Another week down! My last week of 2 hour work days… The pay check will be nice, but still… The vacation is really over. Those of you who will have more than 4 classes a day might be saying “what are you complaining about, it’s only 4 hours a day of work!” Well, it’s 4 hours of giving classes, plus 2-3 of grading, organizing, planning etc. as well. So that’s a full day… PLUS I have to do everything by hand as computers are not so much used in my school. That’s right you teachers, you think it’s a pain to put grades into your computer? Try keeping track of everything on paper and later having to compute every grade using a calculator ON YOUR CELL PHONE! Ok, that wasn’t supposed to come off as aggressively as it might have, if I typed it again, I’d lose the caps (but am too lazy to go back and retype in regular, lower case).
My boss is back. As crazy as she is (and she’s kinda crazy), she is a good resource to have and not a bad boss. She is on the side of the teacher and defends the English department and fights for us when other teachers might think that we’re not as important. It’s the same battle that goes on for ESL teachers in some schools in the States. So, while she might be slightly (extremely) obsessed with irregular verbs and tend towards materials that are from the 1870s, she is a good ally to have. She has also told me about a cell phone that might allow me to call the US for about 12 pesos for 15 minutes ($1.08 USD). To borrow a popular expression, if this cell phone does indeed exist, it would be a GREAT SUCCESS.
One of my students is participating in a boogie boarding competition and invited me to go and watch her. I thought I might cry. It was one of those moments when you think all the bullcaca that goes with teaching is totally worth it. She was so shy and nervous about asking me to go! I hope to be able to make it, but it costs money to get in and well… even though they are paying me and my phone card bills might go down exponentially in the near future, I am not, as we might say, rolling in the dough. What am I rolling in you might ask? Well, figuratively I am rolling in teaching materials, salsa, tortillas, and to a lesser extent, pesos. Literally I am rolling in dog hair and sand. Gross. I’m going to go take another shower.
Ahh, that was refreshing. Now that I feel clean, back to the business at hand… which is… what now? Oh right, not so much happened this week. There was another mini earthquake, but it was so mini that I didn’t even notice it! Pako said “está temblando”and I said “What? It is? How can you tell? I can’t feel it!!!” Then he pointed at the tv antenna and sure enough, it was shaking. Funny how that works.
I don’t have to buy the school blouses for my uniform! Huzzah! Mondays I have to wear all white (virginal weekend? what do you suppose the significance of that is?? I have no idea), but every other day I can wear my beloved blue jeans and a white shirt (fitted t-shirt, polo shirt, blouse, whatever). I can wear capris or skirts too, as long as I avoid skankville (which I’m hoping isn’t too hard or you people have been lying to me when I ask if I look ok). No belly buttons. My boss actually felt the need to tell me that. I’m on a quest to find a pair of white pants or an appropriate white skirt (the one that I have does not qualify as it is made out of sweatshirt material and is designed for beachwear only unless one wants to visit skankville, which as I mentioned, I don’t) and some additional white tops. Ah the glory of not having to spend my money on blouses with the school monogram. I might buy a polo with the school’s logo, but that’ll come later. Actually, that’s what you’re all getting for Christmas: Instituto Montessori polo shirts. Haha, just kidding, haven’t we already established that I am not rolling in dough? If you’re confused about this point, please re-read paragraph number 3 and focus on reading comprehension skills.
The uniform thing and the fact that I have to do a bulletin board every 2 months in my 6th grade class and occasionally for my high school classes is pretty much all that I learned during my 3 days of orientation this week. Also, I have to give exams on certain days and I have to prepare exams months in advance, as the office wants to make sure that they have enough time to make copies… ooooh-kay. Basically, I got to chat with my 2 fellow English teachers, Coco and Artemisa, 46 and 24 respectively, when Jeannie (boss lady) finished her 15-minute discourse for the day.
Monday is (the day before my birthday, but who’s keeping track of that?) the day when I start my 6th and 7th grade classes. That will be a new adventure for sure and next week’s blog might be exponentially more interesting than this one. I’m excited and nervous, but I look forward to meeting the new kids and the new challenge. Geez that sounded corny, but it was true. Gross, I’m turning into a full-fledged teacher. No offense veteran teachers!
My beautiful friend Gina is getting married today and I’m feeling horribly depressed about having to miss it ☹ I got to talk to her for about 3 minutes yesterday, which was enough to establish that she’s excited, but really busy with wedding stuff and trying to move into her classroom all at the same time. That and she had just gotten a pedicure. I miss her lots and love her and wish her a beautiful and ridiculously fun and memorable wedding. It’s also my friend Blanca’s birthday. Everyone should give her birthday spankings. And buy her drinks. Which will help quite a bit with the spankings. I miss her a lot too! (I miss you all, but it just happens to be both of their days today)
Ok, signing out and without any pictures this time! I’m planning to bring my camera to my classes on Tuesday to get shots of my students so you can all see them (and the classrooms). Eventually I’ll get pics of the apartment up there!
Oh! That reminds me! Pako’s grandmother embroidered me a bunch of pillow cases, isn’t she the cutest!?! Yes, yes she is. She’s working on some more stuff, I’m told, but I didn’t understand the word for whatever it is she’s making, so I’ll be doubly surprised when I see it. The whole fam is giving Pako and I stuff for the apartment, which I think is adorable and SUPER nice of them! Virtually every flat surface that we have is covered with a hand crocheted doily of some sort.
Ok, AFN (adios for now ☺), hope to talk with/hear from you all soon!
Mucho amor y besos!
Leyah
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