Three weeks in

I've been here just over 3 weeks now. Mostly it's gone well. There are timetable challenges (mostly the number of kids' I'm teaching and the fact I don't have any business classes which I expected as a business English specialist), but challenges are there to be overcome, or so I'm told. The school is great, the staff are really helpful, and most of the students are really nice too. 

I've used the language a little but don't have enough knowledge to converse with people. Mind you, strangers would think someone crazy if they started a random conversation with them anyway. 

I've moved into a different flat, which is bigger and very comfortable. It is about 30 mins' walk from the school and on the 5th floor with no lift but I'm getting used to that. The picture above is the road leading to my flat.

Autumn has been lovely, I was surprised how many trees there are here in what is basically a sprawling concrete-covered swamp. 

The past few days has seen a change though. Many of the trees have lost their leaves, the hanging baskets have been removed from the lamp posts and the flower beds have been dug over. Winter is on the way and people are starting to prepare for it.  Snow has been forecast later this week, whether it will be the first snow to settle this year or not remains to be seen. At the moment I can say I'd prefer to see the snow and ice rather than the huge puddles and generally grey sky (the picture above was taken on a rare sunny day) but I'm sure that in a few weeks' time I will be looking forward to the spring.

There are so many challenges here - every brings something new to motivate me. I doubt I'll get bored here, although loneliness is obviously a possibility. It's something I'm aware of so I'm trying to keep busy to stop it happening. 

In the meantime, I'm planning, teaching and doing the same things I do at home - cooking, cleaning, washing, reading, spending time online, shopping... Life's not so different here really. Yet....