Memorisation...

Remember when I posted about writing reports the "British way"? Well, it's report time again...

Now, I have learned to say, "Vladimir needs to practise memorising his basic Maths facts."

Pretty neat, huh?

Just thought I'd let you know I'm learning more British than Russian!


Oh, and by the way, I have only had ONE friend give me their hair color vote. Very disappointing. Come on, people. Don't let me down. This is your chance to change the way I look for awhile! This opportunity only comes once in a blue moon.

What does that mean, anyway?

Ciao with Friends...

This past weekend was my friend and teammate's 30th birthday. Sonia is a great person to work with and know. She is Irish and has a very strong accent. We laugh all the time because I sometimes have to ask her "What?" about 10 times before I understand what she's saying.

This is Sonia, her son, R'iordan (pronounced Reardon), and her husband, Matthew, who is British. They're a cute, little family.

We, along with other teacher friends, Narita and Katy, decided to celebrate Sonia's "big one" at her favorite restaurant here, Ciao Pizza. They really do have pretty tasty pizza, our favorite being the Ciao Pizza, with cream sauce and corn. Sounds weird, but it's delicious. I was too excited to eat it to take a picture first. Stephen and I demolished it, though. I also just realized I didn't get any pictures of Katy and Narita, but I will.

R'iordan is my buddy. He likes to wear his daddy's sunglasses. And he wanted to see "me" on the camera screen everytime I took his picture.
That's a little Matchbox car in his mouth. He drove that thing all over the back of the seat cushions throughout lunch. He was so well-behaved!

We Did It....

I just sent the email to the HR guy at my school, letting him know that we'd be moving out of the staff accommodation by February 8.

Huzz and I just feel like it will be for the best. Even if the school follows through with what they're promising now, it will always be something more that we are dealing with. It will probably relieve a lot of stress to live elsewhere. Even though moving is stressful.

But hey, most of our stuff is back in Colorado in the storage unit, so at least we don't have to move all of that!

Now for some random-ness:

I've been thinking lately that I might want to dye my hair. Should I? It is all natural color right now and has been since college, so for several years. I think it'd be kind of fun, don't you? I'm thinking lighter...like blondish. What do you think? Leave me a comment and cast your vote. You will decide for me. When I go home at Christmas, I will do what the majority verdict declares on this here blog.

We really need to do our Christmas shopping this weekend...online. No, we are not bringing back authentic big K gifts. Trust me, you probably wouldn't want them. Unless you have an unfathomable hankering for horse meat. Although, we do have a gift for a few of the men in our families that we just thought they might think interesting. Nothing too exciting.

I knitted some baby booties for our friends, Rick & Katy, who are having a baby girl in March. They are so tiny! I'm nervous they'll be too small, even at the beginning. That's something I'm trying to work out with my knitting, is being consistent with the tightness of my stitches.

I know at least half of you just fell asleep, there, so I'll stop talking about knitting.

I made chicken parmesan last night and it was sooooo YUM. Thankfully, we have leftovers for tonight. Although, Huzz likes to have large second portions, which throws off how much is left for the second night. So, I usually end up having a half a portion, plus anything else I can find...usually bread. Which is not a good choice, but hey - I roll with it.

I am in the midst of writing reports, figuring out grades, and grading exams.

Yes, I had to give my baby seven year olds exams. And to the ones who can't read English, too. Of course, I read it to them, but their understanding is still so minimal. I make them sound like sweet, innocent things, but they're not. I am praying for patience each day, as they are very challenging children...spoiled, to say the least.

So, this week is crazy! I'm almost done with the written reports, though, so that's a relief.

Now, I need to pack up my things so I can grade exams at home tonight. Oh, joy.

Hopefully, I will post some pictures soon. I really need to get better at doing that. Maybe that will be my New Years' resolution.

Should We Stay or Should We Go?

Some of you are aware of the “situation” with my job at the school. I’ve hinted at it a few times here. Let me give you a taste of what that’s been like and what we face now, because of it.

When we first moved here this summer, we lived in an apartment, temporarily, until I was to report for work. The school would be providing the teachers with subsidized accommodations.

Remember that first apartment? We frequently were without hot water. We didn’t have internet at all for the first 3 out of 5 weeks that we lived there. I kicked out the Internet Master by saying Goodbye! in Russian. I was home alone during the day while Stephen was at work, watching FoxNews repeat itself in 4 hour cycles and watching Friends on my computer because the DVD player wouldn’t play our DVD’s. I knitted a lot. I didn’t know anyone and I was lonely. I wondered what we were thinking.

We were so excited to move into our staff accommodation! Although we moved in a week late, since they weren’t finished yet, we were going to have internet, a large apartment, the quiet of living just outside of the city, better t.v.! Things were looking up!

Now, I don’t want to seem ungrateful, so I will tell you the good things about living here before I inform you of all the problems.

• We have made some good friends while living here than I’m not sure would’ve happened if we hadn’t lived in close proximity with the teachers.
  
• This place is huge! 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms that I get to clean, a large kitchen, two living rooms…Huzz and I lose track of each other sometimes! Much different from our NYC studio.
  
• I have free transportation to and from the school with these little buses the school has.
  

Now, for the gripes.

• We had no t.v. service or phone service for the first 5 weeks we lived here. We still don’t have internet service. The first month we received our bills, we got one for a “service charge,” which came to about $200 a month! This is essentially a home owner’s association fee, which the teachers were not informed of, ever. We were promised that the school would pay that for the teachers.
  

One week later, they said they couldn’t pay it because it wasn’t in the school’s budget.

Believe me, this is only one of the issues the teachers have been fighting since August. The downstairs units are falling apart, due to faulty plumbing and wiring. Just last week, we didn’t have water at all on one side of the house because the pipes were clogged with plastic bags and building materials. The plumber made known his disdain for us in Russian, because as you know, we love shoving plastic bags and drywall down the toilet. We are forced to stay at the school at the mercy of the bus schedule, which most days come to twelve hours. It seems that everyday, there is something new. It is incredibly wearing.

The teachers have had it. Last weekend and this weekend, several teachers have moved out of the accommodation houses, at the risk that they will not receive the subsidy that has been promised, as yet not fulfilled. We have learned that the Soviet apartment buildings, while ugly on the outside, actually have pretty decent apartments inside. You have to tread through dark, smelly, syringe-filled hallways. But, once you get inside, all is good. Then, today they had another meeting with the housing people. Apparently now, they have offered to pay the service charges for us and pay our bills, plus have “promised” to get internet installed.

Now, I am not a stupid person. Based on past experience with these people, I’d say they’re full of it. I’d say these are empty promises. I’d say we still won’t have internet by the time we report for school in January. I am not being pessimistic. I am being realistic. And smart.

If they actually did fulfill all of these “promises,” I would love to stay where we are at. #1 reason is because I am sick and tired of moving. This would be the third move in 4 months. Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive?

More pros to moving: All of our friends are moving out of the staff accommodations, so we could get an apartment near them, hopefully. And without them, I’ll be lonely again. The school will have one less thing to have a hold on me. No more taking rent money out of my paycheck! We’ll actually save a significant amount of money by moving. I actually think I might be a lot happier if we moved away from the accommodations. I say might because I don’t want to commit myself to some feeling that I’m not ready to display.

Anyway, that’s just a taste of what we (I) have been dealing with for the past few months. Now, just apply that to starting a school, teaching for 6 weeks without any books or supplies….the list goes on.

Now, I have that song in my head Should We Stay or Should We Go?

I better turn on some Christmas music. That’s much better to have in my head!

22 Days...

22 Days…

Reasons I can’t wait to go home:

My family – When I get home, I get to spend time with my mama and my sister, soon followed by my daddy. I need some good hugs and they need them from me. Then, right before Christmas, hopefully Bro, sister-in-law, and little niece will make it out. Also, Grandpa John and Grandma Nancy might be coming out to see us, depending on a pending trip of us going to Iowa.

My friends – Angie, Kari, Ali (hopefully) – I need this time with them. The ladies know my heart.

Riley – I miss my dog so much, it hurts.

Church – There’s just something about the church you grew up in that makes you feel at home.
Clean Colorado air. It’s the mountains without the pollution.

Tumble dryers. No more crusty, air dried clothes…at least for 3 ½ weeks.

Milk. Real milk.

Mexican food – we are going for good Tex-Mex for my birthday. Cheese enchiladas, guacamole, and a margarita make this girl happy.

Haircut from Vanessa – haven’t had one since June, so I’m due.

Cuddle with my Hannah Faith.

A good sleep in a nice bed.

I just need home. I never would’ve thought the past five months would’ve been as difficult as they have been. I am so thankful that Christmas is coming and we’ve been planning on this trip from the beginning and are able to do it. I can’t wait to see everyone!