(What I do when I’m going crazy)
A student peed during reading time today. And it got all over a stack of books. Someone else decided to sample a classmate's hand. And everyone decided to yell rather than sing during our Halloween song practice today.
Sometimes I want to pull my hair out, or just join in their shouting. But, I'm the teacher, so I don't.
I take a deep breath and think of 5 things fast. Five small joys to get me back on track. Reasons I like teaching. Funny things the kids said earlier in the day. A great answer, a well-down worksheet. Kind colleagues. A cool activity. Even a tasty lunch.
Today's five:
My commute - I live so close to school, it's only a twenty minute walk!
My students - they did so well today in language class!
Afternoon recess - such a beautiful, sunny afternoon with lots of dragons running around.
My snack - homemade peanut butter cookies!
Our classroom - our homemade decorations are up, and it looks great!
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| this. hair. is on fy-ah! |
Five things fast for Monday:
1) I wore my awesome Chat Noir top today.
2) I was so engrossed in my book (Jo's Boys) that I didn't really notice the commute either way.
3) I taught three art classes today, and no one's hair got cut off. Until...
4) I got my hair cut by a Spanish hairdresser, and... I love it! Phew!
5) AND to top it all off, I came home to a letter from my grandma in the mailbox. Hooray!
Anyway, back to the haircut - this is a big deal. The last time I got my hair cut, I was so unhappy I vowed never to get a haircut in Spain again. I made it three months, and even cut my own bangs once, more or less successfully. But it's hair, so they grew again, and I didn't relish another natural hair eye-shade. Since I don't have anything booked to Canada at the moment, or to Nicaragua, where I got a really nice cut for about 50 cents, it was go Spain or grow long. So, I decided to do it. I was planning on tomorrow, but...
I happened to pass Oh My Cut! which I loved, obviously, because of the name.
Initial attractions:
-the name
-I remember reading about it in an article listing top salons in Madrid
-It looks cool (white, yellow and dark wood interior)
-The price is very right 14 euro for a wash and cut! And they include the price of shampoo, wow! Sounds lame, but sometimes they don't do that here...
-There were three employees and no customers at that moment, so no waiting!
The attraction deepens:
-the first thing I heard was the head stylist commenting to the hairdresser how "fabulosa y encantadora" my hair colour was, and natural, too! (Did you know I have fabulous and charming hair? I didn't).
-staff were friendly throughout, although heavy on the hair lingo (let's just call them extremely dedicated to hair. Hairologists, we'll say. AND they didn't comment on my height. I'm tall and I know it. No need to point it out to me.)
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| lost in the movement |
-my hairdresser was friendly and approachable, but all I know about her is her first name. She's doing my hair, we're on a first name basis, but at no point did she think we were on a life-story reunion show. I like to relax when I'm getting a cut, and other than hair-talk, I prefer not talking.
-everything was clean and bright
-they have a "finishing bar". A great idea - you can test out products and dry and style your own hair if you don't feel like paying extra or if you're afraid a stylist blow-dry is going to leave you looking like a soccer mom from 1993 (which is totally fine if you are a soccer mom from 1993, but not so fine if you're not a mom and don't care for soccer).
Para resumir...I'm happy, my hair has great movimiento now. By the way, I took a bunch of cards, so if you're a Madrid-friend with hair, I have something for you...
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| happy hair, happy girl |
My alarm went off at 6:45. Waaaah! I haven't used an alarm clock for WEEKS! Just one more week of summer, please?
But it can't be, so five things fast it is:
1) I was actually awake when my alarm went off (I don't think any teachers slept well last night), so "getting up" was pretty easy.
2) I met a colleague-friend on the train, and the commute passed by quickly.
3) Although I lost out on the Tanned Teacher Competition (it's Spain, and I'm me, so no surprises there...), it was great to get caught up with colleagues I hadn't seen since June.
4) From now on, I'll be using my agenda every day. My agenda is awesome. It's purple, and it has a pocket on the front, and it was a Christmas present from Tall Guy. Just another sign that he knows me well.
5) It's a sun-sun-sunny day, the perfect kind of day for an iced coffee on the balcony. Hooray!
...think of five things fast*!
Today someone spit on my jeans, and it wasn't even a crazy person. They're my new jeans. They have an extra-long inseam and a bit of stretch. They go with boots, flats and heels. From the classroom to a night out. And someone spit on them.
To get myself out of the obvious funk that put me in, I thought of five things fast that I love about this city:
1) Sephora is here, and my Sephora "black" card entitles me to 20%-off this month. Hello, spring makeup!
2) I'm volunteering at ASP tonight with a great group of women.
3) J&J books - a second-hand bookshop in the heart of Madrid that feeds my need to read. And if space or frequent moving is an issue, they'll buy back books for store credit.
4) The Toast - a cool cafe with fairy lights and mismatched chairs that opened around the corner.
5) The blue of the sky when the sun is shining.
*five things fast is my action for when things start going downhill. Bad day at work? Five things you love about your job. Argument with your partner? Five things you appreciate about them. Just annoyed? Five things you're thankful for. Happy, and want an extra boost? You get the idea... I picked five because it's, well, fast! And reasonable - when you're in a mood, ten things are too many, and one is not enough to get yourself out of it.
