Maturita is finished!! Let the Celebration begin!

So, after a very crazy week of leaving exams taken by the Seniors last week, the lives of everyone are a lot more relaxed! And it's a beautiful thing. The students spent months studying for this and crammed the entire last week to be prepared to speak about 4 topics chosen at random out of a possible of 100. So, they learned 100 topics for 4 classes and then had to speak about only 4 of the topics for 15 minutes each. It's a difficult process, and the hardest thing is that there are no breaks between exams for one subject. They have to know everything for all classes when they go in for the test. And after 4 hours, everything is finished and then they can all relax and enjoy life to its fullest. It's a wonderful thing. And the great thing is that everyone (at least that I know of) passed! And I know everyone who took english passed the English test. So, it was very simple, but a very stressful time. I think the idea of Maturita is actually a lot worse than the actual Maturita exam itself, but, that's part of living in the beautiful land of ČR!! So, what else. now that Maturita is finished, it was time for our kids to graduate. On Friday we had a graduation ceremony, but it was fairly unlike any in the states. So, we all show up to the place and sit down, of course everyone is dressed very nice. Then the principal says a few words and some other people and then they call each class up on stage and give them their certificate of completion (yet, I don't think it is really anything like a diploma, I think it is more like a "Please remember us bye" type of certificate.) Then maybe one or two students say something really quick, and then they invite all the students and teachers on stage at the end for some champagne. So, me and mike had to run down real quick, cuz we were on the balcony and we (as usual) weren't really informed about anything. So, we are all on stage, and the relatives and parents are just watching us and it's gotta be a bit boring for them. So we are up there and then when we all have finished clinkin our glasses together and toasting and stuff, then we go down and leave. That's all. No cap and gown, no big ceremonial speaches, nothing. It's a bit interesting. Oh yea, and I hardly understood anything also by the way.

This is the Business class of which I taught 4 wonderful girls (all of which passed beautifully, thanks to their wonderful teacher).
















So, this next class was the 8 year Gymnazium students. I had two guys from this. They are great as well.






This next group is the 4 year Gymnazium students, and the majority of my Maturita students. It was a great year and I'm gonna miss all my students very much. Hopefully I can stay in touch with some of the graduating class next year. It would be great.








Here are some pictures from our after-Maturita party with the 4 year Gymnazium class. It was fun. And the photos are full of big American smiles. It's great



So, then, afterwards, we rushed home in order to prepare for the after-Maturita class party of the 4-year gymnazium students. These parties are strictly for the graduating class and teachers, only. So, where to have it, but in a pub. Yea, you think this would fly in America? So, we eat dinner, the students are talking with all the teachers, drinking and smoking blatantly as in casual talk. But, they aren't students anymore, so somehow it's totally ok. It was a sad night. Everyone saying goodbye for the last time after 4 years, and everything was just bittersweet. It was a great time to say goodbye to students and to have a different environment for speaking English. It was a great time and I think that I'm really gonna miss all of them. It's crazy, and next year is gonna be just as crazy. peace.








Here's some pics of some of the guys just being awesome and jammin to some beats.

Marathon Baby!!

So, as you can see for yourself, the Prague International Marathon '06 was really horrible. You see these wonderful pics of me? They were at about the halfway mark, about km 17 and 22. So, after these photos, I still had to run 12 or 13 more miles!! Just imagine how I looked at the end! Hope you enjoy and hope you don't think I have some strange disease in the pictures. I know I look bad, but i promise, it's just the running





















I look happy huh? It's not true, I must be hallucinating. I think I'm thinking about how I'm gonna spend the rest of my life without running at all.

One week later

So, after the Marathon, I have been recovering quite well. My legs don't hurt as bad, and life ismuch more enjoyable. I am even able to walk up stairs without any problem! It was a big accomplishment for me! Since the race, I have acquired once again, the taste for bananas (they stuffed me so full of bananas during the race, that i was completely full by the time i finished). So today I bought myself some bananas, and it was delicious. Other big news for me. My English department at school got a new TV and a DVD player!! Wow! That's great. What else? I've been able to hang out and talk with my students a lot more, which has been really awesome. I'm pretty pumped with how things have been going and am happy with my decision for next year. I'm looking forward to that a lot.

This next week is sure to be one crazy week as well, because we have the leaving exams for the Seniors. They had last week off of school and so now they will commence to take their Maturita Exams!! Yikes!! Anyways, best of luck to them. This is probably one of the worst things about the education system, but it's tradition, so we must digress. Remember how I said it all works? Czech out my post a few weeks ago to see how things work. You'll be freaked. Anyways, after this week, things should be getting simpler day by day, and it is getting closer and closer to the time when I come home! craziness, i know. Anyways, I really need to get some pictures up here. I'll work on it, ok, peace.

Marathon #1 Accomplished!!!

So, it's time to relax and start to enjoy life again. For my first ever marathon of 42 km (26.2 miles) is finished and I am in recup mode right now. I figure I did pretty well seeing that I really didn't train a whole lot at all for it. I think I ran 3 times over 10 miles (my longest being 12 or 13 maybe), so I feel proud that I just finished period. My time many of you are wondering was 4 hours 54 minutes and 17 seconds. So I was hoping to get around 430 but, like i said, I am just glad to have finished. There were definitely times when I thought that I really wasn't going to finish, but I pushed myself on beyond all reasonable limits to do the impossible. When I get pics up, I will do that as soon as possible. I think I just need to practice my endurance for the next one, because I was on target up until the halfway point, then I died. My 10k was quite excellent, under an hour and my half was just over 2 hours. You can go to www.praguemarathon.com and check myself out for yourself if you want. Oh, and if you were curious, the winning time was 2:11. OK peace

The 48 Hour Jitters

So, 48 hours from now I will be running in a marathon, my first. I'm kinda pretty nervous right now, but it will be an interesting ordeal. Maybe everyone can cross their fingers and wish for the best. That's all I can ask at this point. Now I've got a time to shoot for also. Because the race starts at 9AM and my principal is running in it also, and he told me "We will meet at the finish at 130 and go for a beer." Yea sure, if i can physically go anywhere at that point. We'll see. It'll be great. Thanks for the thoughts. It will be a fun experience though, or at least an experience. It's strange, I've been waiting and looking to this date all year and now, it's finally here. I always had thought, "Wow, May is like forever away" But not anymore. It's here babe, and it's here for good, well, at least until June comes, then it won't be here anymore, but you get the picture. OK, so, peace out. Remember, 9AM sunday (that's anywhere from 3AM for EST, to 2AM for CST, or midnight for you fools on PST. I don't think I know anyone in Mountain Time.) Ok, so peace out.

Reflections

It's been strange lately as I prepare to leave Kralupy for the summer holidays. But, I am excited for it, mainly because I know that I will be returning in August. I've gone through many moments of being really excited about coming back, then regretting my decision enphatically and now I'm at a stage where I'm looking forward to coming back, but I am super ready to go home for a little bit. I've made a lot of good frienships here with teachers (both American and Czech) and students, and just other random people (some who actually don't really speak English so it's been fun sometimes) and therefore it has been a very interesting year and a lot of unforgettable memories and moments, and maybe still some unforgettable momemts that I would want to forget :) It's been great experiencing and living in the culture of a foreign land and language. I've really been able to open my eyes to a greater view of the world and seen things that would be impossible without living here. It will be quite interesting to see how this year and next year prove to influence my future ideas, decisions, and thoughts. But, it will also be fun and cool, perhaps. Things I'm looking forward to in the coming months:

• Going to Ireland with school
• Going on a canoe trip with my American teachers
• Going to America
• Going to Gulf Shores for a family reunion
• Going to Norman, OK and spending time with my friends there
• Spending lots of time with my family
• Spending time with my nephew (who is 1 now by the way)
• Coming back to Kralupy for another year of teaching my awesome and amazing students

So, things will be quite enjoyable for me, I hope, and I just hope that everythign goes without a hitch this summer and no crazy antics are present. So, cool, Thanks for everything. Peace.

So much, so little

So, as the year has progresssed one of the main things I sit and reflect on are all the things that have grown and shaped me this year. The main outcome of these shapings is the progression of my continued awesemeness. But besides that, fairly normal I believe. So, on Sunday I am participating in my first Marathon. It's at 9am, so if any of you are up around 2 or3 am , you are more than welcome to cheer me on. I should finish about the time you wake up, so no worries. I'll let you know how I fare. So, aha, I do have something very important to talk about as the year is winding up. So, as the year comes to a close, the seniors are getting ready to leave for good :( But before they leave, they have to take a horrible exam, called Maturita. What Maturita consists of is 4 subjects : Czech language, a foreign language, and 2 other electives that they are strong in. They have several topics in which they must be prepared for and therefore, all year with the senior class, we are preparing them, reviewing topics, giving them info and all that. They choose a topic at random and have 15 minutes to prepare for it and them they must speak for 15 minutes about their chosen topic, and if they don't know it, then they fail, and that's really not too good. So, the topics are really horrible and some of them just suck in general and are horrible topics, but, some are fairly interesting and kinda cool. I don't know, I think that the whole things sucks but, you be the judge for yourself. The 25 topics for English are as follows:

• USA: Geography, People, History, Nat. Economy, Gov. and Admin.
• Great Britain: Geography, People, History, Nat. Economy, Gov. and Admin.
• English Speaking Countries: Geography, People, History, Nat. Economy, Gov.
• Czech Republic: Geography, People, History, Nat. Economy, Gov. and Admin.
• Big British Cities
• Big American Cities
• Prague
• My Town and its Surroundings
• Educational Systems
• British Literature
• American Literature
• Social World Problems
• Me and My Family
• A Life Story
• Science and Technology
• Health, Sickness, Disease
• Sport and Games
• Food and Meals
• Housing, My Room
• Holiday, Traveling
• Culture and Entertainment
• Shopping, Fashion, Clothes
• My Daily Program and Hobbies
• Festivals and Customs
• Weather, Climate, Environmental Protection

So, yea, pretty interesting, huh? Yep, so less than 2 months and I'll be back in the states!! Whoo. Give me a holler so we can meet up. Ok, see you all soon. Peace