It's been a month...

I have been a resident of Brasilia for a month, today. I arrived on the 12th of July and even though it's only been about 30 days, I feel like I've been living here much longer. One of my American co-workers told me that time passes slowly here and that's exactly how I feel. I'd say that's a good thing. I feel like my afternoons are much longer, maybe it has to do with the fact that I waste  spend A LOT less time watching TV, or because it quickly gets dark by 6:30 p.m., or because I don't need to spend hours planning since I have more time during my work day to do so. Whatever the reason, I do feel like I've been living in Brasilia for 3 months, not 30 days.

I definitely feel like I'm living here, versus visiting or even just spending an extended amount of time here. For example, just yesterday two women approached us as we were walking away from our apartment building. They asked us where a "block" was and I answered confidently and gave (perfect) directions; it's an area I often visit and I was pleased that they understood perfectly where I was sending them off to. Then we went to "our" bakery and the cashier (who has been unfriendly before) joked around with us and even smiled. Feels more like home when you're comfortable in your surroundings, when people recognize you, and even more so when they can joke around with you.


I also have a routine which helps me assimilate easier, as well as a temporary ID, a bank account,  I've applied for my carteira de trabalho (or work papers/permit), E is back in school and has a job, and we have friends and plans for the weekend. All of this makes you feel more "at home". This is exactly what I wanted. Now let me be honest and say that not everything is perfect. I get annoyed with a lot and I get frustrated, but that happens with less frequency than when things go my way. I also try to ignore the negative and focus on the positive so that I will be grateful and feel confident with my decision to leave behind my life in the US to move to Brazil. 
So far so good.

Just another Thursday: August 11th

Outside my window....it's sunny and the sky is blue with a few clouds

Today I feel...healthier (I had a TERRIBLE sore throat yesterday), accomplished because I requested my working permit today, and relaxed because I taught upper classmen in the afternoon

I am thankful...that things are coming along well for me so far in this country

Tomorrow I am going...to work and then who knows? Maybe to watch a movie?

I am wearing...work clothes

I wish...for something that I'll keep to myself but that I hope comes true. Soon.

This weekend...I hope to explore the city more, to watch a soccer game, and maybe go shopping

I am reading...curriculum maps, lesson plans, and e-mails. No time to read much else and I still don't have my new Kindle

I am working on...finishing my lesson plans for 9th and 12th grade so I am ready to present them to my principals tomorrow afternoon

Yesterday I...got a manicure and pedicure, created a pop quiz for mys seniors, watched an episode of True Blood, and went to bed early since I was sick

I am hoping...to feel better tomorrow, to finish my lesson plans tonight, and to have a fun weekend

I am hearing...my husband talk and laugh

I bet you don’t know...that the medicine in Brazil seems (to me) to be stronger than that in the U.S.

One of my favorite...flavors of natural juice is goiaba

Trying to play catch up - 18 days

E and I have been living in Brasilia for 18 days. I don't feel like I've really summed up what we've been doing these past 2 and a 1/2 weeks and so I'd like to play catch up. First off, I'd like to say that we are both happy here. E particularlly thinks that the city is beautiful and he really is enjoying being back in his home country. In fact, he said last night, while waiting in a looooong line at a rock concert, that he missed this - people having a good time, drinking in the parking lot, chatting with friends, just having fun. He said at the end of the night that the US is not fun (I do believe he meant in comparison, or at least it's a different kind of fun).

I'd say our first week here was predominantly settling in to our new apartment, unpacking, shopping, cleaning, and trying to orientate ourselves. I also visited the school a couple of times to talk to administration since they wanted to make sure we were comfortable and not lacking anything in our apartment. We also hung out with friends in Brasilia (one of which I had been introduced to by a friend I have in the States) and another is a childhood friend of E's who lives in Brasilia. We had lunch, drove around the city in the neighborhoods where they live, met their family members, and were given a friendly introduction to the city. In addition, my friend AP took us to the post office to make sure our CPFs (the equivalent to the SSN) were "regular" and that my maiden name was changed to my married name on mine. (I had gotten it years ago in Manaus when I was single). So we had to visit voting registration for E to pay a small fine for not having voted while living in the U.S. for 4 years. This constituted a lot of running around, but in the end it all got resolved (at a cheap price) and then AP treated us to a delicious afternoon meal.

Once the other two Americans arrived we had a short tour of some major attractions in Brasilia and then went to lunch with our executive director and we spent time with her. Our second week was then spent driving around to various places to make sure that we have registered with the federal police, that the other girls have their CPFs, that we have bank accounts, etc. We also had to have our medical exams for our health insurance (and that doctor was from Manaus - small world). We've filled out information for our dental plan as well. And finally, at the end of last week we had orientation and introductions to the school - just for the new teachers. We were given a tour of the school and the elementary school teachers were given their classrooms. The middle and high school are in the process of having new classrooms built, so I don't know yet where I'll be teaching, but it'll all be worked out. At least I have my schedule.

And this last week was the first week of school; it was the pedagogical week for teachers. It was full of meetings and introductions, delicious breakfasts and lunches, a time for us to collaborate (if just a bit), and I was able to look over my curriculum maps and plan out the first quarter for the three classes that I'll be teaching this year - 9th, 11th, and 12th grade. I'm very grateful to the English department for their assistance, especially to the other 11th/12th grade teacher, a friendly/knowledgeable Canadian, and my coordinator, a North American born/raised in Ecuardor and now living in Brazil. There are not just a number of nations representated in the students at my school, but in the staff as well. There are Brazilians, a Canadian, Ecuadorian, Cuban, Spanish, Americans, and probably more.

I was given lots of resources to help me start out the year - articles, a movie, lesson plans, a workbook, and textbooks. I'll need to do a lot of reading on my own this weekend and make sure that my plans are all set for the first week of school. I'd say I'm more nervous than excited. I'm just glad to have support from other teachers to make my transition smoother. If I were on my own I'd be in trouble...With that being said, my schools follows the North American curriculum so I'm not too much out of my element.

This is basically how my last 18 days have gone. But what I should throw in here is that it's not all been work. I've done city explorations on my own, with E, and with friends. I've watched famous MMA fighters train, E and I have eaten Brazilian food that we'd missed greatly, we've taken the bus and the metro with no problems, we've gone to a huge rock concert with bands from all over the country and the US, and we've still got a lot more to do. E has returned to school; he's taking a course that he is really enjoying a learning a lot at and is busy job searching, getting his transcripts from Manaus, and finding schools where he can continue with this studies.

I feel like we have just only begun our sightseeing. In fact, I have just made plans (that still need to be finalized) to travel to a neighboring state next weekend to "get out of town" and to see more of Brazil. As of today I've only been to 5 states - Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, Sao Paulo, and Distrito Federal. There are still 22 more states to visit, and I barely "know" Brasilia. I'm beyond excited about all that I will get to experience, see, feel, and taste while in this gorgeous country. So with that said, time for me to clean my apartment and head out.

Translation # 2: Brotar

Today's translation is not a noun phrase like the one I learned last week, but a verb instead; it's the verb brotar that I learned today. It means "to sprout", "to bud", or "to spring [up]". 


I was reading a children's book to my co-worker this morning, as we were browsing through the used books at the school's library, those that were for sale. I recommended that she buy a children's textbook to improve her Portuguese (like I do to everyone) and I picked up one that had poems. 


One of the poems I found was a metaphor about love sprouting, such as a flower does in the spring. I realized that I had never seen the word brota (as it was written) and I asked my new (Brazilian) co-worker for the translation. The poem made more sense to me once I knew what the word meant.


Now I have another word to add to my dictionary of new Portuguese words. Thanks, Marta!

Update: Internet, School, Apartment

I am connected again! It's so great having Internet at home. If you live abroad then you understand the importance of being able to talk to family and friends, as well as handle your "business" at home on-line. We've been here for fewer than two weeks so it wasn't too long that we were without, and I probably checked my e-mail at least once every two days previous to having Internet at home, but still...Now I can use Skype, my MagicJack, and update my blog :).

Internet - We weren't too sure on how to go about getting hooked up so when we were at my school last week (maybe Wednesday?) we were told to go ahead and contact the company NET using the secretary's computer. I guessed that due to that suggestion (to contact NET) that they must be a good Internet/cable company. We decided not to get cable at this time and chose the 1 Mega Internet option (at only R$ 54.90/month); the faster Internet options were much more expensive. What we got is a reasonable price. That's maybe $35/month, roughly. We don't need cable at this time because we do have about 6 channels (in Portuguese) at no cost and we brought a lot of DVDs with us. We can also watch TV on-line. Our Internet speed is perfect, too. The company sent me a text this past Tuesday notifying us that the technician would be here the following day (yesterday) and he was. Quick and easy. The only issue is that only one computer can be connected at one time and we can't use our wireless adapter yet since we don't have a converter (the voltage is different here than in the US).

Apart from now having Internet, I've also had orientation with the executive director of the school, the woman who hired me, and the coordinators and principals of the school. This all happened this morning. Since I'm teaching 9th, 11th, and 12th grades, I have two administrators and two guidance counselors. See, in Brazil, 9th grade is considered the final year in middle school, but we know that in the US it's the first year of high school, so the principals overlap (as do the counselors). This sounds good to me. I REALLY like the principal that I met at the job fair and the other is very nice as well (I just don't know him as well). The orientation that we had for teachers in international schools was very helpful and informative. I'm more excited about working, especially to such a diverse group of students. The coordinators were all very nice and offered to help us in many ways. 

I was also set up with my school e-mail address, was given a tour of the beautiful campus, and had another delicious lunch. The food at the school is out of this world mouthwatering and it's healthy; there is a nutritionist at the school who makes sure of that. And we were told this morning that it's the law that we be given an hour for lunch (on a daily basis of course). That's what I'm talking about. I also really like how the school is a bilingual school. This way there is a lot of Portuguese being spoken around the school; with that being said, I need to give off the impression to my students that my language skills are rusty so they don't try to speak Portuguese with me. We'll see how well that goes.

It was nice to visit the school for orientation and introductions since we've been doing a lot of running around to get our documents taken care of. In addition to visiting the policia federal and getting my CPF (like my Brazilian SSN), I also had to have a medical exam for my health insurance, open up a bank account, sign documents, among other errands. It's good to now have a temporary ID and to know that I'll soon have a local bank account and health insurance.

Everything with our apartment is good. We've gotten to know the doormen (there are three) and it's nice to never have to open a door (haha). Sebastian is also getting used to his new home. I have to clean this place differently than in the US since there are no carpets (thank God!!) and since we're in the dry season and it hasn't rained since about May, it's not only dry but also dusty outside. I've found myself dusting more often and have realized that sweeping is not as useful as I thought. I need to "mop" the floors. But the "tools" that I have to use to clean the floors are easy to use and it takes less time than it did in the US (or so it seems). Today the school dropped off a chair for our spare bedroom since we only have a computer desk when we arrived. In addition, I found a nice bookshelf at the school that was no longer being used; in fact, it was in storage only to collect dust. I was told that once it was sanded down it would be delivered. I'd say that apart from those two pieces of furniture we're all set. 

We've also been sightseeing, have hung out with friends, have been trying to get E resettled in his country, and of course have been busy running errands and trying to explore/get to know our new city. E's been job hunting, trying to get his school transcripts so he can go back to school, and has found a gym where he can train MMA and BJJ. There are some big time fighters there to train with so he's really challenged. I was able to check it out the other day so that was exciting for me because we met a UFC fighter and I love to meet famous people :). 

Speaking of settling in, I need to organize this place (I've been so busy that I haven't spend more than a few hours at a time here), clean up a bit, and find the closest post office so I can send my defective Kindle to Amazon before they charge me for another. Now that I have Internet I should be updating more often so keep your eye open. Talk to you soon!

First Impressions

I like Brasilia. We both do. We have been received very well by both the school and the citizens of Brasilia. Everyone has been helpful - friends, our doorman, store owners, school employees, etc. I have limited use of the Internet at this time as we are still awaiting ours to be set up in our apartment, so unfortunately I don't have the time to write out in detail all of my first impressions and how I feel about what I know about the city and how I feel living here; however, I can list briefly my first impressions of the first five days in this city.

• The airport was designed well and and the weather was perfect (we arrived at 10 a.m.); the airport smelled sweet and it was busy once we got out of baggage claim
• My boss was smiling and yelling "Bem-vindo" to us like she was very excited to see us. Nice reception
• Our neighborhood is quiet, calm, and yet it has all kinds of stores, restaurants, bars, cafes, and grocery stores within walking distance
• Yes, Brasilia is expensive. We must have paid over $20 for a scratching post for the cat
• The weather is DRY but it's sunny and the sky is blue and during the day the sun is out and it's warm (can get very cold at night, though)
• Brasilia is very organized with sections for everything - from embassies to hotels to the ministries
• No one asks where I'm from, why I'm in the city - they're just helpful and talkative
• Our next door neighbors are an older couple who have directed us on where to make copies of keys, where to find certain stores, and even to tell us that the vet will make house visits. They're very nice
• OUR CAT IS LIKE A MOVIE STAR. People LOVE him. They can't believe how big and beautiful he is. Even the doorman wants to meet the "famous Sebastian"
• The metro and bus stops are near us, but we don't need them on a daily basis. Friends come and pick us up, take us out, and are very generous and kind
• The school is also close by and the lunch that's served there is delicious (and healthy)

I have so much to add, but I'll have to save that for a later time. I have family to talk to and E has friends to call. Our Magic Jack works like a charm.

Oh yeah, my Kindle somehow got "destroyed" during the flights and won't turn on. But I was able to call Amazon and they'll send a replacement to my parents who will ship it to me.

Everything else is going well for us. We have an extra room and will be expecting visitors soon...

Why hello Brasilia

Thanks to my one generous neighbor in this big apartment building, we have limited (free) wi-fi. I just wanted to let the world know that we have arrived. Our trip was good. We weren't stopped by customs or asked any questions. The cat was pretty well behaved since he was drugged most of the time. Once he "woke up" after his first pill had worn out he started to go a bit crazy, but E just took him to the bathroom in the airplane and gave him another 1/2 a pill; he was knocked out in minutes. He only peed once on the plane to Sao Paulo, but because we had training pads it was easy to clean up (again, in the bathroom). We arrived in Brasilia this morning - the weather was beautiful and we were left with a good first impression of the city. 


Our apartment is good, in a nice area. It is the right size for us and because it came furnished (by the school), we have what we need. They bought us a refrigerator, oven/stove, washing machine, queen-sized bed, dishes, furniture, some groceries, and even a TV. This of course makes our lives much easier.We were driven all of the southern region of the city to be shown our neighborhood and surrounding areaqs, and we had lunch (mmmm) at the school. I met up with the principals and other administrators, as well as secretaries. Then because we were soooo exhausted we took a 4-hour nap before exploring our neighborhood and buying groceries...and for sure stopping for a couple chopps and some appetizers. The school will be taking us shopping, take me to all of the places I need to go to get my Brazilian documents, and for more lunches/dinners. Everything is good and under control. 


Glad to be here.

We have an apartment

We have an apartment in Brasilia! This means that we have an address to give out to family and friends and somewhere we can ship boxes to before we move, if need be (which as of now we're going to pass on). This is great news. I remember back when I accepted the job I started to worry about where we were going to live, but the school has really taken control of the situation and have taken care of this for us. Granted we did have to do the initial research on-line and then send a list of potential apartments to them, but they did the leg work. The representative(s) went to Asa Sul, visited apartments, spoke to landlords, ruled out complexes that did not offer at least the minimum comfort for us, checked out the block, safety, and of course location. And there was no need to apartment search before because apartments always vacate at various times and my employer obviously didn't want to pay for an apartment that no one was living in.


We were looking for a two-bedroom apartment that is near shopping centers, metro/bus stops, and of course that is not too far from the school (so based on recommendations from people living in Brasilia, we chose to look in Asa Sul). Based on what I've found on-line, as well as what I've learned from the school and acquaintances we have in the city, we should be living in a nice apartment in a good area of the city. And our apartment is not only a two-bedroom, but we'll also have an extra room built for a maid. E is glad to know that he'll have a space for his DJ equipment, a kind of pseudo studio. Works for me because then Sebastian and I can share the office space (i.e. the extra bedroom). Now I'm even more excited....we have an apartment in Brasilia! We're almost there...

Wordless Wednesday: International Schools

As I'm moving to Brazil to teach at an international school in the country's capital, I thought I'd show a few  pictures of international schools found worldwide. I love the idea of an international (especially bilingual) education and I celebrate diversity, multiculturalism, knowledge, multilingualism, and peace.

American International School of Costa Rica

The Lycee des Pontonniers (France)

International School of Perth (Western Australia)

Singapore American School

Wordless Wednesday: I'll miss my favorite English teacher

Wordless Wednesday: School's out for the summer!

Last weekend of grading papers

'Tis the final weekend before the end of the school year. Hallelujah! This has been a rough year for me. A busy year. A I-gotta-take-my-comprehensive-exams-and-graduate-from-graduate-school kind of year. A prepare-to-move-out-of-the-country year. And I'm relieved to know that there are only 3 more school days, and they're all final exam days so no teaching has to be done. I just need to clean my classroom, meet with my assistant principal to turn in all of my paperwork (lesson plans and such) and have her sign off on that. The biggest pain in the butt is all of the final grading that I need to do. I was quite productive today and graded my students' final quiz and extra credit assignment but I still need to grade their "Romeo and Juliet" test. That's saved for tomorrow, as well as making sure all of my lesson plans are ready to be turned in on Monday. And frankly, I'm tired of the tragedy of R & J and don't want to read any more timelines mapping out the untimely death of the star-crossed lovers. That is, until next school year :). Don't get me wrong, I love Shakespeare and the play and even enjoyed watching the movies I showed my students to help them understand, but I need a break from reading the play 6 times a day and talking about it. 


So even though I may be busy today, this weekend, and this coming week, I can relax knowing that next weekend I'll be home free. I'll still have to prepare for our move to Brazil and that includes yet another trip to the consulate in Miami, but I won't have to worry about returning home and getting enough sleep to survive my 6 a.m. alarm clock. Let's face it, I don't have to wake up early again unless it's to get us to the airport to fly to New York, but that'll be fun. I will still be busy throughout the month before our departure, but I'll have the luxury of sleeping in and that, my friends, is priceless.Oh the thought of it...


In the meantime, I will be staying in working during my last weekend grading papers, finishing a book (yeah! and necessary because I want to read and leave behind paperbacks and then just read my Kindle once I'm abroad), continuing to sell sell sell my belongings on-line, packing just a bit, and maybe sneaking in sips of my husband's Johnny and Red Bull drink while watching NBA games and UFC fights. (I need to try and live as much as an American as I can before I become an expat). Now if only my on-line grade book was up and running this could be an almost perfect final weekend before the summer is out and I'm done with public school teaching in America...perhaps forever...

I'm EXHAUSTED

I'm not just exhausted; I'm pooped. I don't know if it's the heat, the stress from work, the moving preparations, or all of the above. I think it's the latter. Actually, I know it is.


The air conditioners in my classroom are not the hardest working machines, even despite my request for the one to be fixed. Which it was. It received an upgrade and it's better, but it's still hot. I know I live in Florida and it's in the 90s on a daily basis, but still...how can I work effectively like that? 


What was really funny about me getting my AC fixed was how the technician thought that I am from a foreign country because of my accent. Excuse me? My accent? I guess if you call upstate New York a foreign country :). He was just being nice as he had been in the military during the Vietnam War and according to him had the time of his life. I guess he was just nostalgic for travel and living abroad and maybe wanted me to be from overseas. I mean, living in the "south" I'd been told I have an accent but most people know I'm from the U.S. It's just that southerners don't know how to enunciate and I never know if they're saying pEn or pIn. Not my fault.


The packing, or thinking of packing, exhausts me as well. And the trying to sell and thinking about selling also wears me down. The feeling tired enough not to do anything but not tired enough to sleep also makes me feel pooped. And of course the final preparations at school and the students wanting to act crazy and even more like hooligans because it's the end of the year business. Oh yeah, and the papers I need to grade but don't because I'm too tired. Oh Lord, I'm making myself even more exhausted thinking about all of this - and writing it all down. Haha


So what do I do? Make myself run errands with E so we get out of house and I don't just lounge on the couch all afternoon/evening/night watching Meet the Browns episodes - which I love and will miss (even though I can watch the entire show on TBS.com). I also force myself out of the house to walk or do some kind of exercise. At least the exhaustion I feel after that is a good kind of feeling tired. Oh yeah, and I blog. A lot. I've written like 6 blog entries in 2 days. At least I'm giving you all (interesting :) posts to read and can try and be entertaining. Try.


Ok. Enough "tired" talk. Time to grade papers and grade them all. 2 more school days and then 3 more exam days. Then 2 more teacher days and I can sleep in!

Driving Miss Davis

Moving to a new country means selling your car. Or cars. The latter is our case. We have two automobiles that we need to get rid of - as in sell - before we move. We have made the decision to first sell my car since I'll be out of work in a few weeks and my school is located only 6 miles from our home. This works great for me because my husband takes me to work at picks me up. It's like having my own private chauffeur.


It actually works great because he can take me to work and then can go directly to school from there; he can then pick me up once he's finished teaching his class. I love it because when he picks me up after work the car is cool and I get door-to-door service. When I drive myself I have to get into a steaming hot car after work and then wait for the hot air to escape out the windows while the air conditioner is cooling down. That takes time and makes me cranky. I'm also not a morning person so I enjoy being able to sit back and relax while someone else drives.  PLUS, I can always use the "I gotta go my husband is picking me up" excuse to sneak out of work once the bell rings at the end of the day. Not a bad deal.


So.....if you live in the Orlando are and are looking to buy a used car in good condition, let me know :). I feel like we'll be even more ready to move once at least one of our cars is sold. These things can take time and with everything else we need to do to tie loose ends, whatever we do now to move is less that we have to do later. That's what I'm hoping for. No stress as we reach July. Only shopping and packing. Shopping. Now that sounds like fun.


I think it's good "practice" for us to share a car for the next couple months. I mean, we're not sure how our transportation will be in Brasilia. See, cars are really expensive in Brazil and at the same time I'd love to be a one-family car. I think we can easily make this work. We just have to maybe plan out who will drive when. I mean, unlike Florida, Brasilia has public transportation so if we can't both be in the car one of us can depend on another form of transportation. There are buses, a metro, and taxis. And my school will pay for my transportation to work so we don't need two cars. But we will need one. However, at this time we don't intend to jump into any car purchase. We'll get a feel for things and take our time with buying a car so we can be smart buyers.


Obviously having a driver would be ideal, even though I do enjoy the independence of having my own car. But it looks like I'll only have a driver for the next 3 weeks of school. I'll be sure to milk it while it lasts.

Meredith, the Master

I am proud to say that I have now graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Master's degree in TESOL. It was hard work, but it definitely paid off in the end. Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me throughout the years as I pursued my degree in higher education, especially to my patient husband E.



Teacher Appreciation Week

It's National Teacher Appreciation Week. Yeaaaa! to all of the teachers out there - especially the public school teachers who are not only educators, but are also mothers, fathers, counselors, nurses, big brothers and sisters, facilitators, providers, liaisons, and advocates.

Good teachers are patient and kind. They try not to lose their patience. Good teachers are sympathetic and understanding, but also challenge their students and are encouraging. They put up with more than they should because God knows that kids have bad days and take it out on the wrong person. They are nonjudgmental, open minded, flexible, and quick on their feet. And really, all of this only describes a good teacher's characteristics, not their abilities in the teaching field.

When I think back to why I became a teacher I realize there is no definitive moment. My mom told me when I was a teenager that I'd make a good guidance counselor and I almost laughed out loud. I could NEVER have imagined becoming a teacher until I actually became one. And now I wonder if I can picture myself doing anything but.

I always wanted to be an interpreter or translator; however, I'm really not that far off by being an English teacher. I initially got involved with teaching during my college years. I started to volunteer at the American Civic Association, I was a high school Spanish volunteer, I tutored college students in Spanish, I volunteered as a tutor at an English language institute in Uruguay, and I was a teacher's assistant for an ESOL class at my university. I enjoyed this so much, and liked working with people interested in the English and Spanish languages. I even got a job as an archaeologist's assistant in Peru because I was fluent in Spanish and an Anthropology major. Experiencing new cultures and languages was exhilarating and opened so many doors for me.

So, what do you do when you value education, love languages, and studying diverse cultures?  You become an ESOL and English teacher. That's what I am. I'm a professional. Highly educated. A "forever" student. A lover of the English language. I LOVE to teach and I love my students, even though I have days when I could throw those 9th graders against the wall. And the thing is, I'm not the only one. I'm amazed at how many of my fellow teachers have a Master's degree (and even a PhD).

I've heard hilarious comments by students over the years; I could almost write a book. I've been cursed at (if you work in a tough inner city school you can't avoid this, no matter how much you're otherwise loved). I've cried about students. Worried about students. Spent hours grading papers, creating lessons and tests. But you know what, I make a difference. All public school teachers do. So congratulations to us and THANK YOU to all the teachers out there that make a difference in the lives of our students.

Once my students heard over the announcements in the beginning of the week that it's teacher appreciation week, many of them began to thank me. I was deeply touched, and surprised as this was unexpected to me. Then little by little, students from different periods (classes) began to write me short notes on my board. Usually I don't let them write on there because they'd use up all of the markers, but their messages were so sweet that I left them. Eventually I needed to erase the board because it got so full and started to look a mess (and I needed to use it). Here are the first picures I took. Thank you, students! It means a lot to me. I mean, this is why we teach.

Act II is from "Romeo & Juliet" :)

Thank you. Gracias. Merci.

I passed!!

I am happy to announce that I have passed my MA comprehensive examinations, with distinction. I will be graduating in less than a month. What a sense of accomplishment. Hard work does pay off.

People really care

I know that people care, but it's great to hear it. It made me smile, for example, to hear my mother tell me last night that the guest bedroom is made up at her house for us - and we won't be there for another 2 and 1/2 months. But as E said, she's anxious about our arrival. We're excited to see family as well.

I have a great relationship with my family and they LOVE my husband. I'm glad the plane tickets are bought already, and that we will be able to spend time with everyone - my parents, sisters (minus one :(, brother-in-law, NIECES, and even grandparents! I'll also get to visit with my best friends that live near my parents. I can't wait to see everyone! And in the summer...upstate New York in the summer should be nice.

With that being said, I know it'll be sad to say "goodbye", or "see you later" (which it will be). It made me sad when my (step)dad told me the other week that he didn't want me to go to Brazil. I know, but I gotta....

Along with telling my family and friends and my administrators that I'm leaving, I've begun telling my colleagues at work and even some of my students. You see, as teachers we always have at least one class that really tries us. I really like the students in this class, and have told them that many times, but they are not good students. Maybe it's the age, maybe it's the subject, maybe it's because they're either ALL friends or they're enemies to the 10th power, or that the class is right after lunch (I think that this is a major factor), but those kids are not interested in figurative language, or any other subject in English for that matter. As I was reading them the riot act last week, I told them that I'm moving to Brazil next year. Their response was great because I could tell that apart from being very interested and curious, they were disappointed that I won't be returning to the school next year. I was absent the following day and six of the girls went looking for me in another teacher's classroom before the bell rang. I think they may have thought I had left already. That's touching.

They're not the only ones either. Of course I feel bad when I hear my students say that they want me to stay - even though I won't be their teacher next year. They want to stop by and say "hi" on their way to their 10th grade English class. Me too, kids. But I have to move on with my life and do what's best for me and my family. I think they understand. Or at least I hope so because I don't want to feel guilty. I'm not abandoning my students, I just got a good job offer in a country where I want to live.

My co-workers are also supportive, and some maybe a bit jealous (in a good way). I'm trying to plant the seed in a few of them, too. I mean, who doesn't want to move to another job to teach?

Of course people are curious and want to know more. I've also realized that people seem to only take me seriously when I tell them that I got a job.

My students have lots of questions, some even funny. One student asked me "are there black people in Brazil?" Hey, it's a teachable moment. I'm also asked if I speak Brazilian, Spanish, and Portuguese (from the better "educated" students of course :). Overall, even the students that are going to miss me, seem to be excited about the opportunity and it's fun to talk about.

It's nice to know that people care and will miss you, because they're not the only one.