Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Es Ist Kalt

Europe is having a cold wave. It is really cold here -- a high today of -12.5 degrees Celsius (9 F). It is warmer than that in Moscow. Parts of Romania are down to -30 Celsius. Since classes resumed today, I had planned to treat myself to a taxi to campus, but couldn't find one. So I trudged to and from class, warming up in stores and cafes along the way. I was looking to buy a woollen hat, but couldn't find that, either. However, I did find some woolig warme winterzocken, which I bought even though I have enough already, because who can resist bright pink winterzocken?

The writing class went well, with those students still hanging on. A few have dropped out because they found themselves unable to write an entire SF story; a few were overwhelmed with work from other courses; it's possible some are frozen until spring. The rest have turned in remarkably good work. Only one had ever written an SF story before, and they are writing in a language not their own, but many of their stories are as good as those I get from some of my arts-center students in Rochester. I am impressed.

Thursday I am giving a reading in Leipzig. It may be too cold for anyone to come.

1 comment:

cd said...

Don't give the good ones the address for Analog.