Friday, October 9, 2009

i haven’t posted!

because i’ve been working.
i know, it’s only 4 days a week but it takes a while to get back into the swing of things.
i’ve even been going in early! but we, that’s my co-worker and i, have decided that we are NOT going to stay late any more. we are supposed to finish at 3. (cos that's what we get paid to do.) but many times we get swamped and look at the clock and it’s 4.30. THAT's not going to happen again. we only went in early for the first week to get set up. and now we are going to return to our slovenly ways of getting there 5 mins before the students. well actually they are 'keeners' and are usually waiting at the door to GET IN! imagine.
so let me rephrase that. we will return to getting there 5 mins before classes start.

and now we’ve decided to give ourselves a whole morning once a week to devote to paperwork. so that we never become overwhelmed again and have to stay late. we will take turns in taking both classes for the morning and the other person will do the paperwork and return the phone calls and keep us organized.
what a great system!
foolproof.
i’m sure it will last for oh, 5 mins.
(update: I wrote this a few weeks ago. we are now into week 4 or 5 and we are still arriving early and staying late AND the paperwork morning has become a paperwork DAY! och, the best laid plans o' mice and men....)

last term we had a really interesting young fella whom i will name ‘BJ’ because i shouldn’t use his real name. that would be wrong. or illegal, or something.
last term when BJ, who is 21, started with us he told me he was delighted to have an ‘English’ (as in FROM england) teacher because he is a total anglophile.
his parents are english, his grandparents are english and even tho’ he was born here in canada he has a perfect southern english accent. which kinda tickled me.
he loved english this, he adored english that and his life's ambition was to live there! to go to the soccer game on a saturday, the pub for a pint afterwards, fish and chips on the way home and roast beef dinners on a sunday. (the englishman's dream).

well this year he hasn’t returned my phone messages re his start date or acknowledged our letter re the same. so i phoned his guardian, his grandfather, who has the EXACT same voice, dialect as BJ. we chatted about being english, as you do, and i said i was fascinated by the fact that BJ, having been born in canada, had a perfect english accent. ‘yeah’ his grandfather said. ‘he can do that’.
so the other day there’s a message on the machine from someone. i can’t place who it is. he’s apologising for not returning calls or acknowledging our letter but assures me he wants to return to the fold next week.
huh? i go thru a mental list of who’s who. and then conclude. “it’s BJ!” sans english accent. he’s totally canadian now. not even a trace of ‘ow’s yer father missus' or 'ooer dear here’s me hat ‘n coat.’ very strange.
it’s going to be an interesting year.

update: (BJ's back and so is the english accent luv. 'ow are ye?'  fascinating.)

11 comments:

Steve said...

Accents are wonderful things... I wish I had one.

;-)

Busy Bee Suz said...

I think BJ is a phonie. :)
What is a 'keener'?
If you vowed to not come in early, or work late, then why are you doing it? I know, glutton for punishment huh?
I have missed reading you. You don't know how much you mean with your funny little self. Why do we have to suffer because you have to work? You must figure out how to do both, or give up the job.
please.

ChiTown Girl said...

I've missed you so, my friend!! STOP going in early and staying late!!! You need some down time, Lady! (Yeah, easy for me to say. I've been on break for 2 weeks now! tee hee!)

Gberger said...

I hope you're enjoying your work, even though the hours are long.

Love the accent story...I had a professor in college (in southern California) who taught "History of Modern Britain." It was a great class, but the downside is that he used a (very bad, very distracting) fake British accent, daily. It was one of the most ridiculous and pompous things I'd ever seen, at that age. 20+ years later, I still remember it! Thanks for the smiles.

Ladybird World Mother said...

I love that sort of post... PLEASE keep us updated as to the latest accent of BJ. How odd is that...
Poor you with all that paperwork... completely understand that one. Hell, isnt it. Hope you're not still swamped. And get home ON TIME!!xx

Kee said...

LOL. Must meet this BJ fella. Was his English accent authentic last year? If so thats hilarious that he could fool even you- not possible! Did you say to him "loookkk at the boookk"? and tell him about your daughter-in-law named Carrie or Kaaari?

Evil Twin's Wife said...

That's funny. He's probably so used to hearing it, it's second nature to pick it up.

KAZ said...

Very interesting about BJ's accent.
It always surprises me how Hugh Laurie can do it in 'House'.
It'll be interesting to see if he keeps it up.
Paper work at the beginning of term - nightmare!

Pam said...

BJ is obviously a player and I am sad about that - too late to help him you think?
Good luck sharing stuff XXX

C said...

i LERVE me the english accents [diane] and i am so glad you have decide to blog again, at least for now. i missed ya, pat.
and ditto busy bee suz!

hugs,

c

Clippy Mat said...

Steve: I'm thinking you've got a Brummy accent?

Suz: BJ is a phoney you're right! Thanks for missing me. ;-) A keener is someone who is keen I think. Or did I just make it up, I'm not sure really. Sometimes I just put things in that I only think fit. x

Chi-Chi: I wish I could there's just so much to do and when it doesn't get done I feel like I can't do my job properly... what's the answer to that one I don't know. :-)

Karen: I do enjoy my work for the most part. Really the hours aren't that long, it's not like I'm down the mines or anything. I hope it will settle down soon and I can go back to being slap dash. I hate phoney Brit accents a la Madonna. BJ's is fake but it's good. He seems to have absorbed it somehow.

Ladybird: I will keep you posted on BJ. He continues to entertain me. ;-)

Kee it's not me who talks funny it's you. "Luck at the buck Keri" LOL
x

ETW: it's true. He must have a perfect ear for it.

Kaz: I love your AbFab pic. Are you like Patsy I wonder??? I don't get Hugh Laurie... why dont they just have a real American play the part?? he's such an "Englishman" in real life too.

Pam: hope I didn't give you the wrong impression of BJ. He's a delight really. He's presently doing a research project in our indpendent study class on the Queen! of all people. He loves Royalty an'all. Gawd! :-)

C: thanks for kind comments. And that award which is now on the mantlepiece out front there.
cheers pet :-) (said that in me Geordie accent just for you)