Work! St. Dominic's International School

Portugal continues to be delightful. The weather has been magnificent, much like southern California. It feels a lot like California still, without the traffic and frantic pace. We have had a bit of rain and the ocean gets very dramatic. It is sunny and a bit chilly today. I have another week off for Carnival next week. I will tour in the north again. I have found a house/dog sitter so I can leave without worrying.
Norm asked about my job and I realized I hadn’t said much. I am learning a lot. The International Baccalaureate (IB) program has many acronyms to get used to. There is much more emphasis on thinking and metacognition. There is not much emphasis on testing, thank goodness. It still makes no sense and costs ridiculous amounts of money to test as we do in California. Here there are tests to culminate the programs, MYP and IB, but very little testing otherwise. That puts a lot of pressure on the final tests. But the tests are only half of the criterion. They also write an “extended essay” and a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay. All in all, I love the emphasis on thinking and international mindedness. It is also understood that not everyone will complete the IB diploma, although most do.
So, my job, I teach two English classes, one Year 7 (our grade 6) and one Year 8 (our grade 7). I am enjoying the teaching, again, a lot to learn, assessment criterion and curriculum. The kids are great for the most part. There is always one or two… They are eager to learn. The difference I have found with teaching rich versus poor kids is that these kids have had success and embrace learning. Some of the poor kids I’ve taught have given up by this time. There is more of a drive to succeed here, also partly because of the cost, I imagine.
My library is too small, old and very dated. The circulation system is antiquated and needs a lot of work. I have asked for it to be replaced at the cost of 10,000 Euros. We will see. The collection is very dated, I am weeding many books that haven’t been checked out in 10 years. I’m having fun updating the fiction with my favorites. I have implemented a lot of things I used at Century High School. I’ve started a Graphic Novel collection. I have a Library Advisory Board and library newsletter. Even thought the student population is only 350 students, there is plenty to do. As always, I don’t stop once I walk in the door. There is always something to do, questions to answer, information to find. I do get an hour for lunch and I take it! They even pay for my lunch.
My library assistant, Fatima, is wonderful. Conceicao also works there and is hard working and positive. I have a two year contract but I can see staying longer. I may even buy a house!
I am posting pictures here.

Touring

Happy New Year. Four months in Portugal and all is well. I have been enjoying three weeks off and doing some more touring. My niece, Jessica, came for a visit. After the first two days of rain, it was beautiful. We toured around here and in the Alentejo, area south of here. Then I took a trip a bit north of here. It was good to see the variety. Pine forests meet the sea, grottos, valleys. Beautiful. Here are a few pictures.

Looks are Deceiving

I know none of us really sees ourselves as others do. I was wondering, as I went for a walk today, what people saw when they looked at me. I had on jeans and my white T shirt from Death Valley, with desert flowers. Over that was my light blue denim work shirt, the one with a small row of lighthouses and Out Banks lighthouses stitched underneath. My earrings were lapis with shekel coins. New Balance walking shoes. My hair is wild, what I used to call Berkeley hippie, and it's back in style but with better hair products. Does that outfit on me scream American. I know how American it is but people here have English logos and slogans on a lot of their clothes. Of course when I am walking both Curly and Jack in his stroller (pram, here)they don't know what to think.

I mentioned at lunch the other day how restful it was not to speak the language. Conversations are going on around me and I have no idea what they are saying. Ramona, a work friend, responded that she feels alienated. I may feel that way eventually but not now. For now it is all a puzzle, trying to read the simple signs and messages on billboards and bus stops. Trying to understand how what people are saying matches any words I know.

I was walking Curly tonight and the invisibility factor kicked in, that is a middle age woman,walking past a group of teenagers. I often feel invisible, don't know the impact my presence makes, (some of you are chuckling) but it's true. I like to think I blend in. Light rain tonight, a delightful walk and pounding surf.

Casa Antigua

I'm sitting in a rest stop on Hwy A2 just past Lagos on my way back home to Estoril. I'm feeling so comfortable. I've learned so much. Portugal has 200 grape varietals, Alentejo is magnificent. The letter S at the end of a word is almost always the sh sound. The pottery is varied and beautiful. They serve fries with everything and I have to stop eating them. Substitute tomatoes? Sim chips, com tomate?

Before I left town, I looked at a house for sale. In the window of a real estate office I saw a "casa antigua" for 125,000e. I asked about it and a young man took me to see it. It was unlivable but interesting. I'm sure it used to house a family. Two bedrooms with just enough room for the beds, a kitchen dining area and a larger bedroom. No indoor plumbing. They have built an illegal bathroom out front with everything needed but the house itself is crumbling. The attached houses on either side have all been redone. Interesting that places are so attached in Portugal. Less land? Huddling together with the sea at your back? Protection? Community? The towns all have attached homes, even though people may have land and farm outside of town. Why not free standing houses? Living in town instead of on the farm? They have farm land outside the town but live connected.
So, rent, don't buy. I could stay at the Navigator for 25e a night with housekeeping.

Sagres

I'm sitting on the SW corner of Europe, at the Navigator Aparthotel. I'm ooking at cabo St. Vicente, a lighthouse on a promotory, with the Med sparking in the sunlight, a cool breeze, birds are chirping in the trees around. I'm across the street from the Posouda de Infante, 120e a night, with fluffy towels. My place with kitchen is 36e a night. It's a perfect 70. It is eerily like Point Reyes. I remember an exhibit at Point Reyes about the many Portuguese settlers there. I think it shows up in the local cheeses. There is one boat sailing by and that makes me think of the history here, Henry the Navigator. St. Vicente was supposed to have washed ashore here, his corpse. It is so peaceful. All Saints Day, we honor them and so peace? Why write another word, shatter the peace. This too shall pass.
I fantasize, plan, turn over the idea of buying a house here Spend the summer here. Summers in Sagres has a nice ring. I could afford a house here? Not likely in Point Reyes. Or rent a place here this summer with side trips to Sevilla, Morrocco and Barcelona. Azores too.

Almograve/Zambujeira de Mar

Sitting in Pastelaria in Almograve. Sun is shining. That is my silver car in the corner of the picture. It is Halloween and no sign of witches and ghosts, whew. The pastelaria/coffee shop is busy with locals chatting away, young and old. A German Shepard lifts his leg on a tire. Mei de leite, half milk, half coffee and a tart, custard, light. I could spend the day having coffee and different pasteries at different beaches, or spend all day here, trying these. Lots of dunes for long walks and crashing waves along the beach but I'm headin on. Will I make Sagres today with only 90 km to go?
The difficult question today, stay at another Pousade or the cheaper places? Treat myself to a pampering? Or explore towns? So much to do, so little time. I will definitely be back to the Alentejo beaches. Almograve, quiet, beautiful and friendly. Would I ge tired , not working, of the leisure, the unstructured time?
Next stop was Zambujeira do Mar, I'm now in the Algrave region, As good as it gets. I could stay here for a week!

Vila Nova de Milfontes, Almograve

After a delightful breakfast at the castle, I set out, in the wrong direction, but corrected, heading south again after 30km or so. Drove through part of Alentejo, N120, past miles of cork trees. They look like California Oaks, just found out they are they same family. Why aren't they grown in California? Beautiful rolling hills up to Santiago de Cacem, got to walk around a fort/castle but not in it. The chapel was open with a special exhibit on St. John, with pictures and statues of him across four centuries. I love the wooden ones.

Beautiful dramatic beach in Vila Nova de Milfontes. Spent a couple of hours walking around town. Cute like Cascais but Alentejo style. Alentejo is a region that has white houses with blue or yellow trim. great look. Winding street, breezes, clean air. There are no straight lines in Portugal. Everything turns and twists, taking time to get there. Worth a stop. Didn't see the castle, it took me three tries to get out of town. Stopped at a "Rural Hotel", wanted 80e for a room in the middle of nowhere, nope. Heard Almograve was pretty. Caught the last of the sunset here and checked into the Residicial, small hotel, Duna Praia, 25e, clean room, thin towels. Good barbecued chicken dinner and Michael (owner) speaks English. A family affair with whining daughter and TV in the restaurant, but quiet and warm room. I may be the only guest this night.