Dundee

Hannah - my newest tutor - worked with me for the first time, today.  She's cheerful and bubbly, with a contagious enthusiasm that really works for these classes.  We were working in Dundee and the first challenge was meeting each other.  I caught the train from Edinburgh, while she caught the bus from Aberdeen.  We met at an M&S and headed to the venue - a pub called Drouthy Neebors.

It was a beautiful place and we quickly set about moving chairs about and setting out sketchpads.  Then, when I saw a curtained off area, I talked Hannah through the recently developed introduction procedure, then hid behind the curtain.

It didn't work this time, though.  I hadn't had direct contact with anyone from this particular group, so didn't know how many of them were aware of the nature of the event before they arrived.  Turns out all barring the bride knew, so I could hear them expressing disbelief and pointing out the curtain.  So, no dramatic entrance for once.

The group were from Aberdeenshire, so while I was taking up the first couple of poses, I let them know I used to live up there myself.  I spoke about how I once lived in Inverurie and a few of the girls let out cheers, since they also lived there.  One of them was a retired teacher.  We spent a minute or two trying to work out whether she had ever taught me, but came to no real conclusions.  That was definitely a surreal moment.

I was disappointed, though - nobody commented on my recent bit of maintenance and even when I mentioned that I had been waxed, the response was completely underwhelming.  Nobody cared.  Why do I put myself through these things when nobody appreciates the pain I have to go through?

Another fun class, though.  Sadly, I had to disrupt the continuity at the end by getting dressed and letting everyone see me with my clothes on before I left.  I prefer not to break the pattern, but sometimes it's unavoidable.

For the second time in as many weeks, someone took video footage of the event.  So, for the second time in as many weeks, I want to put out a request for a copy of it, along with the usual request for comments and photographs.

Afterwards, Hannah and I stopped at a cafe and had something to eat.  I told her I'd be very happy to hire her again in the future.  And now I'm hoping to get a job in Aberdeen in a couple of weeks, so I can do exactly that.