The staff birthday party was yesterday. It was quite nice and not as rowdy as had been reported. I was given two beautiful green coffee mugs and some insence and an insence holder. I was touched. This was the first time I had really spent any time with some of my non-English speaking collegues. It was funny to say the least. At one point two teachers were asking each other if they spoke English (one of the few phrases I actually understand). They were telling each other in Czech that they didn't speak English so I told them in Czech that I didn't speak Czech. They started laughing so hard because they thought I couldn't understand them at all. They started to ask me how much I understood and I told them malo (small). That was pretty much the end of our conversation but we had fun trying to communicate. Later, when we were all together, the other teachers were asking me about Arnold winning the election in CA and about Thanksgiving turkeys.

Since we are talking about communication, let me tell you a funny story. Tuesday, the headmistress, Lenka, stopped me on the way out. She wanted to invite me to lunch Saturday. Lenka doesn't speak English. She told me the first week of school that I could speak to her in bad French. So Lenka is speaking half in French and half in Czech. Her daughter, Martina is translating the Czech to me as I am trying to remember French phrases so I can reply. Then Lenka asks the Spanish teacher, who knows that I understand a little Spanish, to tell me in Spanish. So we are now speaking four languges. Can you imagine how funny this was? No wonder I could not remember how to say, "I am tired," in French. But I remembered just as I was falling asleep. It amuses me.

Flat update:
We did get a washer a few weeks ago.....of course there is a catch. It can never be cut and dry. There where two holes in the wall between the toilet room and the bathroom (yes, they are separate.) These holes were stuffed with plastic bags and covered with stickers. It wasn't until the washer was put in front of that wall that I understood that these holes were to put the hoses from the washer through them. Except the hole for the hose that hooks up to the faucet is not big enough. I have been trying to use a drill for the last three days to make the whole bigger, to no avail. Right now we are not able to close the toilet room door all the way if the washer hose is hooked up. This may be something we have to live with. I have to give the drill back tomorrow, so if I don't finish it today that's that.

I have not been hurting as badly this week, so thanks for the prayers. I am going to grade some tests and get some lunch. Talk to you soon---Jessica