training daze, feeling the force, and arty types

Monday through Thursday this week I've got a training course in policy formulation and advice. I thought it would be of the 'boring but useful' ilk, but the teacher got us straight into a policy project that we've continued throughout the course as we learned each new concept, so it is interesting after all. I think it always is more interesting when you can not just learn ideas but also have a context to put them in. That said, the projects are really full-on - very difficult. I'm learning for sure, but going home very tired each night.

The course is all the way over the other side of the city, so on the way home I dropped into Canty's. I talked economic theory with Skywalker and a girl who also works there...she's studying it even though she's not actually too keen on the topic. As always I drove away smiling over SW. I'm not smitten - I don't know him well enough for that. But he does make me smile.

Tonight I dropped into the last night of an art class that I'm planning to take next term. I was just dropping in quickly to check it out, so I didn't expect to really meet anyone. But I caught them on a break and chatted with the entire class, most of whom plan to be back next time around. It was such a comfortable atmosphere and the class had nice things to say about the teacher when I asked them secretly what he was like. Now I'm really looking forward to it.