So, over the past six weeks, I have been in email contact with many of my new co-workers. They are giving me hints about everything from packing to phone options to hobbies to spanish lessons. Over Christmas break I also spent a good bit of time researching and making purchase orders for materials to teach literature and ancient civilization to my sixth graders in Puerto La Cruz next year. In between these emails and unit planning sessions, I studied for my English as a New Language re-certification test that I took January 10th. Although all this flurry of activity may not appear to be a "calm", the truth is that compared to the looming lists of things I'll have to accomplish in the next six months, it was very, very calm.
What have I learned? I learned that most of my new co-workers own boats and spend weekends on the water. They enjoy scuba diving and get-togethers when they have free time. I also learned that I need to learn Spanish to get around my new home and to communicate with many of my new students. I learned that phone service to Venezuela doesn't have to be expensive if I use SKYPE and that everything I plan to bring should come with me as excess baggage. Finally, I learned that Venezuela contains many developing world challenges such as power and water outages and creative "maintenance" on just about everything (which leads to even more challenges such as water heaters falling off the wall because they were screwed into stucco with four standard screws and leaking pipes in walls because they were out of PVC and used a segment of garden hose instead.).
For now, I am battening down the hatches as I prepare for the storm of prepartions to come. I am very excited so I think when all is said and done, it will merely be one grand adventure.
Oh, and I am taking up a new hobby that is quite popular in Puerto La Cruz and surrounding areas-Kiteboarding. My daughter and cousin are going to join me in this crazy endeavor. Stay tuned for more details and stories.
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