August 7.
Today was the first day "in the office" at my AUN (American University of Nigeria), where I'll be among the faculty working in the new Foundation (Bridge) Program, working with students who need to improve various academic skills in order to succeed in a university degree program. Yesterday was an all day orientation session, the highlight of which was to resolve my internet access issues--hence this blogging now. It's almost as quiet and deserted on campus as it is at my compound (where most of my neighbors are still on summer leave). I refer to "the office" in scare quotes because I was given a key to a "temporary temporary" space. Quite nice actually. It's the office of one of the Deans who is on leave, with as much space for one person (plus a private bath!) as I am likely to be sharing with several colleagues in the new Foundation program once we are moved into our actual temporary space, while waiting for the new library--where we will eventually have permanent offices--to be completed.
I may need to go back to making more Eggs McGyver for a while. On the way home from the first day in the office, I picked up some pre-cooked "suya" (something like a tender beef jerky) with the intention of possibly just using this to make a stew with some vegetables I had bought at the market over the weekend. I chopped up some carrots and started to boil them on the gas range. Moments later the back of the oven went poof with a huge flame rising a couple feet above the stove. I grabbed the fire extinguisher but discovered the safety pin was still bound in place by a plastic packing strap. Rather than bother looking for a knife to cut the strap and proceed with plan A (fire extinguisher), I ran outside where the gas tank sits and turned the gas back off, at least somewhat assured or hopeful that, if it hadn't exploded by now, it wasn't going to. That did the trick. The fire fizzled out on its own immediately after that. So, instead I ate the suya as it was intended to be eaten rather than adulterating it to make stew and I parboiled the already cut carrots with some boiled water from the handy dandy electric kettle. Whether or not it would have been a good culinary decision (probably not) to use the suya for stew, I'm glad I picked up the pre-cooked meat rather than having planned on cooking dinner from scratch.
... and now at least I have another comment I can contribute to the orientation survey that I have yet to turn in :| (please make sure the stove is properly connected before turning it over to new faculty/staff/tenants!)
Today was the first day "in the office" at my AUN (American University of Nigeria), where I'll be among the faculty working in the new Foundation (Bridge) Program, working with students who need to improve various academic skills in order to succeed in a university degree program. Yesterday was an all day orientation session, the highlight of which was to resolve my internet access issues--hence this blogging now. It's almost as quiet and deserted on campus as it is at my compound (where most of my neighbors are still on summer leave). I refer to "the office" in scare quotes because I was given a key to a "temporary temporary" space. Quite nice actually. It's the office of one of the Deans who is on leave, with as much space for one person (plus a private bath!) as I am likely to be sharing with several colleagues in the new Foundation program once we are moved into our actual temporary space, while waiting for the new library--where we will eventually have permanent offices--to be completed.
I may need to go back to making more Eggs McGyver for a while. On the way home from the first day in the office, I picked up some pre-cooked "suya" (something like a tender beef jerky) with the intention of possibly just using this to make a stew with some vegetables I had bought at the market over the weekend. I chopped up some carrots and started to boil them on the gas range. Moments later the back of the oven went poof with a huge flame rising a couple feet above the stove. I grabbed the fire extinguisher but discovered the safety pin was still bound in place by a plastic packing strap. Rather than bother looking for a knife to cut the strap and proceed with plan A (fire extinguisher), I ran outside where the gas tank sits and turned the gas back off, at least somewhat assured or hopeful that, if it hadn't exploded by now, it wasn't going to. That did the trick. The fire fizzled out on its own immediately after that. So, instead I ate the suya as it was intended to be eaten rather than adulterating it to make stew and I parboiled the already cut carrots with some boiled water from the handy dandy electric kettle. Whether or not it would have been a good culinary decision (probably not) to use the suya for stew, I'm glad I picked up the pre-cooked meat rather than having planned on cooking dinner from scratch.
... and now at least I have another comment I can contribute to the orientation survey that I have yet to turn in :| (please make sure the stove is properly connected before turning it over to new faculty/staff/tenants!)
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