Proust Questionnaire and other things

View of the sunset from my house. Same time, same place, every day, all year. That's the equator for ya.

The Proust Questionnaire compares your answers to 20 questions to the answers of 100 celebrities. Unsurprisingly, I scored most like Yoko Ono and Hugh Hefner.

The beach was great--I'm bad at pulling out the camera to take pictures so if I get ahold of some I'll post them.

I start teaching on Tuesday. At a meeting on Monday I'll get my schedule and find out which level I'll be teaching. I was really gung-ho at the end of the TEFL course about 2 weeks ago, but now I'm just waiting for it (it refers to the job, the challenges, the fun) to happen.

I'm nervous about the work, and about the fact that I don't know what I'll be teaching until the day before class starts, so I can't even get any planning done in these quiet vacation days. Any suggestions for day 1 activities? Getting-to-know you stuff could be good, but day 1 is the shyest day for most students, so I don't think I'll do a "stand up and tell us about yourself" game. That doesn't even sound like a game. I have to remind myself that I enjoyed the teaching practicum, so I'll most likely enjoy having my own classes--I've just been doing so much waiting around, reading books, interneting (I only visit about 4 websites regularly, so that doesn't take up much time) and I've lost that excited momentum you get when everything is new. And I've been watching more Will and Grace than I ever did before, so...yeah, things are slow.

Luckily I'm going to Cayambe this weekend to visit Marcia (who works at the CMT) and her husband Rigo. Audrey (center volunteer working on year #2) and I have decided to bring cards and games, make dinner and enjoy this small town where the cemetery is the most interesting attraction. Going out to visit people like this is a lesson in forcing yourself to relax a bit and not worry about what task needs to be done by what time, etc. You have to be comfortable with silences and not having an agenda, which is why games are usually helpful for activity-accustomed gringas like Audrey and myself. We're spending the night, which is a first for both of us. I'm looking forward to it because Marcia is wonderful and Rigo is hilarious--the type of funny that only happens if you listen closely, because he doesn't say much. I have some photos to give them of my last visit about a year ago (a year!) and I hope they're pleased.

Well, I think I'll go back to my new book (I traded at a book swap in a bar at the beach). Haven't been in the mood to watch movies lately, but a friend loaned me District 9 and I'd like to return it to him, so maybe I'll do that too. Again, send me suggestions for the first day or 2 of classes. Thanks!

Mare