School's almost out (again)!

This time last year I was hyped up about graduating and moving to the Czech Republic to teach English. Now it's almost over- the teaching part at least. I have 2 weeks left of class before the examination period begins. Somehow 25 weeks of class flew by and I'll be standing in front of my students for the last time very soon. It's an unusual relationship I have with my students, probably because I'm so young. I feel half like their friend and half like their mother- a mother who wants her children to learn something because it will help them in life. English really will help them. Almost all high position jobs in the Czech Republic require knowledge of a foreign language. In Prague, where millions of tourists pass through each year, English is easily the most useful. Regardless of whether they retained any information, we had lots of fun times in class (or at least I enjoyed laughing at my jokes).

It will be strange to move on but I am looking forward to becoming a student again in the not-so-distant future. Having been a teacher I know I will be a better student.

Side note: I've been teaching and traveling non-stop. It may seem that I forgot about blogging when actually I've been blogging more than ever- just not on this one. My class blog this semester was a huge success in promoting communication and online learning tools. I'm going to try to keep it running even after I return home. But grading this stack of essays on my desk is more urgent. C'est la vie!

Photo of the Week- this time last year

This time last year we were on a family ski vacation near Granby, Colorado. 

Winter was beautiful and the aspen trees were calling me.

Looking back on a Canadian holiday

About this time last year I was returning from an adventure with our northern neighbors in CANADA! The  torch for the Vancouver Winter Olympics was passing through Toronto the night I arrived.

It was a reunion of sorts with my dear friend Clara M. who I met during my 6 month séjour in France. I met her wonderful family and boyfriend whom I felt as if I had met before from so many shared anecdotes. We sat on the chesterfield, sang songs, ate the most delicious Canadian cuisine (poutine, flapjacks with maple syrup and back bacon), and Clara taught me how to knit. We cooked and baked like we did together practically every night in France. I even witnessed a spaghetti noodle adorn the wooden beam in the kitchen.

We cross country skied over the river and through the snowy woods and sacrificed the tip top of a tree to wear beautiful ornaments in the living room. We cuddled next to the wood burning stove which gave off the smell that most reminds me of Christmas. Much of what I've written does not make sense, but it does to me and this is how I look back very fondly on my time in Canada.

Happy Euroween!

Halloween in Europe is nothing to get excited about. There are no pumpkins, no candy corn, and no costumes. The lack of holiday spirit in Europe (especially the Czech Republic) inspired me to teach my Czech students about traditional American Halloween rituals, only to realize it's more of a "you have to be there" kind of holiday. My large arm motions and funny words earned me some crazy looks. Maybe I just looked like a childish American, but I refuse to hide my Halloween spirit. It was actually refreshing to teach my students about a new part of American culture that they didn't already learned about from movies and TV shows.

I'm all about carving pumpkins, bobbing for apples, costume parties, and haunted houses. If you recall last year I participated in the Columbia Zombie Walk. There were no zombies shuffling down the streets this Halloween, but I did visit the Joker (aka Ariana) and her s'more of a dog in Vienna, Austria. Jon and I attended a mostly American Halloween party which was invaded by a clan of Batman villains. The costumes at the party were incredibly resourceful and artistic. Along with the villains was Mr. T, a Care Bear, Mexican Dia de los Muertos skeletons, and many many more. Creativity is at its best when Walmart's convenient pre-packaged costumes are a continent away.

We celebrated Halloween with a appropriately named American drinking game called "Circle of Death". The "nine is a rhyme" card got a bit more complicated as English words were rhymed with German and the other languages represented in the circle of doomed poetry.

This Halloween I did not dunk my head into a bucket of water in search of a juicy apple. I did not pay a ridiculous amount of money or stand in a long queue to scream my head off as a man chases after me with a chainsaw. But I did get to look at All Hallow's Eve from another angle this year. I have realized that it is a rather absurd Americanized holiday but it is something that I love to participate in because it is a fun excuse to wear a crazy costume and play childish games with friends.

A Wonderful Time of Year

Every year The District puts on a Living Windows festival in downtown Columbia. It's one of my favorite events in this city and I've never heard of anything else like it! Participating locally owned stores clear out their window space for humans to do their holiday thing. Every year is different, for example, see last year's post. This year two French exchange students, my roommates, Jon and his brother Mike joined me to laugh and dance with the living scenes. We enjoyed roasted chestnuts, sparklers, and cider, courtesy of the stores and volunteers. The living window festival brings back memories...

This time 3 years ago I was transferring to Mizzou, and what a wonderful 3 years it has been. Happy anniversary, Columbia.

Some photos for your enjoyment:

2 Lady GaGas and a man in a red jump-suit

ballerinas dancing with Sparky the dog

frosty the snow-woman

barbies at "elly's"

that's one cold tea party!

This Time Last Year: Obama in CoMO

This time last year Obama spoke at Mizzou and won Columbia's heart. Obama visited Columbia a week before elections in attempt to win Missouri's swing vote. He swept us off our feet with his eloquent speech and promises of change (something we weren't used to with ol' Bush in office for so many years). It is exciting to look back and realize that heard the President of the United States speak, even if it was before his election.

YES WE CAN!

This Time Last Year: Spelunking

When I'm sitting around or in class, sometimes I reflect on things I did 'this time last year'. I thought why not share some of my past experiences with my readers since I am not currently traveling. Who knows, maybe I'll convince some people to come visit the great town that is Columbia, Missouri.

In this episode of 'this time last year', I'm reflecting on the 8 hours I spent spelunking under the Earth throughout a million year old cave. It was one of the messiest and tiring experiences of my life but also one of the most incredible. After all, how many people can say they slithered through a wormhole 50 feet under the earth, 2 miles deep into a cave? Mid-Missouri has some of the coolest cave networks in the country. It only takes a 10 minute drive to Rock Bridge State Park in Columbia to access them.

It was no walk in the park, though. First, 5 other participants and I followed our tour guide as we each carried canoes through the park and down 2 flights of wooden stairs into the Devils Ice Box. Then we clicked on our headlights and paddled our way through the muddy water deeper into the cave. After docking our canoes, we travelled on foot to see preserved cave formations that took thousands of years to create. The following is called "cave bacon"

We also saw glow-in-the-dark calcium deposits and stalactites and stalagmites as tall as Jon!
It was a neat experience and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys geology or learning about nature. However, I would not recommend it to anyone who is claustrophobic or chiroptophobic (afraid of bats). Next time you're in Missouri or any karst/limestone topography, consider exploring the other world that lives beneath your feet.