Buckwheat

I feel very much at home here. I am still missing some things that one doesn't even think of until one doesn't have them, but I have brought most of the stuff I need here. I have also embraced the ants as my roommates, I suppose. Uh no fun. Here the regulations are becoming stricter again. For most places, you have to be either vaccinated, tested negative or have recovered from the infection to visit. Most of the staff at my workplace are vaccinated, a few need to test regularly. Not sure about the kids though. A pretty watch.

It feels like half of the week is over already ... nope, still Monday. So, very busy with job. Job is challenging and tiring, but not boring or soul-crushing or whatever, at least not most parts of it. You don't have mandatory masks? We have to wear them a lot. And be tested/vaccinated. And some students were already quarantined, and the school year only just started. It doesn't look good on regards to covid here. What does it look like? I am very much used to wear a watch and always feel like something is missing when I don't have it on my arm.

And without a sense of smell too, apparently?

You might have mixed me up with @RhaenysBee? She is the one with the highly dramatic sister. And your prediction is definitely wrong.

Don't want to go into too much detail. Let's just say Donatello needs some instruction. Whose sister? I don't have a sister. And which wedding, who is getting married?

Good thing my students don't know this. No, really, I generally get along quite well with the kids. Actual classes start tomorrow.

Drama? What drama? There is no drama. Everything going well with Donatello. Although ... hmmmm. Nothing to cause drama, just maybe needs some clarification.

I remember basically everybody liking these trips and looking forward to them. The food was also better at these homes than at school. Don't remember alcohol being there ever, though. In which country are you? Looks like it indeed. I wanted to explain the g-word to you, but several posters already did, so thanks all. Definitely not me who organised these sports. I did, however, threaten with testing and grading any student that would ask for a longer hike through the forest. What is SES? I will take this as a compliment.

Not really. It is not a hostel in the sense that it is not open for tourists, the institutions are a part of the public school system and they specialise in school groups visiting as part of their education with their teachers. Hostels also wouldn't have teaching staff that offer various activities as part of their offer (for example, our trip included an evening hike, a kayak ride, archery, a trip to the forest; other homes offer other activities depending on where they are). I mean, it is a lot of fun and entertainment for students, slightly less when you are the teacher. Alcohol is generally prohibited and grounds to be sent home though. Everybody who goes there are minors, these homes usually take in kindergarteners, primary schoolers (6-15 years) and occasionally secondary schools (14-18 years).

Do you mean "gym" as in sports? No, I don't teach sports. I teach languages (including literature). And no, we don't have boarding schools here. This was just the three-day "camp" event. We weren't camping, we slept in some sort of a dorm/home/house for school-related activities where schools usually take students for several days. I don't think there is a similar institution in other countries, but it is a really good system of such homes here, usually somewhere with a lot of nature around, lots of opportunities to do sports and learn about nature in another environment than the school, with specialised staff for various activities. Plenty of schools organise these 3-5-day outings.

I am one of the people who feels safer with everything planned in advance too, especially now that I am new to the role of "class teacher" (I don't know how that function is called in English, the one teacher who is the most responsible for one group of students, handles the administration and the communication with parents for that group). I survived the introduction camp. I had a lot of help because there was another teacher accompanying us and the staff at the house we stayed at, so that was good. Now on to the workload for the next week ...

1st in high school ("gymnasium") in Slovenia - no idea how that compares to any school system you are familiar with, but basically they are 14-15 years old. And now we are on day 2 of our introduction camp, and I have to be responsible for a group of 29 teenagers for three days, including overnight. It is just one improvised step after another. It is quite stressful.

Also, I discovered today in the morning that my precious new flat has ants coming into the kitchen. So that's just great.

I successfully survived my first parent-teacher conference yesterday. Whew. But tomorrow, an even bigger challenge awaits me - the introduction camp for my own class, that I am going to be the class teacher (how do you call that teacher? The main one who takes care of all the administration for a particular class) for. I am going to be personally responsible for the well-being, health and behaviour of a group of 29 15(-ish)-year-olds that I don't even know yet. For three days. Yes, including overnight. In an unknown environment. I am very much freaking out. *nervous*

I survived my first parents-teacher conference. And it didn't even go bad, I think. I do hope these parents trust me with their children now.

I mean, this post makes it sound like way too much of a drama than it is. I am already coming home for the weekend later today. Nobody said anything in particular.

I didn't sleep that well. I need go get used to it, I think.

Tonight is going to be the first time I sleep in the new flat! All mine: my kitchen, my bathroom, my room (no more rooms than that, I'm afraid). Very proud of it.

I think he already proved that he is very into me, but I suppose another proof cannot hurt. I think we can manage to arrange to meet up more often than every second weekend. At least I hope it works out that way.

Your username now looks like a reference to the movie with Russell Crowe. Donatello and I haven't managed to see any movie yet. I hope an option to do that presents soon, although I am afraid (read: I am very much looking forward to it) that we won't manage to see much of whatever we choose ...

No idea. I don't intend to do that either. Donatello has a car, so I hope he is going to be willing to visit sometimes, and there are, albeit shitty, train/bus connections, and some of my coworkers are still going to commute so I can ask them for a ride at least into one direction sometimes.

I will try, cannot promise anything. I think your assumption is correct. If he at this point doesn't think you are no longer together, it is probably time for you to make it clear ... You are right. And it is not like the distance in question (about 45-50 minutes by car - if you happen to have one available) even counts as long-distance in this case. I do hope it works out, thank you. And yes, letter writing seems like a very beautiful and romantic idea, though I am not sure it is one Donatello would appreciate. I offered to send him a postcard some time ago, and he said he preferred photos of what I saw over a much quicker Internet-based messaging system.

It is now dawning on me how hard it is going to be to keep seeing each other once the school year starts for me and he starts the new job - both happening next Wednesday. I am moving to a tiny studio flat these days to avoid the long commute and to not live with my parents anymore, and I won't have a car there to be able to get to where he is staying quickly and easily. We are going to be very determined and willing to make it happen, and I hope we manage it. Moving away right when things get interesting, and in this case, even semi-serious ... it seems to be a curse at this point. At least this time it isn't another country, so progress I guess?

There was both, people dancing in pairs and just collectively as a group. At the same time too.

Yes, delicious cake and other dishes! And also dancing, dancing relaxes the situations, at least when everybody can dance by themselves. Obviously it is hard to dance in pairs if you are there alone.