Tuesday 18th December, 2012         2300

I did warn you I was going to be busy!

The macaroni au gratin was a huge success with the three foreigners who each had at least two portions (Ollivier is a pig and had three) and Daisy ate her portion. Sadly Yvonne and Sally (Ollivier’s student) were polite and said it was delicious but left most of theirs, showing how different palates are around the world. Bizarrely, the slices of tomato on the top of the macaroni disappeared and were their favourites! Still, at least they enjoyed the pancakes and biscuits.

Today has been exhausting, six lessons to teach then a quick hour at home before the Christmas concert during which I pressed some trousers and cleaned a pair of shoes which are slightly too small for me. I didn’t want to wear trainers tonight.

I got to the theatre a few minutes before seven and took my seat next to Kevin - there was no sign of Ollivier, who eventually turned up at 1930 claiming nobody told him the time! I asked Prof Fang’s assistant at which point I was on stage purely so I knew when not to decide to go to the toilet, and was told in between acts six and seven. As there were a total of twelve acts I naturally assumed I would be called away a little before eight seeing as the show was scheduled to last until nine. I settled down with my beer disguised as Chinese green tea and watched act one. It was girls dancing with fans and to my delight Yvonne was one of the performers (see photo where she is the only one standing with a blue fan) and they were very, very good. I was proud of her this evening.

No sooner had they finished than I was summoned backstage! I thought “bloody hell, that’s early!” but went anyway. Backstage were all the acts, many nervous students pacing about, and one even asked me if I was nervous. Many years ago (many) I would have been, but I said of course I wasn’t, and now I regret it because perhaps it would have helped her to think perhaps I was. I will know better next time. Anyway I got togged up in my Santa outfit, which prompted a stampede of people brandishing mobile phones and demanding “can I make a photo with you?” Of  course, part of my life here is to pose for pictures they can show online or send to their parents, so a good ten minutes was spent on that. Eventually I managed to have a smoke because they had called me so early - although thankfully I hadn’t missed the one performance I really wanted to see, which was Yvonne’s. I didn’t have many of my students on stage tonight because normally the acts are sophomores or older.

Anyway, Santa’s arrival on stage heralded the biggest applause from a packed house - tickets are allocated and sadly although it is a welcoming party for freshmen the venue is not big enough to accommodate them all. I think it is a crying shame. They provided me with a sack of gifts which probably at most cost 2y apiece and when I left the stage to distribute them my aim was to give one to each of the young children of the teachers who had come but I was unprepared for the crowd of students who left their seats in a desperate hurry to claim a gift from Santa of such small value! Yes, I managed to sort out the youngsters and even give Prof Fang and the Vice Chancellor a little stuffed Santa and Elf respectively but Christ it was pandemonium. So much so in fact that I was asked to cut it short so the next act could begin. My intention had been to go around the auditorium so the people at the back also had a chance but it was not to be. Doubtless many of my students will take me to task because I never picked them as recipients - such is life!

Anyway, that’s it for now, Santa is plum tuckered out!