It’s Ples Season!

It’s been a bit since my last entry but it’s amazing how fast time can go during the week once you start teaching all your classes. Today I wanted to share with you a rather unique but exciting part of Czech culture,that as a teacher here I am getting to experience.

The cold and dead of winter is Ples season here in the Czech Republic. What is a Ples? The literal translation is a “Graduation Ball” and the closest American equivalent is a prom, however there are big differences. Graduating from Gymnazium (high school) here is a big deal and you you have to pass a very difficult exam in the spring to do so. But a few months before that, every graduating class has a Ples. The graduating students wear fancy ball gowns and the men wear suits. Family, teachers, friends and classmates are all invited and come as well. A Ples evening includes lots of dance numbers from students and outside groups. A band plays most of the evening and everyone who wants to can dance.

The centerpiece ceremony of the evening is about halfway through the night. The graduating students line up and are called by name up to the stage. As they walk up they get pelted with Czech coins.  It is pretty awesome as tons of coins get thrown at these students. It’s a miracle no one gets hurt but it’s real fun to watch. After the ceremony these coins get collected and it helps pay for the Ples. Once on stage they are presented with a sash saying “graduate” (in Czech) and a flower. After this there is a teacher-student dance (I got to dance with a student) and a student-parent dance.

To cap the evening every Ples has a “midnight surprise.” Generally organized by the graduating class it is a fun or silly presentation or dance of some kind. At Friday’s the class dressed up in Hawaiian garb (boys in coconut bikinis of course) and danced to a great medley of dance music.

I have been to three Ples’ so far with potentially two more to go (classes work differently here, there are a lot more than one per school). It has been lots of fun to see teachers and students all dressed up and having fun outside school. Being able to experience something like this as an English teacher and a foreigner has been very interesting but also lots of fun. I look forward to my other Ples’ in the coming weeks!

I Wish Someone Had Told me…

This entry might sound depressing at first but give me the benefit of the doubt until the end. It’s happy, positive, perhaps even corny so just keep reading, thanks.

It’s been five months since I arrived I’m at the halfway point of my year here. Term 1 ends this week with Term 2 beginning in a week. A good time to be a bit reflective, yes? So I came to the realization yesterday about the one thing I wish someone had told me before I left America to come here. I received a lot of training, got a lot of advice and knowledge. A year in South Africa also helped in feeling like I could tackle this next year. But one thing was not mentioned and I wish it had been. It is the following: If the first month or two is awful don’t worry about it. It gets better.

Now to be fair this was told to me in a bunch of different ways. ESI is (in?)famously known for drilling the idea of “low expectations” into our lowly first-year teacher heads. They give us as much heads up as can reasonably be expected. I’m not trying to blame anyone and I’m certainly not going for a pity party with this entry. The reality simply is, the first few months can be really hard. South Africa was nothing like this. On the surface I suppose that’s obvious but it goes deeper than that. A different language, less tangible support day-to-day, not many people you know in the area. I suppose the easiest excuse I could use was I had a medical issue with my nose and that was just stressful. But at the end of the day the heart thing was I just wasn’t happy here at first.

So where am I now? I’m thankful beyond belief to be content. Teaching is tiring and not always fun but what job is? I don’t feel overwhelmed by it anymore and while teaching English might not be in my future, teaching something definitely is. I have become great friends with fellow ESI teachers and those friendships will be one of the great legacies of this year for me I think. I have helped start one English club and participated in another one regularly, meeting some great students. I feel like this is my job, my life at the moment. Is it always fun? No. Is it always exciting?Not usually. But it is slowly, inexorably getting better. And I am content and feel blessed.

So final thought. If you go somewhere different and it sucks well yeah that’s supposed to happen (if it doesn’t you are indeed truly blessed). Give it some time. Pray. Keep trying. Trust God. And things will work out.

I did it…I rode the bus…

This week my ESI teachers and I will reach the halfway point of our year here overseas. At times like these it is good to be a bit reflective on where we are and where we are going. Today I want to talk about adjusting to the culture here.

I have learned a lot. I’ve learned enough language and culture to feel reasonably comfortable in a restaurant and to read a menu. I’ve learned how to fill out the class book at school for every class and to sign it every time I do. I know where mostly everything is in the supermarket, though there are still surprises from time to time. I have gotten a lot of experience on the domestic and international train and buses here. But one thing I have not dared to attempt is…ride the local buses in my town of Sokolov.

Let me explain. I teach at two schools every weekday that are a mile and a half apart. My flat is very close to one and not so close to the other. So everyday I go to one school, teach in the morning there and then walk across town to the other and then walk home. My daily round-trip commute, if I don’t include any detours, is about 3.1 miles. Utilizing the local bus system here in my town would seem like an obvious choice. It’s cheap and it goes everywhere. So why have I walked for the past five months?

It’s mostly fear of the unknown. Learning stop names and bus routes and numbers and times, it’s hard to master, especially if things are in a different language. But that was the small thing. What I was really afraid of was stepping on bus trying to pay and not having a clue how to do it or how to ask. So I just avoided it and walked. Frankly, I’m kind of tired.

But last night I finally asked a teacher who has been here a long time what to do and expect.  Our train station is a 30-minute walk from our flat. It is no fun at all. I decided to try it. I waited for the bus, got on bus, paid for the bus, rode 10 blissful, not cold, sitting minutes in the bus. I got off and turned my head and my lovely green flat building was right in front of me.

The moral of the story? It pays to take risks when you live in a new culture. Because let’s face it…walking in the cold stinks.

This is Home.

First the facts. I am in a wildly foreign country to my own. The language is different, the buildings are different, the school system is different, the way people sneeze seems different. It’s pretty crazy to consider all at once.

Now since I arrived here in Sokolov in late August I have had the opportunity to travel to three other countries (the joys of being in Europe, right?). They are, in order: Hungary (4 days), Germany (1 day), and England (12 days). Each time it was really neat being able to visit and see different buildings and people. But it was also a bit shocking and disconcerting. In Germany and Hungary I didn’t know a word of the language. I didn’t even know the proper way to say “hello.” In England I knew the language (which was great) but the culture is still very different than America. I felt often in each place like I stuck out. In short, I didn’t feel at home.

The funny thing is each time I traveled abroad I kept having this feeling like “I want to go back to Czech, where I know stuff.” I have been completely immersed in this culture for over four months. I hear the language whenever I leave my flat. I go to the restaurants in town, I shop in the supermarkets. I walk 3+ miles around town on a daily basis. From time to time I see people I know on the street and say hello. While there is still so much I don’t know, much has become familiar. It is weird to say but in a very real sense this place has become my home and it is the place that, more so than any other place on this continent, I feel comfortable. Life isn’t easy but at least the country I live in is growing on me.

I saw Fulham!…and London too…

So this is my last night in London and as I should be horribly tired and busy with travel and school until probably Wednesday I thought I should give a recap while it’s fresh in my mind.

I ended my trip by going to my favorite English soccer team, Fulham Football Club (they play in London). As an American it’s hard to follow and get into European soccer but this is where the best players play and so a few years ago I picked Fulham as my favorite, most because they seemed interesting and had around five Americans at the time (they still have one). I been learning and following ever since. Going to this game today was undoubtedly the highlight of my trip. Fulham didn’t play great but they won and it was a great experience as a fan to be able to watch them.

Why was it so great? One word: atmosphere. British soccer just has it. In American sports, you have jumbo-trons, cheerleaders, time outs, distracting music. Often you’re so faraway from the action it doesn’t even matter. Here in Britain it is different. It’s just the fans and the soccer. Fulham’s stadium fits just over 25,000 people. The stands go right up to the field, you are so close to the action and players. No big screen, just a scoreboard with the clock. The fans know exactly when to cheer, clap and chant, it was awesome. I must also say the away fans were fantastic. One entire block of stands behind one goal was filled with fans of the other team and you couldn’t help but feel their presence. They chanted, jumped, jeered. They were magificent. I’m glad they went home sad but thanks for the effort guys.

So here in short are a few other things I did in London.

• Went to British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone.
• Went to Tower of London and saw crown jewels and lots of cool, old stuff.
• Went to a Church service in Wesminster Abbey. Very cool.
• Saw Buckingham Palace and walked around a lot of London.
• Met up with a few friends and had lunch and hung out in a London Pub.

So now I fly back tomorrow just in time to start teaching again come Monday morning. But it was a great trip and I’m sure after a few days I’ll be readjusted back to the lovely land of the Czechs.

2009? Where you go…?

So I suppose it’s late enough in the year to write an entry looking back on 2009. It’s been an interesting year and a bit strange too. Over half of it was spent at home or in the states but a good chunk has been in Europe. Rather than just banter on about my life here are some highlights.

January 11th- Ran my first ever full Marathon at Walt Disney World in Florida. Ran 3 hours, 7 minutes and 34 seconds. Qualified for the Boston Marathon in April. It was pretty awesome.

January 16th- Started my job at “Honey Farms” a local convenience store for the next six months. Not really a highlight but it provided some much needed income into my bank account.

April 20th- Ran the second marathon of my life, at Boston. Major life accomplishment, check. Bested my January time by just over a minute 3 hours, 6 minutes, 29 seconds. Pretty awesome.

April 24th-26th- Visited my camp to help with their spring camper weekend. Saw many good friends and relived camp for a few days. It was nice.

May 7th or 8th- Visited Wheaton (my college) to see friends right before they graduated. Saw what my commencement would have been like if it had been sunny as well as many good friends. It was fun.

July 6th- Worked my last shift at Honey Farms!

July 8th-Left Massachusetts after being there 7 months for a year. Head to New Mexico and California.

July 19th- Started training with Teachoverseas in Pasadena.

August 20th- Flew to the Czech Republic to start Teaching.

October 28th-30th- Visit Hungary for the first time. See teacher friends, explore Budapest. It’s fun.

December 22nd- Head to London for my first visit ever. Still there now. It’s cool

So that was my 2009. It was pretty cool. I’m looking forward to 2010 and all it has for me!

Having a taste…

Taste and see that the LORD is good…

I was going to write something else but things happen and so I’m writing the following. Hope you enjoy.

Last night I was online before bed and noticed a Facebook status that said Brittany Murphy had died. At first I wasn’t sure who that was but than it clicked. She was that actress in Clueless, among other movies. I was skeptical for a second but a google news search soon revealed the sad news. Only 32, she is now gone from this earth. While it does not yet appear to be from a drug overdose (far too common amongst celebrities) it is nonetheless a tragic thing to lose someone so young. It got me thinking, as celebrities deaths tend to do, about the temporariness of this life.

When I was 10 or 11, I started getting into sports. Part of this was picking favorite teams among the big American sports. Some were local teams, but in football I picked the Green Bay Packers. Soon I had a Brett Favre jersey, a Packers winter coat and was rejoicing in their Super Bowl win of 1996. Sports was such a big deal back then to me. Music and movies too. They were so awesome and the people who took part in them more so. They weren’t just people; they were famous people. It was a difference.

But here I sit at the end of 2009 and realize how flawed my view of life was as a kid. Life is more complicated than sports, or celebrity. There are more important things than the Super Bowl or the next big movie. Life happens, people die and it doesn’t matter if you were young, beautiful, talented, and wealthy (my condolences to Mrs. Murphy’s family). You can’t take anything with you.

It reminded me of the verse I started this entry with. Life is temporal but God is eternal. He is the only thing truely good in this flawed and broken world. This holiday season I offer this request to you. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Read some Bible verses, listen to that old Christmas Carol again, maybe even check out a Christmas Eve service in your area. I think anyone who gives God an honest chance, a good taste, will not only be satisfied but truly never want for anything else.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! May you rejoice in the joy that the Lord has come.

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.- Psalm 34:8

Retreating, ESI-Style

Note: Educational Services International is TeachOverseas international name. When I say ESI I mean TeachOverseas. Apologies for any confusion.

This is a bit overdue, especially for me, but I wanted to tell you a bit about what I got to do two weeks ago.

Being with an organization like ESI has many benefits, both tangible and intangible. One of the most tangible benefits is the retreats that we have four times during the year. The biggest one just happened the weekend after Thanksgiving. All the ESI teachers from the Central Europe Region meet together for a long weekend to fellowship, worship, eat a giant Thanksgiving meal and reconnect a bit. There were over fifty people total.

It was really great to see teachers I hadn’t seen for a few months, some since training. In fact, some I hadn’t met at all yet since they had not been able to get to training during the summer. It is pretty cool to see all the people God has brought together in this region of this world to teach and to do his work. I had lots of fun. I played in a raucous game of American football one afternoon and went for a short but refreshing run with some teachers the next. Running with other people is a pleasure that I don’t often get to enjoy so it was nice. A very cool thing: I got to sing worship songs in ENGLISH. After 3+ months of Czech worship it was nice to really understand things again.

ESI has provided a great support network for us here overseas. It’s not as close-knit as Thrive was but that would be impossible to replicate in this situation. In any case I am truly thankful I am with this organization and that they “have my back” so to speak while I’m over here.

I think I’m in the Czech Republic…

Some days I wake up, go teach and whatever, come home and nothing much interesting happens. And then some days I have a day like Friday. Let me tell you about it.

Tuesday through Friday I teach in the morning at my Basic School before going to my other school, the Gymnazium (Czech equivalent of a high school), around 10 o’clock. I usually get there between classes, go up to my office and prepare for my lesson. This past friday there was a Floorball tournament at my school. Floorball is like indoor hockey without ice. Every class had its own team. The teachers had a team too. There was a bracket.

About 10 minutes after I sit down, my fellow American English teacher, Sam, walks in decked out in full Floorball goalie gear. Shirt, pants, mask. He is in his 60s. It took me a bit by surprise. He tells me I’m playing next game for the teachers, he thinks I’ll do better than him. I grant I’m a bit more athletic than Sam but floorball is at best a game in America I played as a kid. In any case we head downstairs to the gym. Once there I’m taken to the “locker room” which ended up being the gym teachers office. They have different standards of privacy here. More on that in a bit. I get Sam’s goalie gear on and head upstairs.

Many students (including my own) have gotten out of class and are watching. Many have devil’s horns on. Some are dressed as angels. Some just have Santa hats on. Apparently it’s to celebrate a holiday similiar to Christmas but three weeks before. In any case it was fun to see.

Back to Floorball. Five minutes after arriving I’m in the net to face a team of students. You have no glove and it looked like it was best to stay on knees at all times. In the ten-minute game it’s ok. I face two shots. One is a rocket over my shoulder, the other I catch in my chest. It ends 1-1. I get up pretty happy I haven’t embarrassed myself yet. And then a Czech English teacher I know tells me the game isn’t over yet. The tie has to be broken. I’m the goalie in a penalty shootout.

This is a horrifyingly bad turn of events. I can’t imagine saving a shot, let alone winning. I have never played this. I’m told it’s no big deal but pressure mounts as I settle between the posts. It’s pretty weird. People basically just walk up with the ball before taking the shot. The first I do actually save by having it bounce off my face-mask. No style points but I’m feeling good. I proceed to save no more and we eventually lose. Disappointing but I gave a good account of myself and the Czech teachers shake my hand. Sam and I go back down to change.

Back in the office there’s lots of people. Students outside too. My Czech english teacher and her three-year old are talking with others in the office. I’m not in habit of being in my boxers around females so I wait. Suddenly another teacher walks in, in his boxer briefs. He casually grabs his clothes and proceeds to dress while talking to those of us around. A few minutes later the woman teacher leaves and the gym teacher proceeds to take off his shorts to change. He puts on a shirt and the woman comes back in. They talk for a good 3-4 minutes while he remains pantless. Finally woman and children leave. I put my pants on.

So it was a good day. I did new things. I had some fun. And I was reminded I am in a different country from my own…

A year of blogging…

It is weird to think about but a few days ago I reached the one year anniversary of starting my Czech Republic blog. My South Africa blog was written just over ten months as it spanned my time as an intern there. While eight of the past twelves months have been in the states, this current blog has generally stayed focused on what I am doing now. That is, teaching in the Czech Republic.

I have to say I really enjoy having a blog. I like airing my thoughts. I like processing and refining them by writing them down. I like provoking discussion from people who read it. I like how family, friends and supporters can keep better informed on what I’m doing and thinking about over here. A quick request: I really enjoy when people comment on my blog. Say hey, say you liked it, tell me you disagree. Whatever it is, I will appreciate it and if needed, try to reply in an timely fashion.

To commerate my year anniversary I decided I wanted to change the theme (appearance) of my blog. I had kept the same one all year and while I found it simple and easy to read I decided to look at some new options. As you can see, my new choice is a bit different. Black is its main focus but it also has some nice bursts of bright orange colors. I like that the date and comments are easily seen. I also like that it still seems very readable. In any case what do you think? Too much of a change? Not enough?

So here is to another year of thinking, writing and sharing as I continue this journey of teaching that God has put me on. Be blessed.