No lessons!

I just found out this morning that there will be no lessons this week because of the compulsory excursion to Galilee for all new students. Because last year's excursion was cancelled, 2nd year students who missed it also have to participate. That makes the school pretty quiet since two thirds of the student body will be on this 5 day excursion. Not that this will affect me much - except that I'll not have philology lessons this Friday; and Mass will be less crowded with student concelebrants. Yippie! That means less pressure for me when I preside at Mass!

I managed to make Sr Pieta smile yesterday evening after dinner. As hebdom, it's also our duty to clear up the refectory table after meals. So after putting all the plates and cups in the sink, and throwing out the rubbish (you can't imagine how much work it is to clear up a dinner table with 40 people eating!), I said "Praise God" in polish to the sisters - Sr Pieta was delighted and smiled. Then she whispered to Sr. Geronima to ask me what "thank you" is in chinese. I said "xie xie" but all she could manage was "shway shway" which in arabic means "Slowly / take your time". We had a good laugh. So that's my good deed for the day - not an easy task I must add.

The dean wants to see me today. He whispered (just before yesterday's Vespers in the chapel) that we must do something for the 100th anniversary of Fr Allegra and the 40th anniversary of the publication of the Chinese Bible. So I'll see him in his office this afternoon. Meanwhile this morning I thought of cleaning my room. But I can't do it alone - moving 12 suitcases and clothes from the floor, and tons and tons of books in every space I can find in my room. I'll get Jean Paul Ogmba to help. He's an african student - very bright and speaks very good french and german. I'll practice some french while cleaning out my room with him. See, I don't waste any opportunity that comes my way! In turn he practices his english.

Some of you have noticed that I'm writing the blogs at very odd hours of the night. Well the fact is simple - the computer clock has gone haywire. I usually write my blog either after breakfast or after lunch. That's when its noisiest in my part of the corridor and I can't rest or study. You see, the Sala Caffe (coffee pantry) is just opposite my room, and after every meal the italians must have their espresso. So they congregate at the Sala Caffe and chat away. Fr Niccacci and myself have rooms directly opposite the Sala Caffe so we try to do things to while away the time till the Sala is empty and quiet again. There's a house rule though, that after 1.30pm the Sala should be quiet. But since lunch finishes at 12.45pm there's a good 45 minutes to spend time updating my blog.

Winter is finally arriving. It's quite cool in the evenings now and I see several friars wearing woollen clothes already. I guess I'll have to search my 12 suitcases to find my winter clothes today. The sky is pretty dark by 5pm and the winter gloom is setting in. Not something I particularly like. It means more friars will flock more frequently to the Sala Caffe for hot drinks to warm themselves at other hours of the day. That reminds me: I need to buy a kettle so I can make tea in my room during winter to keep warm. But you know the local logic by now - I'll probably end up with a bed or something else rather than a kettle!