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?!