The End of the Beginning

Posted by Joe Deegan (Martin, Slovakia) on 5 September 2008 in Landscape & Rural.

After a long first week, I’ll be glad to have a rest this weekend. After getting the internet in my apartment, and making sense of my lessons, I’m not as worried about all the free time these coming two days. All I hope for is to go hiking. The weather looks great for it. I am feeling tired but good. The students are fun and energizing so far— the real work with them has not yet begun. Even about this I am cautiously optimistic. Some of the students were so smart and well-spoken this week.

Lucia had some good news. The headmaster of my school got in touch with a Catholic grammar school in the neighborhood where I live. They have an after school program for children, and will allow me to do some volunteer work there in the afternoons. I like the idea. I hope it leads to other volunteer opportunities.

More funny questions asked of me:
‘What is your favorite animal?’
‘Do you like boogers?’ [My colleague explained he meant to say ‘burgers.’]
‘Do you like spiders?’
‘Who is your favorite Lord of the Rings character?’

Last night, I listened to internet news and just stared out the window from my couch. There are so many birds here, flying impossibly fast. They dart in between the tall apartment buildings and come to rest on rooftops and trees. This is so trite, but I really felt almost filled by the light of the sunset. In between political convention reports and natural disaster updates, my mind wandered. I couldn’t get Wallace Stevens out of my head. I wondered if the birds would be around all winter.

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