We finally made it to the store yesterday after our one class. We were teaching vocabulary to 2nd year students. It’s interesting what they know and don’t know. We had two students who are very good and also talkative, quite a lovely change from most students who look at you puzzled and scared when you ask them something. Another one relaxed a bit toward the end and talked more, but one absolutely refuses to talk and the other two only with much pulling and coaxing. We tried to talk them into keeping a word journal, but we’ll see on Thursday if we had any luck. Last week we asked them to write about 200 words, on any subject, so we could kind of judge their English. Again, varying skill, but they all turned in their homework and they were all interesting. One wrote about when she was a child and her parents decided to shave her head, but she didn’t say why they did it; I’m dying to know! I’m also interested in how the students dress. The boys all wear jeans and t-shirts it seems. There are some girls — well women, I guess, but they are sooooo much younger than me and I’ve gotten to the point that girl is not an insult — who dress to the nines, maybe the 11s. Tight skirts, very high, very lethal stiletto heels. Or jeans that are tighter than skin, I swear, and heeled boots. Hard to be around so many beautiful, skinny, young-bodied women — makes me feel every wrinkle, every glob of fat. There are some girls who wear regular stuff and look like regular people, not the beautiful, fashion-conscious Girls. There is always candy or some other sweets around everywhere and people trying to get you to eat it. I’m trying not to do it, but have no idea if I’m being successful enough to lose weight. Luckily much of it is chocolate and I can resist that better than other things. Give me salad with mayo or meat and mashed potatoes and then I cannot resist. Or something new to taste, love that. We also walk up and down a whole hell of a lot of stairs every day! the department’s office is on the 5th floor, classes are on the 4th and 3rd floors, the ladies room is on the 4th or 1st — kind of 1st and 1/2, actually. There is NEVER any paper in the restrooms, of course, so I carry wads of TP in my pockets for both noseblowing and its usual function. So maybe I’m skinnier than I look? My hips look like chipmunk cheeks!
I have either a cold or allergies, I go back and forth on the diagnosis, but I have severe runny nose, very gruff voice, some coughing and sneezing. My presentation is tomorrow and if my voice doesn’t get better I’m not going to be able to tell stories and poems. I’m taking a bunch of stuff we got at the pharmacy, trying to describe symptoms in English to someone who doesn’t speak it — who knows what it all is supposed to cure???! Just hope I have a voice tomorrow! I gargled with salt water, maybe that will help. And who knew I’d need my neti pot? I have now convinced myself that is the answer, a neti pot. I’d try using a tea pot, but we don’t have one like I need. I need something with a spout. anyone know how to make a neti pot out of a plastic bottle and maybe some typing paper? I can just see myself hanging over the bathtub, with Laird trying to pour warm salt water into one nostril so that it comes out the other. Hmmmm. Maybe I need another solution.
We have two classes this afternoon and two tomorrow, besides my 90 minutes of performance. We’re also working this Friday, though don’t know times. Sometime between now and Saturday though, we need to go to a store that sells paper products and more food stuff than we can get at our local marketita.
Time to go get ready — gruffly yours, jm
lairdandjonelle 
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