The Great, Grand and Future travels

So here we are in my 5th week abroad and 4th teaching English. The second village has been a little more difficult than the previous, but also just as rewarding.

Let's start with a little of the bad. My first class is with 4-10 year-olds and one 12-year-old. I have a student, who I have dubbed Spike, who is a handful, but pretty damn funny. The 12-year-old, Patrick, is a nuisance so I kicked him out and started making him come to the older class, where he belongs. In the early class we are learning basics like months, days of the week, colors and today we learned clothes.






(Stars of 1st class)


In my second class, I have the challenge of having teenagers who speak English but really want to be teenagers -- meaning they don't care to listen. I think I have found a happy medium by teaching them a little and allowing them to play games. I also have compete against one another. Basically we have an decathalon going on between the "Whiskeys" and "Beers." (Beers are winning 3-2.)

And my third class involves adults, who have spent the week teaching me about the Slovakian educational system and the history of their Hungarian culture. (Yes, the animosity toward the Slovak culture rings loud here.) I asked my friend Dorinna yesterday "why do you dislike Slovaks so much" and she said "they hated us first and they don't want us speaking our native language because of a post WW2 map." I said it sounds like a familiar story of most arguments, "They hate us, so we hate them." (With that said I truly do feel for them. After a thousand years, they are forced to learn a new language because of political boundaries.) In this class we also are reading portions of Obama's inaugaration speech. They are quite surprised on some of the things he says and also find other parts comical. They are also bored about the topic.. (Go Figure!)






(Night class. See a Trend?)

The house life is going great. I have taught my family Michigan Rummy and my parents and brother and I are getting into some competitive games. We have spent this week a little more laid back with more family time and after my evening class I visit the "Laguna," a neighborhood bar.

Yesterday I visited Gyor with Darina and my Louisianan friend Ridge. The city is one of Hungary's most-populated and about one-hour drive from my home village. Today we went to see some caverns underneath the small Carpathains, which was pretty cool and amusing for the family. (Ridge and I were pretty sarcastic and I urged the tour guide to fist pump me twice.!) And tonight went to another Goulash party with family and friends. As expected, it was amazingly great.





(Darina and I in Gyor)



Tomorrow I head to Prague with about 10 other volunteers. I hadn't planned on going to the beautiful city -- home of some of the greatest beer -- when I left the U.S. last month, but the cheap opportunity complemented by being with friends influenced me to go. So I'll be in the "golden city " when July ring into August.