Views from my apartment
Love the moon
Well, another almost two weeks have passed and I have continued to enjoy my life here thoroughly. The past several weeks have been very chill which I have enjoyed immensely. Teaching continues to be a challenge daily, finding how to reach out to my surly, slightly too-cool-for school students, keeping things at least interesting for my students whose mother language is English (while showing them that their written work needs a lot of help!). Whewww, always interesting. It is also funny that some of the students who are famed to be the worst ARE indeed a big challenge but other times, students who are supposed to be a big challenge end up being rather easy-going and not too rough. impossible to predict is what I am starting to learn Also, I am getting a lot of practice trying to figure out when to stick it to the kids and get them in trouble so that they learn a lesson and when to cut deals with them to try to coax better behavior out of them. So far, I seem to have had more success than failure but... who really knows! hmmm, otherwise during the week, my two choirs are going excellently, I continue to enjoy my tutoring, and that pretty much makes up my week. Oh, of course, I also enjoy long convos with with Shelly on Tuesdays and/or Fridays and whatever other conversations I get to have with friends far away!
Last weekend was a nice chill weekend, I had planned to go hiking but honestly was just super tired so I slept! I relaxed in the apartment, chilled out, got grading done, and did laundry. Oh, of course, Fridays I have practice from somewhere around 10 or 10:30-depends when the team before leaves till about midnight. I am having a great time at practice, just to get back out onto a field with guys who love the sport and want to play. Overall, I don't feel out of place except with my language skills! I think I've mentioned this but one guy, Dany, has really taken me under his wing and just been super friendly. Before practice our habit is to grab a quick cafe solo (aka an espresso shot) and then afterwards grab a beer-you wouldn't want to actually LOSE calories through the whole practice saga! haha. Some of the people are actually really cool, one kid was even scouted by sevilla when he was younger but unfortunately got into some trouble and therefore never got to play at a higher level for them. Some of the guys, like Dany, are a bit older and therefore can't play in 1st division anymore and some of the people just like playing! I am playing with the second division squad which I have been really enjoying, we always have a good time. I will get to sign a contract in December and then, if I cut it, move up to first division but they said since I'll be officially starting in the middle of the year, it's doubtful I'll play for first division unless I stayed next year. Whatever though, it's cool and it sounds like I will get to play in the country's cup competition which, if you win, lands you a place in the Uefa cup, which is pretty sweet! :-) If you ever care to follow along the league, you can check out the website here: http://www.hattrick-and.com/
This weekend will be some work-I began recording my kids' voices and now I need to start going through them analyzing them all... ugh, it will take forever but I think it'll be useful to both them and to me as I try to help them learn to improve their english. This weekend is also Andorra la Vella's "fira" which is a big fair-I htink mostly commerical and food but it should be a fairly good time. I am going to go this evening to volunteer with a group that is selling raffle tickets to raise money for non-profits here. It should be interesting trying to sell raffle tickets to people in Catala since I don't speak it very well.... oh well! I am also going to stop by my students' booth-as children everywhere, my 4th years are raising money for their big trip to Italy at the end of the year and they are selling something or other at the fair so I'll stop by and support them I spose. I think this afternoon I am also going to grab coffee with Antoine-a cool, new, French teacher at my school before all the fair stuff. Then, there is talk of going out dancing tonight although I got my toe cleated pretty badly last night-little blood, nasty bruise and I'm a bit worried about the actual toenail so after having walked around the fair for a bunch of hours I might be just about done in. hmmmm, oh that reminds me, I got new cleats for the first time in 5 or so years I believe and it was awesome! :-) I got a pair of umbros which were on sale for 50 euros and am very pleased with them, my feet were a bit sore since it was the first wearing of them but they feel real good and the motion really did seem nicer in them.
Just so everyone knows, I am one of the luckiest people ever and at the end of this week I am going to get to go to Edinburgh Scotland for 2 or so days before going to Aberdeen with my dear friend Megan Mchaney from high school!!!! how cool is that? I will be in Scotland from Oct. 28th to November 3rd at which point my blessed life continues with me going to London to visit Allison. I look forward to being one of the few of Megan's high school classmates to discover her world and then getting to repay the wonderful visit I got from Allison and Dave two weeks ago. how cool is my life? Obviously this means that I will probably not blog post again for a while as I will be on the road for those two weeks and then I will get in late Sunday so although I won't rule out the possibility of a post, don't count on it! Thanks, as always, for following along on my journey and I treasure the knowledge that my friends and family world-wide can follow along with my life since I can't talk to each and everyone of you individually! I enjoy your posts here on my blog, my email or facebook so! thanks for reading.
Peace and Love from the Principality,
Mark Titus
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