After weeks of looking forward to going to the States it was time for Nina and me to go, October 17. After a short meeting at the airport to say goodbye and to wish each other good luck, we actually took off, Nina to Chicago and I to Minneapolis and a connecting flight to Kansas City. From my group of three participants, one was not allowed on the plane, so that was a problem! I was together with Elsbeth from ROC Tilburg, and we made it to Minneapolis and on to Kansas City without problems. Our hosts, Diane and Janice, were there to pick us up and they made us feel welcome immediately. We were each whisked off to their homes, but I had a detour through Kansas City Downtown, which, much to my surprise, is in Missouri! Kansas City, Kansas, is actually in the state Kansas, which is what I expected for the complete city. The home of Diane is, compared to other homes, fairly small, but it contains everything a person would need to live comfortably.
The evening we have spent talking a lot about family, family life and other topics that came to mind. Of course I was knackered after extending a normal 24 hour day with 7 hours, so I went to bed after dinner and was immediately oblivious of what went on in the world. Morning time saw us having breakfast and talking a lot about teaching; how to teach and what not to do during teaching. We were also comparing salaries, requirements and job conditions. Teachers here are mainly paid by the hour, preparation time is not paid. Many teachers hold a part-time job. Diane, my host, prepares her lessons on Sunday (six hours of work!) so at the moment I have some time to start this blog and write the first post!
