Firth of Fifth
OK, it"s not the Firth of Fifth, but I did cross the Firth of Forth last week during my last few days in Scotland.
So, it"s been a long long time since I updated this thing, but it"s not for lack of desire on my part, it"s for lack of a computer. But I"m settled here in Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic, and I"ve got access to the internet through my office at my school. Before I go any further, you may have noticed that my apostrophes are actually quotation marks....this is the best I can do, as these Czech keyboards are a little different, and I can"t figure out how to get an apostrophe....so I will just have to try to avoid using contractions.
So, I landed in Prague last week on Wednesday night, and sure enough my principal was there to greet me with a big sign that said "JEFF." He speaks no English, and I only speak a bit of Czech, so he brought his son to translate. His son, Martin, is 17--Kari and Jess, you guys would probably think he"s hot--and he"s a student at my school too. I started teaching on Monday this week, and I had the intermediate level. These guys can speak English pretty well, and we"ve had some good classes, and a few good laughs. The first class was a nightmare, as I didn"t have enough material prepared, and I think I was speaking too fast and not clearly enough. But on Tuesday, and everyday since, the classes have been great. After this week, the real school begins---this was just a super-learning week for beginner to intermediate English speakers. Starting next week, I"m teaching a bunch of different levels of English language, for which the lessons and curriculum are set and strict, and I"m also teaching Geography in English and Science and Technology in English, for which I plan all of the lessons. I"m eager to begin those, but I"m going to miss having the class that I"ve had this week, because the students are so strong and well-behaved.
Hradec is awesome. I"m in a good little European apartment, with a balcony. I"m about a three minute walk from my school, and about a ten minute walk from the city centres--there are two city centres, and old one, and a new one. The beer is so cheap here, like, less than one Canadian dollar for a half litre at the bars. And it"s so good! Eating out is also very cheap here--I had my first goulash yesterday with dumplings....mmmmm so good......and it only cost me 60 Krowns--about three Canadian dollars.
So life is good, the women are beautiful, the students are good, my principal is nice and has been very good to me, and my co-teachers in the English department are so nice and friendly. Life is great here, I"ll try to get some pictures up soon.
Till next post...
So, it"s been a long long time since I updated this thing, but it"s not for lack of desire on my part, it"s for lack of a computer. But I"m settled here in Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic, and I"ve got access to the internet through my office at my school. Before I go any further, you may have noticed that my apostrophes are actually quotation marks....this is the best I can do, as these Czech keyboards are a little different, and I can"t figure out how to get an apostrophe....so I will just have to try to avoid using contractions.
So, I landed in Prague last week on Wednesday night, and sure enough my principal was there to greet me with a big sign that said "JEFF." He speaks no English, and I only speak a bit of Czech, so he brought his son to translate. His son, Martin, is 17--Kari and Jess, you guys would probably think he"s hot--and he"s a student at my school too. I started teaching on Monday this week, and I had the intermediate level. These guys can speak English pretty well, and we"ve had some good classes, and a few good laughs. The first class was a nightmare, as I didn"t have enough material prepared, and I think I was speaking too fast and not clearly enough. But on Tuesday, and everyday since, the classes have been great. After this week, the real school begins---this was just a super-learning week for beginner to intermediate English speakers. Starting next week, I"m teaching a bunch of different levels of English language, for which the lessons and curriculum are set and strict, and I"m also teaching Geography in English and Science and Technology in English, for which I plan all of the lessons. I"m eager to begin those, but I"m going to miss having the class that I"ve had this week, because the students are so strong and well-behaved.
Hradec is awesome. I"m in a good little European apartment, with a balcony. I"m about a three minute walk from my school, and about a ten minute walk from the city centres--there are two city centres, and old one, and a new one. The beer is so cheap here, like, less than one Canadian dollar for a half litre at the bars. And it"s so good! Eating out is also very cheap here--I had my first goulash yesterday with dumplings....mmmmm so good......and it only cost me 60 Krowns--about three Canadian dollars.
So life is good, the women are beautiful, the students are good, my principal is nice and has been very good to me, and my co-teachers in the English department are so nice and friendly. Life is great here, I"ll try to get some pictures up soon.
Till next post...
posted by gulldogg at 9:55 a.m.
3 Comments:
Glad to hear your first classes have gone well...let me know if there is anything I can do for you here on the teacher front.
Any chance I/we can get a mailing address?
"night!
So happy to hear from you again finally! Not that I've been able to check recently cuz we got a new computer and were having problems with the internet, but now it's fixed so hurrah! So, I guess Kari and I will defintely have to meet this Martin... lol
Ok, but now I have even more exciting news! I talked to Mrs. Gillis and to Mr. Hawkins (my principal) and I am allowed to come and stay with you after Italy in March!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mr. Hawkins would just like a letter from you stating that you know I'm coming, that you'll be picking my up from the airport, I'll be staying with you and that you'll be taking me back to the airport again, and then he says he has absolutely no problem with it! Gilli is going to get the travel agent that planned Italy to get info for me about flight times (our stopover is actually going to be in Frankfurt on the way home now because we switched airlines, but I am still allowed to go from Frankfurt to Prague to Toronto or whatever the week later)and then book it for me when we know everything for sure! Anyway, I am SO SUPER EXCITED (I left Mr. Hawkins' office almost screaming i was so excited) and I really hope that you are still okay with me coming and that it will work out okay for you... Anyway, as soon as I hear back from the travel agent about flights and such, I will let you know again for sure, and hopefully then you can get me that letter!
Ok, well I'm sure by now I've completely filled your comment box (if not embarrased myself completely if anyone else happens to read this), but I am just so excited I had to put it all here...
Once again, so happy that everything is great! Mom says hello and she's happy that life is good and the girls are pretty, but she's looking for...???! lol, jk
Anyway, here I ask the same question as Jenn, can we get a mailing address or phone number or some other means of communication with you? That would be awesome!
Miss you lots... (P.S. "Lost" starts soon, so I'll be sure to let you know all about it! lol ;) :p )
Hi Jeff;
Just talked to your mom, said you were liking it over there. Don't let the kids get to you. We miss you, even though we never saw that much of you when you were at home.
Had a good trip out west, but glad to get home too. There's no place like home.
Weather is great here.
Talk to you soon.
Love, Grandma
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