The last official Nanowrimo Thursday was a very quiet one. We were Seven people at the table that evening. To say that we were tired would be an understatement. Well, most people. There were a couple people who weren’t tired because of Nanowrimo but because they are students, and her absolutely inundated with work. For me, tired means baseline. I am always tired. I teach online six hours a day plus my extra student switch them out to another two or three hours a week. But on Thursday, there was also quiet determination, and an allusion that hadn’t been there the previous week. Nanowrimo was nearly over. And well most of us went and rebellious, that to takes work.
For me personally, the last official Thursday night meeting in Hernando MO was bittersweet. I leave tomorrow for the United States. I am full of mixed emotions about my trip. I’ll only be gone just over a month but it will feel like forever. I’ve come to enjoy my Thursday night meetings, NY sometimes lenses into the culture here in Holland. But I am also excited. Because I’ll get to see my first DC child, the Washington creative writers club. I am very happy to be able to connect with those riders. I am not sure that I will be able to read out loud but I will do my best.
Going home for me is a conflict always. Last year at this time I went home and did not work. I found that that was too difficult to do and I spent six months panicking about the loss of income. In order to stave off some of that, I am going to work seven days a week but only for three hours a day or so. From about 530 in the morning until nine. That way I can maintain a schedule where I can see people and not have to go to sleep at 6 o’clock in the evening in order to beat up at 2 AM to teach from 3 to 9. I did that in 2017 for four months until I came back to the Netherlands and it was terrible. Going home is also a conflict because I don’t really love home now. I love my family, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t quite feel at home in America. Almost from the incident but I land, I am yearning to come back to the relative normalcy of your app.
Thursday nights meeting was also interesting because as we were wrapping up for the evening for a man came up and asked if we were working English teachers. When he found out that I was, he asked for my card for a friend of his who needs English help. I Gave him my card and hope that he will contact me to set up lessons via Skype, because I can do online until I come back from the states. And then I can switch it to in real life lessons. In my last post I mentioned that I was meeting with a Greek adult who wants English lessons. I met with him on Monday and we contracted to do three in real life sessions until I leave tomorrow. We set up lessons for the next day which was Tuesday, Thursday afternoon, and Monday, 3 December. I gave him the Tuesday listen and we had no problems. On Wednesday he contacted me via WhatsApp to tell me that he was canceling all of the lessons and was moving to Britain for permanent. I was a little disappointed because you all know that I like when my lessons are adults and in person and I don’t need a dog and pony show. But that’s the way the cookie crumble’s I guess.I still have my in real life student on Monday afternoon out in the middle of nowhere in the south of Amsterdam. He is seven years old And goes to the British school. I am looking forward to that and yesterday went and bought a book to see if I can do some level testing. My weekend will be spent preparing for Monday’s lesson. I’m trying to figure out the parking situation as well. I also have a houseguest from Saturday to Monday. Another VIP kid “colleague”. She here is here purely on vacation for two days and I hope that I don’t make her life difficult because I need to teach. She assured me that that would be fine. Another VIP kid “colleague”. She hears hear purely on vacation for two days and I hope that I don’t make her life difficult because I need to teach. She assured me that that would Be fine. I will see you all on the flipside, otherwise known as the United States, where I am sure to report on interesting happenings In teaching, in writing, and from the swamp.
That’s all she wrote for this incredible installment. But stay tuned, as always there is more to come.
Inkreadable 