Day 49

Gave my first ever lecture on chemical engineering thermodynamics. Thankfully Joe had prepare all the notes, but I had to make sure I understood all that was going on. I had not studied this for about 20 years and even then it was for physical chemistry rather than engineering. The students are bright and the majority are engaging with the material, which really helps. Curiously when asking about these equations conceptually, not one could come up with the correct answer. There is either a discord between their lack of chemistry to date or that these budding engineers tend to have more of a mathematic mindset. Anyway, managed to get through it all with only one minor mistake I was able to correct. So now it is a case of whether there were those that felt robbed in some way that Joe was unable to deliver the lecture himself. I may have to coordinate a whole semester of chemical engineering thermodynamics in September. Best get preparing.

Sounds like we are going to be staying at Riverside for yet another month. There are estimates that they wont move us in to the new place until the Summer or even autumn. Whilst I would not mind, Riverside is very nice for us, the maintenance costs are too high and they are subsidised 50% by the contractor who has yet to complete the our new homes. We are still in two minds as to whether to push for a 3 bedroom place at Highvill. There are families with more children than us living in 2 bedrooms at Highvill, so the chances would not be good. But at some point the issue over the lack of space in the new place is going to come to a head. Of course, must always remember that whatever we are given it is still better than the majority of Kazakhstani staff working at NU.

Still quite annoyed at Halifax. I have an ISA, a credit card and until recently a current account. Ali also has a current account there and her own ISA. I use the Halifax website to access these accounts and when I cannot pay the credit card online (I no longer have a current account and no I did not want to set up a direct debit. Whatever happened to paying with another debit card?), I could not find any way to contact them except by phoning, which I am reluctant to do from Kazakshtan, I then send an email through their complaints channel; the only email facility I could find for them. Two Halifax employees get in touch to say that I should contact my local branch in person, despite clearly stating that I was abroad for some time. Alas, it is not just Halifax that operate their businesses as though the EU is the limit of the world. But they did give me a credit card that doesn’t charge for purchasing or withdrawing money abroad. That is a rarity.

Ray