Post-Cimba from the UK

The travels to England went smoothly, and I was the “man with the clipboard” leading 33 Italian teens through airports and train stations. It was a blast! This past weekend, we had some time to settle in with our host families before school started Monday. We visited Canterbury and Brighton. Progressive towns (Brighton boasts as the gay capital of the world) with a lot of fascinating people-watching opportunities. Some of the guys and I swam in the chilly surf of the English Channel in Brighton. There were sailboats out, as the gusts reached 30 mph. Today we put miles under our feet in London. What a city! It has a little of everything. We got our history fix in the British Museum, Parliament, and Big Ben. The streets and parks are the most entertaining to me- people, shops, and food from all over the world, street performers playing the likes of Elvis and Bob Dylan, and vendors slopping out bowls of authentic Paella from 6 ft diameter frying pans. It’s a gastronomic heaven, Chef! London is definitely one of the “hippest” cities in the world, right up there with New York, Chicago, and Rome. Never a dull moment. I would love to get back there when I have more free time.

The classroom has been going really well. The kids are super sharp as a whole, so it’s fun to actually communicate; make jokes, teach them fun facts, learn from each other, etc. They are generally engaged and eager to learn. There are some characters that consistently make crack up when they are around. They are in that 13 awkward, rambunctious stage, and the way they fill the space they are in is just pure comedy. The way they horseplay and genuinely enjoy each other takes me back in time. I’m living vicariously through them. In the evenings, we go to the park and play football and rugby. We had a knock-down drag-out wrestling match tonight that turned into a 10 man doggy pile! Something good must be happening to me internally because I’ve been laughing harder than I have in a long time, and my dreams have been vivid and action-packed. This weekend came as a nice relief from school for both students and teachers. Everyone needs some unplug time.

The living situation is exactly what we need. Perfect for 6 guys. Mama Judy and Big Mike have loads of food on-hand at all times, there is a swimming pool on-site, a huge yard with a garden and stream, a loving dog, and an open-minded atmosphere all-around. We are a loud, hormone-driven harmonious family. Meal time is a hoot! Ravenously hungry boys devouring food, mixed with pranks and jokes, and the occasional cross-table bread roll pass-and-catch.
Our total head count now sits at 11: Mike, Judy, 3 grown kids, 5 Italians, myself. We travel everywhere on foot: school in the morning, park at night, store for errands, so we are doing our ecological part. You always know when the Italians are in town…you can hear them before you see them! Brits are generally reserved, quiet people, so I can’t count the times we have drawn all eyes on a downtown street with our posse. Hassocks is a spitting image of Onawa in so many ways. Not bad to have a breath of home in Europe, but I still love Italy. I revived an old mountain bike from my host family’s shed, and went on ONE ride…result= 10 km of beauty, and 200 meters of near-death descent with no brakes! The wheels were so badly out of true, that I elected to completely un-do the brakes as opposed to fighting the friction. Having forgotten this minor detail by ride’s end, it ended with me dismounting at 30 kmh after futile attempts to use my Birkenstocks as a rear brake. I’m thankful to be alive.
I picked up a book in London today that I’m addicted to. I’m 70 pgs in and I recommend it as a must-read!

“The Man Who Cycled the World” - Mark Beaumont

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/13952405/The-Man-Who-Cycled-the-World...

Until next time, Ciao and Cheers!