Has anyone seen my patience?

Because I think I left it in Wisconsin.

I think I may have lost my status as happiest miss in the world at school. I am stressed out, and I think the kids can tell. I write note after note to parents and there will come a time that if one more kid asks me if we are playing a game today, asks how many minutes are left in class, gets up from their seat to walk around, or doesn't listen to my directions, I will crack. There is a good chance that it will happen this week.

It's not just the students that I am losing my patience over. I now have a lower tolerance for a lot of other things about the school. Communication sucks. 4 different people tell me 4 different things. There are always last minute changes. Everything is unorganized. And what kills me is that it absolutely does not have to be this way. I know, I know, it is a good skill to be able to react quickly and adapt to changes BUT, this could all be prevented and everything could be so much more efficient and stress-free.

I no longer have a tolerance for creepers. It's not like I really did before, but I cannot stand it when I walk past the construction workers next to my apartment and I get hissed (yes, hissed) at or when every male driver makes the little "whoop, whoop" security noise on their car while they drive past me waiting for the bus, asking if I want a ride. And I still don't like it when we are at a club and someone who I only just met two minutes ago and already forgot their name decides that they will be my dance teacher for the night. Except they are fighting for this spot with usually three other guys which makes me feel like a piece of meat. Maybe I would feel different if I were a salsa expert, but I am not.

And it's probably a good thing I do not drive here, because I would have a serious case of road rage. I haaaate traffic. It is so bad here. There are traffic jams galore. It takes me over an hour to go ANYWHERE. And it isn't just cars, but sometimes there are so many people on the transmilenio that I can't get on or off the bus. People just stand there and will not move for you, no matter how much you try to weave your way through or how many "perdon"s you use. Not cool.

Is this what happens when you move to a big city?

Andrés Carne de Res

After thinking that el Día de Amor y Amistad (Valentine's Day) was last Friday and then thinking it was every day after that for the whole week, I finally had it confirmed that yesterday was the actual day. To celebrate, Blanca and I met up with one her friends from high school who was also celebrating his graduation this weekend to go to one of the most famous restaurants here, Andrés Carne de Res. It's actually located in Chía (where I work) so we rented a huge van (kind of like a party bus) to drive us there and back.

I don't think that my pictures and descriptions of this place will do it justice, but there is no other place like it. It is huge and was really packed. We had to wait in a very long line just to pay the cover charge, but then we had to wait again to even get a table. Which we didn't even end up getting until way late because people don't just come for dinner and then leave... they stay all night. The ambiance of this place is unbelievable. You walk in, and the first thing they give you is a free shot of whiskey (barf, but whiskey is pretty popular here). Just the decorations alone are so eccentric. Trying to describe it, I would say that it is Pirates of the Caribbean meets the Garden of Eden. There are colored lights everywhere and decorations that cover every inch of the ceiling including flying cupids, dangling pirate legs, Colombian flags, bright signs, and candles.
There are also people that dress up in crazy costumes that walk around to entertain you. These characters include multiple pairs of Adam and Eve, cavemen, goat people, trolls, serpent people, and I think I am probably forgetting a few. I thought they were kind of creepy because they look at you and don't smile or say anything and then I got sandwiched between two purring trolls and so for the rest of the night I tried not to make eye contact with any of them.

A maquillador who painted faces for anyone that wanted it had his station set up near one of the dance floors. His designs were really intricate and he added details with sequins and glitter. There are also huge flat-screen TVs that flip to different shots of people in the restaurant. Since it was el Día de Amor y Amistad, they would throw red heart balloons from the ceiling onto the dance floor along with a lot of confetti. Everyone is dancing, and not just on the dance floor. People stand and dance on their chairs and tables like its no big deal, even when there is still food on the table.

The food of course was delicious. Since we weren't able to get a table right away, we just ordered drinks and appetizers, but the appetizers were so good. By the time we sat down I wasn't even that hungry anymore, so Blanca and I shared a fatty piece of steak (fatty as in huge, not in actual fat). The steak came with different sauces, and a side of mashed potatoes that were stuffed into a tomato. I love that eating steak here can be an everyday thing. The restaurant is definitely not cheap compared to many other places here, but in comparison to steak houses in the US, it's a steal.

We finally left close to 3am, and when we left the party was still going. We were there for probably about 7 hours. But there are so many people and so many things to look at, that you don't really notice how long you've actually been there for. It wasn't a surprise that everyone was sleeping on the ride home. (Note to Dave and Jo: We're going here when you visit, but I promise I won't make you stay out until 3 in the morning.)

some snapshots

Downtown Bogotá
Plaza Bolívar
The view outside my bedroom windowSitting outside at Juan ValdezMy bienvenidaLos MariachisSitting, but not riding

I have discovered something wonderful

And that something wonderful is Domino's Pizza.

I saw one while I was riding in the car this weekend that is only 20 blocks from my house. (Yes, only 20... it is actually very close.) Even better, they deliver. And in case Bogotá Domino's doesn't appreciate ranch dressing like Madison Domino's, I found a bottle at the store last week that's already in my fridge. I think in honor of Madison, my first order is going to be the Joel Saturday morning special, with maybe an extra order of breadsticks just for me.

I'm happy to say that discovering Domino's wasn't the only highlight of my weekend. Friday night I met up with Sael and Blanca to have a couple drinks before going out. We went to this bar that made me feel like I was back in Madison. When going out dancing, it is too hard to talk to people. But at the bar, everyone was just hanging out, drinking, and listening to classic rock in the background. I was thinking that Friday night would be a pretty chill night where I could come home early and catch up on sleep, but Blanca informed me that we were going to another bar afterwards. And not just any bar, but a Mariachi bar. (Think: the same type of band that serenades your table at a Mexican restaurant)

Yes, it is corny, but the Mariachi bar was packed with young people and I had a great time. Sure I am not going to listen to the music outside of the bar, but the experience was so different and a lot of fun. We were greeted at the door by the lead singer of the Mariachis (large, very happy, old man with a handlebar mustache) and went to go find our table. The band played three sets, and while they are playing everyone sits and drinks. Everyone seems to know the words to all the songs (except me, obviously). There are servers that come around to your table to pour your drinks and refill your glass with ice. I'm still getting used to the idea that when you order a mixed drink, you have to order the bottle. So at our table of four, we ordered a bottle of Absolut and a pitcher of sprite. We still don't mix the drinks ourselves, but rather that's the servers' job. Blanca told me that going to a mariachi bar is something that you do maybe two or three times a year, but honestly I wouldn't mind going again next weekend.

Saturday afternoon I tried to take a nap, but our apartment was full of workers installing a new sink among other things and were not at all quiet. I think my lack of a decent nap might have been one of the reasons for coming home early on Saturday or I just can't go out like I used to. Saturday night there was an AIESEC party to celebrate el día de Amor y Amistad (love and friendship day) which is the Colombian version of Valentine's day since they do not celebrate it in February. We did a gift exchange, and I gave away a Wisconsin hat and received a large bottle of beer. My network seems to grow every day that I am here, so it was great to meet more of the LC and other trainees.

Before I came to Colombia, I went out to lunch with my dad and his coworker Luis, who is Colombian and has family in Bogotá and Chía. He gave me all the contact information of his family members here, but my busy schedule has prevented me from calling them. But on Sunday I went to a BBQ with his uncle, brother, and some other friends at his parent's house in Chía. The house is beautiful... it's big and spacious and sits on a large lot of land and they have horses. We spent the beginning of the afternoon chatting on the back patio and Luis's brother Felipe would bring out a horse and ride it around for a bit and show us the different styles of riding. Then it was my turn to try riding, but my turn did not last very long. The way the horses walk is so different than what I am used to. (I know I am no expert when it comes to how to ride a horse, but I remember what it was like on our vacation to Arizona and when I was in Girl Scouts.) The name of the riding style is called paso fino, and it looks like the horses are doing a very fast march. Supposedly, it is the most suave way to ride, but as soon as the horse sped up even just a little bit, I felt like I couldn't control it and I was going to fall off. Felipe then rode with me so I could experience it for real, but I think am most comfortable with the trained horses that take you for a very slow walk on a designated trail and then maybe after an hour you can trot for five minutes.

After horseback riding, it was finally time to eat. The food was so delicious... we had steak, rice with cocoa in it, cubes of cheese, and these other things that I don't remember the name of that you dip in this really smooth cream cheese. I feel like the school serves a lot of traditional Colombian food, but I've realized that after eating at other friend's houses the hot lunches at GB don't measure up. I'm starting to wish I lived with a family with a housekeeper so I could eat this glorious food all the time.

Although during the week I feel out of the loop since I live far away and don't have much time to do stuff anyway, my weekends have been crammed with activities. I already have a full itinerary for next weekend. It would be nice to have a little bit more time to rest and sleep in, but it is nice to know that people here want to show me their country and culture and want to make sure that I am enjoying myself.

drama drama drama

How to not get fired from GB:

1. Do not gossip with other teachers.
2. Do not speak Spanish unless it is Spanish class.
3. Be very careful about how you address your complaints and who you address them to.

I learned all these things in the English department meeting on Tuesday while we were talking about the new changes within Elementary. I didn't realize that all of this was going on, but apparently after the first week a list was created of questionable teachers who did not follow these rules and 85% of the teachers in Elementary were on it. Some people have left the school by choice, and others were asked to leave. I find it a bit odd that I can have absolutely no teaching experience, feel like I'm in way over my head, and still make the top 15% cut.

I just finished my first week with the third graders and I am exhausted. In my opinion, teaching third grade is a lot harder than teaching 4th and 5th. Classroom management blows. I hate yelling at kids. I hate repeating myself a million times because they weren't listening. I hate it when kids tattle on other kids. I hate that no one can sit in their chair for more than 10 minutes. I hate hearing shouts of "Miss" from every direction of the room when I'm writing on the board. Patience is so necessary for this job and I'm starting to question how much of it I have left. But I did make a kid cry yesterday. It almost sounds like I'm proud, but this kid was such a handful and when I made him move his desk all the way to the front of the room away from the rest of the class he started crying and I think he finally cracked.

Discipline is not the only hard thing about third grade. I don't know if the kids have a hard time understanding my English, but there is not one kid that can complete something with out me re-explaining the directions one on one. And I don't know if some kids are slower learners or if they just choose to not do their work. It took two class periods for the students to finish one page in their work book copying simple sentences. Some of the students finished in twenty minutes, but others had to take it home for homework. There is not a separate class for more advanced students, which makes it very hard for me when half the class is finished and the other half is not even close to being done. And we have to be very careful about assigning homework here. We are only allowed to assign homework 3 days a week according to a predetermined schedule and we are never to assign homework on Fridays.

Although it's been a somewhat rough week, I don't hate where I have been moved to. I'm getting used to teaching the younger kids and they are actually really nice. But I definitely have my work cut out for me. And I still have the syllabus and lesson plans for the first quarter due Monday that's taking me forever to complete. I have no idea how other teachers are finished already and I feel like I'm working overtime. Tomorrow and Sunday I just want to sleep and play, but will somehow have to squeeze in the work stuff.

Maybe it's a case of the Mondays

Almost every single elementary school teacher left school grumbling today. This morning a la 7:50 (note: school is supposed to already have started five minutes prior) the director of the school came to the elementary teachers' break room and informed us that there were going to be some changes, mostly in the English department. I will now be teaching English in four third grade classes instead of my two 4th and two 5th grade classes. These changes were also effective immediately, meaning no one had time to prepare anything for their new classes. This also means that all the work I have done to prepare lesson plans for my classes this week and all the work that I did for last week is basically useless. And because my homeroom class was 5th grade and I will no longer be teaching 5th grade, that means I won't be their homeroom teacher anymore so all decorations that I made for their classroom and my carefully planned seating arrangements can also be forgotten about. I was told that I will still be a homeroom teacher, except no one knows for what class yet. And the teachers were frantically switching schedules and books, and none of us even have class lists yet so no attendance as of now.

Instead of going straight to my new class, I went to my homeroom to inform them that I will no longer be their teacher. Even though it's only been three days, no one seemed to like that idea very much. In fact, all day students from my classes last week came running up to me when they would see me and hug me and be like, "Misssss, why did you leave ussss?" It's good to know that at least I made a good impression last week.

I guess the reason for the sudden change was that the English level of students really is not great at all and they wanted to rearrange the teachers according to their level of English. A lot of teachers need to improve their own English and have been moved accordingly. The head of the English department wanted to move me down because he thinks that they need to start building the level of English at a younger age, and I am most suited for that because I am the only native English speaker in Elementary. He also said that he wants me in the middle of elementary so that it is easier for other teachers to see the type of methodology I am using. (I think he might have forgotten that I have no idea what I'm doing here...) The head of the school also told me that because it is my first year teaching, she thought that I would be more comfortable teaching younger kids rather than the older ones and would find it easier.

After today however, I found that third grade is much harder than fourth and fifth. They are sweet for ten minutes and then uncontrollable for the rest of class. Since I had nothing planned for today, I decided to do the same thing in my classes as I did on the first day of school, but it definitely did not go as well as it did before. It might be because the students are younger or it might be because they aren't adapting to the change yet or it might just be that they don't know how to behave. I think I am expecting too much from these kids, but I don't really remember what the third grade was like and what is the normal learning level for kids this age. But it honestly took ten minutes for students to find a partner and sit next to them. And it took over 45 minutes for them to copy 5 questions down from the board into their notebooks and answer them... some students didn't even finish copying the questions. And no matter what, the students will not answer me in English. Everything is in Spanish. Technically the only Spanish I'm supposed to be using is to translate single words if a student doesn't know what one means, but today I found myself starting to explain things in Spanish because there was no possible way that they would understand any English description I would give.

A lot of teachers are very unhappy about the changes and for once I am not the only one that appears to be stressed out. I'm mostly unhappy that I need to readjust myself and that all the work I've done so far (and most of it being out of school) I have to do all over again. Since I've never taught before, I can't really say which grade I prefer to be in. After seeing how tricky third graders can be, I kind of want to move back to 4th and 5th. But if third grade is where they think I should be, then maybe I should be there. I've also realized that the teachers who are unhappy or disagree with the changes really do not have outlets to share their opinions. You have to be very careful about what you say and how you say it, because the directors will take it as disrespectful and respectfully, show you the door. Lucky for me the head of the English department is not Colombian, so I feel comfortable being able to tell him how I am feeling and what I am thinking.

And on top of all this, I am sick. Friday after class my throat was super sore and I thought it was from talking so much and sometimes having to yell at my kids. Then Saturday my roommate told me it was probably from the smoky bar. But then my TN manager informed me that it's pretty common here to get sick because the weather is cold and rainy, and considering that I am freezing 24/7 (even while in my apartment) my bet is on the weather.

I've come to realize that you need to ask a lot of questions here to find out what is going on. But I also realized that sometimes, it's just a waiting game and there is nothing you can do except wait until tomorrow. Why can't it just be Friday already?

My Bienvenida

I like Friday nights here. Well, I like them before it gets too late to be going anywhere by myself. Everyone is out doing stuff. Even in my little neighborhood people are shopping, buying food from street vendors, getting their hair cut... things are busy.

I met my TN manager and his LCP out for dinner. I've missed Domino's too much so I wanted to go out for pizza. We went to this restaurant that I don't remember the name of, but they have really good, cheap pizza. If only they had ranch dressing. Blanca, the @Andes LCP, just got back from Brazil, and it was really nice to be able to sit down and talk to her.

Afterwards we met up with a bunch of other @ers in La Zona Rosa, which is a really nice district of the city with tons of restaurants, bars, and clubs. We met for coffee at Juan Valdez, which is the equivalent of Starbucks. We sat there for a while just chatting and then went to a bar/club afterwards, which I also don't remember the name of. There were a lot of people there from @Andes and @Javeriana and there were a lot of reasons to celebrate. My bienvenida, my birthday, one @er just got matched to his TN in Belgium, and another leaves for his TN in China next week... so it was a fun party.

Partying here is definitely different than partying in Madison. Everyone loves dancing, but there are no dance clubs in Madison. The music is all reggaeton, vallenato, merengue, and salsa. I recognized probably two songs. You have to pay a cover charge to get into the bar, and drinks are super expensive unless you buy beer. And they only had two mixed drinks you could choose from unless you ordered something fancy. Instead you order a small bottle of the liquor you want and then you order your mixer, and you pour your drink yourself. Good thing we don't have to tip the bartender.

The next morning there was an @ training day, but I opted to sleep in and just meet Blanca and a couple other @ers out for lunch. I actually do remember the name of the place we went for lunch, it was called Crepes and Waffles, and they definitely have my favorite banana nutella crepes. So I didn't exactly eat lunch, because I wanted my dessert crepe. Afterwards a few of us went to one girl's house to hang out before the soccer game started. Her house was gorgeous. There was crystal on every table, paintings on all the walls, and her room was like two bedrooms combined. A bunch of other people came over later for the Colombia vs. Uruguay soccer game. Colombia lost, 1-0. Soccer is big here, but they don't really compare to Badger game days.

I'm feeling a little more comfortable now that I am meeting more people. It is hard during the week to hang out with people, but it seems like my weekends are going to be pretty full which will always give me something to look forward to.

How do you answer that?

Today one of my fifth graders asked me what pussy meant. I was so taken aback that the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "I don't know." And then he said, "damn it." Oh kids.

First day of school

Overall, not so bad. The school seemed to be in a state of chaos all day, and I wonder if it will be like that every day. But my classes went alright and I think that the kids like me.

School is supposed to start at 7:45, but no one even got off the buses until after 8. Elementary had homeroom scheduled for the first hour and a half, and my 5th graders are kind of a handful. I thought that some of my biggest challenges would be filling a whole classroom period with stuff to do or making my lesson plans. But now I think it might actually be classroom management. These kids are rowdy, and I cannot for the life of me get them to sit down and raise their hand if they have a question. All day they are running up to me and crowding around me shouting, "Miss, Miss, Miss," and refuse to wait until I am done talking to ask me their question. And they are especially rowdy right before lunch. And lunch is a whole blog post in itself. The students are given one hour to eat and play, but there is no system of how to move the lines and kids are running everywhere and pouting when they are told that they can't leave until they finish everything on their tray. (I, not surprisingly, am not one of these teachers.) I really don't even know what to do so I just stand back and watch the madness. There are no bells in the elementary part of the school, which makes it hard for the students to wait until I say it is okay for them to leave the classroom. And I don't know if the kids aren't understanding me or if they are legit not listening, because I have answered the same questions over 20 times.

School ended at 1:30 instead of 2:45, but of course I didn't find that out until about 12:45. It is really hard to get work done at the school because you have very few free hours. And the students never change their classroom unless they have Art, or PE, or a class along those lines, so I haven't been able to hang up any of the decorations I have made or organize my room the way I want it. I also don't really know where everything is just yet, and what the rules are on printing things and making copies. (I am pretty sure you have to get an ok from a director before you can do any of those things.) Other things that I am still getting used to is that sometimes the students stand up when the teachers enter the classroom. The first time this happened to me I didn't know what they were doing. Also, my school is Catholic, and I think that means we are supposed to pray during the morning. No one has told me exactly what to say or do, so until then I'm just taking attendance.

Today was already better than yesterday. I was able to put nametags on the chairs and put up my schedule and a couple other decorations. I am still not finished, but I am starting to feel a little bit more organized. The students were a little bit more settled today, too. I guess we aren't really starting the curriculum until Monday, so this week is mostly just introductions, easy activities, and games. After today however the week really caught up to me and I had to take a nap that was over 2 hours. I still have work to do tonight for my classes tomorrow, but I feel like I am going to be pretty swamped this weekend. I have to have my syllabus finished with dates by Monday and my lesson plans finished by Wednesday for 1st quarter and as of now I've barely glanced at my books. I'm looking forward to when I have everything planned out ahead of time and I won't have to be doing work every night after school.

I think that if I can get through this, it is going to be super rewarding. After the first two days I can already tell that the students need a lot of English help. Even some of the teachers... When I go into different classrooms I see grammatical errors all over their walls. But the students are really cute. They always give me hugs and wave to me on the bus and want me to sit by them at lunch. One student even told me that I was the happiest "Miss" he's ever seen. Slowly but surely I am learning how to be a teacher and how this country works.

Veintidos

Some observations so far:

The weather. I am not really a fan. Bogotá doesn't have seasons... it's like fall all year round. Except that it rains everyday and you never know when because one second it could be sunny and the next it could be pouring. Or it could be sunny and raining at the same time... I don't really get it. And it's not hot at all. For being super close to the equator, the mountains really decrease the temperature.

Traffic. I'm expecting it to take me a long, long time to get used to it. There really aren't traffic laws, especially once you are off the highway. In my neighborhood you can basically drive on whatever side of the road you want and there are no stop signs. I don't even know what a speed limit sign looks like. Besides no rules, this city is so crowded with traffic whether it's cars or pedestrians. There's a law here that certain days you aren't allowed to drive during rush hour according to your license plate number, and I can't even imagine what it would be like if all the cars were allowed on the roads. And even though the transmilenio is the fastest way to get anywhere, if you take it you better be prepared to get squished.

Creepers. Although my dark brown is already fading, I am really glad I dyed my hair. It is bad enough having blue eyes. I'm not creeped out when other teachers say something since I know them, but it's more of when I'm walking down the street and someone comments on how lindos my ojos are I wish I was wearing sunglasses. Also the people in Colombia are very friendly. Which is great at work and when I'm meeting other AIESECers. But it's not okay when you are on the bus and the guy next to you seems nice and chatty at first but then forgoes his own plans to take the same transmilenio route as you. Another creeper factor is that it is dark here by 6:30pm, which makes it hard to do anything after work. Last night I went to an ICX meeting at 7:30, but it was already dark out and even the security guard was surprised that I was coming home alone, although it was still fairly early.

Culture shock. I am slowly but surely learning the Colombian culture. Today I think I offended one of the other teachers when he offered to carry my books and I said I could handle it. And then yesterday my TN manager told me he thought I was spoiled. I don't think he meant to be offensive, but the last thing I want to do is come off as the spoiled American girl, because I am not. I like to consider myself as an open-minded person, and I like trying new things, and meeting new people, but the new stuff is on overload right now. Adapting to a new country, a new city, new people, and a new job is a lot to take on in one week.

The Colombian school system. School starts tomorrow and I am far from ready. Yesterday I was feeling much better about my job but today, not so much. Yesterday I received my books and my syllabus and went to a long meeting with the entire English department. We all introduced ourselves and talked about our concerns and everyone there is more than willing to help me with anything I need. Today I realized that the school always acts in a state of indecision and disorder. Everything is so unorganized which is really hard because I like my things organized in a certain way. You never know if you have a meeting to go to, where it is, and then once you go you switch rooms five times and waste an entire hour. Someone will say one thing when they actually mean something else. A lot of teachers still don't have their books and for tomorrow through Friday we won't even be teaching yet. The past three days I have found to be super unproductive and it is nearly impossible for me to get anything done during the school day. I also find it weird for a school to be so unorganized, especially when they call themselves one of the best in the nation. I'm so confused all the time even when my questions are answered in English but I'm hoping for things to fall into place once classes actually start.

Today is a day when I definitely wish I was at home, or at least have something around me that is familiar. There are two things planned for tonight and tomorrow but I have so much work to do that I doubt I will even sleep tonight let alone attend. I'll be able to celebrate this weekend, but I could really go for a night at Amy's.