Hanging from the Ceiling

Look everyone - it's the photocopied house! Now, where is the television? Cue a long pause. Because I remember what a television is, and I can see it very clearly in the picture. But I cannot for the life of me remember how to say "in the corner". Everyone's looking. I've got to say something. "Rhino, where is the television?" The teacher repeats the question, more slowly this time as if to emphasize how very stupid I must be (or am I paranoid??). Several of my classmates shoot me pitying glances. I can see one mouthing the answer but - unfortunately - the only word I can make out is "television". Suddenly I have a flash of genius. "The television is ..." wait for it "...next to the desk?" "Good, Rhino, the television is next to the desk. And where is the desk, Paul?" Phew, there are another 15 people to get through before it's my turn again - surely we'll have exhausted the contents of this room by then? Of such dry-mouthed drama are my Tuesdays made, dear reader, ever since I decided to learn another language. I'd forgotten what it was like to be completely stymied by the word for "handtowel" and to retain only the phrase "hanging from the ceiling". However, last week's vocab test showed that I have a firm grasp of "checked", "striped", "flowery" and "patterned". I love it, it's just like being 14 again. All the "boys" sit towards the back of the room, doodling on their pads and snickering. Last week's exercise " a __ can be __" (adjectives, you see) produced the gem "a girl can be dirty" (phnaaar) which kept us giggling for a good 15 minutes. The "girls", on the other hand, sit at the front and all have dictionaries. And furry pencilcases. OK, I'm making that bit up but they DO all have dictionaries. I'm already looking forward to the school holidays...