From Brighton with Love

Well folks, it is official that I have survived my very first half term of teaching in the UK! For those of you who don't understand, that means that I have been teaching for 7 weeks! The system here is set up so that we have school for several weeks at a time with no breaks (weekends of course!) but then we get a week or two off at a time. So, here we are, and what a half term break it has been so far!

To start it off, my friend Caitlin and I decided that we were going to go to Brighton for the weekend. For the locals back home, it is nothing like Brighton, ON! It is a coastal city that is located about an hour south of London by train. I cannot even begin to describe the energy of this city! In many aspects, I would like to see about moving down to Brighton because the air is just so much fresher than London, and not to mention that it is on the shores of the English Channel so it is very invigorating to hear the cries of seagulls as they scavenge the stony beach for leftovers. Not to mention the Pier. Ah, the Brighton Pier. It also is nothing like Cobourg's pier! Originally built in 1899, the Brighton Pier is home to rides, food booths, and an arcade that certainly bring out the kid in everyone! Now, because it is October, the weather was very windy and cold so the pier and beach weren't as busy as they would be in the summer, but the atmosphere was still very inviting! We chose to walk along the pier after settling into our hotel because that way we could enjoy the rides without worrying about our bags. If anyone is to ever come here for a visit, I will be taking you down to Brighton to experience it because after even one visit, it holds a special place in my heart.

We opted to purchase some ride tokens and boy was that ever a good decision! While the rides are certainly nothing like what you would find at Canada's Wonderland, I can't remember the last time I have had such a laugh! There was one much similar to the Tilt-a-Whirl, except, it whirled and whirled and whirled! It was honestly so unexpected and our reactions were hilarious! We also went on one of the roller coasters that was somewhat similar to The Fly at Wonderland. I must admit that it was somewhat scary to think of the fact that we were on a bunch of rides, which were on a wooden pier, standing on top of a body of water with roaring waves... but that only added to the thrill of it all! The roller coaster started moving and of course Cait had her phone out still so she could get a selfie of us. So, the coaster goes up the small hill and down around the track until one point when you go around the corner and it starts to spin you around as it finished out the track! Once again, we couldn't hold back the laughter!

Brighton found us a few other adventure as well! It is also home to the world's oldest aquarium! For those of you who know me well enough, you will know that I HATE fish. Well, I was very brave on this one! We also went for a spin (apparently we love going around in a circle) on the Brighton Wheel. This is simply a smaller variation of the London Eye (which I still haven't done due to the massive queue) and it gives STELLAR views of Brighton and the surrounding area. Before and after we got on the wheel, they took some pictures of us and we found out at the end that they were for a souvenir book, which I of course purchased! The Brighton Wheel is right on the coastline beside the pier and has actually only been in Brighton since 2011... it was originally built and used in Paris!

As Time Goes By

While on FaceTime with mom last night I realized something. Today marks two months since I left Canadian soil to embark on this journey. How do you measure time? It's funny to think about because right now my students are labouring over trying to measure time in our Maths lessons. The sad reality is that while time is something that we use in our everyday life, it is the most difficult concept to grasp for my 9 and 10 year olds. Ironically, they know when it's break time, lunch time, and the end of the day. I've started telling them when we are doing things using the 24 hour clock because they are way out in left field over it. But I digress.

We measure time in different ways. As we get older we start to lose time to ourselves. It is because of this that time slips away so quickly. Now, I wouldn't say that I have lost the last two months of my life. Instead, I would say I'm thankful for what has taken place. I have seen friendships break and mend while others flourish. I have seen children cry and storm out of a PE lesson because they didn't win or get anther turn. I've also witnessed how some children can't understand how their actions affect others in a very direct way. The list goes on! But, at the end of it all, I've started to see that some children DO in fact listen to me and recognize that I don't speak just so that I can hear my own voice.  Even though sometimes I feel like that's the case, I know that with each day that I go home with a headache, I have created a spark of thought for at least one or two of them. 

While I've been here for two months, the children have only been my students for 6 weeks. That thought sure changes my perspective on things because it reminds me how far I have come, and how much more time we have left together.