Overview of week 2

Seriously, it’s only the end of week two? But wait, I have to start teaching on Tuesday? Teaching to 15 year olds? WTF is going on?! The time is simultaneously going too fast but not going fast enough.

I did this when hand washing my laundry. #thuglife

our wacky group with our wacky teacher Natasha

Friday was our "cooking day" where we
had to go to the bazaar and buy ingredients for borscht from the babushkas
and then make it ourselves. It was tasty. 

our pizza

We do this, have competitions like who can hold their
hands up the longest. It's how we relieve stress
(obviously I lost as I am the one taking the picture lol)

A lot has happened this week. So much in fact that I can’t even remember all of it. I know at one point we had a wild bird in our classroom that died after a day. Then we got a little kitten to replace it that (thankfully) didn’t die after one day and is still in fact, alive. Apparently the land lady of my teacher’s house’s boyfriend had the bird follow him all the way home one night (what is he, freaking snow white or something?!) and that’s how we got the bird. Then once it died the land lady bought the cat to replace it. We have a real menagerie up in here. I mean, every morning I have to wait for the geese to be herded across the street before I can continue on my way to school. Not to mention my host family’s 20 chickens (to which we almost added to today but unfortunately the bazaar was out of chickens which was fortunate for the chickens because all my host mom had to transport them back to the house was a burlap sack).

I had a picture of the bird but I somehow deleted it. Stooopid. 

Speaking of chickens. My host mom has been complaining about the neighbor's chickens getting into her yard, eating all her vegetables, and then going back and laying eggs for her neighbor. Well, I guess she had enough of it because her brother came over with some chain link and we all helped put it up so that the chickens will stay on their side of the fence! It was a bit of an ordeal though, when the neighbor lady came over and started yelling at us. Why she was yelling I have no idea, but my host brother kindly explained "she's *points at his head and rolls his eye*". So that's that. We got it set up though and she didn't tear it down or anything so, success!  

My language teacher continues to be the most awesome, kindest, most caring teacher in existence. She told us the other day when we brought her a present for teacher’s day that our group was her reward for working with peace corps the last 9 years or so. Apparently she’s had some tough groups and she thinks our group is fantastic. And we are! We all get along very well, we like each other, we laugh A LOT (perhaps too much sometimes) about the most random shit and it makes our teacher laugh too. I really lucked out with my clustermates and I can’t say that enough.

What else has happened?

I made a pizza with my host brother. It turned out alright. I don’t know what possessed him to want to make a pizza as from what I’ve heard from him kitchen stuff is “women’s” work, not “men’s” work. He did, however, leave me to clean up the mess afterwards, due to this logic. Oh. Well. I have come to the conclusion that I am living in 1950’s America. I mean, if I really think about it:

1)      Women don’t tend to go out unless they look their best, even if they’re going to the store

2)      The stores (or “magazines") are like those old time grocer’s where there’s a clerk behind the counter and you have to tell the clerk everything you want in weight so that they can get it for you. Not modern, American Super-Wal-Marts here. Nope.

3)      The children dress up in their best to go to school (there’s no official uniform but there is a strict dress code).

4)      The children stand up to answer questions and the lessons are very teacher focused, rather than student centered and all the desks are in perfect little rows.

5)      The whole “men’s work vs women’s work” silliness

6)      The cars. All (mostly) classic looking, straight from Soviet Russia kind of cars. I like them

7)      People get married here very young and have kids young.

8)      Seriously, if you’re 25-30 and not married there’s a problem with you and you’re going to have all the babushka’s trying to hook up you up with their granddaughters

I can’t say that I’m not enjoying it though. I find it rather interesting. I’m sure I’m going to find it rather old after a while but for the meantime I’m taking it in for what it is and enjoying it.

It is also cold as shit already and it’s not even winter time. The school won’t turn their heat on until the middle of October and that probably won’t even help much. I heard from other volunteers that sometimes they cancel school because it gets too cold to hold it. This winter is supposed to be the coldest yet. Hooray.

The language is coming along. Slowly, which is frustrating but it’s to be expected. I know that after a couple months it will really start clicking and I’m just going to have to be patient. At least I’m starting to understand my host mom more and more. That’s something.

Also, I want a pet so bad when I move out I’m seriously considering getting a puppy. I saw one on the street today and almost lost it and brought it home. I heard Peace Corps helps their volunteers bring home any pets they have after service. Very tempting.

I love my life

Jamie