So, another week in Catania, full of fun and games, gin and playing pool but today I am not going to talk any more about my drunken weekends, instead I will fill you in on my school days! Yes, I do actually do some work here and I am enjoying it almost as much as the time off!
My week is pretty hectic, I work in the mornings except Mon and Wed at state schools, and the afternoons, at the English Study Centre. Most days I work from about 9 or 10 in the morning til 8 or 9.30 at night but I have a break in the middle for lunch and checking Facebook!
I work at two state schools, the first Lombardo only on a Monday, and I am glad about that! The classes I teach have no teacher present just me, and as I speak no Italian and the kids speak little English we have some fun! The Italian schools are nothing like in England, I thought I used to talk a lot in class but they put me to shame, at least I tried to be a bit quiet... they shout! My first lesson in Lombardo was hilarious and the second, terrible but they did manage to speak some English so at least I made an improvement!!!
The second class I have there are better, they don't speak at all so I get over my headache in the hour and a half of painfully drawing teeth - or making them speak English!
The other state school, Galileo is much better, there are teachers in the class who control the noise levels (a bit) and the kids want to learn a bit more so listen to me and speak. I have met all of my classes just once but they are all really nice and have funny kids and some really interested kids too so much more interesting for me.. I can talk about just about anything I want so we will hopefully have some good lessons in the future.
In the afternoons, I teach at the English Study Centre and really like it here, I have a very small classroom so have to swap about a bit for bigger classes, by big I mean more than 6 (I have a few classes of 8 students). I have 4 kids classes and I love them, there are some naughty/cheeky kids but they make it entertaining, my fave kids are always the cheeky ones, I can't help it! Most of them don't speak much/any Enlish and so it is a lot of games and drawing and sign language, but they are all nice kids.
I also have teenagers and adult classes which is when have to be slighly more serious as they want to pass exams, lots of questions aout grammar and pronunciation and I enjoy it as they ask really varied questions and make me use my brain a little bit (so better try not to destroy all of my brain cells at the weekends...)
So, that is my working week, I like it, I like the variety of ages and abilities, the differences between the different places I work, from a class of 28, 14 year olds who can't listen, to a class of 14 girls who won't speak; to teenage boys who ask if I will try on horse masks in class... yes he had a horse mask in his bag!
It has been good so far and now I have met them all I can get down to real work and help them all which is what I love doing.
Monday, 15 February 2010
Monday, 8 February 2010
my long weekend of festivities
Wow, there is just so much to write about I don't quite know where to start, but I will try and keep it a bit shorter than last time and just write more often! OK Salvo!
I have been here in Catania for 11 days and I have to say they have been 11 brilliant days. I could not have hoped for more from this experience so far, well maybe a bit more sleep! I have had so much fun, and if you have facebook you can see some photographs of some of the fun I have been having...
This weekend was a religious festival in Catania, the feast of Santa Agata (I think that is spelt incorrectly!) the partron saint of the town. The story goes something like she was here in Catania at the time of the Romans, an important Roman 'wanted' her but she would not give in to him, so he cut of her breasts! They sell cakes called Agata's breasts, they are round with cherries on the top!
Her remains are kept in the cathederal and on this festival they are paraded through the town with hundreds if not thousands of followers, many who wear a white outfit which shows they have been helped by the saint. They carry huge candles so the streets are now covered in wax, as are my boots!
As part of the celebrations the state schools were off for 3 days, and we were also off on Friday. That meant Thursday night food and drink and dancing, Friday night food and drink and dancing and watching a big fireworks display at 4 or 5 in the morning and then saturday night food and drink (and then home as too tired for any more celebrations!)
On sunday we, the teachers and staff of the English Study Centre, were invited to a military base, as two students at the school are helicopter pilots... they cooked us lunch, a big affair with meat and cheese, two pasta dishes, a meat dish, fruit, tiramisu and cakes, and a lot, and i mean a lot, of alcohol!! all served by men in uniform! NICE! I mean for most of the day I had no idea what was going on as everyone was talking Italian but I had fun watching the singing and dancing and may have sung a song or two myself, no photographic/video evidence I am glad to say!!!
All in all a VERY good weekend...
I have been here in Catania for 11 days and I have to say they have been 11 brilliant days. I could not have hoped for more from this experience so far, well maybe a bit more sleep! I have had so much fun, and if you have facebook you can see some photographs of some of the fun I have been having...
This weekend was a religious festival in Catania, the feast of Santa Agata (I think that is spelt incorrectly!) the partron saint of the town. The story goes something like she was here in Catania at the time of the Romans, an important Roman 'wanted' her but she would not give in to him, so he cut of her breasts! They sell cakes called Agata's breasts, they are round with cherries on the top!
Her remains are kept in the cathederal and on this festival they are paraded through the town with hundreds if not thousands of followers, many who wear a white outfit which shows they have been helped by the saint. They carry huge candles so the streets are now covered in wax, as are my boots!
As part of the celebrations the state schools were off for 3 days, and we were also off on Friday. That meant Thursday night food and drink and dancing, Friday night food and drink and dancing and watching a big fireworks display at 4 or 5 in the morning and then saturday night food and drink (and then home as too tired for any more celebrations!)
On sunday we, the teachers and staff of the English Study Centre, were invited to a military base, as two students at the school are helicopter pilots... they cooked us lunch, a big affair with meat and cheese, two pasta dishes, a meat dish, fruit, tiramisu and cakes, and a lot, and i mean a lot, of alcohol!! all served by men in uniform! NICE! I mean for most of the day I had no idea what was going on as everyone was talking Italian but I had fun watching the singing and dancing and may have sung a song or two myself, no photographic/video evidence I am glad to say!!!
All in all a VERY good weekend...
Monday, 1 February 2010
Travel update!
Wow, so I am in Sicily! Where do I start to tell you about my adventure so far? It has only been a few days but it feels like so much has happened already, I will give you a quick synopsis of events! Today (Sunday 31.1.10) I am writing at home and will take this to school to post.
My journey here was very smooth; I flew on time from Newcastle and did not have to pay for the extra 8kgs of luggage I had, found out when I got on the plane that was probably because the other 10 or so passengers were all business people with only hand luggage! Arrived in Brussels and eventually found my way to the gate, the airport is like the metrocentre with loads of floors and shops and weird art and sculptures everywhere. I slept most of the way, only waking for food and a lovely view of the Alps and then as we were descending I woke and got a fantastic view of Mount Etna, covered in snow with wisps of smoke coming from a crater! So cool! I am looking forward to being able to see it again close up, you can get a train or a cable car up it and I really want to do that while I am here.
A lady in black came to collect me, she spoke no English but was being very friendly, her car temp said 16.5* so I was happy! Her driving was scary to say the least, my foot was on the brake the whole journey, but, as she was chatting on her phone and overtaking, I noticed that everyone else was worse, cutting each other up, driving over two lanes... but we made it to my new flat in one piece.
At the flat I met Helen, I was to replace Helen at the school and also in the room she was renting, so I was staying in the spare room until she left. The flat is very basic! Photos on Facebook asap! I have a room with two single beds together to make a double, a desk, sort of drawer thing and a wardrobe (a lot more than the flat in Devicka in Prague!) it also has a door out to a large balcony; then I share a bathroom and kitchen (they say kitchen....) with two women. The worst thing about the flat is that the road outside is very noisy, all day and all night with people tooting their horns at every possible opportunity! I am sure I will get used to it, or as Mam suggested, get earplugs!
I then went to the school to meet my colleagues and learnt that another new person was arriving the same day as me, two people are leaving and so two arriving! The school is nice, a lot of classrooms, a listening lab, a staff room and reception with two lovely Italian secretaries. I met a few classes I will be teaching and then headed back to the flat for a sleep! When I returned to the School I met Mark, the other new teacher and we all went out for drinks and food... there is Lisa, Jacqueline, Diana, Stuart, Luisa, Valeria and Tiziana who work at the school and Duncan and Helen who have now left and we met some students, former students, partners and brothers too! It was a great night, we went to a nice little bar which plays English music, serves nice, cheap, white wine and gives us lots of free snacks!!! Then we went to the restaurant next door which called Saloon and had food (more food I should say!).
On Friday Mark and I went to the state school where we will be teaching to meet the staff and get our timetable sorted, it is like any other secondary school except the kids all arrive on mopeds! And have fashion sense! Then we got our timetables and all of the info we need from the teachers who are leaving and then we went out for more drinks and free food! Oh yeah, somewhere in there I also went to get food, tea and a new SIM and number which I have if anyone wants it!
Saturday was a more relaxed day; I swapped rooms and unpacked then I went for lunch and a look around with Lisa - in the rain. We went to the market and we both bought some boots! Well, I was very sad that I couldn’t bring as many pairs of shoes as I wanted!!! Then I went to Lisa’s for a cup of tea! She is from ‘up north’ too, Cumbria, and is pleased to have a fellow Northerner with her at the school!
When I went home my house mate Tamara, who is Romanian but speaks Russian and Italian too (NO English!) tried to have a conversation with me, which, quite frankly, was hilarious! She showed me how to use the cooker and washing machine which I got but then we spent about 20 mins talking to each other and not having any clue what the other was saying! She tried again today and we established each other’s age; she is 47 and has two children, a son in the Military and a daughter in Moldova at university! She is religious and goes to Church! See my Italian is improving already!!! She is very sweet and hugged me lots! I am hoping to learn some Italian anyway and Luisa is going to give me lessons so hopefully by June we can have a conversation that we both understand!!! Maybe....
So, I am having a nice time settling in, I walked to the sea today and it was gorgeous, clear blue and surrounded by volcanic rock! I am looking forward to starting work at the school and the people I have met are all really nice.
I think that I will be ok here.
My journey here was very smooth; I flew on time from Newcastle and did not have to pay for the extra 8kgs of luggage I had, found out when I got on the plane that was probably because the other 10 or so passengers were all business people with only hand luggage! Arrived in Brussels and eventually found my way to the gate, the airport is like the metrocentre with loads of floors and shops and weird art and sculptures everywhere. I slept most of the way, only waking for food and a lovely view of the Alps and then as we were descending I woke and got a fantastic view of Mount Etna, covered in snow with wisps of smoke coming from a crater! So cool! I am looking forward to being able to see it again close up, you can get a train or a cable car up it and I really want to do that while I am here.
A lady in black came to collect me, she spoke no English but was being very friendly, her car temp said 16.5* so I was happy! Her driving was scary to say the least, my foot was on the brake the whole journey, but, as she was chatting on her phone and overtaking, I noticed that everyone else was worse, cutting each other up, driving over two lanes... but we made it to my new flat in one piece.
At the flat I met Helen, I was to replace Helen at the school and also in the room she was renting, so I was staying in the spare room until she left. The flat is very basic! Photos on Facebook asap! I have a room with two single beds together to make a double, a desk, sort of drawer thing and a wardrobe (a lot more than the flat in Devicka in Prague!) it also has a door out to a large balcony; then I share a bathroom and kitchen (they say kitchen....) with two women. The worst thing about the flat is that the road outside is very noisy, all day and all night with people tooting their horns at every possible opportunity! I am sure I will get used to it, or as Mam suggested, get earplugs!
I then went to the school to meet my colleagues and learnt that another new person was arriving the same day as me, two people are leaving and so two arriving! The school is nice, a lot of classrooms, a listening lab, a staff room and reception with two lovely Italian secretaries. I met a few classes I will be teaching and then headed back to the flat for a sleep! When I returned to the School I met Mark, the other new teacher and we all went out for drinks and food... there is Lisa, Jacqueline, Diana, Stuart, Luisa, Valeria and Tiziana who work at the school and Duncan and Helen who have now left and we met some students, former students, partners and brothers too! It was a great night, we went to a nice little bar which plays English music, serves nice, cheap, white wine and gives us lots of free snacks!!! Then we went to the restaurant next door which called Saloon and had food (more food I should say!).
On Friday Mark and I went to the state school where we will be teaching to meet the staff and get our timetable sorted, it is like any other secondary school except the kids all arrive on mopeds! And have fashion sense! Then we got our timetables and all of the info we need from the teachers who are leaving and then we went out for more drinks and free food! Oh yeah, somewhere in there I also went to get food, tea and a new SIM and number which I have if anyone wants it!
Saturday was a more relaxed day; I swapped rooms and unpacked then I went for lunch and a look around with Lisa - in the rain. We went to the market and we both bought some boots! Well, I was very sad that I couldn’t bring as many pairs of shoes as I wanted!!! Then I went to Lisa’s for a cup of tea! She is from ‘up north’ too, Cumbria, and is pleased to have a fellow Northerner with her at the school!
When I went home my house mate Tamara, who is Romanian but speaks Russian and Italian too (NO English!) tried to have a conversation with me, which, quite frankly, was hilarious! She showed me how to use the cooker and washing machine which I got but then we spent about 20 mins talking to each other and not having any clue what the other was saying! She tried again today and we established each other’s age; she is 47 and has two children, a son in the Military and a daughter in Moldova at university! She is religious and goes to Church! See my Italian is improving already!!! She is very sweet and hugged me lots! I am hoping to learn some Italian anyway and Luisa is going to give me lessons so hopefully by June we can have a conversation that we both understand!!! Maybe....
So, I am having a nice time settling in, I walked to the sea today and it was gorgeous, clear blue and surrounded by volcanic rock! I am looking forward to starting work at the school and the people I have met are all really nice.
I think that I will be ok here.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Arrivederci England, Buongiorno Sicily!!!
So, I am just about set for the big trip tomorrow, just a few things to throw into my bulging case in the morning at 4am! Oh my, I do not like early mornings but with luck, my usual little alarm clock Tara will be screaming at 4 as usual, so I will have less difficulty getting up!!! I am going to miss her so, so, so much but I can honestly say the crying in the night phase is one I am hoping is over by the time I come home!!!
I have spent the last few days, quite honestly, packing and unpacking again and again. I am so bad at packing! I have told my mam that if I do ever decide to go away again, she has to persuade me to go to a tropical destination so all I have to pack are flip flops and bikinis- though I am sure I would go over my allowance even then! I have taken drastic measures today- I took loads of stuff out of my case which was weighing in at about 35Kgs and put it in a box and posted it to myself in Italy!! Seriously, I have! I just cannot do without all of my stuff!!! I never knew I was so materialistic until going to Prague when I bought an extra suitcase of luggage not just extra weight! But it is true, I am, I like my home comforts and my own things.
I know when I get to Italy I will have nothing to wear!!! And I will def look terrible in all of my clothes next to Italian women, and men for that matter, and I will be able to buy things in the shops there and so on but I cannot help it, despite telling myself I would be better this time I know I will be standing at the check in trying to chose the aisle with a man or motherly looking woman to plead with that I am going for 6 moths.... and paying £21 for every 3Kgs in excess!!! There goes my spending money!!!
But, I am heading off in the morning, heading off to a new adventure, a new home and a new job. I am a bit nervous but mostly looking forward to it now.
I can't wait to see my new room and meet the teahers at the school, and of course my students! I love teaching so much, it is somethng I really am passionate about and enjoy doing so how can I not be excited! I can't wait to have some fun times to tell you about... I will write again soon to let you know how I am settling in (and how warm it is! I hope).
Until then, goodnight and goodbye, miss you already...
I have spent the last few days, quite honestly, packing and unpacking again and again. I am so bad at packing! I have told my mam that if I do ever decide to go away again, she has to persuade me to go to a tropical destination so all I have to pack are flip flops and bikinis- though I am sure I would go over my allowance even then! I have taken drastic measures today- I took loads of stuff out of my case which was weighing in at about 35Kgs and put it in a box and posted it to myself in Italy!! Seriously, I have! I just cannot do without all of my stuff!!! I never knew I was so materialistic until going to Prague when I bought an extra suitcase of luggage not just extra weight! But it is true, I am, I like my home comforts and my own things.
I know when I get to Italy I will have nothing to wear!!! And I will def look terrible in all of my clothes next to Italian women, and men for that matter, and I will be able to buy things in the shops there and so on but I cannot help it, despite telling myself I would be better this time I know I will be standing at the check in trying to chose the aisle with a man or motherly looking woman to plead with that I am going for 6 moths.... and paying £21 for every 3Kgs in excess!!! There goes my spending money!!!
But, I am heading off in the morning, heading off to a new adventure, a new home and a new job. I am a bit nervous but mostly looking forward to it now.
I can't wait to see my new room and meet the teahers at the school, and of course my students! I love teaching so much, it is somethng I really am passionate about and enjoy doing so how can I not be excited! I can't wait to have some fun times to tell you about... I will write again soon to let you know how I am settling in (and how warm it is! I hope).
Until then, goodnight and goodbye, miss you already...
Sunday, 24 January 2010
In my home town
How can I have a blog which remembers good times and laughs without mentioning crazy nights out in Winlaton? For those of you who have never been, I probably would not reccommend it, seriously I love it but only because I have been going there since before it was legal for me to go there, I have worked in a bar there and when I go I go with a group of friends who just make it great!
Winlaton, to the untrained eye, is a dump! It is full of men who spend more time in the Turf than their own house and girls who seem to have left their clothes in the house (OK now I am old I can say that, once I was one of those half naked girls...)and the streets are full of fighting yobs and screaching girls pulling hair over some boy and left over pizza boxes on the floor... yes, it is a great place! A great night out!
But I really do miss Winlaton when I am away and always yearn for a blue WKD in the Highlander or Queens and to sing along to the Karaoke in the Commercial! I have had SO many fun nights out there it just makes me happy to think about it. Some great times: St George's Day when we stacked up test tube shots, New Years Eve's spent in the Cannon and Queens, birthdays, Karaoke sessions, large spring rolls, curry chips and egg friend rice, last orders and lock ins, fights and kisses and working in the Vulcan!
In recent times I have seen a lot of changes in Winlaton, not to the decor, or the clientele of these wonderful establishments, but to the way we drink now. Phil stll thinks he can drink like when we were 20 but he is ALWAYS asleep by 11.30 and though he still says we should drink all night, he can't sit up straight enough not to spill his drink by midnight! We still occasionally do shots, but I really pay for it the next day now, how I wish I did not get hangovers, like when I was young!!! Now, we are much more sensible, before you know it we will be in the lounge in the Highlander and we already sit on the 'old side' of the Turf from time to time. Yes, we are growing up but we still fit in to Winlaton, where seriously anything goes... as long as you are local!
How funny it was when Paul was asked, seriously, you are not from round here, are you?! He looked scared! I will never forget that!
Winlaton has a specal place in my heart, it is sad to see things change, the bakers is closed, the sandhill chip shop is now Galaxy pizza and there is a huge big CCTV camera set up in the middle of the street but some things will not change; the people, my friends and the fun times we have when we are together, we laugh, we cry, we get take away and we always come back.
Winlaton, to the untrained eye, is a dump! It is full of men who spend more time in the Turf than their own house and girls who seem to have left their clothes in the house (OK now I am old I can say that, once I was one of those half naked girls...)and the streets are full of fighting yobs and screaching girls pulling hair over some boy and left over pizza boxes on the floor... yes, it is a great place! A great night out!
But I really do miss Winlaton when I am away and always yearn for a blue WKD in the Highlander or Queens and to sing along to the Karaoke in the Commercial! I have had SO many fun nights out there it just makes me happy to think about it. Some great times: St George's Day when we stacked up test tube shots, New Years Eve's spent in the Cannon and Queens, birthdays, Karaoke sessions, large spring rolls, curry chips and egg friend rice, last orders and lock ins, fights and kisses and working in the Vulcan!
In recent times I have seen a lot of changes in Winlaton, not to the decor, or the clientele of these wonderful establishments, but to the way we drink now. Phil stll thinks he can drink like when we were 20 but he is ALWAYS asleep by 11.30 and though he still says we should drink all night, he can't sit up straight enough not to spill his drink by midnight! We still occasionally do shots, but I really pay for it the next day now, how I wish I did not get hangovers, like when I was young!!! Now, we are much more sensible, before you know it we will be in the lounge in the Highlander and we already sit on the 'old side' of the Turf from time to time. Yes, we are growing up but we still fit in to Winlaton, where seriously anything goes... as long as you are local!
How funny it was when Paul was asked, seriously, you are not from round here, are you?! He looked scared! I will never forget that!
Winlaton has a specal place in my heart, it is sad to see things change, the bakers is closed, the sandhill chip shop is now Galaxy pizza and there is a huge big CCTV camera set up in the middle of the street but some things will not change; the people, my friends and the fun times we have when we are together, we laugh, we cry, we get take away and we always come back.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
New Year New Adventure
So, welcome to my blog, the Blog of Laughter and Forgetting.
For those of you who know or care I sort of stole the title from one of my current favourite authors, Milan Kundera, a Czech writer I got to know before deciding to go to Prague last year...
I chose the title because this year it feel that it is important for me to get back to my true self. I want to write more, I want to travel more and I want to learn more, and most of all I really, really want to be happy! I have not been laughing as much as I would like to recently, crying way too much and I want that to change! I want to be the carefree, smiling girl I was not so long ago.
To do that I need to let go of so many things in the past. There are memories I will treasure forever, things I wish I could remember more clearly and friends and family who will never ever be erased... however, I need to stop thinking about the past so much, it has tied me up for the last few years and now I need to forget the bad things, the silly things, the insignificant trivial details and memories which have kept me awake one night too many! I want to forget the past that holds me back, or at least learn to live with it.
Through this blog I hope I will be able to share all of the funny things I see and do, share the happy times I have and in doing so remember those things more vividly and, hopefully, I can look back and see the change happen. I hope you are in for the ride! I can't promise I won't go off the rails at times, have a 'rage black out' or two but I am going to try!!!
As I write this I am planning my next big adventure in life, I have a job in Italy, in the town of Catania in Sicily. I will be leaving in only 9 days and have so much to do... it is all very exciting and just a little bit scary! I left Prague thinking I wanted to be home, and I have loved being here with my lovely family and wonderful friends, they have helped me so, so much! But I have learnt some important things since Christmas 2009, most importantly I have learnt that the people who matter, really matter and care about me, will never forget me just as I will never forget them, they will be here when I come back and they will be there for me whenever I need them just as I would be for them. I will be back home because I love it here!
So, I will try to write often and will try to keep laughing but I will always remember you!
Claire x
For those of you who know or care I sort of stole the title from one of my current favourite authors, Milan Kundera, a Czech writer I got to know before deciding to go to Prague last year...
I chose the title because this year it feel that it is important for me to get back to my true self. I want to write more, I want to travel more and I want to learn more, and most of all I really, really want to be happy! I have not been laughing as much as I would like to recently, crying way too much and I want that to change! I want to be the carefree, smiling girl I was not so long ago.
To do that I need to let go of so many things in the past. There are memories I will treasure forever, things I wish I could remember more clearly and friends and family who will never ever be erased... however, I need to stop thinking about the past so much, it has tied me up for the last few years and now I need to forget the bad things, the silly things, the insignificant trivial details and memories which have kept me awake one night too many! I want to forget the past that holds me back, or at least learn to live with it.
Through this blog I hope I will be able to share all of the funny things I see and do, share the happy times I have and in doing so remember those things more vividly and, hopefully, I can look back and see the change happen. I hope you are in for the ride! I can't promise I won't go off the rails at times, have a 'rage black out' or two but I am going to try!!!
As I write this I am planning my next big adventure in life, I have a job in Italy, in the town of Catania in Sicily. I will be leaving in only 9 days and have so much to do... it is all very exciting and just a little bit scary! I left Prague thinking I wanted to be home, and I have loved being here with my lovely family and wonderful friends, they have helped me so, so much! But I have learnt some important things since Christmas 2009, most importantly I have learnt that the people who matter, really matter and care about me, will never forget me just as I will never forget them, they will be here when I come back and they will be there for me whenever I need them just as I would be for them. I will be back home because I love it here!
So, I will try to write often and will try to keep laughing but I will always remember you!
Claire x
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