The day started with mass at 07:00 where the nuns celebrated Venetia's birthday by inviting one of us to read the lesson - Christopher got the short straw and thank goodness read slowly and clearly for all to understand! IMG_3893 With the exception of Joseph who is up in Bombay today for a 3 day wedding, the whole class joined in and we went through the core unit and the colour wheel. Some of the students are already excellent artists in their own right, so doing this was almost an insult, but they all need to complete the course and this is a fundamental part of it. IMG_3900 All the students are engaged on at least one project allocated to them from the archbishops, and then many have brought in their own work, including today some wonderful polychrome statues and exquisite paintings which are a joy to see.   IMG_3898I am not quite sure at times who is  learning the most, them or me with a full immersion in Indo/Portuguese candle - relic holders, statues (Saints which have their faces carved in ivory) paintings on canvas  (Milena brought a beautiful painting of Mary holding lovingly the baby Jesus) and panel painting (Saint Peter surrounded by angels and the symbology of fire and a cockerel a the bottom).   DSC_3136       This afternoon work started on the scaffolding in the chapel to enable us to work on the statue of Christ behind the altar. Our resident architect Rhea (one of the students) supervised how they were building the bamboo scaffolding, and assured me that bamboo is in fact stronger than steel! It will be an interesting cleaning job    5-6 metres up to the base of the statue.     Sadly it's Anna's last day here in Goa - she has been a real star and so helpful. Two of the paintings are back on the stretchers and a third one is shrunk and almost cleaned. She was brilliant at mentoring the other students (I think there is a born teacher lurking beneath her skin). We will miss her and the lethal calorific cakes, but she tells me that she has loved every minute and wants to come back!