Class today was another combined one. The other group joined us again as their teacher wasn’t around. Arij double taught the lot of us. At times, it was difficult to know who she was teaching. I thought she did very well, with a smile that belied the obvious stressy situation. I thought she was especially good when it came to the woman sitting behind me.
I’ve mentioned the gum chewing, “shit” spewing, loudmouth before. She really gets up my goat, to quote Kath Day-Knight. She swaggers and gloats and never shuts up. It’s like her brain has grown a mouth and we are hearing her pointless thoughts.
Today was the worst.
We were listening to telephone numbers being read out and had to write them down. It’s hard enough trying to decipher but it makes it a lot harder with a voice constantly talking behind you. I was on the verge of turning around and telling her, as politely as possible, to just SHUT THE FUCK UP, when Arij came to my rescue.
She suddenly slipped into Arabic and politely suggested the woman zip it up and listen. Somehow it worked. And for the first time today, the classroom was bathed in silence, except for the dulcet tones of the Swedish man and his telephone numbers.
I’d love to say that I managed to get the six telephone numbers right but that would be a lie. I had no problem answering questions based on other listening exercises today, but the numbers had me flummoxed. In my defence, numbers regularly give me problems, regardless of the language. Particularly telephone numbers. I don’t even know my own.
Back at home, I arrived about ten minutes before Mirinda had to leave for Stockholm. She attended another dance performance. It was a lot better than the one she suffered through last Saturday, though not what she’d call top class. She also visited the performing arts museum, which definitely was.
While Mirinda was sitting, watching people dance, Jason and I had dinner together. Generally, when Mirinda isn’t home for dinner, I’ll just have a salad. Tonight was no exception.
Jason had something out of the microwave.
After eating, I was shocked to discover he’d never seen (or even heard of) Dexter. I fixed that up by making him watch the first episode. He also needs to see Breaking Bad but that will be for another time.
