Last School Day of the First Week (Part 1)

This follows on from Mostly An Evening Out, and surprised me by coming in at 4,724 words.  This is too large for Livejournal, so this has turned into a two part post. :)

It was a very pleasant morning, and warm enough to make me glad both that the warmest part of the year was past and that I usually started earlier in the morning than this. On the other hand, the shops were open, and more people were about. I dropped coins in the bowls of a shaven-haired monk, a beggar who looked like he had a wasting disease, and an education charity for foreign refugees. Those donations meant I had no qualms about turning down the opposing political parties touting for business at the University gates – I even managed to escape without copies of their handouts. Ying Li from my tutorial group wasn’t being so fortunate, the young man with a clipboard and pen who had her cornered against the gate wanted her to sign up for something and her body language screamed with discomfort.

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Last School Day of the First Week (Part 2) can be found here.

Last School Day of the First Week (Part 2)

This is follows on from Last Day of the First Week (Part 1) - there are two parts because the whole post was too long.


The signs led me to a desk at the western end of the floor where it looked like a room had been demolished and remodelled into an open support area. There were several empty desks, storage cupboards labelled with the names of stationery items, and a board of names with statuses such as ‘teaching’ or ‘out of office’ beside them. A thin, middle-aged woman with a heavily powdered face sat at the desk labelled ‘Reception’. I bowed politely, and said, “Good afternoon, I’m here to deliver some letters of introduction. I realise that the addressees probably aren’t available now, so how should I proceed?”

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This is now followed by More Domesticity and Business.

Last School Day of the First Week

This follows on from Mostly an Evening Out and runs to 4,725 words.

It was a very pleasant morning, and warm enough to make me glad both that the warmest part of the year was past and that I usually started earlier in the morning than this. On the other hand, the shops were open, and more people were about. I dropped coins in the bowls of a shaven-haired monk, a beggar who looked like he had a wasting disease, and an education charity for foreign refugees. Those donations meant I had no qualms about turning down the opposing political parties touting for business at the University gates – I even managed to escape without copies of their handouts. Ying Li from my tutorial group wasn’t being so fortunate, the young man with a clipboard and pen who had her cornered against the gate wanted her to sign up for something and her body language screamed with discomfort.

( Read more... )

This is now followed by More Domesticity and Business.