This week

We have a new flatmate, Beth, who is also a teacher - she's only 22 but she has done many things such as teaching in India. She is really lovely and has fitted in so quickly. It feels like she has been here for ages. Her first night was a bit crazy - she turned up at night, so we were there to welcome her with pizza and the other teachers. Later that night there was a loud crash and Darcy and I discovered that a large area of plaster had crashed to the floor from the ceiling in one of the bedrooms. It was all very weird. No fewer than 6 Sicilan men came to look at it the next day (god knows what they all do) but they fixed it the next day, so fingers crossed, everything is now fine.

Next day Beth and I went for a walk along the seafront (lungomare) which was nice. The rocks are all black and volcanic. It is still warm-ish. Cooler at night. But you can still hang around without a coat. And usually without a jacket. (Sorry!)

It is finally Christmassy here - lights have gone up across the roads, from flat to flat - mostly plain white but it is still better. Some stars have gone up outside the school. There are many poinsettias everywhere. I think people were even Christmas shopping today.

I have ordered things online to arrive at home but I would still like to bring back small things from here if I can find anything I won't squash or eat before I get back. It is still two weeks before we finish and they seem like an eternity. Although I have got lots to do before then so they will go quickly. Or should that be they are going to go quickly. I don't know any more. The more you do grammar in class, the more you begin to question how you speak, yourself. I got in a right pickle with subjects and objects this week and had to make out that I did not want to confuse the students and would come back to it next week afresh. What I meant and what I am sure they knew I meant is that I did not really know what I was talking about :) Now I am beginning to understand when people say things get better after a year of teaching: it will take that long to go through all the various aspects of grammar and figure out what they all mean.

On Wednesday we had our first Italian lesson at the school - it turns out the teacher is Marina, who I had for 2 weeks at Taormina! So that was lovely, to see her again, and everyone enjoyed the class. It was much nicer to be a student again than a teacher. We had the lesson in my room so it was weird to be the other side of the desk - and I realised what a bare and horrible room I have! I really need to take back some lovely pictures.

I had my class observation: naturally it went so badly I laughed about it in the end. Mind you, my Director of Studies did not stay for more than 45 mins so I hope that means it wasn't as much of a disaster as I thought it was. The teenagers were all shy and actually hiding behind their hands, even the one I was counting on to speak up as he usually does. At least he was there, unlike his friend whom I was also hoping would be his usual cheery self. The CD started skipping. I was nervous and wooden. But I'm sure it will be ok.

The kids' class was actually quite fun: never mind learning, we did some Christmas words and then launched into making Christmas cards. Tree or snowman. I did one of each so they could choose. It was panning out fine until they asked for the glitter. I had envisaged gently sprinkling glitter on to each card for them. But in the end I let them do it themselves. You can probably imagine what the place looked like afterwards. Marika sprinkled glitter into Matteo's hair. Giorgia had glitter all over her face. Her glue ended up on the floor and she looked like she was going to cry. The parents were coming at the end of the lesson for 10 minutes to find out how the class is going. Thank god my room is too small for them so they went next door and did not see the glitter explosion that had happened over their children. Glitter was all over the table, all over everyone's hands, faces, etc. You had to laugh. Once they had gone, I tried to sweep it up off the floor, but it is still everywhere. It was all over the chairs. I went into the corridor. The floor was glittering back at me. I followed a trail of glitter down the stairs out of the school and there was even glitter on the pavement outside. Hahahah!

The teachers, plus a husband!

Last night we went out for an aperitivo (food and cocktails at lovely prices) in a nice bar with, I noticed, a rather nice looking owner. It was for our Australian workmate who is going home for good tomorrow. It is a shame, because she is nearer my age and I find her easy to get on with - she has been very helpful by suggesting many things to make me feel more at home. But it is very exciting for her, as she is going back after being here for 2 years, with I think not many trips home in that time. So we are out again tonight. I tried her favourite drink, a negrino - a campari based drink. Strong but very nice :) One is enough.

Then today I met up with my student with whom I tried to practise Italian last time. He'd missed the class so it was a good reason to sit in my local cafe and tell him all about the way we use "going to." It was very nice because he makes me laugh (not many things in Catania make me laugh) and he makes me speak Italian. He thinks I should set up my own school - all in good time. Maybe in Taormina, I said, but he said that was too far for him to travel to, which was sweet. He uses his English at work and was saying how difficult it was when English people send abrupt emails about sending the remittance and the payment window.  I told him I don't even know what all those words mean. I will look for a book with useful business jargon in. 

As it is nearly Christmas we have had to find our own Christmas music as there is hardly any around, so that is getting me in the festive spirit. I hope it does not snow before Xmas as I want nothing to stop my journey home!

I will take some pictures for the next post - I will take some before I come back to show everyone what things look like. (Now I have confused myself about when you use "will".) Anyway - it struck me that the whole place is covered in graffiti and dog mess - nice eh. There is a strange contradiction there that some Sicilians look at you if you are not dressed as stylishly as them, but they don't seem to respect the place they live in. My student was talking about how hard it is because of the high unemployment, so maybe this is reflected in how people treat the city - it's complicated here, that I can see.

This weekend we have a bank holiday weekend whoo hoo!

Maybe because it's nearly Christmas, and I'll nearly be home, but I think things are feeling better here :) And (although I don't like Elton John) here is my absolute favourite Christmas song.

Weekend

My god, have gone into shock over the cost of the course, as what I'd hoped was a year's cost was actually for a term. So I really hope the students feel happy with what they are getting. But they continue to turn up, so that is a good sign. And the occasional ones who don't, well I expect they have better things to do as it is quite a commitment to attend twice a week, in the evening after work. Last week one of my pre-intermediate groups were saying how they were at work all day so often felt tired by the time of the class (8-9.30pm). I understand how they feel as I used to struggle with my Welsh lessons which were at the same time, and I would often have to stifle my yawns - not because of the lesson but because it was late.

Yesterday Jo and I enjoyed an "aperitivo" with our Australian workmate, at a bar not far from the school. In many places you can get a cocktail and some food for a good price. It is usually a cold buffet where you help yourself, and although I played a bit of veggie Russian roulette - I wasn't sure which things were entirely meat free - it was very nice. The food is always fresh and tasty. The cocktails always seem strong so be warned if you ever visit, you do not need to go mad.  A little bit helps you speak Italian though, so Jo and I were attempting to speak to some of the Sicilians there. They drink some weird things: one looked like mouthwash and another tasted vile.  It was a nice evening and Deanna has given us a list of places we can go (as sadly she is leaving soon). There's a jazz bar that I have heard about, which sounds like a must, as luckily Jo is a jazz fan too. When we went to Taormina we saw a postcard of the bizarrely freakish monks' catacombs in Palermo, which I saw on a programme with that Italian guy, Francesco. We have to see those, if just for the horror factor. Palermo is a day trip away but perhaps we can go one day. There is also the Teatro Massimo in Catania that has opera and ballet: last week I made an attempt to see if I could see "Coppelia" but obviously the place was closed when I walked there and they didn't answer the phone later that night. But another time.

Last night we were laughing about how none of us can say anything now, in English, without an accompanying hand gesture. We can't stop even if we want to, and I had to sit on my hands at one point just to stop illustrating every word visually. Clearly we all understand English so there was no need to gesture behind our shoulder for something in the past (a standard sign), or perform meaningless hand signals to indicate the shape of an object. I just can't stop now. It happened after the CELTA course too, because you become used to explaining things by gestures as well as words. God knows what our families will think when we return at Xmas and say, in a loud, clear, slow voice, "Please can you pass me the sprouts?" with accompanying hand gesture for round green vegetables. Also Deanna and I are both speaking with a bit more of an Italian stress on the ends of words (in English). Can't help it. Apparently someone asked her what language they spoke in Australia, and also, if it was November here, what month was it there?

I had a nice experience today. I have been wanting to set up a language conversation exchange and went online where you can find other people wanting to do the same. Well, although I had lots of replies and also emailed people, when it came to it I was not feeling confident about meeting people. So instead I thought about asking a student, because I already know them. I asked one of my students who is very keen to improve his English and also he is talkative and funny and near my age. He is quite lively in class. So today we met for lunch in Catania. He always tries hard to say things in English and although he does not think that he speaks well, I think his English is improving all the time. He began helping me to practise Italian by insisting I say things in Italian to him - this is what I need or I just chicken out. It was slow-going because it takes me a while to think, but he has helped already by teaching me useful words like ragazzini (teenagers) and telefonino (mobile phone. That one made me laugh). Also he was very nice and said some nice things about my teaching, so that was kind. He wants me to meet his girlfriend who also speaks English as he thinks she will be able to help with the Italian grammar. Neither of us thought to bring any paper, so he wrote on the napkins. Anyway, I had a nice time and we had a laugh about things, and when we were coming back he was showing me different places to go. So maybe this could be one way to meet other people outside work. Fingers crossed.