Tree Top Tinker

Dave and I went on a tree top obstacle course and zip line in the woods outside of London somewhere.

A Most Magnificent Day

When Dave and I heard that "Romeo and Juliet", the ballet, was playing at the Royal Opera House, we knew that we wanted to go to it.  However, since it is a well known ballet, it is sold out for the duration of the time it is playing in London.  Luckily for us, every day the Opera House holds back 67 tickets that can be bought the morning of the performance.  The first time we tried to buy tickets, we lined up early in the morning, but had somehow missed the memo that "Romeo and Juliet" was taking a two week break.  But this time, we double checked.  We got to Covent Garden early in the morning, and waited in line for about an hour before the box office opened.  We were rewarded with two seats that were close to the stage on the side of the first balcony with a slightly restricted view for a good price.  Excellent.

But that was all dealt with by about 10:15 in the morning, leaving us with a whole Saturday to fill with various London adventuring.

After a brunch of nutella strawberry crepes from Covent Garden, and a bit of market window shopping, we headed out to check out a museum or two that we hadn't yet visited.

First stop: The Bank Museum.  One of Dave's colleagues had recommended this museum to us, so we went downtown to find it.  Unfortunately, it was closed for the weekend.  (Why?  In my opinion, I think a museum would get much more business on a Saturday than a Monday.)  I'd like to go back one day, as I keep imaging Gringotts.  We didn't miss the chance to get a photo in a great London setting, however, museum open or not.

On to our second stop:  The Sherlock Holmes Museum.  This museum was in a small flat on 221b Baker Street.  Where else would it be? 

 

There were the three bedrooms of Sherlock, Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson, as well as the common room.  Anything that was mentioned in the stories appeared where it should in the flat.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson checking out a mummy.

 

The new and improved Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, plus a British bobby.

We noticed that it looked like there was a nice park across the street from the Sherlock Holmes museum, so we thought we'd take a little walk.  The park turned out to be Regent's Park, one of the Royal Parks, so it was beautiful and went on and on.  There were lots of rose bushes that hadn't quite bloomed yet, so we're excited to go back again in a while when it will be just full of roses.  It was still lovely, and we spent some time and had a picnic lunch here.

It's not very clear in this picture, but there's a bird making her nest on the rock underneath this statue. I'm sure this statue does an excellent job of intimidating any would-be egg thieves.

Geese in the flowers.  This seemed to scream both "British" and "springtime" to us.

Then we rented bikes.

And off we went.

Oddly, however, there weren't a lot of bike paths in this park.  So we biked around the park for a little while on the paths there were, and then ventured out.  (There are docking stations all over the city).

Just outside of Regent's Park was a sign leading to Little Venice, along Regent's Canal.  First the canal was just a pleasant place to be, and then it became a boat village.  There were boats everywhere!  It reminded us of a trailer park, except with long boats instead of trailers.  We saw one for sale, and realized that it was a cheaper way to live in the middle of London, but, there would be no running water or very good security, and potentially sketchy neighbors.  Regardless, it was a very interesting area to find.

Just as a comparison, this was the kind of home that was on the nice bank of Regent's Canal.

The view from our seats at "Romeo and Juliet."

This was the perfect end to a marvelous day.  The ballet was breathtakingly beautiful.

Teaching

We have been living in London for almost 6 months now.  And, although we try to party as much as we can, we have been working as well.  We are both teachers, which is what allowed us to come on this great working holiday in the first place.

Dave is in high demand here as a physics teacher.  We were hardly here a week before he had his first position set up, which was two weeks at Ewell Castle School.  As the name suggests, this school was in a castle.

  What a great place to kick off a career.

Then Dave got a full time job as a physics and science teacher at St. John's Senior School.  This is what he says about his job:

"I'm lucky to be there.  My class sizes are small, and generally I don't have many behavior problems, mostly because the kids have been well brought up.  I get to teach Physics, which I enjoy teaching more than Biology.  It's very old school, and has a few quirks that make it both more lovable and make me feel like I'm living in an alternate dimension.  I like wearing my Harry Potter robe, and the beautiful grounds.  Also, the headmaster is quite a fun guy: a very conservative historian with quite a gentle, Greek, sense of humor.  It's a bit high pressure, though, in terms of the results my students are expected to achieve."

The unfortunate thing about his job is that it's an hour and half commute one way.  He leaves pretty early in the morning.  But he is gaining great experience, and I'm sure he is developing into a great teacher.  The students stand when he enters a room and address him as "Sir", and he gets to wear robes when he wanders the halls.

The school grounds

Decorated for an elaborate Guy Fawke's Day party.

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My teaching experience has been quite varied.  Music teachers are not in very high demand, but luckily I have been able to work almost every day as a supply teacher.  Here are some highlights:

I started off my work in London with three weeks in Reception.  Children start school when they are three, in Nursery, and Reception is like Kindergarten, but for four year olds, and then Year One starts when they are five.  I really enjoy Reception, and I've got to work there and in Nursery in different schools quite often.

I mostly teach in primary school.  I never imagined myself as a classroom primary teacher, but it is turning out that I really enjoy it.  The days right before the Christmas break were always great.  No matter where I was, there was always some kind of Christmas craft to do, or maybe a Christmas Nativity play practice.

Then I spent about a month as a Welfare Officer, or, basically, the school nurse, in a really rough high school.  I was set up in the office, and whenever anyone was in need of some first aid, usually ice packs and band aids, they came to me.  But I was always glad of the barrier of the office wall, because there was often fights in the halls, and sometimes when students came to the office and couldn't get whatever it was they wanted (usually a confiscated cell phone) they'd swear and punch the walls.  In fact, there was always a senior staff assigned to be available to break up whatever fight was going on wherever in the school at any given time.  It was interesting, to say the least.

Then I began teaching at a school that was just up the road from that last school.  So, it was a similar type of school.  I mostly taught P.E., and for the most part had a good time, when I was in P.E.  Gradually I started teaching in other subjects around the school, and things got crazy.  I finally decided I'd had enough one day when I had a fight happen in almost every class I had, including one where chairs were thrown.  I haven't been there since.  This school was in the neighborhood where the riots happened last summer.

Then I got a music job!  It's been ongoing for a month or so now, and I think it will continue until the end of the year.  Every Tuesday I teach music for Years 2-5 in a primary school in Hackney.  The school, like most of the schools in London, is very multicultural, and I am a minority.  The students are well behaved and musical, so I am having a good time.  I hope to put on a concert of some type at the end of the year.

           ***Shortly after I wrote this, I got an additional day at my music job.  Now I teach students from nursery to year 2 on Thursdays, as well.

And, for the other three days a week, I continue to do whatever jobs come my way.  Every day is something different.  And because of the variety of my assignments, I have been able to visit so many dozens of different neighborhoods in London, and see so many different classrooms and ideas about teaching.  I really think I am learning a lot this year, and am happy in what I am doing.