Teachers' Day

I am not sure if I can do justice to today's story, but I will try.

Today my English classes started, I had times and a schedule and I know how this feels. Each year teaching adult education there is a schedule, potential students, but lots of unknowns.  And so it was today, me hovering, students hovering, all of us wondering where we were actually going to get together as the new bits of school were definitely not usable. However, in the end we took advantage of the absence of the computer teacher to use his facilities and I am pleased to say the 10 - 17 year olds who turned up were lovely and had clearly learned a lot last year.  They headed off and I suddenly realised that the kid who comes every day and plays on the computer was using the computer teachers teacher - none of us had been able to get onto despite in theory having the password, so although the year zero teacher was trying for reasons I could not fathom to drag me off to the kitchen I insisted that he show us how to get onto the computer.  I have seen him be turfed off this machine, but today thank goodness for him, as yippee he revealed the correct password to get on.  Tomorrow I will see if I can work out the Russian for printing as there is no print type image usually.

Anyway I thought I was due to see another group of students, but obediently followed the year zero teacher and to my puzzlement all the staff were sat to tea.  Lumps of meat, fat, sweets were all put on my plate.  The initial explanation that it was my the daughter of my colleague's birthday did not seem to make sense (it turned out that partly explained the chocolate) and bit by bit I realised that everyone had cognac and it was 3.15 in the afternoon. I managed to successfully refuse this but then the vodka shot was delivered instead, the younger teachers were spared but us older staff were obliged to give toasts, and give speeches.  For why?  Well of course it is teachers day here.  Apparently all professions have a day and today was our day, so blow the kids waiting, blow professionalism (and despite the mess with the computer my colleagues are both hard working and professional)  we had to drink to our "family" and to the honour of our work. Actually it was really nice and apart from one moment when me and the head got slightly tipsy giggles with the class of students who had patiently waited, we managed to do a really nice last session of teaching with some really nice kids (including the head's son) all of whom could read English and speak it amazingly well.   So all a bit crazy but I have survived my first day community teaching.

The guest house is full again so I have no idea who I will have to share my "dom" with but hopefully it will be okay.