10:30 Greenwich Time:
Happy Friday everyone!! I've had a pretty decent last-few-days and am feeling extra chipper - or is it the coffee that I just drank?! Either way, it's Friday and that's all that matters.
Things are starting to make more sense at school. I still don't feel that I'm at the top of my game, but at least now I feel like it is achievable. Another week under my belt and things are starting to feel more comfortable. I also observed a seasoned teacher's class today and it made me feel better about the chaos that takes place in certain classes of mine. I still have a lot that I want to work on, but I'm okay with that.
I got my long-lost package from my mother on Wednesday - Yea!! She shipped it on the 1st of September and I didn't get it until the 22nd. I'm very thankful to have my fleece and some sweaters, it's getting colder here. Today, I got the digital camera that she sent for my birthday. Perfect timing, too, I am heading to London for the weekend tomorrow morning! I'm not entirely sure what I am going to do or even where I am going to stay, just figured I'd get myself there and worry about the rest later (of course, if worse-comes-to-worse, it's only an hour on the train to get back here for a place to lay my head)... I know I definitely want to do the cheesy Bus Tour (that way I can get some of the things out of the way - the things I know I'm not really going to want to see other than a quick, "look kids, there's Big Ben..."). I also want to see the Tate Modern Museum: Monet, Matisse, Dali, Picasso - it sounds like heaven. Other than that, I figure I'll let the weather and my mood guide me.
I found the coolest website - www.radicaltravel.com. They have tours throughout Britain, Scotland and Ireland. They call them "backpacker tours," advertising anywhere from 3 to 7 day tours across the countryside. The prices cover travel but do not include accommodations, however, they guarantee you a place to stay (you just pay for the Hostel when you arrive -usually £13-16 a night). They have itineraries that seem pretty packed and sound like a lot of fun for people looking to travel without too much expense. They have holiday specials - "Spend the night in a Scottish Castle" over Christmas and some others that sound like a lot of fun. They have an office in London, so I think I may check it out and get more information tomorrow, since I'll be in the area. I'm also tempted to try a three-day trip before I sign up for a big 7 day one. Anyway, it sounds like a lot of fun and I have a half-term break coming up soon!
Oh! I also found out that there's a group that goes to the Pub on Fridays after school. I was shown the secret meeting place, but could not go with them today (I had to run to the bank and deposit my first pay check), hopefully next week... Yea! I may actually start to have a social life here. :)
Have a good weekend, all. I'm off to get some shut-eye for my big day tomorrow.
Friday, September 24, 2004
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
8:45 Greenwich Time:
I have come home the last two days absolutely exhausted... Those kids are wearing me out! Never again am I allowed to complain about student behavior in Charlotte - the kids here have them beat!! Ugh!
I had a conversation this morning about a certain class' behavior with their Head of Year. Do you know what he said to me? He said, "well, if you have them after lunch, that's when you pop in a video or give them a word puzzle to do!" So my smart ass said, "So if I have the class five times in a fortnight, and three of those lessons are after lunch, you want me to give them a word puzzle?! How are they supposed to learn?!" He blew me off with some comment about how, I'll learn... Prat! If I had wanted a job babysitting in the UK I would have applied for one of the many nanny positions I saw online!!
I tried an old trick that worked today in one of my crazy, after lunch classes. I can't say it will work EVERY time (they're smart and will catch on quickly), but at least they were slightly manageable today.
I got paid today and now I am trying to figure out how I want to spend my earnings - forget savings, my goal here is to do and see as much possible (and that takes £££)!! Maybe I'll spend the weekend in London. I'd be nice to pamper myself with a hotel room. Last night I started looking at Guided Tours through certain cities. I kept thinking about "Under the Tuscan Sun," but at least it would be a good way to see Italy or Greece on my own. I wouldn't go until spring, anyway, so it's something to think about...
The new girl will be here on Monday. She is driving from France... I hope she's cool.
I have come home the last two days absolutely exhausted... Those kids are wearing me out! Never again am I allowed to complain about student behavior in Charlotte - the kids here have them beat!! Ugh!
I had a conversation this morning about a certain class' behavior with their Head of Year. Do you know what he said to me? He said, "well, if you have them after lunch, that's when you pop in a video or give them a word puzzle to do!" So my smart ass said, "So if I have the class five times in a fortnight, and three of those lessons are after lunch, you want me to give them a word puzzle?! How are they supposed to learn?!" He blew me off with some comment about how, I'll learn... Prat! If I had wanted a job babysitting in the UK I would have applied for one of the many nanny positions I saw online!!
I tried an old trick that worked today in one of my crazy, after lunch classes. I can't say it will work EVERY time (they're smart and will catch on quickly), but at least they were slightly manageable today.
I got paid today and now I am trying to figure out how I want to spend my earnings - forget savings, my goal here is to do and see as much possible (and that takes £££)!! Maybe I'll spend the weekend in London. I'd be nice to pamper myself with a hotel room. Last night I started looking at Guided Tours through certain cities. I kept thinking about "Under the Tuscan Sun," but at least it would be a good way to see Italy or Greece on my own. I wouldn't go until spring, anyway, so it's something to think about...
The new girl will be here on Monday. She is driving from France... I hope she's cool.
8:30 Greenwich Time:
Greenwich was nice on Sunday. They were having a "Car Free Day," so it was very crowded, but I hung in there (I really can't stand crowds - unless I am distracted by a good band at a crowded show) and I'm glad I did. They have preserved the town to look old and reflect its history. They have a great Maritime Museum and an old ship you can climb aboard and wander through. (I didn't have enough time for either of those attractions, but in case you ever want to go - I've heard they are nice.) There is also a foot tunnel that takes you from one side of the Thames to the other - under the river. My focus was the Observatory and finding the Prime Meridian - So I walked past the Old Royal Navy College that the Queen had built in two parts so that it did not block her view of the River to the Greenwich Park. And, then up a HUGE hill to the Observatory. The view from the top was breath-taking, and all I could think was What was this like in the 1700s? The original house was built in the 1670s and there were Astronomers recording the sky from even that early on, scientists like Halley... It really was something else to be there and know that there is just SO much history. This whole country is full of history, the "before 1492" kind of history that just makes me feel miniscule (in a good way) and remind me that there's so much more to life than just my day-to-day drama... Anyway...
After the Observatory, I found the Market and spent the rest of my day there. They had some really great booths - lots of jewelry, crafts, foods, sculpture, etc. Mostly I bought notecards and things to send in the mail. Speaking of which, if you would like a postcard or something in the mail from England, send me your mailing address and I will gladly post something your way. They just had such nice things at the Market and in the town shops - very unique things. I guess there is a strong artist community there. On my way out of town I stopped for "Fish & Chips," wrapped in the brown paper - it was very nice with vinegar and salt. I think next time I'll skip the chips - the fish was much better...
All-in-all it was a nice day. No such luck on finding the picture in the US textbooks with the Prime Meridian cut into the town sidewalk and street. The part of town I was in is a little west of where the Meridian passes. I did get some nice photos of the millennium Clock at the Observatory, and they had the Meridian drawn there... Of course, if I can make it back to Greenwich this year I'd like to find it. Call me silly, I know...
Greenwich was nice on Sunday. They were having a "Car Free Day," so it was very crowded, but I hung in there (I really can't stand crowds - unless I am distracted by a good band at a crowded show) and I'm glad I did. They have preserved the town to look old and reflect its history. They have a great Maritime Museum and an old ship you can climb aboard and wander through. (I didn't have enough time for either of those attractions, but in case you ever want to go - I've heard they are nice.) There is also a foot tunnel that takes you from one side of the Thames to the other - under the river. My focus was the Observatory and finding the Prime Meridian - So I walked past the Old Royal Navy College that the Queen had built in two parts so that it did not block her view of the River to the Greenwich Park. And, then up a HUGE hill to the Observatory. The view from the top was breath-taking, and all I could think was What was this like in the 1700s? The original house was built in the 1670s and there were Astronomers recording the sky from even that early on, scientists like Halley... It really was something else to be there and know that there is just SO much history. This whole country is full of history, the "before 1492" kind of history that just makes me feel miniscule (in a good way) and remind me that there's so much more to life than just my day-to-day drama... Anyway...
After the Observatory, I found the Market and spent the rest of my day there. They had some really great booths - lots of jewelry, crafts, foods, sculpture, etc. Mostly I bought notecards and things to send in the mail. Speaking of which, if you would like a postcard or something in the mail from England, send me your mailing address and I will gladly post something your way. They just had such nice things at the Market and in the town shops - very unique things. I guess there is a strong artist community there. On my way out of town I stopped for "Fish & Chips," wrapped in the brown paper - it was very nice with vinegar and salt. I think next time I'll skip the chips - the fish was much better...
All-in-all it was a nice day. No such luck on finding the picture in the US textbooks with the Prime Meridian cut into the town sidewalk and street. The part of town I was in is a little west of where the Meridian passes. I did get some nice photos of the millennium Clock at the Observatory, and they had the Meridian drawn there... Of course, if I can make it back to Greenwich this year I'd like to find it. Call me silly, I know...
Sunday, September 19, 2004
10:15 Greenwich Time:
Well, this week has not been entirely horrible - my lesson have sucked, but at least I didn't spend all of my time running back and forth between the two buildings. This next week is another story, though, back to the marathon schedule. Let me just say that it is very hard to complete a lab practical in a science class in 50 minutes. And, it is very frustrating to set up a lab practical, get almost ready to start, then look at the clock and have to ask the class to pack everything up because we don't have enough time. Luckily, I didn't have many Geography classes this week, but it is entirely too much to expect a Science teacher to do practicals in 50 minutes AND have her classroom cleaned up so that she can RUN to the other building in time to start her Geography lesson on time - AGG!!!
Enough about school! Friday night I played trivia with the people I am staying with. Their church, every once in a while, puts on a "Quiz Night" and a bunch of people get together and play. It ended up being very similar to RiRa's "Pub Quiz:" tables, answer sheet, picture round, very obscure questions, alcohol... I felt like I was at home. I even answered some to the questions - correctly! They had a handful of American questions - "Name the four states that begin with the letter 'A', Who was Ronald Reagan's VP?" I really had a good time. Plus, it was my first Friday night out in forever!! Oh - and we WON (I forgot to mention that) - a bottle of wine each!!!
Yesterday, I had planned to go to Greenwich, but when I woke up the sky was nasty, so I stayed in bed until noon. By the time I got out of bed, the weather had completely changed and it was a nice day. So, it was too late to go to Greenwich, but not too late to hit the mall, so I hopped a bus to BlueWater. It's one of those things that if I am bored, I go to the mall. I can spend hours and hours there and not spend a dime (pence), just wandering around. I found the Cinema and watched "The Terminal." It was a very cute movie. How about they assign seats in the theaters here (or at least the one I went to)!? I sat in K 17. They also sell two kinds of popcorn - sweet and salty!! I had gotten a Coke and forgot that fountain drinks are FLAT here (the bottles/cans are "fizzy," but the fountain drink are not). I'll have to remember to get an Icee next time - wonder what they'll say if I ask for one instead of a "frozen drink?"
Today, I've decided to try Greenwich again. It is a very beautiful day outside and I am curious to see whether or not the Prime Meridian really is drawn on the sidewalk through the town.
Well, this week has not been entirely horrible - my lesson have sucked, but at least I didn't spend all of my time running back and forth between the two buildings. This next week is another story, though, back to the marathon schedule. Let me just say that it is very hard to complete a lab practical in a science class in 50 minutes. And, it is very frustrating to set up a lab practical, get almost ready to start, then look at the clock and have to ask the class to pack everything up because we don't have enough time. Luckily, I didn't have many Geography classes this week, but it is entirely too much to expect a Science teacher to do practicals in 50 minutes AND have her classroom cleaned up so that she can RUN to the other building in time to start her Geography lesson on time - AGG!!!
Enough about school! Friday night I played trivia with the people I am staying with. Their church, every once in a while, puts on a "Quiz Night" and a bunch of people get together and play. It ended up being very similar to RiRa's "Pub Quiz:" tables, answer sheet, picture round, very obscure questions, alcohol... I felt like I was at home. I even answered some to the questions - correctly! They had a handful of American questions - "Name the four states that begin with the letter 'A', Who was Ronald Reagan's VP?" I really had a good time. Plus, it was my first Friday night out in forever!! Oh - and we WON (I forgot to mention that) - a bottle of wine each!!!
Yesterday, I had planned to go to Greenwich, but when I woke up the sky was nasty, so I stayed in bed until noon. By the time I got out of bed, the weather had completely changed and it was a nice day. So, it was too late to go to Greenwich, but not too late to hit the mall, so I hopped a bus to BlueWater. It's one of those things that if I am bored, I go to the mall. I can spend hours and hours there and not spend a dime (pence), just wandering around. I found the Cinema and watched "The Terminal." It was a very cute movie. How about they assign seats in the theaters here (or at least the one I went to)!? I sat in K 17. They also sell two kinds of popcorn - sweet and salty!! I had gotten a Coke and forgot that fountain drinks are FLAT here (the bottles/cans are "fizzy," but the fountain drink are not). I'll have to remember to get an Icee next time - wonder what they'll say if I ask for one instead of a "frozen drink?"
Today, I've decided to try Greenwich again. It is a very beautiful day outside and I am curious to see whether or not the Prime Meridian really is drawn on the sidewalk through the town.
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