Thursday, September 24, 2009

A Return to Several Things

I have been on a four month hiatus, blog-wise. I can offer a 50-percent explanation in that I was away traveling, thus, by extension, gathering material for my blog, which I am slowly putting together in a form that I can put out there on the internet; but I must admit that I really don't have too much of a excuse for the last two months, beyond I am kind of lazy, and write like a glacier. Maybe you'll see something soon. Maybe not, perhaps, but I'll try my darnedest.

Perhaps another anecdote would serve to whet your appetites?

I had a new student in my class a few weeks ago -- pretty normal in a language school. She was a notably attractive Russian lass, which is also pretty normal, I've noticed. Following the end of her first lesson in my class, she, the secretary of my school and I discussed her place in the class, which is, again, pretty normal -- all part of the fine tuning that goes into working in an ELF school. It was agreed that my class is too easy for her, and that she should move into another, more difficult group. So far, all a normal day at the office.

Following that conversation, the student and the secretary began having a conversation in Russian, which the secretary later relayed to me.

"Oliver's a really cool guy," said the attractive new student. "It's a shame I can't really stay in his class."

"Mmhmm."

"Yeah, the only reason I'm taking English lessons is because I broke up with my English boyfriend, and so I no longer have anyone to practice English with."

"Go on. . ."

"So, yeah," she continued. "I was wondering, if maybe he, you know. . ."

"Yes?"

" . . . has an English speaking friend that he could set me up with."

Uh huh. Well, that was easy. Usually I have to try first, before I fail as spectacularly as that. This, I hate to realise, is a variation on pretty normal for me.

Yes, Oliver. Welcome back to Russia.