Leigh in Azerbaijan

Yesterday it was goodbye to Grade 4’s and today Grade 5’s.  School is now over for the students but there’s yet 8 days formally left for teachers.  I’m not quite sure why. There’s only so much planning that can be done so far from the start of the school year.

This morning saw a changed timetable which meant that I didn’t have any lessons with the students.   I was however able to call into my two classes, 5C and 5D, over various lessons to see what they were doing and get in some good time with them.   There’s something about a farewell that helps a realisation of how precious the relationship has been.  That’s how I have been feeling this week, and I’m honoured to say that’s also what the students have been telling me with some special long hugs repeated a number of times from some, requests to write a message on their white school shirts, requests to have photos taken with me and requests for my email address.  I especially valued a couple of hugs from students who I didn’t allow to sit together after so much time was lost in talking.

This afternoon was a concert called Kocovisiyon that students had to audition for.  The school had hired special lighting and a smoke machine, so with the existing good sound system it was an impressive presentation.  The songs were mostly lip-synch’ed to popular songs as well as having a dance routine with them.   A few staff also joined with one of the secretarial staff, well disguised as Elvis Presley, doing Jailhouse Rock (not sure if I’m right there).   To begin with I thought it was a male but the belly-dance moves made me think that it must be a woman and then I realised who it was.  A group of girls and one boy who included bellydance in the routine, along with the waist sashes (what do you call them?) covered in gold coins, were the winners of the competition.

The most interesting thing about the event however is the response of the students – an “over the top” enthusiasm that seems to verge on anarchy.

Still haven’t updated on photos.  I’ll work on it.