Snowflakes, and other random musings from this week

I was so frustrated when I was putting up my Christmas decorations Tuesday—I had non-clingy window clings, and the whole trying to festive-ize my flat was making me realize I'm really missing Christmas, which was making the project less homey and more lonely... I hadn’t even played much Christmas music. I just keep singing Merle Haggard’s “If I Make It Through December” over and over to myself.

Two days later, I feel like I have made my flat as adorably Christmas-y as is rational for someone who will never spend another winter here, let alone isn’t even going to be here for Christmas... I have a makeshift tree and a stocking and everything. I updated my iTunes with all sorts of great Christmas music, and I have that playing now. It’s nice.

It also started snowing this week—the biggest dumps ( a few inches) have been Wednesday morning and Thursday night, but it has been flurrying on and off all week. I have been roaming town in my Yaktrax (thanks to the advice of my awesome ex-future-sister-in-law, a fellow California girl who lived in Central Europe for a few years). I am fairly certain I am the only one with such contraptions, as the women here still wear their stiletto boots, but I am so happy I have them—I haven’t fallen in the snow yet! Lol. But, so far, I like the snow. It’s pretty. The kids are crazy, always having snowball fights and giving each other snow-baths in between classes and all over town... and of course there is Maggie who pelted me with one as I was trying to get inside a few days ago. But yeah, the snow is okay so far. I keep telling myself its like winter camp, but for 6 weeks... It’s at least a good reason for it to be so damn cold.

Snowing Wednesday--from the teacher's room window

me in the park

Snowy Pápa (Szent Istvan Nagytemplom)

the park

the high school

Esterhazy Palace

I am in the throes of trying to figure out the big Christmas trip—hostels and train schedules and the like. The Eurail pass is not an option for this trip, as Poland isn’t a part of it and I can’t get a separate Poland one since I am already in Europe, so I basically have to either fork out a ton of money for a pass that only works in some countries and then supplement as needed, or buy them one at a time, which is what I am planning on doing, even though I have no real idea just how much it is going to cost... sigh. Blow what’s left of my savings, then head home and back to working for income. Which reminds me, I finally got paid!!! It only took 103 days!!!! Please note, this is not really getting paid, but rather being reimbursed for the program fees I am required to pay for CETP’s “assistance” in job placement and paperwork and orientation... RIIIIGHT. It’s pretty much a scam, and I am here on a very expensive volunteer basis.

In other news, I don't know if I mentioned it but they rearranged the school schedule two weeks ago for the hell of it, and it's much messier, with me teaching 6th lesson at one school and 7th lesson at the other with barely enough time to get across town and definitely no chance to eat my lunch from the cafeteria. I put my foot down as best as I could... the solution that got? End class early and bring tupperware to get your lunch to go... THANKS.

I spent Monday afternoon trying to explain to my school-leavers why they can’t use the N-word. They know it, they hear it in the music they listen to, and I had a hard time explaining why it was somewhat “acceptable” in the context of a rap song (which, I don’t think it is) but that it should NEVER be used, and to please say African-Americans (or blacks) instead. Oh, thank you Americanization, you are spreading racism through your global domination. Which reminds me, my new 8^th graders are apparently in LOVE with the guy from Jersey Shore—the one of Dancing with the Stars... yeah. EW.  

More school stuff—we apparently have Saturday school next week, and the only reason I know is because I asked someone if we still have school the Tuesday before Christmas, since the primary school doesn’t... sigh. I almost wish I hadn’t asked, so that I could continue to be blissfully unaware of virtually everything that goes on at that school, and therefore not responsible. Because, when you are the “native-teacher” and everything “doesn’t apply to you,” you can apparently get away with anything (like missing Saturday school because you were in Vienna, as has been my plan for WEEKS) by simply saying oh, I didn’t know... because unlike the primary school, who sends out an email to us American teachers, I get no information at the high school. Sure, there is a big board in the teachers room that is always covered in stuff, but I don’t know Hungarian, and, on the rare occasion I decide to speak up about my curiosity, I get told it doesn’t apply to me.  I think I will just head to Vienna straight from Saturday school anyways...