I just wanted to be your moon alone in your night sky

The past few weeks have opened up a new world. In other words spring is here in full force, sunshine, daylight savings time and general pleasurable wonder. The kids at school are getting anxious for everything especially being outside. They come early to school these days fitting in a game of soccer before classes start, which seeing them so active about something makes me happy. I cant say I like having kids playing soccer right outside my window at 8am (soccer field is right outside my window) but I'm happy for them to enjoy the weather and breathe the air. I've been taking more walks although not taking pictures (half of new years resolution accomplished half not)I feel like the world has opened to a new town. I live in a completely different city with completely different people. I enjoy things that otherwise would've been dull and I feel the interest of spring and promise of a new existence bubbling under the surface of everything. My mood is really enthralled, ecstatic and some what uncontrollably happy.

Section One: Work Life
feel free to skip sections as you feel fit. First: I'm teaching my "new" counterparts lessons these days amounting to about 22ish hours a week. It's a lot to get used to and a lot of prep work. Some days are better than others but overall I'm ok with it. I know there are only 3 teachers in teh department right now handling at the very least 72-ish hours of English lessons, so it's normal that I"m teaching right around 20/22. The other teachers have a lot of lessons as well, so I'm not complaining. My troubles with discipline are still present; I'm slowly trying to work through them and have been taking advantage of the willingness of the other teachers or sometimes administrators to sit in on my classes to control the discipline. Discipline is super challenging for me here. I've probably said this multiple times in this blog, but honestly it's tough and something that most people in peace corps that I've talked to face. If you have any suggestions about classroom discipline I'll take it. I will preface by saying since reading Punished by Rewards I can't bring myself to do stick and carrot methods, so I never make threats to my students. I impose consequences after the action has taken place and explain why I want the action to stop as a means for stopping it. This obviously isn't working for me, but I won't change to stick and carrot, so if you could give other options between the two it'd be appropriate. Secondly, my projects are starting and I couldn't be more exciting. Thanks to my mom the local AAUW is donating their leftover childrens' books to my school. THe problem is I have to find a way to get CHEAP shipping. Meest from my research is the best option. If there is anyone out there who is willing to donate money to have these books shipped to Ukraine please contact me via the comments and I will give you my mom's info and the book collection info! Also, my darien Book Aid order is still being processed. Hopefully we'll get some good books. Secondly, I started the beginnings of a project this week as I'm going to start writing a grant for my school to get help in funding for their gym building project. It will take about 3 months as I've calculated for me to write the grant and I will be only helping them do this project, but I'm excited about the process. It'll be a partnership grant basically pooling on my resources and networks back at home to help raise funds and money!!! Thirdly, I'm working on developing some teach-ins and workshops in conjunction with the opening of the gym. I'm hoping to pair up with teh other volunteer in Lviv and have his Physical Ed. Master's students come and run a Girls' Sports day. Gender empowerment and just general community building. THere's also another volunteer about two hours away hosting information on Special Needs concerns. I would really like to finance/bring two educators to one of his sessions. I'm hoping as more volunteers come around the area I can build a network of service opportunities for the kids at my school. My dream is not only to help their English, but a little civics and service can go a long way!

Section Two: Easter Preparations
So, Easter prep is in full swing. According to Ukrainian tradition this is the week to clear and clean out to prepare the way as it were. I've bought about 5 Ukrainian traditional eggs. Pictures to follow later. And I bought a traditional willow branch bundle instead of Palms for palm Sunday. It's fun to see the mood of everything change. I even have some days off of school this week and next (bonus!) I'll take what I can get let's be honest

Section Three: Discovering my city
I've been privileged the last couple weeks to have some visitors and people here give me time to explore my city. I've been as I said earlier walking more and appreciating what there was. But I've spent time with Dan and Lesya (I've talked before of my general love of them). They graciously got me information about a wonderful yoga studio here in Lviv where I can take two yoga lessons per week for a very small 150grv per month (equiv. of 20 dollars/month) and Dan also found some information about me being able to trade English/Ukrainian lessons, another huge boost to acclimating to life here. I can finally say I feel like I"m becoming a part of my city discovering markets, bazaars and bounds of other places with the help of people here has made my mood sky rocket that much more. Linda and I went on our Sunday walk today. We snaked through center and markets and parks. I just feel like every new corner of the city is a new place where I feel at home. Ukraine I don't think will fit like France did. But the more and more I'm here and living life on my own, making my own way, I feel better and better. Having Linda and Dan and Lesya and Scott along for the ride sure helps!

That's all for now, a long and wordy entry without pictures nonetheless. I'll try I'll try. As the weather gets nicer and the sun is out longer it'll be easier for me to do this. I'm thinking a daily walk around 4pm everyday is going to be a must.

loveall

millions of creatures could open my eyes

The weekend was wonderful. My first successful train ride in Ukraine. I enjoyed the wonders of Platzkart which to be honest wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I took a train after my classes on Thursday and then had a run in with the trolley police. Well, not police but controllers. First my trolley didn't come. Then after walking to where my connection was I got on. I was a little flustered and well, I'm generally bad at punching my trolley ticket. Like I should definitely go to remedial punch my trolley ticket school. Nevertheless, the controllers showed up, told me my punch wasn't right. I insisted that I had bought the ticket and punched it there. The lady DID NOT believe me. I told her again that I had that I wasn't from Lviv, but that I had tried my best to do it. She again did not believe me pulling out her very thick glasses to check it and count the dots. She called her friend over, I acted like I was really upset about the whole ordeal repeating that I wasn't from Lviv. They eventually must have thought that no Ukrainian would've put up such a stink and let me go without a fee or any issues. For teh record, I did buy and punch the ticket that day, I'm just really really bad at punching trolley tickets. New skill list to acquire.

After that, I stopped to buy a drink from a lady at the train station and as I didn't have correct change and she being a place of business obviously had NO kopecks, she paid me my 45 kopecks of change in what, that's right strawberry candies. BONUS! a little bit like Christmas not going to lie. After a long wait for the train I have a habit of showing up to early because I get nervous about being late. I got on the train and enjoyed three hours of looking outside at the Ukrainian country side. Side bar: the snow in Lviv had melted giving way to spring, seeing earlier notes. I arrived in Ivano-Frankivsk to snow covered sidewalks much to my anti delight. Joe's bus ended up being late, um a lot late but we'll get to that. SO I took a taxi to John's house, the wonderful volunteer who put us up. I hung out with John a senior volunteer from the middle of Iowa who was fantastic and wonderful. Joe showed up at the place an hour and a half later. Turns out Joe was supposed to get in at 7 or so some Baba on his bus told him. Then when 705 came around he called me to tell me that she said they'd be another 20. Or she wrote down 20 and he wasn't sure if she meant 20 minutes or 8oclock. I waited until about 735 when joe texted to say I could leave if I wanted. Anyway, Joe arrived and it was great to catch up and have time with him just like cluster. SO, we were told some people would be getting in around 6am. Andy being the joy of life he is texted me at 4am asking me where I was. At 6am a head pokes into the room and who is it but an ELATED Andy at seeing Joe and I asleep in the room. Andy proceeds to first jump on Joe exclaiming, "oh my god it's Fluffy." and then heads for my bed. We woke up the next morning had great omelets and then headed to teh warden meeting. Always a joy to spend time with Serhiy Pashinskiy. After all the discussions, I told him I'd be willing to take on a project, sounds like I'll be doing something with a girl's guide to safety. Joe is doing a much cooler project on re-vamping the Emergency Locator Form.

After the meeting we went for waffles/lunch and then headed to bazaars while we waited for John to get back from a meeting. I had fun just wandering around talking and not talking to people. It made me realise as I was walking that everyone else was always looking for someone to walk with or follow. Unfortunately I was not born with this trait. Sometimes it seems like my ability to be just fine on my own can be detrimental. I can't help that I don't mind just being on my own. Life is what it is. On the good side, I got some fantastic gloves and learned the lesson, never settle for the over priced gloves on the stairs when there's probably a half expensive pair in the back stalls. Luckily, I got the back stall cheap gloves. Made John dinner and met Ruth and Alexis who were fantastic.

The next morning, Serhiy Pashinskiy drove us to Kolomiya where the other region had "meet your neighbor" I enjoyed the company of their region and most of all really felt like I was on a vacation for the first time in a long time. we stayed at a great b&b and I laughed teh whole time. I missed being with my boys; plus I met some really great people. The bed and breakfast in Kolomiya was fantastic and if you ever want to go to the Carpathian foothills in a cute town I recommend it. That night we went to dinner and bar where I had a great time and a russian guy grabbed my butt. Awesome. Spent the next day in town with Erin a volunteer from Zakarpatzka oblast who is organizing a half marathon that I'm volunteering at in April. Had a fantastic time. And then, I enjoyed the many joys of taking a late train back and fell asleep on the train. I was sitting up with my head resting against the side of teh car and I drooled down my sleeve, CLASSY! The guy across from me looked at me like I was nuts. So much for good impressions and cross cultural learning. Got home late and woke up to teach. Luckily, I got to sleep in a little.

Unfortunately, after my 3rd form class, they told me that my new counterpart is out sick as in in the hospital. Awesome, I'm a total curse on these teachers I swear. So, I'm covering her classes for who knows how long. That brings me to 21 hours of English (no more French since I'm covering all teh English classes) and then I'm doing 1 hour of English with my director and starting Friday will be doing one hour of English with the director of Education in Lviv. Work is work! Kids are good and bad, but nothing beats it when I feel like we're getting somewhere or they're learning. So that's life, a full schedule. Lots coming up actually. But I'll spare you the plan of the next few weeks. Also, the vice principal asked me to run a demo lesson for the other teachers of foreign language so that they can see my style of teaching, ask for details if you want to know but not something i'm going public with.

In other news, I hate teh fact that there was a freaking snow storm and now Lviv is once again covered in heavy wet dense snow. PLEASE SPRING COME PLEASE!

a side track

I liked this I will share it

Like you I
love love, life, the sweet smell
of things, the sky-blue
landscape of January days.

And my blood boils up
and I laugh through eyes
that have known the buds of tears.

I believe the world is beautiful
and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone.

And that my veins don't end in me
but in the unanimous blood
of those who struggle for life,
love,
little things,
landscape and bread,
the poetry of everyone.
Roque Dalton.

do you think that we like to take our orders from fools

So another few weeks has passed at site. This week I feel like I was able to see a lot of the city bouncing between dates and meetings and just exploring.

More project ideas have come to mind and after lots of meetings I'm working on deciding what it is I really want to do/ can do and how to do that. The week started speaking with my director and now I'm going to be doing tutoring with both her and the director of education for the city of Lviv. An opportunity that while it benefits them in the language department will hopefully benefit me in the end in the networking department and what I am able to do with my two years. On Wednesday, I had teh opportunity to meet with a group of people at a catholic charity that I was introduced to by Irene. A great party and interesting presentation on VanGogh and great to meet new people who I will hopefully become hooked up with and can do things with! On Thursday, I met with Linda which is always a joy. Talking to Linda makes me want to do something with my service beyond just teaching English. She's a great role model for service and life in general and I hope that even though she's heading back to teh states in summer we can remain in contact. Friday was meet your neighbor. Saturday I explored teh city finding great things to do at teh bazaar and it left me wanting to explore every bazaar here. I found a great spice guy and had a hand mixed spice in a small paper envelope to take home (great!) what else, the markets are great and now that springs coming I can feel the excitement in everyone around me. On sunday nite I went and saw Madame Butterfly with Dan and Lesya and their guests. As always things are wonderful adn I'm happy. new pictures on my facebook of the town. things are getting busy and I cannot wait for things to start taking off. I remind myself every day that patience is a virtue and hopefully if I work hard I will be rewarded. An unexpected high moment and reward one of my students brought me a beautiful purple hyacinth plant for International Women's day celelbrated widely in Ukraine, so much so that I have the day off of school.

loveyou all

with no alarms and no surprises

Here we are at the beginning of another month. It's hard to think where time goes. Perhaps I'll just start contemplating it in a Slaughterhouse Five cyclical kind of way and then nothing will seem to pass quickly but to go and come as moments might or should.

Where should I begin. My Regional Manager came and visited last Thursday. The visit went well. By all accounts my seventh form acted quite well in front of him. There were some outbursts and I know that they were putting on a brave face and liking what we were doing for the sake of getting it done because he was there. But despite my discipline issues with them it was a good visit. My Manager gave me some hints as to how to improve my teaching and what I could do to help with discipline and varied skill levels in the classroom. And then we talked with my director which was a really great talk. She expressed her thankfulness not only at having a full time volunteer but also at having me as their volunteer which was really great. I was finally able to thank them for all that they have done for me thus far. So, mission accomplished visit finished for the time being and thus happy Kari and happy school.

The weekend was quiet, finally, I finished the book my mom sent and am down to my last english language book, though we'll see how that pans out in the next couple weeks. Another volunteer says she's going to give me some so that could be great. The highlight was getting to talk to my family. As my parents are in Detroit this weekend I got passed around the breakfast table and loved hearing from everyone in teh room. Beyond that, let's see, had another meeting with my director and vice-director today. They asked me about teaching English to someone in teh community one or two hours per week. I, of course, said yes. And I'll be doing one hour of English teaching with my director as well per week. All of this is good, a nice and varied schedule will keep me going and moving. I do best when I'm working a lot, well maybe not too much. But I do need things to keep me busy so I don't fall into a rut. The best thing for me is to have to work my hours right in a row. nevertheless, they also let me know that the cleaning lady is going to be coming into my place once a week to clean everything for me, vacuum, wash the bathroom etc. More reason for me to keep a tidy household instead of waiting til I have the time to actually get the cleaning done. I feel so spoiled, they often cook for me and now the cleaning. I told them that I did it on my own, they lured me in with the prospect of having it vacuumed once per week and then added that she'd also be cleaning other things as well. I'm trying to accept their graciousness by paying them back by working for them as much as possible in many domains.

Let's see what else. . . the discipline is still an issue and it makes me feel like a bad teacher. I'm trying not to let it get me down and help my students with something that only I can do with them. And so this month in 7th form is pronunciation month. I'm coming up with different pronunciation games and activities to try and help the accent. Unfortunately, i feel like I'm going to be met with some resistance. Each week this month, I'm going to be giving them a tongue twister to memorize. They will be able to read it on Monday/Tuesday with me and then will present it to the class on Friday, my hope is to have them turn into teachers. So that when they present the tongue twister on Friday they will have the class repeat it after them and then they will be able to help the class with their pronunciation as I have helped them. In between the time when I am helping each student I'm going to try and get different listening activities or something like this that the students can do. . . . we'll see it's still in the nest of my thinking.

A big long journal entry about pedagogical things, what can I say. The snow is melting and I'm crossing my fingers that this is it, this is spring. I can see pavement and ground, but there are still plenty of snow mounds. The school dog has taken to sleeping outside my room/apartment, I'm going to buy him some dog treats this week. He scratches the outside mat and groans when he wants me to come out and pet him.

Well, love and hugs to all.