After getting back from the Czech Republic, I went to Graz for the teaching assistant training where I met some amazing people. Hence the reason for my busy-ness...! My roommate there was Jeanine, a lovely, vibrant Swedish-Irish bubble of life, with whom I've been hanging out almost daily. In fact, I am going to Ireland with her for a week on Wednesday! But more to come on that after the fact...
Because my afro dance skills won't do me much good at a ball, which I really want to go to, I've signed up for ballroom dancing classes. With army men. Which ends with a ball at Hofburg. The classes are with one of the most prestigious dance schools in Vienna, and the men have to wear their military uniform. It's a bit uptight, but no one said anything when I had to wear cowboy boots to the first lesson due to a lack of a proper dancing wardrobe here.
As for my job, I certainly can't complain, but it's also not quite what I expected. One of my schools is a college, where they are learning actual content in English, rather than learning English, so it's hard for me to play a proper teaching role. I get treated a bit like a student, because the students are the same age as me, but as long as I embrace the fact that I'm getting paid to be a college student (and don't have to do the homework or take the tests!) then it's all peachy. I'm going to start an English club there, so that I can get more involved and hang out with the students, who seem pretty swell. My other school is literally a castle in the middle of nowhere. Despite the 2 hour commute, I absolutely love it. It's an all-girls boarding school for agriculture and nutrition, and the students are eager, well-behaved and appreciative of me. Not to mention, I get to actually teach, which, turns out, I love. Who knew?
Instead of babbling on, I'll just post some pictures now and let you make up stories as to what I've been up to.
Filled up with free cheese and chocolate samples at a slow food fair in Rathaus
Jeannine!
This is Dave. What a charmer.
One of Stephan's hundreds of shots
Brunch at Jeannines
Outside the military museum
This is Erol. Now doesn't he look snazzy? All dressed up for Beethovens 9th at Musikverein
Slut walk wien signs
