So, it's down to two. Sarah left last weekend and now there are only two international teachers for the Abbey staying in the stables. It was a very sad time. However much we tried we couldn't talk her into staying. Glenn's job is still vacant and we're still looking for a permanent teacher but she wanted out. I've been asked to stay on for the remainder of the year but I'm not too keen on it. I'm on a weird contract that pays me about 15-20% less than the other international teachers, I can't write off any of my expenses, and the school isn't willing to help me out with my rent. Plus, I have the British Gas Company on my butt to make a gas bill payment that was for the previous tenant and the heat keeps knocking out. It's dropping down to freezing during the nights here and my new heating unit keeps knocking out. The other weekend it went out and when I called the management company on Saturday to come fix it they said the contractor couldn't come Saturday and might make it in on Sunday. Of course, they didn't come on Saturday because the contractor had tickets to a football match in London (he told our neighbor about it) and he didn't come Sunday even though a friend of ours saw him at the pub. I slept on Odette's floor for two nights. By Sunday evening, Len and I decided to fix it ourselves. I climbed up onto the roof to push a little red button which started the furnace up again. I don't believe the contractor ever did come to check out my problem. Then it went out again on Tuesday.
No heat and no hot water and the management company didn't think it was a big enough emergency to call in their second contractor. Hmmm, not persuading me to stay at all. Except, I've been told that the workload drops by almost half by mid May. Nothing happens as the year tens go away for work experience, the Year 12 and 13 are sent home. We only have to deal with the Year 11s and even then we only see them for a limited amount of time as they write exams. Glenn's schedule is a hard, though. He has some really difficult students. I'll have to think about it.
Graduation was last week. I missed it, of course. I got some pics from Diana and everyone looked great. It looked fun and I wish I coulda made it. Oh well, next time maybe.
ed
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Friday, November 18, 2005
Abbey vs. Ailwyn Football
It's been a long time since I played footie but the kids asked me to play in a friendly vs. the teachers at our rival school 'The Ailwyn'. Of course, I should have known better than to take them up on this. When I got there, I recognized the old familiar faces of the six or so teachers from my school. The head of year ten was there. So was the head of Languages and the Head Master of the school. We were looking a little old, I'd say. Then I looked at the Ailwyn team. All fit, all young, all PE teachers. They scored the first few goals before I even knew what was happening. Then they scored a couple of more even though I knew what was happening. I did some sliding tackles and some weird side-of-foot passes that went to players on the opposite team. I cut my knees up preety good sliding on the astroturf. After everything was said and done, the game ended 6-0. (I don't think we had 4 shots on net, so even if we had traded a big jug of Rabina for their goalie we wouldn't have beaten the Ailwyn 'cause we didn't have that many shots to begin with.) Oh well. It looked fun. I don't really remember with all the gasping for air.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
King's Cross-St.Pancreas
This is a picture of Dwarf at King's Cross-St.Pancreas Train Station in London. We were waiting for the 805PM train from London to Huntingdon after getting off the TOPDECK bus. After I took this picture, there were about 6 or 7 people surrounding me. The train station attendent said he's seen a lot of weird stuff while working at King's Cross but this was one of the strangest. I don't think it's that weird to take a gnome on a trip. But whatever.
Roman Baths
The Roman Baths is the only remaining large piece of evidence showing the presence of the Romans in England. Unlike Stonehenge, there hasn't been much change or fixing-up of the baths. It's pretty much the same as it was found. They did clear out some of the stuff that had collapsed into the baths but that's about it. The water still runs through and into the baths, however it's high in iron and lead. (That's why so many of the wealthy that used the baths went crazy, I guess.) Very interesting but a lot of information. I kinda lost it after two hours.
They built another bath right next to this one. The spring water (filtered?) comes into the new bath and allows the public to come pay for the enjoyment of swimming in the baths. Unfortunately, it's been closed for the last few years because the paint they used on the pool is toxic and the hot spring water is causing the toxins to come out of the paint. Until they can figure out how to prevent the toxins from coming out of the pool it can't be used. End of trip. Back at work.
ed
They built another bath right next to this one. The spring water (filtered?) comes into the new bath and allows the public to come pay for the enjoyment of swimming in the baths. Unfortunately, it's been closed for the last few years because the paint they used on the pool is toxic and the hot spring water is causing the toxins to come out of the paint. Until they can figure out how to prevent the toxins from coming out of the pool it can't be used. End of trip. Back at work.
ed
Bath Abbey
The first day of the trip ended with a night in Bristol, which is the eighth largest city in England. It was okay. It's got three universities so they have a large and diverse night life.
The next day we travelled to Bath. The first thing we saw was the Bath Abbey. Another church. Unfortunately - or fortunately - it was closed for Sunday service so none of us got to go in.
The next day we travelled to Bath. The first thing we saw was the Bath Abbey. Another church. Unfortunately - or fortunately - it was closed for Sunday service so none of us got to go in.
Salisbury Cathedral
This is a picture of a moose with dwarf in front of the tower of Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury. Salisbury is one of the closer cities to Stonehenge and we were brought here because the spire on this cathedral is the tallest in the UK. It's not as imposing as the Ely cathedral towers but that's because this church isn't as big overall as Ely. The tower actually wasn't really impressing anyone until we were told it was the tallest in the country.
The trip that we took - with TOPDECK tour groups, which by the way is top notch and very good - consisted only of teachers working for or in association with ITN. Of the 32-odd teachers at least 10 were Canadian. Of the Canadians there were 6 or so from Vancouver. And four or five that took the UBC program during the same time I did. (I recognized them but they were in other cohorts.) The moose is from a woman from our graduating year. She carries a moose and includes it with her in all of her pictures. Coincidentally, I take a dwarf with me and include it in all of my pictures. So, we put them together. Voila, the two toy travelling companions.
The trip that we took - with TOPDECK tour groups, which by the way is top notch and very good - consisted only of teachers working for or in association with ITN. Of the 32-odd teachers at least 10 were Canadian. Of the Canadians there were 6 or so from Vancouver. And four or five that took the UBC program during the same time I did. (I recognized them but they were in other cohorts.) The moose is from a woman from our graduating year. She carries a moose and includes it with her in all of her pictures. Coincidentally, I take a dwarf with me and include it in all of my pictures. So, we put them together. Voila, the two toy travelling companions.
Stonehenge weekend
So, I finally got out of Ramsey and went somewhere that I actually wanted to see. However interesting the cathedrals are out here they weren't the things I really had in mind when I came to England. Stonehenge is a circular arrangement of, well, stone. The henge itself is not what it orignally looked like. Our guide told us that the whole thing had collapsed by the time they found it and the arrangement that we see now is an one organised by the people the restored it. It's not a very widely known fact because the English want tourists to believe they're coming to see the original - though deteriorating - henge.
It was very cold and my first thought upon seeing it was that it was very small. It's a great thing to see but you'll never make the 3 hour trek out by bus to see it again. £5 to walk along a 250m roped course around the henge was a little much. The only time that you can go and touch the stones are during the winter and summer solstices where they turn it into a festival site 'full of hippies' as our tour guide said.
It was very cold and my first thought upon seeing it was that it was very small. It's a great thing to see but you'll never make the 3 hour trek out by bus to see it again. £5 to walk along a 250m roped course around the henge was a little much. The only time that you can go and touch the stones are during the winter and summer solstices where they turn it into a festival site 'full of hippies' as our tour guide said.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
mateyanddwarf
The Matey thing on the right side of the dwarf (that's his right, not yours) is a bottle of bubble bath. It's a sample of the product I've been giving to students as a prize. They seem to love bottle even though the soap itself is rank. It smells like wax and I'm sure it'll cause smallpox or something if you use it in your bath. They're sold on the asthetic appearance of a young blond-haired lad with a sailor cap.
Haven't done much this week or the last. I'm going to Stonehenge on Saturday and Sunday but that's about it. Bought my Olympic hockey tickets from the British Olympic Website. Apparently, the British aren't big into hockey. They still have Team Canada tickets for sale. And gold medal matches.
They've been shooting off fireworks for the last 5 or 6 days. Not because of Halloween but because of some weird religious thing. Something about the resurection or something where they went around and killed all the Catholics. 'Off with their heads.' Odd.
I'm in the midst of marking and doing interim reports for my year 10s. I did the year 11s last week. It's super difficult considering we do these without any marks. I've been giving almost everyone an A, which is probably wrong. Whatever.
Ed
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Free dinner
The other day Fiona came into my class to watch me teach science. I think it went okay, the Lindsay Lohan joke notwithstanding, and the students weren't too freaked out by having a second 'adult' in the class. However, I did take the liberty to take a coupla cracks at Fiona. We got around to what I eat during the day (I don't remember how but I'm sure it was of utmost importance that they understood the dietary norms or Mr.Jay) and I said something to the effect I don't usually eat a proper breakfast or dinner because there's no one at home to cook for me. Of course, this was tongue-in-cheek because Fi often cooks pasta and pasta-related dishes for dinner but the students felt concerned enough about this that they brought me a space dinner. I haven't eaten it yet - and I'm not too sure I will considering it's from a student - but apparently it's whole meal in a bag that I have to boil for 10 minutes. Great, eh? It's amazing how dropping little hints will reap unexpected rewards.
ed
ed
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