THE DIFFERENCE WORDS MAKE

This is something I have had on my mind to blog about for awhile now but just haven't done it.  That would be about the subject of small talk.  I have never been great at it in English and am FAR worse in B!  In the states when I don't know someone or am alone with someone I can generally think of something to break the ice.  That's much harder in B!  Like in the teachers room at school when everyone is quiet and not doing anything I think you myself (sometimes) "now's my chance; I need to say something."  But really besides talking about the weather (I know it's clique but believe me it's one of the things I can do!) or asking about someone's family I don't know a whole lot else.  It's just something I never really thought about before I got here; how important those "little conversation fillers" are.  Even if I hit on a subject that gets people talking eventually it gets to a point where I don't know what they're saying or have exhausted my vocabulary on the subject!  oK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT i DID BUT THIS WILL HAVE TO DO FOR NOW AND I WILL FIGURE OUT WHICH BUTTON i ACCIDENTLY PUSHED AFTER I'M DONE WITH THIS.  ANOTHER THING THAT IS ALONG THE SAME LINES AS SMALL TALK HAS TO DO WITH CHANGING THINGS UP.  AT MY JOB IN THE STATES I USED TO THINK I WAS PRETTY GOOD AT DOING THIS.  IF THE KIDS I WAS WORKING WITH WERE NUTS I'D THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE TO DO TO KEEP THEIR ATTENTION.  SOMETIMES IT WORKED AND SOMETIMES IT DIDN'T.  IN THE CHILDCARE WORLD WE CALL THESE TRANSITIONS.”  MAKES SENSE DOESN’T IT?   FOR INSTANCE, IF I’M TELLING A STORY OR READING AND THE KIDS ARE TALKING MAYBE I WOULD STOP, HAVE EVERYONE LINE UP BEHIND ME, AND RUN AROUND THE ROOM OR SOMETHING ELSE TO “GET THE WIGGLES OUT.”  HERE, NOT SO EASY!  i CAN’T JUST SWITCH FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER LIKE I USED TO BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE THE WORDS.  EVEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS EXERCISING ISN’T THAT SIMPLE.  IF I WANT TO “JUMP UP AND DOWN 10 TIMES” I HAVE TO MAKE SURE I KNOW THE WORDS FOR “JUMP UP AND DOWN 10 TIMES.”  YES I TRY TO PREPARE FOR TIMES LIKE THESE BUT EVEN THEN, IF IT DOESN’T ROLL RIGHT OFF YOUR TONGUE USUALLY YOU’VE LOST THE KIDS, WHICH KINDA NEGATES WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE.   I’M FINDING OUT HOW MUCH I TOOK WORDS FOR GRANTED!  HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!  LOVE AND HUGS!