another day in the life

We are all in the living room tonight, as usual. I had another day of being trapped in school by visitors, who wanted to observe our lesson at two, when the students (and I) are supposed to have lunch. So the kids missed lunch, but they done us proud. The back row was smiling the whole time, throwing up hands without saying "mozhna." Yay. The class went fairly well, the dignitaries were pleased, and then left the room for lunch. The students rushed the field and crowded around me and the other teacher at the projector (won in an English contest by another teacher) like a giant happy basketball team. "Good class! Good class!" they said, in English.
I came home at 6:40, read the tests (special tests) from the boys who skipped my class last week, and we ate dinner. I have a tendency to zone out and make faces about recent memories, especially to laugh silently while staring at corners, and Damira always sees me and asks what I'm thinking of. I'm not used to people noticing. It's problematic. Maybe I should save my little moments for when I teach 7th grade. Tonight, yesterday's barley was mixed with shell noodles, a dish I haven't ever had before, and my thoughts were in the present, for once.
I intend to study Russian and Kazakh and write lesson plans for the weekends, although I'd had fantasies of bathing and doing laundry - neither is an option now. Damira is studying for the national English test, Shatagoul is sitting at the table ramrod straight, with her notebooks arranged neatly in front of her, pen in hand, watching the soap opera. Damira laughs at Dilda Apai for watching this one, "Amor Del Bueno," which to an innocent bystander (who can't understand Russian dubbing) seems to be about some sort of round-robin co-ed wrestling contest. "This is my cool [strong] serial," says Dilda Apai. "Shatagoul, come massage my arm."

My schedule isn't really very nice, since the school hours here are weird. I teach on Mondays from about 10 - 1:30pm. Tuesdays, from 10 - 2, then lunch, then 4:15 - 6:40pm. Wednesdays, 8:30 - 10 and then from 5 - 6:30, Thursdays 8:30 - 9:15, then 4:15 - 6:40pm; Fridays, from 3:30 - 5. And Saturdays from 8:30 - 12pm. It amounts to about 24 hours (this includes my club) and about as many planning. I also have about 6 hours of tutoring, 4 in Kazakh and 2 in Russian, although my tutors and I are trying to figure out plans that are a bit more helpful for me.