Class - Week V

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What could I possibly say about the most insane weather I have ever seen in one day. It went from sunny to a turential down pour to just over cast and then sunny again in a matter of 15 minutes. Now that may not seem strange but this 15 minute weather extravaganza happend at least 3 times every hour for nearly 5 five hours. Just take a look at the sequence of pictures here. This all happened in just that 15 minute span. Monsoon rain, light rain, overcast and then sunny. What is that?! Truly the cycle just kept repeating itself all day and don't get me started on the wind that nearly blew me over the wall of the bridge and into the raging river. And lets face it I am not a tiny, thin little person and I did really feel myself being lifted up from the wind. Very scary and now I know why those fireman were practicing water rescues a few weeks ago just feet from this bridge because people probably get blown in there on a regular basis. I am happy to be home and just listening to the wind from the safety of my room.

Now other than the weather it was a great day. I finished all my assignments and organized all my materials and handed them in around 4:00pm. That part was kind of sad but it was so great to see my fellow classmates back together even if it was only for a half hour or so this afternoon. Darren, Aoife, Kim, Maura and her 8 year old daughter Kate, Niamh and myself got some time to catch up and laugh a bit which was great and just what we needed. I miss them terribly which is a good thing because it means this whole experience was well worth it and, looking back, not something I would have wanted to miss out on.

I headed over to the Budding Cafe after leaving the school and helped Ellen out a tiny bit. Also, she said as a reward for getting all my homework in on time I deserved to try their new lemon cake. I wasn't going to argue with her so I enjoyed the cake immensely with a wonderful cup of herbal tea. I do love sweets, I really, really do and so what that I won't find out if I've passed the class for at least another two weeks and that there is still the possibility that my written assignments might not meet the required standard and I'd have to redo them before the end of the month, Ellen insisted that my hard work thus far deserved some acknowledgment and I went along with her argument.

I also got great news that I now have some practice students for the next month. I'm very excited that several days a week I'll be practicing my newly aquired teaching skills on some foreign language students from Spain and Italy mostly but who knows perhaps a few other nationalities will join in. I'm so, so excited because I just feel like there is so much more I need to understand before I teach full-time in a formal classroom and this is the perfect way to do it. Ellen recommended me to Gabrial, her part-time chef/assistant who, by the way, made the fabulous lemon cake, and is in need of working on his English. Gabriel is from Italy and his English is progressing nicely but he needs to really work on pronunciation and yes, the dreaded grammar and that is where I come in. And there are several other students just like him so I look forward to helping them and getting lots of practice in the process over the next month.

Other than that I'll be getting some time to write and work on my grammar cheat sheet. Yes, I am going to compile a list of all the grammar rules in a way that my grammar defficiant brain can process. I do truly feel like I have some kind of mental processing issue with the whole thing so maybe if I can spend lots of time now trying to put the grammar into terms my brain will process than when I'm in front of a class I won't be as terrified as I was a few weeks ago. Let's face it it's hard. My teacher Julie who is a whiz at grammar and admitted to us often that she loves it had to take home the grammar bible this week to look up a few things her advanced English students asked about during class and that she didn't know the answers to. I am not going to let this beat me down, I am going to triumph somehow.

So a little time in the Jacuzzi tonight made all my axiety about the end of class a little less wearing and Fiona, who runs the school office was there as well so I got to chat for an hour or so with her about how she feels as an advanced and highly experienced ESL teacher and the challenges this career brings. I'm not sure I feel more at ease but it was just nice to talk to someone who's done what I did and who took it so much further.

As I mentioned before I am happy to be home and I plan on heading to bed soon so I'll be well rested for my morning at the library. I can't believe how much stuff I've neglected (my writing for one) since the class began but it's time to get back to reality and start working on getting things checked off my To Do list. There is not time to sit around being lazy even in this lovely country. Things to do and places to go as they say.

Oh, my goodness, I can't believe it's another crazy downpour going on outside. I'm telling you this country is going to be totally waterlogged by the weekend.