have been awesome!
We have finally settled into our neighborhood. People recognize us as we walk Sila to his school, which is around the corner, and when we head out to the market one street over. It's so nice to settle into a place and make it your home, to learn which streets are best, how much things should cost, where to find things, and how to get around. The last time Julie and I settled somewhere other than Florida we were in Knoxville, TN. Well, this is a bit different.
We have also settled into teaching, having finished our first week last Friday. Teaching English, and especially the conversation-centered English we are teaching, is completely different from the teaching we do back home in part because you can spend the better part of 10 minutes, as I did last week, trying to explain Halloween to people who don't have the vocabulary. Things like jack-o-lantern, trick-or-treat, and dressing up in costume for really no good reason at all are hard to understand out of context. There's also the fact that my students really regard this class--and learning English--as a major step towards a more positive, rewarding life. Cool!
Things otherwise are uneventful, which is great. I bike to school every morning and afternoon through the insane traffic (perhaps more on that in my next post); Julie has begun teaching a free yoga class; we both spend our evenings watching some TV--thank heavens for the internet--and reading.
We miss everyone very much and think of you often. We also think of cheeseburgers and other amenities of American life, but really, it's being around our friends that stings the most sometimes. We will certainly be happy to land on American soil and into the arms of friends when the time comes.
We have finally settled into our neighborhood. People recognize us as we walk Sila to his school, which is around the corner, and when we head out to the market one street over. It's so nice to settle into a place and make it your home, to learn which streets are best, how much things should cost, where to find things, and how to get around. The last time Julie and I settled somewhere other than Florida we were in Knoxville, TN. Well, this is a bit different.
We have also settled into teaching, having finished our first week last Friday. Teaching English, and especially the conversation-centered English we are teaching, is completely different from the teaching we do back home in part because you can spend the better part of 10 minutes, as I did last week, trying to explain Halloween to people who don't have the vocabulary. Things like jack-o-lantern, trick-or-treat, and dressing up in costume for really no good reason at all are hard to understand out of context. There's also the fact that my students really regard this class--and learning English--as a major step towards a more positive, rewarding life. Cool!
Things otherwise are uneventful, which is great. I bike to school every morning and afternoon through the insane traffic (perhaps more on that in my next post); Julie has begun teaching a free yoga class; we both spend our evenings watching some TV--thank heavens for the internet--and reading.
We miss everyone very much and think of you often. We also think of cheeseburgers and other amenities of American life, but really, it's being around our friends that stings the most sometimes. We will certainly be happy to land on American soil and into the arms of friends when the time comes.
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