Measuring Time and FESPACO temptations

YAY!!!! Yesterday, I went into campus for the first time and found in my department box a copy of Helon Habila's new novel Measuring Time. A dear sweet professor of mine had been at the MLA conference in December and had gotten it for me. I am beside myself with joy.... Now WHERE is my Amazon.com pre-order that I paid for back in September, eh? Now, I have to control myself and not read it until I finish my thesis. This will be my gift to myself when I finish revising my thesis (if as planned this weekend... maybe). Then I can add in all sorts of delightful footnotes and things about Measuring Time in the afterward to my thesis once I defend it.



Now here's a terrible temptation. I am in a Francophone African cinema class (with a Quebec cinema comparative element), which I already LOVE. My next post will be on the fabulous film that we saw yesterday, Pièces d'identité set in the DRC and Belgium and directed by Dieudonné Ngangura Mweze. Well, my professor will be going to FESPACO at the end of next month, and he says there is a certain package deal (not too bad a deal, actually) for plane tickets to Ougadougou, meals, and hotel expenses for the entire week of the film festival. He invited those of us in the class who could raise the money to come along with him. I am SOOOOO tempted. SOOO tempted. I am not floating in money, but I did recieve an extra fellowship this year that I had put into savings for this summer... and if I don't end up going this summer to Nigeria, then.... But, no, I can't afford the time, not with four classes, a thesis to defend, a prelims list to put together, a conference to present at, etc. etc. No, not this year. But FESPACO comes every two years. Maybe at some point I could even drive. Burkina Faso borders on Niger and Benin. I bet from Kano it wouldn't be more than a two day drive, even with borders to cross, maybe even one day. Anyone want to plan a road trip in two years?! {-;

In the meantime, I WILL plan on going for the weekend to the Montreal Film festival in April. That's another option he gave us, and which seems a bit more realistic... if we can find some cheap hotels... Anyone know of any?