So, I don’t have any sort of theme, moral lesson, or great epiphany moment for this entry; but it’s been a while and I feel as though I should update some folks. I’m currently a bit sick. I thought I was on the back end of my ailment but I woke up this morning with my face full of snott thick as cement and alarmingly yellow. I think it’s because I didn’t use my netti pot or whatever that thing is called last night or this morning. I bought one a few years ago when I had a raging sinus infection, and I can’t say I’ve used it much since then. While I was packing to come over here it seemed like a good thing to throw in the pile though. In the words of Big John, “I could buy myself as ass-kicking machine” for having not used it more over the interim years between when I bought it and now. It’s pretty much legit—combining the power of ocean spray or some other saline solution spray with a warm irrigation system. Plus, it also makes me contemplate my anatomy and remember words like “pharynx” from high school.
On Tuesdays I now venture to the next town over, Brezno. I’m going to be helping out in some classes at a school there so the students get some exposure to a real, live native English speaker and can practice a little. This school is called the Hotel academy or something, so the students there are mostly on track for jobs in hotel management, etc. They will most-def need to learn some conversational English, so it’ll be good. It gives me more exposure, and lets me hang out in another town for a while at least once a week-one that actually has shops, coffee shops and cafes with Wi-fi, and feels like it has some more hustle and bustle. I’m stoked.
The trees here are going NUTS! I don’t know if I’ve neglected to mention how insanely green this place is, but now the hills are flaming with licks of orange, red, and yellow, and every color in between. I’ve been taking mad-pictures, but it’s such a process you know? Some of my “colleagues” (that’s how we refer to each other—is that a post-college thing, or just a Slovak thing?) keep saying, “oh yeah, it’ll be great in a ___ *time in the future*. But I’m saying that this is a process—every day the hills look a little bit different, and if you don’t pay attention you might miss it! EGT has four floors, most of the classes I teach are on the 4th, and in the stairwells between each floor there are windows that look out on amazing views. The sights always blow my mind, but lately I’ve been especially mesmerized by them. I walk into class and say, “have you SEEN the trees today!?” I’m pretty sure they all think I’m a little on the crazy side, but I’m also pretty sure they secretly love it. I have some outspoken supporters, so it’s good.
I’m still trying to reach a level of homeostasis with my schedule—I had made some great improvements but then I was gone for a week so if felt sort of like two steps forward one step back… I also need to start really scheduling time to meet with and write about these people for my project, so this past week I’ve had to set some things straight. I think it’s all in a good way now.
We’re making some positive changes/innovations in some of the classes I’m working in, and I had to put the cabash (sp?) on a few that just weren’t working out. In some ways I feel like a sub-contractor, which I guess is exactly what a “teaching assistant” is here. I’m leading a seminar once a week in a Reformation class, working with a 5th year (the oldest kids) writing class, and once a week talking about “To Kill a Mocking Bird” with some 3rd years. I also work with some 5th year conversation classes and a few general English classes for 1’st and 2nd years. This is good; I’m finding ways to do what I’m good at and for lack of a better word, what I DIG! On Friday one of my Slovak “colleagues” invited me to her American Lit. Class literally two minutes before to talk about Ann Bradstreet’s, “The Author to her Book.” Talk about a lesson on the fly… The students were not the most thrilled to be paraphrasing, but I think after a while I got them into it. Hot dang, I didn’t realize how much I miss talking about literature already!
Next weekend I’m planning on visiting Budapest with the other American teachers here (who, by the way, ROCK) so that should be pretty exciting. I never made it there in ’07, but it was definitely on the list. After my week in Bratislava I am even more thankful for content with my overall situation here—I like the town, the pace of life here, and am in love with the natural setting. I also love the people I work with—as far and the Americans go we could not be a more motley bunch, perfect proof of how rockin’ God’s sense of humor is. But I’m learning so much from all of them, and having a grand ol’ time hanging out with them. Though the plan has been foiled twice now, I’m going on a pilgrimage to Secovce in Eastern Slovakia with Rachel to see where her people come from. Heidi is my running budd-ay, and everyone else has his/her own cool thang or cool activity we do together. I like it.
On Tuesdays I now venture to the next town over, Brezno. I’m going to be helping out in some classes at a school there so the students get some exposure to a real, live native English speaker and can practice a little. This school is called the Hotel academy or something, so the students there are mostly on track for jobs in hotel management, etc. They will most-def need to learn some conversational English, so it’ll be good. It gives me more exposure, and lets me hang out in another town for a while at least once a week-one that actually has shops, coffee shops and cafes with Wi-fi, and feels like it has some more hustle and bustle. I’m stoked.
The trees here are going NUTS! I don’t know if I’ve neglected to mention how insanely green this place is, but now the hills are flaming with licks of orange, red, and yellow, and every color in between. I’ve been taking mad-pictures, but it’s such a process you know? Some of my “colleagues” (that’s how we refer to each other—is that a post-college thing, or just a Slovak thing?) keep saying, “oh yeah, it’ll be great in a ___ *time in the future*. But I’m saying that this is a process—every day the hills look a little bit different, and if you don’t pay attention you might miss it! EGT has four floors, most of the classes I teach are on the 4th, and in the stairwells between each floor there are windows that look out on amazing views. The sights always blow my mind, but lately I’ve been especially mesmerized by them. I walk into class and say, “have you SEEN the trees today!?” I’m pretty sure they all think I’m a little on the crazy side, but I’m also pretty sure they secretly love it. I have some outspoken supporters, so it’s good.
I’m still trying to reach a level of homeostasis with my schedule—I had made some great improvements but then I was gone for a week so if felt sort of like two steps forward one step back… I also need to start really scheduling time to meet with and write about these people for my project, so this past week I’ve had to set some things straight. I think it’s all in a good way now.
We’re making some positive changes/innovations in some of the classes I’m working in, and I had to put the cabash (sp?) on a few that just weren’t working out. In some ways I feel like a sub-contractor, which I guess is exactly what a “teaching assistant” is here. I’m leading a seminar once a week in a Reformation class, working with a 5th year (the oldest kids) writing class, and once a week talking about “To Kill a Mocking Bird” with some 3rd years. I also work with some 5th year conversation classes and a few general English classes for 1’st and 2nd years. This is good; I’m finding ways to do what I’m good at and for lack of a better word, what I DIG! On Friday one of my Slovak “colleagues” invited me to her American Lit. Class literally two minutes before to talk about Ann Bradstreet’s, “The Author to her Book.” Talk about a lesson on the fly… The students were not the most thrilled to be paraphrasing, but I think after a while I got them into it. Hot dang, I didn’t realize how much I miss talking about literature already!
Next weekend I’m planning on visiting Budapest with the other American teachers here (who, by the way, ROCK) so that should be pretty exciting. I never made it there in ’07, but it was definitely on the list. After my week in Bratislava I am even more thankful for content with my overall situation here—I like the town, the pace of life here, and am in love with the natural setting. I also love the people I work with—as far and the Americans go we could not be a more motley bunch, perfect proof of how rockin’ God’s sense of humor is. But I’m learning so much from all of them, and having a grand ol’ time hanging out with them. Though the plan has been foiled twice now, I’m going on a pilgrimage to Secovce in Eastern Slovakia with Rachel to see where her people come from. Heidi is my running budd-ay, and everyone else has his/her own cool thang or cool activity we do together. I like it.
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