Prague-ress Report: Corona Cat Chronicles

I’ve worked in my classroom with my students four days in the past four weeks.

I went to Japan for winter holiday to visit one of my favorite humans who I’d not seen in a year and a half. I saw lots of face masks, didn’t touch any strangers, observed basic hygiene principles, etc. 

I came back from Japan on a Saturday morning, 22 February. I rested that day, as well as Sunday. Kept things low key, because a 12-hour flight will do you in. 

I went to work Monday, where lots of coworkers made jokes about my bringing back COVID-19. One of my supervisors and I joked that if I “brought it back and we have to shut down the school…”

Haha, yeah guys, that’s me, sharing is caring.  

I learned after work that day that one of my students had been absent because she and her family were stopped at the border, reentering from Japan, and told to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure.

Hmm…

I went to work Tuesday, where there was suddenly discussion over the number of students who had traveled to infected countries over the holiday. 

After work that day, we (the staff) got included on an email from the school letting families know that if they had traveled to an infected country over the holiday, they needed to quarantine for 14 days. 

I emailed back: “What about staff?”

About three minutes later, we got another email: staff who had traveled to “highly infected” countries were required to quarantine for 14 days. 

Guess where Japan was?

Right there on the highly infected list.

Oh, boy.

Immediately after, I got another email from my elementary supervisor letting me know that I couldn’t come to work… until my two weeks were up…

Two weeks, dated from my departure from Japan, put me free from quarantine a casual ten days later. 

Challenge accepted!

I missed eight days of work. I wrote lesson plans every day and emailed them to my TA. I hardly moved off the couch. I received a significant number of check-in messages. And zombie memes. I took on the nickname “Corona Girl,” (given with love by my roommate) which evolved to become “Corona Cat.” I did laundry, and worked on a project I’d been too busy to devote time to. 

I returned to work Monday, 9 March, where we were talking cautiously about being prepared to teach online, because school closures were beginning to happen. 

Tuesday, while our students were at lunch, we learned that all Czech schools were being shut down, effective that afternoon.

Y’all. It’s been… something. A rollercoaster. A tornado. A “wild ride.” Insert whatever description you’d like. And yes, it’s been that. 

It’s also been exhausting. And draining. I feel depleted. I’m trying to take the next three weeks’ worth of class and turn them into online lessons. I’m adjusting activities to be completed on a computer or device, because I have families in my class who don’t have printers at home (I don’t either, for that matter.) And trying to keep everything on a 7- and 8-year-old level.

Czech has declared a state of emergency that will last 30 days, effective tonight (Friday, 13 March). The whole country is more or less shut down. Restaurants have limited operating hours. There are no gatherings permitted larger than 30 people (save a few exceptions, like governmental, medical, etc.) Gyms, pools, clubs, galleries, libraries, theaters, festivals, performances, churches, markets – closed.

I just saw that, beginning midnight on Monday, 16 March, a “total ban” on travel from Czech will be put in place: Czechs and foreign nationals with permanent or long-term residence (that’s me) will not be allowed to leave. There doesn’t seem to be an end date yet. 

Y’ALL.

*Sigh*

The trams have been eerily empty the past two days. My grocery store was still stocked the last time I went (Wednesday morning), but we’ll see what tomorrow holds. 

Buckle up. This is going to be… memorable. 

Postcard from Prague: One Year Prague-iversary

Holy cow, a whole year.

I tried to celebrate last night (Tuesday) by treating myself to the ballet - the last performance of Romeo and Juliet! I haven't been to the ballet since study abroad, and it was the one thing that I wanted to do on winter break (this week.) I was also really proud of myself because I was going alone! Just me taking myself out for a fancy evening at the National Theater. It felt very adult. I'd paid online for the 8pm show, and my ticket was waiting for me at the box office. I got all dressed up, got myself there at 7:30 (30 minutes before the show began,) had my order confirmation/ticket number memorized (still do - 7574067) ... and discovered that the box office closes at 6pm. Somehow, in all my excitement, I missed the office hours. But, why would the box office, where people pick up their physical show tickets because the theater doesn't do electronic or mobile tickets, close TWO HOURS before the show? I'm still puzzling on that one. Anyway, the one guy unlucky enough to have the after-hours booth duty sadly informed me that all the offices were closed, and there was nothing I could do, no way to get my much-anticipated ticket for my much-anticipated show. So, I said thank you and quickly walked out the door and wandered around for twenty minutes, not letting myself cry as much as I wanted to. I found small comfort in the fact that the not-ticket guy definitely felt bad for me. I felt bad for me, too. I mentioned this was the last performance, and that I haven't been to the ballet in five years, right? Happy Prague-iversary to meee... *sad jazz hands*

Anyway...

I left Atlanta on February 16th, 2018, and arrived in Prague the next evening. It's wild to think that I've been here a year now.

It feels cliché to reminisce on all the things that have changed over the past twelve months. The list is also too lengthy, so I don't think I'll bother doing that. Instead, let me just bring you up to speed on life at the moment. And I'll attach some pictures, because pictures are great. But those will be at the end, so you at least have to scroll past all the text to find them. And maybe you'll read a bit along the way.

School is great and exhausting and greatly exhausting. My class is fantastic. I adore them. I legitimately don't have a favorite student because they're all so crazy and hilarious and sweet and wonderful. But man, it takes a lot of energy to spend the day with 7-year-olds. And I'm not even lesson-planning! On Tuesdays, we're fortunate to have an additional woman come in and help our class. And every Tuesday I think wow, I wish we had three teachers in here all the time!

A lot of folks ask me what I do as a teacher's aide, and I always have trouble answering. I do a lot of different things, a very random assortment of things, but when you say them or write them out, they somehow don't look like as much as they are. I run odd errands during class to get things prepped for the next lesson while the lead teacher is instructing. I help crowd-control, because kids like to squirm and talk and have trouble sitting still and focusing. I float around while the nuggets work at their desks to answer questions or help them focus. This is usually what ends up taking the most time. I know I've said it in another post, but we've got a lot of kids who are not native English speakers. Combine that with the fact that they're in first grade and are at a variety of reading levels, it's often really difficult for them to understand the instructions they've been given, whether written or spoken. So, I spend a lot of time popping around to different desks and explaining what that math problem says, or helping them read this sentence in their science notebook, or helping them sound out a word for their writing page. 

They do morning work for the first twenty minutes of the day, and a lot of the work pages show a picture, and the kids must write or complete the word. It always makes me smile when a student raises their hand and says, "I know in French/Portuguese/Italy/etc., but what is in English?" (I know I just typed a lot of improper grammar, but that's how they speak, so there you go.)

I have been taking on more responsibility this year, which is great. I run the class when the lead teacher is gone (subs come in when they can, but even then it's easier for me to be in charge since I actually know what's going on,) and I often work separately with three of our kids during math time to give them more focused attention. 

I adore my job, and my 13 international kids, and my city. But for all the perceived glamour of living abroad, I think it's important to point out that, on the whole, life here is the same as it was in Atlanta. I wake up, I go to work, I leave and go to the grocery store or run another errand, I get home, I eat dinner, I go to bed. Repeat. Some days I go to the gym, some days I have dinner with friends, some weekends I go try new coffee shops in my neighborhood or have game nights (and teach people to play D&D!) Prague is a big city of 1.2, almost 1.3 million people. And it has all the big city things that go along with that. There's traffic. There's homelessness. There's graffiti. There are tourist traps and local haunts.

There are lots of normal, generally familiar things. But obviously, differences abound. Some are obvious and expected, while others sneak up on me. I find it interesting to see which ones I expect and which are surprises. In no particular order or category, these are some of my daily differences...

I do a lot more walking. I go to the grocery a lot more often, two or three times a week, because when you don't have a car it's really difficult to make large grocery trips - only as much as your arms can carry! I get a lot more mail than I do in Atlanta, because y'all are awesome and send me cards (and when my name is on my mailbox they actually make it to me... imagine that.) A lot of my interactions begin with, "I'm sorry, I'm learning Czech. Do you speak English?" or something of the sorts. I don't have a dishwasher, so I feel as though I was an endless line of dishes (good thing I find dish washing somewhat therapeutic!) My dryer is a fold-out drying rack, and it takes about two hours for the washer to run. My windows don't have screens, so I have a constant fear in the back of my mind about leaving them open and having something fly in (my flatmate actually has a great story about a mysterious cat crawling in through the living room window, so, there's that...) But at least I get to table that worry until it's actually warm enough to open the windows. 

Speaking of, the weather has been a big adjustment for me. There's no humidity, which is awesome. Well, maybe there is, but compared to Atlanta, it's nothing. Winter feels long, but the sun doesn't set at 3:45pm anymore, and that makes a big difference. I'm not sick of snow yet, and we've gotten some great snow in the past couple weeks, but I am getting a little sick of the cold. It takes a lot of motivation to get up and go get groceries or run errands when doing so requires multiple layers of clothing and sometimes (usually) a hat and gloves. We've had some hints of spring this past week. Today was a high of 7C (Google tells me that's 44.6F. I've been working on switching to Celsius while I'm here.) We've even gotten blue skies and sunshine a handful of times this past week! It's amazing, and it's making me ready to put my winter coats and boots away. 

Well, that's all I've got for now. So, as promised, some photos (with minimal writing.) Enjoy! 

Tacky Christmas dresses for the staff party (featuring Rachel in Tacky Holly and Allison in Tacky Cats)

Our teeny Christmas tree!

 A small portion of the Christmas market (and the massive tree) at Old Town Square

New Year's Eve hike in the mountains

  

 Our New Year's Eve spread - too much to list, and all of it fantastically tasty

  New Year's Day hike to the lake

Postcard from Prague: Week One (for the third time)

Instant coffee tastes like dirt.

I was reminded of that Wednesday morning, sitting behind my desk and trying to wake up as the students were going about their morning routine. It's not the ideal way to begin a Wednesday, or any day, but sometimes desperate measures must be taken. It's hard to figure out a new morning process (new flat, new route, new school starting time) in general, but especially while jet-lagging. And seeing as I'll be State-side again in a week and a half (holy cow!) I'm not going to worry about settling into a morning routine until after that return trip.

10:30 Saturday morning marked one week of being back. Has it been a week already? Has it ONLY been one week? It's a strange but good transition back: familiarity with the school and daily operations, but a brand new class and teacher; familiarity with the city and general culture, but living in a very different part of Prague. For every one thing that's the same, I can give you another that's new all over again.

Even while adjusting to the new and readjusting to the old, being back in Prague feels like being home. This week, I've found myself smiling at the most unexciting things simply because I'm here again.

My first week back at school went well. I'm primarily working with the first grade class, but get to hop into the second grade room for 15-45 minutes on various days, depending on the teacher's lesson plans. Seven of those second graders were in my class last year, and it's a lot of fun to continue to work with them, as well as to get to know the other new students in their class.

My new first graders are a blast to work with. We have thirteen kids, and out of the nine or ten countries represented, none of them are Czech! (One is Czech-American, but their family is much more culturally American than Czech) There's a wide array of language ability. Most of them speak English fluently, but three are in the process of learning. While the language barrier is significant, it's amazing to see how quickly they pick it up, and equally amazing to see them figure out other ways to communicate when they exhaust their English. One little girl has taken to teaching me French words throughout the day (yes, she is from France.) It's a fun way to engage with her, made more entertaining by my severe lack of talent for a French accent. But she seems to very much enjoy sharing her language and teaching her teacher :)

I've moved to a great flat that's much closer to school, and much closer to the city center. I'm just three tram stops from school, three blocks from a good grocery store, and within about five minutes of a handful of school friends. I'm right above a metro station (well, two doors over, but close enough) and right across from a square that hosts a local farmers' market. I have an awesome roommate who's been in Prague for 10 years. She's been very intentional about making me feel at home in a new space. We're on the top floor of our building, which means a great rooftop patio and an incredible view from the living room, but also five flights of stairs multiple times a day since there is no elevator... at least I've got cardio built into my daily routine now!

In just ten days, I'll be flying back to Atlanta for a week-long visit. Most of that time will be dedicated to wedding festivities (first time being a groomswoman!) but I'm hoping to find a little time to climb, and of course will spend time with my family, especially my almost one-year-old nephew. After I come back at the end of October, I'll be here until next summer. That will be the longest stretch of time that I've been away from Atlanta, and the first Christmas I spend without my family. It will be different, and I know parts of it will be challenging, but I'm also excited about the opportunities it presents. Many of the American teachers won't be spending the holidays with their families, so we're already brainstorming trips and adventures for the break.

I don't really know how to end this, because it always feels as though there's more to say. But I suppose I'll save other stories for another time. It is only week one, after all.

Postcard from Prague: Return Prep

It’s been a great summer in Atlanta – seeing family and catching up with friends, getting back into my favorite hobbies, and giving myself some downtime to relax. I’m very grateful for the two months I’ve had to recharge and enjoy quality time with familiar faces. But it’s almost time to head out again!

School starts back the last week of August, but staff duties start back the week before: we have classrooms to prep for new and returning students and the start of a new year! I’m praying to return to Prague the weekend of August 18^th, which continues to creep closer and closer – how is it August already? In addition to getting back into the swing of school, I’ll be moving into a new flat (hopefully… still working on finding one!) Searching for a new apartment is an endeavor in itself, and looking for one across the ocean is a whole other game. I’m trying not to get too stressed or discouraged by leads that don’t pan out. Trusting that the right place is out there and waiting for me!

These last few weeks home are getting busier and busier, and while I’m not looking forward to saying goodbyes again, I’m continually more and more excited to return to CISP. My heart is in Prague right now, and I’m still so thankful that God relocated me there. Even amid transition difficulties and cultural adjustment, it remains a huge blessing to be living and working there. I’m continually amazed by our sweet students, and I'm surprised by how much I’ve missed them this summer! Do teachers usually miss their students during summer break? It’s a new feeling, but it’s a great feeling.

I don’t yet know which class I’ll be working with, and I don’t expect to know until we’re a couple weeks into the semester. It will depend largely on which elementary class has a larger number of kids learning English, and therefore which class needs the extra hands. I would be excited to work with a new group of first graders, but also love the idea of continuing to work with many of my kids who will now be in second! I’m excited to see how it turns out.

Support raising is a big task again, and I’m continuing to work to build my team for this upcoming year. Of course, any gift is a blessing, but moving into a full year of ministry, I particularly need supporters who are able to give financial support monthly. If you are interested in helping to support me or would like to know more about it, please ask me! I’d love to tell you more and invite you to join my team. Shoot me a Facebook message or an email and I’ll do my best to answer quickly (Facebook: Catherine Chaney, email: cchaney@teachbeyond.org.)

I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who partnered to get me to CISP in February for this past semester. It was an experience and a blessing that I can’t explain. I feel so honored and humbled by your outpourings of encouragement, prayer, and love, and I wish I had better words to express how grateful I am. Thank you for believing in me and being a part of this journey with me!