...is always somehow daunting. It makes me take a deep breath and then my mind goes as blank as the page and I feel the motivation to write this blog draining from my veins.
I hit a groove last week with my lesson planning (exciting, right?! sorry to bore you, but this is my life). I planned everything on Sunday, and on Monday morning, there wasn't that familiar feeling of dread because I have no idea what I'm teaching today. It took a few hours to put it all together, but it was WELL worth it. And then came the three-day weekend as a result of the Dia de la Constitucion (don't ask me what the festival is about - there are far too many to keep track of, I don't ask anymore, just ENJOY the time off), and of course when I went to bed on Monday night, I hadn't planned my entire week like before. I went to work today feeling like a failure as a teacher because I just couldn't be bothered to come up with dynamic lessons for my three students today.
Oh well, I guess things work in cycles. I'll get ahead at some point, I'm sure. I've still got a bit of time before bed tonight to plan for tomorrow!
In good news, I'm possibly going to the UK for Christmas! My friend Alastair, who recently moved out of the house in Granada and went back to England, has invited Marcia and me up to his family's home in Ipswich. A roaring fire, British pudding, walks to neighborhood pubs and playing in the f-f-f-freezing cold weather - sounds like Christmas to me! I'm just thrilled to be going somewhere with a family, where they speak English and are as excited to have me as I am to be there. I'll get to see London for real (more than the airport!), and I'll get to experience British people outside of [British people in Spain]. I've got to figure out a way to do this without spending more than pocket money, but it will certainly be worth it. Woot woot! Pictures will certainly be posted, in the event that this comes through. *We still haven't booked our flight yet, which is why I speak of this as hypothetical, but it's pretty sure that we're going at this point.*
So, Christmas will be sad and strange since I'm not with my family, which is the whole point of Christmas for me. But at least I can be with someone else's family!
On another note, I've rediscovered my Southern roots, in terms of music. I've been downloading a mess of old Opry, gospel, Motown, 60's rock, and blues (Iko Iko, anybody??). This music fills my heart and makes me so homesick that I can't even describe it in words. I've been asked to sing at my school's Christmas party on December 18th, and there are a TON of musicians teaching English at IML (the school), so the pressure is on to chop some wood and get my vocals in shape. I figure if we do some gospel, I can at least surprise people with the tiny little black woman that I know is sometimes lying dormant in my vocal chords.
That's all the updates I've got for now. Life's good - cold (below freezing), but good. Ups and downs, sweets and sours, all that stuff. Plain ol' L-I-V-I-N'.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thank God for Words
Today was sortof a wash due to an impromptu hangover, and also incidentally sortof awash with sentiment since I spent a large portion of it re-reading Song of Myself for maybe the 30th time. I'd forgotten how long that poem is, and how wonderful. I'm not even halfway through it, taking my time with each line and relishing in them, and already the familiar wave of humility and grace and wonder is taking me. I know it's a bit rotten to say this, but there are elements of almost every poem I've ever written in Song of Myself. I wonder if maybe I subconsciously internalize my favorite poems and squeeze remnants of them into the things I write. There are hints of Ginsberg in some of my poems too, not surprising since he worshipped Whitman like I do. Anyway, I am in no way at ALL comparing the crappy little lives of my poems to the legends of the Greats, but I'm thankful and wistful today to feel touched and connected by something so much bigger than me, so much bigger than the world - yet completely inseparable from everything.
I just came across this particular stanza and almost felt like crying:
What is commonest, cheapest, nearest, easiest, is Me,
Me going in for my chances, spending for vast returns,
Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that will take me,
Not asking the sky to come down to my good will,
Scattering it freely forever.
I don't know what I would do without words, without poetry. I wonder if other people in the world are fortunate enough to be as moved by something as I am by simple words. It's like the whole meaning of life for me is enveloped by this overwhelming feeling...sadness and euphoria, longing and resignation, wisdom and curiosity. It's the sweet and the sour, man. The sweet and the sour. I love you, Walt Whitman. Thanks for making me feel human again.
I just came across this particular stanza and almost felt like crying:
What is commonest, cheapest, nearest, easiest, is Me,
Me going in for my chances, spending for vast returns,
Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that will take me,
Not asking the sky to come down to my good will,
Scattering it freely forever.
I don't know what I would do without words, without poetry. I wonder if other people in the world are fortunate enough to be as moved by something as I am by simple words. It's like the whole meaning of life for me is enveloped by this overwhelming feeling...sadness and euphoria, longing and resignation, wisdom and curiosity. It's the sweet and the sour, man. The sweet and the sour. I love you, Walt Whitman. Thanks for making me feel human again.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Bad Blog Mommy
Ok, ok. It goes without saying: I dropped the ball.
I've recently gone the more personal route of sending emails to a few friends and family members back home, so the blog suffered a little hiatus. In fact, I'm so swamped with work at this point that I'm going to borrow from some of these emails in order to update those who didn't receive one. So, my apologies in advance if these snippets seem disjointed at all. I've categorized them according to context, for clarity:
Travelling:
It's funny how you take things for granted without even knowing it. Travelling has taught me a lot about that - appreciating what you have while you have it, because next thing you know, you'll be moving on to a new city with new faces, new things to see every day, new adventures. It's different being here in Granada again because this time I have a job, like the city seems more normal and less exotic because it's sortof "home" now, but I still have these moments of complete euphoria when I realize where I am and just have to let out a big sigh of gratitude that I'm even here at all.
The Recent Election:
Despite most Americans' assumptions, it's actually been quite difficult to be a proud American abroad when everyone you meet hates and/or criticizes your president and government as well as its people for the economic crisis which they're all suffering from. That's tip of the iceberg, but ppl in Europa absolutely LOVE Obama, so their opinions of Americans (and thus of me) may change soon, and I'm happy about that.
Teaching English:
I love vocabulation!! I'm actually teaching English to some babies (3 and 4 years old), and they amaze me every day with the stuff they know. They are full of big-eyed wonder, and the other day (I've told this story to about 100 people now) we were singing "Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and tooooooes..." and afterwards, I pointed at each body part and asked the students "What's this?" They repeated, "Head!" and then, "Shoulders," and then, "Kneesand!" Hahahaaaa...they didn't understand there are TWO words in the song (knees & and) and combined them. It was so cute, I burst out laughing and they were so tickled, not knowing why I was laughing, that they laughed right along with me. TOO CUTE.
Future Plans:
As for my return date *big gulp*, my flight is scheduled for June 30, but I'm already anticipating that I will have to push that date forward. English Summer Camp work usually starts July 1st, so I have no idea why I chose June 30th for my return. Working at a camp is GREAT money, for just a little inconvenience and work, and when the school year ends in late May/early June, I will definitely need the income. I might even work for 2 months, if I can. So, there's that. But then, there's also...the fact that my long-term plans may have changed quite dramatically. I know there's a chance my friends and family might be disappointed, but I'm seeing TEFL Teaching abroad as a long-term career now. There are so many more countries that I want to see, and not just to visit but to live in - Japan, Thailand, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico (for starters)...and there's just no rational reason for me to go back to the States and end up in the same place I was when I left for Spain. I mean, I could probably find a TEFL job there, but I feel like I'm finished with New Orleans for now, so I'd be living outside of Louisiana and probably outside of the South anyway...so why not just country-hop for a few years until I feel like I've really taken advantage of the fact that I'm young and not tied down?
I of course have job offers for next year already, and I might consider coming back because the hours and the pay will improve since I've already worked for them. There's just not a chance that any offer in the States could be as seductive - what can I say? I really love it here. If not here next year, I might look at teaching jobs in Mexico - at least that isn't such an expensive flight home! Most importantly, I want to continue working on my Spanish so that I can hopefully teach both English and Spanish one day. And since Mexico is close and cheap, and I have a friend with whom I can live in Colombia...well, Latin America is looking like the next logical step.
Current Conditions:
It's freezing cold here in Granada now, and there is snow completely covering the Sierra Nevadas (the mountain range which is the backdrop everywhere you go in the city). The mountains seem to call to me, and right now is the best time to go up there (no tourists, plus it's not as cold as it will be in the coming months). I would really love to organize a trip around a snowball fight. We'll see what comes of that.
Onwards and Upwards!
Ciao, until next time
XD
I've recently gone the more personal route of sending emails to a few friends and family members back home, so the blog suffered a little hiatus. In fact, I'm so swamped with work at this point that I'm going to borrow from some of these emails in order to update those who didn't receive one. So, my apologies in advance if these snippets seem disjointed at all. I've categorized them according to context, for clarity:
Travelling:
It's funny how you take things for granted without even knowing it. Travelling has taught me a lot about that - appreciating what you have while you have it, because next thing you know, you'll be moving on to a new city with new faces, new things to see every day, new adventures. It's different being here in Granada again because this time I have a job, like the city seems more normal and less exotic because it's sortof "home" now, but I still have these moments of complete euphoria when I realize where I am and just have to let out a big sigh of gratitude that I'm even here at all.
The Recent Election:
Despite most Americans' assumptions, it's actually been quite difficult to be a proud American abroad when everyone you meet hates and/or criticizes your president and government as well as its people for the economic crisis which they're all suffering from. That's tip of the iceberg, but ppl in Europa absolutely LOVE Obama, so their opinions of Americans (and thus of me) may change soon, and I'm happy about that.
Teaching English:
I love vocabulation!! I'm actually teaching English to some babies (3 and 4 years old), and they amaze me every day with the stuff they know. They are full of big-eyed wonder, and the other day (I've told this story to about 100 people now) we were singing "Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and tooooooes..." and afterwards, I pointed at each body part and asked the students "What's this?" They repeated, "Head!" and then, "Shoulders," and then, "Kneesand!" Hahahaaaa...they didn't understand there are TWO words in the song (knees & and) and combined them. It was so cute, I burst out laughing and they were so tickled, not knowing why I was laughing, that they laughed right along with me. TOO CUTE.
Future Plans:
As for my return date *big gulp*, my flight is scheduled for June 30, but I'm already anticipating that I will have to push that date forward. English Summer Camp work usually starts July 1st, so I have no idea why I chose June 30th for my return. Working at a camp is GREAT money, for just a little inconvenience and work, and when the school year ends in late May/early June, I will definitely need the income. I might even work for 2 months, if I can. So, there's that. But then, there's also...the fact that my long-term plans may have changed quite dramatically. I know there's a chance my friends and family might be disappointed, but I'm seeing TEFL Teaching abroad as a long-term career now. There are so many more countries that I want to see, and not just to visit but to live in - Japan, Thailand, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico (for starters)...and there's just no rational reason for me to go back to the States and end up in the same place I was when I left for Spain. I mean, I could probably find a TEFL job there, but I feel like I'm finished with New Orleans for now, so I'd be living outside of Louisiana and probably outside of the South anyway...so why not just country-hop for a few years until I feel like I've really taken advantage of the fact that I'm young and not tied down?
I of course have job offers for next year already, and I might consider coming back because the hours and the pay will improve since I've already worked for them. There's just not a chance that any offer in the States could be as seductive - what can I say? I really love it here. If not here next year, I might look at teaching jobs in Mexico - at least that isn't such an expensive flight home! Most importantly, I want to continue working on my Spanish so that I can hopefully teach both English and Spanish one day. And since Mexico is close and cheap, and I have a friend with whom I can live in Colombia...well, Latin America is looking like the next logical step.
Current Conditions:
It's freezing cold here in Granada now, and there is snow completely covering the Sierra Nevadas (the mountain range which is the backdrop everywhere you go in the city). The mountains seem to call to me, and right now is the best time to go up there (no tourists, plus it's not as cold as it will be in the coming months). I would really love to organize a trip around a snowball fight. We'll see what comes of that.
Onwards and Upwards!
Ciao, until next time
XD
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Now this is what I'm talking about...the real LIVING begins
Yaaay - my first official LEISURE post since I've been back! I was beginning to think my life here in Granada was going to really suck this go-round if I didn't get in some good ol' fashioned chill time with some good people. Just my luck, as I emerged from my cave on Friday evening, feeling for the most part recovered from my week-long battle with la gripa (the flu), I learned that some girls from the house had pulled it together and organized a barbecue for the next day up on the mountain - the same place that Marcia, Ashley, Zevic, Thalia and I went during the summer. This was just what I needed after 6 whole days spent hibernating in my room, listening to everyone having fun without me through the walls in the house. I woke up early, and me and the girls went to AlCampo to buy all the supplies and beer, and we came back to the house to rally the troops - over 18 people had signed up saying they wanted to come!
When we got to the house, everyone was still asleep (go figure) at 1:00pm! As we patiently waited for everyone to get ready, we heard screaming outside and Shell, a girl from Australia, ran to the door yelling, "Blood! Blood!" Well, we didn't know what the hell was happening, but there was a Dutch woman in the street calling for help because she had just been robbed. Apparently, a young Moroccan kid grabbed her bag, which held all her money and the passport she would need to leave Spain in 2 days, so she refused to let go and held onto it tightly as he dragged her, causing her to bang her head open very badly. Blood was literally pouring from this woman's head, so we helped her into the house and called the police. She had a friend with her, and the friend called the Ambulance. We waited about 30 minutes and eventually it was all taken care of, but the woman still was very angry about her money and passport, all her things in her bag. This happened in broad daylight, just around the corner from my house, folks, and it's not the first time. This is the 3rd story I've heard of something like this happening just in the 3 weeks since I've been back, and all reports are near where I live. Lesson learned: I'm going to buy some pepper spray as soon as possible.
Anyway, once all that mess was straightened out, we headed out to the mountain. We threw the coals on the grill and got the fire going, and pretty soon we were cooking. It started to rain just a bit when we first arrived, but it led to some inventive grocery-bag headwear and blanket and/or hat improvisation, which really set the tone for the cookout. Later, the rain cleared up and the sky started doing some pretty incredible things, pushing the clouds around in these beautiful patterns. I'm not sure how many people were there, in grand total, but almost the whole house came this time, and we were quite content with our burgers and beer and scenery. Oh! We even had a little canine companion - Jerome, our old housemate who now lives in the caves, brought Lorita, a 6-wk old puppy who kept us company. She was cute as a button and twice as good-natured - I found myself wishing she was mine more than once (shame on me! I've already got a cat hating me back in the States, how could I possibly care for and then abandon another animal across the ocean?!).
Anyway, it started to get cold on the mountain, so after a few porros and the rest of the beer, we made our way back down the mountain - this time, we had cars to do it in! Both Julie from France and Oscar from Spain (the Basque region, to be exact) have cars here, so that was quite convenient. Although I must say - it felt exotic to be riding in a car in Spain, and I was fascinated to meet someone European (Julie) who found it so difficult to part with their car that they brought it all the way from France; however, cars are a pain in the ass, man. It was so frantic and stressful, just maneuvering everywhere and trying to find where we needed to go while we're trapped inside this huge piece of steel machinery...we had a big clusterfuck after the barbecue just leaving the mountain, trying to get out of the Alhambra parking lot. Then there was this whole need to be back in the Albayzin by a certain time in order to find parking. We were ready to pull our hair out, and I felt sick to my stomach it was so stressful, but hey - I guess some people love their cars so much that the stress becomes...normal? God, I hope this never happens to me. I'll put up with walking through rain, steep hills, streets of dog shit, and angry Spaniards before I'll ever again consider dealing with the headache of driving a car every day. For real, dude. Cars are a nice luxury and all, but it's just not worth it.
Anyway, everyone was exhausted when we got back, so we had hot tea and crepes back at the house, and I went to bed feeling quite content with my first day of recovery from THE PLAGUE.
Some photo highlights:
me and the site of hamburger madness behind me
a table full of Tina residents
the magnificent sky was performing for me
Isabella and her 2 Swedish friends, visiting for dos semanas
Lorita, the 6-wk old barbacoa companion
When we got to the house, everyone was still asleep (go figure) at 1:00pm! As we patiently waited for everyone to get ready, we heard screaming outside and Shell, a girl from Australia, ran to the door yelling, "Blood! Blood!" Well, we didn't know what the hell was happening, but there was a Dutch woman in the street calling for help because she had just been robbed. Apparently, a young Moroccan kid grabbed her bag, which held all her money and the passport she would need to leave Spain in 2 days, so she refused to let go and held onto it tightly as he dragged her, causing her to bang her head open very badly. Blood was literally pouring from this woman's head, so we helped her into the house and called the police. She had a friend with her, and the friend called the Ambulance. We waited about 30 minutes and eventually it was all taken care of, but the woman still was very angry about her money and passport, all her things in her bag. This happened in broad daylight, just around the corner from my house, folks, and it's not the first time. This is the 3rd story I've heard of something like this happening just in the 3 weeks since I've been back, and all reports are near where I live. Lesson learned: I'm going to buy some pepper spray as soon as possible.
Anyway, once all that mess was straightened out, we headed out to the mountain. We threw the coals on the grill and got the fire going, and pretty soon we were cooking. It started to rain just a bit when we first arrived, but it led to some inventive grocery-bag headwear and blanket and/or hat improvisation, which really set the tone for the cookout. Later, the rain cleared up and the sky started doing some pretty incredible things, pushing the clouds around in these beautiful patterns. I'm not sure how many people were there, in grand total, but almost the whole house came this time, and we were quite content with our burgers and beer and scenery. Oh! We even had a little canine companion - Jerome, our old housemate who now lives in the caves, brought Lorita, a 6-wk old puppy who kept us company. She was cute as a button and twice as good-natured - I found myself wishing she was mine more than once (shame on me! I've already got a cat hating me back in the States, how could I possibly care for and then abandon another animal across the ocean?!).
Anyway, it started to get cold on the mountain, so after a few porros and the rest of the beer, we made our way back down the mountain - this time, we had cars to do it in! Both Julie from France and Oscar from Spain (the Basque region, to be exact) have cars here, so that was quite convenient. Although I must say - it felt exotic to be riding in a car in Spain, and I was fascinated to meet someone European (Julie) who found it so difficult to part with their car that they brought it all the way from France; however, cars are a pain in the ass, man. It was so frantic and stressful, just maneuvering everywhere and trying to find where we needed to go while we're trapped inside this huge piece of steel machinery...we had a big clusterfuck after the barbecue just leaving the mountain, trying to get out of the Alhambra parking lot. Then there was this whole need to be back in the Albayzin by a certain time in order to find parking. We were ready to pull our hair out, and I felt sick to my stomach it was so stressful, but hey - I guess some people love their cars so much that the stress becomes...normal? God, I hope this never happens to me. I'll put up with walking through rain, steep hills, streets of dog shit, and angry Spaniards before I'll ever again consider dealing with the headache of driving a car every day. For real, dude. Cars are a nice luxury and all, but it's just not worth it.
Anyway, everyone was exhausted when we got back, so we had hot tea and crepes back at the house, and I went to bed feeling quite content with my first day of recovery from THE PLAGUE.
Some photo highlights:
me and the site of hamburger madness behind me
a table full of Tina residents
the magnificent sky was performing for me
Isabella and her 2 Swedish friends, visiting for dos semanas
Lorita, the 6-wk old barbacoa companion
Friday, October 17, 2008
I want to die
Seriously - this makes it twice this year that I've gotten sick with the same infection - or with what seems to be the same infection. The only difference is that this time I have to work through it and actually leave not only my bed but the house - a very challenging endeavor, indeed, when your whole body writhes in pain and anguish from just thinking about moving and every hour you experience a change in body temperature so severe it sends you either running for more clothes or conversely tearing the clothing from your limbs. Top it off with an achingly sore throat, a cough that would convince passersby that I am a 90-yr old man with emphysema, a congested and runny nose, and now expactorations of a bloody nature (sorry to gross you out, sickness is ugly)...well, I'm have a marvelous time, don't you think?
I was thinking this morning about health. I thought about how this sickness, which I've endured now for almost a full week, could have been much less painful if I had just gone to the doctor at the first signs of illness. So, then I have to consider why I didn't go to the doctor, and why I rarely go to the doctor when I'm ill? Granted, it's rare that I experience illness this severe, esp. two times in the same year, but I think my personal reasons may be two-fold: one, the fact that in America, if you are there without insurance, people will either scoff at you and turn you away, or treat you and send you the astronomical bill. I've always figured a few packs of Tylenol Flu is way cheaper and less embarrassing than having to deal with the humiliation of the American Health System; and two, my mother never took me to the doctor. I remember this one time, when I was sick with what the doctor later said was "the REAL flu," I laid on the couch for 2 FULL WEEKS before the woman took me to a doctor. By that point, not only had I missed a multitude of exams and homework, social club meetings and school what-have-yous, but I had fever blisters inside of my mouth, on my tongue, down my throat, in my nasal passages, in my tear ducts - basically, all nervous tissue in my body had been scorched by the ridiculous fever I'd endured for 2 weeks. When I finally went to the doctor, when my mother relented because she was afraid I had mono, I got some meds and was better in 2 days. I went back to school with scabs from all the blisters all over my face, eyes, and mouth, and everyone asked if I'd gotten beat up. "Nope, my mom is just cheap."
Anyway, I think I've inherited this awful trait of hers, and it occurred to me while being miserable this morning that, even though I don't have insurance here in Spain, most of the uninsured travelers I've spoken to have been treated by doctors and/or hospitals here, and some of them for FREE. Maybe I should head on down to the hospital?? It's certainly a thought. I can't take much more of this.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Connect the Dots
I've felt sick for the past two days - probably of my own doing, since some impromptu drinking ensued on Saturday night and then, without feeling tip-top, I again went out to the Booga last night (but I only had 2 or 3 beers and called it an early night - go me!). Yesterday, it was a headache and nausea, and today my throat hurts too. Just in time for my first full-on week of teaching hours...hooray. I am non-plussed.
I realized after the last post that I left out some details between when I first got my teaching hours with one school and when the second school hired me. The first school (which I am not naming out of concerns for myself and them, due to the working papers thing) apparently sent my C.V. over to the second school. So, I went on an interview without even knowing this school had existed before then. I went into the interview thinking I'd already gotten the job, so I was completely cool and confident, and I killed it. They called me three hours later and promised me up to 20 hours this school year! So that's what happened to take me from just 4/hrs a week to a full-time teaching load, and only in a matter of a week! Go, me.
But what this means is that now I'm teaching 2 days a week from 9am to 9m (roughly, with a few hours here and there for eating and transit). A lot of the hours are one-to-one, which I absolutely love, but the trade-off is that they are mostly "house calls," where I go to the students' homes and teach them there for an hour or two. The other days of the week are fairly easy, though they also require a lot of "bopping around" the city. This is a pain in the butt because it requires taking the bus to the far reaches of the city, then often only having half an hour to get to the next lesson. I'm making it work, but of course being sick (if I am in fact getting sick) will definitely put a drain on my energy levels and make this a lot more difficult. We shall see, we shall see.
In other news, I made some rosemary potatoes today without an oven (not recommended). They became mashed potatoes almost instantly, but they tasted great. I've been experimenting with various grilled cheese sandwiches (gouda, mozarella, edam...the cheese options are astounding in Spain), but I'm learning that the key is the right type of bread.
Hmmm...what else?? Well, I had my first big money hitch that I discovered today. Apparently, when I cancelled my Sprint account, they decided it wasn't necessary to send me an invoice and billed me a whopping $250.98, which I of course didn't have the money in my account to cover, so now I've got two $35 overdraft charges on top of that and my account is more in the red than it's ever been. I can't do anything about it until the end of the month when I get paid, but even then it won't be a full month's work of pay, so...I'm quite angry and stressed out over this. I disputed the charges with both Sprint and my bank, but who knows what will come of it. I don't know when I'll have to top off my phone again either, so I'm reluctant to use my minutes to make long-distance calls and sit in a holding queue for 30 minutes while they jerk me around. Such is life across the sea, I suppose - often inconvenient.
Well, I feel like crap. I'm gonna unplug now.
I realized after the last post that I left out some details between when I first got my teaching hours with one school and when the second school hired me. The first school (which I am not naming out of concerns for myself and them, due to the working papers thing) apparently sent my C.V. over to the second school. So, I went on an interview without even knowing this school had existed before then. I went into the interview thinking I'd already gotten the job, so I was completely cool and confident, and I killed it. They called me three hours later and promised me up to 20 hours this school year! So that's what happened to take me from just 4/hrs a week to a full-time teaching load, and only in a matter of a week! Go, me.
But what this means is that now I'm teaching 2 days a week from 9am to 9m (roughly, with a few hours here and there for eating and transit). A lot of the hours are one-to-one, which I absolutely love, but the trade-off is that they are mostly "house calls," where I go to the students' homes and teach them there for an hour or two. The other days of the week are fairly easy, though they also require a lot of "bopping around" the city. This is a pain in the butt because it requires taking the bus to the far reaches of the city, then often only having half an hour to get to the next lesson. I'm making it work, but of course being sick (if I am in fact getting sick) will definitely put a drain on my energy levels and make this a lot more difficult. We shall see, we shall see.
In other news, I made some rosemary potatoes today without an oven (not recommended). They became mashed potatoes almost instantly, but they tasted great. I've been experimenting with various grilled cheese sandwiches (gouda, mozarella, edam...the cheese options are astounding in Spain), but I'm learning that the key is the right type of bread.
Hmmm...what else?? Well, I had my first big money hitch that I discovered today. Apparently, when I cancelled my Sprint account, they decided it wasn't necessary to send me an invoice and billed me a whopping $250.98, which I of course didn't have the money in my account to cover, so now I've got two $35 overdraft charges on top of that and my account is more in the red than it's ever been. I can't do anything about it until the end of the month when I get paid, but even then it won't be a full month's work of pay, so...I'm quite angry and stressed out over this. I disputed the charges with both Sprint and my bank, but who knows what will come of it. I don't know when I'll have to top off my phone again either, so I'm reluctant to use my minutes to make long-distance calls and sit in a holding queue for 30 minutes while they jerk me around. Such is life across the sea, I suppose - often inconvenient.
Well, I feel like crap. I'm gonna unplug now.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
dot dot dot
And another week goes by...
I have reached Saturday, so I'm taking the opportunity now to post an update since my weekdays here are every so slightly filling to the brim as the two schools for which I am now working keep upping my hours. This is great, right? Of course it's great, for it means I will be able to pay my bills and live a decently comfortable life while here in Granada. It also means I get the experience I need to perpetuate my career as a TEFL teacher - a foot in the door was all it took, and somehow the miracle of a JOB has fallen into my lap.
However...
While on the one hand, I'm working mostly 1:1 hours with one school, AT the school, the other school is a completely different sack of potatoes. It's a really small school, very "hands-on" (their term, not mine), and they send me out on "house calls" most of the time. This means I'm hopping - not the Metro but BUSES - all over Granada, hoofing it from one bus stop to a student's home, then to another bus stop and another student's home...and so on, until I'm completely wrecked by the end of the day, just from going between points A and B, and then lugging all my books up the hill to get home. I came home Tuesday and was so exhausted and famished that I nearly cried into my leftover pasta. What have I done? I was asking myself. But, I woke up the next days and did it all over again, and each time, it seemed a bit less stressful. It helps that I get a few hours here and there in the week to deflate, have a cafe and a cigarette, and gather my mental bearings to prepare for the next student. It also helps that a lot of my students are 1:1, and a lot of them are at similar levels, preparing for the same exams. This eliminates a lot of lesson planning, for which I am unfathomably grateful.
Anyway, I'm doing ok. This is still only the beginning of the school year, and my course load is only 3/4 of the way full. I'm apprehensive about the amount of work it's going to be when my schedule is fully complete, but this way, it allows me to take baby steps towards a full-time work week. By next month, the routine will be much easier, and it will be a lot like carrying a college schedule, so I can certainly handle that.
I really like some of my students, too. There are only two that I'm not quite sure about (a brother and sister learning from home 1 day a week), and I got lost on the way to their first lessons and it was a bit hectic just jumping into the lessons so quickly to save time, so my first impression may be entirely wrong. I have one very bright 16-yr old boy who is at a very advanced level but just has some pronunciation and vocabulary issues. He's into politics and philosophical debate, so it's really fun to talk with him and engage his interests. I think he thinks I'm pretty cool, too :)
Outside of the job, there's no real news. The house is now completely full-up (British English), with all 17 rooms now occupied. It's a great vibe when everyone's here at the same time, but lately there are these lulls when absolutely no one is around, and it's quite creepy. I just hang out in my room, look up some lesson planning ideas on the internet, and wait for people to show up and chat with me.
The most exciting non-job-related thing on the docket for me now is HALLOWEEN! We're throwing a big party in the house and everyone will be in costume. I can NOT wait.
That's all for now. Gonna go down and help a friend pick out some new prescription eyewear - what fun ; )
I have reached Saturday, so I'm taking the opportunity now to post an update since my weekdays here are every so slightly filling to the brim as the two schools for which I am now working keep upping my hours. This is great, right? Of course it's great, for it means I will be able to pay my bills and live a decently comfortable life while here in Granada. It also means I get the experience I need to perpetuate my career as a TEFL teacher - a foot in the door was all it took, and somehow the miracle of a JOB has fallen into my lap.
However...
While on the one hand, I'm working mostly 1:1 hours with one school, AT the school, the other school is a completely different sack of potatoes. It's a really small school, very "hands-on" (their term, not mine), and they send me out on "house calls" most of the time. This means I'm hopping - not the Metro but BUSES - all over Granada, hoofing it from one bus stop to a student's home, then to another bus stop and another student's home...and so on, until I'm completely wrecked by the end of the day, just from going between points A and B, and then lugging all my books up the hill to get home. I came home Tuesday and was so exhausted and famished that I nearly cried into my leftover pasta. What have I done? I was asking myself. But, I woke up the next days and did it all over again, and each time, it seemed a bit less stressful. It helps that I get a few hours here and there in the week to deflate, have a cafe and a cigarette, and gather my mental bearings to prepare for the next student. It also helps that a lot of my students are 1:1, and a lot of them are at similar levels, preparing for the same exams. This eliminates a lot of lesson planning, for which I am unfathomably grateful.
Anyway, I'm doing ok. This is still only the beginning of the school year, and my course load is only 3/4 of the way full. I'm apprehensive about the amount of work it's going to be when my schedule is fully complete, but this way, it allows me to take baby steps towards a full-time work week. By next month, the routine will be much easier, and it will be a lot like carrying a college schedule, so I can certainly handle that.
I really like some of my students, too. There are only two that I'm not quite sure about (a brother and sister learning from home 1 day a week), and I got lost on the way to their first lessons and it was a bit hectic just jumping into the lessons so quickly to save time, so my first impression may be entirely wrong. I have one very bright 16-yr old boy who is at a very advanced level but just has some pronunciation and vocabulary issues. He's into politics and philosophical debate, so it's really fun to talk with him and engage his interests. I think he thinks I'm pretty cool, too :)
Outside of the job, there's no real news. The house is now completely full-up (British English), with all 17 rooms now occupied. It's a great vibe when everyone's here at the same time, but lately there are these lulls when absolutely no one is around, and it's quite creepy. I just hang out in my room, look up some lesson planning ideas on the internet, and wait for people to show up and chat with me.
The most exciting non-job-related thing on the docket for me now is HALLOWEEN! We're throwing a big party in the house and everyone will be in costume. I can NOT wait.
That's all for now. Gonna go down and help a friend pick out some new prescription eyewear - what fun ; )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)