Punny Halloween

Halloween came early this year for me...last night in fact! An American girl in town (the girlfriend of the Cuban, Siri, who plays for the local volleyball team), Phatty, had a birthday/Halloween party at a bar in Radom. Because Phatty and Siri have been living here for a year, they know the volleyball team, and other locals who know some English! Woo! So us English teachers actually got to socialize with some other people! It was fun! This can also be an exhausting task...socializing at a place where there is loud music can be difficult as it is. Throw in a language barrier...! Still a nice change though. And everyone (most everyone) dressed up! Heather and I were the black-eyed peas...haha. Oh! And I learned some Polish dancing! It's very lindy-hop/swing-like. SO GREAT! Can you believe I went out on a school/work night though? I got home at 2am! And the drink here is (bison) vodka and apple juice. Now I am not a vodka person, but the Polish vodka with the right juice is DELICIOUS. Don't worry, I didn't have too much. I felt just fine this morning...tired more than anything!

Halloween is really not celebrated in Poland. October 31 is more of a somber day for Polish culture; a day for visiting the cemetery. With my adult classes this week, we had some fun talking about superstitions, as a Halloween-esque activity. With my 7/8 year olds, playing memory with Halloween pictures/words, making masks, and colouring and counting pumpkins and black cats and ghosts is simply the most exciting class ever.

Totally off-topic...I absolutely adore my 9/10 year olds. I have groups both in Radom and Koz (my "group 8s"). This puts them at grade 4. Such a delight to teach. I can still be silly and make them laugh, but they are old enough to have fun with/joke around with. SOOOOOOOO wonderful. Today my group was asking about my husband and kids (because OBVIOUSLY at age 23 I am supposed to have these things). Too funny.

Oh. And if you were wondering, Heather and I made it to the gym 4 times this week! The men are very insistent on shaking hands when they arrive! We were adjusting one of the machines, and a guy interrupted - we thought he wanted the machine or we were doing something wrong. Nope, just wanted to say hello with a hand shake! haha

SOOOOOOO exhausted...and I still have to pack for Krakow! Happy Halloween to all!

EXTREMELY quick gym results OR I broke the ignition key to the company car

Let me explain.

Last Monday, Peter (the Polish teacher I get a ride with to Kozienice on Mondays) told me about a gym that is not too far from my place. I checked it out on Saturday afternoon, and Heather and I signed up Sunday (yesterday) and have been both yesterday and today. 150 PLN for three months...this is about $55! Can't complain about that! The equipment is old school, and it's not a big facility - so small in fact that whenever someone arrives to work out he shakes the hand of everyone else already there (Heather and I have been included in this too) - but the stuff works, and it'll keep us in shape! This is so very exciting for me. I have been running some, but I haven't been especially motivated, as the past few weeks have been damp and overcast and foggy and rainy. Do I want to sweat in that? Not particularly. So yes, we've been doing our cardio and weights. There are LOTS of weights and weight machines. This is a male-dominant facility...as in Heather and I make up the female population. Peter said that when he was a member for four months, he only ever saw two females there. We figure because we're female and English speaking, we'll probably get away with what we want - like using the aerobics room as our personal post-work out stretch room. (There are women-only classes but they are ALL during my teaching hours.) And we'll always have the changeroom to ourselves - which I'm pretty sure used to be a storage closet. It's rectangular, has about 12 full-length lockers, and a bench right in the middle to sit on. It's teeny. But it's clean. I'll give them that....probably because no one uses it! Anyways, we're already feeling fabulous, and it's not such a bad thing that guys are offering to help us with the machines. Haha

Ok. So the events of tonight I blame on my current weight-training. After teaching today, Peter gave me the keys to unlock the (company) car for the drive home. It was very dark (and raining, of course), so I chose the wrong key to open the door, obviously. The key I (tried to) use ended up twisting, and when Peter took it to examine it and potentially untwist it, it broke. Do you know what key this was? THE KEY FOR THE IGNITION. OH MY GAWD....I BROKE THE KEY TO START THE COMPANY CAR. Somehow when I was apologizing I couldn't stop smiling/giggling about it. It's wrong, I know, but I was just thinking of Eva and Gosia (the Polish teachers I drive with on Fridays to Kozienice) and how much they hate the car and want a reason to get another one. I felt sooooooooooo embarrassed and stupid but Peter and Dominika (the other Polish teacher that drives with us) told me not to worry, and it's not my fault, and that a key shouldn't be able to break that easily (and that I should stop going to the gym...clearly I'm too built already)! Anyways, obviously it turned out because I am here to write about it. One of the directors came to pick us up, we left the car in Koz, and at least we didn't crash right? They just need another key, and all will be well again.

This is such a Leah moment, wouldn't you agree? Oh dear. Haha

I would like to take a moment to say how much I love the car rides to and from Kozienice. It's single-lane traffic on country roads lined with trees. It's especially pretty with all the colours right now. It's about a 40 minute drive. It can be a little scary though on the rides home - and we've had some REALLY awful pea soup fog lately - because there are no lights...just barely visible reflectors along the sides. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoy the trips.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I had another slow-paced one - laundry, relaxing, more movies with Heather, coffee with Jocylene. That's the typical routine when we're not travelling. And I am not complaining about this. But this UPCOMING weekend us teachers are going to Krakow! Woo! Very exciting. I booked our hostel this morning!

(pictures - the park in the city centre/downtown, my favourite pastry at my favourite cafe, totu, park right in front of my building, and gas station on my walk to the gym! haha)

Ego Boost

TGIF! Although I can't believe how fast the weeks go...

My students made me smile yesterday...and by smile I mean grin like a fool. It was with one of my 10/11 year old classes, upper-beginner level. At the beginning of class, one of the girls kept saying something to me in Polish, and the rest of the class would giggle. I obviously had no idea what they were saying. So I asked if they were making fun of me, to which they said "yes". I think they misunderstood this. Anyways, the only boy in the class decided to translate for me and write the word on the board that the girls kept calling me. The word was pretty! AWWW! They made their teacher blush. Teehee

My 7/8 kids yesterday were impressed with my (newly accomplished) ability to count to 10 in Polish! Haha Imagine that eh? 7/8 year olds helping ME! I love it. And yes, I can now confidently count to 10. Before I knew only 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. This limited my produce purchasing to just these quantities. Haha. But now I can count to 10! I am quite proud of this! Yesterday in one of my 11/12 beginner classes, one of the girls asked a classmate the answer to number 10, and she said it in Polish. I knew what she was saying though! I've been picking up some other phrases too. Conversation is far off at this point, but I can make broken sentences with key words. It's something!

Oh! And two of my 7/8 kids on Tuesday (one boy - so adorable - and one girl) gave me really great hugs at the end of class.

Random note - a couple weeks ago Heather said I would make a perfect Tim Burton character...whatever that means. Haha She said it was a good thing!

More notes on Radom:
-there is a local volleyball team (I think they do quite well)
-there are hardly any houses here...most people live in an apartment building
-if you stuck any of the buildings here in Waterloo, you would think it was the ghetto of all ghettos, but because it's like that everywhere here, it's not so bad
-despite the appearance of low-income housing everywhere, people always dress nicely
-the centre/downtown is very lovely and well-kept - lots of trees and benches and a park, and the cobblestone roads where no cars are allowed to drive
-apparently there ARE smoking laws here - you have to be 10 meters from a building to smoke and at restaurants there has to be separate smoking/non-smoking sections that have at least three walls dividing them
--> though these laws exist, no one seems to follow them; people ALWAYS smoke inside the building where I teach classes in Radom (gross eh?); at this one restaurant we like to go for soup, the non-smoking section is ONE table in this little room...we never have any trouble getting that spot
-right now in the centre there is a display up on posters/panels for Witold Pilecki: he founded the Secret Polish Army, volunteered to be imprisonned at Auschwitz, organized a resistance while there, escaped, and was part of the Warsaw Uprising. (November 11 is Independence Day in Poland.) (pictures)
-the sun has been a rare treat the past couple weeks...! I want sunshine!

Alright. That's all for me right now. I am really excited for my classes today...I always have fun with my Friday groups...especially the adult class of power plant men!

Small Pleasures

Happy weekend to all!

I have to say I am having a most wonderful day. This morning I went to the market to get my fresh produce. Then Heather and I went to the M1 shopping centre (where I seem to go every weekend). We decided to check out the outlet beside M1...we will never go anywhere else. THERE IS A SMOOTHIE BAR. THERE IS AN ORGANIC GROCERY STORE. THERE IS A REALLY NICE GROCERY STORE. They have Heinz ketchup! And cereal in boxes instead of bags! And cheddar cheese! And wasabi peas! This is all a really big deal to me. And little boys following me and Heather around, speaking English to us. It was definitely a successful day. I also found black winter boots, the essential black purse, and a cozy zip-up hoodie (I actually didn't bring one!). The boots were really my top priority for the weekend as we had our first snowfall on Wednesday. It stuck around for Thursday and Friday as well. It was a damp/slushy snow, but pretty nonetheless. Uncharacteristically early. It will be much more enjoyable with the proper attire though. My forty minute walk to the Radom school Wednesday and Thursday was not so pleasant as my feet were ill-equipped. Now I'm ready for any weather. Bring it.

Waiting for the bus after shopping today, there were three boys just staring at me and Heather and laughing, then they just started saying all the English words they knew, "shoes, my car blue, apples, green dog". It never ends. We're still the town spectacle.

In my previous post I mentioned that the other teachers are jealous of my apartment. Let me explain.
-I have an oven...some of the teachers do not.
-I have a sink in my bathroom...some of the other teachers do not.
-I have a balcony (and a pretty view)...some of the other teachers do not.
-I have a normal toilet and shower...some of the other teachers do not.
-My fridge is not really tiny (poor Heather).
-My walls are brightly coloured (and I have the zebra wall).
I am very grateful to have all these things!

Why I love Friday nights...
Friday nights are a bit of a write off here, as things close by 11 or 12, and I get home from teaching in Kozienice around 9. By the time I unwind, and even think about going out, it feels too late. So what have I done the past couple Friday nights? Chatted on Skype with the other teachers. Haha We all stay in, but have conference calls so it feels like we're hanging out! I probably shouldn't be admitting this. But just so you know, Fridays are excellent for catching me on Skype! Unless I'm travelling, I'll likely be around! So all you folks 6 hours (give or take) behind me, you can chat with me after your day, and still have your entire evening! Win-win.

Oh! Thursday the directors took us to the bank to open accounts. Pay day...woo! Very exciting stuff.

My teaching schedule is finally set. I still had some new classes last week and this week. I officially have eighteen classes per week, which includes one adult group each day. I really enjoy these classes. I thought they'd be scary, but they're fun. Even though they are lower-intermediate, and some beginners even, you can still joke around with adults and make things interesting. This week I got some of them writing personal ads! And with my power plant all men group on Friday, we did some number trivia. How many...days in a week, eggs in a dozen, keys on a piano, ways to leave your lover. This last one was a joke, and they asked about it. So I asked if they knew Paul Simon, or Simon and Garfunkel, then I started singing "Mrs. Robinson" to them. Then they knew. Anyways, it was a lead in for my next activity...listening to "50 Ways to Leave your Lover" and filling in some missing words from the lyrics. Come on, you know you want to be in my class! I'd say the age group I teach the most is 9-12. I have 9/10, 10/11. and 11/12 classes. These kids are wonderful. I really love them. My 7/8 kids are all super sweet too. My teenagers (16) are really smart, upper-intermediate, so I can challenge them and they get into good discussions. I just sing with my 5/6 because they get SO distracted SO easily. Oh man. I really do love this teaching thing.

Alright. Movie night in with Heather tonight. Lesson planning tomorrow. (And maybe a movie with one of the Polish teachers I met at a local school.) Good weekend! Hoo-ha!

A very random entry indeed. I'll try and post some more pictures soon!

Getting in the groove...

So I am feeling particulary teacher-y today. You see, all my life I had been a student. Then briefly I was a backpacker. Though I did work for a year, my wardrobe was of the comfort variety - working at a yoga studio required no footwear, and because it was Bikram, I dressed for summer all year round. Even working in an office for two summers during uni, I could get away with my summer dresses and cardigans. So my closet never has the need to be professional. I mean, I have some things that are certainly acceptable, but this past weekend in Warsaw, I feel like I picked up some teacher additions. So today, I sported my new red stockings, and brown ankle booties, with a new (very teacher) dress. Wearing bright red stockings actually helps me to blend in here, believe it or not, rather than stand out. It's my flat shoes that are my giveaway though. Do you know how hard it is to find flat shoes here???

I am also feeling teacher-y because one of my students brought me a gift today! Yes, that's right. A 7-year-old boy that I taught for the first time last week brought me a box of chocolates today! How lucky do I feel?? Tuesdays are fun with my little ones. With my 5/6 kids, I get to sing lots. Yey!

So Thanksgiving chez moi was great! The gals - Heather, Irene, and Jocylene - all came over. They all said they hate me for having the best flat of the bunch...and that I'm lucky they all got to know me first and know that I'm nice instead of shunning me for my sweet digs. Anyways, Heather and I being the resident Canadians "hosted". Translation - Heather took over my kitchen and I helped/supervised/went shopping with her. It turned out so well! We could not find a turkey, so we roasted a chicken instead (with onions and rosemary inside). We made stuffing (our own concoction with pecans and apples and craisins), garlic mashed potatoes, and carrots with maple and craisins - the American girls felt like we had "drugged" them with our secret sauce...oh maple syrup. Irene and Jo brought bread, salads, wine, and dessert, so we feasted indeed. Then we watched "One Week" - a truly Canadian film. The best part? We will celebrate again in November for the American holiday! And I am still enjoying leftovers...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow. I can't believe it's been a week since I wrote!

I had another good teaching week. In Radom, I had four new classes of students on top of my classes from last week...so many names to remember! I surprised myself though with how many I did actually recall. Most of the students remembered my name too, so that felt nice. But the little ones, despite that, still say "teachaaaaaaaairrrr" to get my attention. With one of my adult groups, I had them write some Murphy's laws...they had to complete the sentence. (If something bad can happen, it will. First conditional, woo!) It was amusing to hear their answers. One of them was "If you're single and you meet someone you really like...", then they will be married, then your heart will be broken, then they will not like you back, then they will live really far away from you....

I had my first visitor this week! Yey! Dane was here Wednesday through Friday. Dane was one of the kiwis in our little group that I met/spent time with in Split, Croatia when I was there in early September. We successfully got into Bordo on Wednesday night...but probably because it was a Wednesday night. I am quite certain Radom is not used to backpackers coming through, as there were lots of stares on the walk from the train station. We went for perogies on Thursday before I had to teach my classes (finally!) and I enjoyed them! So very filling though. We ran into Randall on the way to the restaurant that he had actually recommended, so then he came inside with us to talk to the staff to make sure they treated us well. Haha Because after living here for a year, obviously Randall knows everyone. Then there was the Thursday evening mix-up. I had given Dane my keys to my flat in case he ran out of things to do during my classes. He was going to (maybe) meet me after class, and bring me a jacket to wear home. (It was SOOO warm on Thursday, so I hadn't brought my jacket with me.) So when my classes finished, I waited around for a few minutes, but no Dane. So I decided to take a bus home. I ALWAYS walk home. That was my first time taking the bus home, and I have to walk in the opposite direction from what I usually do. We must have JUST missed each other. Dane walked and thought we might have crossed paths. Anyways, so I get back to my flat, sans keys, and I buzz my apartment. No answer after several tries. Ok. He hasn't fallen asleep. Dane would hear the buzzing. I start buzzing other numbers, but of course I don't know how to explain that I live in the building. Finally someone let's me in. I try my doorbell, but clearly Dane is not inside. So I sit on the steps outside my door, reading my phrase books to see how I can explain the situation of my keys in case someone should come out into the hall. Then the lights go out. The hall lights are on a timer. Haha Anyways, I only had to wait about 10 minutes until Dane returned, having RUN back to my flat, my jacket in hand. Good intentions. Bad timing. Such is life sometimes. The best thing to do is laugh. It was really awesome to see Dane again!

Oh! One of my students last week asked me if I knew Gordon or Brandon...these are his friends' English teachers at another company. One is Canadian and one is Scottish. Apparently the company they work for though won't let them have contact with other schools...because they usually leave their company then. BUT THERE ARE MORE NATIVE SPEAKERS. It's our new mission to find them.

Us teacher girls went to Warsaw yesterday to go shopping! We caught an early train. We met up with one of Irene's friends. First stop - Starbucks! Kind of ridiculous eh? It was very exciting though, to be in a big city and be able to get around with English and the little Polish we know, much easier than it is in Radom. We walked around the old town a little - having a blast and taking it all in, this new weekend escape. Heather and I are the crazy Canadians - f.y.i - so we were singing and dancing and being Canadian! haha We stopped at a microbrewery for lunch before hitting the stores. We were all successful in finding some things, so that's always a bonus. It was a strange day, because our emotions were hitting some extremes, from our highs to some more reflective moments. It's so wonderful that we have each other, and that we're all here to listen, and be good friends to each other. It's nice that we can be candid and show our true colours when we need to.

Today I am hosting Canadian Thanksgiving, potluck style! We will also celebrate again in November for the Americans. TWO THANKSGIVINGS! WOO! It's actually the first time the girls will be over to my flat. I do live the farthest away though, so I am not exactly conveniently located. I am happy to have them over though!

I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving/Oktoberfest weekend! I am thankful for this womderful teaching opportunity and experience, and I am also very thankful that I have so many people supporting me and keeping in touch!! Lots of love. Thinking of you...

And you take me the way I am...

Dzien dobry! (Good day!)

I survived the first week with my students! Wednesday I only had one class, Thursday I had three, and Friday I had four. For the most part these students were very lively and energetic! Though sometimes a little too loud, I much prefer that to the students that just sit in silence. I'll take the laughing and screaming and insane enthusiasm any day. Makes things more interesting! I particularly had lots of fun with my last class on Friday evening - the men from the power plant in Kozienice. Four of the six were present. They're all married with kids, in their 40s and 50s. I would consider them upper elementary speakers. It's wonderful how much effort they make to speak, and they like corrections. And because they're adults, they understand some joking around. They had some funny comments to make themselves. Now one of the activities I have been doing this week is playing a song (The Way I Am, by Ingrid Michaelson), and the students have to put the lyrics in the right order (working in teams). I have the words cut out line-by-line. My power plant men, by the second or third time the song was played, were singing along!! It was definitely a highlight of my week - to hear these four grown Polish men singing along with Ingrid Michaelson - "cause I love the way you call me baby". Priceless.

Friday night - celebratory drinks? I think so. Irene, Heather and I convened at Bordo (a bar that is central to all of us...we went there the Wednesday of our first week in Radom, before we were teaching) to find that it was RESERVED and we couldn't get in. This also happened to Jocylene and I a couple weekends ago. They don't want our business? Ok. So Heather and I walk by this hole-in-the-wall all the time, so we decided to check that out instead, Bar 777. No joke, when the three of us walked in, everyone just stopped what they were doing, stopped talking, stared at us, and some even surrounded us (and started touching us???). Note - we were the only females in the bar, besides the bartenders. Then they're all speaking to us in Polish at once, and we are SOO confused. Is this place reserved too? Can't we just get a beer? Finally - we later learn his name is Michael - a guy steps up and starts speaking decent English. He tells us we can order a drink and sit down and stay. He also apologizes on behlaf of the others for reacting the way they are. He sits with us to find out why we're there....At this point, our plan is to drink our pints as fast as we can. (The pints were like 3.5 zloty - this is like $1.50 people!!!!) So as the three of us are trying to get back to our conversation of sharing stories from our teaching week, we keep getting interrupted by people at the bar - especially by Darius. He looks like a regular at the bar. Mid-forties? Limited English, but enough to say "Toronto Maple Leafs!" "Me fan Canadian hockey!" We had out our Polish phrase books (which we take everywhere) and were trying our best to speak with him. Heather busted out the Canadian flag pins that our boss gave her, and Darius wore one proudly, and kept kissing it. He was Heather's biggest fan. haha Michael and his friends talked with us lots too. It was an interesting night to say the least....Just so you know, bars close around midnight on weekends. This explained the high intoxication level of some of these guys at around 10:30pm. It's all relative to last call, right??

Us girls (now Jocylene too) had brunch plans for Saturday morning, which turned into early afternoon. We're taking our time, fuelling up for our shopping afternoon ahead, with a local volleyball game to follow (the Radom team had a home game). As we start browsing some shops, we're noticing how quiet the centre is getting. SHOPS CLOSE AT 2 ON SATURDAYS! NOOOOO! When are we supposed to go shopping? When do people go shopping here? Ok, so we went for coffee after about an hour of "shopping". We decide to part ways before the volleyball game, set to start at 6pm. Heather and I stayed downtown and went for pizza at our usual spot. We actually sat in a different spot this time!!! Then we hear from the gal we were supposed to meet up with for the game that she is not going...so we decided not to go. Instead? 80s movie night!! So we all went back to Heather's to watch Pretty in Pink and 16 Candles. Yey!!! Now I can finally check those off my list! I thoroughly enjoyed them. They were so totally major...aces even!

It's a good thing us girls seem to have fun regardless of the surroundings...as it seems we will be making a lot of our own fun around here! Even though the city is about 250000, which is not THAT small, there is definitely (as Heather put it) small-town mentality here! It's all part of the experience right?

Alright, back to some lesson planning. I'm off like a dirty shirt!

(Pictures - from bar 777, and Radom during the day)