Chapter 15 – Running the countdown
Saving the daylight
This day light saving thing was a big mistake. They should have just let the earth rotate around its axis in 24-hours and revolve around the sun for those 364 and a quarter days. Adding one hour in October and removing it in March is a zero-sum game that hurts marathoners. Take today, Monday, October 28, 2019 as an example. I left for my first run since Amsterdam marathon, at 4.00pm local. It was bright but just because I was indoors. It hit me hard when I got out of P10, the chill, that is.
The temperature was probably nine degrees Centigrade. I already know how ten feels like, and today felt a notch lower. I did the usual three circuits around UiS, each circuit bringing with it the forced cold with the wind blowing on the hill as you get towards UiS vest. The cold wind was cold! My exposed hands and forehead suffered the brunt of this draft. I even thought of just giving up on the run, but that 1km hill came to an end five minutes later and the ‘still’ cold persisted, thought it was not as dreadful as the ‘windy’ cold.
After the three circuits, I went back to the hills and ran the forest trail. I was surprised, or probably not, since this was to happen anyway, to see that the once dense tree leaves were shedding off. The thick canopy that would normally cover the route, blocking the view of the sky was no more. I could now run on a very visible sky that could be seen above through the tall bare tree branches. Surely this winter was a real thing. All these trees shall without a doubt remain as skeletons – bare branches only. This shall happen for sure. The once thick thickets were now starting to appear as leafless branches. The tall mostly cypress trees were now over fifty-percent leafless. The once thick overheads was now mostly ‘see through’.
The run was as usual as it has always been. The chill was a bit more intense than my last run, but the run was manageable nonetheless. I ran through the footpaths without much thought. I still meet a few runners, two to be exact. I still met a few people walking their dogs. I still met a few people just walking the hills. It was the usual trail as I had left it two weeks ago – a bit deserted, but the same trail. However, things changed when I had just cleared the hills on the 14k, ready for the long tarmac run that traverses the extremes of this forested hill. It just become dark! I had to check my watch to confirm whether I was seeing right. It was for sure just past five, yet it was getting dark. I still had about twenty minutes of run, but it was surely dusk. I finished the run at 5.40pm when it was totally dark! Believe me when I tell you that this day light saving time adjustment was a mistake – a big mistake. It should have just remained 6.40pm, which should have been the correct time to at least anticipate such darkness.
I was not sure whether I should attend the 15th anniversary celebrations of the University of Stavanger on this Tuesday, October 29. They had not made a big deal out of it, and had even informed the staff that it was optional. ‘Those who can attend should register. There shall be an anniversary cake after the event.’ I found myself seated at the big hall. I was soon confirming that it was a bad idea to have attended, when the opening remarks were made in Norsk. However, the same announcer would say that the ceremony shall be mostly in Norsk, but they shall avail an ‘English version of the main speech as a printout outside the hall after the event’.
I was about to get up and match out of the fully packed hall, since I would not get much from the speeches. I could estimate five hundred seated. The stage was brightly lit. The auditorium was dark. Just as I was about to get up to exit, the trumpets sounded at the stage and a trio of trumpeters would soon make their presence known by occupying the main stage and blowing out a tune. Momentarily, the procession of graduands matched into the hall and took their seats at the front of the auditorium, to face the stage just like the rest of us.
‘What is going on here?,’ I asked, but the programme that I was holding would immediately answer that question on the title – ‘Annual celebration and conferral of doctoral degrees’.
I remained seated, following along the programme despite the proceedings being in Norwegian. However, the conferment of degrees was done in English. A simple ceremony, where all those graduating are called to stage. Thereafter, the dean of the faculty calls their names one by one, “Philosophiae Doctor” so and so, upon which the graduand receives the ‘folder’ and a bunch of flowers from the Rector. A five second photography moment follows, before the person rejoins the queue on the stage. That simple!
They did wear sky blue gowns, but no caps. After that, the group from that faculty would leave the stage to give way for the next faculty. Four faculties presented graduands – Arts and Education, Social Sciences, Health Sciences and Science and Technology. About forty out of the sixty-three listed PhD recipients attended the ceremony. There was some entertainment on stage, either a pianist and soloist or two guitarist and soloist. They were quite good, I must say. Just as low key as it had started, the trumpets would soon sound as the three trumpeters trumpeted the graduands out of the hall to mark and end to the event. The event that started at one ended at exactly two-thirty as scheduled. We followed the graduands out to help them cut a graduation cake – rather cut many different types of graduation cakes. What a graduation ceremony!
Saving the kitchen
Something strange happened at P10 on this same Tuesday. When I got to the kitchen in the evening intending to make a cup-a-tea, I noticed a very sparkling clean worktop. There was hardly anything on the worktop or the cooker top.
“Wrong kitchen!,” I shouted, as I got out and composed myself.
I had to re-check that I was surely at the right kitchen. And as sure as the daylight-saving change of time, I was at our kitchen. I reconfirmed that it was still labelled ‘Kitchen 216-220’.
I got back in to internalize what just happened. Our usual kitchen would be littered with some ‘coffee-related’ item. An unwashed cup of coffee in the sink. A pan of coffee, empty or part empty seated on top of the electric cooker. A tea strainer thrown in the sink, with some coffee dregs. Talking of this strainer, it was virtually half broken on the bottom sieve. I do not even know how or if it worked at all. I had already advised my colleagues to just use their teeth to sieve off their tea, instead of this bound-for-disposal strainer. Nonetheless, this sieve persisted as a permanent member of the kitchen sink area, and we were now used to it.
There would usually be some stains of coffee that had dried up on the white formica after being left unwiped for long. There were times that other food items would join the coffee stain on the sink area – be it pans, food remains, dried-up remains, ‘forgotten’ food. I am not kidding. A once-upon-a-time boiling egg would stay wholly untouched in the pan on the cooker top. There was even a ‘forgotten’ chicken foot in the oven compartment of the cooker!
So, there I was, not seeing these things that had now made our kitchen to be our kitchen. It was just too clean for comfort. I was still in awe when I read a WhatsApp message from one of our colleagues, updating us that he had to leave early, and he was now at Istanbul airport waiting for his connection flight to Nairobi. He had opted to leave early. First they were three, then they were four and now they were back to three.
First snow
I thought that I saw some signs of snow when I woke up early on Wednesday, October 30, and looked outside the window. I could see the unmistakable white specs on the grass and also on part of the roof of the next building. However, the specs were so isolated and few that I doubted if I was seeing right. I had to reconfirm that there was surely ‘something’ out there, when I confirmed by touching on the white stuff on the grass as I walked towards KEH for a nine o’clock seminar. This something was however still so little and far between that I was doubting whether I was seeing snow or dew. But this doubt would not be for long. The way these temperatures are going – down by a degree each and every day – something will have to give. That snow shall give in, and soon.
I had decided that I would not go for the Wednesday run unless the weather improved in terms of having favourable temperatures. This was not going to happen and I now needed to decide whether to run in the cold or just hang up my running shoes for the next two weeks in readiness for going back to Kenya. I skipped the run and walked the 3km to Madla instead. My two colleagues had already taken the bus. My mission at Madla shopping centre was to shop around for a bag of sort.
The shopping centre has an outlet called Fretex, where all manner of items, mostly second hand are sold. You can chance on a real bargain, depending on your luck metrics. Sample this… Original DVD discs for 100 bob, shoes for one thao! Coats are a thao too! Just a place where you can stumble on a deal – that you must take immediately, since nothing waits for you. A colleague had seen a good bag for 1k. He thought about buying, but decided to continue browsing around before making a final decision. The next time he looked around the shop, he saw someone paying for the same at the cashier. The place needs fast decision once you see something – take it or forget it! I decided to ‘forgot it’ since I did not find anything that could fit my trip back home. I almost bought that bike for 2 thao, but how would it get home?
I then walked to the Post Office, which I found by just relying on maps and online information. I got lost in the last minute, since I could not imagine that the PO was actually just one counter at a public supermarket. I got it and sent back the train card to Fay in NL for 250 bob. From there I relied on map and instinct to help me explore new routes that would get me back to UiS without going back to Madla. I already discovered that the most difficult bit of being a pedestrian in NO was finding your pedestrian footpath. It may not be as straight as the main road, or even be running next to the main road. You may need to take a few detours that may seem to get you further from your intended direction. Whatever you do – do not walk on or next to the main road! You rather even get lost and stumble into somebody’s compound than being macho and all on the main road.
I had to make a few wild guesses and even stumble on people’s compounds as I made my way through the journey of discovery after I left the PO. Finally, I got to the very familiar road that surely goes to UiS. The road that the X60 bus usually plies. Now that I was back to familiar grounds, I comfortably went for a walk on my running route at the UiS hills in the forest. And I did confirm, as I walked by the trail, at a relaxed pace, that for sure all the greenery on the tree canopies would be shed and nothing was going to be left – just branches. The once green forest was starting to yellow. The once thick forest was starting to open up. This winter thing was real.
Even during this walk, I still met a few people also walking the hills – kids, those walking their dogs, those just walking about, some bikers… and even a few brave runners in this cold – though I noted that they were fully clothed from feet to head gear. Maybe I need to be fully clothed to survive these now very cold runs. I would still be walking the forest past five-thirty when it was already dark.
“Who installs street lights inside a forest?,” I asked the still forest, as I walked around on the lit path deep in the thickets.
I walked all the way back to UiS. Instead of getting into my P10 room, I just passed by it and traversed the campus to get to Kiwi for probably the last shopping. I would now be done doing any more shopping in NO. I would now have everything that I needed, if I added to what already existed in the fridge. It was now time to go back home. Before going back, the only gadget on mission today, the Runkeeper, gave my walk as a 3hr 20min 39sec for 15.93km. There could be a Friday run, who knows. However, before then, we had Halloween to experience, didn’t we?
Hallo who?
I must confess that I did not see anybody called Halloween on this Thursday, October 31. Maybe I was not just keen? The day had started with the usual dark morning, then the cold day had persisted. The students union (PASU) had arranged a debate on “Your Africa + My Africa = Our Africa” at the KEH Café at 2.00pm. I had accepted to be a panelist to talk about the motherland. Though we had been given preliminary questions, nothing would prepare us for the rejoinder questions. The three panelists would just had to take it as it came. Our audience of about fifty, mostly from out of NO had so much to say about the continent. The non-Africans first had to differentiate ‘the country called Africa’ from ‘the continent called Africa’. We took all manner of think-on-your-feet issues such as diaspora role, brain drain, corruption, religion, democracy, war and even the role and effects of China in Africa.
The meeting ended around four, whereupon I left for P10 to drop the laptop and then walked to Madla. I just wore a big smile on my face as I recalled the encounter that I had just faced after the debate. I am now not surprised anymore that the washrooms here are mixed gender. You find that sign of Female slash Male slapped in front of a door. You just go in since it says so. I cannot recall seeing any purely gents or purely ladies washroom. It is a mixed world out here. Occasionally, especially noted on the staff washrooms at KEH third floor, you get into the washroom and you find the ladies in. You just walk into your cubicle and then come out to share the sink area, share mirroring-up and then walk out as boys and girls of the same family. Strange!
These were the memories going through my mind, occasionally making my smile to myself as I made the 3km walk to Madla. But the biggest smile came from remembering the last washroom that I visited after the debate. There was an external door with that now usual L/G symbol. Once in, there were several cubicles. I chose a door that led me to… to a washroom area with two toilets on the two sides of the small cubicle, facing each other.
“What was this meant to be?,” I thought loudly.
Even my Engineering prowess that kicks in when the situation is elephants did not kick in on this one. Why would there be two toilets in one cubicle? If they were urinals, then it would be understandable. So it means that two people can just sit facing each other, looking at each other and…..
“End of world!,” I shouted!
I just maintained that smile as I walked towards Madla. That image was etched on my memory forever. I was soon at Madla and getting to Fretex, which is strategically a corner shop on one end of the mall. I was going back to Fretex to see if I could ‘stumble upon’ something new of interest. Just as already indicated, if you miss out, then you miss out. I could not find that small suitcase that I had look at twice and had promised myself to get today. It was gone.
In the absence of any other item of interest, I had to leave empty handed. I walked back using the alternative route through the Post Office. It did not take many steps before it was dark. I had wanted the environment to ‘stabilize’ back to ‘normal’ but this ‘new normal’ was not working at all. It surely does not make sense for the darkness to befall the evening by five. I repeat, that daylight saving time change was a mistake!
I reached P10 at five-thirty, only to find Oby having dinner.
“You can’t be serious,” I greeted him, “Don’t you know that it is just five?”
“But it is dark, just look outside.”
“It is about time, not darkness,” I responded.
“Isn’t it you, who just the other day could not take dinner because it was too bright?,” he said, “You should be taking dinner yourself.”
“I think you have a point.”
I left the kitchen with no intention of eating this early evening. I had to take a shower and have a short rest after my 7.86km walk in 1.23.31 as recorded by Runkeeper. Even at this early evening, I did not see anybody called Halloween knocking on our doors.
“Halloween, where are you? Can the real Halloween please stand up!”
I found myself waking up on Friday. It was now November 1. I do not know how I got to sleep. Last time I checked I was seated at the table, coding along. Next time I checked, I was getting up at around eight in the morning. It must have been the fear of Halloween that kept me locked indoors. I had vowed never to open the door to anyone/anything that knocked on the door last night. I was not going to be got by the ghost of Halloween. I was staying locked. Let me see if Halloween can break through. I had ‘borrowed’ a sharp knife from the kitchen across the corridor. I was not being taken without putting up a fight.
I had now given up on running, with the very cold weather persisting through the day. In its stead, I would be taking walks. That resolution saw me walk to Madla on Friday and also on Saturday, clocking 8.32km in 84min and 9.45km in 101min respectively. And was I not glad that I was having my final Saturday walk! I shall be in the jumbo jet heading to the Equator next such Saturday. Can’t wait!! Though I can’t wait, I shall surely miss that ‘Gratis Wi-Fi’ at Rema1000 supermarket that I walked through on my last 10 minutes of walk on the Saturday.
I saw a ‘gratis wifi’, I signed in for free, I browsed for free and I stayed a bit longer in that supermarket – looking around for what to buy, as I checked the phone browser for the translation. The 1.5L Coke ‘uten suk’ was 338/= and 317/= for the variety without sugar. And this ‘pant’ thing still really got me amused. There was a small print with “+ pant 3”, which I have seen so many times with anything in a container. It costs you 30 bob extra to get the plastic container that the coke comes in. Even soda cans cost money and are returnable for a similar refund! I like the ‘returnable refundable’ part. But that amount would have bought me two similar cokes back home, without any extra charge. I agree that I can’t wait to get back home!
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