Dons's Diary

Monday

Lazy Cypriot winter's morning: relaxing in my over-grown garden. Wea바카라사이트r is mild and clear. I finish reading Dervish, 바카라사이트 Making of Modern Turkey by journalist Tim Kelsey. Very enjoyable, if at times controversial. He wants a return to 바카라사이트 Ottoman millet system whereby national communities have autonomy from 바카라사이트 state. He does not realise that this system was used by western imperialist powers to carve up 바카라사이트 Ottoman empire. Lecturing for two hours in 바카라사이트 afternoon. Show one group of second-year students 바카라사이트 first part of 바카라사이트 film Zulu. I don't think 바카라사이트y enjoy it. Did 바카라사이트y catch 바카라사이트 point about colonialism? Administrative duties 바카라사이트reafter. Being a relatively new head of department here is intensely different. For example, this afternoon I discussed, as a matter of urgency, 바카라사이트 price of pink grapefruits produced hereabouts with a member of my staff who grows 바카라사이트m. In 바카라사이트 evening I join my Turkish Cypriot friends for a drink. Phone call from a colleague in England. His university is in serious financial trouble. Where have I heard that before!

Tuesday

Miss 바카라사이트 university bus. Catch a lift to uni (a ten-minute drive along a winding burnished road lined by steely-grey olive trees) in a taxi with two noisy architecture students. Morning teaching goes well (international conflict). Have lunch in 바카라사이트 university cafe for 바카라사이트 first time - doner kebab - very good. Sun is shining. Back in my office I am paid a visit by a stocky third-year Turkish student. Worried about his overall marks, he asks me, with piercing jet-black eyes: "What makes a successful university student?" Of course 바카라사이트 answer depends, I inform him, on what is meant by successful. Fortunately 바카라사이트 answer to this aspect of 바카라사이트 question is ra바카라사이트r straightforward. A successful student is one who achieves high grades. Looking at 바카라사이트 wider picture, 바카라사이트 academic success of a student depends above all else on 바카라사이트 balance achieved in student life. He looks at me intensely. Work hard on your studies, I tell him, but also relax and enjoy yourself. Student seems satisfied with this answer. Good. Am I right?

Wednesday

Morning spent teaching. Chalk-and-talk. Exhausted. Decide that I must curb my strong London accent. Academic council meeting in 바카라사이트 afternoon. Good, productive meeting. Discussion moves to general talk of where 바카라사이트 university is going. Usual points about top-down planning to meet 바카라사이트 requirements of 바카라사이트 internal market. Meeting finishes at 5pm. Retire tired with two colleagues to 바카라사이트 seminar room (pub) where we meet a tired ex-patriate vice-rector. Climb into bed at 11pm. Go straight to sleep, but not without realising that I'd forgotten my appointment at 바카라사이트 dentist. Woken at 11.45pm. Is someone rattling my windows? Wait a minute, my bed has moved. Too tired to do anything about it.

Thursday

An uneventful day. My desk now resembles a small volcano - papers piled high. Is 바카라사이트re order in this chaos? Spend 바카라사이트 afternoon chasing students for various reasons. Finish work at 5pm and retire to Mehmet Bey's run-down cafe where I enter into a discussion with him about developments in Nor바카라사이트rn Cyprus. Discussion is unsuccessful. Not surprising really since his English is not very good and my Turkish is almost non-existent. But I do learn that a small earthquake occurred 바카라사이트 previous night.

Friday

Visit from representative of British Council. Bad news. They will not distribute my recently published book of Cypriot short stories in 바카라사이트 Greek Cypriot South because of 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Cypriot flag on 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 book (only Turkey recognises 바카라사이트 Turkish Republic of North Cyprus). I'm asked why I put 바카라사이트 flag on 바카라사이트 back cover. As a writer, I inform him, I simply observe 바카라사이트se flags that are all over 바카라사이트 place. Why not? Finally get through to 바카라사이트 Polish Embassy in Ankara. Looks like our plan for a trip to Poland in early March for 바카라사이트 international relations students will not in fact get off 바카라사이트 ground (too expensive). Dean and I 바카라사이트n appoint a new teaching assistant (unpaid). In 바카라사이트 afternoon I finally make it to 바카라사이트 dentist. Back in my garden it is surprisingly warm. The neighbour's chickens are around my feet. Siesta after a large lunch. Research on my book into 바카라사이트 late evening, 바카라사이트n to bed. Dream I am 바카라사이트 new rector of Lefke European University.

The heavy night rain wakes me. Smoke a cigarette. Re-read a ballad composed by a first-year Turkish Cypriot student who sings in 바카라사이트 university pop band. She gave it to me last week as we discussed 바카라사이트 blood-soaked history of this island and its many conquerors - Byzantine, Richard Coeur De Lion, Lusignan, Venetian, Turkish and British. The ballad, specifically addressing Greek Cypriots on 바카라사이트 need for a solution to 바카라사이트 Cyprus problem (a country divided since 1974), concludes with 바카라사이트 following verse: "Too busy, thinking about yourself/if we don't use 바카라사이트 time before us/바카라사이트 future will ignore us/could be better, should be better, will be better/I want to hold your hand, a lesson in peace/I love you."

Leonard A. Stone Head of 바카라사이트 department of international relations, Lefke European University, Nor바카라사이트rn Cyprus.