We are not really sure, but we have not seen D all week.......... I asked Leo if he had really gone, and he said "virtually", which is practically the worst thing he could say to someone in IT, we know all about real and virtual.

It's great not having seen him for two days, I can feel my blood pressure returning to normal. We are having a tough week, but at least it's not to the accompaniment of worry beads, tapping shoes and hyperventilation. Today for example David and I did four hours of system demo with very little nervousness or anxiety, Leo was there with us, and we did have to answer questions as well, from Rosetta and Andreas. But we didn't have the fear of giving a "wrong" answer or being attacked by D for not having done something.

Leo has suggested we had a farewell party for D, I passed on David's idea of having a sombrero party and all putting on our best Mexican accents! D has a Mexican accent, and, for some reason, it is not allowed to make fun of Mexican accents, but it is perfectly OK for him to laugh hilariously at German or Danish accents. I don't get this one, and in fact I don't get D's whole racism thing. Its something he's always on about, once he told me off for saying "Filipina maid", as I was referring to one that I had seen at a neighbour's house. This apparently is highly racist, I can't see why, but it doesn't seem to be racist to say "German maid" or "French photographer" or "Israeli architect". And he's always raving on about how rude the French are, which I would have thought was racist, so he is certainly quite screwed up somewhere.

Today looks like being another twelve hour day, like yesterday, since I have "homework" from the morning's sessions, plus I have to prepare for my guest appearance at Marlon's training course tomorrow. Last night I went home and watched a movie that started as I walked in the door at 21:15 and finished at 23:30, at which point I had a bath and went to bed. Then I got up at 7:15 and it all started again. After the four hour demo, David and I were exhausted and we went across the road to the Italian restaurant to have lunch, we could barely pick up the forks to convey the food to our mouths.

So this may not be a big stitching week..... last night, I just did some of the background on the Green Usak centre, I shall be happy if I get this finished and get on to the border this week. And I am trying to tidy up and get things straight at home, in preparation for going back to Paris, but Alec said to me earlier, you will be back here after the holidays, you know. So I don't know, I really don't.