We have taken to popping into the cafe/pasticceria during the day if we can, which gives us a break from school and also helps us to "integrate" haha. They know our faces now and try to help us make ourselves understood. (I walk past the same (fairly attractive, to me at least) man several times a day, who owns a shop by the cafe. I have no reason to go in the shop as it sells strange things. But not until yesterday did I manage one of those half smiles at him and he managed to raise an eyebrow back at me. See, it is a slow process). Today we went to the cafe at lunch time and everyone was getting hot food - I thought I'd try myself, so ordered some pasta. It came and was an enormous bowl of pasta and lentil soup - very tasty but so huge, I could not finish it, which was a shame and probably looked terrible to them. Jo was sensible and just had an arancino. I have not settled into a good routine for food yet, as I start teaching at 3.30 and usually finish at 9.30 with a gap in between, but not a large enough gap to have a proper dinner at home. I need to start eating a proper dinner at around 1pm. Eating after I finish is way too late.  In fact we did meals today in the teens class and I asked them what times they ate and told them how it is different in the UK. I was surprised that even they eat their dinner at 9pm. The teens classes did some great menus, which I have put up on the wall to give a bit of colour and to show them I am proud of what they have done.

Lessons seem to be going well but I still spend virtually all day planning, preparing and worrying when I have new lessons to give. If I am repeating a lesson, more or less, to a second group doing the same things, that is less stressful as I can follow what I did the day before. I enjoy the actual lessons; the students and I are getting to know each other and relaxing more and so it is always fine, sometimes even fun. There are lots of things I would like to improve and need to think about but it is far from disastrous. I would just like to improve on everything. I can hear my CELTA tutor telling me about being more dynamic, having more energy and authority etc and it is true, I do need that. I also need to plan the shape and focus of the lessons better, and to make my instructions much clearer. It is having the time. There are loads of materials available in the school and online, but you need time to look through everything. I want to make lessons engaging so that students enjoy learning and also learn new things. But right now I feel like that is something I have to work towards. Everyone at school is very helpful though and they have all been offering me advice, which is great.

One lesson I had today has students who are very keen to get the right pronunciation. They ask me to repeat words clearly and so by the third or fourth time of saying something I find my mouth does not work any more and I cannot speak properly. Today I had to concentrate so I would not laugh. But the following class was fun because we had a break from grammar and were thinking of adjectives to describe personality - the actual lesson did not get on to much else, which was my fault, but we were all laughing trying to think of words and teasing each other about who they applied to. So maybe it was enough.

It is still warm. But tonight it is very windy which is different. We have a regular pigeon friend who sits on our balcony but tonight the "anti pigeon" foil sheets that the landlord has hung from the railings were flapping up and so I went out to pin one down, so that the pigeon was not disturbed by it. Of course he flew off when I approached and has not returned. So maybe tomorrow. He is so sweet; yesterday he stayed there all day which was unusual so I was glad to see he was okay today.

I never seem to get anything done outside work, like posting things, buying things, or contacting people, and finishing work at 9.30pm means my brain is too active to go to bed at a reasonable time. Plus it is the only time I feel able to read, relax, email, etc. We do not have a tv so I have been reading the fabulous Wilkie Collins.