To go back a moment to an earlier topic - fire drills. Last week I was sitting in lecture when the alarm goes off. I'm thinking to myself really? I've had more fire drills or false alarms or whatever in 7 months here than in all my years of teaching, seriously? We emptied the avenue campus building into the car park. I don't know if it was a planned drill or if it was caused by one of the workers in the building since they are currently remodeling it. So that was eventful. Then a couple of days ago as I was climbing into bed when the alarms went off again in our flat/building. Yep, love going out in my PJs. Two of my flatmates joined me in the courtyard. When they finally let us back in, we looked at the masses and decided to walk to the convenience store for milk and bread. Yes, we were in our PJs. Yes this is England. No, we didn't care.
Irony seems to be a staple in my life. I sat in my Language and Intercultural Communications class and we were discussing how our national culture does not define us, but that we have multiple cultures that we are a part of and mix to make us unique. One of my classmates made the observation that when we meet people one of the first things we ask is where are they from. But really, it doesn't matter. We make judgements based on this information that may or maynot be correct. There is a TED talk (I don't remember the gals name) about don't ask me where I am from, but ask where are you local. So I go from that lecture straight over to my Language Ideologies in a Globalising World where we had a guest professor speaking to us that day. She looks around the room and the first thing she asks... any guesses? yep where is everyone from..... This class I remind you is about English as a Lingua Franca and well, of course it is going to be a diverse group, duh. And if we are so worried about diversity, what does it matter? I guess she missed the last lecture....
Before I get to the story you have been waiting for, I just need to share this:
The burritos are pretty authentic US style mexican burrito. Like you would get at say Cafe Rio, or Chipotle but not quite as big. I guess Cali as opposed to Texas or Mexico? Gotta love it. Or this was another favorite read at a place called Fayre and Square.
Cuz I always eat Texas, Louisiana and New York style foods at the same time..... didn't try those, was a little scared to to be honest....
So the story.... It's not as exciting as you are hoping it will be.
I am trying to renew my teaching certificate and managed to overlook the fact that I have to have a background check as part of it. I called the state office of education and because I am currently out of state, I have to have the fingerprint cards done and sent back and not the live scan. The cards had to be mailed to someone in the US, who then had to mail them to me here. In the meantime I went on a search as to where I can have fingerprinting done. The University sent me to the Post Office, who gave me conflicting stories that no one here does them on a card with ink any more or check with the Police Station. I was currently in Eastleigh since that was one of the places the Post Office was supposed to do it... so went around the corner to the station to ask. The Lady behind the counter was nice and informed me that the station in Southampton would be easier to have it done at, and that I would need to call and make an appointment. So I called and set up the appointment. We aren't going to go into the cost for the fingerprinting here on top of the cost for the background check by the state....
So yesterday I head over to the police station where this large burly woman officer is working the front desk. I hand over my visa permit card with my passport and the fingerprinting cards and my fee, in exact change... through the little slot under the glass window. After a few minutes she calls me to come back and opens the door. She was friendly and informs me not to touch the wall and the red strip on it, that it will sound an alarm somewhere in the building. She wasn't sure where, but one would sound. So I walked carefully in the middle of the hallway. We went through a series of very heavy badged secured locked doors and into custody. Does that make me now in custody? Anyway, she pulls out the stand which they put the cards on and ink on the glass pad that is used to take fingerprints. This thing sits about 8 inches to a foot high on the counter. She looks at me and says you're not a very big person are you? (even smaller now having lost 30 lbs....) We may need to find you a stool to stand on.... However I could reach, it was about shoulder height for me, and only a little above her waist. We chatted as she took my prints. I helped her keep on task and she commented that it was a good thing I was there... except if I wasn't she wouldn't have to be doing this the old fashioned way to start with so, not sure how that works. Did you know in the UK they would take your palm print as well...
So I have now been down in custody and fingerprinted in the UK.... It is to go with the story of when my car got totalled and I rode to JHS in the back of a police car. Pretty sure somewhere on the security camera film for the school is me being let out of the police car by the cop. He suggested for fun he could handcuff me, but I really wasn't in the mood for playing mental games with my students and admin at the particular point in time...
That's been my week - pulled out of bed...taken down into custody and fingerprinted.... (maybe the crime was wandering the streets in my PJs....) A rather exciting week. ;)
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