As we were getting on the bus to go out to KU for a special pregraduation event, we had to wait for 3 security people to get on before us. As we punched our tickets, they went to each passenger and asked for a ticket or bus pass. A college aged looking kid in the back seat looked thought all his pockets and his bag but came up empty. He was escorted off the bus and put into a security car. A bus ticket costs 1.8 lita and the fine is 100 lita. Even I can do that math. The thing I really don't understand is why the guy didn't plan ahead and have an old ticket in his bag for just such an occasion. I get on the bus, punch my ticket and throw it down into my bag so I might have a dozen of them. They are not date stamped or anything. I guess he just isn't the sharpest crayon in the box.
Later in the day I got to see my first Hari Krishna parade. There were about 10 or so, some in robes and some in civvies following a guy holding a standard with a red banner and gold crest. They marched down the street singing "Hari Krishna, Hari Krishna" over and over again, no other words. When they got close to the entrance of the old market they stopped and an older guy with a microphome started giving a rousing speech. Two police officers, one a man and one a woman were standing off to the side observing. A side note: They had no problem passing the police must be pretty test. I assume from our experience earlier this morning that if you aren't pretty, you become a bus cop instead.
The event at school was neat. They call it the last lecture day and each department has a little ceremony where the professors each say a few words to their students and the team leader student says a few words to the professors. Del was asked to say the first few words, and I was asked to say the last few words. We both kept it short. The faculty gives token gifts to the graduates and they give a plant to the department.
Then the whole college goes to the auditorium where the dean and various ones speak. A student from the political science department spoke and then one of the journalism students. Not speaking the language, I don't know what they said, but was told that the journalism student said she wanted to pass around the college's lucky bell, because they would need luck in getting jobs. She grabbed it up and started passing it around. The dean laughed and responded to the effect that journalists needed to be assertive. If they couldn't get in by the door, they should try the window and if that didn't work they should come down the chimney.
The students had decorated with lots of balloons and crepe paper garlands. Del thought it looked like a lot of work considering they put up the decorations early this morning and took them down right after the event ended, about 1 o'clock. They were so excited. Now they just have exams.
On the way home from the bus stop we went to see our childrens' librarian friends. We had a nice visit. They are in the middle of doing some minor remodeling and painting. I was sort of disappointed to see that they had taken out the cage where the late owl lived. I guess it was wasted space, but it was kind of fun even with only a stuffed owl there. We met the brother of one of the librarians who was visiting from the UK. He sounded quite British, so I guess he has lived there for a long time.
By this time it was about 3 o'clock so we stopped to have "linner", as Del calls it, at a little restaurant he had never been to. It won't be our favorite, but it was pretty good.
My bargain of the day was the cost of the repair to the ring I had cut off a few weeks ago. The shop was on the way home, and I figured my sore joint had gone down as much as it was going to, so I went back to the jewelry master to have it fixed. For the grand sum of 60 lita or 24 US dollars he put it back together. Equally amazing was that I was able to pick it up 2 hours later. He did a good job. I should have brought the broken jewelry I have at home to be fixed.
Tomorrow I will cook some goodies for our last classes and we will heat water for all hot water necessities.
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