Untrue to my word, I haven't made much time to write. I still have no internet but the issue will hopefully be resolved tomorrow. Things continue to go well here in Torreon. All of the other teachers are great. Everyone seems very openminded and friendly. It's amazing how easily you can bond with people when put in a new and unknown situation. I spent the weekend hanging out with the other new teachers and getting to know more about them. Friday we hosted a margarita night at our place (Casa E - I included a couple pictures at the end of this post) and played catchphrase. Saturday we all went to the pool at the club during the afternoon and then watched the Olympics at night in Casa D. The school provides us with a free membership to Club Britania which is about a 15 minute walk from our houses. It is a nice club with an outdoor pool, small gym with equipment, and fitness classes. The pool is definitely my favorite part, and I'll hopefully be able to enjoy hanging out there in my free time. Over the weekend, I also went to Sorianas and bought some groceries, walked around the school in search of restaurants and stores, and explored the Intermall. While I know there's still much more of Torreon to explore, I now feel like I'm pretty familiar with the area around where I'll be living. I also bought a cell phone on Friday so if anyone is interested in calling me write me an email and I can give you my house and cell phone numbers.
Yesterday, orientation began at Colegio Ingles. It was my first time on school grounds and I was definitely pleased with what I saw. We got a tour of the campus, discussed our major medical insurance, and talked about bills and salary. It was a lot of information, but a lot of useful information. I continue to be impressed with how well organized things seem to be (even if the people in Casa C and Casa D had to switch becuase there weren't going to be enough rooms for the male teachers). Today was another day full of information and I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. This is my first year teaching in my very own classroom with my very own students and I feel as though the first day is going to be very important. I am actually teaching two grades (5th and 6th) which is going to make more work for me but I will get a $400 pesos a month raise for my extra work. Another girl, Jenna, will also be teaching two grades (3rd and 4th) so I'm sure we can turn to one another when we feel completely frustrated and overwhelmed. Today we also talked with Sofia, an assitant to one of the kindergarten classes. She's from Torreon and gave us many helpful tips about where to go in the city so I'm excited to go to more new places. All in all, things are going well - my working life begins in less than a week - crazy! Tomorrow is dedicated to decorating our classrooms and beginning to plan our lessons so I'm sure I'll keep busy.
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