....Friends will be friends......

Blip world meet Marina from Omsk, Siberia, Russian Federation(on the left) and Lisa from Perth, Scotland. You've met Lisa before....she is our International Project co-ordinator...but in reality she runs the show. Marina is a parent/governor from the State College of Technologies.

Another 7.30 start today for breakfast....and a stroke of genius. Last night we fed our visitors with lasagne and followed up with pancakes for dessert....for some reason the dessert didn't go down too well...and we had lots of packs of microwave pancakes left.......so we slapped them in the microwave this morning and served them up for breakfast with chocolate sauce and honey....and they went like hot cakes....hot pancakes really!

Three lessons to teach today.....which gave me two hours to wander round the building and take some photographs of the preparations for the show that the students from Omsk, our school and Loreto school will put on on Friday evening. This shot was taken in our dance studio at the end of a rehearsal, also saw/heard some wonderful Gospel singing conducted by a teacher from Loreto....and the best bit was I got to wander round with hebs and her camera. During our nicotine break ( I know, I know I said I was quitting...but I have cut down enormously) hebs and I were bemoaning our lack of sleep, not just because of the pressures of work and this project but also because of the Boss working night shifts and Coz working away from home. Hebs said we should regard each other as surrogate husband/wife...and then, with that really dirty laugh she has, said "Without benefits, of course!" She's a real comedian, that one!

Dinner this evening was early.......4.30.......so it was all hands to the pumps as soon as school finished. Disaster was averted....the chilli which had been frozen hadn't defrosted ansd was still solid....but judiciuos use of a microwave and 6 pressure cookers saved the day....and we served up on time.

Let me tell you a secret about Russians...they may be able to drink huge amounts of vodka.....but they can't cope with a decent chilli. Gallons of water and tubs and tubs of soured cream were needed to take the sting out for them! Our headteacher joined us tonight...and was so impressed with the chilli that he arranged a plate for his lunch tomorrow! That should get me some brownie points! Dessert of profiteroles went down well and then the Russians and a few of our staff set off for the Trafford Centre. As the best detective novels say.....I made my excuses and left, bringing some left over chilli with me.

The Boss had some of the chilli for dinner, the Daughter had a portion of the lasagne and the rest went into the freezer for the S&H and YH.

Another full teaching day tomorrow...dinner at 6.30....which gives us a bit more time to prepare....and Charlotte is probably paying a visit.

Sergei has also asked me today to arrange a vodka and beer evening with the male staff from work....looks like Thursday could be quite exciting!

Off to bed soon another early start for breakfast tomorrow...one of these mornings I might be able to sit down and have some breakfast with them!

Das vidanya moy padruga.