Work life fantasy

A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really..."Do the stars gaze back?" Now, that's a question.

To Lancaster for my annual workshop with an M.Sc. class in the School of Management. I take the train and the poor internet impedes, but does not halt, the booking of accommodation and the payment of bills.

I visit Sainsburys, where I stock up on marshmallows. It’s handily next to the bus station, for the final hop to the campus. The bus sports USB ports at every seat. They do not work.

Martin introduces me to Lara and Joe, who are designing a new course module: Technological Futures. We discuss how ‘agile’ might fit in over lunch. And then it’s time to teach.

The class is small and quiet. There’s too much material for 3 hours and way too much lecture in the middle. Outside, the grey bluster has given way to cold rain. I’m grateful for a lift back into town.

Freya lets me in and shows me into the new kitchen. Joop cooks tea. Olly tells me about his new solo album and then heads off to band practice. Fabian is playing on the Xbox. Only Lucy is missing. She has just learnt that OFSTED will be inspecting tomorrow, so there’s last minute panic at the school.

When she does get home, she has work to do and then Homeland to watch. I preferred Clare Danes as the star in Stardust. Both stories are fantastic, but Gaiman’s fantasy is more believable than HBO’s flawed CIA melodrama.