It's true that I can sometimes really get into writing, whether it's a book review or whatever. I don't really consider myself a writer, though at one time I was and did.
In truth I'm probably not disciplined enough and I have spent too much time and energy getting my business going and so on. I don't work as hard at work as I used to, partially because policies are policies and once you make them, things run more or less smoothly without you, and getting Jana and Zuzka(assistant) working for me has meant that my job on the management side has dwindled to financial management, hiring(and firing--thankfully it's only happened once) and making the schedule. This is still an enormous amount of work, I reckon that the schedule is about 100 hours of work and hiring new teachers probably the same. But gone are the days of the 60 or 70 hour work seeks, leaving home at 5.00 and getting back at 9.pm. That was the heart attack year, incidentally!
Fortunately, this year I don't have to hire any new teachers from abroad as they're all staying. Knock on wood. What this means is that for the winter I basically do nothing but look at the money and make sure we're not spending more htan we're taking in so that we survive the summer, when there is much less work but the same amount of fixed costs.
. The school year is winding down and I definitely have that 'home-stretch' feeling. I'm looking forward to teaching a little less and relaxing and reading a little more in the summer. One of the teachers is staying through the summer, which means I'll be able to take it a little easy and give him some of the hours I usually teach--I'm usually just as busy in the summer as not. I started out the year as one of the school's busiest teachers but I've ended up having a pretty easy schedule, though I do have some stressful classes. I've been saving money for the planned vacation in America next year, and I suppose some of that will be going for living costs this year.
We haven't really made plans for this year: what I'd like to do is maybe have a little holiday in the High TAtras of Slovakia--it's not as good for little kids as Austria is but for bigger kids and adults it's just as good,
If there's one thing living in the Czech Republic has taught me it's how to look and plan ahead and save money. The amount of money that I have saved would have been absolutely impossible in the States. I remember one time realizing that, as I walked through Denver one hot summer day that I hardly went ten minutes without spending money somewhere. And when I visit America, I was surprised at how often Dad or Blake, when they were driving, would just casually stop the car somewhere, run in and get a Coke or something to drink. It blew me away. I've been trained to think about every little purchase I make. Which is not to say I never splurge but it's something I always ask myself about first. Because, SUMMER IS COMING. Summer with its smaller amount of work and vacaations to boot. After spending a penniless summer in 2004 eating almost nothing and spending my copious free time watching fish swim in the Bečva and sitting in mz bedroom in the evening practicing saying Czech words outloud, I've learned to control my spending much more tightly than back in the US of A.
I've got an easy day today because we're doing PET examinations at a local school--well, Jana and Petr are doing them. My morning class was consequently cancelled because the students in it are taking the test. I don't go 'til 2.00 today. I'll geet off at 8.30, so really just 6 a nd a half hours of work and it's all pretty easy on Thursdays.
Tuesdays are my demanding days. Let me tell you about my Tuesdays. I get up at 4.30 and do my morning ritual of coffee and reading. (sometimes I get on the net but usually I read on my Kindle.) At 5.45, I jump in the shower, get out, skip shaving, get dressed, hunt for my keys/phone/wallet/kindle/laptop and head out to work. At abuot 6.05, I drive across town to pick up Catherine, who, like me, also works in Val Mez on Tuesdays. Then we drive to Val Mez, which is about 13 miles away. Sometimes we chat amiably, especially now that it's light out and that gives me energy. Sometimes we exchange a few pleasantries and sit the rest of the journey in the silence. It's all good. I usually get to the office in VM at about 6.40 at which time I turn on the kettle, set up my laptop and hastily plan my first lesson, which starts at 7.00.
We haven't really made plans for this year: what I'd like to do is maybe have a little holiday in the High TAtras of Slovakia--it's not as good for little kids as Austria is but for bigger kids and adults it's just as good,
If there's one thing living in the Czech Republic has taught me it's how to look and plan ahead and save money. The amount of money that I have saved would have been absolutely impossible in the States. I remember one time realizing that, as I walked through Denver one hot summer day that I hardly went ten minutes without spending money somewhere. And when I visit America, I was surprised at how often Dad or Blake, when they were driving, would just casually stop the car somewhere, run in and get a Coke or something to drink. It blew me away. I've been trained to think about every little purchase I make. Which is not to say I never splurge but it's something I always ask myself about first. Because, SUMMER IS COMING. Summer with its smaller amount of work and vacaations to boot. After spending a penniless summer in 2004 eating almost nothing and spending my copious free time watching fish swim in the Bečva and sitting in mz bedroom in the evening practicing saying Czech words outloud, I've learned to control my spending much more tightly than back in the US of A.
I've got an easy day today because we're doing PET examinations at a local school--well, Jana and Petr are doing them. My morning class was consequently cancelled because the students in it are taking the test. I don't go 'til 2.00 today. I'll geet off at 8.30, so really just 6 a nd a half hours of work and it's all pretty easy on Thursdays.
Tuesdays are my demanding days. Let me tell you about my Tuesdays. I get up at 4.30 and do my morning ritual of coffee and reading. (sometimes I get on the net but usually I read on my Kindle.) At 5.45, I jump in the shower, get out, skip shaving, get dressed, hunt for my keys/phone/wallet/kindle/laptop and head out to work. At abuot 6.05, I drive across town to pick up Catherine, who, like me, also works in Val Mez on Tuesdays. Then we drive to Val Mez, which is about 13 miles away. Sometimes we chat amiably, especially now that it's light out and that gives me energy. Sometimes we exchange a few pleasantries and sit the rest of the journey in the silence. It's all good. I usually get to the office in VM at about 6.40 at which time I turn on the kettle, set up my laptop and hastily plan my first lesson, which starts at 7.00.
My student shows up at 7. He is always exactly on time. I think he literally walks into the school at the precise moment that all the second hands in the world are pointing straight up at the twelve. I give him his tea, and sit down and teach him for 60 minutes. Jiři is a pretty nice guy. He's short and looks a little rodent-like. He's the HR manager at a factory in Hranice na Moravě. His wife is a doctor, as is his daughter and his son is studying computer engineering in Brno. He's about a typical a middle-class Moravian as you can find. Works hard. Goes for walks at the weekend. Skiing holidays in the winter. Croatia in the summer.
After he takes off, I horse around on the Internet for about 15 minutes or talk to Petr about some important business. Then I go into overdrive and I plan the rest of my work day in the next 35 minutes or so. I make some copies and I'm out the door at about 9.25, running late for my lesson at MTT, a factory which makes plastic mouldings that make pieces for cara(like the plastic inside of your car doors or the light frames and 'glass'(it's plastic) around your tail lights. They also make tools, but not tools like hammers and such. They make these huge industrial machines that...make molds and so on. I don't really know what they do. Anyway, I usually get there about three our four minutes late(it's four kilometres away and I always underestimate how bad the traffic will be.) It doesn't matter because my student, Petr is always even later. He always comes in at about a quarter til ten apologizing for his lateness. I always say, 'that's OK, I was actually a little late, too.' We have our lessons. Petr is also pretty typical for a Moravian in these parts, but he's sportier than average, I'd reckon(and Moravians are a sporty bunch) He lives in a village about 5 miles from Val Mez, and when it's not raining or snowy, he rides his bike to and from work. He's a technical designer for MTT, meaning he designs these industrial machines they make. He's 50 but he looks about 35. He has a very thick accent. His wife is a psychologist, his son a technical designer and his second son is kind of a deadbeat of whom petr despairs. He goes on exotic holidays every couple years(safari in Africa, hiking in Nepal) and he also goes on a fishing trip to Norway every spring. At weekends, he and his wife travel somewhere in the Czech Republic, often to South Moravia to wine cellars or for cycling in the Bohemian lowlands or whatever.
I finish that one at 11, and drive straight back to Vsetin, where I walk in the office at about 11.30. I eat lunch which I've either prepared the night before or which I've had Zuzka order for me from one of the restaurants in town. I don't like ordering from the restaurants in town because they nearly always include something I shouldn't eat, like potatoes or they are late and I don't have time to eat. Anwyay, i finish eating at 1115, at which time I take a toilet break for 15 minutes. Then I correct homework for the next half hour and if I play my cards right, I can take it easy from 12-12.30 and check the bank account and pay whatever invoices have piled up on my desk.
At twelve thirty I pile everything into the other car(the one for teachers that no one uses this year because none of the teachers can drive, so I drive it a couple of times a week so it doesn't fall apart.)
After he takes off, I horse around on the Internet for about 15 minutes or talk to Petr about some important business. Then I go into overdrive and I plan the rest of my work day in the next 35 minutes or so. I make some copies and I'm out the door at about 9.25, running late for my lesson at MTT, a factory which makes plastic mouldings that make pieces for cara(like the plastic inside of your car doors or the light frames and 'glass'(it's plastic) around your tail lights. They also make tools, but not tools like hammers and such. They make these huge industrial machines that...make molds and so on. I don't really know what they do. Anyway, I usually get there about three our four minutes late(it's four kilometres away and I always underestimate how bad the traffic will be.) It doesn't matter because my student, Petr is always even later. He always comes in at about a quarter til ten apologizing for his lateness. I always say, 'that's OK, I was actually a little late, too.' We have our lessons. Petr is also pretty typical for a Moravian in these parts, but he's sportier than average, I'd reckon(and Moravians are a sporty bunch) He lives in a village about 5 miles from Val Mez, and when it's not raining or snowy, he rides his bike to and from work. He's a technical designer for MTT, meaning he designs these industrial machines they make. He's 50 but he looks about 35. He has a very thick accent. His wife is a psychologist, his son a technical designer and his second son is kind of a deadbeat of whom petr despairs. He goes on exotic holidays every couple years(safari in Africa, hiking in Nepal) and he also goes on a fishing trip to Norway every spring. At weekends, he and his wife travel somewhere in the Czech Republic, often to South Moravia to wine cellars or for cycling in the Bohemian lowlands or whatever.
I finish that one at 11, and drive straight back to Vsetin, where I walk in the office at about 11.30. I eat lunch which I've either prepared the night before or which I've had Zuzka order for me from one of the restaurants in town. I don't like ordering from the restaurants in town because they nearly always include something I shouldn't eat, like potatoes or they are late and I don't have time to eat. Anwyay, i finish eating at 1115, at which time I take a toilet break for 15 minutes. Then I correct homework for the next half hour and if I play my cards right, I can take it easy from 12-12.30 and check the bank account and pay whatever invoices have piled up on my desk.
At twelve thirty I pile everything into the other car(the one for teachers that no one uses this year because none of the teachers can drive, so I drive it a couple of times a week so it doesn't fall apart.)
This car used to belong to Petr. He sold it to the school for 30 000 kc earlier this year. It's a bit of a hunk o' junk but it's the fastest ship in the galaxy. Petr smoked in it constantly so it smells very strongly of cigarette smoke. If you're not a smoker, this is absolutely the worst smell in the galaxy. But fuck it.
Anyway, I drive about 6 kms to Austin(google maps says it's 7 kms but mapy.cz says it's about 6.) a factory where they make explosives used in mining and for blasting holes in hills for highways to go through. It's an American-owned company, based in Ohio. It's called Austin for its founder who founded the company like 180 years ago or something. I teach there from about 1.00 to 4.00, to lessons back to back. I don't mind it at all. I really like the students and if ever a class is lacklustre or boring, it's nearly always my fault.
My first lesson is comprised of too IT technicians, a chemist and...Petr. I'm not sure what Petr does, to be honest, but I know he works 6 days a week. He's a big bellied, recently divorced guy who makes a lot of self-deprecating, ironic jokes, which are actually pretty funny despite the fact that he's probably the weakest student in the class in terms of language skills. Then there's Miroslav, the IT technician whose passion is building and flying model remote control planes, Bron'e, an IT technician who has a girlfriend at university in Olomouc who he visits every weekend, and Jarda, a chemist and electrician who uses over formal words all the time as if he's learned most of his English from istruction manuals. Which he has. His daughter, who I taught at when she was 14 is some sort of English-Czech translator and teacher in Brno.
After that there's the advanced class: Jana, who is a technical designer working on her Master's Degree, Magda...I think she works in the purchasing department. She's about 32 but her sons are in their teens. Tomas, another IT guy, but higher position than the ones in the first class. And Tonda. Tonda's about 45 but he had a mild stroke a few years ago and changed his position. I'm not sure what he did before, but now he's in charge of safety procedures. Austin's pretty strict about safety because, after all, they make explosives.
When I'm teaching there, classes are intermittently interrupted by explosions echoing through the tree-clad hills as somewhere in the huge complex the chemists are testing products. The windows rattle, I mutter 'excuse me' (which no one EVER gets) and we carry on.
Anyway, I drive about 6 kms to Austin(google maps says it's 7 kms but mapy.cz says it's about 6.) a factory where they make explosives used in mining and for blasting holes in hills for highways to go through. It's an American-owned company, based in Ohio. It's called Austin for its founder who founded the company like 180 years ago or something. I teach there from about 1.00 to 4.00, to lessons back to back. I don't mind it at all. I really like the students and if ever a class is lacklustre or boring, it's nearly always my fault.
My first lesson is comprised of too IT technicians, a chemist and...Petr. I'm not sure what Petr does, to be honest, but I know he works 6 days a week. He's a big bellied, recently divorced guy who makes a lot of self-deprecating, ironic jokes, which are actually pretty funny despite the fact that he's probably the weakest student in the class in terms of language skills. Then there's Miroslav, the IT technician whose passion is building and flying model remote control planes, Bron'e, an IT technician who has a girlfriend at university in Olomouc who he visits every weekend, and Jarda, a chemist and electrician who uses over formal words all the time as if he's learned most of his English from istruction manuals. Which he has. His daughter, who I taught at when she was 14 is some sort of English-Czech translator and teacher in Brno.
After that there's the advanced class: Jana, who is a technical designer working on her Master's Degree, Magda...I think she works in the purchasing department. She's about 32 but her sons are in their teens. Tomas, another IT guy, but higher position than the ones in the first class. And Tonda. Tonda's about 45 but he had a mild stroke a few years ago and changed his position. I'm not sure what he did before, but now he's in charge of safety procedures. Austin's pretty strict about safety because, after all, they make explosives.
When I'm teaching there, classes are intermittently interrupted by explosions echoing through the tree-clad hills as somewhere in the huge complex the chemists are testing products. The windows rattle, I mutter 'excuse me' (which no one EVER gets) and we carry on.
Anyway, at 4 o'clock, I get into the school car and drive as fast as I possibly can BACK to Val Mez. This takes about 40 minutes on average, becaue the traffic is quite heavy between the two towns at that time. Then I get in, teach my lessons from 445-8.00 deliver the homework I've checked to the three ladies who I give extra homework to, and finally I'm finished at 8.00. I drive back home, and get in usually about 840. at which time, exhausted, I change clothes, climb into bed and read a bit before sinking....And that's my day.
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