Thursday, March 18, 2010

bits and pieces

student: "what's wrong with you? why you talk like that?"

me: "what - my accent? you mean why don't i sound like the other teachers?"

yeah, that was it. so i explained how (just like his mom) i'm an american, and we sound different than people from england blah blah blah. it was actually really funny. guess i just don't fit the context of what he's used to at school.

another little boy played the mini cymbals on my bum today. and though i stopped him immediately, it was awkward.

i'm getting used to saying "trousers" instead of "pants," as the latter refers soley to underwear. but i still feel like such an idiot telling children to mind their trousers and jumpers while playing outside! (jumper = sweater)

also, i mentioned something about groceries the other day and got a lot of blank looks from my colleagues. probably because the brits go food shopping. (for broad beans and courgette and mushy peas and similar such nonsense.)

the children so far have been forced to call me by my full last name because "they need to learn it." ugh, i don't care! they can learn it all they want, but as soon as they do, it's back to miss k. because that's what i like. (well, ok, sometimes i go by queen k, of course, but i think that'd prolly be really offensive. the single initial is bad enough to some.)

BRILLIANT! WELL DONE! TIDY UP TIME! BOYS AND GIWRS! never used to say these things, and now they're out my mouth multiple times a day. (and, yes, i do mean "out my mouth" because i've also picked up on dropping "of" on a regular basis.)

i'm going to come home with a strange layered accent using countless britishisms without realizing it. (although, i have also noticed myself saying "owa!" and "shvoops!" instead of "ow" and "oops," so it'll be british- AND german-isms.)

one thing i do like, though - and this is kind of silly - is that you're still expected to hug and hold the smallest children. it's really relaxing, calming a child. it's honestly one of my favorites parts of the job.

[28/30 complete - two tomorrow and i'm DONE DONE DONE!]