Icelandic adventure 2K9

Well, the first trimester is over, and what a trimester it was!

Ha. If you don’t know what I’ve been doing up to this point, you may be confused and thinking I'm talking about a pregnancy or something. Not so…I’ve been teaching some English. Or, rather, a whole lot of English. If you want a refresher course on the past perfect, present continuous or the difference between ‘will’ and ‘going to’ for the future, I can certainly provide a crash course (complete with gestures and slow, dramatic speech patterns so that EVERYONE might understand me clllleeeeearly. For those that know how I fast I usually speak, it might come as quite a shock that I can, in fact, slow it down. A lot. All I can say about that is that you would to if you were trying to teach “Hello!” and “How are you?” on the first day of class, only to receive blank stares back from your students. That’ll teach you to say things too quickly, that’s for sure.

Anywho, as I write this entry, I am in my window seat (32J!) of this Boeing 777 on the nearly 9-hour flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Chicago. There was potential for disaster this go-round for a number of reasons. First, it was raining and windy in Florence when I left this morning, so I wasn’t sure if my flight would even get to take off. Alas, it did. Then, I only had 30 minutes to change planes in Frankfurt, and I was SURE that I would get hassled by the passport control people because I had overstayed my 90-day tourist visa (should I be putting this in print? Don’t turn me in or anything…) And, I found out only after I booked the ticket that the Germans, Brits and French folk care about that kind of thing, while other countries within the European Union are like, “Oh, so you’ve been here for many months, spending money, contributing to our economy? Awesome. Have a nice trip.” Good news abounds today, though, because no one even batted an eye when they stamped my passport. Phew! I’ve learned my lesson, though, and will travel outside the EU before three months are over next time, because then, when I reenter, my tourist visa is renewed. Tunisia, Switzerland or the UAE, here I come! Oh, and I still haven’t heard what the weather is doing in Chicago at this point. I’m guessing it’s bitterly cold with residual snow and refrozen slush that will remain until May. I hope I don’t wipe out as I’m walking about the frozen tundra…

But, it wouldn’t be winter in Chicago (or the Christmas season?!) without the snow and biting winds, so I’ll take what I can get. I think I’ll actually overlook the shitty weather to be able to see my friends and family!

***Oh, and now, please allow myself to interrupt…myself: we are currently on the ground, but not in our final destination of the aforementioned arctic tundra of Chicago. Not at all. We are actually in Reykjavic, Iceland, because a passenger became deathly ill and needed to get to a hospital. But, then she died. So, yeah. Iceland. Nice airport…?***

Long overdue...

Okay, okay, so I've been super remiss in not updating you all on my since, um, October. And early October, at that. Not to make excuses or anything, but it's been a difficult adjustment not having the interweb at the homestead anymore. Now, I must resort to the old-school method of internet communication (and blog updating) at an internet cafe. Most of which here have odd and/or inconvenient hours.

BUT, I digress.

Let me give you some new news.

I've been teaching for nearly two months, and as it turns out, I may have found my new calling. I guess I wasn't sure if I would enjoy teaching or be remotely good at it, but I think that might be because I was (am) a product of a public school system, for which attendance and the like was obligatory. My sitch here is different because the students have chosen to attend these classes and WANT to be there: they are just like sponges, just waiting to absorb the knowledge that I share with them every class. And that, to me, is exceptionally rewarding and a little terrifying. I mean, my more advanced students have a good handle on the language (which is why they're advanced), but my beginner-beginners have had little to no exposure to English (save the grammar school lessons in primary school), especially with vocabulary, pronunciation, etc. In just two months, these students are the ones from whom I have seen the most progress, because there was so much potential for growth. Is this making sense? I have so many thoughts to share; I'm not sure if they're coming across clearly in blog form. Holla if you hear me!

So, classes are going well. That's a fact. I have two classes of the aforementioned beginner-beginners (aka 'principinate' level), two elementario classes and intermediate class. And then there are the individual lessons. I have seven of those, most of whom are advanced, but there are other levels of English learners/speakers thrown in the mix, as well. My first student, Antonio, has applied and been accepted to a small university in Boston, so my time with him will end shortly before I head stateside for the holidays. He's made quite a bit of progress, too, especially with pronunciation and the use of idiomatic and slang language, which makes him sound more like a native speaker. This is what he wanted and for which he is most appreciative. One of my favorite moments was a few weeks ago, when I admitted I was quite tired during one of our lessons (which commence at 8 every morning), and he told me I could sleep when I was dead.

"Wait, what?! Who taught you that?!" I asked incredulously.

"You did," he said.

This is one of the many, many reasons I absolutely love my job.

The housing situation has also panned out well for the time being, though I will probably find a new place when I return from my whirlwind Nebraska/Chicago Tour (which, for those of you who don't know, is taking place Dec. 24-Jan. 6). I'm currently living about a 25-minute walk from school, which has been pretty decent. The rent is cheap and I love my roommate, but there are a few things I would change about the place: obviously, I'd have the internet; more water pressure in the shower and an oven. Oh, and I'd probably opt for my own room, but sharing has proven a tolerable and money-saving endeavor.

I'm taking Italian lessons, and from what I can tell, they seem to be going pretty well. That is to say that when I say stuff in Italian to people who also speak Italian, they appear to know what I am saying. Either that, or they're REALLY good at inferring things and/or reading minds. Regardless, I'm getting more comfortable with the language and the fact that all of the words in a vowel. Oh, and conjugating verbs is pretty annoying, but apparently, once you learn how, the rules stay pretty consisent. Goody!

I think that pretty much sums up my life these days. I will be seeing many/most/all (fingers crossed!) in a little under a month, so I'll share some stories in person and hope that you enjoy hearing them as much as I have enjoyed experiencing them.

So, for now, enough about me...how are you?!

Apartment? Check. Job? CHECK!

Yeah, so...I gots me a teachin' job! And I couldn't be happier!

The school at which I received my certification to teach English (as of Oct. 2) has hired me...to teach English! My employer is the American Language Center (or, Istituto Americana, if you'd rather), and I started today! Group classes start next week, so I will get to teach English to groups of 3-5 people at various levels (elementary, intermediate, advanced) at different times of the day. There's no telling who or when those will happen, as things like class enrollment (or really any type of initial school/business orientation, etc...) happen at the last minute. So, I'll probably know next Tuesday if I'm teaching a class next Wednesday. And, if I happen to be teaching Wednesday, I'll know at the beginning of class Wednesday how many students I'll have. That day. Should be interesting...

Anywho, the student I met with today is a 21-year-old who studied English last year in America for nine months (in North Carolina, of all places!). He returned to Italy in August, and has since decided that he wants to attend university in the States. So, it is my responsibility to work with him two hours each day to get his spoken, written and grammatical English to the level it needs to be to get accepted to, attend and succeed at an American University. No pressure, right?! The good news (for us both) is that he will also be taking a TOEFL prep course through the ALC, which will prepare him to take an entrance exam specifically for international students. This means I share the burden with the instructor of that class...which happens to be the director of the school. So, I may be biased, but I'd say this kid is in pretty good hands. (This is where you, loyal blog readers, chime in and tell me how right I am! Please and thank you, of course.)

As it stands, I have an apartment for a month (after which I will look for a more permanent residence) and a job until at least June. Yay! Now, I can't say for sure, but it looks like I'll be coming back stateside around Christmas or New Years, as I'll have to apply for a work visa at the American Embassy, most likely in Chicago. I'll be sure to report when, exactly, this will be happening, as I'll want to maximize the amount of time I can spend with you and regale you with tales of my English instruction. Which I will have because I actually have a JOB! Splendid.

Looks like I need to skedaddle and plan some lessons!

Baci e abbracci!

Kinda like a blind date...

Hello!

It is with much joy and excitement that I share with you the following pieces of news: I have passed my grammar exam, and thus, have acquired my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification! Booyah, reflexive pronouns and future perfect continuous tense! I owned you!

Also, I have found a place to live! We (my friend, Meara, and two fellow classmates, Liz and Christina) are moving into our new apartment tomorrow (Saturday). It's very near the Arno River and also very close to the center of the city and all that takes place there (markets, shopping, potential employment, etc). The interesting thing about this particular experience is that none of us have seen the place. That is why moving into it will be kind of like a blind date. I'm guessing there will be some charming aspects to it, and those are what will make us glad to call it 'home,' but there will undoubtedly also be some characteristics that make us...uh, less glad. Regardless, pictures will follow, as will a description of my reaction to the place upon opening the door for the first time.

So, with a TEFL certificate in hand and an apartment at the ready, it's time for me to go drink vino with my classmates, many of whom will be returning to the states or continuing their respective journeys tomorrow. You might not guess that four weeks can bring 14 women from different backgrounds, ages, experiences and personalities together so well or so closely, but these particular four weeks did just that for this particular group of 14 women. The fact that the class is over is kind of bittersweet, now that I think about it. Maybe a tad more sweet than bitter, but the hangover I'll have tomorrow will probably make me feel just the opposite.

Ciao for now...

Grammar, house hunting and procrastination, oh my!

When I started this thing, I had high hopes for daily updates, lots of photos and a boatload of followers. Well, one outta three ain't bad, so thanks to those of you who have decided to tune in frequently to my tales of adventure in Italy. I apologize to you for the lack of the first two items on that list.

As I write this entry today, it is around 4 p.m., on the third Saturday (of three) of the class: the whole shebang is over next Friday! I am severely procrastinating the completion of a take-home (thank goodness!) grammar exam, but I will get to that as soon as I finish this. And check my email. And upload photos onto Facebook. Priorities, right?

Anyhow, the course is going well, though this weekend (read: tomorrow) will be jam-packed with school-related stuff, including this stupid test, a lesson plan, a written analysis of one of my lessons that was videotaped early last week and viewed yesterday, and a summary of two one-to-one teaching sessions I did at one of Florence's business schools last week. It seems like a lot, and it is, but it will get done before the deadline. So, I've got that going for me, which is nice...

In my spare time (of which there hasn't been much), I've been looking for a place to live with my roommate, Meara. The good news is that I think we've found one, and the even better news is that our friend, Liz, will be joining us, making our rent/utility bills that much cheaper! Yay! Nevermind the fact that the three of us will be sharing a room...it will be just like my freshman year of college, when I lived in the dorms! Oh, joy, oh, rapture! No, really though...the place is pretty sweet, it's in the city center and will cost us each less than 300 euro, which is super.

What else have I been doing, you ask? ... Huh. I can't seem to come up with any other fun things. Once this class is over, though, you can bet (or hope, maybe, would be more appropriate) that I'll be able to regale you with tales of frivolity, entertainment and travel. Or, maybe just passing grades, a job hunt and slight improvement on my Italian. Regardless, I'll do a better job of keeping this thing updated once I don't have to focus on school so much. Or, at all. Until I get a job. Cross your fingers and toes for me on that one!

Eight days in...

So, I arrived in Florence (or Firenze, as the locals call it) late Friday night (Sept. 4, if you're curious), and I met up with Christina, one of the girls in my program. She had already moved into her apartment, and she said I could stay there. After 24 hours of traveling, walking around and not sleeping, a good night's sleep on a living room couch sounded pretty nice.

Fast forward to 8 a.m. the next morning when Franco, the apartment building's maintenance man, pounded hard on the door. He had to fix something with the kitchen sink faucet. Thus, started my first full day in Florence.

Christina and I enjoyed a typical Italian breakfast of bread and cheese (they don't really do 'breakfast' here, per se, but I can't go without at least something when I first wake up), and espresso. We then walked around Florence, found our school, had wine with lunch, spoke broken Italian to people on the street, ate gelato, moved me into my apartment, met one of my roommates, ate the most delicious pizza ever and laughed well into the night.

"So far, so good," I thought.

I went for a run Sunday morning, got lost, walked to the Duomo, made sure I had the route to school down pat, met the third of four roommates, had the best pasta ever, unpacked the rest of my stuff and hit the hay.

For the next five days, take all the action and activity away from the weekend and replace it with lectures, note taking, practice teaching sessions, homework assignments, grammar lessons and a whole lot of commiserating with my 14 fellow classmates (all of whom are women, in case you were wondering). As you may have gathered, the course I'm taking to get certified to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is relatively difficult. But, it's only for three more weeks, so I think I can handle it. Probably. Maybe.

Anyhow, the first week (which felt like an eternity!) is over! To celebrate, my classmates and I (and our instructors!) met for drinks Friday evening at a local pub. That continued into the wee hours of the morning, but not so as to prevent me and three other gals from waking up Saturday morning and catching a 9:30 train to Forte dei Marme...a beach on the Mediterranean! Oh my, it was fantastical! I got some sun (but not too much), swam in the sea, studied some grammar and worked off the pizza I ate for lunch by walking to and from the train station. It was a glorious day, to be sure!

Today, Sunday, was spent doing school work. Nothing exciting to report there.

Now, I'm getting ready for tomorrow's class, during which I will be teaching an intermediate lesson on adjective order. Did you know there was a rule to be followed when using a series of adjectives? Yeah. I can't wait to share that with you in person. Remind me.

Ciao for now, USofA!

Silently, effortlessly, I shed a tear from each eye as my gigantic, Amsterdam-bound plane lifted off the ground in Chicago. No sooner had I wiped them away and sighed heavily, did the person next to me ask if I was traveling for business or pleasure.

Well...kind of both.

Anyway, as it turns out, this nice fellow and I became fast friends, and after he congratulated me on my first steps on European soil (it sounds corny, and it kind of was, but it was appreciated), we ended up sightseeing and enjoying the crisp, fall-like morning together in the city's center. Sadly, he had to return to Schiphol to catch his flight to Bulgaria, but it was fun while it lasted. To those of you who may be wondering, it was not THAT kind of fun...the one that's legal in coffee shops over here. Oh, no. That came later in the day. Can I say that? :o)

With several hours to kill before my flight to Florence, I walked around literally all day long. I went to the Rembrandt Museum, the Red Light District, Hermitage and took an hour-long cruise throughout A'dam's ridiculous network of canals.

And then it was back to the airport for my 19:15 flight. Or, so I thought.

Due to weather-related issues in Amsterdam, my plane didn't take off until after 22:00. I was less than stoked about this. But, all was well because I met this adorable couple from Vancouver. They were on their way to Florence to meet up with a group of folks to take a bike tour throughout Tuscany and down to Rome. When I told them I was jealous, they said I would have an opportunity to do that any time I wanted. How quickly I forget!

I'll let y'all know how that bike thing turns out. And everything else.

Is it time yet? Is it time?!

As I sit here typing this, I really should be packing my bags, converting my money to euros and, in all actuality, having a one-day-before-I-leave-the-country freak out. I am happy to report, however, especially in regards to that last one there, that I feel...fine. Surprisingly. I'm a little nervous and excited (okay, a lot!), but not too upset/anxious/uncomfortable. So, I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Regardless of how I'm feeling right this minute, what I'd like to express most in this first blog entry (or dispatch, as I like to call them) is how much I appreciate all the support, encouragement and advice I've received from family, friends, friends of friends, and people I've encountered on various CTA buses and trains, in line at the grocery store, etc. But, since those folks will probably never see this (famous last words?), I just want you to know how grateful I am for the help. You know who you are. You've filled me in on how best to prepare to leave Chicago, tolerate the eight-hour flight and overcome the subsequent jet lag, navigate my new city and cope with the inevitable pangs of homesickness I will encounter. I'll let you know how all that that pans out. And more!

Stay tuned (please) to this here fancy-spangled new blog o' mine for updates on what I'm doing, where I'm going and how I'm faring. Oh, and check in every once in a while to make sure I'm not drinking too much vino...

Ciao!