Election Day for Me

I got a call today. Someone one checking in on me, since my blog has been quiet. Even in an interesting place with all the benefits of the tropics one can have a boring, albeit busy, life. I now have CNN in my room which normally would bore me to tears, but the campaign is too captivating to ignore.

Yesterday I filled out my ballot. Here are my two witnesses. On the right is Francis Loh, a very productive scholar and human rights activist. As a result of the March elections Penang will restore elected municipal council; in the meantime Francis is one of the persons who has been drafted to be on the council. He reported that it was exhilerating at first, but less so now. On his left in Soon, a newly minted PhD. Soon is my closest working neighbor - he has a motor bike, which amazes me given the frequency of rain, and rents a room near campus. An example of an impoverish lecturer (the beginning place on the academic food chain here) or a totally dedicated (obsessed) scholar. I am pretty sure it is the former. He is a my gateway to human rights activists, a great colleague, and a budding scholar (his areas are Philippines and religion - he is a political scientist)

I rewarded my witnesses with Obama buttons and gave out a few others during the day. I had a long conversation with a button recipient about grades, grading, etc. and the US election. He pointed out that Sarah Palin said that the Vice Presidents she admired the most were those who became president. If McCain gets elected he better hire a food taster!

My final exam is scheduled for 5 November. I should know results by 6 p.m. on the 5th which is 6.a.m. EDT in the East. I can probably read all the on-line stuff while they are taking their exams. Now to get my head around the time difference with Standard Time.