Sudden! Heavy! Rain! We have it!
So I'm guessing that, sweltering days aside, Spring is not quite over yet, after all.
To be honest, I've neither the time or the energy to be mkaing a long detailed post just at the moment, so here are some bulletpoints instead:
* I'm pretty sure I've failed my Catalan exam. This is not false modesty; I'm actually seriously worried. I expected the grammar to be difficult but it was easier than anticipated. Turns out that the still severely limited nature of my vocabulary was my downfall. I had to do a lot of guessing, as a result, though I think I did well in the writing section. I still have the oral test to go, this Saturday, and then I'm going to attempt to forget all about it till we get our results at the end of September. (what?!)
* The English classes in exchange for rent deal didn't work out. We went from 'free flat in exchange for classes' to 'flat has gone to a family member but I'm looking for another flat so we can do the same deal' to (when I finally actually met the guy) 'there isn't a flat, I'll just pay you for the classes'.
I wasn't too broken up with this final deal, to be honest, because I was still in two minds about making the longer term commitment of classes (what with not knowing exactly what I'll be doing in the future) and also the whole having to furnish a place myself etc. I figured a bit of extra cash wouldn't go amiss either.
However, I e-mailed my current schedule to his secretary, last Tuesday (the evening of the day we had our meeting) and still haven't heard anything back. He can only do evenings, which means that any day I do a class with him is going to mean a late night, as I'll have to do it after my normal work hours. So I'd sort of LIKE TO KNOW!
Sometimes I love the relaxed and laidback way of doing things here but sometimes it makes me want to belt people. 'Laidback' and 'scerwing other people around, while you arse around deciding what YOU want to do' are not synonymous.
LEARN THE DIFFERENCE, PEOPLE!!!
* Thoroughly fucked off with work at the moment - exam chaos is at an all-time high, partly due to last minute changes made by Trinity College in London, but mostly due to the fact that I work for such a mickey mouse outfit. In addition, the boss informed me yesterday that, even though our work calendar clearly states that we break up for the year on June 22nd, we're actually working through to the 25th.
What does this mean, you ask?
It means that
a) we can look foraward to two weeks of kids bitching about the 'pointlessness' of continuing to come to class after they've done their exams (think I'm kidding? They've started already)
and
b) the six day period of (really pretty essential) trying to relax and de-stress that I thought I'd be getting, before starting a month long, five day a week, 10am - 7pm summer TEFL course, is now nothing but a pipe dream.
Which means I'll probably crash and burn, say, middle of July?
Lovely.
* On a brighter note, plans are afoot for August, when I actually will get a break. Assuming I have sorted out a new place to live by then, I intend to bugger off and travel a bit, for the entire month, if I can (which will leave me about a week to do the actual moving when I get back - should be plenty of time, as I don't have any furniture etc).
I currently have three possible plans of action and am checking out the viability/cost of each (which is just a fancy way of saying, "I can't decide, 'cos I wanna do 'em ALL!!!"). They are as follows:
1. Denmark-Norway-Sweden-Finland
2. Scotland-England-Wales-Ireland
3. Greece-Turkey-Egypt
Of course, when you're looking at doing more than one country, a month suddenly doesn't look that long after all! But I'm hoping that it will be enough time to have a wee look around and, at the very least, get an idea of where I'd like to go back to in the future and explore more thoroughly.
An added attraction of each of these options is that they all involve a family visiting element.
If anyone has any opinions about/experiences of any of these regions, do let me know!
I have to decide soon, so I can start getting things organized before, y'know, August gets here!
Right, I'm away off to Get Things DoneTM.
Have a good day or night, all.
To be honest, I've neither the time or the energy to be mkaing a long detailed post just at the moment, so here are some bulletpoints instead:
* I'm pretty sure I've failed my Catalan exam. This is not false modesty; I'm actually seriously worried. I expected the grammar to be difficult but it was easier than anticipated. Turns out that the still severely limited nature of my vocabulary was my downfall. I had to do a lot of guessing, as a result, though I think I did well in the writing section. I still have the oral test to go, this Saturday, and then I'm going to attempt to forget all about it till we get our results at the end of September. (what?!)
* The English classes in exchange for rent deal didn't work out. We went from 'free flat in exchange for classes' to 'flat has gone to a family member but I'm looking for another flat so we can do the same deal' to (when I finally actually met the guy) 'there isn't a flat, I'll just pay you for the classes'.
I wasn't too broken up with this final deal, to be honest, because I was still in two minds about making the longer term commitment of classes (what with not knowing exactly what I'll be doing in the future) and also the whole having to furnish a place myself etc. I figured a bit of extra cash wouldn't go amiss either.
However, I e-mailed my current schedule to his secretary, last Tuesday (the evening of the day we had our meeting) and still haven't heard anything back. He can only do evenings, which means that any day I do a class with him is going to mean a late night, as I'll have to do it after my normal work hours. So I'd sort of LIKE TO KNOW!
Sometimes I love the relaxed and laidback way of doing things here but sometimes it makes me want to belt people. 'Laidback' and 'scerwing other people around, while you arse around deciding what YOU want to do' are not synonymous.
LEARN THE DIFFERENCE, PEOPLE!!!
* Thoroughly fucked off with work at the moment - exam chaos is at an all-time high, partly due to last minute changes made by Trinity College in London, but mostly due to the fact that I work for such a mickey mouse outfit. In addition, the boss informed me yesterday that, even though our work calendar clearly states that we break up for the year on June 22nd, we're actually working through to the 25th.
What does this mean, you ask?
It means that
a) we can look foraward to two weeks of kids bitching about the 'pointlessness' of continuing to come to class after they've done their exams (think I'm kidding? They've started already)
and
b) the six day period of (really pretty essential) trying to relax and de-stress that I thought I'd be getting, before starting a month long, five day a week, 10am - 7pm summer TEFL course, is now nothing but a pipe dream.
Which means I'll probably crash and burn, say, middle of July?
Lovely.
* On a brighter note, plans are afoot for August, when I actually will get a break. Assuming I have sorted out a new place to live by then, I intend to bugger off and travel a bit, for the entire month, if I can (which will leave me about a week to do the actual moving when I get back - should be plenty of time, as I don't have any furniture etc).
I currently have three possible plans of action and am checking out the viability/cost of each (which is just a fancy way of saying, "I can't decide, 'cos I wanna do 'em ALL!!!"). They are as follows:
1. Denmark-Norway-Sweden-Finland
2. Scotland-England-Wales-Ireland
3. Greece-Turkey-Egypt
Of course, when you're looking at doing more than one country, a month suddenly doesn't look that long after all! But I'm hoping that it will be enough time to have a wee look around and, at the very least, get an idea of where I'd like to go back to in the future and explore more thoroughly.
An added attraction of each of these options is that they all involve a family visiting element.
If anyone has any opinions about/experiences of any of these regions, do let me know!
I have to decide soon, so I can start getting things organized before, y'know, August gets here!
Right, I'm away off to Get Things DoneTM.
Have a good day or night, all.