Me vs The Secretary

Two recent scenarios featuring two elementary schools, two secretaries and two photocopiers.

SCENE 1:
Me - (In general direction of teachers in staff room, including Vice-Principal) How many students are there in the second grade? I need to make some copies. Is that okay?
Random Teacher - There are 28. Here, use this photocopier. Do you need any help?
Me - Thanks, no I'm fine.
Smiles all round.

I stand there and hum while the copier does what it does best. The school secretary approaches.
Secretary - Rosie-sensei, you can't use this machine for large amounts of copies. It is not allowed. Not allowed. Use the other machine in the future.
Me - O-kay...

SCENE 2:
I arrive at school and my class starts in 20 minutes. I approach the Secretary in the office.
Me - Excuse me, I need some copies. Is that okay?
Secretary - Sure.
Me - Could I please have 35 copies of this page.
Secretary - 35 copies?
Me - Yes. That's right. This page.
Secretary - Of this page?
Me - Yes please.
Secretary - So that's 35 copies of this page.
Me - Yes please. Thank you very much.
Secretary - 35 copies of this page on B5 paper. Or would you like A4?
Me - No, B5 is fine. Thank you very much.
Secretary - 35 copies of this page on B5 paper.
Me - Yes, that would be great.
Secretary - Would you like this page as well?
Me - No, thanks. Just this page.
Secretary - You don't need this page too?
Me - No, thank you. Just that is fine.
Secretary - Okay, please wait a moment.
I go back to the room and wait, bowing and onegaishimasu-ing.

10 or so minutes later and no sign of the Secretary. I check back at the office.
Secretary - (running furiously between rooms, book and copies flailing) Please wait a moment Rosie-sensei!

5 minutes later - no sign of Secretary. At all. Children have come down to find out where I am and have been sent back up to the classroom as I aimlessly wander the halls looking for the Secretary.

5 minutes later, I come across the Secretary with my copies. She has laid them out in several piles.
Me - (Gesturing to take the copies and go) Thank you very much!
Secretary - Here is 35 copies. Here are the extras. And here are the copies that didn't come out. And we don't need these ones. (All look identical).
Me - Thank you!

Later that day, realising the Secretary has not given me back the book she made the copies from, I cautiously approach the office...

Me - Excuse me, I'm sorry, do you have the yellow book?
Secretary - Oh, the yellow book. (She starts frantically unearthing the office).
Me - It's okay, Later is fine.
Secretary - No, it's in the copy room. (Runs frantically down the hallway in direction of copy room. I run after her.)

She then proceeds to enlist three other teachers in a frantic search for the yellow book throughout the copy room and teachers room. Yellow book is eventually found next to the microwave.

LESSON - DO NOT PHOTOCOPY!

Goodbye Summer

The promise of autumn kept me going through the humid summer and now it is here. Beautiful warm days, the air con is off, the breeze is blowing. I love it.

So the big news - Dan and I are going to New York for Christmas! Our friend Chris Mack is going home to New Jersey and is very kindly taking us with him. I hear the Sopranos theme tune with Jingle Bells in the background...

Being geeky Social Studies teachers, we are gonna try to sneak in a rendezvous to Washington D.C to get our picture in front of the White House and JFKs final resting place. It is very surreal to be going to the Big Apple. I can't wait to see the Statue of Liberty, to eat pizza and bagels and to hear Chris's mother yell "the coaffee's ready" in the morning.

Bada bing...

Demi's Reign of Terror

Ladies Coffee Morning!

Miss Jodi

Miss Demi

AWOL

Hi everyone. Yes, I'm back! And I have been for over 3 weeks now. My excuses are not only have I been really busy this summer but I also found switching between my two worlds extremely disorientating. Last week I saw a familiar face and stopped for a chat. It wasn't til I was driving away that I realised I had gotten him mixed up with someone else. So instead of chatting to a university student who occasionally comes over when we have a booze up, I was chatting to a teacher at my base school. I can only think about the conversation and cringe. Argh!

New Zealand - this year I crammed three weeks into two weeks. I wanted to spend as much time as humanly possible with the babies, shop for a new wardrobe (way harder and more time consuming than I could ever have guessed) and catch up with my fabulous friends and family.

Jodi-chan - 4 years old, she acted as if I had never left. She is going to morning kindy now and looks fantastic in purple. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Will be enrolled in dancing school as soon as Aunty gets back.

Demi-chan - blondie will be 2 in November, couldn't remember me from a bar of soap, gave me wicked evils and had to be bribed with new pink sparkle shoes, carob buttons and piggyback rides.

More is coming soon - behind the scenes gossip, exclusive photos and Dan's shock confession "I loved every minute with Chris Kilby".