And the rain is back… It's Friday and another week has passed. It has been an eventful and emotional week for a lot of our students, and some of our teachers, following the disasters happening around the world: Earthquakes, Tsunami, Nuclear Power Threats in Japan, Demonstrations and Riots versus Government Forces in Barhain, and last but not least, Libya and its Crisis. Being a very International school, it was quite difficult to keep these topics out of the lessons, but we managed to keep our heads above water and somehow go on…
On Monday we went to the Cock for a drink, and I sat for a little while with Elena and Dinara, two long term Russian students. We talked about Daniel, a German guy, former student, who may be coming back in April for more classes, which is great news – we also talked about weddings… in particular, mine…! The IELTS students (the same group as usual) talked about international driver's licenses and how to get one here, and whether to trust the system and send their passport by Royal Mail: the answer is "yes – it's easy & fine". I had a little sit down with Oana, Alex and Shun too, who were talking about Romanians and their unfortunate reputation in Europe (Oana is Romanian), and they also asked me about the different levels in the school: Beginner – Elementary – Pre Intermediate – Intermediate – Upper Intermediate – Advanced… and other classes such as business and IELTS. Finally I went and chatted to a few of the business class students about Michael Jackson, his untimely death and cancelled concerts… Finally I chatted about Japan with a Japanese from Hiroshima who said that her family was safe and sound, and that she wasn't worried. The Irony of it… 
On Tuesday, Amy took a group of nine to the Wallace Collection. This "mansion" house used to be inhabited by the Wallace family which donated it to the country in 1897. It has maintained the same characteristics as the original building. The students were particularly interested in the many guns and armour on display and Marie Antoinette's boudoir furnniture . Mostly, they couldn't believe that one family could have lived in such a house by themselves! 
On Wednesday, Julia got a little group together and headed for Camden Market, in Camden Town. This is the most visited market in London, and famous worldwide! It wasn't very warm but at least it didn't rain, and Camden is always a hit with visitors. They had a good look around, from the first "Camden Market" and it's original fashion, the Lock Market, with its crazy platform shoes and fluorescent clothes, to the Stalls with its International Food! 
Finally, Thursday was St Patrick's Day, and that is one fun night out in town. To help our students get in the mood, we had joined up with Lost in London, a company which organises parties around London, and who gave us free tickets to the Piccadilly Institute + a free Guinness on arrival. The feedback was that students had a great night and really enjoyed the buzzing atmosphere of the streets of London… unfortunately I have no photos!! Well this is it, next week we'll have some more! In the meantime, enjoy your weekend, and to the people of Japan, Barhain and Libya: All our thoughts are with you.
