[Nights] Good to hear you were allowed back - and you successfully managed to drive on the wrong side of the road for a bit! Apparently tea and chocolate bars are OK (vegetable origin) but filled chocolates (truffles, bonbons) are not - they contain something more closely related to dairy - so the Dutch Marechaussee told me. And if you can't eat the whole box of chocolates in the car at Customs, then just order them all from Amazon in France or Germany. That's where I get my Yorkshire Tea and Fry's Chocolate Cream bars from.

(pen) I get Yorkshire Tea from Waitrose. Good stuff is that.

[Rosie] Waitrose? There’s posh.

(CdM) Not really. Not ridiculously expensive either. Nicer people than the Co-op.

(CdM) and wider aisles. Better loos too.

The radio in the car on the way to work told me that there are signs that the pandemic may be slowing down. I then get into the office, open my inbox, and reel at the number of students off with COVID. It's almost as if... the media... has some kind of interest... in getting people... to worry about something else...

[nights] It may well be slowing down, but only after it got up to a fairly high speed to begin with.

Oh FFS. Vax-refusing neighbour over the road was ill last week but won't even take a home test - she's convinced there's something on the cotton swabs. There's no helping some people.

(pen) What's her name? Mrs Djokovic?

Well, back to doing some classes online, which pleases absolutely nobody.

[nights] Least of all those of us who have to teach the bloody things

[Pablo] Tell me about it. I had fourteen in my Friday morning class, not a face amongst them. Feels like I'm teaching my houseplants.

[nights] So, much the same as teaching in the classroom then?

[Raak] Somewhat, yes, although I do find that it is frowned upon if I take things to their logical conclusion and teach in my pyjamas.

I have started telling my team that they have to turn up in the video conferences with the most interesting background they can make.

[nights] Have an on-screen hat day. Also, have you tried the 'hold up something green if you agree' or 'hold up something red if you disagree' rapid-fire quizzy-type thing instead of relying on mentimeter or other electronic gizmotrickery?

[pen] Nope and that is absolutely happening in my next online thing.

In my last in-person thing, in the IT lab, I was practising using the software that allows me to look at the screens of my students from my desk. Not only does it nip any potential misuse of university facilities in the bud, but it allows me to send messages to all terminals in the session.

My favourite message I sent ended, for a lark, "Please stand up and sit down again briefly to acknowledge receipt of this message." Within moments, there was a gentle wave of students gently bobbing up and down. Absolutely splendid.

[pen][nights] Loving all this, only wish I had the wit to think of this stuff. As I teach music, perhaps I could declare that everyone must turn up with a sousaphone?

[Pablo] Surely you'd insist on a kazoo or Swannee whistle? Let battle commence.