Day 80 – Wednesday 11/30/11

 Each weekday has the same general description: go to the Language Center, attend the classes on your schedule, work in your office if not in class, and respond to emails (sometimes lots).  But if you look a bit deeper each day is VERY different.  Each class I go to has different students, with different personalities.  Each class has different things to laugh at, to teach, or to learn.  Having the opportunity to go to each of the English courses has been very special. I am getting to spend 50 min with nearly every student on campus.  Every student on SEE-U’s campus takes English courses at their level during their time here.  Since this was the first semester and we started later, I won’t make it to each one before the end of the semester, but each one I get to go to is great.  For some of the students I am the first contact they have had with an American, for many I am one of the few Americans they have spoken to.  I don’t take lightly what this means.  America is unique in its diversity from state to state, and I am aware that for some of these students I will represent “AMERICA” to them.  I try to do my best at being from Seattle, LA, Austin, Bismarck, Topeka, Baton Rouge, Miami, Mesa, Concord, and Charlotte but I know that I am just one of MANY Americans.  I remind each class of that, but I don’t think you can really understand how different we all are unless you experience it for yourself.  

Chatting!

Internations is an organization that brings together people that are living internationally.  It was started in Germany, but has grown across the globe. Tonight I was able to go to my first Internations meeting.  Rod from SEE-U brought me along to Skopje to meet other people from around the globe. It was a really neat experience.  There were people from: Albania, Macedonia, Finland, Russia, Scotland, England, Ethiopia, and others I am sure too!  We met at a restaurant and were able to sit and talk for a couple of hours. I really enjoyed myself and I am already looking forward to the next time!

One end of only 1 of the tables of people!

Lesson: Be you and be true to you, but remember the you that you are, could represent a much larger group!