End of term fatigue

I was so tired today during my last lesson of the week, I could have cried, and I nearly went to sleep when I shut my eyes to act out "nap". Making us work until 23rd feels a little extreme. The students are knackered too, and in last Thursday's upper intermediate lesson, we were laughing because the first few answers the students gave were all wrong, so everyone came across as needing a holiday. It was quite a nice class, actually; we'd all been for a pizza on Tuesday (a special Sicilian type called a pizzolo) and they were a bit chattier than last time. We stopped off for a traditional selz as well on the way home. So in the class, I gave them a Christmas quiz, which was fun because they did not know about some of our traditions, and then they had fun inventing some questions for me on a Sicilian Christmas, most of which I had to guess.

All week I have been doing Christmas themed classes, which sounds more fun that it probably was because I don't know that I chose the most exciting things to do - but I tried to get everyone to learn some basic facts about what we do in the UK. It certainly makes you see things from a new perspective when you are explaining them to someone else, such as why any of us continue to eat Christmas pudding, cake and mince pies when not many people like them, and I explained that although the Queen makes a speech we do not all listen to it. It's the same for them as the head of the country speaks on 1st January but no one listens. They do not seem to have one meal they have for Christmas Day. No one knew what a parsnip was, even when I showed them a photograph. Children get their presents at midnight on Christmas Eve, I think, and then on 6 January a witch figure brings sweets (or coal).

We have covered many confusing words this week: bough, although, enough (same spellings, different sounds), sleigh and mistletoe.

I managed not to use glitter in this week's kids' class, but instead we seemed to mess around for the entire 90 minutes. The school provided sweets and drinks, which you can imagine fuelled their hyper-activity.  They wanted to play bingo over and over again which was fine. Apparently the adults play cards or bingo over the festive period.

I was too tired this week really to want to deal with all the challenges that the various classes throw at me - but only one more day to go on Monday and then freedom. I can't say I'm looking forward to the travelling but I can't wait to get home for a bit.

I feel less and less sociable and also less and less part of things as a result - but I don't want to spend my entire time out late drinking, it's not for me. Instead I will have to concentrate on speaking Italian and finding new people to hang out with. One nice student who is around my age or a bit younger, she has said she would like to meet up to talk Italian/English in the New Year which will be nice.

I dare say it all sounds exotic and exciting here because I save the best bits for the blog but in fact it's a real mixture of ups and downs and I don't or can't say all the things which are negative. It is quite a tiring experience, it is a real challenge, it seems impossible to rest fully even though I sleep well, the language is still a struggle, and I am struggling with some other things. Catania is tiring, dirty and smelly, and covered everywhere with graffiti and dog mess, although perversely it's grown on me. Etna is still beautiful, when I get to see her. My student said it snowed in his village on Etna the other day. It's gone much colder here. All of 6 whole degrees.  I don't know how I feel about it all right now, I feel it is good to keep experiencing a different place, the students are nice, but I could be happier about a whole load of things. But I feel it exerting a strange pull on me so I guess I will be back in January - I realise it takes time to adjust to a new culture and this was interesting reading. I have realised I like the challenge of teaching and I am glad to have this, even if it is tiring. Some other challenges I could do without, but it is "an experience".  Some of my students have been very nice about my teaching so that is encouraging - I know I am just a beginner and have much to learn. I know I'm not a loud and dynamic teacher like some and have lots of tricks to pick up to improve how I am, but I am glad that they seem to like me as I am.

Oh and the worst thing, the worst thing about being here is that I have already missed Still Game live and now I have to miss Burnistoun live in March, because I am here, and cannot go. Only the two comedies I love the most. Being in the same room as Iain Connell and Robert Florence is only an unthinkable dream and now I will have to be in this place instead. It is seriously galling.

So Buon Natale as they say here, Auguri. Eat lots of panettone and pandoro, they are both very nice.