I'd forgotten that today sees one of the most fun events of the year.

The International Fair where our students from foreign countries get a special welcome, briefings and, in breaks, an opportunity to visit various stalls such as banks touting for account custom, the Student Union, and of course the Library.

We go and give out leaflets and floor plans and show them the web site and generally enthuse about the Library. I probably wrote about this last year, but best bit for me is finally having a use for all those odd words and phrases I know from around the world (plus memories of visiting some 40 odd countries). Great fun trotting out 'Good day' in Bulgarian, my name in Chinese characters, "My German is clumsy, clumsy and clumsy" (but with three 'clumsy' words) in German and the Nigerian national anthem with a guy who was game enough to join in but somewhat bemused in retrospect.

Of course, I was really holding out for a Czech as I've newly acquired an impossible tongue twister (and a few other words and phrases in the language). And just after lunch a Czech computing student came past, then a little later a Czech engineering student. The latter tried to convince me that the 'impossible' letter of their alphabet was easy. But both were impressed with the tongue twister - or perhaps just thought it lunacy that that's what anyone would choose to learn.