NHL game - Kings Rule ( slaughter a little bit )

Another of my dreams came true (how many more are still out there I wonder?). Well, it was a great night out. Nancy got tickets for 120$ (premiere seating) and we really enjoyed it. Staples Center is a great place and watching sports here in US is really number one thing. A great show, no matter which sport you are watching. It is always great fun. This time it was the event full of laughter and jokes with Nancy. Not so much fun it definitely was for the players as they lost to Phoenix Coyotes 2:6. The game itself is faster than what we are used to in Europe and the size of the ice ring is also different. I have learnt that there are about 70 Czech players in NHL, which is amazing and something to be proud of. Everybody here knows Jaromir Jagr of course, however in this particular game there was only one player, Zbynek Michalek, very good defense by the way.

We experienced a smashed glass, fights, great goal tenders, etc.

What it is like to be Lance Armstrong??

Just kiding of course, NOBODY is that great. I am just excited and very happy to have my bike finally. Thanks to one of my BHS colleagues Terry, who was that kind and lent me his bike for the rest of my stay here in LA. I will be able to ride to and from school here. It made my day indeed.

Boy,I'm BIG and the tires look flat, don't they?

Whale watching or Whale sensing???

The event we were really looking forward to since the first day on the US soil. First of all the weather forecast wasn't very pleasant for this particular Saturday, however we stayed brave and got ready for the thunders, rain and I dont know what else. I had been sick the whole week before needless to say. Anyway, we arrived there on time, parked the car and joined our friends from SCOT organization who organized the trip for us and also paid for the tickets. The weather wasn't really that bad and the forecast discouraged many people I dare to say, which was another plus. The boat was literally empty and we all had nice seats to observe the sea from. At the beginning we were announced that the journey would be 2,5 hour long, which proved to be "neverending" (not for the sea lovers though). After an hour we saw some dolphins jumping in front of the boat, had our faces beaten by the wind and had our bodies frozen to the bones. After a few more minutes I decided to go inside. There after a short while I started to feel sick. "No, I am not sea sick, what is it??" .........it is unbearable.." What shall I do?" " Lie down?, Have my eyes closed?? Open?? So finally I ended up lying on the bench, praying for the captain to turn the boat back to the port. It was so bad, that I even could't open my eyes. Bob Roberts told us he had seen whales only once out of seven chances he had had, so I didn't regret my being sick. Until of course when I heard the announcment how lucky we were, because there is a pair of grey whales right next to our boat. Everybody, except me, ran outside to watch the whales ( the goal of this journey of course). They had a very nice experience and obviously took a lot of pictures. I was lying still inside, listening to the captain's description and wasn't even able to lift my head up to see at least the fin. Then I fell asleep and luckily woke up when we were back at the port. What a day?! Now I am glad Denisa is taking so many pictures everywhere as I could see the whales I had planned to see myself. I will share it with you.

Our friends from SCOT organization (still with me).

Well......... nice, isn't it? What is it like in person?.......I, I don't know.

Hopefully useful info for next year Fulbrighters

After being matched:
I recommend communicating with your partner as much as possible . You have to learn as much info about where you are going as possible. It depends on the relationship but it is recommended to have a mutual agreement between the partners on the things like utility payments, housework duties, car exchange, etc. You can also exchange the photos of the school, classroom, houses or apartments, neighborhood, etc. Then arrange possible requirements from your partner, e.g. Internet connection, cell phone, etc.
Air ticket and insurance:
As you probably know, the Fulbright Commission pays for the grantee's ticket and also insurance. Dependants have to provide themselves with both. Don't forget that you start your stay with a "5 day orientation" in DC which makes the tickets for your family more expensive. The thing I did was, I flew to DC and then to Los Angeles where my family joined me. They flew directly to LA. Obviously it depends on the financial situation of each family. The Fulbright Commission was very helpful and booked the tickets. As for the insurance for my daughter and wife, I learnt after I came here that my employer (LAUSD) also includes medical insurance for my dependants. We had to cancel the insurance we bought in CZ, with cancellation fees. Therefore I recommend to contact your host school and find out whether it covers also the rest of your family.
The grant:
Your stay will be supported by a grant. You will be paid three times during the course of the year. I have to say it is enough money for the year. It, of course, depends on where you will be placed, as different cities and states have different costs of living; in any case it is enough money to travel, go to restaurants once in a while, pay for the utilities, gas, etc. The first three months will be the most difficult because you will be learning the value of the dollar and finding out the costs of things. Also you will probably have more expenses in the first three months (mostly car and different deposits). Here are some examples of regular expenses: car insurance 50 $/mo., phone bill ( dish network, Internet conn.,cell phone, land phone incl.) $300/mo., gas bill $40 /mo., water and power $20 /mo., gas $30/full, one week grocery shopping $100, dinner in a restaurant $30-70/2 adults (ordinary restaurants),etc.
Car and driving in US:
It obviously depends on the mutual agreement between the partners, however Fulbright doesn't recommend car transfers. We did it anyway. We transfered the car, I paid for the transfer, smog check, and the insurance (these are the expenses you have at the beginning of the stay) and at the end of my stay here I will transfer the car back to Kylowna. Anyway, if you decide to buy your own car, prices of a used car start at about $2000. I believe and you know what car dealers are like all over the world:-). Then in depends on the particular state again but it is required to have a local driving licence when one works there. You will go to DMV, go over a vision test, fill out some paper work, get the brochure and set an appointment for the written test, and the on-road driving test (only after the written test is passed), which is in your own (insured) car with an instructor (very brave men, btw). It is not that difficult. I myself took it twice as I underestimated the written part the first time. You will have to spend some time and read the manual carefully because some questions are really tricky and will get you if you aren't careful with word meanings. Driving here is really easy, even in large cities.
School and teaching in US:
It's completely different to what we are used to in CZ. Which is a good thing of course, for one can learn so many new things: activities, approaches, methods, etc. The schools are bigger; the classrooms are more crowded: students are of all possible levels in one classroom. It is a combination of all our secondary education varieties under one roof. It obviously takes some time to get used to the system. The most difficult thing for me were the abreviations. Americans are abreviations lovers and seem to assume that everybody will understand. So when you hear: TA, LEP, LAUSD, PA, MPR, etc you are completely lost. What the hell is TA? And what's more, I should have one?? Now I know it is a teacher's assistant who helps you in the classroom, but it took some days to figure it out. I didn't want to look silly so I didn't want to ask all the time because I figured everybody had enough to do with his or her own problems. After all the first days and some obstacles, you will naturally become a regular staff memeber. It requires a lot of commitment and adjustments, but you will love your kids and enjoy the teaching. I already know I will miss them tremendously.
Orientation in Washington DC:
Five days in the capital city of the USA: very informative, very tiring, very overwhelming. I understand it is a must and it can help you to get prepared for your own stay but it will never prepare you 100% as nobody knows what the year will be like. The meetings in Prague where we had the chance to talk to former Fulbrighters were much more helpful, I think. However you will definitely meet so many interesting people here in DC and will have so many such interesting discussions and will hear so many stories like never in your life. You become a part of such a big family of Fulbrighters right there in the capital. They will make you feel special right there and the feeling will stay with you the whole exchange. The most important thing is you will meet your exchange partner for the first time!!! You will also aplly for a social security number, you will get A LOT of informational material, etc. It is a very pleasant 5 days when you also will have chance to participate in a tour of DC, which is short but informative and worth going.
It depends on the place of your exchange again but I believe everywhere you will have the chance to take parts in so many organizations which will make your stay so much enjoyable. I was very lucky to have Southern California Overseas Teachers (SCOT), SOKOL and Fulbright Visiting Scholars Enrichment Program at UCLA here to join.
Hopefully the text above is informative a little at least. Don't forget I am describing my own situation in California. Yours may be completely different. If you have any other questions, please contact me.

One of the best years I have ever had.

A few weeks ago it was the end of the fall semester and I was so called “ half way done”, now it is only three more months and I can almost call myself “former” Fulbrighter. On one hand I can’t believe it, the time flies so fast, but on the other hand I have experienced so much here that it seems like ages. I need to emphasize that it has been indeed one of the best years I’ve had in my life. If I had had the opportunity to undergo it again, I wouldn’t have hesitated a single second. It is “a school of life” in all its aspects. I have been or at least I feel very lucky starting with the place of match, selection of my exchange partner, the school, the teachers to work with, who have been really very helpful, etc. All these things are making it pleasant experience. The purpose of the entire program is to increase understanding between the USA and the rest of the world. It is happening of course because one has such enormous experience to learn about the country, its culture, customs, people, etc., like probably never before; however there are more things that are going on here. Everybody will deal with them differently as there are no two identical exchanges. The past weeks I received emails from the next year Fulbrighters who just passed the selecting process. They are full of questions and concerns obviously, just the way I was almost a year ago. In the following post I will try to summarize the first days and obstacles I had. Hopefully it is helpful. The first thing to tell you is “Feel proud of what you have achieved, it’s going to be a wonderful year you will always remember”.

"D-Day" at BHS

Monday, February 27. Very important they at BHS. I do not know how about the rest of the teachers, but I took it pretty seriously. LAUSD representatives announced their visit to BHS. The purpose of the visit was to check and make sure that there are only qualified teachers eligible for teaching particular subjects. The school turned topsy-turvy and the nervousness of both teachers and administrators was evident. The whole week before I was getting tons of different materials, posters and regulations to be posted on the walls. The more papers I got, the more nervous I got. Trying to assimilate and become one of the regular staff here (if it is ever possible) but still you always feel as a greenhorn. We were told THEY can come to any class of those 6 we all have. I was teaching as on usual days but still... somewhere at the back of my head I waited for the people. They came at the end of the second period and just took a look around my classroom. I thought:"That was it??" But I was wrong. They came again my fourth period and observed me for about 10 minutes, taking some notes. Obviously I turned red (damn) but continued teaching. My class was great, they smiled at me, they knew I guess. At the end of the week I got a report from the LAUSD representatives and it made my day or rather, it made my existing stay at BHS. Here is the proof:

For those who need glasses, it reads " Does a great job with ESL students."