One thing I still haven't gotten used to is the European habit of greeting one's friends with a kiss on the cheek. It's not that I mind it per se. No, I'm not quite that repressed, only enough to become incredibly awkward when I'm the one being kissed on the cheek. See, my problem comes not from the kiss itself-- I am never going to argue with a tradition that occasionally gets me kisses on the cheek from cute boys-- but in that I never know how to react. Half the time it's not expected, so I panic and freeze up and therefore don't return the kiss. Then I worry that I've somehow slighted them. When it is expected (e.g. if someone arrives and kisses all members of the group hello in turn), then I spend the time waiting for my kiss in ever-increasing anxiety. What if I accidentally move and cause them to miss? They could end up with my ear (awkward) or my mouth (possibly even more embarrassing) or even my eye (which would likely be painful). Also, I'm expected to return it, and what if I miss? I've not had enough practice to really do it well. If I get air, but they hit cheek, it's suddenly unequal-- is that a jilt? And so on. By the time the greeting itself approaches, I'm so tense and nervous that I'm certain the other person will think that I don't like them, or that I'm such a puritanical American that I can't deal with cultured greetings. (Which might slightly be the case, at least subconsciously.) All in all, I'm worried that they'll think that for whatever reason I don't want them to kiss me on the cheek (which will decrease the chance of more smooches, including from the aforementioned attractive males). In actuality, however, it's just that I'm incredibly awkward (which to be fair, also tends to decrease the chance of smooches from attractive males, although it doesn't usually affect the platonic sort that I'm talking about).
(P.S. Sorry I've been so bad about keeping to my one-post-a-week goal. I do have several half-written, so I'll try and finish them and get them up in quick succession.)
21 February 2010
09 February 2010
Февраль. Достать чернил и плакать!
So I had kind of a crappy end of last week, a really great weekend (my Russian conversation group went really well-- we actually managed to stay in Russian for almost 2 hours!-- and my team came in second in a pub quiz and got free beer), and a really bad last couple of days. It's one of those times where everything is happening at once and it's a little overwhelming. Tomorrow I have to have an observation for my intermediate class, and I'm really worried. Which is a little funny, seeing as a friend of mine had an observation last week and I kept telling him it was ridiculous to be worried, of course he'd do fine. So, send me good luck at about 10 am CST on Wednesday. Hopefully I'll still have a job at the end of the week.
Also, I found out I'll be going back to camp for the spring session, which should be fun. I don't know any of the other teachers who are going, but I didn't last time either and I made some good friends.
Also, I found out I'll be going back to camp for the spring session, which should be fun. I don't know any of the other teachers who are going, but I didn't last time either and I made some good friends.
02 February 2010
Groundhog's day resolutions
Happy Groundhog's Day, everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in so long; January was crazy. I was in the States for a couple weeks, then when I got back I was inundated with cover classes, since so many people were still on holiday/doing visa runs. So since I didn't post my resolutions on New Year's Day, I thought I'd take the time to post them now, in no particular order:
1. Write. I'd really like to get back to writing every day, if possible. Not necessarily anything important, but something, at least.
2. Keep better contact with friends and family at home. That includes posting more often on here-- ideally at least once a week. I'll try to make more smaller posts rather than fewer bigger posts. I've been on facebook more recently, mostly for this reason. I also want to buy some postcards to send.
3. Sleep less-- get up when I'm not tired instead of laying around in bed, which will cause me to fall back asleep and then have to wake up at some awkward point in my sleep cycle.
4. Keep up with hobbies, such as crochet, music, and reading. Cooking too. I've been good so far at this one-- I've been reading a lot on the metro and I played the guitar just last weekend, and I plan on cooking later this week.
5. Learn the art of small talk, and of pretending to be confident.
6. Work on being "fit" (both in the American sense and the British sense, where it just means "hot"). Exercise, eat right, work on my posture, and be good about wearing my retainer. I also want to cut down on some of my vices (e.g. Coca-cola).
7. Combat my internet addiction. I realize this goes against #1, but I'd like to actually turn off my computer for a day or two sometime.
8. Be nicer to friends and people I like. Not that I'm a mean person, but I could do with less snark and sarcasm.
9. Get organized, pull my shit together, and stop procrastinating. (Yes, I realize the irony in writing that in a post I meant to make a month ago.)
10. Learn Russian!! Seeing as that's the reason I came here in the first place. I can't take lessons yet, but I need to make an effort to watch Russian movies, read Russian newspapers or books, work in my grammar book, etc. I am organizing a Russian conversation group for this weekend, so I suppose I am working on it, but not nearly enough.
In case you are wondering, the groundhog would not have seen his shadow today in Moscow. Somehow I don't think that means spring is just around the corner, though.
1. Write. I'd really like to get back to writing every day, if possible. Not necessarily anything important, but something, at least.
2. Keep better contact with friends and family at home. That includes posting more often on here-- ideally at least once a week. I'll try to make more smaller posts rather than fewer bigger posts. I've been on facebook more recently, mostly for this reason. I also want to buy some postcards to send.
3. Sleep less-- get up when I'm not tired instead of laying around in bed, which will cause me to fall back asleep and then have to wake up at some awkward point in my sleep cycle.
4. Keep up with hobbies, such as crochet, music, and reading. Cooking too. I've been good so far at this one-- I've been reading a lot on the metro and I played the guitar just last weekend, and I plan on cooking later this week.
5. Learn the art of small talk, and of pretending to be confident.
6. Work on being "fit" (both in the American sense and the British sense, where it just means "hot"). Exercise, eat right, work on my posture, and be good about wearing my retainer. I also want to cut down on some of my vices (e.g. Coca-cola).
7. Combat my internet addiction. I realize this goes against #1, but I'd like to actually turn off my computer for a day or two sometime.
8. Be nicer to friends and people I like. Not that I'm a mean person, but I could do with less snark and sarcasm.
9. Get organized, pull my shit together, and stop procrastinating. (Yes, I realize the irony in writing that in a post I meant to make a month ago.)
10. Learn Russian!! Seeing as that's the reason I came here in the first place. I can't take lessons yet, but I need to make an effort to watch Russian movies, read Russian newspapers or books, work in my grammar book, etc. I am organizing a Russian conversation group for this weekend, so I suppose I am working on it, but not nearly enough.
In case you are wondering, the groundhog would not have seen his shadow today in Moscow. Somehow I don't think that means spring is just around the corner, though.
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