Tests and tea

This week has been a nice change as we have been giving the students tests, so while they have been busy, we have had a break from standing at the front teaching. It has not been without its challenges, as I had to keep the student with ADHD occupied while the others took their test and this was itself a test of my resources. I drew a picture of Etna which entertained her so she started copying it. I have discovered that I can entertain myself quite well with little things like this.

Italians clearly have a different view of tests to the English, as they do not seem to stick to the no talking rule, or understand that it's not really a test if you ask me, or the other students, what words mean. "It's a test," I said, "I can't help you."  However, I am quite pleased with the results, in general, and I hope they will be too. I quickly got bored of marking the same thing several times, though. The higher levels are quite tricky and I can't always mark them without checking the answer key.

We (the teachers) make each other laugh by sharing the things we find frustrating in class; usually our students make the same mistakes which I suppose come from their own language. One guy is convinced the word for "match" or "join" is "colleage" (well, I don't know how he would spell it) which comes from the Italian word. I have told him the English words, of course, but it's got to the point now where I've heard this word "colleage" so many times that I am almost using it myself. I'm sure our pigeon Italian is just as entertaining to them - language learning is quite difficult, I know.

This week we had the most fun we've had in ages, without any expense at all. I'd created a treasure hunt for my housemates, after Luna saw some kids doing one in the supermarket. I'd written a set of rhyming clues, like Rupert Bear, where one clue led to the next one. I hid them in various places round the flat and the last clue was the treasure (chocolate, and other small things from the Chinese shops, which are shops that sell cheap clothes, knick knacks and household stuff).  My flatmates absolutely loved the treasure hunt and raced round the house in delight, which was great fun.

After that we played "hide n seek" in the dark. It may sound like we are ten years old but everyone really enjoyed it. The flat is large and has many places to hide, and with the lights off it was very dark. Rather dangerous you might think, and yes Ella and Jo did bang into each other in their haste to hide.  One person looked for the others each time. I must be good at hiding because I was last to be found twice. It was very hard to keep quiet when people were coming into the room to look for you. One time I was behind a door in the hall and Sticky, Ella's friend, walked past me a few times. Eventually Ella and Jo were standing in front of the door and wondering where I was, when I started laughing. They freaked out and said, "Luna, is that you laughing?" Luna came into the hall and said it wasn't. At which point I started laughing even harder, except I was trying to stifle it so it must have sounded quite strange. Ella and Jo realised I was behind the door - cue screams and laughter. It was very funny. I was quite scared when it was my turn to look for people, as you couldn't see a thing and had to feel for people in the dark. When you did touch someone it was such a surprise to feel something soft you screamed because you weren't expecting it, and the other person screamed, and it was all good clean fun, like when you scare yourself watching horror films. We haven't laughed so much in ages. I think we are all secretly looking forward to playing it again soon.

The landlord announced we have a large electricity bill to pay which we are all puzzled about as we are sure we can't have used that much electricity since the last one. We've asked him to bring all the paperwork over so we can scrutinise it. The irony is we were playing a game with the lights turned off.

Today Ella and Jo have given me a nice surprise in return for the treasure hunt, as they have bought a cute little kettle - I was always complaining that Italians don't have kettles. And a box of my favourite new tea, which I have had at the cafe. It is now a joke that the new guy working at the cafe has a bit of a thing for me - before you get excited he must be late 50s. But yes it is clear he thinks I am "carina" or sweet, as Jo heard the other guy teasing him. Anyway it makes a change. Yesterday they were trying to get me to go to the karaoke there to sing with him, but I don't sing. He will be disappointed now that I have my own kettle and teabags at home, so I won't have to drop in for my usual "te caldo" around 5pm.