First few days in Venezuela

Hi there!

Well, I have been in Valencia, Venezuela for about 4 days. The lush mountains, palm trees everywhere, and constant chatter of birds is inspiring everyday. There are bright flowers that I have never seen before, and really everything looks like it could be a part of the Como conservatory/flower gardens ;-)

My apartment has provided me with a lot of space, but also many irritations. I found that all 3 of the showers (yes, I have 3 bedrooms AND 3 bathrooms!) puddle up and refuse to drain unless I squiggy the water into the drain. My washer leaked, but a guy came to fix it so hopefully it will work the next time I try it. My internet is still not fully connected, so my hope of Skyping whenever I want will have to wait until my internet gets fixed.

The school, on the other hand, has been much more promising. The grounds are beautiful- the school is seating partway up a mountain. Fruit trees and iguanas and turtles find their home inside the school gates. Sometimes I watch the iguanas munch on leaves when I get bored of working in my classroom (classes don't start until the 12th).

Everyone here has been very kind to me. The veteran teachers are willing to answer any and all questions I have had, and the staff goes out of their way to help us solve problems that come up (one of the office staff came over personally to show me how to work the stove).

Two of the other new teachers live in my apartment building- Dave and Christi. They have let me ride with them to do all kinds of errands together- shopping, getting to school, going jogging this morning. They are also very kind. Both of them taught at a different Venezuelan school over the past 2 years and Dave is fluent in Spanish. They have been such a huge help! They have been helpful in everything from translating in customs, telling me what a good price is at the store, or explaining Venezuelan culture.

My 2 frustrations/concerns are these:  my internet connection (my link to everyone since the phone line can be expensive!), and lesson planning. I stressed about having enough time to prepare good lessons for next week, though I do have at least 2 paid hours per day next week to work on them, and I'm allowed to come to the school after hours or on weekends if I need.

Thank you for your prayers! Overall, things are going well here and I am optimistic about the rest of my stay.