WhaleOuttawateR

learning learning learning!

Maybe it is this years new theme? One of my biggest fears after graduating from college was that I would somehow quit learning. What was I thinking?! I am a crazy person. Moving to Italy and then Spain has proven to keep me anything but idle. Every day presents me with a new challenge; sometimes I know how to answer that challenge and sometimes I run from it, but most of all, I learn from it.

I have loved living in a new apartment with three new people. It is always exciting to watch people and find what they are fickle about. And me ... well it is still weird to live with a boy I'm not related to. I mean, it takes a LOT for me to be conscious about not being naked, picking my nose .. you know. I don't have to name all of my flaws -- you get it. Thank goodness girls don't poop or things could get really uncomfortable in our pistachio green bathroom. (It is by the way, a charming little color and reminds me of summer gelato, salty and sticky and that perfect sweet-in-your-mouth treat.)

Currently I am reading (in the bedroom, not the bathroom) EAT PRAY LOVE (come reza ama) in Spanish. Slow and self-indulgent ... it is really exhausting. However, the narrator/author is currently living in Roma and I rejoice in knowing the few Italian words that I picked up this summer. I realized that no matter how challenging this summer was, I loved so many elements of that world -- including the language. Italian has to be my next goal. Part of me feels like I am so deeply connected with the language that I may hurt its feelings if I go on without it. So, I've decided that this year is Castellano. Sometime in the future is Italian. You know I don't make plans, so this time is strictly up to the good Lord.

Speaking of Him, God is good. Thats all I have to say. Sometimes I catch myself singing 'To God be the glory great things he hath done .." You know, its the song we sang during the benediction at church and we would all join hands. I think somehow the music in my head links me to Him, home and being in church on sunday and eating fried chicken soon after. So much comfort can be found there. So, to God be the Glory. He constantly challenges me, keeps me learning and growing, and always reminds me of how blessed I am.

What else ... my students are fabulous. They say the F word too much and are at the stage where everything requires physical touch and flirtation, but I'm having a blast. I like to shock them as much as the do me and it always creates a fun environment. Since I am mostly here to teach conversation and pronunciation, not much is off-topic (or off-color.) But hey, that doesn't surprise you, right? We always learn how to properly pronounce the tough sounds (like x .. as in sexual -- it's not seshual. it's sexxxxual.) We are all really learning a lot. I also learned not to wear my black DVF skirt mom. It was too short. Just too short .. even with tights and flats .. its just too seshual.

buenas noches shuckkkkkas