The Last Bell ceremony for the end of the school year was yesterday. I watched this year's eleventh formers, dressed in traditional school uniforms from Soviet days (with some of the girls' skirts indecently short, but no harem costumes, Tif), and remembered when they were 8th formers, back when I was brand-new here. Then I taught Nelya the basics of how to use a computer mouse and how to type in Microsoft Word, which made both of us proud that she was learning how to do more with computers.
Later, I visited an English teacher who I had known when I lived here before and who is now on maternity leave. Although it was a social visit, she was interested in my research and is willing to be interviewed. Interesting fact about Ukraine: women can take up to 3 years of paid maternity leave (not full pay, but their job will be there when they get back). Everyone is shocked that we only get 6 weeks.
I spent the night at the Kotlars', which was fun and a change from one set of kids to another. Much to the amusement of her family (and myself), Lilia K. (age 6) has an enormous crush on Yura Yukhymets (age 14/15?). Apparently he bought her ice cream once, and she's utterly besotted. She told me that they're going to get married when she grows up and he'll go to work and she'll stay home and cook and clean. When I asked which church they were going to go to, she thought about it and decided that they would alternate Sundays. Lilia and Natasha walked me home, and they weren't going to come in, but then Lilia started to cry because she wouldn't see Yura, so they stopped in to say hello. Yura walked by and said "Hello, Lil," and she just beamed. (Personally, I think Yura's got a lot of growing up to do before he's ready to be the object of anyone's adoration, much less Lilia's, but perhaps she'll be a good influence. :) )
Lilia reminds me of why I actually do want children at some point (although not 12!). She's a very deep-thinking, loving, little girl, who likes to cuddle and take care of her little brothers. She said to me very seriously at breakfast this morning, "I missed you while you were gone [to America]. Sometimes I looked at your picture and thought about you. I don't want you to leave." Aww...
This afternoon Viktor and I took 6 of the Y kids to the playground at one of the schools in town to get them out of Nadia's hair so she could garden (of the other half, 1 was at a church conference in Kharkiv, 1 helped Nadia, and the other 4 were with their grandmother). We stayed at the playground for about 4 hours. I played football, excuse me, soccer, with the boys and Viktor for a bit, proving once again that I have very little aptitude for sports.
In case you all hadn't picked up on it, I love being in Ukraine again.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
productive day :)
I forgot how things in Ukraine tend to come together at the last minute.
My research was going slowly earlier this week. Part of it was that I was waiting on questionnaires; part of it was that it's the last week of the semester here; part of it was simply that things go more slowly in Ukraine than they do in the U.S. I was starting to feel frustrated and worried that I wasn't being a good researcher--after all, since MSU is funding the majority of the trip, I need to be productive. And yet there wasn't much I could do besides sit and wait.
Well, things have taken off with a vengeance. It started yesterday, when two surveys were returned to me and an interview scheduled for next week, and today kept me hopping for almost 12 hours. I started the day with an interview at a local school, then caught a very packed bus to the center (downtown) to meet up with Robert, the PCV in town, as we were supposed to speak to students at the college and collegium (the latter is a specialized high school in the same building and sharing the same faculty as the college). We spoke with 3rd year college students and 10th form collegium students--both groups did a nice job of speaking English and had good questions for us. I was especially proud of Firyuza, a former student of mine, who's now at the collegium and wants to be a translator. Her teacher mentioned to me that she's one of the best students in her class, which makes me really happy.
After that (which was several hours), Robert and I went to the Palace of Culture, as he had written a PEPFAR grant (he works at the HIV center here) and was trying to set up a concert. The director of the Palace of Culture wanted a translator at the meeting to make sure they had all the details correct, and since languages come more easily for me than they do for Robert, I translated. We had Robert, the director of the Palace of Culture, a musician/sound/lights guy from the P of C, the director of the HIV Center, and I, and I think we got all the details hashed out. I enjoyed translating in a non-school context, which is something I haven't had much chance to do before.
When we finished, it was already mid-afternoon, so Robert and I went to the new pizzeria and had a late lunch. Then we hung out and talked, mostly about his impending Close of Service and what it's like for me, being back here. At 5 I had another interview, which lasted until around 7 p.m. At that point, I came home, had supper, and played dolls with Liza and Snizhanna. A good day all around, and between me and a PCV who emailed me, I've gotten 9 more questionnaires passed out and another interview scheduled for Monday.
Tomorrow: Last Bell ceremony at School #3, helping Nelya learn how to use a computer, a possible interview, a visit to an English teacher I knew when I lived here, and spending the evening at the Kotlars.
Yay for accomplishing stuff!
(Now to post this before my Internet dies again...)
My research was going slowly earlier this week. Part of it was that I was waiting on questionnaires; part of it was that it's the last week of the semester here; part of it was simply that things go more slowly in Ukraine than they do in the U.S. I was starting to feel frustrated and worried that I wasn't being a good researcher--after all, since MSU is funding the majority of the trip, I need to be productive. And yet there wasn't much I could do besides sit and wait.
Well, things have taken off with a vengeance. It started yesterday, when two surveys were returned to me and an interview scheduled for next week, and today kept me hopping for almost 12 hours. I started the day with an interview at a local school, then caught a very packed bus to the center (downtown) to meet up with Robert, the PCV in town, as we were supposed to speak to students at the college and collegium (the latter is a specialized high school in the same building and sharing the same faculty as the college). We spoke with 3rd year college students and 10th form collegium students--both groups did a nice job of speaking English and had good questions for us. I was especially proud of Firyuza, a former student of mine, who's now at the collegium and wants to be a translator. Her teacher mentioned to me that she's one of the best students in her class, which makes me really happy.
After that (which was several hours), Robert and I went to the Palace of Culture, as he had written a PEPFAR grant (he works at the HIV center here) and was trying to set up a concert. The director of the Palace of Culture wanted a translator at the meeting to make sure they had all the details correct, and since languages come more easily for me than they do for Robert, I translated. We had Robert, the director of the Palace of Culture, a musician/sound/lights guy from the P of C, the director of the HIV Center, and I, and I think we got all the details hashed out. I enjoyed translating in a non-school context, which is something I haven't had much chance to do before.
When we finished, it was already mid-afternoon, so Robert and I went to the new pizzeria and had a late lunch. Then we hung out and talked, mostly about his impending Close of Service and what it's like for me, being back here. At 5 I had another interview, which lasted until around 7 p.m. At that point, I came home, had supper, and played dolls with Liza and Snizhanna. A good day all around, and between me and a PCV who emailed me, I've gotten 9 more questionnaires passed out and another interview scheduled for Monday.
Tomorrow: Last Bell ceremony at School #3, helping Nelya learn how to use a computer, a possible interview, a visit to an English teacher I knew when I lived here, and spending the evening at the Kotlars.
Yay for accomplishing stuff!
(Now to post this before my Internet dies again...)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
my impressions
As an American living/working/visiting in Ukraine, a common question I'm asked is "What are your impressions of _______?" It's apparently a literal translation of a question in Ukrainian, since whenever I ask someone to translate it for me (because I can never remember the word in Ukrainian), they say "impressions". So here are some random impressions I've had since arriving in Balaklia:
~There are now two coffee shops and a pizza place that delivers (not that I've been to any of them yet). Be still, my beating heart.
~There is also a second supermarket, twice the size of the first one (which came while I lived here). It offers such delicacies as Brie, which you used to only be able to find in Kharkiv. (I don't actually want Brie, I'm just amazed you can find it here now.)
~I lived here two years and didn't know that a) both the college and the lyceum have dorms and b) the name of the bus stop by the Yukhymetses' house (Sichnya).
~I did a fairly good job of packing clothes for this trip. Packing a non-wrinklable black skirt and a black cardigan was a stroke of genius, as I wear them almost every day. Tif's suggestion of throwing in my long denim skirt for around the house was also an excellent idea.
~That said, the weather here is a bit cooler than I had hoped. It's working, but I should have packed one more long-sleeved shirt.
~Everyone is much more computer/Internet-savvy than they were two years ago. Nadia is quite proficient with the computer now and spends her evenings looking up old friends and relatives on Odnoklassniki.ru, which is basically Classmates.com.
~One should never try and do educational research during the last two weeks of the school year.
~I spent a semester learning about informed consent and confidentiality. It's all a lot more complicated when you're doing research in a culture where these are not concepts that people have spent much time thinking about.
~My former students understand English a lot better than they speak it. I'm amazed at how much they understand.
~12 kids are a lot. But I wouldn't want to be staying anywhere else in town while I'm here on a visit.
~The economic crisis has really hit home here. Everyone talks about it. Nadia said that this month the government hasn't sent them money for raising the kids (for anyone unaware, the Y family is sort of a permanent foster care home, except that the children look at it as their own home and family...they just aren't legally adopted). She's not sure what they're going to do if this continues.
~It's really good to be back. Everyone's made me feel very welcome.
~There are now two coffee shops and a pizza place that delivers (not that I've been to any of them yet). Be still, my beating heart.
~There is also a second supermarket, twice the size of the first one (which came while I lived here). It offers such delicacies as Brie, which you used to only be able to find in Kharkiv. (I don't actually want Brie, I'm just amazed you can find it here now.)
~I lived here two years and didn't know that a) both the college and the lyceum have dorms and b) the name of the bus stop by the Yukhymetses' house (Sichnya).
~I did a fairly good job of packing clothes for this trip. Packing a non-wrinklable black skirt and a black cardigan was a stroke of genius, as I wear them almost every day. Tif's suggestion of throwing in my long denim skirt for around the house was also an excellent idea.
~That said, the weather here is a bit cooler than I had hoped. It's working, but I should have packed one more long-sleeved shirt.
~Everyone is much more computer/Internet-savvy than they were two years ago. Nadia is quite proficient with the computer now and spends her evenings looking up old friends and relatives on Odnoklassniki.ru, which is basically Classmates.com.
~One should never try and do educational research during the last two weeks of the school year.
~I spent a semester learning about informed consent and confidentiality. It's all a lot more complicated when you're doing research in a culture where these are not concepts that people have spent much time thinking about.
~My former students understand English a lot better than they speak it. I'm amazed at how much they understand.
~12 kids are a lot. But I wouldn't want to be staying anywhere else in town while I'm here on a visit.
~The economic crisis has really hit home here. Everyone talks about it. Nadia said that this month the government hasn't sent them money for raising the kids (for anyone unaware, the Y family is sort of a permanent foster care home, except that the children look at it as their own home and family...they just aren't legally adopted). She's not sure what they're going to do if this continues.
~It's really good to be back. Everyone's made me feel very welcome.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
homemade cough syrup and injured kittens
I had, if not grand, at least moderately good plans for the day--go to church, help Natalia and the kids from the Orthodox Sunday School plant trees, go to the youth group at Andrey's church this evening and hopefully connect with an English teacher who helps out there.
Unfortunately, I woke up with a bad cough, a tight chest, and not much voice, which is likely the result of overworking myself this past semester, giving myself no downtime before coming to Ukraine, and then going more or less full-tilt once I got here. However, being in Peace Corps taught me a bit about slowing down and taking care of myself so I wouldn't get more sick, so I told Nadia I was staying home this morning, gargled, took one of the Fishermen's Friend coughdrops I found a bag of in my computer bag (not sure why), and went back to bed until noon.
The afternoon was spent watching Battlestar Galactica, although the tone is getting darker and I'm going to have to start slowing down on watching it or mixing it with Doctor Who. I'm really enjoying BSG, but I'm finding that there are limits to how much gloom I can take in a sitting. But at the same time, I want to know what happens next! (Although I know a lot of the major spoilers, unfortunately...the series finale was this past spring, after I started playing the board game, and in order to know a bit more about the game, I did some reading on Wikipedia. All the same, it's interesting to watch it all play out.)
But I digress...Nadia dosed me with homemade cough syrup, which was surprisingly effective. It's a combination of butter, honey, wine, and baking soda, and although it's a vile concoction, by the time I finished the small bowl of it she told me to drink, I could breathe easier and wasn't coughing as much. I've also been drinking compote and water all afternoon, so I rather feel like I'm swimming by this point.
The other major occurence of the day was that Alosha (5) decided to take one of the kittens, dunk it in water (or possibly hold it under?), and then throw it on the ground next to the dog, who decided to investigate it. We were all sure that the kitten was dead, and all the little kids were mad at Alosha, who was crying when he realized what he'd done (except for Snizhanna, who blamed the dog), but apparently the kitten has come through, thanks to prayers from Ihor and Vlada, although it may be blind now. We're not sure.
My camp counselor skills come in handy here. I've taught a bunch of the kids how to play Duck Duck Goose and the hand-clapping circle game "Down by the Banks of the Hanky-Panky" and how to do thumb wars. It's amazing how much they enjoy it.
Unfortunately, I woke up with a bad cough, a tight chest, and not much voice, which is likely the result of overworking myself this past semester, giving myself no downtime before coming to Ukraine, and then going more or less full-tilt once I got here. However, being in Peace Corps taught me a bit about slowing down and taking care of myself so I wouldn't get more sick, so I told Nadia I was staying home this morning, gargled, took one of the Fishermen's Friend coughdrops I found a bag of in my computer bag (not sure why), and went back to bed until noon.
The afternoon was spent watching Battlestar Galactica, although the tone is getting darker and I'm going to have to start slowing down on watching it or mixing it with Doctor Who. I'm really enjoying BSG, but I'm finding that there are limits to how much gloom I can take in a sitting. But at the same time, I want to know what happens next! (Although I know a lot of the major spoilers, unfortunately...the series finale was this past spring, after I started playing the board game, and in order to know a bit more about the game, I did some reading on Wikipedia. All the same, it's interesting to watch it all play out.)
But I digress...Nadia dosed me with homemade cough syrup, which was surprisingly effective. It's a combination of butter, honey, wine, and baking soda, and although it's a vile concoction, by the time I finished the small bowl of it she told me to drink, I could breathe easier and wasn't coughing as much. I've also been drinking compote and water all afternoon, so I rather feel like I'm swimming by this point.
The other major occurence of the day was that Alosha (5) decided to take one of the kittens, dunk it in water (or possibly hold it under?), and then throw it on the ground next to the dog, who decided to investigate it. We were all sure that the kitten was dead, and all the little kids were mad at Alosha, who was crying when he realized what he'd done (except for Snizhanna, who blamed the dog), but apparently the kitten has come through, thanks to prayers from Ihor and Vlada, although it may be blind now. We're not sure.
My camp counselor skills come in handy here. I've taught a bunch of the kids how to play Duck Duck Goose and the hand-clapping circle game "Down by the Banks of the Hanky-Panky" and how to do thumb wars. It's amazing how much they enjoy it.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
it's a small world and my Ukrainian "twin"
Of particular interest to the Riverview crowd, but the rest of you may find it interesting as well:
Vitaly (19) and Oleh (15) went to a youth conference in Kharkiv today at one of the churches there. The topic translates roughly as "a Biblical look at attitudes between guys and girls". Both of the boys seemed to have a good day, and at any rate, Oleh was much more sociable and less of a brat than he's been since I arrived. (Viktor commented that the boys hadn't heard anything different there from what they hear at home, but somehow the conference seemed to have made more of an impression.)
But what I found the most interesting was that the conference was sponsored by Almaz Church, which is one of the GCM churches in Ukraine. Having attended Riverview, which is a GCM church, in undergrad, I visited the other two GCM churches in Kyiv, City on a Hill and Spring of Hope, whenever I happened to be in the city on a Sunday. I never managed to visit Almaz, primarily because I didn't know where it was and its services were on Saturday nights, which never corresponded with my train schedule, but I knew Eric and Cindy Thomas and several other missionaries who would have been involved to varying extents with the ministry at Almaz.
Basically, it's a fairly small world, at least if you're an evangelical in Ukraine.
~*~
This afternoon, I went to a neighboring village with my friend Natalia to visit an English teacher who's a friend of hers to see if she'd be interested in participating in my research. We had tea and cookies with her friend and her friend's cousin, and then we visited the village Orthodox church. Natalia does a lot of work with the children and teens that go to the Orthodox church in Balaklia, and she had wanted the teens from the church in the village to meet me. However, only the priest's daughter showed up, so Natalia, who's been taking a course in Orthodox theology, explained what the different icons represented in the church and why they were arranged the way they are.
It's been great to get in touch with Natalia again. We're a lot alike--if you can imagine a Ukrainian Orthodox version of me (who is also taller and blond, but we're built about the same), that's Natalia. She's a bookworm who lived and worked abroad in Germany for a couple of years and now teaches German and Ukrainian at the local college. She loves to travel, but she also feels deeply at home in Balaklia and enjoys life there. She's active in the local Orthodox church (pretty much the only devout Orthodox person I know personally in Ukraine), and she loves to talk and laugh. (She's also able to talk about history and theology for half an hour straight...yes, we are indeed a lot alike!) We think on the same wavelength, despite coming from different cultures, and hanging out with her is always a lot of fun.
Vitaly (19) and Oleh (15) went to a youth conference in Kharkiv today at one of the churches there. The topic translates roughly as "a Biblical look at attitudes between guys and girls". Both of the boys seemed to have a good day, and at any rate, Oleh was much more sociable and less of a brat than he's been since I arrived. (Viktor commented that the boys hadn't heard anything different there from what they hear at home, but somehow the conference seemed to have made more of an impression.)
But what I found the most interesting was that the conference was sponsored by Almaz Church, which is one of the GCM churches in Ukraine. Having attended Riverview, which is a GCM church, in undergrad, I visited the other two GCM churches in Kyiv, City on a Hill and Spring of Hope, whenever I happened to be in the city on a Sunday. I never managed to visit Almaz, primarily because I didn't know where it was and its services were on Saturday nights, which never corresponded with my train schedule, but I knew Eric and Cindy Thomas and several other missionaries who would have been involved to varying extents with the ministry at Almaz.
Basically, it's a fairly small world, at least if you're an evangelical in Ukraine.
~*~
This afternoon, I went to a neighboring village with my friend Natalia to visit an English teacher who's a friend of hers to see if she'd be interested in participating in my research. We had tea and cookies with her friend and her friend's cousin, and then we visited the village Orthodox church. Natalia does a lot of work with the children and teens that go to the Orthodox church in Balaklia, and she had wanted the teens from the church in the village to meet me. However, only the priest's daughter showed up, so Natalia, who's been taking a course in Orthodox theology, explained what the different icons represented in the church and why they were arranged the way they are.
It's been great to get in touch with Natalia again. We're a lot alike--if you can imagine a Ukrainian Orthodox version of me (who is also taller and blond, but we're built about the same), that's Natalia. She's a bookworm who lived and worked abroad in Germany for a couple of years and now teaches German and Ukrainian at the local college. She loves to travel, but she also feels deeply at home in Balaklia and enjoys life there. She's active in the local Orthodox church (pretty much the only devout Orthodox person I know personally in Ukraine), and she loves to talk and laugh. (She's also able to talk about history and theology for half an hour straight...yes, we are indeed a lot alike!) We think on the same wavelength, despite coming from different cultures, and hanging out with her is always a lot of fun.
a typical (?) day
Mom wanted an example of a "typical" day for me here in Ukraine, so I thought I'd give it a try. There's a fair amount of variance, depending on research/socializing/etc., but roughly, weekdays go something like this:
Sometime between 5 and 7 a.m.: I wake up due to a combination of sun and roosters, roll over, and endeavor to go back to sleep until my alarm goes off, usually at 7 or 7:30. I'm fairly successful at this.
7-8:30ish: My alarm (on my cell phone) goes off. I make my bed, get dressed in nice clothes (if I'm going somewhere) or old clothes (if I'll be around the house for a bit), wash up (there's a sink with hot water on the third floor, where I sleep!), and head downstairs for breakfast. Downstairs is barely organized chaos, with 11 out of 12 children getting ready for school. If I'm going to school that morning, I'm part of the chaos...otherwise, I sit on the couch and keep out of everyone's way until the kids are off to school and then have breakfast. The Y kids are not cheerful early risers, and they are not necessarily on time to school on a regular basis.
Remainder of morning/early afternoon: This varies a lot. I may be around the house, doing my own thing there, or I may be at my old school guest lecturing to some classes. Alternatively, I may go into the center of town to run errands/make more copies of my questionnaires and consent forms/pass out aforementioned documents. This sometimes happens after I've been at school. Hopefully this next week interviews will become a regular part of this segment of the day or the one following it.
Mid-afternoon: Kids come home from school. We have lunch, which took some getting used to, as I think of lunch as something that happens at noon, whereas at the Y house, it's sometime between 2 and 4 p.m. It may or may not involve people actually all eating at the same time.
Mid-afternoon to early evening: A lot of my social visits tend to occur at this time. Alternatively, it's "Big Sister" time, which can involve anything from helping Vlada with English to teaching Vitaly how to play chords with his left hand on the piano to watching the little kids play outside to answering any and all of Valera's innumerable questions. Seriously, he looks at me as a fount of information and I'm never sure what he's going to ask next. If I've reached my limit of big sister-ness, I head up to the 3rd floor (which I and I alone have a key to), watch Battlestar Galactica (thanks to Carl, the Cylon...I've already finished Season 1), and contemplate never having children. Which at times, almost sounds appealing. (And I'm not having 12, regardless, as much as I love them all.)
7:45?: Carmelita, the older kids' serial (i.e., evening soap opera) comes on. It's about a Roma (gypsy) tribe living in Russia, and it has catacombs and guns and affairs and convoluded, improbable plot lines. The kids love it. I'm sort of surprised that they're allowed to watch it, but it appears to be a battle that Viktor and Nadia decided to let the kids win. It's mostly interesting to me for how the Other, in the form of the Roma, is portrayed. Carmelita, the main character, really only looks Roma due to her curly hair and flowing skirts, and her love interest is non-Roma.
After that: The little kids often watch Scooby-Doo dubbed into Ukrainian, and we have supper. Or, if Nadia's been in the garden all day, we eat whatever happens to be cooked at that time. For the first week or so I was here, the younger kids wanted me to play the piano while we sang, but we've gotten out of that habit lately.
9ish: I go upstairs and watch more Battlestar Galactica or read Les Miserables, and sometimes use the Internet.
Sometime between 11 and 12: Devotions and bed.
And there you have it: the fledgling researcher and her typical life. Right now, it's a bit kid-heavy, but I'm hoping that interviews will pick up this coming week. I've got a lot of questionnaires and consent forms passed out, and I'm waiting to hear back on those.
Sometime between 5 and 7 a.m.: I wake up due to a combination of sun and roosters, roll over, and endeavor to go back to sleep until my alarm goes off, usually at 7 or 7:30. I'm fairly successful at this.
7-8:30ish: My alarm (on my cell phone) goes off. I make my bed, get dressed in nice clothes (if I'm going somewhere) or old clothes (if I'll be around the house for a bit), wash up (there's a sink with hot water on the third floor, where I sleep!), and head downstairs for breakfast. Downstairs is barely organized chaos, with 11 out of 12 children getting ready for school. If I'm going to school that morning, I'm part of the chaos...otherwise, I sit on the couch and keep out of everyone's way until the kids are off to school and then have breakfast. The Y kids are not cheerful early risers, and they are not necessarily on time to school on a regular basis.
Remainder of morning/early afternoon: This varies a lot. I may be around the house, doing my own thing there, or I may be at my old school guest lecturing to some classes. Alternatively, I may go into the center of town to run errands/make more copies of my questionnaires and consent forms/pass out aforementioned documents. This sometimes happens after I've been at school. Hopefully this next week interviews will become a regular part of this segment of the day or the one following it.
Mid-afternoon: Kids come home from school. We have lunch, which took some getting used to, as I think of lunch as something that happens at noon, whereas at the Y house, it's sometime between 2 and 4 p.m. It may or may not involve people actually all eating at the same time.
Mid-afternoon to early evening: A lot of my social visits tend to occur at this time. Alternatively, it's "Big Sister" time, which can involve anything from helping Vlada with English to teaching Vitaly how to play chords with his left hand on the piano to watching the little kids play outside to answering any and all of Valera's innumerable questions. Seriously, he looks at me as a fount of information and I'm never sure what he's going to ask next. If I've reached my limit of big sister-ness, I head up to the 3rd floor (which I and I alone have a key to), watch Battlestar Galactica (thanks to Carl, the Cylon...I've already finished Season 1), and contemplate never having children. Which at times, almost sounds appealing. (And I'm not having 12, regardless, as much as I love them all.)
7:45?: Carmelita, the older kids' serial (i.e., evening soap opera) comes on. It's about a Roma (gypsy) tribe living in Russia, and it has catacombs and guns and affairs and convoluded, improbable plot lines. The kids love it. I'm sort of surprised that they're allowed to watch it, but it appears to be a battle that Viktor and Nadia decided to let the kids win. It's mostly interesting to me for how the Other, in the form of the Roma, is portrayed. Carmelita, the main character, really only looks Roma due to her curly hair and flowing skirts, and her love interest is non-Roma.
After that: The little kids often watch Scooby-Doo dubbed into Ukrainian, and we have supper. Or, if Nadia's been in the garden all day, we eat whatever happens to be cooked at that time. For the first week or so I was here, the younger kids wanted me to play the piano while we sang, but we've gotten out of that habit lately.
9ish: I go upstairs and watch more Battlestar Galactica or read Les Miserables, and sometimes use the Internet.
Sometime between 11 and 12: Devotions and bed.
And there you have it: the fledgling researcher and her typical life. Right now, it's a bit kid-heavy, but I'm hoping that interviews will pick up this coming week. I've got a lot of questionnaires and consent forms passed out, and I'm waiting to hear back on those.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
a fairly easy adjustment (except for my feet)
Vitaly and I set up wireless internet on my laptop (via external modem plugged into a USB port...it's 5 hryvnia off of my phone card to connect and then 2 kopecks a minute, so quite reasonable), so I hope to be checking email/blogging more often. As in every day or so. It's interesting for me to realize how much less technology I use in Ukraine, and how quickly I've slipped back into a slower-paced lifestyle.
I will say that I do miss being able to drive places. I'm not used to walking everywhere, and my feet and calves ache fairly regularly. If I have a long way to go (from school to the center, for example, a good 25-30 minute walk), I cheat and take a marshrutka (van), which I would have thought rather extravagant during my PCV days.
Yesterday I went to a neighboring village (via elektrichka) to visit my friends Andrey and Ira and see their new baby girl, Yanna. It was nice, and I think Ira was glad to have company. She said she misses being at work. Interesting fact: in Ukraine, women get 3 years of maternity leave, instead of 6 weeks. They get a (very) small monthly stipend during this time, and their job will be open for them when they come back.
Question for my readers: what do you all want me to post about? So much is going on, that I don't even know where to start. So if you can give me some topics you want to know about, I'd be happy to oblige.
I will say that I do miss being able to drive places. I'm not used to walking everywhere, and my feet and calves ache fairly regularly. If I have a long way to go (from school to the center, for example, a good 25-30 minute walk), I cheat and take a marshrutka (van), which I would have thought rather extravagant during my PCV days.
Yesterday I went to a neighboring village (via elektrichka) to visit my friends Andrey and Ira and see their new baby girl, Yanna. It was nice, and I think Ira was glad to have company. She said she misses being at work. Interesting fact: in Ukraine, women get 3 years of maternity leave, instead of 6 weeks. They get a (very) small monthly stipend during this time, and their job will be open for them when they come back.
Question for my readers: what do you all want me to post about? So much is going on, that I don't even know where to start. So if you can give me some topics you want to know about, I'd be happy to oblige.
Monday, May 18, 2009
the lilacs are in bloom
I could blog and blog, but I had enough other things to do on the computer that it isn't really feasible. However, apparently I may be able to sent up wireless (or some equivelent) through a type of flash drive that uses a phone card. I really don't understand it, but I'm hopeful.
~*~
Story for Tif, who remembers Lilia Kotlar at age 3, and her unwillingless to let me go home after I'd visited them:
I went to the Kotlars's church last night (along with Vitaly, Valera, Ruslan, and Liza...we goofed and got there an hour early...), and when Lilia (now age 6) saw me, she ran up to me and gave me a big hug.
"You remember me?" I asked, since the younger Yukhymets kids don't (Snizhanna likes to be reminded of the things that she did to me, like try to take my glasses and bop me on the head).
"You're Miss Sally!" she said, and then cuddled up next to me for the whole service.
At one point, she whispered to me, "Are you here for always?"
"No, I'm just visiting," I told her.
Very seriously, she said, "I'm not letting you go."
I felt loved.
~*~
I ended up spending the night at the Kotlars', and talked and giggled with Natasha (age 17 already!) until 1 a.m. She gave me a backrub to rival Tina's.
~*~
The Y kids really deserve their own blog post. Suffice it to say, I love being a big sister, but I don't want 12 kids of my own. I think my favorite time of the day is in the evening, when Liza and Valera say, "Let's sing," and we all (that is, the younger kids and I...the older ones are too cool for that) sing while I play the piano.
~*~
Story for Tif, who remembers Lilia Kotlar at age 3, and her unwillingless to let me go home after I'd visited them:
I went to the Kotlars's church last night (along with Vitaly, Valera, Ruslan, and Liza...we goofed and got there an hour early...), and when Lilia (now age 6) saw me, she ran up to me and gave me a big hug.
"You remember me?" I asked, since the younger Yukhymets kids don't (Snizhanna likes to be reminded of the things that she did to me, like try to take my glasses and bop me on the head).
"You're Miss Sally!" she said, and then cuddled up next to me for the whole service.
At one point, she whispered to me, "Are you here for always?"
"No, I'm just visiting," I told her.
Very seriously, she said, "I'm not letting you go."
I felt loved.
~*~
I ended up spending the night at the Kotlars', and talked and giggled with Natasha (age 17 already!) until 1 a.m. She gave me a backrub to rival Tina's.
~*~
The Y kids really deserve their own blog post. Suffice it to say, I love being a big sister, but I don't want 12 kids of my own. I think my favorite time of the day is in the evening, when Liza and Valera say, "Let's sing," and we all (that is, the younger kids and I...the older ones are too cool for that) sing while I play the piano.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
in Balaklia
In Balaklia, enjoying being the oldest of 13 kids for a couple of weeks. The littlest ones didn't remember me at first and would look at me shyly and run away yesterday morning, but by evening, I was being pelted with leaves, asked to "Watch me! Watch me!", and basically one of the pack again.
This could either be a very long post or a very short one, but I am using the post office internet (we have 3 computers here now, not just 1!), and I'm down to only five minutes, so it will have to be short. Random bits of interest:
*Oleh Y. (15) still knows how to push my buttons and get me sputtering in English in a matter of minutes. He decided to pry into my personal life, hit a nerve on pretty much the first question, and then wouldn't drop it. He plays the piano beautifully, however.
*Vlada Y. (15) is going through what her mother calls a "difficult stage" and has lovely fingernails, one hand black and the other pink. She painted mine for me last night, all light pink.
*I went to school yesterday. My kids are all huge, the teachers are much the same, and Nelya was planning to use an idea that I had used back when I taught (an election scenario).
*The food here is as good as I remembered.
*Saw Robert today and got caught up on his time as a PCV here. A month away from leaving, he has many of the same feelings as I did at the same point.
This could either be a very long post or a very short one, but I am using the post office internet (we have 3 computers here now, not just 1!), and I'm down to only five minutes, so it will have to be short. Random bits of interest:
*Oleh Y. (15) still knows how to push my buttons and get me sputtering in English in a matter of minutes. He decided to pry into my personal life, hit a nerve on pretty much the first question, and then wouldn't drop it. He plays the piano beautifully, however.
*Vlada Y. (15) is going through what her mother calls a "difficult stage" and has lovely fingernails, one hand black and the other pink. She painted mine for me last night, all light pink.
*I went to school yesterday. My kids are all huge, the teachers are much the same, and Nelya was planning to use an idea that I had used back when I taught (an election scenario).
*The food here is as good as I remembered.
*Saw Robert today and got caught up on his time as a PCV here. A month away from leaving, he has many of the same feelings as I did at the same point.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Kyiv, day 2
Happiness is:
*Sleeping for 5 hours once I finally got a bed; hanging out in my hotel room, reading, watching Ukrainian TV, and writing in my journal for a few hours (skipped supper because I would have had to actually go somewhere, had snacks); sleeping 9.5 hours more after that. I feel more or less human now.
*Saving 30 hryvnia on a taxi by going outside and asking a taxi driver myself, rather than having the front desk get me one
*Going to a little cafe I remembered from my Peace Corps days for lunch and having soup with shrimp, lemon, and herbs along with focaccia and a raspberry milkshake
*Sending out copies of my survey and consent forms to PCVs willing to distribute them for me
*Knowing that the Yukhymetses will be at the train station with open arms to greet me when I show up at 3:45 in the morning (I offered to take a taxi, but Nadia said, "Of course we'll be there! We've missed you!" which makes me feel very loved.)
On a less cheerful note, Kyiv is warm and muggy. Ugh.
*Sleeping for 5 hours once I finally got a bed; hanging out in my hotel room, reading, watching Ukrainian TV, and writing in my journal for a few hours (skipped supper because I would have had to actually go somewhere, had snacks); sleeping 9.5 hours more after that. I feel more or less human now.
*Saving 30 hryvnia on a taxi by going outside and asking a taxi driver myself, rather than having the front desk get me one
*Going to a little cafe I remembered from my Peace Corps days for lunch and having soup with shrimp, lemon, and herbs along with focaccia and a raspberry milkshake
*Sending out copies of my survey and consent forms to PCVs willing to distribute them for me
*Knowing that the Yukhymetses will be at the train station with open arms to greet me when I show up at 3:45 in the morning (I offered to take a taxi, but Nadia said, "Of course we'll be there! We've missed you!" which makes me feel very loved.)
On a less cheerful note, Kyiv is warm and muggy. Ugh.
Monday, May 11, 2009
So long and thanks for all the fish
I have awesome former roomies. Lisa ended up driving me to the bus stop Sunday morning, mostly because she originally had insommnia but then decided to stay up even after it was over to drive me, and Brandi saw me off and gave me a money pouch, as I had forgotten to get mine from Lakeview.
Then a long day/night of travel. I don't like airplane food. It doesn't matter what it is, it doesn't taste good. (@Lisa: I ended up not eating hardly any of the pretzels on the plane for that reason...I want to want to eat them again!)
I made it to Ukraine safe and sound, although 4 hours too early to check into my hotel room. To fill that time, I have a) exchanged money, b) bought a cell phone, c) bought my train ticket to Balaklia tomorrow night, d) called Nadia (who sounded very excited on the phone, e) texted Sasha and Andrey, f) did a lot of window shopping (saw some lovely skirts I'd like to get at the end of the summer, depending on money), g) had lunch at McDonalds, f) gawked at how much prices have gone up in a year and a half (which makes sense with how the hryvnia's dropped), g) paid an outrageous price for Internet, and h) am anxiously waiting to go crash in my hotel room at 2 pm.
I was feeling a bit weird about the whole trip right before we landed, but it feels very natural to be here. Although I'm exhausted and really really just want to sleep right now, or at least be in a prone position. I did doze for a few hours on the flight though. And met a former PCV (before my time) on the plane who runs an English language school in Dnipropetrovsk, is willing to pass out my survey to teachers he knows and said that if I ever wanted a job, I should look him up but I'll probably be overqualified to work at his school, having an actual degree in TESOL.
Wow...jet lag is really kicking in. Time to finish this post and wait 45 more minutes for my room.
Then a long day/night of travel. I don't like airplane food. It doesn't matter what it is, it doesn't taste good. (@Lisa: I ended up not eating hardly any of the pretzels on the plane for that reason...I want to want to eat them again!)
I made it to Ukraine safe and sound, although 4 hours too early to check into my hotel room. To fill that time, I have a) exchanged money, b) bought a cell phone, c) bought my train ticket to Balaklia tomorrow night, d) called Nadia (who sounded very excited on the phone, e) texted Sasha and Andrey, f) did a lot of window shopping (saw some lovely skirts I'd like to get at the end of the summer, depending on money), g) had lunch at McDonalds, f) gawked at how much prices have gone up in a year and a half (which makes sense with how the hryvnia's dropped), g) paid an outrageous price for Internet, and h) am anxiously waiting to go crash in my hotel room at 2 pm.
I was feeling a bit weird about the whole trip right before we landed, but it feels very natural to be here. Although I'm exhausted and really really just want to sleep right now, or at least be in a prone position. I did doze for a few hours on the flight though. And met a former PCV (before my time) on the plane who runs an English language school in Dnipropetrovsk, is willing to pass out my survey to teachers he knows and said that if I ever wanted a job, I should look him up but I'll probably be overqualified to work at his school, having an actual degree in TESOL.
Wow...jet lag is really kicking in. Time to finish this post and wait 45 more minutes for my room.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
off to Ukraine!
It's been long enough since I've blogged that I almost feel like I've forgotten how. But since I leave for Ukraine tomorrow, I figured it's time to start this up again.
Ukraine, you say? Yes, I'm going back for the summer to do research for my M.A. thesis on communicative language teaching in Ukrainian schools. I'll be in Balaklia for the first month or so, I expect, with possible short trips for data collection, and then will be at Ivan Franko University in L'viv from early June through almost the end of July for Ukrainian language study through the University of Kansas. Then one week at the end, which might be wrapping up data collection, going back to Balaklia, or heading down to the Black Sea...it's a play-it-by-ear week.
I'm excited, albeit a bit nervous tonight. I loved Ukraine and my life there when I was there as a PCV, and leaving was hard. I always thought I'd go back, but a few years later down the line, not a year and a half later. (And I also thought I'd be paying for more of it...being mostly funded is nice.) Ukraine has changed. My friends there have changed. And I've changed, too.
But overall, I think it will be good. I'm looking forward to the chance to do research on a topic I'm interested in (and simply to get to try out all the research techniques I've been learning about this semester). I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends again (I'm staying with the Yukhymetses for the first month! Andrey and Ira just had a baby girl, Yanna!). I'm looking forward to studying Ukrainian again...and simply just to speak it on a regular basis. And I'm looking forward to whatever else God has in store for me. He's provided for me abundantly in so many ways over the last year and a half, and this is at the top of the list.
~*~
For the record, I think I have just finished the busiest semester of my life. Note to self: do not take on a double teaching load in your practicum class, a PhD level research methods course, and a seminar with a lot of reading in which you decide to do a research option all at once. Especially not when planning a trip overseas. To add to that, housing and employment for the fall were both in flux for quite some time, and employment is not yet resolved. I'm sort of looking forward to being on the plane tomorrow, because I won't have things I should be doing.
~*~
Saw the new Star Trek movie with the game night crew and Brandi's family tonight. Greatly enjoyed it, although I'm more familiar with the Next Generation series than the original. We may possibly have been the geekiest group there.
~*~
I should follow Lisa's advice--"Go to bed, Sally." It's 10:30 now, and I need to get up at 4 a.m.
Ukraine, you say? Yes, I'm going back for the summer to do research for my M.A. thesis on communicative language teaching in Ukrainian schools. I'll be in Balaklia for the first month or so, I expect, with possible short trips for data collection, and then will be at Ivan Franko University in L'viv from early June through almost the end of July for Ukrainian language study through the University of Kansas. Then one week at the end, which might be wrapping up data collection, going back to Balaklia, or heading down to the Black Sea...it's a play-it-by-ear week.
I'm excited, albeit a bit nervous tonight. I loved Ukraine and my life there when I was there as a PCV, and leaving was hard. I always thought I'd go back, but a few years later down the line, not a year and a half later. (And I also thought I'd be paying for more of it...being mostly funded is nice.) Ukraine has changed. My friends there have changed. And I've changed, too.
But overall, I think it will be good. I'm looking forward to the chance to do research on a topic I'm interested in (and simply to get to try out all the research techniques I've been learning about this semester). I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends again (I'm staying with the Yukhymetses for the first month! Andrey and Ira just had a baby girl, Yanna!). I'm looking forward to studying Ukrainian again...and simply just to speak it on a regular basis. And I'm looking forward to whatever else God has in store for me. He's provided for me abundantly in so many ways over the last year and a half, and this is at the top of the list.
~*~
For the record, I think I have just finished the busiest semester of my life. Note to self: do not take on a double teaching load in your practicum class, a PhD level research methods course, and a seminar with a lot of reading in which you decide to do a research option all at once. Especially not when planning a trip overseas. To add to that, housing and employment for the fall were both in flux for quite some time, and employment is not yet resolved. I'm sort of looking forward to being on the plane tomorrow, because I won't have things I should be doing.
~*~
Saw the new Star Trek movie with the game night crew and Brandi's family tonight. Greatly enjoyed it, although I'm more familiar with the Next Generation series than the original. We may possibly have been the geekiest group there.
~*~
I should follow Lisa's advice--"Go to bed, Sally." It's 10:30 now, and I need to get up at 4 a.m.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
vindication
I had a really cool thing happen yesterday. Several, actually, including going out for Chinese food for a classmate's birthday, buying an inscribed copy of Madeleine L'Engle's poetry, and having a goofy, low-stress evening hanging out with Lisa as she snarked her way through a video game and I alternately read articles for the lit review I have to write and snarked along with her. Oh, and the random tour bus that was parked in front of our apartment for several hours. We never quite figured out why.
But the thing that made me decide to blog wasn't any of those things. I've been on http://www.vkontake.ru/ for a couple of weeks now--it's an equivalent to Facebook for Russian/Ukrainian speakers. Another RPCV had let me know about it, and I've enjoyed seeing what some of the people I knew in Ukraine are up to. Well, yesterday, I had a friend request from Firyuza, one of my former students.
Firyuza was one of the best students I've taught. She was one of the very few people I could count on to do their homework, and she was a regular at my English clubs. Her family moved into my apartment building partway through my time in Balaklia, and she and I would often walk home together, having simple conversations in English and playing word games like "I Spy" and "Think of a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word" in English. She was also had a quick temper and could be a bit moody--I remember an "open lesson" for the rayon teachers where I gave both her and another student the same high mark. She felt that she'd done better than the other student and that my grades should have reflected that, told me I could go ahead and give her a failing grade, and stormed off. Nelya and I didn't always agree about her--Firyuza is Tajikistani, and Nelya felt that she often showed "uncultured" characteristics of Tajik village people (Nelya spent several years in Tajkistan), but no one could argue that she wasn't a good student. (Firuyza's family are Muslims, the only ones I knew in Balaklia. Interestingly enough, her brother, Faridun, was friends with Vitaly Yukhymets, which made me wonder if it was because they both weren't Orthodox.)
Anyhow, when I looked at Firyuza's profile, I saw that after she finished 9th form last spring, she had transferred to the junior college in Balaklia and is now studying to be a translator (I assume of English, although it might also be German). I'm beyond thrilled. I loved my time in Ukraine and occasionally felt like I was making some small differences in regard to how people perceived Americans, but I was never sure if I made any difference as an English teacher. I figured at best, maybe some of my kids would realize that there were different ways to teach, that my educational effectiveness had more to do with helping them see English as fun than with actually learning anything. And now I found out that one of my students has decided to go into a language-related professon. As I said, I'm thrilled. It's a tiny vindication that yes, I probably helped inspire someone. And that makes all the days when I got so frustrated with the kids who didn't care worthwhile.
But the thing that made me decide to blog wasn't any of those things. I've been on http://www.vkontake.ru/ for a couple of weeks now--it's an equivalent to Facebook for Russian/Ukrainian speakers. Another RPCV had let me know about it, and I've enjoyed seeing what some of the people I knew in Ukraine are up to. Well, yesterday, I had a friend request from Firyuza, one of my former students.
Firyuza was one of the best students I've taught. She was one of the very few people I could count on to do their homework, and she was a regular at my English clubs. Her family moved into my apartment building partway through my time in Balaklia, and she and I would often walk home together, having simple conversations in English and playing word games like "I Spy" and "Think of a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word" in English. She was also had a quick temper and could be a bit moody--I remember an "open lesson" for the rayon teachers where I gave both her and another student the same high mark. She felt that she'd done better than the other student and that my grades should have reflected that, told me I could go ahead and give her a failing grade, and stormed off. Nelya and I didn't always agree about her--Firyuza is Tajikistani, and Nelya felt that she often showed "uncultured" characteristics of Tajik village people (Nelya spent several years in Tajkistan), but no one could argue that she wasn't a good student. (Firuyza's family are Muslims, the only ones I knew in Balaklia. Interestingly enough, her brother, Faridun, was friends with Vitaly Yukhymets, which made me wonder if it was because they both weren't Orthodox.)
Anyhow, when I looked at Firyuza's profile, I saw that after she finished 9th form last spring, she had transferred to the junior college in Balaklia and is now studying to be a translator (I assume of English, although it might also be German). I'm beyond thrilled. I loved my time in Ukraine and occasionally felt like I was making some small differences in regard to how people perceived Americans, but I was never sure if I made any difference as an English teacher. I figured at best, maybe some of my kids would realize that there were different ways to teach, that my educational effectiveness had more to do with helping them see English as fun than with actually learning anything. And now I found out that one of my students has decided to go into a language-related professon. As I said, I'm thrilled. It's a tiny vindication that yes, I probably helped inspire someone. And that makes all the days when I got so frustrated with the kids who didn't care worthwhile.
Monday, November 3, 2008
God is not a Republican or a Democrat
This past Sunday, the pastor at my church read a list of things that won't change regardless of who wins the election tomorrow, and they really stuck with me, enough that I emailed him to ask for the list. Don't get me wrong--I strongly believe that everyone should vote (unless you find yourself completely unable to support any of the candidates, and I can respect that), and I gave my own absentee ballot a lot of thought before filling it out (I originally assumed I'd be bipartisan, but it ended up tripartisan due to having spent so much time trying to find out anything about one of the third-party candidates for one of the more local elections that I ended up filling in his bubble by mistake...oops). But these are the things that will not change, no matter who will be in the White House, the Senate, the House, or lots of other places:
Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
1. The Bible will still have the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.
(I'm not sure who originally wrote this, as my pastor got it from someone else, so I suppose good old Anonymous gets the credit.)
The essentials of our faith won't change, regardless of who wins. And I, political junkie that I have become, have to keep reminding myself that as important as I believe the election to be tomorrow, the eternal issues aren't at stake. All the fear that I've heard from people on both sides is pointless, because in the end, God wins. And He's not a Republican or a Democrat.
I've read a lot online about the election during the past few months, and I consider myself to be a decently informed voter. But I find myself voting with humility, with the knowledge that, in fact, I could be wrong in my choices of candidates, but the belief that God's will shall prevail regardless, even though it may not seem that way to everyone on Wednesday morning. I'm reminded of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, in which he urges for "firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right." We don't see the big picture. But God does.
I have friends and acquaintances who are devout Christians on both ends of the political spectrum (yay for being a moderate independent!), and I don't believe that belonging to one party or the other is "more Christian"--both parties have issues where Christians can support them, and both fail miserably in this regard with other issues. So tomorrow, vote thoughtfully, prayerfully, and with humility, trusting God that His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. And then, whoever wins, support them with your prayers throughout the next four years. They've got a tough road ahead of them.
[x-posted to Facebook]
Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
1. The Bible will still have the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.
(I'm not sure who originally wrote this, as my pastor got it from someone else, so I suppose good old Anonymous gets the credit.)
The essentials of our faith won't change, regardless of who wins. And I, political junkie that I have become, have to keep reminding myself that as important as I believe the election to be tomorrow, the eternal issues aren't at stake. All the fear that I've heard from people on both sides is pointless, because in the end, God wins. And He's not a Republican or a Democrat.
I've read a lot online about the election during the past few months, and I consider myself to be a decently informed voter. But I find myself voting with humility, with the knowledge that, in fact, I could be wrong in my choices of candidates, but the belief that God's will shall prevail regardless, even though it may not seem that way to everyone on Wednesday morning. I'm reminded of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, in which he urges for "firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right." We don't see the big picture. But God does.
I have friends and acquaintances who are devout Christians on both ends of the political spectrum (yay for being a moderate independent!), and I don't believe that belonging to one party or the other is "more Christian"--both parties have issues where Christians can support them, and both fail miserably in this regard with other issues. So tomorrow, vote thoughtfully, prayerfully, and with humility, trusting God that His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. And then, whoever wins, support them with your prayers throughout the next four years. They've got a tough road ahead of them.
[x-posted to Facebook]
Sunday, October 12, 2008
grad school can be fun...sort of...
Not original content, but something fascinating from my reading for LLT 895 this week. Please read the following passage and hazard a guess as to the subject matter...I'm curious who can figure it out. (Mom, Kate, and Lisa are not eligible, as they've already been subjected to this.)
The procedure is quite simple. First, you arrange the items in separate piles. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run, this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then, one never can tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put back into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life.
The whole idea is that while readers can decode each individual sentence, the overall meaning may be confusing.
(x-posted to Facebook)
The procedure is quite simple. First, you arrange the items in separate piles. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run, this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then, one never can tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put back into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life.
The whole idea is that while readers can decode each individual sentence, the overall meaning may be confusing.
(x-posted to Facebook)
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