School Life

Ok, the truth is out. I am not a student! I dislike having to sit in a chair all day and listen to other people talk and I strongly dislike homework. Give me a job to do and I'll be happy, but the student life is not for me! However I am learning, and this is where I need to be right now.

Life's been pretty much the same. Still, in order to stay in touch I thought I'd share a few of my stories from school. You definitely need a sense of humour when learning a second language in a school that doesn't understand the culture you come from!

Last week (my first week of school) I had been struggling a little because the teacher I had for my first four hours of classes taught the lessons in a way that was completely opposite to how I learn. She would speak no English to me, and not ever understanding what she was saying was becoming frustrating! I could pick up words here and there, but when she used Spanish to try and explain Spanish, it just wasn't working for me! Anyways, one day she was asking me what various objects were in the classroom...

Teacher (in Spanish as always): the table is made of......

Me (in Spanish): I don't know. (Because honestly I hadn't yet learned the word for wood)

Teacher: madera

Me: ok

Teacher: the chair is made of......

Me: I don't know (because again, I honestly don't know the word for steel yet)

Teacher: acerco

Me: ok

This happens with a few more objects before she asks,

Teacher: hair is made of......

Me: I don't know (looking confused, because even in English I'm not sure what I would say!)

Teacher: proteina!

Well now, if only I had done better in science...... :)

During this second week we've been doing more conversational learning. The teacher will ask me a question and we will talk about it. They have been asking a lot of questions about Canada, and it's been tough to describe some of these things with my limited Spanish.

For example: 

We talk a lot about what is special about Canada, so I was telling her that the CN tower is pretty awesome. I explained that it was the tallest building in the world (which may not actually be true anymore, but I couldn't research that at the time lol) and so she wanted to know how many floors there were. Ummmmmm...... 2? I had to draw that one out for her :)

Another question was, 

Teacher: Which countries border Canada?

Me: (looking a little confused)

Teacher: well, the United States is to the south, which country is North of Canada? 

Me: ummmm, the Arctic?

Teacher: oh there is no country north of Canada?

Me : not really (I guess Greenland could kind of count), and on the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west is the Pacific Ocean.

Teacher: really? So the only country that borders Canada is the United States. 

Me: yup :)

And just one more story because it's good :)

Today we were talking about weather and I was explaining that in Canada you can get a lot of snow. I was telling her how the children like to make snowmen, and she asked how one makes a snowman. So I explained the concept of 3 large snowballs, and how we use stones and carrots and sticks to make it look like a person kind of. And she says, "do you make a snowman outside or inside?"

I had to laugh, but then explained to her that it's so cold in Canada that you have to have heat in your house, and that would melt a snowman! I'm not sure she quite understood the concept of a heated house. She also wondered how the children go to school if it's so cold, so I explained how every building in Canada has heat. It's funny how these things are so common to us, but In other parts of the world heat in houses, and kids going out to play in -10 degrees is a foreign thing. (By the way the temperature here is about 8 degrees in the morning, and you will see some people with scarves and mitts on) 

 As well, I've had the hardest time describing a typical Canadian meal to her (maybe it's because I'm Dutch). Most of the typical meals I think of are Dutch or American! She was quite confused by my explanation of Dutch meatball soup! Meatballs in soup?? Haha

What would you describe a typical Canadian meal as? Is there such a thing?

Thanks for reading! 

Melissa