Two Months!

Well I have done it. I have been away from home for TWO WHOLE MONTHS. It feels as though I've been away forever! And in two months I have:
1) taken an intensive TEFL course (the material of which is covered in other courses over a span of 9 months)
2) gotten a job
3) gotten an apartment
4) found a church
5) developed a whole social network
6) managed day-to-day living in a country where I don't speak the language
7) not officially entertained the idea of getting back on the plane and heading for home ;)

So I hereby declare at the two month mark:

So Far, So Good

Today was a fabulous day. All three of my classes went very, very well, and I'm just so pleased. My "reluctant learner" has had a colleague join the class, and the colleague is a huge motivating factor. We had a great class, full of laughing and speaking English! :D And my evening class that I love just made me love them more. I told them that my dad is coming to visit, and they graciously permitted me to invite him to observe one of our classes while he is here. I don't know how he feels about that, but it was kind of them to at least say it was Ok for me to ask him!!

For those of you who have been praying about my contact hours, thank you. Things have now become a bit muddled, but I've made some decisions.
1) I'm not going to worry about starting any more classes until after the intensive course and dad's visit.
2) Money is going to be tight next month. I have limited hours at the moment, and I've had several classes cancelled this week due to a national holiday. Please pray that I will be financially responsible, and that God will provide for me throughout the month.
3) Thanks to the intensive course, I will have plenty of contact hours for the month of November (and therefore enough money for the month of December. I get paid on the 15th of each month for the previous month's work). That week will be a bit stressful, so please pray that I plan well, and that I survive it!! Praise God that he gave me this course, as it means my other weeks can be (quite) a bit lighter, and I don't need to worry.
4) I do not have enough hours in Dececmber. Please pray that God will provide new classes for me that begin after dad goes home (i.e. they begin the week of Monday, November 21 or thereafter).

Now, if you think back a couple of posts, you may remember my worries about when exactly this intensive course is. My colleague at Skrivanek said that it was (and I quote) "the week of the 10th." Um... the 10th is a Thursday. We don't usually talk about the week of the Thursday. Turns out that this is in fact what the client wants. I will be teaching all day the Thursday and Friday before dad arrives, and the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday that he is here. This works just fine for me! It is a bit disappointing that those 3 days are kind of written off (we will at least have the evenings, from 7 PM on to hang out), but I am absolutely thrilled that the Thursday and Friday are free. I get back to my apartment at 10:30 on Thursday, and at 9 on Friday, so we will have the whole day on those days to spend together! Yay! I think we're going to take the train to Dresden on Friday. Word on the street is that Dresden has a Wal-Mart. And in this Wal-Mart, there is toilet paper. The soft, white, cotton like toilet paper that has become like a vague and misty dream to me. I think some stocking up might be in order. :D

So that's my news for the day! A HUGE SHOUT OUT goes out to Hilary and Amber tonight. Those two brilliantly brilliant girls PHONED me last night. IT WAS SO EXCITING!!! Thank you ladies - you made my day! I think, judging from how well today went, you may have made several of my days! You rock!

I love you all!

Love,
Elizabeth