Small Tasks

This week is revision week with our midterm exam on Saturday. The parents really freak about the grades here, I am still getting complaints about the last grades I sent out. I am really not looking forward to the new grading period, but such is life. After this week, we have two weeks for composing our December grades and our midterm grades. Both of which will go on the same report card. The girls that were there last year say that the first week is for grading and then we have about a week of sitting around. its ok though, we get paid for it! Starting the 27th we have a break until February 14th. The kids have a break from their last day of exam to Feb 14th, which I find to be ridiculously long for six year old - but who am I to complain when I get almost three weeks off. Two of the other girls, Wendy and Erin, and I are planning on going somewhere...we just haven't decided yet. Ha. Hopefully we'll get that settled by the end of the week.
I'm hoping to resolve a banking situation by the end of the week as well. I looked into HSBC and they are a global bank, which I'm hoping I can link with my ING account. I'm not sure if that is a pipe dream, but its probably better to keep my money in the bank rather than my nightstand drawer any ways. Either way, I sent them an online application, but I don't know how that will go.
I've also started tutoring two boys that go to a British school in town. One is about the equivalent of fifth grade, the other is about seventh grade. I spend an hour with each of them twice a week, and I get L.E 100 per hour, so that's an extra L.E 400 a week :) Not bad. I'm doing pretty well with conserving my money, I'm hoping not to be completely broke by the time I leave here. Not that I'm keeping money and not having fun. I spend enough, I have a lot of fun, I'm just not broke!
Its getting chilly here. Not cold really, but enough of a chill that you have to wear a jacket. What kinda sucks is that places here really don't have heat. Our school has no heat, my apartment doesn't have heat and there is no heat outside at the moment so the chill is pretty permanent. Its hard to stay warm, so the kids are in heavy jackets, gloves and hats a lot of the time. It wouldn't be so bad if there was a chance to warm up, but there isn't really one.
Oh, and just to let anybody concerned about it know, our water heater is FINALLY fixed! We're finally hooked up to the natural gas line so no more propane tank. We had the whole heater taken apart and put back together this past week, and I'm happy to say that we haven't had issue yet. On the other hand...our internet is seeming to get worse. Ugh...
My New Years and Christmas were pretty tame, but I did skip work on Jan 1st. Best way to ring in the new year!
Happy 2009 everyone!!