Settling in...

I'm doing this.  I'm all tucked into my flat, with my room mostly decorated (still need to make it to a paper store to buy blue tack to put up a few things, but otherwise done).  I've bought some food and found spots for it in the kitchen.  I've discovered the (very dangerous to my wallet) beautiful deli down the street, replete with gorgeous Italian products and even some Betty Crocker offerings.  I have my transit pass, a bank account, and a mobile.

I've attended meetings at the school, and met my colleagues, who all run up and kiss me.  I'll have my own little classroom to decorate and use.  The kids seem to be at a lower level than my Hungarian ones, which makes sense since they only have English two or three times per week.  The system is a bit different, too.  Emily (the other girl from my program) and I will have the same schedule, and the students will come to us in groups of three or four for short amounts of time throughout their lesson.  So, instead of having 12 kids for 45 minutes, I'll have four groups of 4 for 10 or 15 minutes each.  This should make planning easier.  On the other hand, I'll be teaching from kindergarten (four/five years old) to sixth grade (11/12 years old), so that should make planning more difficult.  I am sad to only be seeing the kids once a week, but I figure that such intensive sessions should somewhat make up for this.  Once I learn their names, of course... since I'll be working with something in the neighborhood of 450 kids, if I've done my math right!

The main English teacher will give me a general plan for the week, which I'm welcome to supplement or change as I see fit.  Further, they've stressed that I am a real teacher here, and that I am to punish and reward the children as I see fit, write reports on them, and give them grades.  I'm in educator heaven.

I really cannot emphasize enough how nice everyone is being to me.  I said something along those lines to the English director, and he laughed that the school was famous for that.

The roomie is proving to be super nice, chill, clean, and helpful.  Also, the cat is warming to me.  I came home today to find him sitting on my bed looking at me like "What?!"

Now, some pictures.  And by some, I mean two.  I've been busy!

This is the courtyard of the monastery, on the side my school is on.

A view of the spires from inside the school.