Today's theme was 'hotels', which was a great opportunity to show a Youtube clip from the old BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. The clip starts with Manuel, the Spanish waiter and porter, cleaning the desk at reception practising his English. "Hello! Helloooo! I speak English. I learned it from a booook." As Manuel ducks under a desk, the Major (one of the hotel elderly guests) wanders into the foyer and hears the words, "Helloo!" The Major looks at the reception desk and sees a giant moose head mounted on a board. The moose seems to say, "I speak English, I learned it from a book," which astonishes the Major so much that he starts stammering and peers at the moose very closely.
The students were highly amused.
It was another day of celebration as the troops said farewell to Major Gabby, of the Australian Army, who has coordinated the English-Language Learning program. We listened to the officers and students deliver speeches of gratitude. They presented her with a traditional Timorese flax basket and a silk Thais (scarf) in the colors of the Timor Leste flag. In turn, she presented the officers with a silver cake-cutter for graduations and other special occasions (up till now they've been using plastic knives). No one was being overtly sentimental or effusive--it was very low-key--but somehow that made it more affecting. At least I was affected (or maybe it was just the heat!).
Karen, who is taking Gabby's position, was also officially presented to and welcomed by the students.
All the while the speeches were going on, there was a large white table in the center of the crowd that was festooned with flowers and doughnuts.
Finally, the Commanding Officer motioned to the table and said, "And now, let us..."
The soldier beside me, one of my wise-cracking students, murmured, "Attack and destroy!"
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