Torpor

- a state of motor and mental inactivity with a partial suspension of sensibility; "he fell into a deep torpor"

- listlessness: inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy

- the state of lethargy (slowed being) into which some animals fall during the colder months of the year

What a great word. sounds about right. my students have exams next week, so stepping into a class full of them is like stepping into an energy vacuum.

To make it easier for myself, we started group projects last week (make a presentation about another country.. a poster, 7 min speech) which means i don't have to do much teaching or lesson preparation, just walk around poking the blanket monsters, helping the few keeners write their reports, changing grammar and whatnot. There is one precious group who of course has done nothing but pluck hairs from one another's bodies. when i asked them to get started, the leader stuck out her defiant, hairless chin, and asked "What will you give us?" Hahahaha. Oh, Korean students. So hard working and ambitious.

There are worse fates than having a job where I do nothing most of the time. But this listless inactivity, chained to a desk I can't leave monday-friday, with no lessons to even prepare (finished them long ago) does get to me sometimes. I try to keep busy, researching various topics, reading news stories, studying french, etc. My mind is fairly stimulated lately, as I follow the latest political antics with dumb wonder. Also, I'm reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and rekindling my respect for Joyce.

After 7 hours of staring at the screen under the office florescent lights, I am such a zombie. doing nothing actually drains your physical energy... makes you jelly. I try to do at least 20 min of yoga when I get home, but it's not nearly enough. I need to find a way to shake out this lethargy, before it calcifies.

Midlake: Young Bride
(My young bride,why aren't you moving at all? helps to make the day seem shorter..)