So Long, Farewell...

So here it is, my 75th post on my blog, and I find myself saying goodbye, yet again. It's the last day of my vacation home, I head back to England tomorrow and start work on Tuesday morning. (Thank God I don't teach until Wednesday morning, the jetlag will be bad enough on Tuesday for staff training.)

This holiday has been full of friends, family, coffee, hockey, snow, lots of food and times that I'll always cherish. This is a rather reflective post already, look at me go. Saying goodbye seems much harder this time then when I left in July. There are many people, and some in particular, that I am going to miss so much when I'm so far away from home. This is the part about living abroad that I don't like. I know that I'm supposed to appreciate being home even more because I get here so rarely, but saying goodbye and leaving these people behind...it never gets easier.

Instead of an all-inclusive and detailed list of every single thing I did over the holiday, I'll sum it up with: family dinners, late-night drives & movies, coffee, hockey, snow, family, friends, saying goodbye, laughing and crying, and talk about 'what comes next.' I'll be home in the summer, I keep saying, and yet that seems so far away. 7 whole months. I know I'm so lucky to be able to live in Europe, travel and see so many amazing places...but I have given up a lot. I've left a lot of people and things behind that I never realize how much I miss until I'm faced with saying goodbye, yet again. The goodbyes never seem to get easier, just more numerous in number.

So, Happy New Year to friends on both sides of the ocean. Due to the winter weather (that I admit, I missed a lot), I have to stay home tonight. I wish I could ring 2012 in very differently, but I've already had my kiss & that'll have to do. So, all my friends, I'll be back in 7 months...hope you'll still be waiting when I get back. I already miss & love everyone; all those I saw and spent (not enough) time with, and those who I didn't get to see this visit home. I'll be back soon, please know my heart is with you all when I leave tomorrow.

England, be warned...I'm gonna be one cranky little Canadian come Monday morning when I touch down in London.

The Grey Cloud

I've had to start the 'goodbyes' already, and it's the worst part of the holiday. Family, friends, all of the special people in my life that are so far away, I hate to say goodbye.

Back to England in just 3 days.

Like Night & Day

This best describes my experience getting home for Christmas this year. Compared to last year, I had a dream trip. The last week of term seemed to drag by a little bit. I wish that the show had been only the week before so I'd only have one musical-free week to contend with. Either way, classes came and went and I impatiently counted down the days, hours and minutes until I was able to come home.

As excited as I was, I really procrastinated on the whole 'packing' thing and finished that a healthy 10 hours prior to departure. Well...8 hours. Ok, 15 minutes before Nikki picked me up at 4AM on Saturday morning. Either way, I was packed and out the door at 4AM. Some mile-long traffic queues aside, the drive to Heathrow was very uneventful.

Drop off, check baggage, security check, one last English breakfast and I was on my way home! An hour delayed leaving Heathrow but, compared to a 72 hour delay last year, it didn't even matter. I was sitting next to a guy who was 6'6 on the flight and the poor man looked like he hated his life. He was wedged into that seat so tightly it looked like his back was welded to it. Pretty sure he was jealous of my 5'2 self and all the ample leg room I was privy to. Gotta admit, it makes 8 hour flights much more comfortable. (Wouldn't have minded another upgrade, mind you.)

My layover in Boston was uneventful. It was really great to meet up with Sarah & Kristian and have company for the final leg of the journey. We all fell asleep on the flight to Presque Isle which was absolutely freezing...a nice little preview for the weather waiting for us in the true north strong and free(zing). Dad & Susanne were waiting to pick us up and it was only an hour after landing that I was sitting on the couch with my Dad watching hockey for the first time in months. I was home :).

The next day was a family dinner in Fredericton and I got to enjoy my first Tim Hortons coffee & Timbits on the way. Aaaaamazing. It was nice to see all the family again and eat so much I felt like I could've been rolled home.

The rest of my holiday has been spent with family and catching up with friends. Lots of hockey, coffee & snow. It has been just perfect :). 3 days until Christmas and it's been a great holiday so far. Looking forward to the rest.

Beware...

There is snow in the forecast for tomorrow in both Northampton and London.

England, I swear, by all that is holy...If you delay my Christmas holiday for a second year in a row, you will need something much more threatening than 3 inches of snow on the roads to deal with the wrath that is an angry little Canadian trying to get home for Christmas.

Sincerely yours,

Jessica.

Here We Are

So, the one-week mark has definitely come and gone, and I find myself just waiting out the days until Christmas holiday.

After 10 months, 200 hours of prep-time, countless moments where I couldn't stop laughing or couldn't hold myself back from shouting, the show is over. I shared so many great moments with the kids, had so much fun and it was definitely worth it. Directing was an entire new experience for me. I had acted all through school and, while I definitely wasn't the next big thing, I loved it. I enjoyed it, and I had fun with acting.

However. I never realized how frustrating all of the little jokes, all the times we talked on stage, ignored directions and thought "ohhh, we have months to go, it's fine, we don't need to worry" could be to the director. Like making the transition from student to teacher, making the transition from actor to director allowed me to see an entire new side of acting. It was, again I'll say, definitely worth it, and I love it. However, it's much more stress, so much more responsibility, and there are things that I'd never even considered when I was just simply doing the acting.

Either way. The show went up officially on the 1st of December, a Thursday evening. The day before, a union strike across the country saw the academy closing to students. I called in all the kids for a rehearsal during the day. That evening was our final dress rehearsal, and we had an audience of about...10. Regardless of the number, having an audience definitely helped. On Thursday, Friday & Saturday evening, we had anywhere from 175-250 people watching the show. I spent the show running around backstage and standing in the wings nervously watching for tricky scenes that had always caused the kids a bit of trouble. When it was all said and done, We Will Rock You definitely did just that. It just rocked.

Sarah & Kristian came to spend a very short weekend with me and to see the show. On Saturday, we went to Windsor Castle for a couple hours. I felt bad rushing them through the end, but I wanted to make sure we were back in town in time to get me to school for the show. I was really excited for them to come see the show and spend some time with them.

After the final song and curtain calls on Saturday night, Rob (the other director) and I went out on stage, to thank the crowd and to thank the people that made this show so amazing. The kids came out on stage to thank the directors and, after calling me "Moose" (their strange nickname for me) in front of a sold-out crowd, they presented me with a great card, a beautiful purple orchid and a chocolate chip cookie the size of a huge dinner plate. Not even kidding. On the cookie, it said "Are You Kidding Me" (which, apparently, was my favourite thing to shout at the ceiling when I was getting frustrated).

So worth it. The entire show, the entire experience. It was amazing. It was sad to take down the set and see it stripped apart. It was strange now, with all the free time I had on my hands.

Now I'm just waiting for the holidays. See you in a week, Canada :)

In...

...One weeks time, We Will Rock You will be completely over and finished. The past 10 months worth of work is being put to the test. Opening night is Thursday & I am so excited and nervous for it. Sarah & Kristian are coming to see the show, I'm really excited to see them...and get some more lefse to hold me over until my next trip to Norway.

...Two weeks time, I will be so excited for the end of the first term and counting down the days (hours, minutes and seconds) until I get to go home. The first term has gone by so fast. Compared to last year, I'm doing so much better and I'm enjoying my job so much more. Can't believe the first term is almost over!

...Three weeks time, I'll be home for Christmas. Nothing more to explain about that. Can't wait.

Always Counting

No matter what time of the year it is, I always seem to be counting down to something. Half-term, Christmas, half-term (again), summer holiday, going on a trip, going home...there is always something to count down to. It's less than a month now until I go home for Christmas, and in 2 weeks time, the musical that I have worked on for the better part of a year will be over. I'll have to find something new to count down to, another goal to keep in mind.

Today, however, I am not counting down toward something, but marking another year passing. It has been 19 years today since my mother passed away, and it's my least favourite day to mark during the year. I miss her and love her, very much. Even if I don't have many memories of her, I appreciate all the stories that I am told by friends and family about the amazing woman that was my mother. I think about her often and hope that I will be like her someday.

I'll love you forever.

I'll like you for always.

As long as I'm living, my mommy you'll be.

I miss you and I love you. Wherever you are, I hope that you are happy, at peace, and proud of your daughters.

The Inevitable

It finally happened. The day that I never thought would come. The inevitable finally happened.

I had to take a sick day off work.

I grew up and saw my parents go to work every single day. I can remember, only once, ever seeing my father take a sick day from work. I was taught that if you can move, you can go to work or go to school. Perhaps not in so many words, but that's the essential work ethic my father showed me. He is an amazing worker and puts so much effort into his job. No idea how in the hell it rubbed off on me.

Blech. That sums up this past week for me. About a week & 1/2 ago, I noticed that I was feeling a little tired, not quite myself. I figured I could sleep it off, but with 3 rehearsals a week (including an all-day Saturday rehearsal), working, and getting the final details in place for the show, time for sleep was limited. Last Sunday morning, wonderful Nikki made the decision for me and took me to the hospital.

Nice & medicated, I headed to work Monday morning, and lasted a full 50 minutes of teaching before I knew it wasn't going to be a good thing if I stayed. I headed home, slept and did nothing for the rest of the day. I worked Tuesday and regretted it. I stayed home Wednesday and accomplished very little, aside from going to see the doctor (again). It was a hard decision to stay home. When I finally called Nikki to say I wouldn't be coming into work, as I went to put down my phone, I heard her say to her husband, "well she's finally admitted that she's sick!"...Apparently everyone knew it but me.

More medicine, some painkillers, and that all makes concentrating at work very difficult. I repeatedly called trees 'carrots' in class the other day. I think the green tops confused me.

Not much else is happening except for prep for the show. In 3 weeks time, it will all be over. I can't believe the last 8 months of work has finally come down to the final few weeks. I'm excited, but it will be sad to see it done and over with. I'm telling you right now, I plan on celebrating by sleeping. It's gonna be so sexy.

And, as is my apparent routine, an updated countdown: 35 days until I go home for Christmas!

Recent 'Wins'

This story begins before the half-term break (which already seems like it was months, rather than a couple of weeks, ago). We had HMI representatives come in to inspect the school to make sure that the school was making an adequate amount of progress since changing from a public school to an academy. Every teacher had the possibility of being inspected, and because of this, tensions were a bit high around the school during the 2-day visit. Full, detailed, lesson plans and resources were required for every lesson (these plans took me at least 60-90 minutes each to complete), which could be 6 lessons/day if you were oh so lucky.

Anyway, I was inspected on the last day of the HMI visit and went with my colleagues to line up nervously for my feedback. I always get a little antsy when I am getting feedback from lesson observations, but this was much worse as I had to share my results with the admin team who would pass them onto the senior team (AKA the big bosses). It was finally my turn and, while I was pretending to choke myself with my lanyard, the inspector came out to greet me. I was starting the meeting off well. He gave me my feedback which turned out to be an "Outstanding," the best grade possible. Slightly stunned, I thanked him and went to tell the good news. The next day, the headmaster came to congratulate me and Nikki for our 'Outstanding' results. Can't complain about that.

Now, onto half-term! I got the first flight available to Norway and I was so happy to be there. I spent the first few days really keeping myself busy. Walks around the lake, naps, hanging out with Michelle & helping celebrate her son's first birthday...you know, the usual. One thing I did learn though, is always check to see where the path you are walking on leads to. Otherwise, you just might walk through a cemetery as they are freshly digging a grave. Slightly awkward. The rest of the week was spent hanging out with Sarah & Kristian, going out for dinner and drinks, movies and getting knocked around by Kristian's parents St Bernard 'puppy.' Giant horse in training is a more apt description of her.

The final weekend of my visit consisted of eating. Seriously. That's all it felt like. This consisted of a huge family dinner on Saturday night and going out to eat with his family before heading back to England on Sunday. Oh, and I carved an amazing Halloween pumpkin that looked like Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I love him. I was sad to leave him in Norway.

And now here we are. Back at school and back in the thick of it. We Will Rock You goes up in 25 days and I am working my ass off for it. We have so much left to do, and there doesn't seem enough time to do it. I will make this a great show or die trying. I swear.

The countdown still remains for my return to Canada for Christmas: 41 & counting!

It's Official!

The ticket is booked! I'm heading home for Christmas in 50 days! See you soon Canada :)

This is "The Thing"

Trans-Atlantic communication...well, it sucks.

I hate being anywhere between 4-8 hours ahead of my friends and family, I can't talk to them whenever I want and this stupid Daylight Savings Time thing is mixing me up! Why can't England just turn their clocks back when Canada does? That way, my Dad can just tell me when to turn my clocks back. It would save the mid-shower panic that I had this morning when I convinced myself that it was 5:20 AM and I was up for work an hour early. Oops.

Well, "the" inspection call has come for the school. No, not Ofsted. We're not so lucky as to get it out of the way this early in the year. Instead, 2 inspectors from HMI will be coming in to observe lessons, talk with senior management and generally cause a heightened state of anxiety and tension in the school later this week. What does HMI stand for, you ask?

Well. Her Majesty's Inspectors, naturally. I only wish I were kidding. Again, I'll say it. Lizzie...you are becoming quite the pain.

On a positive note, the set for WWRY was built over the weekend and the kids got to get on the stage and try it out for the first time. It's starting to get to crunch time, only 6 weeks left to go! Thankfully, once this horrendously stressful week is over, it's holiday! I'm off to Norway on the first available flight on Friday evening and I can't wait to get there. I get to help celebrate my favourite brother-in-laws birthday and generally relax.

Other upcoming events this week...I get to chaperone a field trip for the first time. Hang on to your hats kiddies. Your minds will be blown when I tell you where I get to go. Ready? Really ready? I get to chaperone 45 little Year 7s as they adventure to...

The Shoe Museum! (again...I only wish I were kidding)

Northampton had a huge shoe-making industry and one of the trips that the Year 7s get to take is to visit the shoe museum...and yours truly gets to take part in this adventure in wonderland. Be jealous.

I should be asleep. Or planning. Or planning until I fall asleep. Whatever comes first. Instead, I was abruptly dismissed from a conversation I was having with a friend (again, this time-change thing is really ticking me off tonight for whatever reason) and I'm finding myself annoyed by it. I miss having face to face contact with friends, when communication actually meant something and goodbye meant something more than a click of a button--without waiting for a reply...rude.

Alright, that last comment was cranky, bordering on whiny. I suppose it is time for bed. If I survive this week, I'll reward myself in Norway. Lefse & decent coffee..roll on!

A Canadian Abroad: A (Definitely Not Complete) Linguistic Guide to Living in England

Over the last year and a bit, I've somewhat started to figure out exactly what these British people are saying. This is a (definitely not exhaustive) list of some of the slang terms I have picked up/heard while living across the pond. Enjoy!

Expressions

• Hello, how are you--alright? (Asked as a question...still not sure if people actually want a response.)
• Don't you think/do you agree--innit (used in the same way that Canadians say 'eh')
• Bad--mingin' (I think...I still can't quite catch this one)
• Going well--tickety-boo (seriously? No sweet clue)
• Get drunk--get pissed
• Party/fancy occasion--do (Example: "went to a fancy do last night")
• Thank you--cheers/ta
• "Insert general term of frustration"--bloody hell, blimey
• Go to the bathroom (for men, usually)--take a slash
• If something has gone wrong--pear-shaped (example: "it's all gone pear-shaped!), tits up
• The equivalent of "that's what she said," or something to mark a double entendre--Said the actress to the bishop
• The next one takes a bit of explanation. When I hear the word 'cottaging,' I figure that it means that a person is going to their cottage. In England, the term cottaging means for two men to engage in sexual acts in a parked car while others may or may not watch.

Insults

• To make fun of someone--take the mick/take the mickey, take the piss
• Get out of here--piss off, jog on, sod off
• Idiot--prat, git, sod, twat, eejit (I think this is an Irish one..?)
• Someone rather flamboyant, of the possible homosexual variety--pouf
• A skank--slag
• To call someone a penis (the equivalent of dickhead, I think)--bender, knob

Body Parts

• Boobs--top-bollocks
• A man's genitals--bollocks, knob, willy (Note: bollocks can also be used as an expression of doubt. Example: "you're full of bollocks!")
• A woman's "lady bits"--front-bottom, fanny (my students thought it was hilarious that fanny meant butt in Canada)

Objects

• Greyhound Bus--coach
• Truck--lorry
• Trailer (mini home)--caravan
• Rubber gloves--marigolds
• Cigarettes--fag, baccy
• Rubber boots--wellies
• Hot drink (usually tea or coffee)--cuppa
• Clothes rack--clothes horse
• Hickey--love bite
• Food--nosh
• Underwear--pants
• Pants (jeans, dress pants, etc)--trousers
• Money--dosh
• Eraser--rubber (this one caused a lot of confusion)
• White-out--tipex
• Glue sticks--pritsticks
• Document wallet--polly pockets
• Dessert, of most any variety--pudding
• Garbage can--bin

Miscellaneous—objects/words

• Americans--Yanks
• Supper--tea (e.g.--I made pasta for tea last night)
• Procrastinate--faff, faff about
• Avoid work--skive
• Back yard--garden
• Car hood--bonnet
• Car trunk--boot
• Fight--batter him/bang him out
• Cool--Safe, sick
• Uncool--dread
• Move over--budge up
• Skip school--wag it
• Nothing--nuffink
• Friend--bruv/blood
• The equivalent of a wanna-be tough guy/thug--chav
• Soccer--football (I'd be shot at dawn if I didn't include this one)
• Amazed about something--gobsmacked
• Disappointed by something--gutted
• Nap/sleep-kip
• Tired--knackered
• Very--jolly (example: "jolly good!")
• To wear civilian clothes (for example, my students want a day at school where they don't have to wear their uniform)--mufti
• Steal--nick
• To pleasure yourself--have a wank
• Whine--whinge (to whine is to whinge....to be a whiner is to be a whinger)
• Attractive--fit, bang tidy
• Something--sumthink/summit
• Call someone--ring them
• Fight--row
• To annoy or antagonize someone--wind them up
• Homeless person--tramp, dosser
• Bathroom--toilet, loo (very direct, eh)
• Pound (as in unit of weight)--measured in 'stones.' One stone equals 14 pounds. Therefore, your weight could be 8 stone 2 pound which translates to 114 pound. Somewhat confusing.

I'm sure that I've left out a lot. Please do forgive the oversight. Also, I didn't even think of touching the unfathomable Cockney rhyming slang. When the "taters in mould" (apparently a term for it being cold outside...) come out, I've got no idea what the hell these people are saying. I'm also realizing that these terms are not applicable to all of England, and all of the different counties/regions have their own slang...becoming fluent in "British" is going to take some serious time investment. Hope you enjoyed!

Another Countdown

Already counting the days until midterm, Christmas, a visit from certain Canadian friends, Easter break, end of year. I like having a long-term plan.

Went to London on Wednesday night to see The Lion King. It was absolutely amazing. From the very beginning to the last curtain call, it was fantastic. The set design, the costumes, singing and the use of the theatre space, it was awesome. Aside from getting startled by low-flying (fake) birds, it was great. The fact that all of the male actors were beautifully built and spent most of the musical shirtless only added to the overall experience.

Sadly, my late-night in London and a couple other late nights throughout the week led to me spending most of the day yesterday sleeping off some form of illness. Naturally, it was one of the most beautiful Saturdays in quite a while, so naturally I would be sick. I think I've slept most of it off, but I definitely wish I could have another day or two for the weekend. Wishful thinking.

Another One Bites the Dust

So here it is another weekend...another week come and gone. It was a busy week at work this week..two rehearsals, one definitely better than the other, and a paired lesson observation. To explain to anyone unfamiliar with the British system, lesson observations are when members of senior leadership (the headmaster, vice principals, etc) come into your lesson to watch you, see how you teach and see how the students are doing. It always makes me nervous, but it's a good progress check. Anyway, each year, during the first month of school, teachers are observed and my turn was yesterday morning. First lesson, the kids are usually still sleepy and pretty quiet. My lesson observation went well, I got almost perfect marks, so I'm quite happy with that.

Rehearsals for WWRY have picked up to twice a week now, once on Monday and once on Thursday. Monday is usually singing and choreography and Thursday is putting it all together. I can't believe it's only 9 weeks until the show comes up. Really...dear, sweet readers. Please come see my show. It's gonna rock you.

The most exciting thing in the next week--no lesson observations (for me!) and a trip to the West End to see The Lion King on Wednesday evening. Can't wait :). Next on the list to see is Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Les Mis, Mamma Mia, Billy Elliot, Matilda, Shrek...the list goes on and on. I think I need a pay raise.

Jessica C Presents...

The adventures of the Hoblet.

Another week has come and gone and I'm very happy that it's the weekend. Rehearsals for WWRY have picked up to twice/week and I'm definitely noticing the difference. My week has been really busy, but it's been a good one. The show is coming together and, in 10 short weeks, it will be going up! This is an open invitation to every single friend and family member who is reading this (along with my apparent fanbase in Germany and Poland...really?)-- if you come to my show, I will buy your ticket. And throw in a crumpet or two to sweeten the deal.

All that aside, this week coming should be exciting. Some staff & students are making another trip down to the West End to see a musical--this time we're going to The Lion King! I'm really excited, I've heard that it's one of the best performances to see. I'm also excited for rehearsals for my show and being one week closer to my mid-term holiday (I enjoy looking into the future).

Due to some very late nights throughout the week (more specific, some very early mornings because of a new-found discovery of webcam on Facebook), I was planning on having an early night last night. Around 9:30, Aran's lovely girlfriend, Plamina, texted to say that we were going out and I had an hour to get ready. So much for my early night.

We got all dressed up and headed out for some drinks and catchup. A good and incident-free night (Plamina assuming the identity of a lesbian Canadian named Louise aside) until we were making the tottering walk home. The long-legged Plamina easily climbed over a low cement median dividing the road and warned me not to fall. What do I do? Fall. Spectacularly. Cuts to the hand, both knees and the crook of my knee scraped and cut nicely open. I am a wonder. I got home, cleaned up and now walk like I have permanent swagger. Oh yeah. I'm gangster without even trying.

And that is the tale of The Hoblet.

On This Day.

It's been 10 years today since the world changed. The world changed and I'm part of the generation that has grown up in a distrustful, hateful, society. I've been taught to fear the 'others.' I've been taught to judge a person on their dress, on their religion, on their skin colour.

I talk to my students, some of whom were only 3 years old on 9/11. I look at my sister's students, who weren't even born when the world changed. They have grown up knowing nothing but the culture of fear and the backlash against those who are 'different' than themselves. I have Muslim students talk about the troubles they face at airports, dozens of teenagers who can't remember what life was like before the manhunts began for Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Well, now they are both gone, and has their legacy faltered? No, it's stronger than it ever was before.

Where has this 'war on terror' left the world? Has America defended the ideas of civil liberties, democracy, freedom and safety in the countries they invaded in hopes of 'saving' from their oppressors?

Each generation is given a new target, a new enemy to fear and to hate. Will there ever be a generation without a war, without the threat of an invisible enemy lurking in the shadow's, ready to destroy all that is good in the world? I remember where I was the moment the world changed. Hearing the news and not quite believing and definitely not understanding the impact that it would have. I watched the first coverage on the news as Iraq was invaded, I listened to the propaganda of a world-class idiot, left to run the world's most powerful nation, and I wondered how or if it would end.

Saddam Hussein is dead, Bin Laden is dead. Yet it doesn't take a genius to know that it doesn't matter if they lived or died. Their legacy, those loyal to them both, would still carry on. And so, because of this, the war still rages. I had friends deployed overseas and, for months on end, would hate reading the headlines about dead soldiers, fearing that they would be among them. I try to understand their drive, their passion for their job, and I am worried by the racism and prejudice that I hear. I know I don't understand what it is like--I will never understand and will never appreciate the realities of living in a combat zone. But should our soldiers be trained to hate? Is it right to teach them to hate all of the 'others' that are 'over there' and see them all as one in the same? I mean no offence to anyone reading this. I fully support the bravery of those willing to sacrifice themselves in the line of duty. It is the war, the unjust and illegal war, that I do not support.

What will happen in the world from now on? Will our advancements in technology finally bring about the peace and liberties for all? Definitely not. I believe that it will be used for more weapons of destruction, weapons of terror and death. Human beings are fragile things. But the cruelty and evil in mankind is one of the strongest forces in the world.

Will there ever be a generation that is brought into the world and not force-fed the prejudices, the fears and hates of their predecessors? It is a cruel thing, to teach the innocent that they ought to fear 'them' and create this constant state of fear and mistrust. My thoughts this morning are on those missing loved ones, on those still fighting in this war, and on the generations to come who will be drafted into this war without a choice. Whether it be 'them' or 'us', I dislike thinking about all of the hatred that will be driven into the minds and hearts of those who will grow up in a world knowing no other way.

It is 10 years ago on this day that the world changed and, in a single morning, history was changed forevermore.

Back At It

My brain still feels like it should be on holiday. It's been almost a month since I've been on here, and I wish that I was still able to say 'I have ___ many days of summer holiday left.' Oh well. Back at it, back to school and back to routine.

But, before I bother with all that boring stuff, the best part should come first. My birthday trip to Norway! It was awesome. I landed on Tuesday night and, because of workers doing renovations at Sarah & Kristian's, I decided to go into work with Sarah on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. For those of you who know my sister, she is a teacher as well. You're thinking, oh, not such a big deal, it would just be like going into school and following the same routine. Yeah, definitely not the case. I teach high school. Sarah teaches elementary school. A reception (Kindergarten) class, to be more specific. In the 3 days I spent in the classroom, it made me absolutely certain and sure that I am where I am meant to be--a high school classroom. Sure, I don't get as many hugs from adorable little children who always want to be cuddled or have their hands held as they walk across the playground to recess, but I am thankfully glad I don't have to wipe runny noses in my job. Something I never want to do again. All in all, the kids were really cute and I had lots of fun...but only as a visitor.

On the Thursday of my visit, the 25th, Sarah & Kristian took me out to celebrate my birthday with a wonderful dinner at a restaurant downtown. They gave me a beautiful jewellery box when we got home :). On Saturday, we went to Sidsel & Jon Einar's for a family dinner, where I squared off with the aquavit again. After supper, Sarah, Kristian & I went back to there place for some drinks and Wii with Per and Martin. We headed downtown to Cardinal, the pub that is 24+, so I was finally able to get in without having to walk in between two tall people and hope they don't notice me. Turned out to be a late night, but a fun night :).

On Sunday, Sarah & Kristian took me to my first live football (soccer) match! Despite getting distracted and missing important parts of the game (like the only goal being scored), I had lots of fun. I can start to see why people get a little nuts for football over here.

The rest of my visit involved coffee with Michelle & Jesper, my favourite Norwegian baby, lots of lefse, walks around the lake (including an embarrassing incident with me getting scared by ducks), and visiting with Kristian's family, including taking his parent's St Bernard puppy for a walk along the beach. I wasn't incredibly excited to come back to England, but it helped that my suitcase was weighed down with lots of lefse until I go back. I was given some beautiful gifts for my birthday and I'm starting to think my Norwegian birthday celebration should become a yearly tradition!

So, it's now back to school and back to the routine. I will admit that, tiring though this week may have been, it is 10x better than the start I had last year. Even though I hardly slept at all the night before school started, I'm much happier and much more sane, for a better word. It's been a long week, rehearsals for the musical started again and have now picked up to twice/week, and I'm glad it's the weekend. It definitely helped to finish the week of with a great big glass of wine with Nikki. Next week brings a lesson observation by a school governor, getting back into WWRY full-swing and trying to stay sane through it all.

Here we go week 2!

There & Back Again

It's back to England...back to the rain & having an accent that makes me stick out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, my vacation in Canada ended on a brilliant note:

Dad drove me to the airport and, after checking in and killing time until it was time to go through security, I thought that I would get on a flight without some kind of incident. Standing in front of the x-ray machines, laptop in the plastic tray and the customs officer holding my passport, I hear, "Jessica Couper, would you please check at the Air Canada desk." ....Well, dammit. I gather up my stuff and walk back down to the counter. The ticket officer must've seen the look of panic on my face because before I even got there, he asked if I wanted to be flown, first class, back to London.

Hell. Yes.

My original itinerary was Fredericton-Toronto, Toronto-London. Turns out, my flight to Toronto was overbooked and passengers were asked to volunteer their seats. After nobody did, the agents looked at my flight plan and figured that they could fly me to Halifax on a later flight and, to make up for the "inconvenience," I would be flown first-class to London, have access to the Maple Leaf Lounge in Halifax, have a voucher for food at the Fredericton airport and have a hired car waiting to drive me home when I landed in London.

Hell. Yes.

Dad waited with me for about an hour more before heading home and I had a few hours to kill at the oh-so-exciting Fredericton International Airport. Turns out, a 3-terminal airport has very little to offer in ways of entertainment. I met a young guy heading to Montreal and we chatted until it was time for me to go through security and head to Halifax.

After I landed in Halifax, I found the Maple Leaf lounge and immediately felt under dressed in the company of many suit-clad business people. Whatever. The free alcohol & food helped me get over my concerns pretty quickly. Enjoying my last tastes of great east coast beer, it was soon time for me to get my Halifax-London flight. I walked onto the plane, found my seat and I never want to go back to flying in coach again. It was a fully reclining chair that stretched out into a bed, a 12" flip-out tv, a real (yes real) blanket and...so on. Before we took off, we were offered a drink and asked if we wanted a wake-up call for breakfast later in the flight. Even though I was tired, I didn't want to sleep and wanted to enjoy the whole experience. It was awesome, from take-off to landing. Good thing I got the upgrade...I certainly needed the extra leg-room.

When I landed in London, I checked at the desk and they arranged my car. Soon, I was picked up and driven back to Northampton, all on Air Canada's bill. Really, Air Canada, feel free to upgrade me at any given opportunity. Trust me...it's not an inconvenience. (Actually, come to think of it, it's a nice pay back for being put on a NO FLY LIST when I tried to leave England back in July. Thanks for that, by the way.)

Wednesday night, I went out to dinner with some great friends to celebrate my one-year anniversary of living in England. It's been a great year and I'm looking forward to the next. The roommate has headed off on his holiday, so I have the apartment to myself for a few days. I went to school today with Nikki & Kate to do some tidying and get my classroom ready...only to find my classroom in the middle of being re-done...here's hoping it's ready for the start of term. The summer rehearsals scheduled for WWRY have been cancelled because of the renovations at the school, so I was able to extend my Norway trip :). I head to Norway next Tuesday to celebrate my birthday with friends & family...very excited :).

Roll on vacation #2!

Nothing to Do Here but Think.

My bag is packed and I'm getting all the last details ready to return to England tomorrow. I leave New Brunswick just past 1PM, land in Toronto for a few hours and then head back across the Atlantic. I land in England just past 6AM on Tuesday morning, where a wonderful and my favourite married couple, Sean & Nikki, will be waiting to pick me up.

I can't believe my holiday is over. I'm sitting on the screened-in deck, looking out over the fields, the orchard, gardens and flowers. It's so quiet here, the only sound is insects and the wind in the trees (it's very Wilderness Family here in Upper Knoxford). I'm already sad about leaving, I've had to say goodbye to friends and several family members already, tomorrow will just be the grand finale.

As I was driving to church this morning with my grandparents, my grandmother was remembering a story from when she was young...about how she was given a hand-sewn dress by a friend and, while running after hanging Maybaskets (see here for an explanation), she ran into a barbed-wire fence and tore her dress. The dress was repaired, she was unhurt, and she has that memory to look back on. It wasn't an overly exciting story, but it made me think of all the small-town traditions that I grew up with, that I have grown out of, and it's a little sad. It's changed so much since I was a kid, and these traditions aren't always carried on to new generations. When was the last time a Maybasket was hung? Who even knows what a Maybasket is and why they are made?

I can remember making Maybaskets in school, running around a school-made Maypole (smacking into other people as I was a rather clumsy child...something I haven't grown out of) and other activities only possible when you live in a small village. This includes the school (the entire school) walking down the street to get an ice-cream for an end-of-year excursion or our school-bus driver letting some kids off at the store to get drinks or food and then picking them up again a few minutes later. Getting time off school to help harvest the potato crops or it being perfectly acceptable for farm kids to miss time to help with planting. It's all the 'quaint' traditions that go with living in a small village that I look back on.

Yet now I have to think of how much my life has changed, for the better, in just a years' time. I'm living in Europe, able to travel and see places that I had studied in school and visit destinations that I only ever saw in movies. I miss the small-town familiarity that I grew up with--working at a local store for 7 years (never having done a formal interview or actually applying for a job there and knowing my position was always waiting for me on school holidays), spending an hour in the Tim Hortons, drinking coffee and just watching other people, the beauty and quiet of the home where I have lived all my life and the laid-back, relaxed and peaceful atmosphere of this place. I miss it when I am gone, I enjoy it while I am here, but I know that I would never have been happy to stay here my entire life. I want to travel, to see as many places as I can and experience a lot of new things...I wouldn't be able to do that if I had never left home (obviously).

As much as I wax poetic about the beauty and peace of home, I realize that this is probably a very skewed and unrealistic vision I hold. As much as I like the quiet now, I remember how isolating it felt to be stuck out here during a storm, or having nothing to do on the weekends before I had my drivers license. I love this place and it will always be home to me...but only as a vacation spot.

My life in England has been wonderful--once I got used to it. It's still not 'home', but it's getting closer to that all the time. I'm at my school for the foreseeable future and I know that there are no teaching jobs available to me back in Canada...so, unless I want to return to my job at the feed & hardware supply store, it looks like England is my best bet for remaining successfully employed.

It's off for the final visits to friends & family and the last bits of packing. Some chores to do and a quiet evening to finish this holiday. What a long post this was...all sparked by a story told to me by my grandmother. Well, that should be all until I'm back on British soil (taking for granted it's not on fire or anything like that, thanks to the rioters). This was an awesome holiday and I've had an amazing 3 weeks here.

See you at Christmas, Canada.

It's Now...

7:10 PM in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

10:10 PM in Upper Knoxford, New Brunswick, Canada

2:10 AM in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England and...

3:10 AM in Stavanger, Norway

There are about 4 places that I want to be, all at once. Actually, England is on the bottom of the list. Sorry Northampton...the riots in London, the peace of home and all the time spent with friends & family make returning to England look not-too-exciting. I'm excited to see friends back in England...but would rather spend more time at home.

Bridget, Madi & Bella left tonight and the house is so quiet. I miss them already. Some of the most peaceful times I spent at home was holding Bella in my arms as she slept and cuddling with Madi before she went to bed. I'm such a sap (AKA best aunt, ever). At the airport tonight, after they went through security, Madi came up to the window, put her hand on the glass and kept asking why I was so sad. Cutest kid on the planet, pretty sure.

I head back to England in 7 days and then to Norway a week later. I've only seen a couple of pictures from Sarah & Kristian's Norwegian ceremony and I am very excited to see the rest. The pictures are beautiful and I really wish that I'd been able to be there for their other ceremony. I'm heading back in 15 days to celebrate my birthday & I'm quite excited.

It's a little sad thinking that I have to face school again in about a month. There. That's the last thought I'm gonna give to school until I go back.

Plan for the next week...campfires, bugbites, sunburns, friends & family and overdosing on coffee. Sounds perfect.

It's Been...

11 days since I landed in Canada.

6 days since the kegger.

5 days since I welcomed my brother-in-law into the family and watched my sister get married to a marvelous man and...

4 days since I woke up and realized staying up until 5AM with a bunch of Norwegians made for a very sore head the next morning.

My trip to Canada was uneventful--save for my passport being flagged and being put on a no-fly list in Toronto on the way home...somehow, I knew that it would happen to me eventually. A phone call later (and me about to get hysterical), I was on my way home. Because of mechanical problems, we turned around and headed back to Toronto for attempt number two. 3 hours delayed, overheating from the humidity and carrying a dress that felt like it weight about 1000 pounds, I was home.

No time to relax--there was a wedding to get ready for! I was so excited to meet my little niece, Bella, for the first time, see my eldest niece, Madi, and visit with my family again. The weekend was full of family and anticipating the arrival of Kristian's family on Monday. Tuesday evening, we had a big family dinner and, towards the end, we had a fantastic surprise when Beth and Rod, old and dear friends of the family, walked in unexpected. Sarah & I both started to cry (such girls eh) and we spent the rest of the night hugging, laughing and telling old stories.

Wednesday saw the combined bachelor/bachelorette kegger down in Fredericton. It started off with a reunion of the Canadians & Norwegians and the bridesmaids and groomsmen meeting each other. We all quickly realized that the bridesmaids were going to be dwarfed by the groomsmen. The best man, my date, was 6'3 and he was the shortest of the bunch. We all trooped off to Kingswood for some bumper bellies (big inflatable donuts worn around the waist and you had to smash the opponent out of the ring. After seeing Sarah do a face-plant, I declined to join in), bowling and lazer tag--my new love. I have become slightly addicted to lazer tag and had lots of fun; this doesn't really fit with my 'hate to be chased and have people jump out at me' personality. We headed back into town for the kegger and I saw Brett again for the first time in a year. Some beers, unwise games of knuckles, and some of the bridal party getting a crash-course in Norwegian later, the party was over. It was a good time, laid-back and nice to catch up with everyone.

Thursday was a big 'prep' day--we headed back home in the morning from Fredericton and got busy finalizing details, making phone calls, touching up on my maid of honour speech, getting clothes and everything together and heading back to Fredericton in the late afternoon. We had a final rehearsal with the bridal party at the chapel and I caught up with Andrew. It was nice to see him & catch up about everything.

Friday--the big day. Up early with the rest of the girls and preparation began. We got our hair done and hung out in the salon until everyone was finished. I checked on the ballroom for the reception, moved Sarah's wedding dress upstairs (with strict orders to Kristian to not come within eyesight) and, when everyone was ready, it was time to get ready to get Sarah married! We ordered some food up to the suite, drank some champagne, and got dressed. We got Sarah into her dress (after she was in it, I hugged her and cried haha) and headed downstairs for some quick pictures as we were running a tad behind schedule. Up to STU, into the chapel and then I watched my sister marry a wonderful man. After the ceremony (and several bouts of happy tears), more pictures were taken around the STU campus before heading back to the Delta for the reception.

As my feet were killing me and felt on the verge of falling off, I decided to change into some more comfortable shoes for the dinner & dance. The bridal party danced our way into the room to Start me Up followed by the happy couple, dancing in to Another One Bites the Dust....it was lots of fun. Wine & appetizers were served and, before I knew it, I was up in front of dozens of people giving my toast. I made it through the entire thing without crying and my Norwegian parts went off quite well, if I do say so myself (please don't ask the Norwegians what I actually sounded like). Dinner came and went and then Jon Einar, Sarah, Kristian, Dad & Susanne gave their speeches. I lasted until Dad started to talk before I began to cry...it was so touching and so nice...the same with Susanne's, Sarah & Kristian's.

Following dinner came the dance, which included lots of dances with Madi and a dance-off with the bridal party (I won, hands down). The last songs of the night were played and Per showed off his dance skills, which definitely put me to shame. After the dance ended and the bar closed, we all headed upstairs where we continued to celebrate until just past 5 in the morning.

Way too many drinks of gin, a painful round of knuckles with Brett and too many Norwegian jokes later, I was walked to my room and seen safely to bed :) ....for a few short hours.

We had friends & family to the house on Sunday and started saying the goodbyes shortly after. Throughout the past week, the house has become more and more empty and, I would say quieter, but with 2 little girls still here, definitely not. We've taken Madi swimming, gone shopping and just spent time together. It's been so fantastic and I can't believe that I have to say goodbye in a couple of days. I go back to England in a couple weeks and then head to Norway to celebrate my birthday. Lots to look forward to :)

I've had the chance to catch up with old friends and spend some quality time with my family. It's been a fantastic holiday & I wish it didn't have to end. Well, to bed to bed, I suppose. I have a niece that promised to wake me up when she got up in the morning :)

See you soon England & see you soon Norway :)

So Here It Is...

I've done it....I made it through my first year of teaching.

God, I thought this day would never come. (Now that it has, though, it's a very strange feeling.)

This year was such a hard one, and I learned more than I did during my teacher training. Nothing like being thrown into a lake and figuring out how to swim in the process. That's kind of what it was like for me at Malcolm Arnold. When I first arrived, I didn't think it would be all that bad. My teacher training in Canada had been good, my internships had been successful (barring one heinous and horrific cooperating teacher at my first school--my wonderful colleagues at my second school made up for that in a big way), and I thought I knew all the little tricks in the book.

Day one ended in tears. Day two ended in tears. I think it took 4 or 5 weeks before I made it through the week without crying at some point. I started counting down to Christmas before I had even taken off from Halifax the day that I moved over. Throughout the first term, I struggled and tried to figure out if this was what the hell I even wanted and, if it wasn't, what the hell did I want and how the hell could I get it?!

Joel moved home at Christmastime and, on my return, I was flying solo. Coming back to the empty apartment, knowing I wasn't going to be home for 7 months meant lots of homesick moments and a few teary conversations with home. 

Throughout the spring and into the summer term, there was a distinct change in my feelings towards work. It wasn't so bad most days...then I started looking forward to going to school...and by the end of the day today, when 30+ student were beating and chanting out We Will Rock You on 20 tables, I realized that I loved my job.

I love my job, I love my students.

Please don't get me wrong. There are still days that make me want to pull my hair out. Days that make me want to go back to Canada. Days that make me want to drop-kick a kid or two (am I allowed to say that?) and make them understand how horrific they are actually acting.

All that aside...I still love it here.

Over the last year, I have learned so much and I have made a lot of progress. I'm very proud of myself and have gotten praise from the headmaster, which I'm also quite proud of. It was strange to pull down all the work I had displayed on the walls and to see my Canadian flag, which has been hanging proudly in my classroom for the past 10 months, folded up and put away in my cupboard (it better still be waiting for me in September).

I imagined this post to be long and full of self-reflection and all the thought-provoking moments that occurred over the year. Apparently not. I think I'm just tired. I'm weary and I want to go back to Canada...this time tomorrow, I'll almost be home. My body knows that it's time to be back home, I know that it's time to go back. I definitely am ready for this holiday.

I will end this with a huge thank-you to all my colleagues from Malcolm Arnold, with a special thanks to a few in particular.

Helen(s), Leigh, Angela, Lucy, Emma, Zoe & Debbie--supportive and comforting, you all helped me through a tough year and helped me cope with what seemed like an impossible task. Without all of you, whether going out for meals, going to the opera (what a night!), going out for coffee, giggling through the final Harry Potter movie and ruining the experience for a very disgruntled 8-year-old, or just laughing in the staff office, you all helped me through this. It was a wonderful department and I can't wait to see what comes next for all of us.

Kate, my mentor--wonderful and supportive, you always helped me through the really tough 'learning curves' and helped me have a fantastic year. It has been wonderful to spend time with you, laugh and work together. I'm so happy you are my faculty head next year.

Going Out With a Bang

It's finally the last week of school and it's been a busy period between updates to all my devoted readers (ha). There is so much to look forward to in the next couple weeks--going back home (less than a week away now!), seeing all my family again (and meeting my new niece for the first time!), Sarah & Krisitan's wedding and just loving summer holiday.

So, before I have to get to the full-of-self-reflection-and-amazement-that-I-survived-my-first-year-of-teaching-post, I have lots of updates:

The Night at the Opera

The sponsor for our school, David Ross, puts on an annual opera at his estate out in the country in his lovely English manor. This year, I was lucky enough to be invited (twice, but that's a different story). We got to his estate and parked our car--next to a Rolls Royce, complete with chauffeur. That just set the tone for the evening.

Walking into the gardens, there were silk tents and a big marquee set up for everyone to sit in and eat before and during the intermissions of the opera. We walked to one of the (several) buildings where there was a theatre set up for the show. The opera performed was Tosca, a tragedy set in 19th century Rome about an escaped prisoner, Angelotti, his friend Mario and Mario's jealous lover, Tosca. Joining us in the audience was an actual lord, Lord somethingorother, and David Ross, the academy sponsor.

In between the 3 acts, there were 2 intermissions so we could eat dinner. While walking around the gardens, I got such a kick out of listening to all the posh accents--the type of accents that American shows use to portray British people--and it made me slightly hesitant to talk for fear my accent would be offensive in some way or another. I was one of the youngest people there and wanted to (hopefully) blend in with the background.

After the show was finished (after being performed in Italian), David Ross invited all of the Malcolm Arnold staff back to his house for drinks. Suddenly I found myself walking into his mansion and drinking champagne by the fireplace. It was such a surreal experience...I have never been in such a fancy house, never been on a proper estate before and never met someone that was as rich as David Ross. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I'm so glad that I got to go. As we were walking out the door, Mr Ross said that he'd see us all next year...sign me up!

The 10 Year Wait...Over

I pre-booked tickets to see the final Harry Potter movie and asked my colleague Leigh to go watch it with me. While it was different from the book in really important scenes which slightly let me down, the movie was good and it was worth seeing...it's funny to think that this has been a 10-year-process and now it's all over. The next movie that I'm going to be really excited to see is the film adaptation of The Hobbit. Either that or the next Narnia movie.

Through the Looking Glass

Leigh, my Potter pal (ahaha, I hope that nickname sticks...) asked me to help out at her theatre school, Looking Glass Theatre, to help them prepare for their production called Welcome to the West End. It featured all kinds of selections from musicals performed on London's West End (as the name may have suggested). This past weekend saw me back at school (LGT was renting out the academy's theatre) for 10-13 hours each day...and it was so worth it. The kids were great and the production that they showed yesterday was awesome. There was lots of talent and I had lots of fun being involved.

The Countdown

5 days left until I go back to Canada. That is all.