Sociology: Nighttime Sounds.

Boston: Gunshots. Police cars. Traffic. Women yelling at their deadbeat boyfriends about child support. Drunken singing.

Hradec Kralove: Fireworks.

Strange sightings.

A friend's post just reminded me of something I saw yesterday. I don't know how I forgot about it. I saw a young man around my age on the riverbank talking to a swan. Then he fed it half a sandwich. I guess I didn't know how to comprehend what was happening. They were just sitting there like two friends. I guess it's good to have a swan on your side; they're downright mean when it comes to a fight.

So Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and St. Valentine are playing poker...

All my jokes are bad.

Anyway, I am finally done with classes and can relax for a couple weeks. Of course I'm not really relaxing because I'll be traveling to Budapest and around Czech. But aside from that, the week has ended on a positive note. While I resisted strangling certain troublemakers, most of the kids were pleasant. I even received some Christmas presents including chocolate, ornaments, and one very fine gimp lanyard. I feel special. 

And because I'm a sucker for adorable faces, I took class photos. The little kids are holding up their Christmas cards. The older students taught me how to say "Merry Christmas" in Czech, which is "Veselé Vánoce!" 

One of my favorite students is little Hounzii on the right. What are you doing being so small, Hounzii? It's just silly and adorable.

Double Trouble (but lovable) Adams

Sneaky sneaks Malinka and Tereza

Crazy children who are obsessed with receiving high fives.

While this group drives me crazy, they're super fun and smart.  Lovable scamps.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

World didn't end.

Looks like I have to teach today after all.

Can You Just...Not...Speak?

Something I don't understand about certain people is the need to be around people all the time. Call me an anti-social loner but I really like my quiet time. Or at least sit around in comfortable silence with someone. I am not criticizing social people. Being social is great. I'm a fan of stringing together sentences and painting various cities and towns red (still thinking of a tag name). I think being social and talkative is equally as important. If you're too quiet, there is the possibility that you might be mute or have serious social anxiety issues in which case I suggest seeking professional help. I like small talk as much as the next person but I fairly certain there is a reason they don't call it big talk. Language geeks, what do they know, right?

What I want to know is: Is there a polite way to tell someone you don't want to see them for a week or two because you feel they are being overbearing? I don't want people to feel like they have to ask me how my dinner was (unless I'm doing something crazy exciting for dinner like eating a Bengal tiger or eating and sky diving at the same time). It's okay, dinner was dinner. Unless I die tomorrow, there will be more in my future and when those come to pass, it's still very unlikely that I will tell you what happens during those.

This is why I really enjoy Kristy's (flatmate for those of you who cannot keep up with my endlessly fascinating life) company. She reminds me of a lot of my closer friends back home. We are perfectly fine sitting together and not talking. We'll be reading, working, writing, whatever but it's never weird.

I think it's important for people to be alone and reflect. It makes your personality more 3D. If you're talking all the time, you're not doing much thinking.

On a lighter note, here's something funny:

Sidenote: This post excludes rants. Rants are welcome as long as I say they're welcome.

Plant Life.

It rains here in the Czech Republic. A lot. And snows. Maybe it's just the winter time but as Chelsea says, I am like a plant. Right now I just want to curl up and nap and not come out until the sun decides to come out.

I also got my 2nd Hep B vaccination today (out of three shots...yay fun balloons and carnivals and popcorn) and personally I think that's enough action for today. I would really love to just sit by my fake fireplace with a cup of coffee. I feel a little awkward when I mention that I have to get a Hepatitis B shot. I feel like I have to whisper it so people passing by don't stop and look at me like, "Whoa, hold on. YOU have to get a HEP B SHOT? You know that's like a sexually transmitted infection, right? Judgement, judgement, judgement, taboo, taboo, taboo, blah, blah, blah." While I know that's not the only way it's transmitted, I always assume people are extremely nosey and judgmental. Anyway, point is, shot received. I am 2/3 protected from that craziness.

As much as I would like to stay in with my cup of coffee, I'm this thing called an "adult" and "adults" have these things called "jobs". I actually won't mind today; the kids are pretty good.

It'll be so quiet when Kristy leaves tomorrow. I still have to finalize my plans for the break. I have to book my train ticket, pack, exchange money, etc. It'll be interesting traveling by myself. I usually have someone with me but I have to get used to it sometime, right? I won't be by myself in Budapest but I just hope that I don't run into any trouble getting there. Knowing me, I'll book a ticket to Budapest and then accidentally get on a train to Berlin. Well, you'll all find out soon enough.

Crawling to the holidays.

I just need to make it to Friday.

Tuesdays are always tough since they're my longest days and I am beyond exhausted by the time I get home. My fifth graders this morning were great. They had a lot of fun doing the Santa chain story. Once I got to sixth grade...let's just say they're not my favorite. There is one kid who tests my patience every single week. I don't understand kids like that. They just make your job hell. The rest of the kids are fine but there is just one demon catalyst. I know I must be patient but it's hard when you're exhausted. I don't want to yell. I hate yelling. I'd rather have fun. But the way I see this kid is that he's the Joker from Batman. Some men just want to see the world burn. I am always happy to make it to my afternoon English club classes. They make the job fun. Little Veronika even gave me another present: Ferrero Rocher. Yum. :)

I need to blow off some steam like crazy. I wish I brought my running sneakers but my suitcase was already full.

Until Christmas vacation begins, I have some small comforts to keep me sane:

1) A fireplace. Since the people I know with fireplaces live far away, I made one for me and Kristy.

 2) Pure hot chocolate (in Brno, but you can get it anywhere here which is not common in the States).

3) Silvie (my one adult student) and her daughter made fresh holiday cookies and gave me a big container to take home.

4) And I finally committed to a pair of slippers. They're very warm and fuzzy. :)