Heya ....

Hey y'all!
I don't have much to say since I just posted a blog the other day, but thought I would drop in to say hello and let everyone know that life is good! Yesterday was a tough day. I got pre-booked for a school in one of the tougher boroughs of London. I was pre-warned that it would be a hard day. By morning breaktime, I was laughing. Everyone kept coming up to me nervously asking if I was doing okay. By that time, the kids had been tough but nothing I couldn't handle! I thought it was a breeze, and life would be good.

By lunchtime, I literally wanted to leave. Run away. Sit at a desk and cry. Anything but teach. I was MISERABLE. I hate to admit defeat, however, so I soldiered up and continued on. What a day. I had a T.A. for most of the day, but half of the time, (And I HATE to say this!) she was ENCOURAGING the behaviour! I'd try to get the class' attention and she would be laughing and talking and ignoring me WITH the students! WTF?! I LITERALLY had to bang large, metal objects ON the tables to get their attention. I got the scariest voice I've ever used (I terrified myself!) and gave them the most intense reaming out/talking to/deal making I have ever used with a class shortly after lunch. During breaktime, I LITERALLY saw 10 year old beating the $H!T out of each other on the playground. There was a helpful teacher next door, who luckily gave me things to do with them because when I arrived, absolutely no planning had been done or left out for me. I wearily walked back to the train station, and began my TWO HOUR journey home. I'm up for pretty much any challenge, but I would have to honestly be prepared and think about it/ be desperate for work to head into that school again. WOW.

All I wanted to do when I got home was crawl into bed, BUT once again, my new buddy Lindsey threw me a text and twisted my rubber arm to head downtown. She has a friend from Canada in town, so we headed into Camden (my fave neighbourhood ever! I want to LIVE there!) and got a bite to eat. Alexis had her proper London fish and chips (we photographed this big event) and I had a chicken sandwich that came exactly the opposite way of what I had ordered and paid (extra) for. Thank you, pub! Oh well. We then headed over to the Spread Eagle pub. I've wanted to go here since I arrived, for the reason being the name only. Too funny. We made all kinds of innappropriate jokes and comments and also took innappropriate pictures. Spread Eagle Pub is right up there with the Bung Hole Pub in my books. God, I love this city! I still headed home rather early and went straight to bed as I didn't know if I would be working today or not.

I wasn't pre-booked for today, and I woke up feeling like crap! My whole body was achy and stiff (It is missing my daily physio and chiro appointments for SURE!) I also felt like I may be coming down with the flu, and was a little shaky. Did NOT feel like going out to work, that's for sure! I called in anyways, tho, cos I'm a wimp who's terrified of living in poverty, and was sure I wasn't getting put in a school. I settled into the couch with Crystal and watched her 'favourite shows' with her that she watches pretty much every morning. Before we could get thru some children's reality show (that should be illegal!?) my fone rang, and I was heading out. I was half stoked to be working (yay paycheck!) and half sad (i feel like crap!). But, it's half term next week so I have a whole week off so I sucked it up and headed into the 'office.' Luckily, today, I wound up working in my own neighbourhood! This never happens! I'm used to 75-120 minute commutes! It still took me an HOUR to get there, though, since I was given the WRONG directions. Not the first time this has happened. Won't be the last, I'm sure. I love my job and I love going to different schools and classrooms every day - I'm learning and growing SOOOOO much as a teacher. It's fantastic. I am starting to HATE never knowing where I'm going, though, and I freakin' HATE two hour commutes each way. So shitty. Definately starting to grate on my nerves to the point that I've asked to be considered for my own classroom (long term position) next semester. It's a lot more work, and not the same experience but I'm spending at least $70 CDN/week on the commuting and losing up to 4 hours a day because of it as well. Not good.

Today, was different. Best day I've had so far. I went to a Catholic school near my house and fell in love with it. Big open classrooms with an entire wall of windows that look out onto greenery. TREES! Bushes! Nice playground! The playground is locked in, and every classroom has a door going straight on to it! Amazing! Someone really smart (aka a teacher?!) must have designed this school. It was so great. I also got two T.A.'s who were SO helpful. The children were amazingly well behaved, and I had my best day yet. Days like this renew my faith in this career after I've had days like yesterday! Tomorrow and Friday, I'm pre-booked for the school I was at last Thursday. It's a 90 minute commute but I liked the school a lot. It's flattering to me when a school specifically requests to have you back, so I'm looking forward to it.

Aside from that, I'm DEFINATELY going to the Franz Ferdinand concert with Mr. Steve on Saturday - SO excited! On Sunday or Monday, I'm almost positive that I'm going to head to Edinburgh, Scotland to meet up with my Swedish friend, Angelica. SO SO SO excited to go visit the motherland! And next weekend, I have tentative plans to head to Paris! Almost everyone I know is going to Italy next week, and I've been invited, so we'll see what happens ... I'll keep you posted!

Miss and love all my lovely people back home!!

xo Megs