guyinukbus

guyinukbus
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

As I was taking the bus back to Ramsey, we pulled out from the station and lo and behold this is the picture on the back of the neighboring bus. It's Guy's arch nemesis, Guy. I've seen him in the Vancouver Phone book, The New Yorker Magazine, and now the back of a bus in England. He must be the most famous Chinese guy on the Island. More famous than James Eha. (He's the guitarist from Smashing Pumpkins. And I think he's actually Japanese but you get the idea.)

dwarfpicadilly

dwarfpicadilly
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

This is dwarf standing in front of the famous neon sign that's facing Picadilly Square. I didn't think it would turn out so nice but I think it's a great picture. Fiona wouldn't even hold the Dwarf never the less hold it so I could take a picture of him. I held it out with my left hand and took the picture with my right. People were staring but I think they were staring because they couldn't believe how cool it was. In their minds they were thinking "What a great idea. Why didn't I think of that? A dwarf in Picadilly. Great!"

fiandmecamden2

fiandmecamden2
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

So, I was in London and ran into this weird woman that wanted to take a picture with me. Upon conversation, I found that she went to Uni in British Columbia. Turns out, she's an unemployed teacher that's looking for some sort of work. I don't really know what kind. Actually, Fi and I met up at this funky little (?)- actually large - market in London called Camden. I was scared but Fi pulled me in and protected me from the odd and discomforting. London was great. I enjoyed the time away from Ramsey more than you can imagine. I didn't do much and was very stressed out on Sunday trying to get my lessons done for Monday and Tuesday but it was all worth it in the end. Stayed with Krista, unfortunately forgot to get a picture of her for the blog, but she and Helen were very accommodating. I can't tell you how much they had to put up with. However, all three were kind of freaked by the Dwarf, I must say. I don't know why. It's just a piece of clay but they seemed a little disturbed that I wanted to take pictures with it in them. Hmmmm. I don't know. It seems like a neat idea. I'll probably look back at it in twenty years and think it was the stupidest thing I've ever done but I don't think so.
ed

gates

gates
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

This is the original part of the abbey. It's a late 15th century or so gate that used to protect the original abbey. It's the part that's haunted by dead religious things. The gate itself is very small but the field leading up to it is huge. It's as long as a football pitch and the size of the field makes it seem that much more grand.

We have bats in the gate leading to our flats. They were dive-bombing Sarah yesterday. We watched it happening and the bats were getting within a foot of her head as she walked through the gate. They hate us.

I'm heading to London today. Back to civilization. We got Skydish yesterday and a telephone the day before so we're getting to a point where we're actually getting more comfortable. It only takes a tv to get back to the realities of life. Until now, I hadn't really realized how much of life you could learn from watching 'Friends'. That Joey has shown me the way.

ed

Ghost story

I went to the Angel for supper yesterday with Odette and Sarah. Everything was going well for the first few hours (had lasagna followed by bread and butter pudding . . . very english) until we got the bill. The waitress felt it was her duty to tell us about the ghosts that haunt the Abbey. The Abbey isn't the original abbey (1837 or so after the first two were taken down) but the graveyard, gates, and stables are original. The stables are where we're staying. And there are ghost!!!!!!! We thought we were, you know, above all this ghost stuff but our confidence got the better of us. Odette and I decided to go to the Church at 2000hrs to check out the bell toiling practice. (The bell guys practice ringing the bells Tuesdays beginning at 2000hrs and lasting until they feel they have it down. We were invited to come down and check it out and maybe even get a chance to ring the bells.) Unfortunately, when we got there the doors were locked. This freaked Odette out a little. I was okay until I suggested we check for another door. Just as I went to go down the right side of the church I noticed that the graeyard began right at the front right edge of the chuch. I was walking on dead people and the moon was so bright that the headstones were glowing this eeery white. (OHMYGAHD!!) We ran back to the stables. We got really freaked so we decided to stay at one flat for a while 'cause we all know that ghost only attack individuals and not groups. (Well, duhhhhh, eh?) Unfortunately, I had to go back to my flat sooner or later and I was totally scared of the idea of heading back alone!!!!! Ghost of the members of the Abbey are known to haunt the gates and the graveyard and I can see the graveyard from my window!!!! I'm seriously thinking of moving out. ed

classroom

classroom
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

So, this is my classroom. My dek is actually just a table with a rolling filling cabinet next to my left leg a la Ikea. The Swedes can do anything with wood, eh? If you want more images of the classroom just click on the image and it'll take you to my flickr site which contains four or so more pictures of the room.

dwarfabbey2

dwarfabbey2
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

We went up on top of the abbey today. We scoped out the side that didn't have a closed circuit tv and climbed up the fire escape. It was pretty hairy for a while cause the damn thing was so old. I almost dropped Dwarf on the way up. But, alas, we made it. Here's proof. This is Dwarf on top of the abbey.

abbey

abbey
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

This is the abbey. It was built in 1837. The original was built in the 1500s but was torn down and the bricks were used to build Cambridge University. If you look close enough, you'll see that Dwarf is standing at the doors of the abbey.

dwarf3

dwarf3
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

My new dwarf. I bought him at a £ store in Peterborough. In place of me, he's going to be in all of my pictures. I don't know why he has a pizza spatula, though. Very odd.

insideb6

insideb6
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Me as the Pope. Wait, this is a Christian church. I snuck onto the pulpit and this is the view. I could see the evil in everyone from this location. Bad people!

dead7

dead7
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

So, this is one of the tombs inside the great Becket's Cathedral. I don't know who this guy is but he's obviously famous enough to have a statue of his image lay on top of his dead body. Mmmmmmmmm calcium carbonate. Click on him to get to the other pictures of the inside of Becket's church if you like.

Circus freak show

Well, I'm on to the second week of teaching. It's mostly getting better (one class is getting worse) and I actually only look forward to the end of the work day for 5 hours instead of 8 hours of the day.

I went back to Peterborough on Saturday and this time I went into Barret's Catherdral. I've got pictures that I will post in the coming days. The cathedral is famous for the fact that Queen Katherine is buried there. There where other famous members of the monarch that were buried there but they were eventually repatriated to the royal cathedral (I can't remember the name) in London.

I was freaked out last night by some banging on my window. That's the window closest to the graveyard. Had a difficult time sleeping so I stayed up listening to UK sportstalk radio. 3 hours of cricket talk about the ashes. It's the only sport that will end a game after a certain amount of time without considering the fact that the winning team had 10 more outs than the losing team. A five day contest and you can't make it fair enough that each team gets the same number of at-bats? It's just a jar full of wood ash anyways. Why would you care about that? The British are dominating obscure world sports these days. Next thing you know it, they've won the Stanley Cup, the Arena Football Championships, and the WNBA Championships.

I've decided to bribe all the kids I'm teaching - except the worst one . . . they get nothing - but it's starting to cost me. Bags of chips here are only 10 cents each but I keep eating them. And chocolate bars are cheap but the kids don't like the ones I buy. I keep buying orange flavored Kit Kat bars. How could you not like these?

I'm very happy to hear from all that have been emailing. Considering that I can't see, hear, or talk to anyone back home directly, it's very nice to still have contact with members of home. Besides the fact that you aren't here, it almost feels like you are.

Did you know that they don't sell carry-away cups like the Middle Year 2005 one we got? It's come in handy. Very handy.

Got to go now. I'm out of toilet paper and the only grocery store in town closes at 1900hrs.

Mr.Jay

My work schedule

Here's my teaching schedule for the Abbey. They do it weird here where the teaching blocks go for a fortnight. Another oddity is that because of workload issues I have to share the 11SL class with another teacher. So, my schedule has me teaching them 3 days straight Tuesday to Thursday in Week A and then I don't see them in Week B. David gets them for two days in Week B. This messes up things since we have to teach off where each other has ended at and try to teach in a similar way. The red blocks are my preperation blocks. I can't teach in these blocks at all. The orange blocks are spares and I may be called on to teach as a TOC for teachers that may be away that day but they promised it wouldn't happen often. So, I teach only 32 out of 50 blocks every two weeks. The biggest problem is that I have so many lesson preps. Some of the year 10s and 11s don't start the same units and if they do they have different curriculum. For example, the 10SA and 10SE are both doing Humans as Organisms but they are of different ability. Triples are the A students, C and below . . . well let's just say they aren't A students. Because of this, the triples get a different, more involved curriculum and the 10SE get something less involving. A big positive is we don't have to do lunchtime monitoring but if we want to do it we get paid about $20 and hour. I'm gonna look into that one since that'll buy that many more smarties. The year 10s have module tests in early November meaning I have to get done the unit before this. There is no exceptions to writing the modules and they count for their GCSEs, which is the equivalence to Provincials in BC except they count for 70% of their overall mark. So, really I'm here not to grade their ability but to make sure they have the ability to write the modules. My kids have been okay so far. They gave me top flight students, which means they have better attitudes but this also means I have to teach more of the complex and involved curriculums. Boohoo for me. Plus, it's the kids are expected to do well so when, not if, their marks come back less than satisfactory I'll be called out to explain myself at which point I'll begin crying and then balling up in the foetal position as they kick me to the curb. Unfortunately, they want me to teach to them directly instead of using my new found teaching strategies bestowed upon me by UBC education. The upside to this is they have a million very good textbooks. I love the large pot-of-gold bundle of resources they have for me. They've even produced Unit Plans (which they call Sheets of Work) for entire units that we are requested to follow as it ensures we finish in time. They're great! If I have time, I'll post a sample for you all to see. Gotta teach in 20 minutes. I'll finish this up at the end of the day.

placemat

placemat
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

My first day in class. It was okay. If you want to check it out I'll post the web addresses for my class websites soon. They were on their toes today and I didn't have any real problems but I expect them to lax a little. As well, this was the top form (triples or something meaning we expect letter grade A from them in this subject) and they're really keen to learn.
Had them do a place mat today. They weren't as inventive or demanding as the Canadian kids I've had do this for me.

smarties

smarties
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Smarties!!!!! I was warned that this country wouldn't have any but here they are. Actually, candy and beer are super cheap here (£1.99 for something like 24 twix bars and £.99 for a 2L of vanilla ice cream) that there might be some causational data for the dental problems associated with Brits.

home2

home2
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

The enterance to my flat. It's the fortress-like wall surrounding my living area.

graveyard

graveyard
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

The view of the graveyard outside my bedroom window. The occupants have been quiet so far.

above

above
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

The above ground graves in the yard next to my flat. The bottom is open and nothings inside.

starbucks

starbucks
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

The first and only starbucks I've seen so far. It's in Petersborough next door to the cathedral.

1stpalace

1stpalace
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

The cathedral in Petersborough. It's one of the biggest in England.

graves

graves
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

The graveyard that's just feet away from my bedroom window. It's super old (1500s) but is still active for passing members of the Ramsey family. There are some above-ground graves that have no bodies in them anymore. I guess the animals have taken away all the bones. The night I took these pics, there was a thunder and ligtning storm that freaked me out.

flys

flys
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Actually, they're wasps but they're only a handful of the thousands of wasps inside my flat. I never see them coming in but there are more and more every passing day.

melglass

melglass
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Mel trying out the glasses at Oakridge Mall Centre. "Hmmm, will I ever get a job?"

spine

spine
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

On my second last day in Vancouver, Narv outside the Belgium Fries place on Commercial. "Damn, I want my fries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but I'm too afraid to ask for them."

guy

guy
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

On the day of my departure, Guy modeling his superhero utility belt, which, incidently broke a few mintues later.

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