The first step is recognizing the problem though, right?
They really need to be more strict here with their smoking laws. Seriously. Supposedly there is no smoking inside buildings, but people still do it. They smoke in the Radom school building, for goodness sakes! (The classrooms are on the second floor of a building that also houses a dance studio and a salon. It's the women at the salon that take their smoke breaks in the halls! There are CHILDREN everywhere. NOT cool. I cough obnoxiously whenever I walk by them smoking indoors. I'm awfully tempted to spit.) Also, the bars are just as bad. A night out results in smelling like smoke for a good week after, despite washing your hair several times.
I've felt extra teacher-like as of late. I've been busy prepping revision classes and exams. It's that time of year, with the first trimester coming to an end! I can't believe how quickly it's gone. I am so looking forward to the holidays. Less than two weeks!! My fingers are crossed oh-so-tightly for some snow, still. Everything else is set - the lights, the markets, the spirit. LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW!
The teacher who took off last week has been replaced. One of the teachers from last year (who lived in my flat!) happened to be in Prague looking for work. So she started Monday. Quick turnaround eh? I have yet to meet her. Heather and I have organized a gathering/invited people out to a local pub Saturday night so I hope to meet her then! No reason for the event, just because! We're hoping to have a good mix of the Polish teachers we've gotten to know, the Native speakers, and a few others we've met thus far.
Heather and I had a rocking good time in Warsaw last weekend. I still cannot grasp the reality of how much we laugh. On the train ride there, there was a point where I had water in my mouth and SERIOUSLY considered spitting it out because I was losing my ability to breathe, from laughing. Always causing a scene, we are. I somehow managed to swallow the water, which was followed by fits of coughing. Oh dear. We were beyond thrilled with our hostel. It was right on one of the main streets, overlooking the pubs we went to a couple weekends ago with Mariusz! And we had decided we'd have sushi for dinner...the hostel was above a sushi restaurant!! So after settling in (and paying less than half price, thanks to our friend's brother!), we went to Coffee Heaven for a drink. There were two teenagers going at it...like full on making out, at noon! Can't say I've seen that before. Haha There were markets set up on the street too. The hustle and bustle of this time of year is so energizing! We headed back to the mall though (right by the train station) as we had intended to have a day of Christmas shopping there. Then we went back to the hostel, dropped our things, and went out for sushi. SO GOOD! And of course we made friends with the chef. We told him we'd be back. Then we met up with Mariusz (who brought along a friend) and we did a little bar-hopping (it was Heather's birthday after all). So many cool little nooks and crannies pubs around! Heather and I carried on just the two of us, after midnight. We found an indie/alternative bar with a dance floor, and got our groove on. It was a great place! Chatting in the washroom line with some girls they all asked "WHY DO YOU LIVE IN RADOM?" This is always the question we get. Haha So good to hear English! Then we befriended some British pilots (MORE ENGLISH!!) who were flying out to Bucharest the next day. We had a great time dancing with them. Fun and crazy guys, like us! And before you know it, it was 5:30am to bed at the hostel....it's never the intention. These things just happen!
The next day we headed back to the mall. We were useless. We ate subway, and just laughed and laughed about the previous night's events. We took an afternoon train back to Radom, where we saw P - correction, he HEARD us and came over. P doesn't work for English College anymore (we drove to Kozienice together on Mondays) so we filled him in on what was going on. And that was that! Monday at the gym Heather and I felt like zombies, still half asleep!
As for my school week, not many stories to share. Review classes, like I mentioned before. The power was out in the Radom school yesterday, but it came back on before my classes started. Irene, however, taught one of her classes by candlelight!
I can't believe it's almost the weekend again already! Sending love and Christmas cheer...!
Oh, and we totally brought Stanley the third (the ones my students made) to Warsaw with us. Haha
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