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.





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Location:Pakruojo gatvė,Klaipėda,Lithuania