I love living in Katowice, love teaching English, and love all my friends; new and old. This is me with Ania, who I've known since she was a teenager. She's now married to Norbert, who is one of my favorite people here, and she's the beautiful mom to 2 children.
And I must admit, I've fallen in love with her kids, Rachel and Joel, but I'll warn you; Rachel has the sweetest smile, but don't let her teach you Polish :-)
Life is good here; no hurry, no rush. So different from the life I'm used to. I miss my kids more than anything. But I'm incredibly grateful for Email, Facebook, and especially Skype for helping me feel like I'm really only a text or phone call away.
English lessons are in full swing. I have five classes each week: 2 Basic, 2 Advanced, and 1 Conversational. They are all different in their own way. Different people, different levels of skill, different personalities, and I love each one. Thursday night Advanced class is definitely my most challenging. The students in this class know English quite well, and asked to learn things like sentence structure, verb tenses, and new vocabulary. They keep me on my toes! I have some students who actually attend 2 or 3 different classes each week, and quite a few 'senior' students. I'm inspired by their hard work and desire to learn. I also love my students' sense of humor. I have one student, while learning numbers, ask 'Is it six or sex?' And I have one student who told me he needs classes because he always gets two phrases confused; 'Goodbye' and 'I love you'!
In addition to the classes, I have one private student named Ewa. I can already tell that Ewa is going to be a lifelong friend.
Life here has definitely been an adjustment. With no car, I walk almost everywhere I need to go. Sometimes I take the tram. I haven't tried the bus yet, but I will soon. Most everyone has a washing machine, but not a dryer, so I hang dry my clothes. This is no big deal except it requires planning ahead! The one thing I do miss is television. Clay helped me figure out how to watch most shows online, but I kind of miss just perusing through channels to see what's on.
Most days are busy with classes. I'm also taking Polish lessons on Wednesdays along with 2 missionaries from the Phillipines, Edwin and Louella Ricardo, who are becoming good friends. Our teacher Gosia, is great. We also have an English speaking home group on Wednesdays, after Polish lessons. Edwin is leading our group, and I really love his teaching. Sundays are church and 'relax' days and Tuesday evenings we have Bible Study at Betania. I love the schedule, but I've also come to look forward to Friday. It's my day to do what I want, and I usually take the tram downtown (centrum handlowy). I walk around, explore, shop, have a snack or lunch, and watch people.
And finally, a few things I've learned about Poland so far:
There is always time for coffee or ice cream.
A walk around the lake after supper is a good thing unless you're caught in a sudden thunder/hailstorm.
You shouldn't buy a hamburger from anyplace called Ararat Kebab and expect it to be like an American burger.
It's a good idea to carry your Polish/English dictionary to the grocery store.
Some things are the same no matter where you go: Humor, sarcasm, french fries, good wine, national pride, athletic competition, wildflowers, a mother's love, worship, and friendship. Home really is where the heart is.
