Friday Night Outing

On Friday I my roommate and I were offered free tickets to hear the Lisbon Orchestra play. One of the french horn players goes to the church and often will share extra tickets with friends. It was a cloudy, rainy day at the end of a long week so my roommate Gina decided not to go. I haven't learned how to navigate my way to Lisbon by train and bus yet, so I said I was interested but would need help getting there. Before the afternoon was over I had a ride arranged with a clarinet player who is connected with school/church and lives nearby. At 5:10 I was to meet Esther, my ride, outside the school on the main road. Esther pulled up right on time and took me into Lisbon. Ironically she has a sister who lives in Rochester, NY - in Greece! We enjoyed getting to know one another on the ride in. I was there about an hour before the concert began at 7pm and had a chance to wander around the gardens outside the building before the concert began. My seat was in the 3rd row on the right hand side.

The concert was GREAT! The program had a variety of music starting with an 18 year old guest soloist playing a Prokofiev Piano Concerto. Followed by that was a soprano soloist singing 6 different Strauss songs. After the intermission the orchestra performed Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky and Ravel. After the concert Esther had plans to go to a cafe with a friend for a quick dinner. I felt like I was intruding, but she assured me that I was welcome. Once we got there some other orchestra friends also joined us. I met 4 violin players and another clarinet player. They were all very friendly and welcoming. We shared many laughs over a delicious dinner - a baked fish and rice dish!

It was a late night - I didn't get back till 11:30 but was glad I took the opportunity to do something spontaneous. It was also fun to meet some new people. I'm still getting used to the Portuguese greeting and goodbye - a kiss on each cheek. I was "kissed" by 4 guys Friday night! I made the mistake of putting out my hand to say goodbye and was reminded with a smile that in Portugal it's not a handshake! More adventures to come. This Thursday the teachers leave for a conference in Budapest, Hungary. I'll be sure to post some pictures and news about our trip when I can.

Castle Tour!

On Saturday I had the chance to tour a castle in Tomar, Portugal with some new friends. I met some teachers from the ABWE school in Lisbon last weekend. Nick and his wife Krista invited me to join them and Meredith (another first year teacher) on the day trip.We started with lunch at a cafe. I had pork chops with Portuguese rice, salad, and fries. It was delicious and fun to experience European eating at an outdoor cafe. I think this was my first authentic Portuguese food since arriving. In the square we went in a church that is one of Portugal's oldest built in 1430. Different vendors had tables set up in the square selling different kinds of nuts.

Most of our time was spent walking through a castle from the 12th century! Templar knights helped the Portuguese fight the Moors. In return the king gave land to them where castles and churches were built. This particular castle and convent was built in 1162. In later years other additions were added. It was so neat to walk through the halls and rooms and imagine what history had taken place there. The views were picturesque and the weather was perfect for a jaunt through ancient history. The first picture is a look at the round Templar Church. The rest are various pictures from inside. The architecture was neat to see - very ornate and detailed in places. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and look forward to my next sightseeing adventure....

10 Random Things - in no specific order!

Random things that catch me by surprise:

1. Cars park on the sidewalks all over the place
2. All the security - gates, fences, locks, security guards inside grocery stores and at entrances to other stores (Are they over cautious or is it needed? I've never felt unsafe)
3. Standard paper is A4 size - this doesn't work with American filling system - the papers are about 2 in longer and don't fit in the hanging file folders in my office! I'll have to come up with a new system. Papers aren't hole punched with 3 holes but 2 about 3 in. apart. 
4. Milk comes in cardboard boxes - unrefrigerated
5. This morning there was a lot of fog - it was like a cloud settled in Cascais for the morning. After church it had lifted and you could see the sky.
6. Normal dinner time is around 8-9pm
7. Still wearing sandals in October! Enjoying the sunshine and blue skies!
8. People you pass on the street don't smile or give any greetings.
9. Tiny, compact cars and some delivery trucks with 3 wheels that are super tiny and go putting along! Makes me wonder what it'd feel like to squish myself inside one.
10. Keys - I have a lot of different keys for school and the apartment. At school - the gate, main door, and my office. Apartment - main door, apt. door lock and dead bolt.Some keys are in the shape of a plus sign with teeth on all 4 sides. You have to get it in the lock just the right way for it to turn. I've learned by trial and error! :O)

Pirate Day!

The elementary kids had pirate day to end off the month of September. My 7th and 8th grade students were the helpers and team captains. The kids rotated through different stations: computer, craft, and snack. After the stations we watched a pirate lego movie and had a pirate treasure hunt around the school grounds. I was stationed in the computer lab. We set up a bunch of the teacher's laptops in the kitchen (outside the computer lab) to give more kids a chance to play pirate games on line and get their pirate name from a website. My name was First Mate Long Legs! The kids had a blast and enjoyed the afternoon. My roommate Gina is in the third picture from the end helping Lucas on the computer. We were going to get a picture of the two of us together but in all the craziness we didn't get to it. We made pirate hooks together out of plastic cups and tin foil! My students did a great job helping corral the younger kids. I've included a few pictures of the event and then a picture of my students - girls and boys. One of the twins was out sick for the week and didn't make the picture, but I'll have to take more in the future. The day was a success and a great chance to work together with my students as a team.

Afternoon Exploration!

Well - my 3rd week of school is behind me. As each week passes I'm feeling more and more like I'm getting the hang of things. I'm still adjusting to the various levels in my classroom and prepping/teaching two separate lessons for math and spelling/vocab. I'm getting to know my student's personalities and more about them as each day passes. I've started teaching piano lessons to one boy at school. He's in first grade and very excited to learn. His dad is the school secretary/administrator and knew that I was musical. He asked if I'd consider teaching his son Alex. I agreed since he was a beginner. I may have 2 more potential students, the daughters of other teachers. This is a new experience for me - but it's fun to get a little extra spending money on the side.

 After church this morning we had a potluck dinner. I decided to bring an apple pie along. I had fun making that yesterday. It turned out pretty well and I think people enjoyed it because I brought back an almost empty pan! It was a good time of fellowship and a chance to get to know some people better. The weather was so beautiful that I decided to go off on my own adventure this afternoon. Down at the bottom of the hill, where the larger grocery store is (Jumbo) is the beach and marina. Since arriving in Portugal I've never stepped foot on the beach and decided this afternoon was the time. I geared up for the 20 minute walk down and took a towel, book, my camera, and a water bottle along. The water is a bit chilly, but it was fun to walk along the beach and then just sit and read for a little while. I enjoyed a walk along the edge which twists and turns with the coast line. It was a beautiful afternoon as you can see in the pictures. The train station is also at the bottom of the hill and runs along the coast. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and fun to see some new things that were within walking distance. I've included a few pictures below.

4 Week Update

Well - I've taught 2 weeks of school and met all my students. Three of my girls are Greek, two boys are from Nigeria, another student from Zimbabwe, one that's Portuguese/German and another Portuguese/American, and the last is British/Portuguese. My students have a variety of English accents. I love listening to the ones with a British flair to their English - who knows if they enjoy listening to me that much! My students are warming up as the days go by and opening up more. During our morning break and lunch/recess time I have a chance to get to talk with them more one on one. The high school students also have their break then so I'm getting to know the 8 students in high school as well. Since I'm with my students at break plus lunch/recess I feel like I don't have much "free" time during the day to collect my thoughts or get organized for the afternoon. That's one thing I do miss.

Yesterday was an Open House where I met with the parents of my students and we had a picnic lunch that followed. Of course I was nervous, but it was good opportunity to meet parents and share with them a little about myself. They were all very pleasant and I'm glad I had the chance to meet them. The Open House was scheduled to begin at 11am. There were probably 2 families there at 11! The Portuguese culture is not driven by clocks and a schedule. By 11:30 we began the meeting and families continued to trickle in. Each family brought a main dishes that was traditional to their country. I enjoyed sampling a variety of yummy foods yesterday - desserts included. Someone even brought homemade vanilla ice cream!

I'm feeling more like the apartment is home now. I planted some flowers in the window box outside my bedroom (top picture) and a a few on the balcony (picture above). There were already window boxes with dirt in place. I'm going to keep thinking about what to plant in the remaining boxes that are empty. Quite a few pigeons like to sit in our window boxes and the balconies in the building. I'm hoping once there are plants they may try to find other places to land. The flock of birds will often fly overhead on my way to and from school. They seem to "own" the area.

I have not had much chance to explore Portugal yet since I've been so busy getting things ready for school and teaching. As I meet more people at church some have offered to take my roommate and I to do some sight-seeing. Today I was encouraged to meet a lady from Toronto, Canada who is teaching 4th grade at another International School in Portugal. She and her husband have been teaching internationally for quite a few years. She was very friendly and we talked about getting together after church one Sunday. God has been good in helping me feel settled and making this my home for the year.

School Pictures

 

Here are some pictures of school. This is the front of the school. The door leads directly into my classroom. This is also the church auditorium where I go on Sundays.

 

This is a view from the door of my office. The kids' lockers are in my office which is down a short hall and around a corner from my classroom.The next two pictures are taken inside my classroom. It's nice having the overhead fans to help give a breeze. I'm able to use the projector on the ceiling to do powerpoints. It's nice to have the option of hooking up my laptop to help teach. The last picture is taken upstairs where the high school and junior high eat lunch. The recess area is just beyond the picnic tables.