A lazy Sunday afternoon

We finished our first week of teaching. Getting into the swing of it took some time, especially putting names to faces. At the end of the week, we held the traditional SLI barbeque with sausages grilled over an open grill, chips and water. Tim and I grilled over 350 "dogs". Everyone seemed to enjoy the festivities since the students hung around till about 9 pm dancing and listening to music. Linda introduced the students to line dancing. Even though I've been here for 10 summers now, I still am enamored by the amount of sliced cucumbers these students put on their sausages. It tok the morning teachers about 2 hours to peel off the plastic wrappings on each individual sausage.


On Saturday, Jude and I, along with a couple from Oregon, went downtown by bus to the open market, had some coffee and rolls, and then visited the music festival booths for the rest of the morning. After that, we met Kel and Sharon, our friends from New Zealand, for lunch. We had hamburgers, with cucumbers, and fish and chips. Later that afternoon, Jude and I walked back to the dorms in a light rain. The weather this summer has been cool, around 65-70 degrees, a big difference from the 106 degree temperatures in Kazakhstan. Jude even bought a sweater at the market since she only brought sleeveless shirts with her.

On Sunday, we went to Kel's flat, where I gave the message I was supposed to give Wednesday night at the Vineyard service at the beach. The message was "interrupted" by a torrential downpour. It lasted 45 minutes. Maybe God was sending me a message about my message. There was a Lithuanian woman with a little dog at the beach, who warned us of the impending storm. We could see the lightening, but still didn't seek shelter until the wind and driving rain came. Maybe she was a messenger from God telling us to get out of there.




As I write this sitting near the pond in front of the dorm, I'm watching a man fishing. He was here last night too, in the middle of the rain storm, fishing in the reeds. It's the same pass time all over the world. Jude's working with another teacher this afternoon, helping her sort out her reading lessons for the week, introducing her to the Daily Cafe, a reading system Jude likes from her teaching days.

Tomorrow, it starts all over again.


Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.

The students...

On the first day of class, we welcomed the students to SLI 2012 with an Olympic theme and a parade of flags, representing each of the students' countries. They hail from Lithuania, Russia, Belorussia, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Ukraine and Moldavia.



Our total numbers are 273 with 172 from Lithuania, 69 from Russia, 12 from Poland, 10 from Latvia, 3 from Belorussia, 2 from Norway, and 1 from Moldavia and Ukraine. There are 21 students ages 32-49, 13 students ages 22-31, 16 students ages 19-21 and 222 students age 16. Kind of a young crowd, especially in the dorms...




There is a good mixture of teachers this year--young and old, elementary to university and returnees and first timers. We even have one teacher who lives in Brazil and a couple Lithuanian teachers who live in Denmark. We work well as a team. Our director, Robin, does a wonderful job getting us to collaborate so that we gel as a team. Tomorrow, Jude and I will have supper with a couple from Virginia, who are here to see how an ESL program is run in a foreign country, because they want to go to Botswana to work with the Chinese population there. They are a retired couple. So there's a lot of energy in this group.




Today marked the beginning of this 15 day cycle. Anastasia seems to be the most popular name this year with 15 girls. My students include some more interesting names, some of which I have never had in the past 10 summers. They include Anto, Astia, Sigita, Nikita, Silverijus, Darija, Patrycia, Austeja, Urte, Zane, Rimnydas, Vladislav, and a handful of Grete's, Olga's and Ona's. One of the classes this year in the Advanced level is called Academic Skill--teaching students how to use APA in their writing so that when they enter an English speaking international university, they will have some knowledge of citation and bibliography styles. Most high schools in eastern Europe have no knowledge or use for this. So this is truly "foreign" for all the students.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Kretingos gatvė,Klaipėda,Lithuania

Back in Lithuania

After a week of orientation and getting to know the town and bus transportation, we readied the classrooms for the onslaught of new students entering SLI 2012. Since Friday was King Mindaugaus Day, a national holiday I Lithuania where no onw works, we registered students on Saturday. They came in large bunches, starting as early as 8:30 am. That's about the time the computers went out. So, registration by pen and ink took a little longer, but it worked.

Most of the teachers took turns helping out with registration. The students had to pay and they take an initial exam which helps to place them into classes. About 300 students went through this process. While Jude was working, I walked down to the farmer's market with two new teachers. The smallest bill I had with me was 50 Lisa's ($20). To break it down, I bought some bus tickets for 20 litas. At the market items do not cost much at all, so therefore, I do not want big bills. For example, I bought four tomatoes for 1 lita (.50), 6 potatoes for another lita, two summer squash and one zucchini for another lita, a whole bunch of garlic cloves for yet another lita, and finally five yellow onions for another lita. I did not need the big bills. In fact, many of the booths would not even be able to change a larger bill. So I left the market with my 200, and my 50 lita bills still intact, ready to be broken at the Iki store, where we by groceries when the market is closed. Then we lugged it all home, about a 45 minute walk.



Last night, Jude and I walked over to get some pizza, watched Lithuania beat Puerto Rico in the Olympic pre games, bought some groceries for a Sunday night dinner and came home. When we got to the dorm, our class lists were done, and all the students were gathered in the other dorm on the first floor, listening to the "new rules" they were to suffer through for the next three weeks. Meanwhile, across the sidewalk the teachers were planning an inaugural party for Enns Hall, our dorm.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Pakruojo gatvė,Klaipėda,Lithuania

On the road again...Shymkent time

Our 14 hour train rides give me time to reminisce on the last 21 days in Shymkent. Lance and I are sharing a train compartment with a 42 Kazakh villager and her daughter. She is on her way to Bejing for treatments for her daughter who has epilepsy. She has a very long trip ahead of her too. We shared tea with her. She's a teacher of Kazakh in her village.




At one of the stops, we got out of the train and visited the Kazakh "fast food" venues. You see the locals are very fast at these stops, jumping on board the trains as quickly as we deboarded for some new air. They were hawking their chicken, boiled eggs, baked fish, pancakes with sour cream (unrefrigerated I might add). You name it, they sold it. In the 10 minutes frenzy, many stomachs were satiated and others sickened...sour cream in 93 degrees in my stomach with still 4hours of riding these rails...then suddenly with a throw of a blanket, all the food was covered safely, ready for the next train.




One of the things I remember fondly is Shymkent time. Whenever Slava was coming to get us, he always replied 8:05 Shymkent time. (translation: fashionably late!). I only saw Robin flustered twice this trip: the day Slava was 20 minutes late to open the building and this morning. Slava told us to be ready at 4 am, so we were. At 4:10, even Maksat, a local friend, wanted to call Slava to find out why he was late since our train was scheduled to leave a 5 am. While on the phone, he laughed, hung up and said, "Slava said the train is leaving at 5:45 and not at 5 like he told us, so he'd be there at 4:30. He had found out about the time change the night before but didn't tell us. Needless-to-say, we have been power napping all the way. Then at the train station, we couldn't print our tickets...something about ALL the computers being down. Then an announcement came over the PA, "the train will be 15 min. late." Even the train was on Shymkent time...In the end, Slava was right--we would get our tickets in time.
And so we boarded, saying good-bye to Slava and Shymkent time.

To be continued... Almanty time.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

School...an education in culture

Most schools are the same no matter where I am in the world. The major difference is the kids who appear at the door step each and every morning. There's one student, who isn't even I my class who greets me every morning, always the first one there. His name is Diaz, and 10 year old who some day will be president. He's always saying, "In English, in English" to the other students in the elementary level. Anyway, here greets me every morning with "Hello teacher" to which I reply, "Hello, how are you?" He replies, "I am fine. How are you.". No matter what my reply, he always says, "Fine." He's got that down pat...



I have no clue whether my beginner students understand a thing I 'm saying. We have very interesting conversations..."turn to paragraph 1. Paragraph 1? Yes, paragraph 1. Paragraph 1. Yes." And so it goes.

My intermediate group sometimes laughs, especially when I resell it and say it is funny. "what is a running nose? Idioms like "buzz cut", "snail's pace", and so on.

With the intermediate group, my highest level, they get almost all the vocabulary. However, in one story, a girl called her sailboat, "Guppy," and they had no idea what it meant, especially in relationship to the story. We talked about symbolism...then everything clicked for them. "We were all on the same page...". There was some confusion about the word " St. Maarten." Most do the students were pronouncing "street" and not "saint.". That was confusing both to me and to them.

We have use of a small copy machine. You run one side, take the copies out, put them back in to make the other side...and so it goes. It takes about one hour of copying to make three sets of stories, 40 copies total. Then I have to collate and staple if there is time. The copier usually overheats, runs out of toner or paper, which means we have to go to the store for more. We usually have two packages of paper at any one time. With temperatures in the high nineties outside, it's usually much hotter inside. We have been drinking about 4 liters of water during our classes.



Then, there's the bathrooms. I haven't even mentioned them yet. There are two toilets/stalls on our floor. They are squatty potties, basically a hole in the floor. Since we are on the 3rd floor, we have trouble with the water pressure. Therefore, we have to pour drinking water into the hole for flushing. And we need to provide our own TP. Just think how much schools could save. And kids would't be so anxious to go to the bathroom...since I carry the backpack in our group of teachers, I also am "designated toilet paper guy."

The bottom photo shows kids watching and discussing the movie "Invictus, " a film we used for an afternoon activity.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Birthday Gourmet

Thursday was my birthday. Even though I have celebrated it 58 times, on this occasion there were many firsts.

Our first course began with mare's milk, usually given to men and camel's milk, usually given to women. Slava ordered two bowls of it and left it for us to try as he went to get his wife and children. Grazina was eager to try it, so we allowed her the honors. Lance went next. He was still smiling when he said this is the most awful stuff I have ever tasted, comforting both Robin and me,who had yet to taste it. Robin pointed to me, the birthday boy, to try next. So I did. Lance was right. Not even one to like cow's milk, I sipped the mare's milk-yogart gone bad mixed with horse sweat and camel's milk, a little stronger in taste. Then, we had green tea. I never thought I eat and vegetables, would appreciate tea so much.

When Slava and Zhanet arrived, we ordered a traditional Kazakh feast--Beshparmak, flat large noodles with slices of horse meat, lamb sausage with live, rice and other entrails stuffed into sheep intestines, noodle soup with


horse meat, lamb on the bone, Baursak, deep fried popover and Greek salad. It was all vert tastey--all firsts for me. After dinner, we were so full we all decided to go for a walk in one of the local parks. On the way to the park, Grazina bought a soda and a surprise--Kurt, small, marble shaped white treats. Lance tried one and immediately spit it out--too salty and smelled like old milk. Come to find out it's old milk, with a little flour, salt--all rolled into a ball and dried in the


sun for days. So we all shared a pack of gum and walked.

Indeed, it was a day of firsts and some lasts. Some of those tastes never leave...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Our teacher friends

All over the world, teachers seem to be the same. They talk about students, share stories, and know their purpose--to take their students to a higher level of understanding. When Robin and I met these teachers at our seminar, we had no idea where and how fast these relationships would grow. You see, after the two day seminar, the teachers asked if we could talk to them every day for about two hours. So Robin worked it into the already tight schedule.

So every day for the past week we have met, discussing cultural topics, teaching practices and life. We've enjoyed their company and gotten to know them very well. Umida, an Uzbek, made me a cake for my birthday and then they invited us all out to the ballet. She said it will be a surprise evening and it was. After the ballet, which was a potpourri of dances from many ballets, they loaded us in a Korean SUV while all the other teachers got into a cab and found the restaurant, while Urmida took us down the main street, showed us the masque and call to worship, and then took us to the restaurant where we met the others. We shared a shashlik (kabob) platter--pork chops, mutton, chicken, grilled minced meat, and wild carp. This we shared with two salads, one Russian, one Greek. And of course green and black tea. It was a wonderful evening--digesting both culture and cuisine. It was a very late night but well worth it.



Today,we went to the mountains...what can you say. They were beautiful. It was about a two hour trek. We got there and Slava arranged for lunch. His friend was the cook. He seems to know everyone. We were at a summer camp for children in the foothills of the mountains between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. While we were waiting for lunch, we walked around the grounds, over a fast running river, nice and cold, and then found a yurt campground. After lunch--soup, apple salad and stuffed peppers, we went climbing. We hiked about 1000 ft up the mountain, built a fire and made smores. Slava and I washed off in the river, dousing my shirt and hat with a fresh mountain stream. There were horses roaming all around us in the brush. After a couple of hours, we hired back down to the car and left.



On the way home, the police stopped Slava's car to check the registration. He didn't have his seatbelt on since he forgot to reattach it when he stopped earlier for mare's milk. That stuff will get you every time. Diana, his daughter, was in the back of the Subaru, an illegal rider. After talking to the police for awhile, Slava came back to the car, got something and returned to the police. They smiled, he came back bad away we drove. We asked him what he came back for and he smiled--Snicker bars. The trip back was hot, dusty and uneventful, except for the horse we saw at a bus stop eating out of the garbage can.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Names and other things

Lithuanian names used to just stretch the vocal chords a bit, but my new students' Kazakh names will be the ultimate test.
Askarova
Togjan
Kyzzhibek
Magzhan
Asel...all girls so far
Sham ills
Bibigul
Zhanybek...first male
Shirin
Abzal
Gulzhana
Otesh
Gulchekra
Shakhnoza
Alihanids
Merey.......and the list goes on

I sure hope these students have a sense of humor, for there will be some mispronunciations. Everything is pretty set for Monday's classes. The rooms are quite small, so it's good there are less than 10 kids in each class. I had to reprint some articles at Grade 2. Then I am going with Grades 4 and 6 to start off. Our teachers' seminar were successful...so successful that the teachers want to continue them after the student lessons for the next 10 days. So, I will teach from 9-1, have lunch and continue from 2:30-4. It will be a full day.

I live about 20 minutes by bus/ walking at the Baptist church building. Slava is pastor there and also director do the school. The two entities are separate, except that Slava has ties to both. It has it's confusions, but living in a new culture means adapting to their rules and cultural nuances. It's all good.

Have I mentioned the weather? For me it is hot...+90 every day. However, the humidity is only around 14%. I don't sweat as much here. Last night , Slava and his wife invited us over for supper. They live in a first floor Russian style apartment building. They have two children: a girl about 5 and a newborn baby boy about 4 months. After supper we played hide and seek with the 5 year old. It was a good evening, yet it was very tiring.

Below is a shot from the teacher seminar...




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPads

Location:1 May St,Shymkent,Kazakhstan

The land of Borat...NOT

It's still difficult to figure out what day it is, but I do know I am in Shymkent. In fact as of 6 am, the whole team has now arrived with Lance getting in tired after traveling since Saturday with all his delays and missed connections.

On Tuesday, Robin, Grazina and I toured the Senior English Center, wher we will be teaching. We met with Slava, an Albanian missionary to Kazakhstan who directs the program along with Karot, a Kazakh, who showed us around the city-- how to take busses, where to find local caves--basic survival needs when in a new city. Shymkent is a sprawling city of 1,000,000 people. On the streets, at least 10 people came up to us and asked if we were Americans. They just wanted to speak English with native speakers. They don't see Americans here very often. That was fun. Every one here is friendly and very helpful. We've met 3 LCC students who live here and now are working. In their words, English opened many doors for them. Slava took us to a cafe for some Kazakh food--the lamb is so tender and delicious. When I got a Coke, it came in a liter bottle--30 cents. The bus ride sets us back 20 cents. All the busses are independently owned. There's a person on board who shouts, come to my bus, at every stop. It's very entertaining. The weather


is dry and hot--90+ every day. Today, it's back to school for more specific planning-- lance and Grazina for testing and Robin and I for teacher seminars for Thursday and Friday. Lance and I are staying ing pink house, Robin and Grazina in green house. The two day seminars went really well, talking about and discussing different teaching pedagogy, practices and differentiation strategies. The most difficult task for me is remembering and then saying the names. I will save those for another blog. So far we only have 36 registered students-- it't kind of like "if you teach, they will come." Slava, our host, has invited us over for supper tonight at his house. Makes at, an LCC grad who works at the English Center, said he was serving horse...we probably won't because it is expensive, but I look forward to it. Today, I ate lunch--plove, a rice, meat, carrot mixture, a cucumber and tomato salad bread and a pressed fruit drink for $1. After school each day, we go to the open market for apples, bananas, and apricots. The ladies there are very patient and one even had me count the change in Kazakh. She was my teacher. On Saturday, we will go back to the center for more registration. Since the teacher seminars went over so well, they have asked us for 10 more 90 minute sessions after our student classes. Cool.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Where is the exit? If you are Russian, go to the exit...

After 4 hours in Russian airport quarantine, we were finally allowed or should I say escorted to a bus for transport to Terminal D--the domestic terminal. It took 3 airport personnel to escort us to the bus, two more people to drive the bus with another person driving the trail car to get to Terminal D. While on the bus, I snapped a photo of the plane graveyard. See below. We waited about 10 minutes until someone opened the door and told us to walk up the stairs. I was the last one up the stairs when suddenly the line of people stopped moving--due to barrier on 2nd floor stairs. The guard who let us in started yelling, keep going up, keep going up--apparently not realizing the barrier was in place. We finally removed the barrier and kept climbing to the 5th floor, the secret section where we went through another check point, and where we were in our 2nd quarantine. No one was at the gait for us to pass through, yet the sign in English read, don't be late for check in...

On the way over before getting on the bus, Grazina started to translate some of the conversation exchanges between a Russian airport worker and a passenger. The


passenger asked where the exit was. The worker replied, if you are Russian, go to the exit. The passenger then repeated the question, where is the exit. Response, if you are Russian, GO to the exit...the three of us just broke out laughing--probably the product of a 5 hour quarantine. This whole experience reminds me of my passage through Kiev. We sat and waited in a hot and run down section of the airport, only to be let in to the new and air conditioned section complete with shops just minutes before our pane departed.

I promised myself that whenever I returned to Russia, I would bring with me a stamp and almost dry ink pad...well, I forgot...and It sure would have helped. But I did see a number of airport workers with them...

We heard from Lance, our companion who was to meet up with us in Almaty. He got delayed in Phoenix, which dominoes his departures to Almanty. He arrives a day later...hopefully he gets through to the train and gets to Shymkent. Maybe it'll be more fodder for the fire.

Note on photo: the 3 planes in foreground are working and in good order. All the rest in the background are isolated on the grass, just off the run way.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Moscow Terminal D quarantine

Rolling along the rails of southern Kazakhstan

The day at the Bible Institute of Almanty was a welcome relief after the overnight plane from Moscow to Almanty. Alexandr picked us up at 5 am. Almanty was just starting to wake with an orange glow reflecting off the 24,000 foot Teng Chen mountains surrounding this city. We arrived at the institute only to fall back asleep for the remainder of the morning. I took a cold shower, which actually felt rather refreshing in the 93 degree heat. At 9am, they served breakfast, a noodle and milk combination, slightly warm, with toasted bread crumbs on top...and tea. We actually have tea for every meal....back in the land of tea.

Robin and Grazina joined me for lunch of liver and rice--flashbacks to Thursday night dinners growing up...and tea. Then, we took a walk around the Bible complex, which had 21 pianos all being tuned today, left the premise and found money machines and markets. I got three 10,000 Teng notes (150-1$ exchange). I went to the store to buy bottled water for the 14 hour train ride, handed the clerk the 10,000 bill and she couldn't make change. I don't know if I can break it...

Alexandr had soup ready for us at 4pm, so we could catch the 5:20pm train. He was a great and gracious host. He drove us to the train and made sure we got into the right sleeper car...I was excited for the train ride. We pulled
out of the station with Swiss precision, rode slowly through town, and watched it fade in the distance. I had a great view of the mountain range as the train headed southwest. The landscape reminded me of traveling West through South Dakota. The horizon was littered with green sagebrush, goats and sheep and cowboys. And I was only 2 hours into the 14 hour marathon.


To help break the time, one of our traveling companions was a 72 year old grandma from Kazakhstan. She shared pickles, meat baked pasties and of course tea. Then, she gave me an apple...how appropriate since I had just finished reading Apples are from Kazakhstan, a travelogue about this place. After eating, she folded her legs on the bed and said her evening prayers, telling us how nice it was to share and accept hospitality. There are good people all over the world.

The train stops at little villages along the way. I wonder who would live out here or what do they do for a living? As the trains stops, life sprouts along the platform with ladies pushing karts of food for sale. There's chicken, bread, bottled drinks. Little kids selling trinkets. For 10 minutes, the train breathes life to this place. Then as quickly as it comes, it leaves. The women drape their carts with shawls and wait...wait for the next train.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Between Almaty and Shymkent

You are in Moscow...you are not people

Robin, Grazina and I were picked up at the university by mini bus and taken directly to the Lithuanian airport in Vilnius. That's when the adventure REALLY began. At the Transaero (Aeroflot) check in, we were given our baggage claims, and then the girl pulled us aside and with a grin said, go to the transfer desk in Moscow and they will do something or something else with it. If you don't, your bags may not go through to Kazakhstan. She reiterated as we walked away, be flexible...

One the plane, the pilot, keep maneuvering around the clouds. It seemed odd to to going up and down , to the left and right over and over. Oh well...I 'm not in Kansas. Landing in Moscow was a hoot. The sides of the runways were literally littered with dozens ( not exaggerating) of planes. Robin jested they were for spare parts. Once in we're went to the transfer desk...where they told us to wait for 3 hours since we didn't have transfer visas--which we didn't need anyway because we're we're not leaving the airport. Grazina, our Russian interpreter, turned to us and said, you are in Moscow, you are not people...so in quarantine, I write these notes. At least there are toilets in the area. Grazina asked the girl at the counter again why we had to wait...she kindly told us that since Kazakh airlines leaves from the domestic terminal and tha we are in the international terminal, without a transit visa, we are not allowed out of the area. They will transport us two hours before our flight. We arrived at 1:30...our plan departs at 10:45. Do the math...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Moscow airport...quarantined

The waiting game

After Jude and Grayson dropped me off in Milwaukee, my waiting game began. I waited a couple of hours there before taking off on time, 4 hours in Copenhagen before boarding the flight to Palanga. It does seem like a waste of time, but on the other hand, Jude and I have been known to dash through Some airports--Amsterdam, Warsaw--to name a few and that was not fun either. But since I remain my own travel agent, I am just happy when I get to my destination...it's the simple things in life that matter.

One cool thing that happened in Copenhagen though. My seat assignment was row 39A-- a window seat. There were 46 rows. They deboarded the plane from the rear...how cool. My misfortune turned to fortune.

People watching from the Starbuck's made the time go a little quicker. I never go to Starbuck's in the States--I refuse to pay those prices when I can make my own for fraction of the cost. But here it's different. I paid 4.38 euros ( it all seems like monopoly money) $5.44. But it was a large , and it did help pass the time, and can you tell I am rationalizing...No matter the price, this place has had long lines for two hours...the economy among travelers must be good or they are rationalizing like me.

When I left Milwaukee, it was 57 F, Copenhagen was 52 F, Palanga was 54 F and Shymkent will be 93 F. Go figure. Landed in Palanga and was greeted with blustery winds and a driving rain...gotta love it.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Copenhagen or any of the many airports

Final days

Today officially ends my duties here this spring. Even though I am sad to leave on Wednesday morning, I will be glad to be back at home again. As Jude mentioned earlier, 6 weeks is a long time to be apart. After our community worship today, Robertus asked to play a game he brought with him called Ticket to Ride. Basically, we built railroads all over Europe. We played for hours after eating our last meal together. The first game we played in pairs and the next game we played alone. I should have stayed with a partner. Ending and saying good-byes was bitter sweet.
Later, I got ahold of Marius, my new friend who will be taking me to the bus on Wednesday. After talking with him, I glad we made contact before Wednesday. He said he was glad I called too, because he knew it was some Wednesday, but didn't realize it had come this soon. We also made sure it was am and not pm...things are not always as simple as they seem.


Just before heading to bed, I heard what I thought was rain hitting the window, so I went to my balcony to look and saw SNOW...









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Vingio gatvė,Klaipėda,Lithuania

Saturday night...catching the last bus

Last night I ventured over to Jurante's and Simonas' flat for supper. They have a great flat--very cozy, warm and a good view. However, when I left, I got very turned around in the maze of apartment buildings and ended up across the street from LCC. Jurante made a Swiss meal with roasted potatoes with melted cheese along with assorted accruements like green olives, garlic, onions, ham, red peppers. It was delicious. After a pleasant evening with friends, I headed for the bus stop. There was no one there. Odd. Then I checked the schedule. It' s a good thing I realized there was a weekend schedule too. No more buss after 9:30 pm. Crap, I have to start walking. So over the bridge and down the main street, I did notice some buses running yet. Stopping at the first place, I checked the schedule again...17 minutes til the last bus. Wait or move to the next stop...I pushed on, making it to the next bus stop in plenty of time, and this time, there were many people waiting. My number 8 showed up...now the 40 minute ride home. And not too soon because tonight was daylight savings in Lithuania.

On the way to supper, I passed ice sculptors...

- Posted using BlogPress


from my iPad

Location:Vingio gatvė,Klaipėda,Lithuania

International teaching...same focus in a different setting

Well, I just finished grading my final essays. Even though I don't miss reading papers, I still find it's the best way to understand what my students really know, understand and comprehend. I gave my students five different writing prompts, still believing in differentiation. And my students did a remarkable job sifting through all the passion, courage and dark images of Stalin's deportation of the Baltic people. For some, it was a look back into their grandparents lives. For others, it was a hard look into their countries roles in this historic time. The discussions tore at the hearts of some of these students. It was a very quick two weeks and rewarding for me in many ways. I tested the new grading rubrics developed at AHS by the core teachers, rewriting, of course, the rubrics to focus on the needs of these students. I was able to conert the rubric into grades with remarkable ease. The correlations worked rather well. After trying this system, I think I can seamlessly work it into the new courses we are developing at AHS for next fall. In addition, I tried a new variation to in class discussions regarding the book. Each day, for example, the students journaled about their previous night's reading--writing a summary, recording pages they read, focusing on key quotations and individual vocabulary word choices to increase their own needs. We often discussed these points without revealing what happened in the story, so as not to reveal the storyline for those not as far as others. It worked well, and I believe could serve as a good model in any classroom. Maybe I just realized what I should have been doing all along...the technology at LCC is also a plus. Every room now has a smart board and podium with computer, DVD player, and Internet connections.
Last night, I met with my friend Marius for beer. We have been picking each other's brains about our our different cultural experiences. He was telling me all about the history of the communist flats, dachas or summer gardens, individual incomes and living expenses. During communist times, flats were built based on the needs of individual space. The bathroom, for instance, is rather small and for me clostrophobic. Average toilet rooms are about 3 x 4 feet. When sitting on the toilet, my knees touch the door and my shoulders almost touch the side walls. My bath tube and shower are in another room. There is no sink, so I need to use the tub faucet to brush my teeth and wash my hands. The Soviets decided these dimensions based on the room an average person needs--not desires. I have been in one room flats where the living room also serves as a bedroom. I have seen kitchen sinks and bathtubs in the same room. Hot water heating systems have no individual temperature controls, so it's really warm in the flats, so warm in fact that I usually open windows to cool it down. My flat is large compared to the ones I have visited with two bedrooms, a living room, two balconies and a kitchen--approximately 600 square feet. So when Marius asked me about my house, it seemed like a mansion. He asked why I needed so much space? I so look forward to our chats and beer...Marius was going to his dacha today to prepare his soil for summer planting. His plot of land is 8 miles away. He had to get a permit from the city to cut down some dead trees. All trees are protected and even though it's his tree on his land, he still needs permission to cut it down. Tomorrow before I have a church gathering at my flat, Marius will help me pay my utility bills at the same place I buy my bus tickets--a little kiosk across from my flat. To do this, I had to read three different meters, cold water, hot water, gas and electric--one for day and one for night usage. Each utility has a booklet that needs to be filled in and calculated. Then it's taken to the kiosk, paid and stamped, so that it's official. A little overwhelming for me, but part of this Lithuanian experience. Later today, I have been invited to dinner with Jurante, another Lithuanian friend. I've gotten used to riding the buses, walking and getting around this part of Klaipeda. So cool...

Location:Vingio gatvė,Klaipėda,Lithuania

Teaching again

It's wonderful to be in the classroom again. I wonderment extremely diverse group of students from many different countries: Albania, Kazakhstan, Moldovia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kalingrad, Ukraine, and Belarissia. Our first two days of discussions have been full of culturally divergent thinking. Since some of the students picked up the book and started reading during spring break while others picked it up the first day of class, most are in very different places--four or five finished and the remaining somewhere between 30 -200 in the book. So, I'm practicing some differentiation techniques on this class before I do some training sessions at AHS. We start off each session with discussion based on the loosely knit question-What are you thinking at this point in the story or some have even chose quotations from the story that have got them thinking. Then, we move to vocabulary, letting them choose what they wish to define. Everyone needs to participate in the discussion, everyone needs to provide a written summary with some analysis daily, and finally everyone needs to choose two of the 20 theme responses given to them the first day of class. So far, so good. Reading and responding to the journals every other day keeps me in tine with individual thoughts and feelings as they read. Also, it allows me to individualize the writing focus for these students. As one can imagine, the writing proficiency is all over the board. But I really enjoy the class and each session seems to fly by quickly...I modeled paragraph writing today. We'll see how their answers are tomorrow. All their work is done in a blank notebook I supplied them. when the unit if finished, each student will have his/her own journal.
After classes at LCC on Tuesday, I took food packages to the Needle exchange, a social service organization in Klaipeda that The Vineyard community helps out. I went with Robin, my LCC language director and friend, to meet with Lydmuella, who works at the exchange. We went in the first set of doors and entered a small room with two more doors. We chose the only open door and found another small room but with three doors this time. After knocking on all three, only one door had a person behind it...Lydmuella was there behind a desk with boxes of syringes, needles, ointments and alcohol swatches. She greeted us with hugs after telling her my name (along with Kel and Sharon's names). She was a wealth of information, telling us about the girls who come in for needles who have small children and ask for the food. It's really quite sad, but Lydmuella said she has seen many success in recent weeks--where people who have not used for a while come back just to visit with her and tell her of their successes. But she also said it's a long and hard journey for most of the people. Most she knows only by number until they become frequent visitors.
After that, Robin and I went to have coffee and pancakes before she went back to school and I left for English classes at the orphanage. Every Tuesday night, Ieva and I go to the Rytas orphanage and give language lessons. This is Ieva's idea, and I just show up and help where needed. Last night, for example, we role played interviewing for jobs, along with describing pictures from a book. Ieva does a great job, taking the initiative to plan and direct each lesson...She's a third year psychology major at LCC.
Then off home to grade papers...something I don't really miss about teaching...but necessary and rewarding when I see their growth.

Location:Vingio gatvė,Klaipėda,Lithuania

Getting around life's little lessons...

I've learned a few things since I have been here. Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. I've learned that if you order ground beef, not to ask for half and then kilo--implying half a kilo because that means one and a half kilos or about four pounds of ground beef. I was frying and freezing one entire morning. The next point I learned was also a grocery store mix-up--take items from basket before paying. I made the mistake of leaving them in the basket. The cashier said something, I shook my head, she gave me one of those "idiot" looks--which I deserved--and promptly emptied my basket, walked around the counter and placed it back in the stack before checking me out. Lesson learned. I never did that again.
I was also given a phone--an old Nokia flip one...needless to say, I learned to text on the next generation phone--the one that actually have letters and not numbers and letters on the key pad...well, watching me text (it's called SMS here) is like amusing at best. It usually takes several minutes for me to answer, and the it is pretty nasty. I just learned after two weeks how to back space to correct my mistakes. But my friends here are very patient.
I've also learned that taking the iPad for a walk on the beach in March is not a goog idea. It got so cold, my electronics shut down, causing me to panic a little since it is my main source of communication. Don' t mess with Mother Nature in Mother Lithuania. I'm also learning to develop a very flexible conversion formula from oz to ml--8 oz of tomato sauce is about the size of a 250 ml jar here. If not, it's a lot more "tomatoey" with my new recipe.
I was even able to get a return bus ticket--for the correct day and correct time to the Riga airport. However, I didn't realize I need "documents" to buy the ticket, but my credit card had my name imprinted on it, so that served as my "document." So, life has been full of surprises. The buses have been a crap shoot--sometimes my bus pass works and sometimes it doesn't. But then again, it doesn't work for the locals either. I am just waiting for the "bus police" to find me the time it does not work...
Even though the weather is maturing into spring, it's still really cold waiting for the buses. Murphey's Law--the colder I am, the longer I wait for the bus. I usually walk most places though. It keeps me warm, but I always know Number 8 will be coming past at any moment.
Next week, I get to pay the electric, gas and water bills by readingthe multiple meters throughout the flat, calculating the payments, and taking the bills to the Post Office for the appropriate stamps. That should be a precious exercise...

A Klaipeda winter

Today, My friends left for NZ. It was a beautiful sunrise as they drove to Riga, bound for Hong Kong and then NZ. Then winter hit with harsh winds and driving snow. Kinda reminded me of Russia--snow covered black ice. With my bus pass in hand, I caught the bus to downtown Klaipeda. Loads of changes for those who know it. Many new coffee houses near the river. The Klaipea Hotel has a new name. Walked past a dark Karklu. Then I met Simonas at the IDeal store, Robin, Kim and Marlene at LCC. Had dinner and a wonderful reunion with Robin for supper before meeting up with Ieva for English lessons at Rytas Orphanage. Ieva is a third year college student who takes time teaching English to students there and after spending time with her, I know why her students appreciate her. It is people like her that make this cold, harsh climate warm.

I tried cooking today. I made burritos with beans and even found Mexican cheese advertised with the phrase "the cheese that bites you back." I even found jalepenos...they kept me warm. Tomorrow, I will meet my new students and prepare for the adult fellowship.

Three of my students were SLI students last summer--two were in Jude's class and one in Erwin's class and two others came from yhe Kazakhstan class. Wow...this class has a unique diversity from Albania, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarussia, Ukraine, Moldavia and Kalingrad. The book I am teaching is Between Shades of Gray, an historical fiction surrounding the deportation of Baltic people to Siberia. The author, Ruta Sepetys, spoke at the university and answered questions from the students. It was very exciting and I can't wait to hear the students' perceptions about it and the book.

Arrived and settled

It seems that every time I fly LOT I have lots of trouble. One of these days will learn. Jude dropped me off at the airport in Milwaukee. Got my flight to Chicago earlier than expected since my original flight was overbooked. In Chicago, I had to get new boarding passes. LOT would not accept UA boarding passes. But this happened once before...I left Chicago a little late which always worries me because I had a tight schedule in Warsaw for my next flight. But the pilot said he would make up the time and get to Warsaw at the schedule time do 9:50 am. Ah...time to lay back and relax...During the middle of the night (about 7 hours into flight) the captain announced we would have to land in Glasgow, some sort of medical emergency. Again, since I was flying LOT, most of the messages were in Polish, so my understanding of the situation was mostly second hand. Once on the ground, police cars surrounded the plane, officers came in and took a Polish passenger off in handcuffs and we were ready to take off. Later I learned that this passenger had beaten up his neighbor to the point that he had to be hospitalized. Meanwhile, the pilot announced that since we were on the ground, we would refuel the plane. That did not sound too comforting. I must say the Glasgow area was beautiful with all the rolling hills and lakes. I was waiting for William Wallace to come riding over the crest...The rest of that flight was uneventful, which was good. I landed in Warsaw two hours late which meant that I missed my flight to Riga. So off on another adventurous LOT adventure. When I landed before going through security, I noticed a flight to Riga leaving at 2:55, plenty of time to stand in line, rebook, find luggage, check in again, go through security again and catch my air Baltic flight to Riga...well, my luggage did not come off the conveyor belt, so off to LOT lost and found. Once there, a very nice man helped me by personally going to get my baggage. An hour later, I found the airBaltic counter in the older section of the airport terminal. Thank God, Jude and I had traveled through that airport a number of times. At least I knew where to go. I checked in, caught my flight, landed in Riga only to find at my luggage did not come off the conveyor belt with all the other passengers' bags. But they eventually came 20 minutes later with the next planes bags. I found Kel, who had patiently waited for me. He checked with LOT when I didn't arrive at the original time...he then spend two hours in the mall, where a lady tried to sell him Dead Sea salt to make his hands smoother. I remember going through that at Mayfair Mall...We drove back to Klaipeda, arriving at 11:30 pm...I arrived, safe and sound.

For the next three days, Kel and Sharon debriefed me about the next 6 weeks. I got a bus pass for March, tutored on a new cell phone and the ins and outs of their apartment, my new home. Kel showed me where the needle exchange was, introduced me to the orphanage director, wrote out some scripts for cell messages in Lithuanian to use as reminders. Then on Sunday, I met everyone at the church service at his flat. It was great to see all. Om Monday night, Kel and I met with his expat friends, Andrew and Marius, at Memelis for some beer. I will meet itch these guys on Thusday nights. Then Kel and I bussed home to watch rugby, a relaxing nit before he left. Kel and Sharon left Tuesday morning for Riga to begin their trip to NZ.

As their journey begins, so does mine...