Yesterday was a black comedy. The electricity went out (not unusual) around 2p. The electricity came back on around 7p, but only for 3/4 of the flats in my building. I ask around and one tenant tells me it’s because the voltage is too low. I don’t really understand how a low voltage will power 3/4 of the flats and not the last 1/4 at a lower voltage (think dimmed lights). I talk to another tenant and he agrees with me that there is some faulty wiring or something to that effect. My computer battery went dead; my mobile phone battery went dead; I started burning my last candle before spending the night in my bed sweating–refrigerator thawing, no fan, no A/C, no open window because of mosquitoes–hearing the buzz of the more intelligent mosquitoes. It was a horrible night’s sleep. There are some VIPs who live in my building, so I’m hoping that they have the pull to get someone to fix it on a Sunday. If not, I may have to spring for a cheap hotel room tonight.
I’m off to Bandung, West Java tomorrow for a conference: Teacher’s Competencies & Qualifications for ELT in Indonesia. The coordinating university is well-regarded here in Indonesia and I’m looking forward to see how various institutions around the archipelago are dealing with the certification of teachers now required by the central government.