January 19, 2013

I got to putter around the apartment most of the morning and even got to watch a fascinating BBC documentary on why humans have a need to talk. It followed a newborn baby as it developed the ability to speak, a stroke patient struggling to regain the ability to talk and the fate of a young woman raised pretty much in isolation. The conclusion: the need to speak is innate and critical to negotiate our way in society.

I attached the new trackers to my boots, but found them most uncomfortable as I could feel every little ball under the sole of my feet and it made me walk even more carefully on the still icy sidewalks. I guess it’s going to take a little while before I get used to them.

The trolley ride was again a pleasure and Lingua was full of people as they were concluding the latest EAP session and the teachers had ordered pizza to celebrate. Natasha invited to partake of the somewhat dry pizza as for some inexplicable reasons pizza parlors do not add tomato sauce to the pie before piling on the meat, cheese and vegetables.

There were only eight students for the conversation club until Nargiza asked if two of her elementary students could join in. Even though I knew they’d not be able to do much, I agreed so they could be exposed to what was expected of them. We talked about the New Year’s celebration they’d had and our tradition of making resolutions, something they’d never heard of. We proceeded to form groups and they worked on an activity on problem solving.

Willoughby had asked me to accompany her to see the opera “La Traviata” Sunday evening, and I had agreed to pick up the tickets before going home. For some reason, I had it in my mind that the opera was taking place at the Philharmonic Hall and not the Opera Ballet Hall right across the street from Lingua. So I took a marshrutka to the Philharmonic only to be told the entire place was closed during the month of January. Willoughby and I had a good laugh when I told her and the problem was solved by a colleague of hers who offered to get the tickets and go with us.

On the way home, I exchange some more money and stopped at Narodni to buy a few more things for lunch tomorrow as Willoughby will be coming by then. Watched the news for a bit while having a steamy cup of café con leche and then watched a few episodes of the misogynistic, crass and highly addictive TV show, Two and a Half Men. I needed some comic relief, indeed.