First, thank you! Thanks for helping us fully fund ABC 2011. The promise of ABC, the creativity and positive enthusiasm generated is partially what's gotten me through these past cold and cloudy months.
Last weekend we had a quick training for ABC in Kharkiv. It was great to see "old" friends and share ideas. Outside of ABC prep, I had some memorable sightings in Kharkiv. The first was the Kyiv Jets, a junior American football team at the train station. I've never seen football gear in Ukraine and the well-built young men caught me off guard. On my wagon, it came to my attention that all the women around me were sporting heavy blue eyeliner, perfume, and pink polka-dotted black purses. It was by far the largest concentration of Mary Kay consultants I've ever witnessed. Lastly, before heading to the train station my friends and I were accosted by a woman for not speaking Russian in her land. I apologized to her in Ukrainian. She didn't find this response all that funny. This interaction made my chest a little heavier. I can understand her position but I can't agree with it. So many times I hear negative comments about the United States that don't make much sense. These comments just make it more apparent that some people need an enemy to block what's really going on around them, even if they don't know who their enemy is. In these situations I sometimes try to explain the lies but I find that this type of person likes his or her reality and so I can only go forth as an example of what I want to represent the West as.
Yet another change has occurred to the national curriculum. This year the administration is mandating testing in various subjects to the 5th-8th forms. I assume this is the first time for proficiency tests in these forms. Students were forced to buy books of test forms and answers which were quite expensive. The rest of April and May stressed teachers will do
their best to make sure their pupils memorize the answers. It's a tad uncomfortable. Thankfully, I'll be out of the country when the testing takes place, thus avoiding the cheating and what not. I have to admit though, I teach to the tests now too. I'm ashamed.
This Friday is Earth Day! Unfortunately, it's also Holy Friday, a day when, according to the local interpretations of the Orthodox faith, no work can be done. Sadly, I can't have any cleanups or special events this week because of Easter, second to New Years in importance. In fact, this week is kind of a joke when it comes to lessons because Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are devoted to cleaning. I overheard in the teachers' room today that there might not be school on Friday since this constitutes as work. The line between the state, religion, and personal need is very difficult to keep consistent.
Lastly, today there was a eyeglass salesmen in the teachers' room today which reminded me of a Freakonomics podcast I listened to on my 18+ hour train ride to Kharkiv this weekend. In the podcast, eyeglasses where handed out to rural Chinese children. In the study, either 30 or 40 percent of the families refused to participate. Reasons cited included that studying wasn't important to the parents, wearing glasses wasn't fashionable, and that wearing glasses weakened vision. Listening to this I could see connections to my own village. Thankfully people like this salesman exist, even if he has limited knowledge, he can still provide a much needed service. I'd say in every class at least 3 or 4 students are squinting all the time. Some of the girls have told me they refuse to wear their glasses, even although they can't see the blackboard, because of image. The argument that relying on glasses to correct one's vision can weaken the eyes (so what's the point?) is often used too. It might sound ridiculous from the outside, but listening to such logic over the past year has made me very careful in any discussion about health.
Happy Easter!
My landlady has become quite obsessed with embroidery since November or so, she's got me beat when it comes to needle addiction.
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