Seconds to Mars on full blast to not to listen to the screams and shouts of our project manager.

Later in the afternoon I go with one of the three Bengali colleagues for a long walk around the area we live in. We pass through a beautiful neighbourhood with nice buildings, empty and wide roads, few shops, some schools. We hardly talk to each other and enjoy the silence and the beauty of the surroundings.

When we get back home, the Bengalis invite me to dinner. They eat together every night and invite me sometimes. They can cook really well. They cook their traditional dishes and there’s always plenty of food. You eat seated on the floor and without any cutlery, as it is custom in this part of the world.

This blog is available on Amazon:
Theo of Arabia ebook

Theo of Arabia paperback

Mining video 1

Mining video 2 (opens in a new window)

Mining video 3 (opens in a new window)

Some photos from the afternoon walk