.. a day like these...

This week has been a very stressul one. It's all about work, time (never enough to do all the things you need to or want to do), tiredness (in order for me to feel good I need at least 8.5-9 h of sleep per night which is hardly ever doable), deadlines, classes, correction of homework, etc.... Plus this week one of my colleagues has come down with a flu and doesn't come to work and so we need to substitute her all this time... which means of course cancelling my private classes, postponing and then having to recuperate them etc...

Then on Monday another thing happened. At my school we take turns to keep the Emergency cell phone in case a REAL emergency happens to students and the school is closed or they're away for a weekend for instance. This week is my turn to have this phone. So on Monday I came back home from work at 4.00 p.m. and at 5 I started my private lessons. Usually I put my cell phone on the silent mode so that I am not disturbed by anyone (I ask the same of my students). But I cannot turn off or put on the silent mode the Emergency phone... And so at 18.55 the phone rings (I started my last class 25 mins earlier and was supposed to finish at 19.30). That was my colleague, who told me that there's this student who is having diarrhea and a stomachache who had come back from Egypt 3 days before and who didn't want to call us or tell us about his problems before because he had thought he would feel better with time. So I said to my colleague: "Can he wait sth like 30 mins so that I can come to school and take him to the hospital?" My collague (who I like a lot but who very often tends to exaggerate and to make a mountain out of a molehill) said that it was absolutely impossible and that in that situation she would close the school (which normally closes at 20.00) and take the student to the hospital. Well, my mistake was to agree on that (my position at school is higher than hers so I had to give the final decision). I finished my class at 19.30 and immediately called my colleague to find out what was going on. She said she was in the hospital with the student waiting for his turn to see the doctor. What's worse it's the same collague who came down with the flu. In fact she felt terrible and had a fever the whole day on Monday and so by (maybe involuntarily) making a victim, she made me feel even guiltier about all this situation. On the other hand I did everything I was supposed to do- I answered the phone and proposed to come in 30-40 mins after the phone call. It wasn't even a REAl emergency, he wasn't bleeding or suffocating. And if he was, I would immediately call 118 and ask for the ambulance to come and take him. We're not doctors after all! Besides, having an emergency phone does not mean that you cannot have any post-work activities, hobbies, pastimes or that you should stay at home ready and alert.

So today I talked to the director and explained my point of view. It's really difficult to know how to behave in such situations. I know my boss relies on me and trusts me so I would never like to disappoint her or to think of me as of a person who doesn't care. We agreed on having a meeting next week (after my colleague comes back) and prepare a list of procedures and indications about what to do and how to behave in such situations.

I'm glad to have discussed it with my boss. I feel relieved. I know I didn't commit any serious mistake but I wanted to clear it.

But, to finish off, some good news. Finally today at 9.00 p.m. we are having a meeting with our neighbours from the building to talk about reparation of this famous hole that soon will become sooo big that the postman will fall into it when leaving the mail... there's also the problem of the sewage system that needs some maintenance... It all costs a lot but on the other hand the value of the appartment goes up.