Saturday 18th April, 2015                       1700

Life has to continue so whilst I told all of this week’s classes what had happened, I put on what I think was a passable act. Everyone who has lost a dog will know you still find yourself expecting the dog to do the little things peculiar to them such as shake her collar to tell you she wants to go out and sometimes in your mind you hear it. It is strange not to have to go for walks or return after lessons too so she can go out. It will take a while.

I haven’t actually been doing much although this week even though I didn’t have to, I have been leaving the classroom at lunchtimes when I have an afternoon class, then climbing up again later. I did somehow think it would speed recovery but when I do that my leg seems to kill me the next morning just as much as it did a couple of weeks ago! Mind you, definite improvement in that I am walking both ways with one foot in front of the other instead of one step at a time.

This morning I took Joan for breakfast and shopping. We are having our first meal of this term on Monday, which was the only weeknight all three foreigners are free together next week. It has been dubbed Mongolian Monday in light of the fact that I am going to have a go at making two Asian dishes, so far I have kept their precise nature a secret. Ollivier will make a lemon meringue pie for the occasion, he had his first attempt at one a week ago and I must say for the first one he made a pretty good fist of it.

After I dropped Joan off back at her dormitory I went to the local shops and afterwards to the office for a couple of pijous before returning for a nap. Because I arrived at about noon the place quickly filled up with students looking for their lunch. The place does have an upstairs with quite a few tables but downstairs was full. With me hogging a table for four all to myself  and two bottles of the amber stuff, when I saw two girls in need of somewhere to sit and eat I indicated they were welcome to sit with me.

When their noodles and rice arrived and they were tucking in, a stilted conversation  started. After a little while one of them said, “We are both your students.” I know that sounds shameful but I never recognised either of them! It says to me that neither of them are at all active in my lessons because although I am awful with names I am usually pretty good at faces. The smaller of the two has a kind of excuse because she has only been mine this term, having switched majors at spring festival but the other must sit right at the back with her head down at all times!

Joan is here now with four of her classmates. They want to “make me a party”. I have no idea what they are doing in my kitchen and I pray I will be able to eat at least a little of what they will prepare.

And as a prologue to the student class party last Friday, Dumpling’s class told me yesterday that all the monitors of my classes were summoned to a meeting and informed that their event was a complete failure despite the students really enjoying it. As a consequence, from what I can gather none of the remaining four classes now wants to put on  a show. I don’t think the concept of saying “You did ok but…….” has caught on in some quarters yet.

I can hear thunder in the distance heralding what is supposed to be three days of rain. Doesn’t bother me as I don’t need to set foot outside until Wednesday if I don’t want to but the five girls neglected to bring umbrellas with them. Mind you, it should be an interesting night - Joan has just informed me they all want to drink beer tonight! If you don’t hear from me ever again you will know what happened…….

And the evening just got even more terrifying - Anna has arrived as well!