Almaty or Sonipat?

Another slow weekend, but perhaps a productive one given the hilarious nature of the emails and attachments sent off to the Far East today. A back-up plan if there ever was one, although the more this ridiculousness is turned over in the mind, the more it actually appeals and makes some uncommon sense long-term. The differences between the two approaches in the recent cover letters (academic v. practice) amusing to say the least, but what is interesting is that neither are really untrue. The different ways your life may go, and all that.

There are now 6 separate potential entry points for the second half of 2011 - 6 unknown individuals (and hopefully groups of individuals) who will take the time to glance at scraps of paper with your name on them and possibly direct the potential future. A fishing expedition if ever there was one to be sure, powered by that incomparable invention of the world wide web. I just hope the hook is baited well enough to reach the next level. The lecturing option may be a stretch too far due to the absence of a doctorate or publications (fascinating to see tonight the adverts for Fiji, Henan, Bahamas, Egypt, and Nigeria with such extensive requirements). But who can say? The ideal is just to have a few hopes/options outstanding by the time you land in Cyprus, so the Mediterranean can again serve as a backdrop to consider the momentous questions.

All so wondrous strange. I'll admit that the hilarity of announcing such an unconventional move forms a large part of the appeal of today's missives. And it doesn't really matter to what end, or to what purpose. The end is in the ability to move, and to experience the "new".

And so to wrap up on that theme, a link to a decent article worth preserving - "The Point is beside the Point." I like the reflections on the "glorious contingency" that is human life, and Darwin's "ennobled" connection backward in time. An argument very nicely put, I think.