Ok, it has been an exciting and busy week. I am sure y'all are busy, too. We got 4-5 inches of snow on Monday. It was so beautiful and I forgot to bring my camera to town. Oh, well, next time. It was not so pretty the next day when I had to walk through slush. But I bought a good pair of boots last week, just in the nick of time. They have proved to work well and I am very proud of my purchase.

Sunday, Lena and I went to Loket. I wrote about the castle there in October. There was a medieval Christmas market complete with minstrels, fencing, a live nativity scene and mulled wine. It took place at the castle and I bought a few pretties for some special folks. We had a great time but it was COLD! It started to snow while we were there.

I will spend Christmas Eve with the Headmistress' family. There will be 5 Brazilians celebrating with us, as well. Christmas day I will travel to Prague to celebrate with other ESI teachers. Then, Beth and I will go the City of Lights, Paris, for a few days. I am so excited to spend my first Christmas away from home in my favorite city. I will let you know all about it.

Thanks to everyone who sent me goodies for Christmas. I haven't opened them yet, Mom! I did get some great things like Cheddar cheese and tortillas and salsa to make me feel more at home. This will be a special Christmas. I hope it is a nice one for y'all as well.

I won't be checking my mail very often over the Christmas Holidays, but will check in when I can. I miss you all very much and I pray the Holiday Season will be filled with Joy, Peace and Blessings.
Merry Christmas! Jessica

Well, I am sure you are curious about the doctor's visit. It was fine and not degrading or demoralizing like I thought it would be. He put me on different meds and I go back in two weeks. If it works we will try it for six months. I am already feeling a bit better and will let you know how it is going.

Tomas, my student with the concussion is back at school and is fine. Thanks for all of the prayers. My students now know how dangerous it is to lean back in their chairs!!

Friday was St. Nicholas' Day. St. Nick, a devil and an angel come around to visit the children. If you are good you can sing a song to St. Nick and he will give you sweets. If you are bad the devil will give you a potato and /or a lump of coal. The angel gives blessings. It was quite funny to see all these characters running around Friday afternoon and into the evening. It is neat to experience the traditions of another culture. It makes your own traditions more special in a way.

Today I received a package from my sister and my church with presents. I was told to open one immediately and it was a small Christmas tree! Yea!

Well I must go plan a lesson for my 13 and 14 year olds. Hope y'all have a good week.
Jessica

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I am so excited! Yesterday morning I saw a HUGE Christmas tree being driven to the town square. When I was walking home from school, they had it up and lights on it. There are lights and greenery everywhere, even mistletoe. I will take some pictures one night this week. It is so pretty. Now I just gotta get some decorations for my flat. Can't wait.

Yesterday, one of my students was rocking in his chair and fell back, hitting his head on the wall. This happened between classes when the students have no supervision. I get to class and all the boys are talking to him and he keeps saying, "Ne viem," (I don't Know) while he is trying hard not to cry. I asked what was going on and the boys told me what happened and that he couldn't remember hitting his head. He wanted to go home. One of the boys took him to the secretary and she called an ambulance because he was seeing double. He has a concussion. It was really hard because he is a beginner student and I couldn't ask him the questions I needed to ask him to assess his condition. I was thankful that they were concerned and did everything they could to help. This a group of 13 year-old boys. They showed a great amount of maturity and compassion. Please pray for Tomas to get better.

I am going to see the doctor tomorrow afternoon. I have been in quite a bit of pain lately and need to see if he can change my medication. I hope this won't be too horrible. One of the English teachers, Lucie, is going with me. I am a little nervous because I have heard they don't give you robes, or any covering at all for that matter, when you are examined. My co-worker will be in the room with me serving as a translator. It will be a bit awkward. They have different attitudes regarding nudity and modesty than Americans. I will just have to get over it, I suppose.
Have a great week.....Jessica

Well, I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had a great time at our retreat. I got to spend time with my friends from training and just relax. We had turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberries. Then we had pie. I was so excited because I had pecan pie!! I never expected it. I think it was one of the best pecan pies I ever had!!

Living over here is improving my cooking skills. I made homemade tortillas and salsa the other day. I would never have attempted it at home. But when you gotta have tacos, you gotta have tacos. The torillas are actually quite easy to make, they just take a little time. I am going to make a bunch up and freeze them so I can have them when I want them.

That's all for today....more to come.

I hope everyone is doing well as you are getting ready for Thanksgiving. It has been neat to get to explain a holiday unique to North Americans. My students know a little of the history and I have had to relearn some of it. How soon we forget our own history.

The entire Central Europe ESI team will be together for a Thanksgiving Retreat this weekend. We are staying at a hotel in Hododin, Czech Republic. It is on the Czech/Slovak border. The hotel is to prepare a normal T-Day dinner for us. We will also have a bit of training this weekend, too. It is why we can get two days off from school. I am excited to see my friends from training and will be glad for the break. But it will be a long travel day. Lena and I are leaving Cheb at 5.50 am and will arrive there at 1.20 pm, by bus.

I am being observed by an ESI alum tomorrow, so I need to prepare for that. She is also staying at my flat tonight so I need to do some shopping and cleaning. I wish all of you a great Thanksgiving holiday. I pray it will be a wonderful time with family and friends and that each of you take time to give thanks for all of our blessings. I am truely thankful for the wonderful friends and family I have supporting, praying for me and cheering me on back home. I am also aware of how much we, as Americans, have to be thankful for. We are truely, truely blessed. Until next time-----Jessica

Yesterday was a holiday, so I had a nice long weekend. Lena, my flat mate went to Salzburg with 3 other ESI teachers. I stayed at home because I was really buzy and it was nice to have the place to myself. Sunday was great. I went to have lunch at the restaurant where one of my students (Vladka) is a waitress. She was so glad I came. She invited me to a pub later that night where one of classmates would be celebrating his 19th birthday. I went home and made a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. I took some to my next door neighbors. They have helped us in so many ways. They were so excited that they invited me for "American Coffee." Maria, the wife speaks a little English. Jiri speaks none. We had an interesing time with broken English and Czech but it was very nice. I left with some apples and a standing invitation to come over for coffee anytime. Jiri says he will teach me Czech and I can teach him English.

Later, I went to the pub with Vladka. I gave Filip, the birthday boy, some of the cookies I baked and a "Don't Mess with Texas!" sticker. He loved both and was very glad I came. Although, I doubt he will remember much of it. He was quite drunk. I had a coffee and a great conversation with two of my students, John and Boris, about films and attitudes about Americans. I had such a good time that I didn't even mind walking home in the rain.

Today I received a nice package from my friend Penny. She sent some magazines and books and a nice fleece sweatshirt! It is a nice surprise. One of my students just asked for a Rolling Stones magazine. I hope they don't all start asking for things. There is no way I can get them everything they want. Well, that's all for now. Next week is Thanksgiving and the Central Europe team (Czech Republic & Hungary) will have a retreat together in South Moravia. We will have Thanksgiving Dinner prepared for us by the hotel. It should be great. I will let you know.
Jessica

Hello y'all!
I hope everyone is doing well. I am fine and dandy. I am starting to teach some students some slang and idioms. So if any of y'all have some good ideas, let me know. It is really hard to actually think of slang because it is so common for us. And I have been trying very hard not to use it around students because they may not understand. Thanks for your input!

I went to see Bruce Almighty last week. It's a great movie if you haven't seen it yet. If you guys see any good films that you think would be good to discuss with my students, let me know. I am going to see Far Away from Heaven tonight. I hope it is as good as it has been reported to be.

Ok, so did you know that there is no such thing as cheddar cheese here? Being a big fan of cheddar, I was quite shocked and dismayed by this fact. The thing I miss more than cheddar cheese is pominto cheese sandwiches. But my friend, Penny, has saved me from a pominto cheeseless existance. While she was visiting me, she introduced me to a paprika flavored cream cheese spread that tastes like pominto cheese with a kick! I am thrilled to say that I haven't bought another kind of cheese spread since. And it is cheaper than the others that I was buying. So once again, it's the little things that make me happy.

Have a blessed week--Jessica

Ok, you are now able to post comments on this site. So please do so! It will be nice to have your comments immediately.

I am having a much better week. I want you to know that I am trying to be real with y'all. I don't want to paint a rosy picture when I think it's grey. But the grey moments are few and far between. I am really enjoying myself here.

I got a nice package from my father. I am now prepared for a blizzard! He sent me some great gloves, a ski mask, two hats, a scarf, headband, ear muffs and silk thermals. Thanks Dad!

I got my health card today. Now I can go the doctor for free. But I don't know if there are any English speaking doctors here. One of the other English teachers said she would go with me. We'll see.
Gotta run!
Have a great weekend!
Jessica

I hit a wall yesterday. It was a small wall, but a wall none the less. I will not go into details since the they have been cleared up but we have had some scheduling problems for the last two weeks. I got embarassed and my feelings hurt in front of my students. I had a big crying jag at home and I feel a little bit better. I can see how to get over the wall now. So now that has been said....on to some fun things.

I went to Nurnberg on Monday. Penny and I had so much fun. She got to show me around one of her favorite places in Germany. We shopped, we ate and we shopped some more. I didn't buy much, a few Christmas presents and a scarf for me.

Thanks to all of you who sent birthday greetings via email and packages. I had a wonderfull birthday, one I will always remember.

Just a reminder, if you are going to send me anything for Christmas, it must arrive at the school by Dec. 19th. Our holiday starts after that and I won't be able to receive packages until Jan. 5th. The post office told my mom to send by the middle of Nov. I hope that helps!

I am so excited! I am going to start a film discussion group with my older students. They are excited about it, too. I will let you know how it goes. Have a great weekend! Jessica

I am at an inernet cafe in the town square. It has snowed three times this week. Can you believe it? My friend Penny is here and we have had a great time talking and walking around town. We are probably going to Nurnberg tomorrow (Monday). I have a 3 day holiday so I don't have to be back to school until Thursday.

I am slowly learning the language and I mean SLOWLY. But I know way more than I did 2 months ago! There is a lot of music and noise here and it is hard for me to concentrate so I will write more later. Hope y'all had a great weekend.
Jessica

I have so much to tell and not lots of time. I may have to do installments on the weekend. But first of all, it is SNOWING!!! Yes, that's right, snow. The weather forcast was for warm (55 F) days and some rain. Not so. C'est la vie!

I got my visa last week! This is wonderful news because I can get paid now! I crossed the border to Germany on Sunday so I could get an official entry stamp when I came back to the Czech Republic. I only live about 5K from the German border so this was not a problem and the train to border towns is free on the weekends. I went to the forgein police yesterday to give them my visa number, so my registration with them is complete. Now, all I need is my health card and I will be totally offical!

Friday I went to Prague with some students to see Othello. It was really good. And yes, it was in Czech. But I know the story and I read over it again before I went to refresh my memory. The costumes were wonderful and I loved the set. There were several strong actors in the cast. It was well done and shorter than I remember. Lots of fencing!

Saturday is one for the books! Lena made me cookies for my birthday. Then we went to the Dragoun (Vietnamese) market for some Pho. We go to this restaurant and try to order in Czech to a man who speaks Vietnamese. Two Germans sit next to us at the same table. They are very curious about me eating Pho with chopsticks. They keep asking me about it in German. It was quite an international experience! Then we go to the Hypernova (it's like a super target) and pick up a few things. I bought an antenna for the TV. We now can pick up 4 Czech stations. But it may help us learn the lang. who knows? Then we were meeting friends for pizza to celebrate my birthday!

I have had a great birthday. Saturday evening was spent with American and Czech friends ( and one Canadian) at a nice pizza place. My Czech friends, they are fellow teachers, gave me a beautiful wooden box, a pencil made from a stick (very cool!), some lucky bamboo and some flowers. I got a book of quotes from children, some homemade fudge and tortillias from the Sokolov girls, a nice card and some sponges from the Sokolov guys. Don't know about the sponges, but I am sure they will be useful! Josh gave me a box of Chocolates and Lena gave me a wonderful ceramic plaque to hang in my room. We had so much fun talking and laughing. It is exactly what I wanted to do to celebrate! Yesterday, my actual birthday, was very nice, too. My small kids sang "Happy Birthday" to me in English and I got some chocolates from one of them. Other students gave me a candle holder, a beautiful green pen (expensive, too!), cards and more candy! The head mistress gave me a gerber daisey and a bottle of Slivovice, the plum liquor I had at her house. I also got a package from my friend Angela, it had some stationary and a book about the day I was born. There was also a very touching card that made me cry. I got lots of emails and phone calls from family and friends. Who could ask for anything more? I have been told I have other packages on the way, so I will have my birthday all week. And Penny is coming this weekend to celebrate, too! I am truely blessed! I hope things are going well for everyone. I miss y'all!-Jessica

I had a nice Saturday with the headmistress and her two daughters. I was picked up a little after 11:00 and got home around 11:30 pm. They had no intentions of taking me home sooner. I had a traditional Czech lunch, it was quite good. Then I was given the traditional Czech drink, Slovovice, it is liquer made from plums. My glass was never empty the rest of the day. Everytime I finished it, they filled it up. Apperantly, it is good for whatever ails you. I sipped it very slowly with very long intervals between sips. Otherwise, I would have been passed out on the floor in front of the fire. We just sat around and talked and watched movies in Czech. Fortunately, I had seen the movies before or I would have been lost.

That's all I have time for today. More later--Jessica

The staff birthday party was yesterday. It was quite nice and not as rowdy as had been reported. I was given two beautiful green coffee mugs and some insence and an insence holder. I was touched. This was the first time I had really spent any time with some of my non-English speaking collegues. It was funny to say the least. At one point two teachers were asking each other if they spoke English (one of the few phrases I actually understand). They were telling each other in Czech that they didn't speak English so I told them in Czech that I didn't speak Czech. They started laughing so hard because they thought I couldn't understand them at all. They started to ask me how much I understood and I told them malo (small). That was pretty much the end of our conversation but we had fun trying to communicate. Later, when we were all together, the other teachers were asking me about Arnold winning the election in CA and about Thanksgiving turkeys.

Since we are talking about communication, let me tell you a funny story. Tuesday, the headmistress, Lenka, stopped me on the way out. She wanted to invite me to lunch Saturday. Lenka doesn't speak English. She told me the first week of school that I could speak to her in bad French. So Lenka is speaking half in French and half in Czech. Her daughter, Martina is translating the Czech to me as I am trying to remember French phrases so I can reply. Then Lenka asks the Spanish teacher, who knows that I understand a little Spanish, to tell me in Spanish. So we are now speaking four languges. Can you imagine how funny this was? No wonder I could not remember how to say, "I am tired," in French. But I remembered just as I was falling asleep. It amuses me.

Flat update:
We did get a washer a few weeks ago.....of course there is a catch. It can never be cut and dry. There where two holes in the wall between the toilet room and the bathroom (yes, they are separate.) These holes were stuffed with plastic bags and covered with stickers. It wasn't until the washer was put in front of that wall that I understood that these holes were to put the hoses from the washer through them. Except the hole for the hose that hooks up to the faucet is not big enough. I have been trying to use a drill for the last three days to make the whole bigger, to no avail. Right now we are not able to close the toilet room door all the way if the washer hose is hooked up. This may be something we have to live with. I have to give the drill back tomorrow, so if I don't finish it today that's that.

I have not been hurting as badly this week, so thanks for the prayers. I am going to grade some tests and get some lunch. Talk to you soon---Jessica

Well, the weather is turning cold. They high today is 48. All of the restaurants on the square have put away all of their outdoor seating, a sure sign that fall is here and winter is approaching. So please think of me when you are enjoying your nice warm fall weather. A Texas girl like me isn't used to all of this cold weather. I still haven't bought a winter coat, yet. I have been waiting until I get paid. I did get a nice trench coat with a zip-out lining that one of the previous teachers left behind. It has been very handy and I am thankful for it!

My park gets more colorful every day but I am not able to sit and enjoy it anymore because of the cold. One of my students is going to help me figure out which bus or buses I should take to get to school and back. I am afraid I won't be able to walk so much when it begins to snow. I'll be a popcicle!!

I got several nice long emails yesterday from friends and family. It is nice to catch up with people. Must go and teach....more later.

It is a perfect rainy fall day. Everyday I am anxious to get to the park to see which trees have changed colors. Last weekend some of us went to Locket to see a castle. It is beautiful there! I will have to go back in a few weeks when more leaves have changed. The whole town is surrounded by wooded hills. There is a bridge leading to the castle and pygmie goats live under it. Cute!

Next week the teachers at my school will celebrate all the birthdays in Sept., Oct. and Nov. I am told it will be quite a party. I am going to bring chocolate chip cookies, a novelty for Czechs. Apparently, they drink a lot, too. It will be the middle of the day and I have to teach a class afterwards. I don't think I will partake in too much drinking. I will tell you all about it next week.

On a sad note, I found out one of my theatre friends from Texarkana died this week. It was quite sudden. So to my friend, Steve Pearce, I say, "Adieu, Adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow....." He will be greatly missed.

And for those of you who believe in the power of prayer, I have a request. Most of you know that I had surgery in March for Endometriosis. Well, I have been experiencing some pain the past week. It is very hard because I walk a lot and that seems to make it hurt worse. So, if you could keep me in mind, I would appreciate it.

I hope all is well back in the States. Please email me and keep me apprised of what is going on in your part of the world. It is much easier for me to respond to emails than to generate them.

Blessings,
Jessica

The weather is cooling off here and the leaves are beginning to fall. It's my favorite time of year, execpt for the allergies. But nothing is perfect, is it? So here is another story....

Last Wednesday, I was going to Sokolov to meet with the other ESI teachers there. When I get to the train station all of the ticket windows were closed. So I make my way towards the international ticket window with which, I am now well aquainted. I stand in line and ask for a return ticket to Sokolov. I felt quite confident about this because I have done it successfully several times. But the lady started to scream at me in Czech. Of course, I just stand there in a "tharn" state (like a deer caught in headlights). Two men try to help me. One tells the lady the exact thing I did, to no avail. The other tries to speak to me in German beacuse everyone assumes I am from Germany. I am about to cry and I tell the man I don't understand German. He then tells me in English that it isn't possible for me to get a round trip ticket. I still haven't been able to find out why not. Have I told you that I HATE the train station? Well, I do. But my students have assured me this happens to them, too. They say the ladies who work there are old and cranky and yell at everyone. So I have some consolation there.

But there is a bright side to this story....when I got to the platform, I noticed something was different. All these people were there with cameras. I look up and there was the most beautiful train I had ever seen. It was blue with gold trim and lettering. It was the famous Orient Express! Wow! It was quite posh. I wish I could have gone aboard and explored. So I had to suffer a little yelling in Czech, but it was worth it!

Ok, I have some time so I will relate a few stories of my existence here in Cheb. Two weeks ago, I had to go to Munich. Now, this was not an easy feat, as I had to buy a ticket from people who do not speak English. I have mastered how to buy a ticket to Sokolov (the next town over). But nothing I learned in that process prepared me for buying a ticket to another country. First, I went to the CEDOK office. I was told I could by any type of travel tickets there and that they speak English. Well, they do speak English but would not sell me a train ticket. Off to the train station. I get there and go to the ticket office and explain where I would like to go. No dice. Apparently there is an international ticket booth. I go there and state my request. I get a nice print out of the itinerary I requested. I asked where to pay and how much. She said "tickets" in English. So off I go back to the ticket counter only to be told that I can not pay for that ticket there. Through charades and broken English and Czech phrases, I realize that I must go back from whence I came. Frustrated and near tears, I got back to the International office and figure out I spoke to the information person and the ticket booth was closed and had been for 30 minutes. It opened shortly and I got my ticket. Whew! But let me say this....I HATE the train station!

However, that is not the end of my story. The train didn't leave until 1:12 am. I had to ask one of the guys to walk me to the train station at midnight. We get to the train station at 12:25 and it is locked. Go figure. We walk around and try all the doors to no avail. Finally some comes and unlocks the doors. I said good bye to Josh and made my way to the platform. It is dark and cold and there is only one bench. I sit down and try to memorize the phrases I think I will need on the train when I see a man walking toward me. There is only one bench so I move over but I don't look at him. He gets right up to me and says, "Hello, Jessica." I look up shocked and it is Honza, one of the English teachers from my school. He helped me buy my cell phone the week before. I was relieved at once because I had been nervous about taking a night train by myself . He helped me out once again and I made it to Munich in one piece.

That's all for today. I will tell you another story next time. Have a good weekend! Jessica

I was in Prague again last weekend to see my friend Penny. We only got to have dinner together but it was nice to see someone from home, especially someone I am really close to. I have finally met with all of my classes and I am beging to get the hang of things. But, of course, there is a catch. I have one class for only 3 weeks. I am not sure if they will have me teaching another class during that time or not. Ah, the joys of a Czech school.

I am told we will have a washing machine this week. We'll see. I am learning that time carries different meaning in Central Europe. Patience is a virtue, is it not. Must go and teach another class then run home so they can add a speaker to my doorbell, I think. That 's what we have learned from charades. Later....Jessica

Ok, it's been more than a week, I know. I don't have a password for the school computers yet. Someone has to sign in for me, it's a pain. Anyway, classes have started. This is my first full week. Last week I didn't meet with all my classes so I am still meeting new students. My classes are going well. I think I am getting the hang of it. I had problems with only one student but that is expected. Today I will have my first conversation class. I'll let you know how that goes.

Well last Friday, I had to go to Munich to fill out some more paperwork for my visa application. Then go straight to Prague for an ESI retreat. I know it sounds really glamorous, traveling to Munich and Prague in the same day but it wore me out!!! I am tired of trains, that is for sure.

I am not learning the language very easily. It is hard! I told one class they were lucky.....they only have to speak English in class. I have to try to speak Czech everywhere I go. I am figuring things out slowly....it will come. Until next time.....Jessica

I took a wrong turn this morning and ended up at the castle. It was the first time I had seen the whole thing. Luckily the school is just around the corner from it. I can't wait to see more of the castle. We are going there Saturday for a blues and jazz music festival.

We are slowly setting up our flat, buying all the important things. We are trying to make it look homey. I found out today that the school is buying us a washing machine, now we just have to rig up some kind of clothes line. What is the mother of invention? Will write more later, going to have lunch on the square!
Ciao

Well, I have arrived in the Czech Republic. It has been a whirlwind thus far. Our luggage did not arrive until today. Good thing I packed extra clothes in my carry on! Cheb is the cutest town. It is very small. I walk about 20 minutes to school each day right through the town square. My school is next to the castle. How cool is that? Check out my Cheb link to see what I mean.

School starts Monday the 1st. I have been to staff meetings the last two days. The schedule seems very complicated. The other English teacher is having a hard time figuring it out. She said it is like this every year. I bought a cell phone the other day. So call me some time. I emailed the number to a few folks so someone you know has it.

I need to get going. I have to register with the forgein police. Will post more later.

Leaving on a jetplane
So I didn't get to put in as many entries as I wanted this week. I was much busier than I thought. I passed my finals and am now certified in TEFL (teaching English as a forgein language.) Today will be filled with last minute shopping and packing galore. It feels strange to be leaving now. I have made lots of friends at training that I won't see for a while because they are going to other countries. We have been in this limbo land of sorts and it is time to move on.

I can't wait to get to Cheb. Check out my link to the city's website, click on the British flag for English. I am ready to get settled but I am still a little anxious about teaching. I am confident in my training, but there are many unknowns. We have been told repeatedly to lower our expectations. I am trying to keep them way low. I will check in as soon as I can when I get there. Hopefully, I will have internet access soon. But we should all keep those expectations low for the time being. Just know I love and miss you all and I can't wait to tell you about my new place.

Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Jessica

Finals and Disney
I had a great weekend. I spent Saturday at the happiest place on earth, Disneyland. We had a blast. The Indiana Jones ride was the best by far.

Tomorrow we turn in a final project and our exam is Wednesday. We haven't had much time to process a lot of the material so I am glad for the time to go over it again. I want to have it fresh in my mind when I begin to write my lesson plans for my classes in the Czech Republic. School starts September 1st, one week after I arrive. So you can see I will be busy.

I will try to update daily this week. I may not have internet access the first couple of weeks over there. I miss y'all already!
Gotta get some rest.

Last Week of Training
I leave for the Czech Republic one week from tomorrow (Aug. 23). I am excited but a little nervous as well. I will begin teaching classes Sept. 1st. This is a little intimidating but I am glad I don't have to do it on my own.

Training has been intense. We have 12 - 14 hour days. Not a lot of free time or time with God for that matter. But we have had excellent and practical sessions. We even have language and culture classes. I can count to 20 in Czech now, you should be proud. Please keep checking in....I will update as often as I can.