Meddling Kids

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I have now been here a whole month - well, twenty eight days, which was my minimum commitment. And I might actually have an actual student. Actually.

There's a kid who, according to his father, already speaks English at an advanced level, and the father wants him to have more conversational practice. I take this to mean (1) the kid is probably at a low intermediate level, (2) The father wants him to go to America to make lots of money to support the family and (3) The kid himself isn't so keen on the idea.

Cynical? Moi? Well, we'll see.

Update: Veli is eighteenish, personable, eager to learn, and I'd say a mid-intermediate speaker. Very good on grammar and pronunciation, less good on intonation and phrasal verbs.

He also has the most adorable jet black floppy hair that...yes well anyway.

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One thing about living in the office - I get to be the one who answers the phone. That's right, I'm the secretary. There can't be many companies that employ someone to answer the phone who can't speak the language. It could be a whole new business strategy.

So this evening I got a call that went a little further than most:

[ring...ring...]
Kapitano: Ahlo?
Caller: [stream of words, but it sounds like a question]
Kapitano: Sori, serm angliiski.
Caller: Ah. Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
Kapitano: Nur klein.
Caller: Ah. Chao.
[click]

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The night's movie? Scooby Doo.

A live action version of the cartoon, featuring lots of knowingly self-referential jokes, scarily accurate casting and voices, and a CGI Scooby.

The team are reunited to solve a puzzle, only to find themselves saving the world from ghosts that aren't janitors in masks. Daphne the purple one who's only purpose in life is to be kidnapped by the bad guys so her friends can rescue here gets played by Sarah Michelle Geller - and turns into a kung-fu kicking slayer of supernatural beasts. Vilma, formerly the red clad bespectacled one who solves the crimes and gets none of the credit, gets the credit and a boyfriend.

Fred, the vacuous self-obsessed jock who contributes nothing but self-appointed leadership, gets to do something, and Shaggy the cowardly hippy gets to be brave - and does male bonding with his hallucinogenic CGI Great Dane.

Oh, and the evil mastermind is revealed at the end to be...an incredibly annoying puppy mysteriously convinced everyone loves him. Yes.

I expected to be unimpressed, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Does that make me a shallow person?

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