Jesse “Josef’ Bartels Ukraine (October 2007 – December 2009) After a competitive application process emphasizing professional skills, motivation, adaptability, cross-cultural understanding and medical fitness, Peace Corps invited Mr. Jesse “Josef” Bartels to serve as a TEFL Volunteer in Ukraine. Pre-service training On October 1st, 2007, Mr. Bartels joined the 33rd group of Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Ukraine. He entered an intensive 12-week community-based training program that included 200 hours of Ukrainian language training, 150 hours of technical training in TEFL methodologies and community development, 8 weeks of classroom teaching practice and 60 hours of cross-cultural studies (history, economy, cultural norms). While a trainee, Mr. Bartels worked with the Kivshovata pubic school to organize and conduct a teacher training on communicative language learning techniques and methodology. To reinforce language and cross-cultural learning, Mr. Bartels lived with a Ukrainian family in the town of Kivshovata, Kyiv Region, throughout the 3-month training. Assignment U.S. Ambassador William B. Taylor swore in Mr. Bartels as a Peace Corps Volunteer on December 20th, 2007 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Mr. Bartels was assigned to Velyki Mosty, a town of 5000 Ukrainian and Russian speakers in Western Ukraine. The rich plains and forests of Ukraine have witnessed almost constant struggle between competing peoples since before recorded history. Ukraine ended 750 years of foreign domination by gaining independence from the USSR in 1991. Less than 20 years later, Ukraine is behaving like any young nation. The learning curve is steep as an adolescent government attempts to remove economic controls in an effort to emulate the economic success of Western Europe. Ukrainians, however, have a mature culture and language, traced back to the Kyiv Rus. Each exploiter and occupier has strengthened Ukrainians into a people unbreakable and proud, not of their government, not of their young unsteady nation, but of whom they are, their long heritage and what their country will become as its potential is fulfilled. Many people in Ukraine realize that a greater openness must be reached in order to achieve success in the global community. Mr. Bartels’ work as a teacher provided many opportunities to share American culture and its approaches to problem solving, authority and creativity. His work was part of a nation-wide effort in Ukraine to reorient itself toward a free and open society. Working under the Ministry of Education, Mr. Bartels worked as a full-time English Teacher at Velyki Mosty School Lyceum, which has 88 teachers and 900 students. This school specializes in the sciences and Mr. Bartels’ work was directly supervised by the assistant principle of social sciences. He introduced American teaching methods emphasizing the communicative method to English teachers, many of whom learned English using the translation method. While teaching between 16 and 18 hours of English classes each week (TEFL), Mr. Bartels also conducted 3 pedagogical seminars and distributed informational material on communicatory methodology. Teaching 2nd-10th grades, Mr. Bartels strived to create student centered atmosphere where English was truly used as a language, to transfer information and ignite curiosity. Mr. Bartels specialized in using ‘realia’, that is to say real tasks including radio listening, website design, text message and pen pals assignments that incorporated the real life experiences of children in Velyki Mosty. He received supervision and critical feedback from the TEFL Project Lead Specialists from Peace Corps, and from the pedagogical director at the regional level. In addition to English, Mr. Bartels taught computer technology as a classroom resource to co-teachers. As an HIV prevention educator, Mr. Bartels designed, organized and implemented an HIV prevention project which included 2 trainings of trainers and 8 peer trainings that increased youth knowledge about the biology and transmission of HIV. These peer groups in turn trained 8 other student groups which showed increased knowledge and tolerance while demonstrating a decreased propensity toward risky behavior (measured by pre and post training questionnaires). Together with his counterpart, Mr. Bartels overcame social obstacles and taboos by focusing his trainings on abstinence and faithfulness before condom use. Through the trainings, pamphlets, exercises and posters, he worked to fight against stigmas and discrimination. Mr. Bartels used a President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) grant to bring a trainer from Kyiv in order to provide local educators with the expertise and comfort necessary to safeguard their communities. Mr. Bartels’ after school activities included 3 academic clubs that each met for 2 hours every week. These included Health, Ecology and European Affairs. Each club created a project at the end of every school year. His ecology club concentrated on project design and management. Pupils then designed and implemented 4 community projects including trash pickups and tree plantings. Mr. Bartels facilitated a two-day tolerance training with the European Affairs club for 8th-10th grades. With his Health club he taught 7 lessons about tobacco, alcohol, obesity, nutrition, household chemicals and HIV/AIDS. As a Co-Chair of the Peace Corps Ukraine Environmental Working Group, Mr. Bartels maintained, created, collected and provided information and project support throughout Ukraine. With support from the Environmental Working Group, Mr. Bartels organized and directed 2 overnight week long summer camps teaching pupils environmental awareness through a focus on local issues to help Ukrainian youth become active, informed, initiative taking leaders in their community. He was also the American volunteer director of the ‘Survivor’ camp, a sustainable ecological education project started by Peace Corps volunteers in 2005 which is now operated mainly by Ukrainian directors and staff. Mr. Bartels’ language ability progressed quickly reaching Advanced High by July 2009. As a result of his work in school and his language ability, he was selected by Peace Corps staff to present a report to 200 University and School Directors and to the Minister of Education on the current state of English Education in Ukraine. He gave this seven minute speech in Ukrainian and received many compliments on his language ability. Following careful needs assessment and student surveys, Mr. Bartels Created an English Resource Library. Using book donations from the USA, he established a title list of 200 books for pupils and teachers at all levels. He also created the catalog and organizational system by which checkouts will be monitored. Pursuant to Section 5(f) of the Peace Corps Act, 22 USC 2504(f), as amended, any former Volunteer employed by the United States Government following his Peace Corps Volunteer Service is entitled to have any period of satisfactory Peace Corps service credited for purposes of retirement, seniority, reduction in force, leave, and other privileges based on length of Government service. That service shall not be credited toward completion of the probationary or trial period of any service requirement for career appointment. This is to certify in accordance with Executive Order 11103 of April 10, 1963, that Mr. Jesse Josef Bartels served successfully as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His service ended on December 2nd, 2009. He is therefore eligible to be appointed as a career-conditional employee in the competitive civil service on a non-competitive basis. This benefit under the Executive Order extends for a period of one year after termination of Volunteer service, except that the employing agency may extend the period for up to three years for a former Volunteer who enters military service, pursues studies at a recognized institution of higher learning, or engages in other activities that, in the view of the appointing agency, warrant extension of the period.

Then signatures and stampsvery official looking

Trucking to Germany with my neighbor is not going to work out. He's leaving today and I'm still doing paperwork and eye exams in the office (looking for a some phantom opacity on the crystal that may indicate the first stage of cataracts). So I got a bus ticket, this year from Lviv to Frankfurt. Oh the fun of 27 hour bus rides.   So, today and tomorrow in the office, back to my site for one day, and then on my way west. Excited for change. Sad to leave.   December and still warm in Ukraine.

Who would guess that it was possible to collect so much stuff over two years?We really are like pack rats. This moving habit of mine keeps the possessions to a minimum, but even so, impressive.I have between 8-10 days left in Ukraine, depending on which truck driver I catch a ride with. Questions of sustainability are weighing heavily but when I think of individuals whose lives I have affected and who have changed me, I recognize a mirror effect. So if I feel those changes within me, I'm sure they are within those people as well, and those changes are sustainable.  A more open mind, flexible priorities and unlimited generosity is what I've learned to value.I'll be interested to read my students' blogs to see if I can find any of my influence there. (where did I put that link?) It's interesting how for me, because I'm in Ukraine, for a set amount of time, this part of my life is beginning to have clear edges, defined by location. My students experiences with me however are not contained within within any frame. Just another year at school, with some weird American guy, but still, just normal life. Cold autumn rain.One more essay to write and resumes to edit.How do you end a blog?

Three weeks of quarantine combined with fall break before that and my Continuation of Service conference before that has lead to 5 weeks without school. This has given me much needed time to write essays, finish graduate school applications, and track down my less than stellar GRE scores.

Now I have one week of classes and saying goodbye, one week of packing and then it's on the train/bus to Germany and airplane back to America.

Of course many mixed feelings, but overall ready for a change, and really anxious to get back to some academics.

Have some other blog entries saved on my computer, but I always forget to put them onto my flash drive.

It's been raining for weeks, and will rain into the foreseen future.

Really wish I had time to apply for a few more jobs, but school first. I'll get all these applications off on December 1st, and then focus on finding employment from now until school starts.

Carrot cake smells like it's ready, so I'm off to the kitchen...


--

Peace Corps Volunteer

TEFL Program

Velyki Mosty, Ukraine

+38 099 225 4585

What can I conclude at the end of my Peace Corps service?

Well I’ll attach my official description of service soon, but until then, let me say a few things in response to

“how was it?”

For the surest answer, read earlier entries in this blog. But of course all experiences are changed by analysis’s hindsight. As for my thoughts now, they are poorly seasoned and relatively bland.

I would do it all over again, of course very differently. I’ve learned more about myself then anyone learned about English, me or America.

I made positive changes, after I was relatively fluent in Ukrainian and only where I had strong and close community support. I only wish that language was the largest obstacle.

I have many new friends.

This reflection is still premature.

It needs more seasoning.

Algerian font matches out of proportion feelings time running out running running out Violined OUt calm inner self transition opportunity time Breath Make lists accomplish tasks all will be done in thy time is plenty but still it’s gotta all come out Rant old clothes ragtime new clothes giveaway few clothes bringaway red clothes run Campstove sell sleeping bag roll music stand donate notebook gift trophy soccer jersey duct tape books But all that doesn’t even compare to the time and energy I need to say goodbye not for a time a few months see u on facebook but years, maybe forever, and you don’t even have email I doubt you can afford to pay international postage Fortitude seems unfair I was accepted, trusted and part of their town now I just go? "all my hopes for you to settle down here for good bring your parents too! it’s just as I suspected Despite all his words America must be nicer look at him an all his opportunities he’ll make a decent living with half the sweat I do 24 and he can still mess around as if he were 17 hasn’t even started his career yet" And then there’s the newlyweds on the bus Ivan says he had a great English teacher in his village school She’s dead now, Гірник graveyard Ivan has worked 500meters underground four years down twenty one to go mine #9 electrical engineer $300/month coal three months married Natalia wants to get pregnant he says she just doesn’t understand the financial pressure of having a kid they’ve been talking about that new factory for six years I have no choice the mine or drugs a hard life or no life I can’t believe you are here I don’t care about the election Проти Всі! Take my number call me you are a good person May God Give You Happiness Goodbye That sure puts my silliness in perspective How lucky I am Life is just shining down on me a gift of time and opportunities thank you but why me?

'If only's' never get you anywhere but… no, I won't dwell stinky excuses   soccer is frustrating because I don't practice because my Achilles is not healthy because I haven't taken 3 months off to cross train because I don't have access to cross-training facilities one more game   wow, how stinky these excuses are after all, what equipment do I need to do yoga? short-timers disease the beginning of the new failure to make due looking farther than my horizons 2 months to a swimming pool   cleanup project this weekend a great success 70 kids, teachers, and politicians 2 tons of trash 350kg of glass bottles 6 anti-littering signs but most importantly I did much less work than last time which means the kids are getting it how to organize delegate and support each other empowerment through youth led development small project design and management   next up getting the movie theatre up and running through some sort of club keep going I'm good at pushing through but it's going to be a shock when one day baby roots ripped up put back in the 2003 hole grow now too many leaves pages of experiences torn tubers     can I make the project design and management club self-sustaining?

two years and no trust in student centered learningno chance to take a class through the joys of communicating with a foreign language two years and trusted only to play with them

"We're giving you younger students this semester because we feel that you don't focus on grammar enough to prepare our students for their standardized tests" Ok, well if you don't feel that using language is at all useful for grammar, then fine, just do drills and fill in the blank exercises all day.

It's ok, still get to see some of my favorite 8th, 9th, and 10th class, even if it is done on the dl

Good thing teaching English is only one third of my work right now. The other thirds are with my Ecology club, which has become a Project Design and Management club, and with my Healthy Lifestyles club, which is focusing on abstinence from drugs and sex now.

My mind is spending more and more time on the other side of the Atlantic dreaming of being back in an academic settinggetting some more skills so that the next time I have a wonderful opportunity to live and work as a agent for change

News?School started Sept 1st. Closing one grantseeing if there is any way I can get some funding to get computers and internet in the town library doing one more cleanuppossibly starting a recycling pickup point yeah, nice and busyplaying soccer after missing every game this summer by being at 4 different summer camps on the 4 sides of Ukraine spent more time in my tent than I did in any bedmornings are already getting cooler and darker then the time change hits which makes it dark by the time I get home from schoolyeah, time to move south

Crazy summercamps coming out my ears ears of cornpears smashing themselves sweetness juicybees love pear juice too many   plums to eat   apples to dry  peppers to pickle   tomatoes to trickle  potatoes to dig, sort, dry, store, clean, peel, and eat homemade   ketchup   salsa  condensed milk   tomato sauce  corn cakes Harvest Time

Elo visits to climb highest mountain cell phone works only for mebucket showers in the pig house

Grad School application time MPH in global health or rural medicineeventually leading to MD? First want to work with more projects like the ones I've done hereexcept to be actually qualified and know in advance how to facilitate successful community health projects then perhaps I'll continue my education expanding from the preventative side to the diagnostic+treatment side Lots to think about and learn and do.

All the way across the country in any direction takes more than 24 hours. Have a nice layover in Kyiv, finally got into the WWII museum. Finished with Survivor Camp in the Carpathians, fun to teach first aid and live in a tent, poop in a hole, wash in the river, with sand   now off to an ecology camp wishing i had a bit more time at home now that i know theoretically how to get my town recycling plastic and paper there's a company in Lviv that will send a truck out to pick up materials and pay by the kilogram but I won't be in town long enough to get this project off the ground until late August   reading harry potter in ukrainian still each page takes a long time although it is all understandable words are still read at the letter level not the whole word recognition thing   ok, I bet that rice is done cooking in the pc office is fun and saves a whole lot of money because kyiv prices are like nyc prices   amazing news from home congratulations all of you  

 

There's so much I've failed to report in this blog. Living life and not writing about it. But here goes a quick sum up since the last report on the break I took to climb Mt. Hoverla. Our cow died, by our, I mean Maria's, the grandma I live with. While I was out hiking in the Carpathians, she, the cow came back home from the pasture and decided to eat 40liters of unprocessed wheat grain. This left no room in her stomach and she swelled up as the grain absorbed water. The town doctor/vet was called, but nothing could be done without surgery. So after Maria's third sleepless night talking to and massaging the cow, they called the butcher and sold the milk cow for meat. They saved some of their investment, but the price for meat is not nearly as high as the price for a working milk cow that was only 9 years old. But the price didn't matter to Maria. For her it was like loosing a limb. She had milked this cow three times a day for 8 years! During the fight to save the cow, Maria's son's wife disappeared for a few days. This left a house with three kids and no parents, since Maria's son was on one of his transport runs to Poland. This puts a lot of pressure on Maria to run two houses at once, and is forcing Ira, the oldest sister, who I teach in 8th grade, to grow up faster than a kid should. I guess I haven't written much about my living situation since I moved in February, but that's because everything has been working out fine. We had turkeys, but we ate them. We have 9 chickens and one rooster. 14 chicks hatched yesterday morning. The house is surrounded by a small yard which despite its limited size has fruit trees, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, peppers, poppies, morning glories, strawberries, onions, garlic, and parsley. Almost every inch has something growing on it. Not only is there a garden around the house, but she has two other fields 5mx10m and 5mX5m which have cucumbers, corn, more potatoes, more beans, carrots, and squash. I helped with some of the farming, particularly turning the soil and breaking dirt clumps, replanting tomatoes and trimming strawberries. I really wish I could help more, but I spend most days in school, and often on the weekend I like to get out of the village on Saturday and then Sunday is not a proper day to work on. Maria wanted to buy two piglets to fatten over the summer, but never found the black ones she wanted, and thinks it's too late now.

Today after class I rushed to Lviv to meet some friends and go to the last professional football game of the year. It was a derby between FC Lviv and FC Karpati which the former had to win to stay in the top league. A relegation match. So, as Ukrainian professional soccer compares poorly with the MLS, it was not a pretty game.   Before the game started we had an adventure trying to get cheaper tickets. My friends waited for me to finish a long transaction at the bank (last part of my grant) and by the time we arrived at the stadium, they were only selling more expensive tickets, not due to lack of seats, but according to a profitable supply and demand calculation. Walking around to the other side of the stadium to check with the other ticket counters (they don't use computers and can't see what the other locations have sold), we encountered a group of boys who had found a hole in the fence and were paying the police officer who guarded this hole a price much cheaper than any remaining tickets. Deciding that as Peace Corps volunteers, it was a bad idea to support corruption, we went back to the first ticket office and paid the higher price.

Oh yeah, forgot to finish that story about the high ridge line in the Ukrainian Carpathians. We (Jim and I) started hiking at 1630 after hitching with a rafting outfit and then paying the driver another 50 грівень to take us the last 7km to the trail head(we forgot to bargain, but since the first 9km were free, it's ok). Then we bought lots of bread and cookies and started walking up the hill. We took bets on when the first snow would be visible. Jim is recovering from a high ankle sprain and I have tendinitis in my achilles so we sort of hobbled up the hills, past the cheese cabin (unfortunately too early for the sheep to be up in the mountains, so no cheese yet), past tree line, across snow slides and over boulders until the old top of the hills opened up (so old that not much sharpness remains) into a beautiful flower covered tundra.

Getting dark temperature dropping nice campsite except for the boulders under the tent stove running low on fuel last three cities had no camp fuel will be easy summit in the morning up black mountain the 4th highest in Ukraine 2028m buckwheat dinner not all the way cooked spicy ketchup wash dishes later to cold to hang outside the tent sleep

sun hidden long rising late start summit by 0900

back to get the now aired out tent and sleeping bags and started on our 17km walk to the base of Hoverla the highest mountain in Ukraine which at less than 8000ft is really not very high but still cool even if the neighboring Romanian mountains are so obviously taller walking and more walking need a real hiking pack and boots completely dead nice walking sticks found on trail both of some fruity wood lost trail only once under snow lots of hikers going other direction, difficult to melt snow for water carrying ice cold nalgenes inside our jackets to melt water partly sunny so many purple crocuses dark clouds gathering some rain drops hurry to lee side but find no wind break more time before sunset tent up mountain tops shrouded in mist cold wind no camp fuel left break and sausage for dinner early to bed.

That's not rain landing on the rain fly sounds more like grasshoppers bummer its actually ice pellets nothing visible pack up and summit before breakfast snow blowing trail invisible no compass or map trying to cut back in correct direction steep icy snow face much quicker slide down on butts avoiding rock wedgies snow getting wetter lower altitude rain at freezing bushwhacking so wet breakfast needed 1000 wring out socks good thing their wool argue about whether to continue bushwhacking back in direction of trail not sure how far in that direction or follow goat path down to who knows where decided goat path because drier and easier going two hours goat sheep logging truck road and much lower later first people all day have fire invite us for tea nice to dry and warm up new friends still 10km to train station we've ended up in another oblast like crossing a state border without even knowing it walking easy flat now police checkpoint didn't register for back country camping good thing I took off my hat and addressed him in the formal and he was drunk longest 10km in a while making Jim miss his girlfriend who is leaving for Prague an interesting last few km to train station a tiny village not on our road map in fact there is no road only a train station pretty close to Romania two hours on slow 3rd class train unhappy drunk dirty men who feel no hope missed bus in яремча making Jim miss his train my fault because trusted hand signals of driver instead of just stubbornly getting on the bus I was lucky catching last bus from Oblast center north toward home Jim waiting till 0100 for next train through Kyiv almost missed stop sleep easy on flat floor so warm indoors thank you fellow volunteer for letting me crash on floor

Next day at last through Lviv and home missed three days of school trees I planted still alive projects and clubs not really active without me where is sustainability got to put so much effort into getting people to do things they don't normally do and are not paid to do all day spent proving that this is good for students school Ukraine our town but some victories small and sweet

I forgot about the marching

every class 6th grade and up must prepare a march for a competition next week

they have chants and songs and flags and different steps

obviously more important than English class

or HIV prevention activities...

We have had at least three holidays in the last two weeks, of which I took advantage to return to the Космач festival in Kosmach. This year the organization was poor, and even though more people and bands came, there was no second stage or sound equipment for them to use. Many more Americans showed up, but somehow (good weather forecasting?) the Poles and Germans knew not to come this year. The weather was cold, dark and rainy, but the charm of the small mountain village remained (picture forthcoming).

Then I met Jim and we hiked the highest ridge line in Ukraine. The weather was great for the first two days, but the third day reminded us why we had enjoyed relative solitude. The snow blew in stinging ice pellets and the trail was all but covered in snow.

There transpired quite an adventure, most of which is described by video on my facebook page. The rest I'll have to describe later because I have to go run a competition for Euro club.

Ok, so I'm rather neutral on the Christ part and all the beliefs behind this holiday, but looking at it from a purely ritualistic or traditional standpoint, it is really powerful.

So of course Lent is observed normally by not eating red meat or drinking hard alcohol (alcoholics exempt). Then there is Cave Friday, when the boulder was rolled in front of the entrance to Jesus's resting place. On all big religious holidays work is prohibited, even washing clothes and getting water.

Then Saturday was spent out on the fields turning over the soil by hand because our (my Ukrainian grandma and I) piece of land is two small to rent a horse drawn plow. Got my first sunburn of the year and actually wore through my Millionair gloves on the rough natural branch handel of my shovel. I got my soil turning technique down pat left and right handed and learned how to ensure that the chicken poop gets mixed with the soil and not only stuck to my shoes.

We also re-planted the peppers from the windowsill to outside under clear plastic supported by bent willow branches. Need to be covered bacause it's still down around freezing at sunrise (which is now at 630am). Then we took our basket of Paska Cakes (hot cross buns) hard boiled decorated eggs (different leaf shapes left white while the egg was dyed in onion skin water) meat, salt, butter and other stuff to church, had it blessed with holy water. Ok, the saturday evening blessing is the most beautiful religious ceremony I have seen. Everyone comes in their best clothes and stands in rings around the church with elaborate baskets full of amazing food. The Preacher comes with his holy water followed by a procession of medieval flag bearers (and a money collector). The sun is setting, everone is crossing themselves, candles are flickering in the breeze, and I forgot my camera again and forgot about the video function on my phone, actually forgot about everything except the pure beauty of the moment. There was some singing in the background, little children running all over the place and a sense of hope.

I slept too well Saturday night, and actually slept through church (started at 5am, so don't give me a hard time). When Maria came back from church, I went for a run and then broke Lent by eating meat and drinking wine. The whole day is spent eating and drinking. I went over to two other houses, and out to the forest. Beautiful clear sunny days, not hot, not cold, every minute of cold winter seems worth it to have this contrast.

Then of course Easter is 3 days long. 3 full days of not being allowed to work. What a tough life. Ok, forgot

so the money was being collected to pay for those sheets which should have been returned to C). I felt that if they were my sheets now, I would pay the money and then maybe sell them used.

I went to the director with the money in my hand and was forced away as she became offended that i had offered my money. She said that the teachers I work with deserve a lower salary, and to make this difference they will by me sheets. I said that is wrong, and I will buy my own sheets.

The next day she (director) collected the money and now relations are definitely strained between me and her. I considered giving the money back to each teacher, figuring out what share they had paid. But instead I just gave the sheets to the owner of C) and will do something nice for the teachers later this year, coffee cookies type thing. Maybe bake them banana bread.

The director did by these sheets in the beginning, but if anyone has enough money to buy sheets for me its the director and not the teachers I work with. Well, i'm not even angry about this anymore, so I really have no motivation to write more about it.

And all over bedsheets.

My living spaces in Ukraine:

A) Host Family, bedroom, 3 months

B) Host Family, bedroom, 1 month

C) Apartment, 3 rooms, 6 months

D) Apartment, 1 room, 6 months

E) Host Grandma, bedroom, 2 months and counting

When I moved into C), I just used the old sheets that were there, not really thinking about it.

Two weeks after I moved into D), a woman knocked on the door and delivered new sheets, saying something I didn't completely understand. Not imagining what they could be for other than using, I promptly started sleeping on them.

Two weeks later, I hear that the brand new sheets were supposed to go back to the owner of C) in a trade for the sheets I already used, but now that I had used them, everything was ruined. Owner f C) just let it go and said don't worry about it.

Lets remember how the cost of my apartment which Peace Corps cannot afford is supposed to be covered by my community. It's called a community contribution and helps add value to my position because I'm not just "free". School director decided that this community contribution should collected from only the teachers with whom I work (perfectly fair in her mind, because they have less work, they get less money (how is working with me easier?)).

Room E) is cheaper and no longer requires a community contribution. Thus last week I was surprised to be asked to verify my hours with every teacher. I knew that this sort of check was in order to collect money, but why...

to be continued

Internet closing...

Found two dumptruck worths of trash on my morning run route

in no way a safe dumping ground

just well hidden from any onlookers

a narrow part of the road through the forest

made it hard to go around with a swamp on one side and undergrowth on the other

pisses me off

makes me sad

come on Ukraine

think about the future

yesterday confronted some kid who just threw a can on the ground

he obviously hadn't even considered what he was doing

it was just habitual

he responded 'of course i'll pick it up and take my can 3 meters to the trash can'

"без петан" (without  a question)

and again

a cheep rebound

but i was in the right place

following the shot, even if it was out of defensive instinct

just glad i didn't put it over the bar as so often happens in from 5 meters out

Snow has turned to rain

achilles hurt too much to run this morning

did some yoga instead

but forgot when I was supposed to be breathing in and when out

got to school early

clocks still said 7:05 because the time changed yesterday

but that first hour went too fast as usual

and I still didn't have all the things done I need to print out for today when class started

Luckily 4th grade has a test, so I don't need to be there.

So I'm hunting for a printer with ink.

First HIV peer training today. I'm nervous to see if they take it seriously at all

I want them tired out for my lesson.

As it happened today, one girl had her birthday and brought chocolate candy to share with everyone right before my lesson. Talk about sugar rush.

I think the system where the same group of students stays together all day creates some problems. The kids are grouped according to overall school performance, which means each English class has a wide variety of abilities. I have been against tracking in the past, but it is clear to me now that a competitive atmosphere spurs learning (to an extent) and huge skill ranges kill competition. If I was a perfect teacher, I would be able to design lessons where the stronger students help the weaker, but that would require all new class rules, different seating, etc. Even then, the weaker students need to learn how to read, even if it is a struggle, and stronger 6th graders don't seem to have the patience to wait for a weaker classmate to slowly read a passage. Group reading activities focused for these student's who don't yet read well bore the stronger students.

I propose a complete reorganization for at least the older grades, where they have their individual schedules, and may go to a high level biology class and a lower level English class. Now I see some students who I inspire to work harder on English, but they are stuck amongst students who do not want to work harder, and since I cannot simply teach my lessons to a few students, I get bogged down with motivating, exciting and disciplining and those who had some hope sit quietly at their desk, having already done all that I have asked, and stare out the window while I explain for the third time the task to a boy who is convinced that he will leave school, work in the factory, marry, have kids, hang out with his friends on the weekends and make ends meet even if he never makes enough money for a car or to pay for the tests and the bribes necessary to send his own kids to university. Plus you can buy a degree anyway. So why work in school to get good marks in order to attend a university where again they can't pick the classes they take and half the professors just read from their notes in order to get a degree which nobody believes is real?

I guess I don't really need springtime. Bring it on windy snow from Poland. See if I care. You can't catch me because I'm the ginger running man.

I'll try to attach some photos from my HIV prevention training.

How do I describe my peace corps service in few enough words to fit on a resume?

I have so many things to do each day that every day has its own task list.

My goals and objectives are located in many different spheres that without a list, I would forget somthing.

Today, now that I've finished teaching and lesson planning, I'll write an application for students to apply to my ecology summer camp, then update my resume, then type my student's letters to america, then start an article for the cross cultural guide for our Ukrainian counterparts, then a paragraph about lessons learned in teaching safer sex practices in very religious western Ukraine, then well, that's probably all the time I'll have before my Ukrainian tutoring, so the other half of my list will get carried over to tomorrow. Tomorrow I must go to Lviv to get my summer camp preparations there going and copy a booklet "I want to conduct trainings" (produced by unicef and in the Russian language) for my kids, get some cool STI posters from the reproductive health center and meet with the non-profit that wants me to support their river health project in my region.

So what am I doing writing in my blog?

Procrastinating, something I've avoided recently, but feels needed on this day of neverending snow.

It has snowed quite often for the past month. I wonder when spring will come. Back to work...

My HIV prevention trainings of trainers on February 27th and 28th were successful except for one major flaw. The teachers and students who attended the training are still not ready to conduct trainings on their own. But I am working to continue their education in presentation techniques because all the teachers agreed that this sort of presentation is needed and very useful. It is very difficult for them to conduct an interactive training based on activities and discussion rather than lecture because they have never done it before. Even in university few student's are exposed to true academic discussions and I haven't heard of any doing interactive multimedia presentations. So, I will present some positive and negative points that arose during my trainings.   The students were very enthusiastic and open minded. The trainer from Kyiv arrived two hours late. The teachers were knowledgeable and willing to discuss. One teacher said that educating kids about condoms is not part of our culture. One boy decided he isn't ready to have sex. One person on said that they will not always use a condom with new or casual sexual partners (post training questionnaire). All participants showed a greater tolerance of people living with HIV and less fear now that they are sure how the virus can be transmitted. Most people still would keep their distance from a HIV positive friend. Everyone learned more about condoms. Some 10th graders weren't sure what ejaculation is. Everyone agreed that the training was really interesting and useful. Nobody wants to conduct these type of trainings on their own despite agreement that the curiculum as it stands is not sufficient.

Whoa, lots of work. I had collected a whole bookcase of books to read after my free time this summer only to realize now that I havn't finished a book in over 2 months. I should report about how my HIV prevention training went, but that feels like work because I actually have to write up an official report. So when that is done, I'll just attach it and post it on my blog. I'm starting to get all my teaching materials organized and in a way that my co-workers can take advantage of years of American lesson plan writing in Ukraine. I have collected lessons from many volunteers who have developed their own or modified lessons from earlier volunteers. Spring is coming, storks have started returning in pairs from Africa, and the snow is melting.

People came to my birthday party

chicken fajitas, chocolate pound cake and chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies

the classics

Week flew buy with a million little things to do for my training

first training was today

everything successful for the most part, only 12 teachers, but good, positive.

I have a lot to tell but my head hurts and I need to get some water.

So I'll explain everything later

Everything with the living situation is great

no running water has really just made me more environmentally friendly

the house is warm and the outhouse is cold

there's a gap between the door and the roof and the snow actually blows in

but it's warming up

today is already rain mixed with snow

and I was thinking how warm freezing really is

off to go trudge through the slush

come on springtime

All moved in. Amazing how much stuff I've accumulated in 6 months, mainly books that I haven't had time to read yet. Highlights so far.   Grandma Maria stating outright that drinking cold water will give me a sore throat. Amazing home cooked food that appears magically in large quantities at all hours of the day. Morning poops where the wind actually comes up through the hole in the seat. The wind is generally 18F. A really cool 8th grade host sister who really doesn't live with her grandma, but has made an effort to visit every evening. She knows I can speak Ukrainian, but still uses English to practice and improve her language skills. She plays piano on the wonderfully out of tune stand up in the living room. She is amazingly polite and thoughtful for an 8th grader. First few bucket baths. I literally stand or squat in a washing basin and try to get wet while keeping my room dry. I stay as close to the heater as possible.   This week is pretty hectic as I try to unpack, really get into teaching 3rd and 4th grades, and start buying stuff for the official HIV prevention training next week. I'm also trying to throw myself a little birthday party, but I keep forgetting to invite people. Could be really small. Just me.   So now I'm sitting in my office feeling at 17:36 wishing I had put off planning to go to Ukrainian tutoring, but realizing it's too late to go now anyway. I also just forgot I was in Ukraine, because sitting in my office typing on a computer with that tired feeling that comes at the end of a work day feels no different no matter what country you're in (of course I'm sitting near my heater and wearing a sweater and wool hat). I might have less to post about if I were in the US. So, now to plan a 9th grade lesson on flags, 8th grade on passive voice and great Britain, 6th grade on holiday plans and 7th grade…darn I lost the planning for that class, I'll have to find the teacher in the morning plan the lesson during my free period. The  way my schedule is now, I teach 4 lessons Monday through Thursday, and have reserved Friday to work on my PEPFAR project (which will include traveling to other schools with my peer educator group).   Now, why are flags interesting?

On Friday the link between PC and the education department invited me to speak at a workshop type event where the minister of education would be present. Only catch was I had to prepare a 7 minute presentation in Ukrainian. Of course I didn't practice as much as I should, and was still editing my note cards as I sat in the audience, but overall it came off nicely, understandable if not grammatically correct. But grammar has never been my strong point. Over all a huge honor to speak to the Minister of Education of Ukraine while representing the Peace Corps. First presentation in a foriegn language to an audience of 250 people. I recorded it on my phone but am not quite ready to listen to all my mistakes yet. Fun day. Yet again, full of adventures.

Now over to the train station to spend another night on the train back to Lviv, only to return again on Friday night, because I have to be in Kyiv on Saturday to chair the Environmental Working Group meeting. Busy times. Good because it distracts me from the last futile efforts of winter to make my life dark and grey.

So what happened?

Landlord sold the apartment.

School director pissed because she fixed up the apartment for me to live there.

Some empty apartments, but in the process of being sold, or owners nowhere to be found.

Grandmother of my best 8A student offered to rent me a room in her house. She lives alone even though she is not very old. She has two sons, both of whom live in town but are married (hence the grand-daughter). Or maybe only one is married and the other works at the military base. I only talked to her for a couple minutes while checking out what will be my new room. It has a gas heater and two beds. The house has no plumbing. The outhouse has a bucket under the hole. Where do they take the poop? Fertilizer I'm guessing. I wonder if that's something i'll get to help out with. I didn't even really take enough time to explore what animals she has. One dog I'm sure, but maybe others. I move in on Monday, February 16th. It's bound to be an adventure, as host families always are.

Mr. Minister. Respected Colleagues

Ukraine has bright, energetic, curious and beautiful children. Your children are willing to learn, eager to trust, full of potential.

Only this semester I have begun to teach 3rd and 4th forms. Since I believe the greatest improvement comes from a critical examination, most of the following comments will from areas that I believe need improvement based on my work in the 5th form in the school liceum of Velyki Mosty, Lvivska Oblast.

.

The top classes are really good, not only in English, but in all subjects. The struggling classes are far behind. Some 5th formers can hold basic conversations in English. Other struggle to read. Primary school is certainly not the beginning of this separation, but it definitely widens the gap. The main question is why there is such a large gap between the best and worst classes. This question can lead us to improvement for all children who study English. I see three areas to improve.

The first sphere is the general atmosphere and relations between the teacher and the students. Where there is a positive, organized, cooperative and professional relationship, the students do better. Based on conversations with volunteers all over the country, the relationship between students and teachers often mirrors relations between teachers and the administration. Where there is positive cooperation in both the classroom and principles office, students will find success.

The second sphere is the link between psychology and education. I see de-motivated kids every day when their grades are based on ability rather than effort. Those students who are behind are not encouraged to catch up. These children are often simply on a lower level of psychological development, and have no less intelligence than their successful friends. Also the best students are not motivated to give more effort, because they already have good marks.

The third sphere concerns "Multiple Intelligences". Each child has an equal ability to learn language. Learning language is hard wired into children’s brains. However, each child learns differently, which makes a teacher’s job challenging. Howard Gardner, in “Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, names 8 different kinds of intelligence. This leads us to the conclusion that there are at least 8 different learning styles, if not more. Many children combine various intelligences, but nobody is strong in all of them. Therefore, learning English requires activities for 5 senses and 8 different learning styles.

Some students use Karpiuk text books. Others buy their own foreign texts. Karpiuk has a great amount of material, but sometimes seems to loose sight of the fact that English is a skill, not specific information. Some exercises in Karpiuk are difficult even for me to complete because the content is not clear. Focused on information rather than the performable skill of English.

In conclusion, the greatest problem I see is also our greatest opportunity.

To improve the atmosphere in the classroom by setting clear expectations, maintaining fairness and always being professionally prepared.

To increase motivation by challenging all students and providing equal opportunities for success.

To remember all the different paths toward skills and knowledge, and that each class must reach out to as many learning styles as there are in the classroom.

If the future depends on your youth, then the future will be bright.

First two weeks of school done, only taught a few classes. Trying to replace my tenth graders with more fifth and sixth graders, but so far my schedule hasn't changed. This past week, the third week of school I missed to attend winter language refresher in resort for the improvement of health), the woods. It was a bit like being back in college. I really miss sustained academic thought. Language refresher was 3 packed days of Ukrainian study and practice with 40ish other volunteers and 9 instructors. We had great small classes, useful topics, excellent grammar, even extracurricular dance, arts, and culture clubs before dinner. Ukrainian language movies, catch phrase and chess followed dinner. Slightly nerdy, volunteers' normal use of alcohol was curtailed by a ban, which led to a very tame (perhaps in part due to the cold grey mist and 8am breakfast). Now light enough to run at 7:40am, I enjoyed the new network of forest trails, giant fields and even some Teacher Collaborative meeting tomorrow in Volodomir Valinsk. Many volunteers are actually experienced qualified teachers who have lots of great stuff to share. Since we are introducing many foreign education concepts, it's nice to have a support network within which to share success and failures. We also share resources and project ideas. Sunday back to Mosty to check out the one option I have for a new home. It's on the second floor of a house with a mother and daughter living on the first floor. Not exactly sure how separate it would be, perhaps it will be like moving back in with a host family. Hopefully I'll find out Sunday. As far as I know everything worked out for my grant, but I'm still waiting for the money to appear in my account. I'm getting worried because the training of trainers is planned for February 27th, and I need money for the coffee breaks and brochures. Getting ready for the meeting of the environmental working group, of which I am the head. Got the agenda all done, now just have to conduct a productive and successful meeting. First for everything I guess. I made it through January on only my emergency reserve of money, because I spent my entire January allowance on the train from Heidelberg to Luzern while I was hanging with my brothers. But the February allowance is in my account, and I can get back on my chocolate kick. One more month of solid winter, then the flowers will poke through the snow and rain will start competing with the snow to make mud even more effectively than the cat in the hat can make pink snow.

Locked out of my apartment by my landlord with a key that I don’t normally carry let to the discovery that he had already sold the apartment where I live and I have one month to move out. Why didn’t my school director tell me? She surely knew. It upsets me how she takes everything into her own hands, worried to let anyone else have power. This means lots of work for her and bitterness for everyone else, most of whom feel powerless.

I got the key back by bus the next morning after spending the night at another teacher’s house. I love how things can be sent by bus here, even laptops can be sent between cities for a few dollars, only requiring someone to meet the bus as it comes through the village and pick up the item.

As usual, teaching schedule up in the air. I have Ukrainian Language Refresher next week, so I really won’t start teaching until February 2nd. Looks like the grant money should arrive soon for my PEPFAR project and hopefully all the other parts will also fall into place.

Fell hard into a mud puddle on my way to school this morning. I’ll blame the rain falling onto the ice as well as being momentarily distracted. Decided to go home and change rather than show off my muddy dress pants to the whole school. I didn’t have to teach first period anyway. Glad tomorrow is Friday. Feel like I need a weekend to regroup.

Wise people see every problem as an opportunity.

When something goes wrong, look no further than yourself for the solution.

Thank goodness the students have returned to school, because without them, all the meetings and rules and reports and paperwork was starting to feel pretty useless.

I’ve run into a lot of negativity recently. And to be fair, conditions are not perfect for educating Ukrainian youth. However all of this negativity is encompassed by those two sayings.

First is the acceptance of problems without seeing the other doors that are opened. This is true of the horrible books we have for instance. The opportunity this creates is for material to be selected from other sources that exactly fit what our students need. The books are either so far over their heads, or so boring, that it is tempting to just see this as an insurmountable problem, rather than an opportunity to create a custom program.

Then there is our relationship with the administration. It was explained to me that the reason every crowds toward the back of the room during teachers meetings is not so they can sleep unobserved (that’s been my plan), but rather because they are actually afraid of our director and administrators. What I have come to notice through my increasing fluency is how the teachers are treated like children, yelled at, reprimanded, and looked down upon. Actually it’s poor parenting of large, clever children. I’m sure that it’s been proven somewhere that an atmosphere of authority creates more disobedience than one of teamwork and trust (I’d be interested to see how the military combines these tools). So the teachers are blamed for problems, offered no solutions, and in the process become unmotivated, bitter and lazy. Both sides are guilty of blaming the other for shortcomings. This examination must be turned inward so that each person finds what they can do better for the benefit of our kids.

Anyway, while listening to these “problems” I was surprised to hear the theory that the Ministry of Education was being shortlisted, cut of at the knees even at the top, in order to prevent an educated populace, which might demand more equality and organize against the oligarchy.

Getting on toward a full month of eating, drinking and relaxing. There has been some work in there, dealing with inflation on my grant request and attempting to get a book donation, but alot of visiting, long holiday dinners and watching movies (also some reading, but not enough). Letter writing and running through snow. Consistent negative temperatures have helped to keep snow on the ground for almost a month now, but running through the drifts does nothing good for my achilles. Christmas started on the eve, Jan. 6th, continued for three days after that, and now there is old new years, and then next Sunday there is some other holiday. Everyone else has gone back to school, but my town traded spring break for one more week of holiday now. Of course the first week I won't have a teaching schedule, and then the second week I have Ukrainian language camp, so I really won't start teaching till Feb. 2nd, which will make the long stretch till Easter more managable. Well

I hope America can make some new jobs by the time I come back. It's pretty frustrating to watch how many people are loosing their jobs thanks to decisions that were made for short term gain rather than longterm sustainability. There are some things to be said for a King, who must keep things going well for more than 8 years in order to keep his head. Not that I support the death penalty for politicians, but maybe some sort of financial penalty? Also interesting to see manufacturing wages being blamed for lack of american car manufacturer profits where as we just bailed out wall street banks without cutting any executive salaries. Because having more rich people creates jobs and economy growth four times more effectively than government spending, oh how I love the trickle down theory, right... Do we have to go all the way down this road before we look back and see that the New Deal was not less regulation and unconditional support for white collar workers, but in fact the opposite which pulled the economy back from hungry belly homeless status. Anyway, got to read more history to really make any arguments about this, but after seeing Germany, I must say there is something to be said for social spending and high taxes. Go see for yourself if you still think deregulation and small government is the solution...

Silas can out-swim me with the same incredible decisiveness with which I can outrun him. Cool.

Maturity means washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, caring if the bathroom stinks and knowing how hard it would be to get rid of cockroaches/mice if they ever found this feasting place. I know that everyone has to learn these lessons individually, but it certainly requires patience, because I certainly will not give in and wash everyone’s dishes just because I’m the only one who cares that there are 5 days worth of dishes from 5 people sitting on two tables, every counter and the stove. The obvious solution would be to lock up some dishes (3 people contributed to the dish collection so that there are in excess of 20 of every kitchen utensil). Maturity would be not opening that cupboard and instead washing some dishes when you can’t find any clean ones. Living is not difficult, but it takes teamwork. There are more than 100 bottles sitting on the back deck, piles of trash in the kitchen, dust and piss on the bathroom floor and dust throughout the house. Of course not doing chores certainly has freed up more time for relaxing. I’m exaggerating slightly, because since I didn’t have absolute patience, I have washed a large number of dishes, and either set an example or made people feel sorry for me so that for the last 3 days since I returned from Switzerland, the kitchen has been ok. Bathroom is still bad.

Maturity is realizing that cleanliness is only one lifestyle choice, and having an open mind to other choices is necessary and desirable.

So I’m a bit bored just hanging in Heidelberg, but Silas seems quite content and Liam didn’t get any days off work and is also distracted by . So my hopes to go to Berlin were dashed, and my wants to tour Salzburg and Bonn to do the Mozart and Beethoven museums were unfulfilled, because travelling alone is ok, but seems silly, especially when I could be spending time with my brothers. So, some fun nights out at bars, cooking and hanging out, one day of driving around seeing castles, but a lot of sitting and relaxing, reading and enjoying unlimited wireless internet. But at the moment planning a trip to Frankfurt and the Goethe museum because I still have two full days in Germany. Of course holidays aren’t over, because I still have Orthodox Christmas back in Velyki Mosty, and old new years, on the 14th of January.

Germany is nice, although also very expensive. After a few days, Liam had to go back to work, so I hopped on a train to Luzern, Switzerland. Situated on the end of a long lake and surrounded by mountains, everything was quite impressive even though clouds obscured the top of the mountains. I actually wanted to visit Lausanne but I couldn’t find anywhere to stay there, so Luzern it was. I couch surfed and my host was kind enough to lend me his bike for a whole day. Since the cable cars up the mountains were prohibitively expensive, I decided to ride his bike up to a 1500m pass. Unfortunately, I had to ride 24km before the climb even started, so after 6km and 500m vertically up the mountain, when I reached the sign that said the pass was closed due to snow, I was relieved because riding up a road that gains 1300 meters in 15km is more difficult than I had remembered. Of course the freezing weather, lack of clip less pedals and sore but didn’t help. I decided that Switzerland would be great in clear weather, and warm weather as all the water I saw was crystal clear and looked great for swimming, except for the ice. Also there were sailboats all around covered or out of the water for winter, but the wind was steady and strong. My host also introduced me to a traditional Swiss dish of a giant potato pancake with chicken mushroom sauce on top. Delicious. Back to Heidelberg, blue skies and brothers on Sunday, but glad that I got a small taste of Switzerland.

I woke up on the bus to frozen fields, fog and mist, flying by on the right. The left had Volkswagens, BMWs, Mercedes and Porsches. The roads were silky smooth. When we passed construction sites, the resting equipment was lined up perfectly in rows, angled slightly, accurate to the angle of the front tires. I got a nice tour of Eastern Germany, stopping in many cities before reaching Stuttgart. Super fast train up to Heidelberg, and my holidays officially begun.

Everything wrapped up nicely at the end of the semester, aside from my grant budget spiraling out of control in correlation with inflation and the global financial crisis.

I got on the bus, and sat there, 5 hours to cross the border out of Ukraine and into the European Union. The Ukrainian check point involved cash exchanging hands, the Polish bag searches and sniffing dogs. Visas were scrutinized, stamps were stamped, but finally, we made it onto the much smoother roads of Poland (about equal smoothness to NM).

My neighbor until Dresden was an older Russian lady, who loved to talk and taught me some more Russian. It was amusing when we hit a word that I couldn’t understand and she couldn’t remember how to say in Ukrainian, because she would turn around and ask the neighbors all around how to translate that word. So the whole bus listened to our conversation (Ukrainians don’t talk much on public transportation and the movies hadn’t started (we had automatic tv screens fold down from the roof, like a Boeing) and generally silence prevailed) and learned lots about the strange American who was living in Ukraine.

I have so many things to write about when I'm not around a computer or don't want to turn it on, but then when I want to write something, I have nothing to say. So, like any communicative situation when there's really nothing worth saying, I'll start with small talk. The old classic, weather. Every day this week is 50F and raining. The weather prognosis says there might be slight relief on Saturday. I have been on and off with running and the weather feels colder and wetter on days that I don't get my blood moving with a morning run. Achilles still hurting, got a prescription for physical therapy but haven't gotten over there to actually sign up. Part of me is waiting for a schedule because I want the therapy to be part of a routine, something that will fit with a disciplined life of stretching, yoga, abs, running and healthy eating. Why am I so dependant on routines? So how is work going? I don't have any work yet. Still waiting for a schedule. The assistant principle in charge of assigning me classes had a meeting in the district center on Tuesday, and a birthday party to go to yesterday, so, still waiting. Saw "The Barber of Seville" Rossini Opera in Lviv last night. No super musical skills, but good energy and pretty funny. My new phone works great for Ukrainian, but having some coding troubles getting internet. The only page I can access on my phone is facebook, and the only one I want is gmail. I'll get it fixed eventually, and then I'll get the bigger memory card to have 2gb of music and pictures. Look out ipod, you could be replaced. It's nice that the phone can read all types of music files, I can put them on and off without itunes, and get them from other people through Bluetooth. New gadgets are so fun. The internet at my school keeps getting better, so I am reluctant to pay for internet through my phone at home, even though I do want to figure it out, just to have the ability, especially if I decide to apply for grad school. Well there is about to be a class in this computer classroom, so maybe I'll go check one of the other two. Really hope I get the biology and health classes that I have been promised. Why can't I think of anything entertaining to write on this blog? I guess that I have grown accustomed to all things Ukrainian so that I no longer find them entertaining. They just are. My life just is, and why would anyone want to read about that? I really hope Nathaniel makes it out here on his Europe wanderings. Other than that, I really just need to start teaching so I have some stuff to work on. Starting to feel useless.

In fact all of the teachers are still waiting for a concrete schedule

This is how it is every year, i'm told, everything is up in the air the first two weeks. It's not for want of trying, the asistant principles work late into the night. I just wonder why they bring the students back to wait through the disorganized half productive classes before anyone really knows what kids they will have during the semester. Patience

Got my first chance to dig potatoes yesterday

i think that's where the term 'back breaking work' comes from

the constant bending over to pick up the potatoes is tiring

but it was nice to be out in the sun and wind working and being productive

I only worked for about 4 hours.

got about 50kg of potatoes

I got a lot of chaff for mentioning that potatoes came from South America

they then started listing off all the things that people from the Ukrainian part of the USSR invented or created.

Why do farmers burn their fields?

It seems so wasteful

can somebody explain?

It was one of my jobs yesterday to clear the field of all the previously mowed fallow and pile it up so that it could be burned. I don't understand. They need more nitrogen?

I noticed that many families hire a tractor to turn the field and then just go pick up the potatoes

I was glad that I got to do the actual hoeing, but even more glad that I don't have to bend over that many times every day

time for my bus...

josef

to ask you why my new smaller and not as luxurious apartment costs the same as the giant super furnished twice as big great view one I had before? Respectfully, let me explain. As an American, I value honesty, openness and information. Do I suspect you of asking the same price and then pocketing some on the side. I didn't, until you gave no reason why the price is the same, and refused to give me the phone number of the actual landlord, so all my interactions have to go through you. You and our school are supposed to provide housing free of charge, and PC will help pay for utilities. PC is not supposed to pay the full rent amount. Why do you require the teachers I work with to buy gas, water and electricity. Do you really think it makes their life easier to work with me in the classroom? In effect they have to pay to work with me. Why can't you use some of the school's general funds. Surely $6/month is not too much to ask? Of course what exactly those funds are for and how they are spent is also a mystery. Why the secrecy? Because nobody else will stand up to you? Because the parents respect a strong leader and prefer order over fairness? I really don't understand the system. If you will tell me, I will believe you. I am a trusting person. I hope you don't get too offended when you read this. It is not meant as a personal affront. It is meant as a cultural clarification to explain why I dare to ask such questions and be so upfront. I would be more comfortable if everything was out in the open. This school is on the right track. The quality of our students and their achievments show that. I believe that we can achieve even more with an increase in openess, free idea exchange and flexibility. Not only in monetary matters, but in academics as well. Your young and old Ukrainian teachers have valuable ideas. Are you willing to try new things? Willing to create a two way street? Yes, this letter reflects my immaturity, and yes, I have no idea how things are done here, and I should really mind my own buisness and keep my mouth shut. If only I could... PS, I managed to find out why the price was the same buy asking my host dad, who asked his wife, who asked the you, and the info eventually trickled back down to me. Thank you for aswering that the old apartment was actually much more expensive than we paid, we were just getting a deal because I was an American, and the new apartment we actually had to talk down the price to what we are paying now. Inflation in the housing market since we are so close to Lviv and people who work there can live here and commute. Get ready for Suburbia...

I got a new phone which will let mу use gmail as soon as I set it up. It also understands Ukrainian, which means the end of blacked out texts. Goodnews. It may also let me get internet on my laptop if I use it as a modem. All these tricks require coordination between my mobile provider and the software on my phone which is sort of tricky because it is a brand new model, so my provider doesn't have the settings all worked out yet. On sunday I missed a wide open goal from 2 meters out, just a supeк soft volley which the golie had no trouble blocking. It's better than slamming it over the cross bar, but still, come on. I'm pretty rusty, been skipping soccer practice because the less I play soccer the better my Achilles feels. I've been running this week and that seems to be helping my flexibility and the Achilles is no worse ofа for it. The auto correct feature on this version of MSword keeps making things into Russian words. Great. First day of school was on Monday. Didn't prepare as much as I wanted, but I'll probably still have time this week seeing as I don't actually have a teaching schedule yet. In fact most teachers don't have a schedule yet, the kids are just getting their books, and man this would drive me crazy if I had any power. Where is the efficiency, planning ahead and just do it attitude? Older americans say that stuff is slipping away in america too, but I am going to bring a boatload of it home with me, because it sure beats the alternative. Patience.

The phone company which all the other volunteers use and which is half the price of any of the competitors does not work in my new apartment. Just not enough altitude to get reception a little ways down the hill and on the second instead of fifth floor. It's also the company which I use to call home, or anywhere international. Today I tried everywhere in my town, even the top of a climbing structure. Looks like I will need to keep looking for a sweet spot, or only use this sweet company when I go up to Chervonograd, down to Lviv, or just about anywhere besides my town. Got to get some community mapping done and design this community survey to further focus our environmental cleanup project. I also am starting to dream big because I saw a truck filled with crushed plastic bottles drive through my town headed south. There has to be recycling somewhere, and that would be a cool thing to get started. I know recycling has some problems, especially plastic recycling, with huge energy costs, harmful air pollution and a poorer quality plastic in the end, but it seems better than the bottles just immediately going to the landfill…ahhem, I mean the pit in the forest or field. I tried to set up physical therapy today, and the lady told me to come back tomorrow. Hmm. I got to start running, especially without a set schedule right now, I'm falling back into my adolescent habits of staying up real late, sleeping in real late anв getting nothing done till after noon. Can't waste that kind of daylight, especially since each day is getting so much shorter. Screw the pain, I'm going running tomorrow. I'll ice and stretch and take ibuprofen and just hope that the Achilles tendinitus goes away the same way that the plantar faciitus did. Time. The weather has been beautiful. I'm going to miss this warmth so much in a few months. At least I got my hot water working today. Not that I'll use it for a while since I've come to enjoy a cold shower. Helps save water also. Bed time. It's nice having this computer to get some thoughts out every day. I can't forget about my real journal or violin though. I wonder how long you, the reader, will be able to keep up. I know that I fell way behind in elo's blog and now don't even have a chance of catching up. So…I need to stop writing.

Ok, almost have windows re-installed on my laptop (notebook in ukrainian). Next will be microsoft office, then a slow filling out of other programs, since I have to find them all on cd. I was an idiot when I was trying to reorganize stuff on the computer that Brooks so kindly donated to me and moved some files that the computer needed for startup, so it couldn't find them. Sam even warned me as I was doing it not to mess with it if I didn't know what it was. Oh well, now I have more incentive to learn Russian since both the operating system and the whole office suite is in Russian. I'm most excited to be able to watch movies, but being able to type lesson plans and generally have things organized in documents/folders. It's odd how I'm more likely to write stuff down if it's on a computer because my typing is so much faster than my penmanship. I hope the computer doesn't distract me from my violin. The students and I who will attempt to start a trash cleanup program on the banks of our river. Ideally we'll get trash cans and an agreement with the city to empty them. Then we'll organize 3 cleanups a year combined with me teaching environmental lessons in the school and facebook/vkontakte groups. Doing a community project is not easy, but doing something is far better than only planning and talking. I can't wait to get started. My spork broke. Curtis won't stop making fun of how his is titanium and still whole while mine is plastic and now in two pieces. Thank you brooks, for the computer. Sam, I miss your fresh perspectives. I ate too much watermelon. I need to sleep. Sure wish I could watch the Olympics.

Yesterday was Ukrainian independence daygreat time in Lviv, lots of people dressed up in army uniforms, scantily clad women selling cell phone contracts, priests, choirs and outdoor church services, rock concerts and the philharmonic sharing one outdoor stage

in usa we just celebrate independence, not really caring too much who we gained independence fromHere it is made very clear that ukraine escaped russia's cold and oppressive embracePeople express their nationality as defined in opposition to Russia, with hateful, violent graffiti, tshirt slogans and slang maybe that's how we used to feel toward England, in 1803?I sure hope russia doesn't try to make eastern ukraine succeed the way they're supporting northern georgiathen again as a pcv, i'm not supposed to express political opinions, oops

requires a prescription just like the usa the doctors are super overworked and underpaid I waited for half an hour as the line to see the doctor got longer, and longer, and longer and yet he didn't show up, rumors that a car crash kept him up at the hospital which combined with the other doctor being on holiday... but the masseuse was happy to see me she said "how can we not cure our star american footballer? Hope to see you soon..." I have some other blog entries on my flash drive, but no flash drive allowed at this internet club either Why are all the tents sold out? went running today, I can't just sit around all day Got to find a plastic tub to do my laundry new place only has a shower i'm making apricot/white cherry jam, watching alot of lost, and generally waiting for the school year to start maybe i'll get one more trip in before school Sunday is independence day (unlike the USA, where we don't think of it in terms of us vs. great britain, here alot of nationalistic spirit comes out in antagonistic terms against russia.) then thursday is a big religious holiday called praznik, not sure what that means will report more later now back to the tub search, want to get a new cell phone so i can get internet at home and need to map out the river where we are planning the cleanup if only google earth had airial photos of Velyki Mosty probably do, back from soviet times, maybe still classified is my absentee ballot going to get here?

old apartment vs. new apartment

pink bedroom--carpets on the wall

building built in 1979-vs1984

normal toilet--backwards display everthing on a shelf before flushing toilet

tub and sit down showers-stand up shower that makes the whole bathroom wet

big kitchen-small kitchen

2 frying pans-10 frying pans

nice flat queen size bed---lumpy fold out couch

great view in two directions--light pole and houses

fridge in the kitchen--fridge in the hall

machine that spins clothes and water--real washing machine not hooked up to anything (inoperative?)

full set of silverwhere--no butter knives

overall, satisfied with the new place, hopefully I can get the water heater working before cold weather

the windows are new, so there should be no draft

now what else was on my mind?