Tiistai 🇫🇮 Þriðjudagur 🇮🇸

The highlight of the day was my class with Charlette. I can't emphasise it enough, but she is the best. I never watch the clock during classes with her, and those sixty minutes fly by like a rocket. Although I was not content with my performance - mind you, when will I ever be? - I was pleased with my speech and reading. They got light-year better during the last two and a half years. My confidence level is much higher than it was. And, if it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have been able to achieve such significant progress, let alone complete the CELTA course. She truly is a magnificent teacher.

I installed the LED lights in my office in the basement. I had to do something about the place because there are no windows here, and the only natural light source is the door that opens to the back garden. Even though there are panes of glasses in the doors, the early dusk turns the cosy office into an obscure dungeon. Now, my office looks a bit better with those colourful LEDs on the ceiling, and the depressed ambience has become a piece of heaven.

As for my lesson planning, I completed it this morning, so I'm confident with it. I hope the students will like it, but we will find it out tomorrow. I cut back on the number of new words, modified some of the instructions, and optimised the pace of the lesson. I only have to find a map of downtown Budapest they can use for one of the tasks.

The weather is still surprisingly good. This time last year, we were freezing; that's how cold the weather was. But this time last year, I was doing the CELTA course. I remember how anxious and nervous I was. If I had the opportunity to start it again, I wouldn't be that nervous. Anyway, it was an unbelievably great experience, a hell of a journey, and a tough challenge. I wanted to quit several times during the course, but if I had done it, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.

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Chillaxing

When I woke up this morning, I knew the day wouldn't be an active one. Nothing sinister happened that would have suggested anything unexpected; it was rather one of those intuitions that depicted how the events of the day would unfold. This gut feeling strengthened when I grabbed Abby's leash and took her for her early morning walk. She was as inactive as I was, and the speed and length of our walk corroborated this theory. We ambled back to the house momentarily. After this painfully short-lived stroll with a surprisingly exhausted canine, I sat in front of the TV, munched my breakfast and slurped the much-needed black nectar in the form of a strong espresso. What a surreal still-life this was. Especially considering how many episodes we have watched from one of the currently watched series. As my system started to absorb the caffeine, switching my wee brain into the first gear, the haze dissipated over today's schedule. Harnessing this ephemeral clear state, I rushed into...

Keskiviikko 🇫🇮 Miðvikudagur 🇮🇸

My new bridge is in my mouth. It took the doc almost an hour to meticulously and precisely fit it in and cement it. I wasn't allowed to eat for three hours, and I still can't chew anything on the left side of my jaw. However, my dental features are ship-shape-and-shiny. Only one tooth is left: they need to replace the old filling. Once it's done, I'll have a Hollywood-type smile. Before the dental care, I went through the lesson plan I'd prepared the other day for today. When I returned home from the dentist, I took Abby for her afternoon walk and drove to Budapest to teach. Before arriving at where I taught, I popped into a store to buy some "kifli" for later and four "Túró Rudi" to appease my rumbling stomach. After teaching, I hurried back home, grabbed two "kifli", some butter and plum jam, and ate like a king. It was already pitch dark when we returned from our evening walk with Abby. I hate the early dusks. However, summer tries ...

Progress

After a terrible night on the sofa - I'd been awake till 4 a.m. - I woke up like a rag-doll at 6 a.m. when the alarm went off. Ági rushed down to check up on me, and, judging by her look, I must have looked like a sun-dried larva. My stomach is still unable to deal with anything besides bananas, potatoes and vegetable juices. However, I've been thinking of having a massive portion of Wiener Schnitzel for days. I wish I could sink my teeth into that beautiful slice of meat in the picture... We certainly must get a Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna during Ági's scholarship in May. Anyway, despite my dizzy head, I started learning, and I could finish the second and the review 1-2 units today. The CAE book (Straight to Advanced) doesn't seem too challenging; however, I mustn't be preposterous and complacent and I have to focus on completing the CAE exam with flying colours. There were a few unknown idioms and phrasal verbs, which imply that I mustn't forget how to proceed ...

My Life after CELTA

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