day 47: my greatest portuguese accomplishment yet...

today was another day of testing. :) you know you're teaching in another country when you get these questions during any given day of standardized testing:

1. miss roberts, what is meaning of “foot” (referring to measurement)
2. what is memorial day?
3. They're not sure which is their first name and which is their last.

Those are a few things that keep me smiling and wondering how these kids survive these tests. But they make it, and several ask me if that's all they can do all day! Maybe they just hate my teaching... ;)

tonight, krisanna and I realized that we are really good at cooking in bulk. We made pasta dinner tonight with the intentions of saving some for lunch tomorrow. What we didn't anticipate was stuffing ourselves, then having leftovers enough for.... five or six lunches... for both of us... we have pasta coming out our ears! ;)

then, since this week is testing, we rewarded ourselves with a night on the town. We finished up our lesson plans and headed to the metro station and went to the mall. :) my FAVORITE form of exercise! SHOPPING! We've mastered the metro system, and charted out all the good malls along the way. We had a BLAST just being girls tonight, and just being americans. We can sit and giggle as much as we please... and no one can say a word (that we can understand anyway!) we've really enjoyed just spending time together. :) and making memories together. And learning about the culture together. :)

and lastly, today's INSANELY AWESOMELY FANTASTICALLY EXCITING accomplishment... my class was working on some hink pinks and the clue was “a light red beverage.” one girl asked what a beverage was... and since the answer was “pink drink” I didn't want to give it away... I thought for a second and then realized... hey! I know the word for beverage in portuguese! I trotted up to the board and wrote it down! She understood right away and I realized I had accomplished something small in her eyes, yet monumental in mine. I have learned to communicate BILINGUALLY!!! :) (somewhat...)

and that concludes a day in the life...

Day 46: two weeks and two days left...

Every morning, the sun rises. Every night it sets. Several of those in-between times seem to be fairly the same, and today was no exception. I was able to administer standardized tests for my third and fourth graders. I now know why the teachers always did the SAME thing every year. It's easier, and it's required.

The other morning, during church, as I tried to catch words here and there, but only managed to get “heart,” “little,” and... “mel gibson” I decided my time would be wisely spent reading through romans. I love that book. It's always an encouraging reminder that i am free. Nothing less than completely free. I got to thinking... believers are freed by the only One who can truly give freedom. It's like being in jail and having bond set so high that NO ONE you know can pay it. You're sitting there day after day, HATING jail. Then one day, bill gates (loosely compared...) comes in and pays my bond. I'm free. Nothing is keeping me in jail. NOTHING. But instead, I choose to stat there, hating it, but choosing to enjoy that rather than freedom. Do I tell the other inmates that he has offered to pay their price too? Do I leave and take my freedom and never share with those who are trapped? Or do I share the great freedom I have with them, but choose to live my life as a free person.

The One who had the capability to free me. Why? He loved me. He paid the price for me. And I have the chance daily to live life in Christ because I am free. Do I share that freedom with those who still need it? Do I live like i'm free? Or do I visit my jail cell and sit in bondage?

My Savior paid my price. Praise His name.

 

I'm giving my life to the only One who makes the moon reflect the sun. Every starry night, that was His design. I'm giving my life to the only Son, who was and is and yet to come. Let His praises ring, cause He is everything.

Day 46: ode to a roadtrip and my favorite things...

Checklist for a roadtrip:

1. Brush for our hair after the wind... uhh... krisanna has one...
2. Towel... check.
3. Green peppers... check.
4. camera... check.
5. money for sweet souvenirs... check.
6. sandwiches... FOUR!?! check.
7. Hand-sanitizer... check.
8. family size cooler... check
9. … full of food?? check.
10. GPS... check.
11. people back home worrying about us??? CHECK.

We started off our morning with a trip to a cafe and the grocery store. Each grocery store here is in a mall of some kind, so in the “mall” today, we saw three “Native Americans...” or so we thought... but they were in portugal... so what would that make them? Anyway, they were each wearing a headdress and dancing around playing a pan-flute. It sounded really neat, but honestly... ONLY IN PORTUGAL... at the... grocery store!?!?!

Then, krisanna and I took a roadtrip to Obidos, which is a walled city. We realized that even though we had no cord for her ipod and the radio stations are beyond pathetic (playing only opera, beach boys, michael jackson, blink 182, eminem, and polka), we had each other, and that was BEYOND enough... not to mention a backseat full of food! We embarked and laughed the whole way there about our experiences... those that no one else will have. And only we will remember. We really have had a great time! Once we got there, we ate a prelude to lunch (our first sandwich) and headed out around the town. One of the unique things at this tourist trap is that you can walk around the city wall. I'm a little nervous when it comes to heights, so I prayed most of the walk! Along our way I got to use some of my high school french! We came across a couple on the wall and we motioned that we would like them to take our picture then offered to take theirs (a regualr occurrence at all of the tourist traps). After a smiley encounter, they said “merci.” I gasped and exclalmed “pas de quoi!” they smiled, and repeated what I said. I was THRILLED to know the right thing to say in a language other than english... even if it was one phrase... in... french! But that was enough to keep me smiling for about a half-hour... as krisanna tried to sneak a picture of them! And as we were walking down farther, I heard several little girls hopping, giggling, and counting “un, deux, trois...” and I smiled once again. I understood a small part of someone else's world... their life... even if it was french.

After our excursion in Obidos, we headed back home to rest up for the next leg of our journey. We got to chatting about our time here and how it really has been incredible and we've gotten so used to just being around each other and making memories together. It's been such a blessing! And we wondered why people worry about us... but then we remember, we're two college-aged girls... in europe... by ourselvves... taking roadtrips on a whim... but to us, this is just life. :) and we like it this way.

This evening brought one more adventure. We headed to Belem (cute little waterfront town) for dinner with Cal and Joyce. We got frango (chicken) and hit the town (very gently...)! Anyone who has eaten meat with me knows that if it's prepared for me, that means it's also de-boned for me. Well tonight, it wasn't. [all of last summer, a teammate of mine had to cut my mean for me if there were bones still in it] I do well to get three bites out of a chicken leg... but tonight, I had half of a chicken to tackle on my own... and I;d like to think I did well. :)

I had very few requests when I came to Portugal of places to see. One was the Torre de Belem. And I decided I wanted to see things here at night. So, they catered to my desires, and let us come later in the day.

I realized again today several of my FAVORITE things...

1. palm trees (because they remind me of fireworks)

2.fireworks (because they remind me of palm trees) 

3. STL Cardinal baseball (because Pujols is the man and they shoot off fireworks for homeruns)

4. fountains.

5. nighttime. EVERYTHING looks better with city lights illuminating the backdrop.

6.Stargazing

7. making new friends.

8. Making memories with old friends.

 9. Portugal.

10. bagpipes

11. And... bedtime. :)

1. thus concludes today's adventures... tune in next time... for...

Day 45: another day... another adventure...

today, Krisanna and I had the chance to head downtown for a relaxing evening on the town! Our day contained several “firsts” and exciting memories. Here are a few!

1. we made it to the metro station and embarked on our first adventure on the metro by ourselves!
2. When we got to the station, there was NO parking. We thought about parking on the edge, or curb like some of these people..
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   but there were policia everywhere and they make us nervous, so we opted for praying that we found an obviously legal spot.
3. After we drove all the way around the edge of the parking lot, we found one. :) amazing how God answers even the smallest of prayers!
4. We took a trip on the metro and they weren't on strike (like they seem to be a lot)!
5. We found some sweet deals downtown at the shops. :)
6. we tried something new for dinner and got fresh-squeezed lemonade for 50 cents. :)
7. we got free starbucks drinks (samples... not quite up to the regular free drink status)
8. we got winked at my the metro driver. Haha good thing he has no access to the outside world!
9. We saw a couple people throwing flaming batons downtown.
10. We sat along the oceanfront and people watched... and fish watched... and eavesdropped... and sat at this gorgeous fountain...
    
11. and I think that sums it up. Today was a good day. :) and tomorrow will be too.

Now, off to bed, to rid myself of a sunshine headache, but I won't complain... even though my head didn't like it, my skin did. :)

Day 42: you know you're a student teacher when... (insight to my life)

You know you're a student teacher when...

you think in SWBAT's (student will be able to)...

you use lesson plans as an excuse for things you really, truly hate... and everything else as an excuse for lesson plans...

you miss hours of pointless reading...

you wish you were a freshman again...

you actually have a reason to countdown to graduation...

you actually miss being a "student"...

you pay thousands of dollars to a school you haven't seen in months...

you know what PRAXIS means...

your 7am classes were replaced with 7am teacher meetings...

you find yourself bribing children with extra recess...

you find yourself saying “miss roberts needs you to...” more often than anything else... other than maybe “did you read the directions???”

you laugh when everyone else is going thru orals... been there done that... SO last semester...

you've been tired of sandwiches since january...

you really, REALLY love coffee...

you're taking up an offering for a bathroom in each classroom...

you're researching bladder cancer from holding it too long...

you finally understand why the teacher was the “all-time-pitcher” in baseball...

you hate four-square...

you hate LOSING at four-square...

you're constantly counting children and praying that you haven't lost another one...

you don't know any freshman back at faith...

you laugh when people will be in ankeny and would like to interview you...

you try to convince your teacher that nap time is still a good idea in fourth grade...

your “social event calendar” is mainly... a friday night on facebook???

you laugh when the highschoolers tell you look 16... 

and the elementary kids say you look 32.

and... 10:00 is WAY past your bedtime...

Day 41: Always Enough. ALWAYS.

In a dry and weary land
Lord, You are the rain
In a sea of shattered ones
Your love comes rushing in

You hold the world within Your hands
And see each tear that falls
Through every fire and every storm
You're always enough, always enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough for me

You keep my heart in perfect peace
My life is in Your hands
When confusion hides my way
You're always enough, always enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough

I rejoice for my Savior reigns
I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free
And worthy is the Lord

I rejoice for my Savior reigns
I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free
And worthy is the Lord

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough for me

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough

I rejoice for my Savior reigns
I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free
And worthy is the Lord

In a dry and weary land
Lord, You are the rain

day 35-40? survival guide to the grocery store.

Why, yes, it's been almost a week... what has happened in this past week? Teaching. Sun-burning. Studying. Lesson planning. Some sightseeing. Church.

Sunday brought some interesting things like:

1. showing up at church and then realizing, we really have NO idea what time it starts.
2. a Portuguese tradition of kissing cheeks when saying “Hola” leaves lipstick smudges on ones (my) cheek.
3. We realized about halfway through sunday school that he was actually in 2 corinthians, not first. :)
4. we got stopped along the road by a little old lady tapping on the car indicating we should roll down the windows... so she could tells us we were (something like) “nice young ladies...”
5. and... a trip to the grocery store
    
   (insert segue music...)

“How to... survive in a Portuguese grocery store!”

1. MEAT: cheaper is not always better. The cheaper meat is probably the “unclean” meat. Just splurge for the better beef. :)
2. YOGURT: just avoid the entire aisle altogether. There are way too many varieties. This will only overwhelm you.
3. MILK: it won't taste like milk in the states, so give it up. BUT nesquik is available for your enjoyment. :)
4. SEAFOOD: just steer clear... the fish stinks, and the shrimp will probably bite a hole in the bag (or stare a hole through the bag) before you get it home.
5. ICE CREAM: again, cheaper isn't always better. The cheap stuff tastes like it has added fiber, and Haagen Daas??? well... it's about $8.00 for a pint... so i'll wait on good ice cream til I get back to the states... ben and jerry will wait for me.
6. CEREAL: cookie crisp is just as good here. As for the others? I haven't tried any others. ;)
7. SOUP: the packets are probably ox tail soup and the cans of campbell's are over 3 euros (4 dollars). Just ditch soup...
8. BEAUTY PRODUCTS: well, today I saw a bottle of tresemme for over 10 euros (13 dollars?). Glad I brought big bottles!!!
9. TORTILLAS: a package of six is over 3 euros... ditch those along with the soup...
10. ANY MEAT: stick with what you know... don't go looking for new stuff.
11. SPICES: they don't make burgers. So don't look for those spices. BUT chicken spices seem to work ok. Improvise. :)
12. PASTA SAUCE: just do the tomato sauce version. Buying the ragu will cost you... a few limbs...
13. TANG: a kick in a glass is still just as good. :)
14. PRODUCE: cheaper than in the states. This is the healthiest i've eaten! Haha. We have bought... kiwis, strawberries, red peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, apples, bananas, mangoes, oranges, carrots, corn, broccoli, peas, potatoes, and lemons. Pathetic, I know.

There's probably more... but the morals of the story are...

1. don't go on a sunday after church.
2. Don't try to do the liters to gallons math.
3. And DO NOT do the euros to dollar math.

therein lies my insight. :)

Jessica Campbell Roberts