Well, it happened. I.E.S pulled off Halloween!
The teachers all did such an amazing job dressing up! The costumes were hilarious, and just way too much fun. The kids also mostly looked great! There were some creative and frightening costumes.
I was a pirate, complete with a toy parrot on my shoulder, held up by a paper clip. I found mini chocolate bars, and passed them out, making it 2/2 years that I pass out candy. Last year I had grade 12s, and I think they were more excited about the candy, to be honest. Also, we had tacos for lunch, and mousse for dessert. Heaven.
I also played 'This is Halloween' in class, and it was so cute to hear kids singing it later on. I forgot how spooky it is though. . . .
Now, I am putting the finishing touches on this week, and trying to wrap things up before leaving for a week. I should probably clean out my fridge. . . along with 7 billion other things. Man, where did the time go?
Next stop, the gym, and then off to a colleague's for a pre-vacation dinner!
After the break, only six weeks until Canada!
For everyone paying attention, our next unit in English is sports, and then food.
Animals, sports, food. . . . my three favourite things next to music.
One more thing I need to say. For the past 6 nights, I have eaten spring rolls for dinner. I'm going to miss them, but I guess I'd rather be in two exciting capitals.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
October Snow
Hej Hej!
So it happened. It snowed on Thursday. The walk home was brutal and cold, but beautiful. The next day at school, the mountains behind us were covered in a white blanket. It was picturesque, to say the least.
Today, the snow melted with the lovely rain. I've had a headache all day, but toughed it out to go to the gym and run errands. I can finally watch TV here, and I get about 11 channels, mostly Swedish, but Discovery is in English, which is sweet!
In a week from now, I will be in Stockholm! Actual Stockholm this time! Then a few short days later, I'll be in Berlin. Only five school days! I've been reading about the Brandenburg Gate all day, and can't wait to be in a city where SO much has happened!
My head still hurts, so I'm gonna make some popcorn and watch a movie.
A wave of nostalgia seems to be sweeping over Jean Roycers, and if any of you follow this, I say: amen. A night out on the Kingston town with good friends is something that has a fond place in my heart!
Hej då!
So it happened. It snowed on Thursday. The walk home was brutal and cold, but beautiful. The next day at school, the mountains behind us were covered in a white blanket. It was picturesque, to say the least.
Today, the snow melted with the lovely rain. I've had a headache all day, but toughed it out to go to the gym and run errands. I can finally watch TV here, and I get about 11 channels, mostly Swedish, but Discovery is in English, which is sweet!
In a week from now, I will be in Stockholm! Actual Stockholm this time! Then a few short days later, I'll be in Berlin. Only five school days! I've been reading about the Brandenburg Gate all day, and can't wait to be in a city where SO much has happened!
My head still hurts, so I'm gonna make some popcorn and watch a movie.
A wave of nostalgia seems to be sweeping over Jean Roycers, and if any of you follow this, I say: amen. A night out on the Kingston town with good friends is something that has a fond place in my heart!
Hej då!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
. . . .or a local will push me. . . .
Forgive me followers, for I have neglected this blog.
It's been one week since my last blog post.
What have I been doing with my time? Well, work, foodstuffs, and watching documentaries and the Daily Show and Colbert Report.
School is going well. My head is sort of finally resting on my shoulders. There are also only two weeks until the Fall Break, so there's a definite finish line to strive for, or, actually, breathlessly reach for with outstretched arms. I suppose it's halfway save point, in video game terms, where you jump into the barrel, and all your previous work is saved, but you still haven't beat the level yet.
Oh, Donkey Kong metaphors. The biggest challenge now is the huge gap between extremely motivated and students who want to be challenged and those who really, really need a lot of help just to follow along. I'll figure something out, I'm sure.
Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous out, but I lazily spent most of the day lounging, watching Jon Stewart's various musical guests, and eating chocolate chip pancakes with vegan canned whip cream! MMM! (no sarcasm)
We went out with the staff to Gothenburg for the night. We started off at a pretty nice restaurant, and I received five pounds of gnocchi which I barely dented! We sat in the wine cellar, which was spooky, albeit freezing. After dinner some parted ways, but ten of us went out on the town. The first place we went to was called Puta Madre (for realz) and it was this Baton Rouge type of Vaudeville place where the servers were all dressed thematically. From the outside it looked like a shithole, but we walked in and it was beautiful. After an hour or so, what was left of the group (nationalities present were: Canada, U.K, South Africa, Iran and Sweden) went to the watering hole next door. I must say, I was not pushed by anyone this week, which was an immense relief. On the bus ride home, I was giving a Swedish 18 year old boy a musical education. The only music he knew from Canada was Nickelback and Neil Young. It also turned out I knew way more Swedish music then he did. I asked him if he knew Tom Waits, and he did not. However, a boy sitting in front of us did, so we began to compare what music we knew and loved. Eventually, we made it home back to the hustling and bustling town of Borås. . . .woo hoo (sarcasm).
So today. . . I have accomplished very little. I made popcorn, (on the oven) watched a documentary by Stephen Hawking, and one about Psychology, ate pancakes (with no soy whip this time-gotta be sensible) marked literally three student papers, and cleaned my apartment for a total of one minute.
It's beautiful out today, so I will drag my lazy behind outside for a walk, and perhaps go to the gym I just signed up for.
I miss home and special needs programs and family and friends and BBQ chips and Toboggan and Jangles and my fish who may be dead and having blinds in my room and being able to watch Sens game and sarcasm.
But I'm glad to be here, and I am not complaining.
It's been one week since my last blog post.
What have I been doing with my time? Well, work, foodstuffs, and watching documentaries and the Daily Show and Colbert Report.
School is going well. My head is sort of finally resting on my shoulders. There are also only two weeks until the Fall Break, so there's a definite finish line to strive for, or, actually, breathlessly reach for with outstretched arms. I suppose it's halfway save point, in video game terms, where you jump into the barrel, and all your previous work is saved, but you still haven't beat the level yet.
Oh, Donkey Kong metaphors. The biggest challenge now is the huge gap between extremely motivated and students who want to be challenged and those who really, really need a lot of help just to follow along. I'll figure something out, I'm sure.
Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous out, but I lazily spent most of the day lounging, watching Jon Stewart's various musical guests, and eating chocolate chip pancakes with vegan canned whip cream! MMM! (no sarcasm)
We went out with the staff to Gothenburg for the night. We started off at a pretty nice restaurant, and I received five pounds of gnocchi which I barely dented! We sat in the wine cellar, which was spooky, albeit freezing. After dinner some parted ways, but ten of us went out on the town. The first place we went to was called Puta Madre (for realz) and it was this Baton Rouge type of Vaudeville place where the servers were all dressed thematically. From the outside it looked like a shithole, but we walked in and it was beautiful. After an hour or so, what was left of the group (nationalities present were: Canada, U.K, South Africa, Iran and Sweden) went to the watering hole next door. I must say, I was not pushed by anyone this week, which was an immense relief. On the bus ride home, I was giving a Swedish 18 year old boy a musical education. The only music he knew from Canada was Nickelback and Neil Young. It also turned out I knew way more Swedish music then he did. I asked him if he knew Tom Waits, and he did not. However, a boy sitting in front of us did, so we began to compare what music we knew and loved. Eventually, we made it home back to the hustling and bustling town of Borås. . . .woo hoo (sarcasm).
So today. . . I have accomplished very little. I made popcorn, (on the oven) watched a documentary by Stephen Hawking, and one about Psychology, ate pancakes (with no soy whip this time-gotta be sensible) marked literally three student papers, and cleaned my apartment for a total of one minute.
It's beautiful out today, so I will drag my lazy behind outside for a walk, and perhaps go to the gym I just signed up for.
I miss home and special needs programs and family and friends and BBQ chips and Toboggan and Jangles and my fish who may be dead and having blinds in my room and being able to watch Sens game and sarcasm.
But I'm glad to be here, and I am not complaining.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Falcon Lake Incident
I will be home in ten short weeks! Let's be honest, ten long weeks.
Well, one of those weeks will be spent in Stockholm and Berlin, so any semblance of complaining I'm thinking of doing is not justified, because, I mean, I get to spend a week travelling in Stockholm and Berlin! My former self would have been green with envy at my current self's proximity to such rich, cultural places.
This week went off without any serious glitches. We're doing a unit on animals in English, and it's evident how much more interesting this is than common and proper nouns.. . . the next unit is sports. Let the good times roll!
I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that this weekend is Thanksgiving, which I love spending at the cottage. From the cold sweater and coat weather, to the homework parties with Emma, to the delicious meals, Catan games with Mishy and others, the tofurkey, the pie, the food-comas, the trip hiking up the mountain that results in very serious injuries. . . ok, well that part I can do without, actually. . . but all these things mean a lot to me, and it's hard to not be there. If there was ever a (second) time to be homesick, this is it.
But, at least the leaves here are changing colours and are extremely beautiful. Tonight, my friend is hosting a party, so I won't be alone, and tomorrow I'm going to go to this lovely little café where they serve pie and cream. So, it could be worse.
My apartment is just such a loser-den. It's so messy, and filled with junk food. It's like a college room, minus the other people around, and the party lifestyle.
I did go for a long run today, and then did some stretching and BASIC yoga poses I'm learning. It was a good day to clear my head.
Ok, well, I just purchased Jim Bryson and the Weakerthan's latest album, and I can't wait to fall in love with it. Listening to Ottawa-Winnipeg Folk-Roots-Rock is probably not the best way to rid myself of homesick fever. . .
oh, what the hell!
Well, one of those weeks will be spent in Stockholm and Berlin, so any semblance of complaining I'm thinking of doing is not justified, because, I mean, I get to spend a week travelling in Stockholm and Berlin! My former self would have been green with envy at my current self's proximity to such rich, cultural places.
This week went off without any serious glitches. We're doing a unit on animals in English, and it's evident how much more interesting this is than common and proper nouns.. . . the next unit is sports. Let the good times roll!
I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that this weekend is Thanksgiving, which I love spending at the cottage. From the cold sweater and coat weather, to the homework parties with Emma, to the delicious meals, Catan games with Mishy and others, the tofurkey, the pie, the food-comas, the trip hiking up the mountain that results in very serious injuries. . . ok, well that part I can do without, actually. . . but all these things mean a lot to me, and it's hard to not be there. If there was ever a (second) time to be homesick, this is it.
But, at least the leaves here are changing colours and are extremely beautiful. Tonight, my friend is hosting a party, so I won't be alone, and tomorrow I'm going to go to this lovely little café where they serve pie and cream. So, it could be worse.
My apartment is just such a loser-den. It's so messy, and filled with junk food. It's like a college room, minus the other people around, and the party lifestyle.
I did go for a long run today, and then did some stretching and BASIC yoga poses I'm learning. It was a good day to clear my head.
Ok, well, I just purchased Jim Bryson and the Weakerthan's latest album, and I can't wait to fall in love with it. Listening to Ottawa-Winnipeg Folk-Roots-Rock is probably not the best way to rid myself of homesick fever. . .
oh, what the hell!
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