I Know Who They Are

This weekend, I realized that I have been working for 3 weeks and after only 4 days I actually could say their names, and know who they were.  That is a big feat.  Coming from all places of this world, the names alone are enough to cause one to stumble.  I had the most problem with one from Eritrea.  His name escaped me. I recognized him, but he was Shawneshca, Shawnesha, Shawshaw, Neshsha until, I finally mastered Shanesh. He grinned a broad grin when I finally said his name properly on the fourth day.

The weather has been all over the place. Arriving on a rainy day, moving into a blizzard, and then facing -30s for a few days kept me wondering how to get through this, or leaving after earning enough to cover what it cost to arrive.  Somehow, during the three weeks I just settled in and did not think much about going home. That is because there was no time.

Now, with 13 weeks left in the contract I think I can do it.  But that is because I have been experiencing weather like home.  Once this honeymoon is over and real local weather takes over I will likely be counting the days once again.  I have said my good byes to a new friend I met at the Inn. Now that she is gone, I seem to be the resident longtimer here.  What seems to be the norm here is people arrive, stay a couple of days, and then are gone.  Cindy was the resident with the longest history until I arrived. She is a doctor from South Africa who is getting her credentials here in Canada. She and her partner from Ireland have been here for three months. She left for a hotel closer to her new clinic where she will be working. Now I am the regular seen in the halls and the parlour, replacing the other two.  The other group of regulars appear to be those who work in Fort Mac, who work a week and get a week off. The Inn appears to be their home in civilization.  I also realized yesterday that I have not gone out to dine since the day I arrived.  I would not call that a dining experience. It was a diner near the Inn, and seemed to be the only place open on New Year's Day in this neighbourhood.  Other than that experience, I have bought a few lunches at the school cafeteria. There are a number of eating places in the 'hood, but after a day of work and more fine tuning of lesson plans for the next day, I hardly feel like dining.  I guess I should make an effort.  I also need to find a salon that I will trust to cut my hair.  I am beginning to look like a ponytail would be the style now.  But again, no time to even consider an appointment.

Now Sunday morning, I will make some coffee, read the Saturday newspaper, and vacate my room so the cleaning staff can do their magic.  I am also considering some 'ice cleats' I spied at MEC yesterday. You can somehow attach them to your footwear and (I guess) master walking across icy surface.  The came in small, medium, and large, but I could not figure out how to decide which size to buy, or how the heck to attach them. Would I need a chair to sit on in order to stretch them on over my boots? If so, does that mean I also have to carry a portable chair to do this? Or do I just dance on the street, trying to balance while I attach them?  I think the item is actually out of my league, and that the people who use them are climbing an ice face in the mountains, and just have them on before they begin the climb.  Google will surely tell me what to do. This is what I saw at MEC. Kicking them onto my boots does not really feel like an option that would work.

Almost Forgot

This Inn is perfect. I feel like I am living in a large house. There is a lovely parlour down the hall where I can enjoy a quiet time instead of staying in my own suite. There are beautiful antiques everywhere. In fact, I have a massive ginger jar on my bureau and am so afraid I might knock it off. Not too sure of I would want to pay what would be required to replace it. Today when I returned from work I trundled down to the parlour to get a fresh bucket of ice for my water. There is a huge side by side fridge there and always buckets of ice stored in the freezer side. But today there was only empty buckets in the freezer. I decided to fill one myself. I pushed on the front of the door to get ice and.nothing happened. Darn. I wanted ice. Back to the reception and asked the desk clerk how to get ice. He closed the office and came back to the parlour with me. Straight to the fridge and into the freezer section. He then took an empty ice bucket in one hand, and dug into the ice resevoir with the other hand. Clanking of ice, and I knew that the chamber was full. Fo some reason they have disabled the door dispenser. OMG. Is this how the cleaning staff dispenses ice buckets for the rooms? I quickly told him that I could do this myself. Tossing that bucket into the sink, finding a cup, in the dishwasher, to scoop off the top layer of cubes and tossing them into the sink. I then scooped ice for my room, with a clean cup, and returned with a fresh bucket. Now I know what the drill will be.
1 cup
Top layer of ice into the sink
New clean cup
Scoop ice into a clean bucket
Take to my room
I don't want to think about how many ice buckets I have consumed that were dispensesd with bare hands that had travelled God know where they had been prior.

Mild Weather, More Violence, and other stuff

The weather continues to remain kind to this west coast wimp.  That is good. But the icy roads are a bit difficult to manage, and I do not see an improvement in that issue.  I finally received a little flurry of e-mails from that university in Asia.  They eventually respond to me when I blast the entire school when I get to the end of my rope.  I have been waiting to find out my marks for the last 5 exams I wrote in early May (2014).  I got a number of silly messages indicating that they do not post marks other than the most recent. Well, the most recent were those exams, and the most recent exams and course marks are from exams I wrote in January. A bloody year ago!  Finally someone wrote to me this past week and advised that I must complete a course and really should enrol in it - after she advised that I had completed all my core courses.  The course she was advising enrolment was for a core course. I flung back to her that I had completed that course, and it was completed in January last year. She pondered that for a few days and then responded that she made an error, and that I must complete research course before I could complete the degree. Research is also a core course, and it too was completed last year and with a final mark.  I replied with that information. I added that before she writes again and advises that I must complete another course she needs to read her own e-mail to me advising that I have completed ALL the core courses and only an elective - which I chose as a TESL course was left for me to complete.  No response.  I am guessing she is hoping that enough time passes and I will forget all the goofs. You know - Asian culture does not allow confrontation or admitting mistakes. Save face at all costs.  And so, the drama continues while I await her next message and then hopefully complete this whole gig and move forward.

As for students, they are delightful.  However, I would love to know who the heck assessed them to be in the room I teach. I have a level of students that are supposed to be able to speak and listen at a fairly capable level. Not to talk about physics and philosophy. But to be able to recognize they have been asked a question and then respond in a sentence. Just a short sentence would do. But not a bunch of words that are stored in their memory bank as words known. They must create a sentence.  Many are able. A number are not.  It is not fair to them to be in this class. Just think. If you went to Russia, or China, or Japan, and had a month of training in that language and then were put into a class where people were at a level of ability 50 times more advanced than you.  Scary.  And that is how it is.

Almost Two Weeks

I am not sure if the time is flying or I am just exhausted.  Either way, nearly two weeks have been spent in the classroom. I enjoy the work. I cannot say I enjoy all the administrative work I have to do.

We also have had a bit of a respite in the cold weather. I like that, except that with the mild temperatures comes melting and freezing. That cycle makes for a lot of ice to navigate on my walk to and from work.

I think in spite of the enjoyment at work I still seem to be counting the days til I return.  I can't really spend any time counting the days because my days are full of thinking and doing, and thinking for others.  That is good.  There is a special reward in watching the glee in a student when she figures out how to pronounce the word successfully. If that is all it takes to be happy, then I am very happy.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. Friday.  My beginning of the weekend. I will think very little, relax a lot.  And maybe just find those elusive (sour cabbage) cabbage rolls.

mild weather all week

To talk about the weather in a positive way is not only infrequent, it is also a bonus.  That is where we sit in Edmonton this week. Awaking to +5 this morning and a week forecast much the same makes me feel like I can do this 4 month stint.

I am beginning to figure out all the administrative stuff with this job, but not liking any of it any better than the first day.  Might just as well suck it up and just do it all. That is what is expected of me, and that is how it is.

Now time to wander in the direction of the school and begin a new day.  Armed with newspapers for my classes, we will be discussing and reporting top news stories together.  I wonder if they will understand the impact of the premier announcing that a 'sales tax' could become a very real situation here in Alberta. With plummeting oil prices, the premier is facing a huge deficit in the provincial bank account, and unable to figure out how to deal with this other than a sales tax. Alberta has always been the dream province to live because of that lack of a tax.  We all know that if a sales tax is implemented that we will never see it go away again. That is the way of politics.  Watch and wait.

How to Make a Crockpot Slow Cooker More Efficient

I have never owned a slow cooker before.  But living at an Inn, and having only a microwave to prepare foods and a serious resistance to eating out every day, I have purchased my first slow cooker. Haven't tried to use it yet.  That will come. But when I was buying it I also spied a popcorn popper. I love popcorn. I waffled for a few minutes, and made myself walk past the popper.  I am doing my best to resist buying things while here for a 4 month contract.  The popcorn popper could provide me with my favourite dinner food, but what am I to do? Lay down on the floor below the shoot that tosses out the popped morals?  No, I would have to also buy a big bowl. No more purchases, unless I can eat them!
However, arriving back at my suite I opened up this new machine and noticed that there is a metal pot sort of thing, and then a large ceramic pot that lines the inside of this metal pot. Well, had I known this I would have bought the popcorn popper without hesitation. That ceramic insert is just the right thing for my popcorn bowl.  Now, back to the pharmacy to pick up that popper that was calling my name.

Someone Lied

Yesterday I had hope for today because the weatherman told me that we were on a warming trend, beginning tomorrow (which is now today).  Yesterday's temperature was -24, and this morning I see we are at -21.  I don't look at that as a warming trend.  I had the feeling yesterday that I could give up the search for a down filled coat and just manage with my jacket.  I did find a fancy schmancy consignment store across the road from my place. They only had fur coats and heavy woolen coats left.  Not prepared to cart around further weight in the form of a coat, so will make do with what I have.

A WEEK! I survived.

I quickly discovered that the cafeteria is not somewhere I will plan to use on a regular basis. But I did track down broccoli slaw, and my wonderful Swiss Grotto dressing that compliments it. So, being frugal, I went to the $ Store and found me a vessel to carry this to school.  Not trusting my purchase, I sealed the contents in a plastic bag. Very wise.  When I opened the contents I saw all dripping out of the not so sealed container. I think it was just built for sandwiches.  Besides, I was a tad embarrassed when I pulled it out of my backpack.
Here is what I had.

Cute, huh? I am sure Levi will enjoy taking it off my hands when I return to lotusland.

And after parting with more money than what the contents of the bin cost me, I managed to dine on broccoli slaw, tuna, and Swiss Grotto. Yum

Levi's mom can have this one when this assignment is  over.  She is the queen of tupperwear in our family. 

As for surviving the weather, I feel like a veteran.  Somehow the survival skills return when faced with wind chill factors, snow, blowing snow, ice, and all else.  I can do this.  And although I am completely exhausted, I enjoyed the week.  Now taking my laundry upstairs to clean myself up for next week.  I wonder if I could talk the ladies here who clean my room to also do the laundry?

Rain again?

Something odd is happening here. In a place where snow is the norm, we again had rain yesterday and overnight. This makes for a miserable trip to work this morning.  Glad I am a bus rider and not a driver.  The bus trip is short with a 2 block walk to the school.  I guess I will find out exactly what that looks like in a few minutes.  A wind chill added to the recipe means I better remember to zip up the jacket too.

Stubble Jumpers in Edmonton

I think I am in good company.  This place is not far from where my roots began.  But something kind is happening here.  I arrived 7 days ago to rain and mild weather.  Now, a week later, a blizzard or two between, and frigid temperatures, and we have rain once again.  Rain is nice, when you are expecting snow and cold. But I am not sure that I will feel quite so happy tomorrow morning when I try to get to work.  We will see.

Now with 3 days under my belt, I feel like I know what I am doing at the school.  I really enjoy the diversity of the classes.  I have a veritable banquet of cultures in both classes, which makes for very interesting content in the classroom.  Everyone in the classes are fully aware of this too, and so excited to be calling such diversity 'home'.  Today we were talking about many things, and one of those things was cultural foods.  Once we learned about everyone's favourite foods, they asked me, "Frances, what is Canadian food?".  We eventually deduced that poutine is our national food.

I have had serious reservations about this decision I made. Every day for a good portion of this week I would calculate how many days I must remain here just to recover what it cost me to get here - and then head back home.  Each of those days I would fall into bed at night and think - I can do this.  Today I never had that thought once!  I guess that means I am committed. I am now wondering if my decision comes as a result of living in a B&B where I return at the end of the day and my room(s) are cleaned and polished, my bed made, and ready for me to do damage again.  Time will tell.

A week done, a feeling of accomplishment, and a terrific job all tell me that I will reside in Edmonton for 4 months.  But don't hold me to it. I can change my mind like  Calgary weather changes.