Happy Thanksgiving everyone (a day late, I know)!
I have had a lot of people ask me about Thanksgiving down here. Well, it is a holiday only for the US, but the average Chilean knows about (We can thank the Friends episode for that). I actually went and had a REAL Thanksgivng meal, pumpkin pie and all. My church which is an international church and is made up of mostly Gringos, put on a Thanksgiving potluck. It was amazing.
Of course it was missing a few things that I have come to realize are traditions for me from my childhood. Some of the foods they were missing were Grandmom's augratin potatoes, deviled eggs, and Martinelli's sparkling cider. The church also was not able to provide chairs in front of a tv for all the men to fall asleep on. I think that is one of my favorite memories: walking into our tv room and finding not just my dad, but my granddad, both sleeping in front of the tv.
Overall though, the night was wonderful. I sat at a table with a couple from nebraska who moved here shortly after getting married. We asked the normal questions that everyone in an internatioanl church in Latin Ameria would ask. Where are you from, how long have you been here, what brought you here, and how long are you going to stay? Surprisingly enough, we had the smae answer for the 3rd question. When they asked me, I gave my usual mumbled response that I am not sure why I am here exactly but that I am supposed to be here and I am loving it. The wife, Sonja, smiled and said they knew exactly what I meant. The night was a great reminder of the blessings and traditions that home holds.
My lesson did not go so well yesterday. I was asked to teach using a method that we learned the day before and that none of us were very comfortable with, but I am up for a challenge. I felt like the class went horribly, but my peers and trainer disagreed. While they admitted that it had some strong down sides, they still thought overall the class went well. The amazing thing is, that even though I felt like I bombed that class, I still really want to teach. i never knew that it would become a passion. I thought I was just doing this so i could get a job, but I have found that teaching is something that comes semi naturally and that I love to do. I am teaching again today, but this time I can choose my method, so it will be fun.
I have had a lot of people ask me about Thanksgiving down here. Well, it is a holiday only for the US, but the average Chilean knows about (We can thank the Friends episode for that). I actually went and had a REAL Thanksgivng meal, pumpkin pie and all. My church which is an international church and is made up of mostly Gringos, put on a Thanksgiving potluck. It was amazing.
Of course it was missing a few things that I have come to realize are traditions for me from my childhood. Some of the foods they were missing were Grandmom's augratin potatoes, deviled eggs, and Martinelli's sparkling cider. The church also was not able to provide chairs in front of a tv for all the men to fall asleep on. I think that is one of my favorite memories: walking into our tv room and finding not just my dad, but my granddad, both sleeping in front of the tv.
Overall though, the night was wonderful. I sat at a table with a couple from nebraska who moved here shortly after getting married. We asked the normal questions that everyone in an internatioanl church in Latin Ameria would ask. Where are you from, how long have you been here, what brought you here, and how long are you going to stay? Surprisingly enough, we had the smae answer for the 3rd question. When they asked me, I gave my usual mumbled response that I am not sure why I am here exactly but that I am supposed to be here and I am loving it. The wife, Sonja, smiled and said they knew exactly what I meant. The night was a great reminder of the blessings and traditions that home holds.
My lesson did not go so well yesterday. I was asked to teach using a method that we learned the day before and that none of us were very comfortable with, but I am up for a challenge. I felt like the class went horribly, but my peers and trainer disagreed. While they admitted that it had some strong down sides, they still thought overall the class went well. The amazing thing is, that even though I felt like I bombed that class, I still really want to teach. i never knew that it would become a passion. I thought I was just doing this so i could get a job, but I have found that teaching is something that comes semi naturally and that I love to do. I am teaching again today, but this time I can choose my method, so it will be fun.
Comments
you feel that you bombed, that the class didn't go well. that's probably somewhat accurate -- you're comparing the class to other classes you've attended (where someone else lectured). compared to seasoned lecturers, you probably bombed. but that's to be expected.
the leaders of the training program have probably observed many first-time teachers, and are comparing you to those. compared to that group, they say, you're not so bad. they see your strengths and potential.
the fact that you still want to teach is the really important part. it's no good doing something as a job if you don't fundamentally enjoy it.
so this is a great start!
good luck on your next class. i hope it goes well.
paul came here for thanksgiving. it was a nice and fairly low-key dinner. jeremy brought 3 desserts from the bakery-cafe where he works. we ate and ate and then sat in front of the TV and had dessert. no turkey, however. aviva and i made duck. it was just okay, not great. but it was our first time at making duck. (in my opinion, it was pretty mediocre, but nigel really liked it). we also made a ham (perfect for a jewish family, right?) with a mustard-honey glaze. that was great, by everyone's opinion. we missed you!
love
mom