First Impressions Round 2: Warsaw, Poland
Here we go again! A new country, new school, and new adventure. Some of you might be wondering how we ended here. Back in October, we decided to start looking at what our options would be after teaching two years at an International School. We noticed that the American School of Warsaw had openings for both of us, it was in Europe - a great location, AND a PE teacher that was leaving emailed Ben about his opening at our school. We went to the job fair in Bangkok in January and had a few interviews with Warsaw and Dubai. Our interviews went well and after the first night we accepted jobs with Warsaw! The next night, the principals and head of school took all of the new hires out to dinner, and it was a great bonding experience.
Leaving Thailand was bittersweet. I LOVED my 5th grade class and the teachers and friends at CrossFit Chiang Mai. We really made it our second home and couldn't of asked for a better placement. Thailand will always have a special place in our hearts - we even miss it in Poland. Its funny how your opinion/memories change after some time.
We spend our last few days in Asia in Luang Prabang, Laos. It was an hour and half plane ride on a prop plane that gave the best view of the northern region of Thailand. The mountains were beautiful and Laos is definitely a place I wish we had more time to explore. We went to the famous waterfall and hiked around. Explored the different bars and walking street. It was a great, relaxing vacation before heading home to America for the summer.
We arrived in Warsaw, Poland the first week of August with lots of time to settle in. Ben and I took over a lease from a couple that was leaving, so we had a place to stay immediately when we arrived. The first two days we had to explore, buy a few groceries, unpack, and figure out the metro. The rest of the week we had new hire orientation where we met about 25 other new employees. Its a special bond you form with your cohort - you stick together no matter which grade or subject you teach. The school had a lot of fun events planned for us and really took care of us. They made us feel special and the transition was smooth. A lot of teachers were in a hotel while looking for a place to live - some had great experiences, some were still looking after 2 weeks.
We live 13 minutes by Uber, and 18 minutes by bike from school. We have two extremely different paths we can take to get to school. One is through the Kabaty forest. The pictures below can do the talking. The second route that is faster (and easier to ride) is a the bike path next to the road. We feel that during the rain and cold, the road will be safer than the muddy, rooted, Kabaty forest. (We'll let you know how that goes or IF that goes... haha)
So far, we've been biking everyday to school. I personally have a hard time psyching myself up in the mornings to want to cycle, but its sunny and warm, and I just think to myself, "I will miss this in a couple of months". After school, Ben and I go to a CrossFit gym about a 30 minute cycle from school (15 from our apt). We can't help but compare it to our Chiang Mai gym - they are complete opposites. We loved the community in Chiang Mai mainly because it was a happy mix of international friends. In Warsaw, there aren't many expats that do CrossFit. We have two other coworkers that go to the gym with us, but we are the only ones that speak English. The coaches do a great job of translating for us, but were missing that 'community' piece that we loved in Chiang Mai. Ben might start a Crossfit class at our school after hours for other employees - but it's nice sometimes to do activities outside of school :)
Our first week of school summed up in one word is: adjustment. Going from a small school with a small team to a big school with many more people to meet, collaborate, and take into consideration when making a decision is an adjustment. Its not just about you and your class anymore, its about all the students in your grade, and all of the other people in the school that are affected. There are so many moving parts that I am unaware of, and I have to complete many small steps before a decision can be made. I enjoy sharing the work load and learning from the other teachers on my team. Our TA's work hard and are huge pieces of our day and making things run smoothly and have big responsibilities. All 4 of the grade 4 teachers come from diverse education backgrounds and bring different things to the table. Additionally, every grade level has an ELL teacher, and learning support (sort of like special ed). These kids have a lot of adults helping them succeed!
Ben has multiple gyms and equipment closets to go through and a complex schedule to figure out. It's a learning experience and were excited to see how we settle into the routine the next couple of weeks (lets me honest...months!)
The students are obviously different than in Chiang Mai as well. There are 12 different nationalities in my class; even more in Bens. The English levels are higher, yet the behavior is more diverse. I liked the students in uniform in Chiang Mai (and in general); they don't wear uniforms here. The cafeteria provides a wide range of treats for lunch. It like a mini convenience store! Lots of fresh baked goods, tea, coffee, bottled drinks, salad bar, sandwiches, and hot lunches. I know some schools in the US have all of these things, but we've never experienced that. We're going to try to see how much it costs for us to bring a lunch from home vs. buy at school. It's the most expensive school lunch.
For now we are going to continue adjusting and finding our groove. Until next time, enjoy the pictures!
City Center from the the top of the clock tower.
We go to this restaurant a lot. Has outdoor seating - only open during this summer season. Half way from the school to home :) The next few pictures are from our bike path on our way to school.
Last weekend we had a teacher friend give us a tour of Mokotow (a part of Warsaw about 25 minute metro away from our apt). Our friend called it "Beers and Bulletholes". He spent months researching Warsaw and learning about the war and station that was set up in Warsaw. I learned so much history - I wish I went on more historic tours in high school. But then again... I don't remember last weekends info...
We went to a Polish desert shop and had some traditional desert. We had merengue with cream and fruit filling, and an apple cake like pastry. (I'll learn the name of it eventually.)
We ate dinner at a polish "Milk Bar". They serve traditional polish dishes for a CHEAP price and the food was amazing! Come visit us so we can take you :)
Leaving Thailand was bittersweet. I LOVED my 5th grade class and the teachers and friends at CrossFit Chiang Mai. We really made it our second home and couldn't of asked for a better placement. Thailand will always have a special place in our hearts - we even miss it in Poland. Its funny how your opinion/memories change after some time.
We spend our last few days in Asia in Luang Prabang, Laos. It was an hour and half plane ride on a prop plane that gave the best view of the northern region of Thailand. The mountains were beautiful and Laos is definitely a place I wish we had more time to explore. We went to the famous waterfall and hiked around. Explored the different bars and walking street. It was a great, relaxing vacation before heading home to America for the summer.
We arrived in Warsaw, Poland the first week of August with lots of time to settle in. Ben and I took over a lease from a couple that was leaving, so we had a place to stay immediately when we arrived. The first two days we had to explore, buy a few groceries, unpack, and figure out the metro. The rest of the week we had new hire orientation where we met about 25 other new employees. Its a special bond you form with your cohort - you stick together no matter which grade or subject you teach. The school had a lot of fun events planned for us and really took care of us. They made us feel special and the transition was smooth. A lot of teachers were in a hotel while looking for a place to live - some had great experiences, some were still looking after 2 weeks.
We live 13 minutes by Uber, and 18 minutes by bike from school. We have two extremely different paths we can take to get to school. One is through the Kabaty forest. The pictures below can do the talking. The second route that is faster (and easier to ride) is a the bike path next to the road. We feel that during the rain and cold, the road will be safer than the muddy, rooted, Kabaty forest. (We'll let you know how that goes or IF that goes... haha)
So far, we've been biking everyday to school. I personally have a hard time psyching myself up in the mornings to want to cycle, but its sunny and warm, and I just think to myself, "I will miss this in a couple of months". After school, Ben and I go to a CrossFit gym about a 30 minute cycle from school (15 from our apt). We can't help but compare it to our Chiang Mai gym - they are complete opposites. We loved the community in Chiang Mai mainly because it was a happy mix of international friends. In Warsaw, there aren't many expats that do CrossFit. We have two other coworkers that go to the gym with us, but we are the only ones that speak English. The coaches do a great job of translating for us, but were missing that 'community' piece that we loved in Chiang Mai. Ben might start a Crossfit class at our school after hours for other employees - but it's nice sometimes to do activities outside of school :)
Our first week of school summed up in one word is: adjustment. Going from a small school with a small team to a big school with many more people to meet, collaborate, and take into consideration when making a decision is an adjustment. Its not just about you and your class anymore, its about all the students in your grade, and all of the other people in the school that are affected. There are so many moving parts that I am unaware of, and I have to complete many small steps before a decision can be made. I enjoy sharing the work load and learning from the other teachers on my team. Our TA's work hard and are huge pieces of our day and making things run smoothly and have big responsibilities. All 4 of the grade 4 teachers come from diverse education backgrounds and bring different things to the table. Additionally, every grade level has an ELL teacher, and learning support (sort of like special ed). These kids have a lot of adults helping them succeed!
Ben has multiple gyms and equipment closets to go through and a complex schedule to figure out. It's a learning experience and were excited to see how we settle into the routine the next couple of weeks (lets me honest...months!)
The students are obviously different than in Chiang Mai as well. There are 12 different nationalities in my class; even more in Bens. The English levels are higher, yet the behavior is more diverse. I liked the students in uniform in Chiang Mai (and in general); they don't wear uniforms here. The cafeteria provides a wide range of treats for lunch. It like a mini convenience store! Lots of fresh baked goods, tea, coffee, bottled drinks, salad bar, sandwiches, and hot lunches. I know some schools in the US have all of these things, but we've never experienced that. We're going to try to see how much it costs for us to bring a lunch from home vs. buy at school. It's the most expensive school lunch.
For now we are going to continue adjusting and finding our groove. Until next time, enjoy the pictures!
City Center from the the top of the clock tower.
We go to this restaurant a lot. Has outdoor seating - only open during this summer season. Half way from the school to home :) The next few pictures are from our bike path on our way to school.
Last weekend we had a teacher friend give us a tour of Mokotow (a part of Warsaw about 25 minute metro away from our apt). Our friend called it "Beers and Bulletholes". He spent months researching Warsaw and learning about the war and station that was set up in Warsaw. I learned so much history - I wish I went on more historic tours in high school. But then again... I don't remember last weekends info...
We went to a Polish desert shop and had some traditional desert. We had merengue with cream and fruit filling, and an apple cake like pastry. (I'll learn the name of it eventually.)
We ate dinner at a polish "Milk Bar". They serve traditional polish dishes for a CHEAP price and the food was amazing! Come visit us so we can take you :)
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