I can't help smiling as I recline at my very clean desk at how good life is right now.
My first Portuguese conversation resulted in a friend and I going to the theatre two weekends from now... I think... or maybe we are meeting for coffee tomorrow. I probably ought to call her to check on that.
My room is cleaner than it's been all year.
I feel very ready for my parent conferences tomorrow, which probably means I'm not ready at all but at least for the moment I feel good about them.
My kids were drawing pictures of me on the whiteboard after school today. Right now I am looking upon a green picture of a oval with sunglasses, a beard, an extra mustache, a very little bit of hair, and a sign that says, "Dom't irase Mr. Wallace". At least they spelled my name correctly. I'm sorely tempted to leave it on the board for conferences tomorrow. It'll give me something to smile about.
The housecleaner is at this moment taking the ruinous mass of my house and making it livable again. Actually it wasn't that bad off but she assures me she can make it sparkle so I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of magic she works.
I have dance class in just a few hours where I will have the opportunity to gaze off into nothingness, and reenact a pretty good facsimile of some of my students in class, while the dance instructor goes on in Portuguese. Then I get to dance. And it will be wonderful! I smile at the thought.
Last night I went to bed at nine something. Actually I fell asleep on the couch after eating reheated take out chinese. But it was about nine something that I drifted off. At about twelve I woke up and thought about school and friends for thirty minutes before I managed to fall back asleep.
I've caught up on a few e-mails today. If you weren't one of the lucky recepients I'm still working on it. Sorry! :)
Tomorrow after an exhaustive day of meetings I'm going to some friends house for a bar-b-cue before going out dancing with my dance instructor and some other friends in Lisbon.
Nothing planned on Saturday so may fulfill my one time dream of sleeping through an entire day. Then two football matches on Sunday.
Overall I'm feeling really good about things right now.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Ha
I am at this moment trying to have my first written Portuguese conversation on Facebook chat. There is lots of copying and pasting going on with the free online translator, frantic flipping through my copy of 501 Portuguese Verbs, and still lots of miscommunication going on. Good times! :)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Class Photo
ME AND MY NEW CLASS
These are my awesome new kids! We took a few pictures for our pen pals and I thought I'd share one. They are very very cool and we are having a great start to the year!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Bitten by a Portuguese dog
I was bitten by a dog the other day. I was walking to St. Julians for training with my football club, the Lisbon Casuals, when out of nowhere I hear the pounding of paws on the ground and look up to see a giant Doberman kicking up dust in an all out sprint in my direction. A moment of fear gripped my rapidly beating heart... and then the dog tripped over a dirt pile. It got up, tongue lolling out of it's mouth, gave me a glance, and ran back to it's owner. That wasn't the dog that bit me.
That event happened a few minutes later when I was walking up to a small house to ask directions to the football pitch. Out of nowhere (maybe I need to be a bit more observant) a small ball of hair reached out and bit my ankle. It scared me more than anything, it didn't break the skin, and as I made to punt it (I wouldn't really kick a dog) it ran off barking.
...
The other day a lady said I have big boobs. I was at the outlet mall, which is crazy by the way, and was looking at shirts. One of the ladies at the shop was helping me to find my size and she consulted with the other lady at the shop about whether I was a size 2 or 3. The consulted lady indicated that the 3 would be too big for me. My helper looked at me, looked at the lady, then put her hands on her own puffed out chest and made motions that I took to mean big, then pointed at me again. I had to stifle a laugh and tried on the too big shirt. We found out that my boobs aren't as big as the lady thought and I am in fact a size 2.
...
As I rode the bus home the other night my mind flashed back to my years of dancing with the Berry College Dance Troupe. What would make me think back to those wonderful years? My new Contemporary Dance class that I've signed up for! I'm now dancing for two hours, twice a week and it's GREAT!!! I certainly didn't have any kind of outlet like this in Freetown and forgot how much I missed dancing. We're putting together a piece of choreography that my friends have informed me we will perform at some later unknown date. I really can't even explain how jazzed I am about this. One of the funniest bits is that I forgot to tell my friend who initially invited me that I've danced before and she got a bit flustered when I picked things up faster than she did after she's been going for a while. I think I may have gotten hit for that one. :)
...
I'm finding my way here in Portugal. My kids continue to be wonderful. I'm having a great start to the year and the people at school continue to seem like they appreciate what I'm doing. I'm working hard to stay balanced, trying to make sure I consider the importance of things before getting to worked up about anything, and makings sure I give thanks to God for the opportunities He's given me.
God bless,
Justin
That event happened a few minutes later when I was walking up to a small house to ask directions to the football pitch. Out of nowhere (maybe I need to be a bit more observant) a small ball of hair reached out and bit my ankle. It scared me more than anything, it didn't break the skin, and as I made to punt it (I wouldn't really kick a dog) it ran off barking.
...
The other day a lady said I have big boobs. I was at the outlet mall, which is crazy by the way, and was looking at shirts. One of the ladies at the shop was helping me to find my size and she consulted with the other lady at the shop about whether I was a size 2 or 3. The consulted lady indicated that the 3 would be too big for me. My helper looked at me, looked at the lady, then put her hands on her own puffed out chest and made motions that I took to mean big, then pointed at me again. I had to stifle a laugh and tried on the too big shirt. We found out that my boobs aren't as big as the lady thought and I am in fact a size 2.
...
As I rode the bus home the other night my mind flashed back to my years of dancing with the Berry College Dance Troupe. What would make me think back to those wonderful years? My new Contemporary Dance class that I've signed up for! I'm now dancing for two hours, twice a week and it's GREAT!!! I certainly didn't have any kind of outlet like this in Freetown and forgot how much I missed dancing. We're putting together a piece of choreography that my friends have informed me we will perform at some later unknown date. I really can't even explain how jazzed I am about this. One of the funniest bits is that I forgot to tell my friend who initially invited me that I've danced before and she got a bit flustered when I picked things up faster than she did after she's been going for a while. I think I may have gotten hit for that one. :)
...
I'm finding my way here in Portugal. My kids continue to be wonderful. I'm having a great start to the year and the people at school continue to seem like they appreciate what I'm doing. I'm working hard to stay balanced, trying to make sure I consider the importance of things before getting to worked up about anything, and makings sure I give thanks to God for the opportunities He's given me.
God bless,
Justin
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