' It's free , you don't have to pay '

As I was a teacher I didn't have to pay to see the Egon Schile exhibition at Somerset House.

'Oceania '

On the bus home from South Kensington a mother mentioned Oceania in a trivia quiz game she was playing with her children.

'We're studying in Newcastle '

Which having lunch in the ' Golden Pagoda ' restaurant in Chinatown me and mum got chatting to the two girls on the table next to us ,they said were studying Marketing at a university in Newcastle.

' There's not much space! '

I went to watch the Man U mstch at The Duck pub and met a guy from Vietnam,he said 'There's not space,the pitch is too small! '. Well, Man U played well in the first half with lots of good chances to score but in the second half they seemed to lose the momentum and the match ended up 0 - 0! Two valuable points lost!

'Dancing should be fun! '

After I'd had coffee with Philip I went to the Clore Ballroom on the South Bank  ;I met a girl whose parents were from Malaysia - she said 'Dancing should be fun! '.Anyway I ended up doing two dances with her.

' Is Vauxhall far? '

A woman near Clapham Junction train station,apparently on her way to work,asking me if it was far to walk to Vauxhall.

'It's a meringue filled with cream '

One of the few shops open on Christmas day specialises in luxury meringues with a cream filling.

'If I can see it '

A young girl at the Clapham Junction branch of Barclays Bank asking for a recent statement of transactions to check on one particular transaction that she thinks shouldn't have gone through.

' I used to share a flat with Helen Terry '

While having lunch with Penny she mentioned that she used to share a flat with Helen Terry,back up singer for Boy George's band Culture Club.

'This one 's softer '

The woman shop assistant in the Gap clothes shop saying that one of the jumpers on sale made her skin itch and another jumper in the shop was much softer.'

' He went for a break '

Outside the local laundrette was a small group of customers waiting for it to open ,on the door was a notice saying that the laundrette would reopen at 12pm but it was now 12.15; one of the customers said the guy in the laundrette had gone for a break.

' There's a lot of pollution '

I met Natalie for coffee and while she talked about Tom and Dawn enjoying being in China she mentioned that there's a lot of pollution in the city where they live and Dawn has to keep her newly born baby in the flat all the time.

' One of them prefers living in Hong Kong '

There were two old ladies who had come into the Dim Sum restaurant and mum found out that one of them preferred living in Hong Kong whilst the other one preferred England.

'zero contract '

Today I went to Chris Stein ( of Blondie fame  )'s exhibition of photos at Somerset House and one of the 'curators ' mentioned she has to work everyday until the end of the exhibition in March 2015 - working on a 'zero contract '. She also mentioned that there was a party that evening for all the staff but it wouldn't really be much of a party since it was at her place of work and she's still has to make sure there's no damage to the photos that have been bought.

' I hate my job! '

Amanda,who used to work at the British Council in Tunis,said that although she's got a permament contract she hates her job.

'Not everyone's from Poland'

At first the train vendor, on the train to Clapham Junction, seemed to look like someone from  Poland.The young blond haired girl plus her accent made me think she was from Poland,especially as there are so many Polish people in London ,she said ' Not everyone is from Poland, I'm from Lithuania'.

'I'm an engineer'

While sitting in the lounge area of the Aloft Hotel I met a young Malaysian girl who works as an engineer for the motorbike division of Honda.

' I work from 8 am to 8 pm '

The manager of the bar in the lounge area of the Aloft Hotel told me she has to work a long day from 8am to 8pm.A 12 hour day!

'They're preparing a special dinner '

On the beach in front of a fairly new resort hotel in Hau Hin the staff were preparing a very special dining area for a birthday dinner. It all looked very artistic especially with the sand sculpture and the candles and torches.

'You'

'You ' was the only thing that the driver of the mini van to Hua Hin said to me and this was when we had arrived in Hua Hin and he thought that I needed help from a local motorcyclist to find my hotel.

'It was better before! '

A street seller at the Asiastic venue said the night market was better at the old location of Lumpini when it was disorganised but with a better atmosphere.

'Thanks for remembering me! '

Brian was pleased that I'd met him while I was on holiday in Bangkok.

'60 baht '

60 baht to go to Ayuthya by mini van,faster than taking the train.

' He learnt about Jim Thompson at school '

At the Jim Thompson House I met a family from New Zealand,who I'd seen at Kuala Lumpur Airport on Thursday,the son had learnt about Jim Thompson in his class at school.'

' I've been to the Maldives '

While waiting in the departure lounge for my flight to Bangkok I met a Malaysian girl who had been to the Maldives and mentioned people had to be quick to visit these islands as they would soon be gone!  ',

'He's insulting all women! '

Two women at the Starbucks Cafe,near the Aloft Hotel,said they were upset and annoyed by a Malaysian's sexist remarks towards them and said the man's comments were insulting to all women '.

'He's autistic '

At the Dome Cafe at the MidValley Mall a father explained his son's apparently 'naughty ' behaviour.

' I'm going to Katic '

Monic mentioned that she's not going to Kuching this Friday as she's going to Katic instead.

' He had to go to Saratok this morning '

One of the teachers mentioned that Jason,another teacher , had to go to Saratok this morning to hand in some work at his school; the only thing is that Saratok is 3 hours away from Sri Aman and he had to be back for the class at 8am!

' You look smart! '

Monic,one of the Malaysian teachers , saying my haircut made me look smart.

' We're the Sri Aman Buskers '

I 'd just left the Benak Sensation Café when I met a group of buskers at the Café Mec; Wat, one of the members, told me they were the Sri Aman Buskers and they had played at a wedding earlier that day.
They were planning to play at the Benak Sensation Café next Friday but they were still waiting for an answer to their request.

' He had to become Muslim ' 'My husband's a teacher '

' He had to become Muslim ' 'My husband's a teacher ' the owner of a local cafe talking about her husband .

' I've got a course to do on Saturday '

' I've got a course to do on Saturday ' Doris one of the PRO ELT teachers

' I'm bored sitting here '

 ' I'm bored sitting here ' one of the teachers sitting in the lobby area of the Simanggang Hotel.

' I've got hyper tension '

One of the Malaysian teachers said she's got hyper tension and high blood pressure ' in fact she also added that quite a lot of the teachers suffer from hyper tension.

' It's going to rain every day '

' It's going to rain every day ' Ritie at the Fortune Inn.

' He's my relative '

' He's my relative ' Tok talking about a guy at local food stall cooking some
Chinese style ' doughnut fritter/bread-like takeaway food.

' It's her last day of work ' Ritie taling about Marisa's last day

Friday 2nd October ' It's her last day of work 'Ritie talking about Marisa's last day 

' I sometimes play basketball '

 ' I sometimes play basketball ' the guy at the Mega Inn

' Thank you for the cake '

' Thank you for the cake ' Ritie showing her appreciation for the layer cake from Kuching I'd given her and her staff.

' I have a lot of marking to do ' Ellen one of the PRO ELT participants

' I have a lot of marking to do ' Ellen one of the PRO ELT participants

'I'm hoping to do a concert on New Year's Eve '

 'I'm hoping to do a concert on New Year's Eve ' Ernesto ( one of the teacher mentors hoping to do a concert at the Batang Ai Longhouse Resort )

' This plant is good for hyper tension '

 ' This plant is good for hyper tension ' the guide on the short nature trail
at the Batang Ai Longhouse Resort .

' We're on a field trip - looking for frogs '

 ' We're on a field trip - looking for frogs ' a teacher from Kuching.

' It wasn't a bird but a bat'

  ' It wasn't a bird but a bat' a French man at the Bitang Ai Longhouse Resort; in fact the bat was a fruit bat and upstairs in the function room area there were loads of them flying around and from time to time they were flying in and out of the lobby area and by the entrance up in the rafters I could quite a few nests.

' I'm making a video '

 ' I'm making a video ( re the river cruise ) Michael a tour guide in Kuching said he was going to edit the video and upload it onto Borneo ollo ollo on YOU TUBE .

' Don't use flash '

A word of warning at the Orang-utans Rehabilitation Centre to the tourists not to use flash when taking photographs of the orang-utans as it can make them angry and someone could get attacked.

'The conger ell bit part of his finger off' ! '

 'The conger eel bit part of his finger off' Michael, the guide for the Longhouse tour.

' I'm studying to be a teacher '

 ' I'm studying to be a teacher ' some students I met while waiting for the sampan to get back across the river.

' I'm a physiotherapist'

While getting on the bus for Sri Aman I met two young girls  they were two physiotherapists working at the local hospital in Sri Aman.

' I might go to Saratok on Sunday '

' I might go to Saratok on Sunday ' Jennifer ,one of the PRO ELT participants talking about going to Saratok.

' I hadn't been here before '

 ' I hadn't been here before ' Allysha saying she hadn't been to the Fortune Inn before.

' There was s fire upstairs '

The woman in the stationers explaining why the air conditioning wssn't working;there had been a fire on the floor above the shop and all the wiring had to be rewired and she was worried thst the wiring wasn't really safe she didn't want to use the airconditioning.

' They're so noisy ! '

' They're so noisy - the other group ' Maryann talking about the American group making so much noise and disturbing people in another room .

' I've found a house' Segal talking about finally finding a house 1,200 Ringgits

' I've found a house'  Segal talking  about finally finding a house 1,200 Ringgits

' You look gorgeous ! '

Allysha commenting on how I looked with the Batik shirt she and some of her fellow teachers they had given me on Teachers' Day.

' My breakfast wasn't good this morning; the noodles had no taste '

' My breakfast wasn't good this morning; the noodles had no taste '
Timothy one of the Malaysian teachers talking about his breakfast.


' I had a massage ' Nicky one of the teacher mentors, she went to Kuching last weekend.

' We have a present for you '

' We have a present for you ' Allysha and some of the other teachers gave me a Batik shirt
It was a present for International Teachers' Day.

' I keep wanting to sleep! ' ' I need a kitchen; I don't want to eat out all the time '

' I keep wanting to sleep! ' ' I need a kitchen; I don't want to eat out all the time '
One of the Teacher Mentors.

' I thought you were Malaysian '

While I was in the Sugarbun café some hotel guest came into the café for their lunch; they're here in Sri Aman on a short weekend break, one of the women spoke to me in Malay; she said she thought I was Malaysian.

' I'm fishing for prawns '

' I'm fishing for prawns ' a young guy with his friends by the river

' I can't play pool '

' I can't play pool ' the woman in charge of the snooker place saying she didn't know how to play pool!

' We're here to for the weekend to promote Red Bull ' ,' Two men walking in the street holding hands is not acceptable '

'We're here for the weekend to promote Red Bull '

Michelle a girl who had travelled from Kuching to promote the energy drink Red Bull.also mentioned that it was unacceptable for two men walking in the street to hold hands.

' I'm going to travel around Europe '

Ng was talking about her holiday plans for December.

' I'm having noodles with pig '

I bumped into a couple of the teachers having breakfast at a food court instead of the restaurant at the hotel,Siward said he was having noodles with pig- he meant to say pork, not pig '.

'The best time to see the Tidal Bore is in May or June '

'The best time to see the Tidal Bore is in May or June ' a receptionist at a local hotel giving me information about the local river and its attraction, the Tidal Bore where surfers can surf down a river!

' I've lived in Sarawak for three years '

Martin Frogget talking about how long he's lived in Sarawak.

' I've lived in Sarawak for 3 years '

' I've lived in Sarawak for 3 years ' one of the PRO ELT teachers.

' I watched ' The Godfather '

One of the new teacher mentors is really keen on watching television.

' We saw a house this afternoon '

One of the teachers mentors said she had visited a house which was for rent but there was only air conditioning in one room.

' It's a stingray '

I was having dinner at one of the food courts in Sri Aman with the new teacher mentors and Gill and her friend; the food that been ordered included a sting ray.

' One ringgit and fifty sens per game '

While showing the new teachers around Sri Aman we came across a snooker hall and the manager told us it was 1.50 ringgits per game.At least something interesting to do in this quiet town.

' I was in Brookside '

While having a drink at the East Court Cafe, Conleth,the Manager for the teacher mentors, mentioned that he had been in the TV series 'Brookside; he had been an extra in one of the scenes.

' I do research development '

At the Sirinamggang Hotel one of the girls who was setting up one of the stalls for the exhibition on the production of pepper said she did research development.

' I've got a semi-detached house for rent - 700 ringgits '

' Hi Patric, I saw you in Temerloh '

' I'm scared ' ' Why did the British Council put you in the Fortune Inn ? '

' There are crocodiles in the river '

' My husband's a photographer '

' There isn't a bus service '

A guy who was showing me a house for rent explained that there isn't abus service in Sri Aman as everyone's either got a car or a motorbike.

' My husband's a photographer '

A woman who was showing me around a house told me that her husband was a photographer.

' My wife's a teacher at a Primary school '

This morning I was by the river in Sri Aman and I got talking to one of the locals who was fishing and he siad that his wife was a teacher of English at a Primary School.

' We're here until Sunday for a Banking Employees Union Conference '

Three guys ( Mike,Jealous ( that what he said his name was!) and Eric ) from Kuching explaining they were at the Samanggang Hotel for a Banking Employees Union Conference.

' English people are fussy ! '

Maryann talking about the times she's visited her uncle in England;she said ' English people are very fussy ! '.

' I live in New Zealand '

A Malaysian girl arriving at the Kuching airport  said she was visiting her family here for three weeks and that she lived in New Zealand.

' All the fish around my feet! '

A female tourist at the ' Fish Spa ' in the Central Market ' couldn't understand why most of the fish in the 'Fish Spa ' pool were around her fish; perhaps her feet smelt nice!

' There are always problems with the LCD screen with Fuji and Canon cameras ! '

The LCD screen of my digital camera suddenly stopped working this afternoon ; although the screen seemed to be on there it didn't display anything - nothing at all! Yet again I have a problem with the LCD screen.
At one of the camera shops in the KLCC shopping centre the shop assistant said there were always problems with the LCD screens of the Canon and Fuji cameras.

' I could even hear the shooting in the background '

Anna, a Pro ELT Teacher Trainer,from Ukraine told me that while she was talking to her parents on the phone she could even the shooting in the background; the so-called truce between Ukraine and the pro-Russia fighters wasn't working ,yet again.

' Your account is 8 ringgits overdrawn ' Jasmine should work in a dfferent country'

' She loves junk food '

One of the Malaysian girls at the British Council office said that Soo loved junk food!

' I saw Lewis Hamilton at KLCC '

As we were driving out to a Teacher Training school to observe a couple of ProELT classes she mentioned back in July she had seen Lewis Hamilton at the KLCC shopping centre; he was here for the Malaysian Formula One race and he was also doing some promotional work for the Petronas company. Heather said it wouldn't been possible to get Lewis Hamilton's autograph as there was a really long queue.

' The fish are kissing not biting '

The girl in charge of the ' fish treatment ' explained that the fish were kissing the man's legs snd feet and not biting as they had no teeth.The man was with his wife and they had come to Kuala Lumpur for their honeymoon.

There's no Internet!

At the British Council's Kerinchi office, there was no Internet this afternoon ;the British Council suffers the same problems like British Council Tunis in regards to the Internet and the T drive!

' I never knew how popular Kate Bush was ! '

' Volleyball, it was a blocking move; I landed badly'

This morning I bumped into one of Tony's neighbours: a girl who was on crutches; her right leg was in a special plaster. She said the accident happened while playing volleyball ;she was trying to do a blocking move and landed badly.

' I had all my bags stolen at the Reading Festival '

A guy at Clapham Junction station talking about the Reading Festival he had recently been to; he had all his bags stolen despite all the apparent security there.

' We're going to pilot it in Brazil and China '

Nathan a member of the Arts Team at the British Council in London was talking about his ' Museum ' project and said that they were going to pilot it in Brazil and China in September ;possibly also in Thailand and Malaysia in the future.

' What a load of bullshit ! '

One of the British Council's staff at the office in London commenting on the phone call she'd just had with someone from the IT department from GSD ( Global Service Desk ) she had called them asking them to resolve an issue she had with OUTLOOK.

Although the member of staff had been patient and polite explaining her problem l after she had put down the phone she couldn't believe what rubbish she had been told : basically the person trying to resolve the problem didn't know what they were talking about in fact it was ' a load of bullshit !'.

' It's despicable ! ' ' Fifteen Pounds for the boy '

Today I met Philip for lunch in Covent Garden he commented that ' it's despicable ' that Sarah hadn't replied to the emails that me and Cormac had sent her.

At the end of his performance in the piazza in Covent Garden gave the little boy who had been helping him fifteen pounds!

' I'm a student, I'm doing a summer job '

The young girl on the street corner of the junction opposite the Falcon Pub in Clapham Junction who has been giving out flyers the past few days re a special offer at the local hairdresser told me she's a student doing a summer job.

' It's my birthday'

At the Malaysian restaurant in China Town a woman from Kuala Lumpur was having a birthday lunch with her friend ,also from Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant was quite crowded today as almost all the tables were soon full.

' Pack it in ! '

This morning a mother was telling off her children who were running around the ticket office area of Clapham Junction train station; apart from ' Pack it in ' she could have also used the expressions:
 'stop messing around' ', 'stop playing around ' etc. in other words ' behave yourselves  '.
A foreigner passing by might have wondered what exactly she wanted the kids to pack and what in!

' Someone taken that plate of biscuits! ' ' There's a tea leaf here ! '

At the British Council in London there's a tea leaf who's keen on biscuits; one of the female staff had just put down a plate of biscuits only to find it had been nicked a few seconds later!

' Could you find some good tweets re that recent BFI film?'

A person in the Film Team at the British Council in London asked one of his colleagues to find some good tweets re reviews of a recent BFI film and then to copy/paste the good comments onto a document.

' Are you a journalist ? '

' I don't like this '

The owner of a café on the ' promenade ' area of La Marsa wasn't very happy with the refurbishment of her café.

' I'm disappointed with the coffee!' ' It's OK '

We had the ' goodbye dinner ' at the Pizzeria Italiana ; however, Esther Cormac's wife was very disappointed with her coffee which didn't make up for her equally disappointing pizza.
Mine was OK though it wasn't as thin as usual ; nevertheless it still tasted pretty good.
There were 16 of us so we practically had the whore restaurant to ourselves!
There was a friendly fun atmosphere!

Later some of us , Fahim Cyrine,Ursula, Philip, Tom and me went to the ' La Galette ' café ; I asked Philip if he liked the place and he just said ' It's OK '  which is a bit of an understatement as the place is a really great place to go to and relax. There aren't many good places like that in La Marsa.
However,Tom said he really liked the café.

' The owner is a filmmaker ' ' I love Doctor Who ! '

There's a new place in La Marsa to hang out at; a cultural centre has arrived ! L'Agora.
At first the building looks like more an office so it's very easy to miss it!

One of the people working there showed me around the building including the art exhibition area on the 2nd floor,the theatre area and the café with outside patio at the back and the front.
It looks a very place to hang out!

By the entrance there's a British red phone kiosk but made in Tunisia!
As I opened the telephone kiosk the French guy , who was showing me the place said ' Just like Doctor Who, I love Doctor Who ! ' he mentioned that the programme is shown a lot in France.

' I've never been to that pizza place'

Re the topic of which restaurant for the 'Goodbye Dinner ' on Thursday night , Jasmine and Dora said hadn't been to the pizza restaurant.

' It's a very nice place ! ' 'The food at the hotel is terrible '

Matthew's comment re 'La Gallete ' cafe terrace; he and Fahim had never been there.

Tonight the Thai restaurant 'Ayuathaya ' was pretty busy with nine customers very quickly crowding the small restaurant.
The French couple ( two elderly ladies ) said they were on holiday and staying at the nearby Sidi Driff Hotel and mentioned everything there was great except for the food! 'It's terrible!'.
So far the couple seem to be going to the Thai restaurant for their dinner!

' I miss those days!'

In the Thai restaurant I met a Tunisian guy who had travelled around Thailand when he was young; he mentioned that he had a good time travelling around Thailand ; he said he missed those days! as he reminisced.

'Fahim's off , he's gone to the clinic'

Fahim's off work yet again ;he's apparently ill and this morning he went to the clinic.

' This is my mum and dad '

This morning I was at the Moevenpick Hotel when I bumped into Matthew and his parents , who I'd actually seen on the terrace at the Moevenpick yesterday but I hadn't been sure if they were Matthew's parents.

' I can't believe it ! '

In the Thai restaurant, which is now open again after a 10 day break,I bumped into Nathalie,a French woman who had done the CELTA course at the British Council ; she was really surprised that the British Council couldn't renew my contract and give me a local contract especially with the good things I'd done including the Teaching English Radio programmes.

Tunisians don't like reading!

Tom and Janice were discussing young Tunisians' lack of interest in reading.

' think of the key words in the questions '

Advice Ursula gave me re my interview for the position of teacher/Social Media Coordinator at BC Porto.

' I had problems with the STAR process too '

Rob was talking about the interview process so it isn't easy for him either.

' Es ton travail? '

The waiter at Jimmy's Café commentating on my watercolour sketch of a 'Sidi Bou Said  ' door.

 

'Next Sunday we're going to have a clean-up '

The president of the local La Marsa association told me there was going to be a ' clean-up ' on La Marsa beach next Sunday.

' They play like Barcelona '

A supporter said the passing and team work of the Tunisian team at the Tunisia Mini World Cup for Children was like Barcelona. Unfortunately despite their attacking football they lost 3-1 to Morocco in the final.

' The Ecuador Team want Ecuadoran bananas in their rooms '

On the 'World Cup Premier Skills ' radio programme Hayet mentioned some of the unusual things that countries have requested for their hotel rooms and one of them was a request by the Ecuador team for bananas ...from Ecuador.

' Good to see you again '

The guy at the 'hamburger ' place said ' good to see you again '.

' Sorry, we love to come but ..'

Joe explained that he can't come on the 16th June to celebrate my birthday as the last time he went to the 'Bon Vieux Temps ' restaurant in Sidi Bou Said it wasn't very good as his daughter needed lots of space to run around.

' Esther's going to Geneva '

Cormac explaining why he can't come on the 16th June to celebrate my birthday.

' I'm on holiday'

While  I was in Sidi Bou Said I bumped into one of my ex-students ; he told me he was on holiday , the students here break up really early for their holidays and have a three-month summer holiday!

' I'm having a green curry and my wife a red curry '

This evening at the Thai Restaurant , that I discovered last weekend ,I met a Tunisian man, who had lived in France for 30 years, and he was ordering a green curry and a red curry plus other Thai dishes. It's unusual to find someone who likes curries!
Before I had just finished eating a red curry with a German guy who had also ordered the same curry.
In fact before that there was a man who had come to pick up his order which also included a red curry; must be very popular! The curry was pretty tasty but the portion could be a lot bigger!

' I've lived here for 15 years '

The manager of a small Thai takeaway near the Plaza Corniche Hotel said he had lived here for 15 years.

' I just want to get home ! '

Hamza after the end of the event in Sfax. Everyone's tired and want to get home as soon as possible but though we left Sfax at 4.30 ish I didn't get home until about 10.30!

' You made my day '

Rayan at the English Language Week event in Gafsa was really appreciative of the two goodbye kisses I gave her.

' We're staying at the Oasis Hotel '

Jihene telling me where we would be staying in Gafsa.

' You're looking smart! Have you got a date ? '

Mohamed commenting on my haircut.

' I'm going down to the beach ' 'We're going to the fair '

I had just had my breakfast at Jimmy's Café when I saw Maria pass by ; she said she was on her way to the beach with her little boy. Later while having a strawberry milkshake with Philip Matthew, Mariol and their baby plus Matthew's sister and son. Matthew said he was planning to go to the fair - the 'Dah Dah ' one at Du Lac.

' I need to buy some new shoes ' We're from North Sudan ' ' It's exhausting - teaching all the time! '

Outside the newsagent I bumped into Don ,he said he had to buy a new pair of shoes but not too heavy or too light. Later on the beach I met a family of women from the North of Sudan on a weeks' holiday in Tunisia. Later on I bumped into Kristin who had been shopping at a 'Carrefour ' near the touristy part of Gammarth and she mentioned that ' It's exhausting - teaching all the time '.

' I don't like poetry '

Tonight I bumped into an ex-student at the Palace in Sidi Bou Said; it was the second day of the poetry festival and my ex-student said he didn't like poetry but was more interested in the second part of the evening which was to feature a group of Tunisian musicians.

' I've got an interview for a job in Tokyo '

Cormac told me that he had another job interview ,this time for Tokyo.

' I used to paly football for the University team '

In an interview with Maria she mentioned that she used to play football for the University team.

' It's good - business is good '

One of the shop assistants in the ice cream shop commented that business was good.

' The Tunisian people are more sociable than the people in Paris '

This morning on the beach at Sidi Bou Said I met William a young man ( half French, half Chinese ) who is here in Tunisia working as a volunteer for two and half years in the area of renewable energy.
He said when he goes to Paris and then back  here he has noticed that the Tunisians are more sociable and friendlier.

' I've decided to take the Teacher Mentor job '

Cormac told me he's decided to take that Teacher Mentor job in Borneo.

' I've got a job in Jeddah '

Jasmine also got a job in Jeddah in Saudi Arabi.

' I've got a job in Jeddah '

Maria's got a job in Jeddah Saudi Arabia.

' I'm a rapper '

Who? well a guy who works in the 'Nike ' sports shop in Tunis. It seems some of his 'songs ' are on YOU TUBE.

' Rob might stay another year '

While having a cup of coffee with Philip he mentioned that Rob would rather stay another year at British Council Tunis than not having a job. '

'We've all thought of having a day off '

In the taxi back to La Marsa David C. said ' We've all thought of having a day off when we're not feeling too good '. Really?!

' Vous etes francais? '

While I was in Café Kom Koi a beggar came in begging for money but when he realised I wasn't Tunisian he immediately thought I was French.

' Fahim didn't turn up today '

And yet another teacher 'bites the dust ' !

' Kristian's off sick'

And so another teacher falls sick....

' Maria off sick '

' Asia's better ! '

' Your talk was good! ' ' You were great! ' ' He didn't recognise me '

My presentation at the TATE teacher conference was well received: ' Your talk was good! ' ' You were great! '. Sonia, my ex-TKT student was attending the conference and at the end of the day she was going to meet a new guy she had recently met for a cup of coffee but when she called him before leaving he didn't immediately recognise her voice and actually thought it was another girl calling him! Obviously Sonia was upset and disappointed and decided not to meet the guy.

' I was your student '

This morning at the Expolugha language exhibition I bumped into two of my ex-students,two females students from classes at the British Council - I couldn't really remember them and the second girl only slightly.

' Casablanca's really polluted!'

1st May but I can't remember any comments from today

.....apart from ' Bonjour, Ca Va? ' from the waiter at Jimmy's Café.

' I haven't seen any of the Star Wars films '

While waiting for the Star Wars parade I met a film student who hadn't seen any of the Star Wars films.

 

 

' We've just had an ice cream '

Matthew and son plus Mariol had just an ice cream from the Las Palmas ice cream parlour.

' He never felt comfortable as manager of Man United '

While having lunch in the new 'gallete ' restaurant with Philip he mentioned he'd read that David Moyes had never comfortable as manager of Manchester United .

' I just wanted to say 'hello ' .

On the beach I bumped into a Tunisian teacher who I'd met in 2012 while doing a conference style presentation.

' I designed the poster and the ticket for the Paul Klee 100 years exhibition '

On the bus back to La Marsa I met a young art student, Ons, who had designed a poster and a ticket for a competition re the 100 years anniversary celebrations of the artist Paul Klee.

' She was disecting the sushi ! '

While Philip and I were having dinner in the Japanese restaurant ' Sushi ' ; Philip mentioned that when he was last there with Aya, his fiancée, and Dave C and his girlfriend, Aya didn't really like the food and was dissecting the sushi and not even the noodles.

' Le directeur de la galerie Saladin vous invite .. '

Text message of invitation to the opening of a new exhibition ' Le directeur de la galerie Saladin vous invite au vernissage de l'artiste Nabil Sami le Samedi 26 Avril a 17 h au 4 AV Habib Bourguiba Sidi Bou Said  '

' The other day I spent 50 dinars on a round of drinks '

Jameela talking about the big amount of money she spends while living here in Tunisia.
She also mentioned that she has to use her UK bank account.
Peter said he had spent 70 dinars at the supermarket on just wine and beer that morning.

' I feel sorry for David Moyes '

During lunch Philp said he felt sorry for David Moyes; he mentioned what he had said in the interview I did with him on the qualities of a good manager - a good manager needs to be confident in what he says/does and be able to inspire his players. Unfortunately David Moyes wasn't able to do it at all; it seems he was doomed from the beginning when he got rid of Alex Ferguson's well experienced backroom staff!

' Pas de biere '

A French tourist at Jimmy's Café had just tried to order some beer.

' Draw lots of circles '

Today's homework from the Art Class included drawing lots of circles to practise the basic of drawing 'eyes' ; it sounds a bit crazy drawing lots of circles. Anyway the other part of the homework is practise drawing parts of the face and do part of a portrait. 'circles ' now that reminds me of that classic song ' Windmills of my Mind ':

' I'm going to Hammamet '

Rob's going to Hammamet for his holiday next week! He doesn't often go anywhere so it's a surprise he's going somewhere.

' We're writing the script for a film '

In café Kom Koi I met three girls who were writing a script for a film that they were going to make.

' That was the third time the pizza was no good ! '

I'd just got back to La Marsa and as I was walking back home I bumped into Dave C. and his girlfriend , they had just been to the Japanese restaurant ' Sushi' . Dave then mentioned that the pizza he got last night from Pizzeria Primevera was bad in fact ' it was the third time the pizza wasn't any good '. The dough hadn't been cooked properly so after the first couple of weeks standards have slipped!

' The Senior Teacher turned up drunk on his first day at work! '

 I bumped into Peter on the bus to Tunis ; he talked about some of the management people at the British Council in Morocco , one of the Senior Teachers turned up drunk on his first day of work!

'I was near Carrefour , I tapped the brake and the car spun at 180 degrees !

I bumped into Joe who talked about his experience when he recently hired a car in Tunis.

' I originally came to Tunisia for just five weeks and I'll probably end up five years here ! '

I met Philip for a cup of coffee at the Blues Café and he mentioned that he  originally planned to come to Tunisia for just five weeks and he'll probably be here for five years! He will also have got married to a Tunisian girl.
We also talked about the World Cup and Philip predicted that Belgium and Germany will play well and England will win their group with seven points: drawing their first game against Italy and then winning their next games against Costa Rica and Uruguay.

' My father's the artist '

' My husband did the dolphin sculpture in Hammamet '

I went to the bazaar at the Saf Saf café and met a woman whose husband did the dolphin sculpture in Hammamet.

' Tunisians like Easter '

At least that what's the owner of the local chocolate shop said!

' La deuxieme fois '

This morning I went to the bank and twice I managed to leave my passport at the counter; the first time as I was counting my money and again when I sat down to recheck it. It's good that the cashier noticed ; by the way don't trust those money-counting machine ;I was 20 dinars short so I told the cashier and she double checked via the money-counting machine ; she was surprised that the machine wasn't working properly.

' I showed the film ' Dial M for Murder '

Philip mentioned he showed the film ' Dial M for Murder ' to his students ; when he was school he had seen this film and had to write up about the film.

 

 

' I'm going to the Blues Cafe for breakfast '

I bumped into Philip this morning , he said he was on his way to the Blues Café to have breakfast.

' I'm going to Carthageland ' on Wednesday '

I met Chaima for a coffee but before that we went for a walk on the beach and while we were sitting on the beach Chaima said she was going to Carthageland .

'Just like a pro '

At the art club during the  'first lesson ' I talked about the way I took photographs and Ines said 'Just like a pro ! '

' Just like a pro ! '

At the art club during the  'first lesson ' I talked about the way I took photographs and Ines said 'Just like a pro ! '

' Tom and Jerry is great! '

Fahim who loves cartoons said Tom and Jerry is great and that the music really goes well with action in the story.

' I had to listen to the BBC News web site to help me ...'

One of the teachers, who was in the studio for the latest Teaching English Radio programme, mentioned that she had to listen to the BBC News website to help her with learning English especially with the English accent .

' I've got to make a good first impression ! '

It's fun! '

Nour was commenting about her life as a married woman!

' Welcome to the Fun-House! '

As I arrived for work Dora was also arriving and said ' Welcome to the Fun-House! ' ; later she mentioned she had 15 irritating students! probably one of her Elementary classes! At least she'll be on holiday soon! A chance to recover!

' His stomach is the size of a walnut ! '

Matthew was talking about his baby son Lucas' stomach and the 'wind' problem that he has.

' I used to go to Brittany for my holidays '

While having lunch with Philip,I mentioned that there was going to be a new Creperie opening next weekend and that the crepes were going to be from the Brittany; Philip said as a kid he used to go there for his holidays.

' We don't care! '

I bumped into a couple of Tunisian men at Jimmy's Cafe; one of them used to be one of my students and the other man was his friend. Anyway after my ex-student had explained what 'Earth Hour ' was ; he simply said ' We don't care ' which basically sums up quite a few Tunisians ' attitude to the environment which probably accounts for the many dirty beaches and litter-strewn streets especially at the weekends and during the holidays!

' I like football but I don't have a favourite team '

' They were surly '

Tom was talking about his teenage students from his CAE class.

' I'm leaving at the end of August '

Cormac telling he me was finishing his contract at the end of August.

' I've got a new passport '

Tom showed me his new passport; it's still basically the same but with different pictures, showing the countryside of Britain.

' He's doing a timed-essay '

I bumped into Ammy and Joe in Café Kom Koi; Ammy mentioned that Joe was busy doing his Trinity Diploma studies and doing a timed-essay.

' I'm glad I'm leaving '

Rob is glad that he's leaving Tunis! He said this while we waiting outside the local town register ;the main entrance was getting crowded with lots of cars waiting their turn to enter the building.

' Pizza Regina,Orangina ! '

' I didn't do anything special , it was just a day off '

The owner of the Kom Koi talking about yesterday's holiday: it was Independence Day but for him it was a just day off and an opportunity to have a rest at home.

' C'est ne pas vrai '

The driver of the louage taxi commented that the 5 dinar coin my fellow passenger had given him was fake : ' C'est ne pas vrai '. Apparently the middle part of the coin could be taken out quite easily and there were a lot of these fake coins in circulation. By the way I was on my way to Nabeul for a day trip; it was independence day in Tunisia.

' I'm doing some painting tomorrow '

' I was listening to Massive Attack '

' The cumin is from Korba near Nabeul '

' We're going on tour in Malta '

John Philips

' I got suspended for setting off the fire alarm ! '

' I started celebrating St. Patrick's Day yesterday '

Amanda mentioned that she'd already started celebrating St. Patrick's Day yesterday!

' It was 1,500 dinars '

Phil didn't seem to think 1,500 dinars was a lot to pay as rent for a flat even though he said it was a flat for two people. Must be a nice place for such a high rent!

' Je fais bijoux '

A woman having breakfast at Jimmy's Cafe told me that she makes jewellery; on her table was a length of copper wiring which later on she was going to wrap some silver around it.

' It's a bit gloomy ! '

As a tram passed our taxi, Myriam commented that ' it's a bit gloomy ' ;  she added that the transport  in Moscow, where she used to live, was completely different even with chandeliers!

' I used to work at the Tunisian Embassy in London '

' I should read the newspaper '

' I went home and found seven aunts so I left ! '

In the taxi home I mentioned that I was going to the Italian pizza restaurant to have a pizza for dinner Tom said he'd come too. However, Fahim said he couldn't come as he had to go home; Cyrine had dinner ready for him. However, just after me and Tom had just bought an Italian ice cream as our dessert and walked into the town centre Tom noticed Fahim and Philip in the Japanese/Italian restaurant ; Fahim had gone home to find the flat swarming with his wife's relatives seven aunts were there! In the end tt seems that all Cyrine offered him for his dinner was cake!

' Your animation was great , you were fabalous ! '

' They tapped my phone '

' I have to cash in my cheque '

I bumped into Cormac and his daughter on the bus to Tunis; he said he had to go to Tunis to cash his salary cheque and then later on go for a coffee.

' Sarah's going to Abu Dhabi '

' I'd prefer to stay here' 'Guess who's coming here in July ! ''The 7 string theory '

I'd had just lunch in Café Kom Koi when walked in Judy and Paul ;later on Dorra and half an hour after that Philip and Fahim. Quite a BC crowd!

Paul, Judy's husband, talked about having to move to the Ivory Coast for his job and is not looking forward to working and living there ; he would rather stay here in Tunisia!

Fahim mentioned that Eunice will here at the BC in July the ' Caretaker ' at BC Tunis from July to September , presumably while there's no Teaching Centre Manager and ATCM ( Sarah and Rob leave in the summer ). Apparently Eunice is currently being the 'Caretaker ' at BC Oman. Fahim mentioned that she's got a good salary at BC Oman she has to work much harder.
I haven't heard any good news from teachers who have to moved to other centres!

Fahim talked about his pet subject 'Astronomy ' and mentioned the ever increasing expanding of the universe and the star Alpha Centauri ; Philp mentioned the ' 7 string theory '!

At first it seemed Monday was going to be a boring day! but being in café Kom Koi there's always someone that I know and some interesting comments often crop up!

' It's boring here in Tunisia ! '

Not a comment from me but from one of the magicians ,doing some promotion work for the supermarket Carrefour on the promenade of seafront of La Marsa.

' I'm knackered ! '

Don's comment basically summed up how he,Cormac and I felt at the end of the week as we headed back home in the taxi to La Marsa. During the taxi ride there was a  crazy driver in front of us zig zagging from side to side as if he didn't know where he was going.

' Her pronunciation was really bad ! '

On of the ushers who's doing an Upper Intermediate English Course at the British Council commented on one of her classmates' bad pronunciation:


The student had been asked to read part of a text from the coursebook but her pronunciation and fluency was more like the level of an Elementary student! Another surprising thing about the students in this class was that the usher was the only student to have done the homework; the others had made the excuse they hadn't time because of their work but the usher has to work as well and she hadn't had any problems in doing the homework. In fact she had done her homework alongside her daughter who also had homework to do.

' Parents ' Day - that was a waste of time ! '

' spilt coffee is lucky in Tunisia '

During the break from the training session with the Tourism School teachers the waitress in the restaurant suddenly accidently spilt coffee onto Myriam's blouse,she didn't seem too upset; in fact she said that spilt coffee onto a person's shirt/blouse is considered good luck in Tunisia!

' Cest bon ? le photo '

' If you want to meet for a coffee just call me '

While I was at Café Kom Koi I bumped into a Tunisian woman , who was with her son; she suggested meeting up for a coffee another time. The trouble is I don't know who she is - during the four years I've been here in Tunisia I've met quite a few students and teachers so she could be anyone! I've got no idea! So I can't call her as I haven't got the faintest idea who she is!

' I now work for the World Bank '

At Jimmy's Café , I bumped into Sadok, he now works for the Communication department at the World Bank and hopes to do some work with British Council Tunis. He also mentioned a possible project for the BBC.

' Pizza moyen - it looks more like a big pizza ! ' ' life work balance '

There's a technical problem '

Café Kom Koi have recently started a loyalty card scheme but so far no points accumulated as there's a technical problem.

' I got some flowers '

Maureen mentioned she got some flowers ,it was a present from David - I imagine he gave her some other presents or treated her to a special dinner!

' We rented a car and went round Cap Bon '

Peter talking about his holiday.

' I listen to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers every night '

One of the students,Aziz, in the Elementary 3 class, said he listens to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers every night!

' I did a 6-month hotel reception training course at the Hilton Hotel '

This morning I met one of the local residents and asked him about the building work that was going on the recently dismantled bridge. He said there was disagreement by some people in La Marsa re the rebuilding of the bridge whether it widen it or to keep the same design and size.
He mentioned that 45 years ago he had done a hotel reception training course at the Hilton Hotel in Hyde Park in London.

Later while at Café Jimmy's I bumped into Kristin and her parents; it turned out that Kristin's father had been to Tunisia a long time ago on a school trip - unusual country for a school trip!

' And that was the time of the dog ! '

Matthew,Mariol ,her mum and I were sitting at a cafe overlooking the beach. Anyway we had been sitting quite awhile waiting to be served when there was a loud crash behind us ! One of the waiters had suddenly dropped his tray of drinks; seemingly a woman had bumped into him. However, instead of the waiter staying calm , in a fit of temper he smashed a glass on the ground and stormed off in the direction of the cafe. Everyone was dumbstruck.

Matthew mentioned the last time he and Mariol had been at this cafe he had been with Peter and his wife plus the dog but they hadn't been able to get served because of the dog even though it was on a leash. 'And that was the time of the dog! ' ; it's strange that the owner of the cafe wouldn't serve them as there are often dogs on the beach with or without a leash and yet nobody worries about that.

Maybe this afternoon at the cafe could be called  ' and was the time of the dangerous waiter ! '

' Je suis libre ! '

The hotel porter ,of the recently-opened hotel in La Marsa ,who showed me the swimming pool on the top floor terrace also showed me the library area, and the spa facilities. Later on he mentioned that he used to be married to a French woman but he got divorced and is now single;
as he said 'Je suis libre' a smile of quiet contentment appeared.Someone who luckily escaped!,
obviously he didn't celebrate Valentine's Day yesterday!

' Even numbers are unlucky ! '

The two women at the tourist office at the train station in Tunis had been given a pink rose from the florist at the station. I asked them why they had only been given one and they replied that even numbers in the Arabic World is unlucky.

' The artist of this exhibition is my brother '

I visited a new exhibition at the Hope Contemporary Gallery 'The Day of the Bey' , the girl who showed me paintings mentioned that the artist was her brother.

' The original is in the cemetary in Carthage '

Today I went to the Bardo museum and in the final section there's a mausoleum but one of the museum assistants told me that ' the original is in the cemetery in Carthage '.

' You're on holiday '

On Tuesday morning at work I had found that I was supposed to be on holiday and not working , even David who had done the placement testing schedule thought I was working.
Well, it was too late to book anywhere to go to.

' I liked your silence '

One of the teachers doing the one-day TKT Introduction workshop at the British Council in her self reflection said she liked my silence; she realised the importance of the teacher being silent and allowing students to focus on their work.
She also mentioned that Tunisian teachers talk all the time and end up with a cough; probably losing their voice at the same time!

' C'est ne pas bon! '

There some construction work going by the seafront in La Marsa and a Tunisian man informed me
that the building was going to be another block of flats, which seems pretty stupid since the block of flats and shops for let is virtually empty! The man commented ' C'est ne pas bon! and he added it was better to have a park instead.

' I study Arabic five hours a day '

' Worms in my orange juice ! '

' The best thing about this place is the view ! '

While I was at the Tourist School in Sidi Bou Said one of the teachers mentioned that the best thing about the school was the view from the veranda outside the café/restaurant.

' I don't want to be teacher rep ! '

Peter, a new teachers, commented on being one of the nominated people for teacher rep:
' I don't want to be a teacher rep... I didn't even vote for myself!...'

He was surprised to find out he had already got a vote.

' R2D2 used to live down my road '

' It was an amazing day ! '

Today I did a TKT introduction workshop; overall the session went well and one of the participants said she enjoyed it very much ' It was an amazing day ! '.

' If we could have the BC Tunis office here..'

Amanda who used to work at the BC in Tunis but is now in Hanoi; she enjoys living in Vietnam but not working at the BC there and prefers BC Tunis!

' It's snowing in Algeria '

An Algerian man, who I often bump into at the bus stop, said it had been snowing in Algeria
- 10 cms of snow '.

' I got home at five to ten '

' I'm doing a MA in graffiti and rap '

' A friend of mine got shot yesterday '

' It's like a ghost town ! '

' I used to be a sports teacher '

' I'm going with Air France '

' We're going to a Japanese restaurant - but I don't know which one '

David was going to a Japanese restaurant with Maureen and Elaina but he had no idea which one they were going to. All a bit secretive!

' The driver was trying to run another driver off the road! '

In a taxi with Cormac on the way to the UTC school in Soukra Cormac mentioned that 8 people had died in the recent louage accident and he then went on to talk about a crazy driver who was trying to run another driver off the road!

' I used to play for a team in Madhi '

One of my students ,Khaled , mentioned he used to play for a football team in Mahdia ; a small town on the east coast of Tunisia. He said his position was in midfield.

' I like the smell of new shoes '

Elaina,who was sitting at the desk next to me, suddenly started smelling the inside of her shoes. She was checking to see that they still smelt nice!

' C'est un probleme avec le resistor '

' L'annee derniere etait mieux '

The manager of a small artisan shop ,which sells shampoo,soap and other natural bathroom products,
in the Medina of Tunis said the revolution was bad: especially for businesses and ' l'annee derniere etait mieux / last year was better ' ;she also mentioned the situation of 'chomage/unemployment '.  She added that things would be better in five years time.

' We were talking about the Time War '

Philip was talking about his 'Doctor Who ' lesson he'd done with his quiet Young Learners class;he did quite a few Kinaesthetic activities with the students and they were a bit more lively than usual.

 

They watched a trailer of the 'Day of the Doctor' and later on a scene,with Christopher Eccleston playing the 9th Doctor ;in which the Doctor, last remaining Time Lord confronting the last remaining Dalek. Later on in the lesson the students had to imagine how they would feel if they were the only person left on Planet Earth .

 

' That was awesome ! '

Ursula was talking about the 'Doctor Who fan ' talk I'd given the class she was covering. During the middle of my class I went to her class for a twenty minute interview ;the students asked me a wide variety of questions; then later they had to write up the interview. One of the questions asked was ' How did you feel when you first watched Doctor Who ? ' .otherwise the other questions were the typical questions that you get at Doctor Who conventions for instance questions about the special effects, your favourite character, favourite story etc 
Earlier that afternoon I'd done the same Doctor Who fan for Amanda's class and for both the classes I wore my Doctor Who T -shirt from 2012 and I'd also brought along my model TARDIS, a Doctor Who key ring, the Doctor Who annual 2013.

' The revolution was bad: now no security,no economy '

The manager of Café Zero was giving his opinion on the Tunis Revolution three years;basically he was saying though everybody were happy with the revolution now there was a problem with security and there hadn't been any change in the economy and no real changes.
The only real change appears to be that Tunisians are no longer afraid to voice their opinions and actually some changes have taken place new shops.cafes,restaurants popping up in La Marsa. However, for most Tunisians their main concern is getting a job and the economy.

' I've spent over 7,000 dinars over the past two months ! '

Fahim mentioned he has spent loads of money over the past two months mostly on the two wedding ceremonies,yes! he got married twice - the first time England and then in Tunisia. He's having to cut back on lots of things which means bringing his lunch rather than eating out. He's also trying to save up for his next holiday!

' I saw the sun-set from the pier '

This morning Tom told me about his day trip on Monday to Bizerte; he said he had a nice time walking around the harbour and walking along the beach. He also mentioned the pier where he could watch the sun-set. I've been to Bizerte a couple of times but I did't know about the pier;next time I go there I'll have to visit the pier,it's probably very different from the seaside piers in England !

' In comparison with the other countries Tunisia is OK'

Today is the 3rd anniversary of the Tunis Revolution and a holiday for everyone. However,most places are open and the only thing marking the occasion are the red flags in the streets.

While having breakfast I got talking to a local Tunisian guy,Sadok, who works as a video journalist and has also worked with the BBC HARDtalk  team. In our conversation re the Tunis Revolution he said : ' in comparison with the other countries ( in the MENA region) Tunisia is OK'; he mentioned that the main issues are the economy and security rather the issue of religion.

' We should have ten more like Kom Koi ! '

Today is a holiday;it's Mouled,though you wouldn't really notice as quite a few of the shops,cafes/restaurants etc. are still open and there's always an absence of any kind of celebration;
no parades in the street,no special decorations, etc.the main thing that they seem to do to celebrate is to have a 'mousse-like dessert 'called 'Assida'.

Anyway, I bumped into Cormac and his family at the Kom Koi café/restaurant; it's a nice place for lunch or a coffee. There's usually some nice background music;it could be soul,jazz or the latest pop hits!Cormac,who had just enjoyed his salad,commented that 'We should have ten more like Kom Koi!', if only! perhaps we could have at least five or six more places !

' Your confidence is sagging! '

This evening I attended the New Arab Debates presented by Tim Sebastian, known for the BBC's HARDTALK programme. Tonight the motion was 'The Arab Spring is over' and the televised debate was held at the Grand Hotel in Tunis.The debate was fairly lively with Tim Sebastian providing humorous comments and thought-provoking questions to stimulate debate between the two speakers.
I found that the comments and questions from the audience were actually more interesting than the two speakers' arguments and towards the end of the evening Tim questioned the confidence of the male speaker ' Your confidence is sagging !'Despite this apparent dent in his confidence he turned out to be the 'winner' as most of the audience seemed convinced by his arguments and voted against the motion.

' I don't want the f........ ticket ! ! '

This morning I had a pleasant surprise ;the micro-bus to Tunis was very luxurious! a brand new bus with very comfortable seats with air conditioning more like one of those coaches when you go a tour.

Anyway, at the bus stop by the Tunisie Telecom office John boarded the bus.

When we got near the stop in Tunis a bus inspector got on; I immediately showed my ticket and though it was all scrunched up the inspector did his obligatory tearing of the ticket.

The inspector then asked John for his ticket. John twice replied that the ticket was on his chair
( the seat ) ; he didn't want to go and get it. John's rucksack landed on the floor with a heavy thud as John reluctantly headed back to his seat to get the ticket.
As the inspector handed back the ticket ,John seemed to utter something in Arabic and then uttered a few words of Portuguese and then in Spanish ' No quiero' . Then bizzarely he suddenly started shouting at the inspector ' Get out of my f'  ------ing ' way! I want to get off the bus! I don't want the f........  ticket !' . It seemed John was having a mini-meltdown!
We got off the bus; John said he didn't like the way the inspector asked him for the ticket and as the bus passed us John gestured his hand in annoyance at the inspector.
I was really puzzled at John's behaviour as I know the bus driver and the inspector and I've always found them to be friendly and helpful!

' Two for the price of one ! '

' Two for the Price of One ! '

Today I had an interview for the position of Pro-ELT E-Learning Coordinator and in the end it turned out to be an interview for the other position I'd applied for, the position of ICT Coordinator.When I mentioned this to Sarah she said ' Two for the price of one! '.

' It was the second time that I'd crashed the car ! '

In today's INSETT at BC Tunis, Cormac, who was doing the topic of 'Interaction and Rapport' did a spot of story telling ,as an activity to create positive rapport,and the story that he used involved the time that he had crashed the company car while working as a medical consultant.
He said:' It was the second time that I'd crashed the car ! '
Let's hope he's a much better driver now!

As a result of the car accident he lost his job and not long after he became a English teacher!

' Her ear-drum exploded ! '

'Her ear-drum exploded! ' ;that sound pretty dramatic! Well, Maureen ( David's better half) has been off sick the last few days as she'd come down with a cold. This morning her ear-drum exploded ;blood and pus spurted out! ugh! ugh! Well, I hope she's better tomorrow.

' We had to stay the night in Paris '

' We had to stay the night in Paris':

That sounds quite romantic but in Joe's case; it wasn't! This ended up part of their flight back to Tunis.Joe and his family had hoped to catch their Air France connection to Tunis via Paris but the flight from London Heathrow Airport to Paris was delayed and so they missed the connection.
Joe said that although it was nice having dinner at the hotel in Paris his family only had five hours sleep before getting up the next day to finally catch their flight to Tunisia and the next day Joe had to go to work ;by the end of the day he was obviously completely exhausted!

' 85 Dinars ,it's not expensive ' ' Delivery by Drone! ' ' You can't just click the 'undo' button '

Today I'd gone into Tunis to get some money to pay the rent and later on had lunch at the Café de Theatre. As I made  my way to the bus stop to go back to Tunis I passed a 'Nike' sports shop; in the main display were some Manchester United sport clothes and nearby was a Manchester United football;the shop owner said '85 Dinars ,it's not expensive... the transport costs etc....'

Back in La Marsa I met up with Mariol ,Matthew and David in Café Cosmitto.
For Christmas David had treated himself to a Kindle Fire HD tablet ;he mentioned that Amazon's got the idea of using Drones to deliver Kindles!

In a conversation with Mariol, who' s expecting her first baby, David asked her if she was OK about having the baby ;comments of 'You can't go back in time and change things' and 'You can't just click the 'undo' button ! ' came up during the 'baby talk'.

'Last week the weather was fantastic ! '

Today the weather is a bit changeable sun, rain, sun and fairly cloudy.
I bumped into Esther, Cormac's wife, on La Marsa promenade.

She said ' last week the weather was fantastic!'.
I guess the rain in Europe has arrived in Tunisia!

' There was a man in my bed! ' ' They always sound so irritated' ' I've never seen a 3D film'

'There was a man in my bed ! ':

First day back at work: I wished Philip 'Happy New Year ! ' and then asked him if he'd seen the landlady; he replied he'd had an argument with her. He had arrived back to find the light and TV on his flat; at first he thought he had left them on before leaving the flat to go to the airport . When he entered the flat he saw that everything had been moved around and he found a man in his bed!
He also found David C's cat in the flat; it seems the landlady had 'sub-let the flat to a Tunisian man and David C's cat. A pity it hadn't been a woman in the bed and not a man!

'They always sound irritated! ':
In the taxi on the way back to La Marsa ; Kristin mentioned that the Tunisian people on the local radio station 'always sound irritated'.I suppose they might sound even more irritated when we don't really know the language though comparing Tunisian Arabic with Italian, Portuguese and Spanish these particular languages sound much more delightful to listen to despite only maybe understanding a few words of the language.

During the taxi journey I briefly talked about the 3D films, 'Frozen' and 'The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug'   I'd seen during the Christmas holidays;
Kristin said she 'she never seen a 3D film'.

' I don't believe in Oyster!! '

'I don't believe in Oyster' this comment was let out in frustration by an elderly man who was really pissed of at being unable to get a ticket from the ticket machine and then being told he should have got a ticket beforehand at a local shop via an Oyster card.

The man exploded with anger:
' I've been trying to get a ticket for the last half an hour !; I don't believe in Oyster !'.

One of the train station guardsmen eventually escorted him to the to the other entrance and the main ticket office.

Perhaps the man should watch this video!

'For god sake , just let me chill out!' ,' Maybe we can sweet-talk him'

2nd January
location: on the train from Wimbledon back to Clapham Junction:

'For god sake! just let me chill out!

The speaker, a young girl on her mobile phone seemingly talking to her boyfriend, about making holiday plans for September.She had a holiday brochure on her lap and mentioned the possibility of scuba diving and travelling to Penang and Langkawi ( Malaysia) and also mentioned that the longest time she could ask her boss for time off was 2 weeks.


Location: Behind the London Eye while waiting for the New Year's Eve fireworks:

'Maybe we can sweet talk him ' a young elegantly young woman taking to her similarly  dressed female friend about trying to persuade the police officer to let them around to the other side of  a huge crowd of people to get across to the other side of the river Thames.However,they didn't realise that the main viewing areas by the river had been sectioned off and were already full to capacity making it impossible to get across the river from the London Eye side.

The two young women were seemed to speak quite 'poshly',though the food and drink they were eating wasn't particularly 'posh': hamburgers,probably from MacDonald's and 'Kentucky 'style pieces of fried chicken all washed down by a bottle of wine and a bottle of coca cola.