Where did the week go? I seriously have no idea. This was one of the busiest weeks I've had in a very long time...and the part that drives me nuts is that I have NO control over when stuff is planned. I'm adjusting to it just fine, but my normal OCD self definitely wants to take control sometimes. And it's also weird because now when I do have extra time to do things, I have no clue what to do.
This morning I had my 45 minute language tutoring time with my teacher Zhenya. Every PC trainee has to complete a self-directed-learning (SDL) task during the pre-service training (PST). This is to help you advance in the language and culture in ways that could be "fun" in your eyes. What does mine have to do with? Pictures.... :) As if I would choose anything else. My idea before I even left the United States was to take a picture-a-day during my PC experience. I pictured this being done as a slideshow that I could then share with facebook and with friends and family back home. To tie in the Russian language part, I will have a caption on each picture in Russian and English so that people back home in the U.S. who do not speak Russian will also be able to understand it :) I plan on doing the videos in chapters based on the 27 months I'll be here! Here are a few pictures over the past few days...my cluster group members will probably kill me when they see some of the pictures :)
It is still cold here in the mornings (the thermometer outside my kitchen window usually reads in the 3-5 degree celcius range). We decided to have a little photo session this week that Jamie instigated when he put on his scarf like a babushka would. Brendan was a little perturbed that he was having to partake in this great photo op :) but he played along like a good sport.
Mark, Brendan, Jamie.
Our Oster cluster! On the front row: Lydia, teacher Zhenya, Cassi, Jamie, and on the back row, Mark and Brendan.
After I had my tutoring lesson this morning, our link cluster (from Kozelets) arrived at 10:15 am.
Kozelets group! L to R: Kim, Anne, Mary Katherine, Matt, and Maria on the front row
Together, we had a technical/cross-cultural session taught by our technical PC teacher Lyuda. Lyuda lives in Oster, but splits her time between my group in Oster and the Kozelets group. She is in charge of being in contact with the schools that we teach at, local clubs and businesses we will be doing community service projects with, etc. She usually spends Mondays and Wednesdays in Oster, Tuesdays and Thursdays in Kozelets, and on Saturdays we have joint sessions that alternate between going to Kozelets and Oster.
Also, I should probably explain why the Kozelets group has on bike helmets. If your host family has a bicycle that they are willing to share with you, you can ride it BUT you have to wear a helmet. None of the Oster group really needs bike helmets (it's always nice to walk), but the Kozelets group members live much more spread out around the city. Kozelets is also a bigger city, and if my memory serves me right, Kim actually has to walk about an hour to get from her house to their language teachers house.
I had some amazing borscht when I got home today. And I had green tea for the first time today. It definitely needed sugar in my humble opinion. However, I feel like I need to learn to drink tea without sugar here because I literally may have 3-5 cups of hot tea a day. I have one for breakfast, one during our snack/break time during the week, sometimes another at lunch, and definitely after dinner. There are also times when I now CRAVE it. Go figure!
Tomorrow (Sunday) will be spent doing some shopping at the bazaar, and then lesson planning with Jamie and Brendan. I will be doubling up this week teaching both 7th and 11th grade. Topic choices to come later. Oh...and I'll leave you with one more great photo from this week :)
the brick face.
This morning I had my 45 minute language tutoring time with my teacher Zhenya. Every PC trainee has to complete a self-directed-learning (SDL) task during the pre-service training (PST). This is to help you advance in the language and culture in ways that could be "fun" in your eyes. What does mine have to do with? Pictures.... :) As if I would choose anything else. My idea before I even left the United States was to take a picture-a-day during my PC experience. I pictured this being done as a slideshow that I could then share with facebook and with friends and family back home. To tie in the Russian language part, I will have a caption on each picture in Russian and English so that people back home in the U.S. who do not speak Russian will also be able to understand it :) I plan on doing the videos in chapters based on the 27 months I'll be here! Here are a few pictures over the past few days...my cluster group members will probably kill me when they see some of the pictures :)
It is still cold here in the mornings (the thermometer outside my kitchen window usually reads in the 3-5 degree celcius range). We decided to have a little photo session this week that Jamie instigated when he put on his scarf like a babushka would. Brendan was a little perturbed that he was having to partake in this great photo op :) but he played along like a good sport.
Mark, Brendan, Jamie.
Our Oster cluster! On the front row: Lydia, teacher Zhenya, Cassi, Jamie, and on the back row, Mark and Brendan.After I had my tutoring lesson this morning, our link cluster (from Kozelets) arrived at 10:15 am.
Kozelets group! L to R: Kim, Anne, Mary Katherine, Matt, and Maria on the front rowTogether, we had a technical/cross-cultural session taught by our technical PC teacher Lyuda. Lyuda lives in Oster, but splits her time between my group in Oster and the Kozelets group. She is in charge of being in contact with the schools that we teach at, local clubs and businesses we will be doing community service projects with, etc. She usually spends Mondays and Wednesdays in Oster, Tuesdays and Thursdays in Kozelets, and on Saturdays we have joint sessions that alternate between going to Kozelets and Oster.
Also, I should probably explain why the Kozelets group has on bike helmets. If your host family has a bicycle that they are willing to share with you, you can ride it BUT you have to wear a helmet. None of the Oster group really needs bike helmets (it's always nice to walk), but the Kozelets group members live much more spread out around the city. Kozelets is also a bigger city, and if my memory serves me right, Kim actually has to walk about an hour to get from her house to their language teachers house.
I had some amazing borscht when I got home today. And I had green tea for the first time today. It definitely needed sugar in my humble opinion. However, I feel like I need to learn to drink tea without sugar here because I literally may have 3-5 cups of hot tea a day. I have one for breakfast, one during our snack/break time during the week, sometimes another at lunch, and definitely after dinner. There are also times when I now CRAVE it. Go figure!
Tomorrow (Sunday) will be spent doing some shopping at the bazaar, and then lesson planning with Jamie and Brendan. I will be doubling up this week teaching both 7th and 11th grade. Topic choices to come later. Oh...and I'll leave you with one more great photo from this week :)
the brick face.
4 comments:
Lydia, I have long admired the colorful geometrics of Ukrainian Easter eggs. With Easter next Sunday, have you seen any of these decorated eggs in homes or shops?
Love reading your blog!
Carolyn Tharp (We played handbells together when you substituted at SSUMC.)
Ahh, the hot tea addiction. Well, just to let you know, it doesn't go away. Drink it constantly at work now, thanks to getting hooked while in Ukraine. Luckily, our office provides not only coffee but tea bags, for the few of us who do enjoy tea. Definitely miss the loose leaf variety that was everywhere in Ukraine (especially "Ahamad" tea). Good stuff!
Just wanted to say "hI" and am reading...praying for you :-)
JJ
Mark's brick face in that picture is not very good. Brendan's needs work too.
Stop poisoning your green tea with sugar! I swear sometimes my green tea tastes sweet, and I don't put anything in it.
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