Following class I stopped by the flat for a few minutes before heading into the city centre for a few minutes. I wanted to get a little cash from my account so I could pick up a few groceries, which is what I did shortly thereafter. Nothing major, just a few things to hold me over for a couple of days, snacks mostly. I have been taking most of my meals at the school lately. I have found that to be just more efficient.
Throughout the day today, several students asked me about the party over the weekend. They asked if I was shocked or surprised at anything I saw, and I think some of them may have been expecting an affirmative answer with a negative connotation. By that I mean I think they were expecting me to say something like this: “Yes, I was shocked and upset by _______.” I was surprised (shocked is probably not the best word so I will go with surprised) by the level of socialization I saw between the current students and the alumni, and between the teachers and both former and current students. They truly enjoyed each others’ company. I know I alluded to this in a previous posting, but that did surprise me. I have not seen this previously in my career and I do not see it now – and yes I think that is a problem. I think students and faculty should be more social. Now perhaps I am being optimistically naïve but I think many of the “differences” I have experienced in the world of American Academe would never have happened had a small bit of socialization occurred rather than the things that did happen. I shall take this lesson the Danes have taught me and try to be a better person at this.
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