May 10, 2007

Gray Days and how to rescue them

I spent this morning on a roof. I had a site visit where we had to sketch the many, many crazy additions to the original building (which was built sometime in the 1840s and has been renovated continually since) and then figure out how to put an additional floor on it without destroying the character of the building, even though it isn’t on the Historical Register or even, indeed, interesting. So a co-worker and I crawled out on the roof this morning and spent a couple of hours trying not to get blown off said roof.

Some days I really love my job.

Any day I’m not at my desk is a good day. Yesterday, for instance, I was at a computer seminar, given by the development company we’re working with, in order to learn their document distribution software. It wasn’t exactly boring; I’ve worked with similar systems before but never one quite this sophisticated. They provided us with plenty of coffee, cookies and a fair lunch. The teachers were good and not entirely unpleasant to stare at all afternoon. But when we finished early, I found myself back at my desk, completely unmotivated. I answered some emails, filled in my timesheet, and did a few other tasks.

I left an hour early and headed to check out the roof extension of a building that my boss wants to copy. So I trudged over, past the swan nesting on the river by my train stop, along the river where I saw a mother duck with her very, very tiny baby ducks swimming along in a chaotic swirl around her, and spotted the heron that used to greet me each morning. It was a very pleasant walk until it started raining. When I got to the building, it was coming down in streams but standing beneath my umbrella and the canopy of the trees, I managed to get some decent photos.

As I walked toward my Italian class, I realized I had over an hour before it started, so I popped into an Italian restaurant for a glass of wine and last minute review of last weeks work. We were covering an advanced grammatical concept, and my teacher kept insisting that it would be sometime before we really understood it and how to use it. When I ran into a classmate on Saturday, she said the same thing; for her, the penny dropped while studying her fourth language. (yeah, I know… she makes me sick) And while it was being explained last week, I felt the penny lurch but not drop. So I wanted to have a look at it again. And it was easy; really easy. I speak like this all the time, actually, so it made perfect sense and that scared me. Nothing is that easy for me in Italian. I’m still struggling with pronouns. I did a few exercises, finished my wine, had a quick chat with the waiters, who helped me with some vocabulary quite kindly, and then walked the 5 minutes to class. Still raining but not nearly as heavy as before, I congratulated myself on grabbing the umbrella along with my camera.

I asked my teacher if she’d look over the work. “Tsk! This you get first time out…” and there was the hand gesture in Italian (yes, they’re different in English) that said I need to try harder in class with the ‘easy’ stuff. Hee…. I was so proud of myself until the terror set in, that is. Class started. And I was the only student there. Just me and Martina, for two hours or until someone else showed up to help me out. I’ve never been the only one in class before. I’ve been in some small classes but usually one other person shows up. And anyone who has taken (struggled with) a language class before knows the special terror in being alone with your teacher. You always need other people in the class so while they’re being grilled you can scout ahead and see what exercise will be yours next turn. You need the break so you don’t look like a total idiot. Because Martina will see you struggling and keep asking you, over and over again until you’ve got a reasonable hand on it, which is both torture and sublime at the same time. I do pay for the classes and I do really want to learn this stuff, but no one ever tells you that humiliation is part of the course. Almost like a party favour or a souvenir photograph.

So we spent an hour going over anything and everything I needed another crack at or simply didn’t understand the first time. And it was great!! I’m so thrilled no one made it to class! I got a private lesson, extra homework, and an early evening. I hope they skip next week, too.

When I left the institute, the sky had cleared completely, the sun was shining, and the air was warmer. I got an ice cream bar and walked home, marvelling at how unpredictable Irish weather can be. I’d have never said the evening would end so beautifully. If anything, I was prepared for it to go the other way, and have me slogging home in the rain, most likely swearing. Instead, I practically skipped home with ice cream; glowing, beaming, radiating contentedness.

Yesterday was a good day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I waited all day for the UPS man to deliver a train ticket. UGH, now when I can go out, one of those hellish thunderstorms is spittering rain and dust. Yes, it rains red dust in OK.
It seems I must be living in bizzzaro world.
I guess I don't get the tour? It's ok, I have been on plenty of brewery tours. It sounds like you had one of those "happenings". That's great. I wish you more. See you soon.