I'm starting to settle in nicely although communicating with the other teachers is still not possible and we're still having to use sign language. I have picked up so many words mainly from the children. After them using the word a few times, I've managed to figure out what it means. Everytime I walked into the really little kiddies classroom, they would come running to me saying "ya khochu puzzle." It took a few times of them saying this to me for me to reali...

I woke up this morning to frost and a below zero temperature, -2 C! Winter is definitely on its way! As I have never lived in a city where it snows, I'm certainly looking forward to it. I want to skate on a frozen over lake and build a snowman and make a snow angel! I did not have regular classes this morning and had a one-to-one with a three year old little boy instead. What an absolute nightmare! He refused to listen to me and wanted to do the opposite of...

I'm starting to get more work, one-to-one lessons and not just at my school but at a school about 30 minutes from where I am. I have yet to figure out exactly where this other school is. The driver from that school came to fetch me and brought me back home again. My afternoon was filled with back to back lessons. To say I was totally exhausted when I got back home is an absolute understatement! All the lessons were for kiddies ranging from 3 years old to 6 y...

As I went downstairs this morning, I heard noise coming from the kitchen. I thought I would be the only awake in the house so early on a Sunday morning but I found 3 of the Russian teachers and the cook in the kitchen whipping up a storm. They were making 'vetkoek" filled with vegetables and others filled with potato. Anyone from South Africa will know what "vetkoek" are. They gave me a few to eat with my breakfast. Delicious!! I spent the rest of the day i...

The icy cold weather certainly did not stop the kids from kitting themselves out in all their winter gear and heading outdoors to play. Looking like mini michelin men, they ran around the playground and played in the sandpit like it was a warm day while I sat on one of the benches, also kitted out in my winter gear, too cold to move! All the kids have their own lockers at school and they come prepared in the mornings with two outfits. A summer outfit for indoor...