I spent a lot of time this week getting ready for summer camp which is next week. I also wrote and submitted my final report of my activities to all the interested parties such as Georgetown University etc. I've been stressed out lately. Thrirty six students coming to summer camp. wish me luck. 6 counselors including me! it has been hard to get out to the sanatorium because President Rahmon is in town and he has a big vacation house right on the reserviour right next to the sanatorium where we are going to have our camp. The security up here is very tight when he comes to town. Today is Reconciliation Day marking the end of their civil war which ended in 1997. This is when President Rahmon came to power and he has held the power since. The president leaves tonight so after that everything will be back to normal again.
I really think the camp will be outstanding. We have put countless hours into planning it. No one has ever done a camp like this before here. It is totally new and revolutionary. The focus is mutal understanding, tolerance and democracy. We just got the government permission to do the camp at the 11th hour on Friday. Madina the director of the American Corner suffered a bad fall and has to stay in bed for the last 5 days. Another counselor is sick. They changed when the last day of univeristy classes will be from the 27th to the 30th. So some still have exams. I told u about the president coming. It's just been crazy one thing after another. One of our original couselors had to go to Russia for major surgery and his replacement has to give university exams on the 29th and 30th. But we will have enough couselors etc. we will pull it off. I feel like I'm in an episode of the Apprentice. Half the time it is damage control half the time it is work and I am working with a great time of young women. It won't be easy but it will be worth it I predict. The t-shirts are already beautiful. No one in Seattle will have a t-shirt with a picture of Northern Tajikistan on it but now I do. I love it.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
At home
Here I am with a girl who just got back from Kansas on the FLEX program. We were having a meeting with her sister and Mahfuza about summer camp. Notice behind me the tug-o-war rope we had made. We are just goofing off at this point though.
The Dean
The Dean of the foreign languages faculty of Khujand State Universtiy. We are in her office.
Bottle Recyling
Students from the American Corner have gone to sell the bottles they collected on three separate occasions now. In total we have earned 28 somoni for our efforts. All the money will go to the orphans. Our goal is 50 somoni. We sell the bottles to the oil market people, the honey market people, the milk market people etc. It is fun!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Final Exams
I made my own final test for my students in English Practice 211. I did it pretty much like I do in the U.S. I had vocabulary on it, reading comprehension questions, writing, and speaking. I did the speaking individually while other students completed the reading and writing portions. Then I had to score each test and give a grade immediately after the test. I couldn't leave the univ. until all the tests were scored and the offical documents signed. This made for a long day but at least it was over with. Except for the students who didn't pass they had to take it again. They have up to three chances to pass the test.
The Grammar three exam was made for me. All the third year grammar students have to take the same exam. The exam consists of 19 "tickets." My assistant and I put these tickets (slips of paper) face down on our teacher's desk. Then we have 5-6 students stay in the room and select a ticket from our desk at random. Then the student has to sit down and take 20 min. or so to prepare to answer the questions on the ticket. This test consisted of three questions on each ticket. The first question was a theory question. For example, In a complex sentence explain the purpose and function of a subject clause and give us examples both with and without the anticapatory "it." Also tell us how subject clauses can be introduced.
The second question was about the oblique mood and we let students use a sheet of paper to write down their responses before coming and reporting to us about this question. For example, students had to change this sentence into a conditional sentence:
"The pavement was so slippery that I fell and hurt my leg."
The student needs to say: If the pavement hadn't been so slippery I wouldn't have fallen and hurt my leg. (This is an example of negative past unreal conditional using the oblique mood)
Or the students were given a sentence like this:
"The sea is rough; we cannot sail to the island."
The student needs to say: If the sea wasn't rough we could sail to the island. (Present Unreal Conditional using the Oblique mood)
Then part three of the exam was a full morphological-syntactical analysis of a given sentence.
For example: "Nobody blamed Tess as she blamed herself."
The students had to say the subject is "Nobody" expressed by a pro-noun
The predicate is "blamed" expressed by a simple verbal predicate in the past tense.
"Tess" is the direct object expressed by a propper noun
"as she blamed herself" is a subortinate adverbial clause of comparison introduced by the conjunction "as."
"Nobody blamed Tess" is the principle clause
The students had to come to our desk and answer these three questions orally. The students were allowed to write down some notes on a sheet of paper for questions two and three.
Students were really sweating it because many didn't regulary come to class and didn't study the weeks and days leading up to the exam. Students weren't allowed to use their books or notes so we had students cheating looking at their notes. it was just like high school. Again imediatley after the students finished answering the quetions I had to give them a grade and say it right to their face. Some students were happy others were very upset and almost crying. it took all morning and in the end the students brought us a nice lunch and tea. We ate lunch in the classroom. It took from about 8 -1 pm because we had 28 students to examin.
The final resuts were:
Five students with 5 or A.
Eight students with 4 or B.
One student with 3 or C.
Eleven students with 2 or F.
Three students were absent.
If they failed they have to take the exam again in September. That means I don't have to worry about it; for this I'm very grateful. It was a hard course to teach, a hard course to study and without the help of a fellow teacher I don't know what I would have done. The book was old soviet from 1966 and I don't teach this stuff in the U.S. But I made it.
Have a good week!
The Grammar three exam was made for me. All the third year grammar students have to take the same exam. The exam consists of 19 "tickets." My assistant and I put these tickets (slips of paper) face down on our teacher's desk. Then we have 5-6 students stay in the room and select a ticket from our desk at random. Then the student has to sit down and take 20 min. or so to prepare to answer the questions on the ticket. This test consisted of three questions on each ticket. The first question was a theory question. For example, In a complex sentence explain the purpose and function of a subject clause and give us examples both with and without the anticapatory "it." Also tell us how subject clauses can be introduced.
The second question was about the oblique mood and we let students use a sheet of paper to write down their responses before coming and reporting to us about this question. For example, students had to change this sentence into a conditional sentence:
"The pavement was so slippery that I fell and hurt my leg."
The student needs to say: If the pavement hadn't been so slippery I wouldn't have fallen and hurt my leg. (This is an example of negative past unreal conditional using the oblique mood)
Or the students were given a sentence like this:
"The sea is rough; we cannot sail to the island."
The student needs to say: If the sea wasn't rough we could sail to the island. (Present Unreal Conditional using the Oblique mood)
Then part three of the exam was a full morphological-syntactical analysis of a given sentence.
For example: "Nobody blamed Tess as she blamed herself."
The students had to say the subject is "Nobody" expressed by a pro-noun
The predicate is "blamed" expressed by a simple verbal predicate in the past tense.
"Tess" is the direct object expressed by a propper noun
"as she blamed herself" is a subortinate adverbial clause of comparison introduced by the conjunction "as."
"Nobody blamed Tess" is the principle clause
The students had to come to our desk and answer these three questions orally. The students were allowed to write down some notes on a sheet of paper for questions two and three.
Students were really sweating it because many didn't regulary come to class and didn't study the weeks and days leading up to the exam. Students weren't allowed to use their books or notes so we had students cheating looking at their notes. it was just like high school. Again imediatley after the students finished answering the quetions I had to give them a grade and say it right to their face. Some students were happy others were very upset and almost crying. it took all morning and in the end the students brought us a nice lunch and tea. We ate lunch in the classroom. It took from about 8 -1 pm because we had 28 students to examin.
The final resuts were:
Five students with 5 or A.
Eight students with 4 or B.
One student with 3 or C.
Eleven students with 2 or F.
Three students were absent.
If they failed they have to take the exam again in September. That means I don't have to worry about it; for this I'm very grateful. It was a hard course to teach, a hard course to study and without the help of a fellow teacher I don't know what I would have done. The book was old soviet from 1966 and I don't teach this stuff in the U.S. But I made it.
Have a good week!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
A poster we gave to the Baby House
We gave the Baby House about 7 posters designed by our A.C. students. We also gave the orphans donated clothes, new toys, and candy. Then we played with them and made paper airplanes with them it was great for everyone.
Baby House Orphanage
The balls and paper airplanes were gifts from us and were huge hits. These students hand none to maybe only a few physical or mental handicaps.
Posters
The three posters were drawn by our students for the boys and girls at the orphanage. The framed pictures was not done by us.
Coloring with Orphans
We visited a home for mentaly, physically handicapped and orphaned young people.Saturday, June 13, 2009
Wedding
Wedding:
I went to my student's wedding last night. It was only the second one I've attended. I've been invited to a few others but they were like on Wednesday nights or something and I was just too busy to go. But this was a Friday night affair and this girl Munirakhon aka Sabrina is a super special girl. Plus I had many of my students/friends there to explain everything to me and talk to me. I was probably the only man in the hall sitting at an all woman table. But that was good because then I was spaired the vodka and cognac.
Sabrina is 20 I think and this wedding was rather hastily arranged. It had to be done quickly because I guess the groom's granny might die soon. But I saw the granny out on the dance floor at the wedding dancing it up. I think she has a few more years in her.
It was a bad time to have a wedding for Sabrina because this is during final exams at the university. I had to give Sabrina her final exam on Monday because it was originally scheduled for her wedding day!
I had a chance to talk to Sabrina on Monday and she was stressed out naturally about not having enough time to fix her hair and go shopping etc. She wanted to postpone the wedding a few weeks too but that just wasn't happening. She seemed pretty scared or nervous on Monday. She doesn't really know the man she is marrying but she said that he said he loves her. So Sabrina was taking solice in this. She was scared about leaving her family because she has to go live with the man's family. The family was described to me as a powerful "political" family. I don't think Sabrina really wanted to get married at this point in her life but the right family came calling and her parents I'm sure thought it prudent. The groom is just one year older than her 21, and goes to a different branch of our university.
Well she passed my test too by the way on Monday. She knew all 40 difficult vocabulary words and answered all the 20 questions perfectly. Some how she was able to study with her wedding looming just days away. On retrospect this is amazing!
The wedding was held in a big hall specifically designed for weddings. I'm sure they have a wedding or two there every night. In fact there are two wedding halls right next to each other a big expensive one and a little cheaper one. We were in the big expensive one.
It was basically like a big reception in the U.S. The bride and groom slowly walked in the hall surrounded by picture takers, musicians, family, flower spreaders, and friends. Sabrina or all brides for that matter aren't supposed to smile during the entire ceremony. They are just supposed to be serious. But after Sabrina took her seat at the front table I went up and took her picture and when she saw me she smiled a slight smile the only smile I saw from her all night. I think she sees me as her teacher and friend someone who understands and represents "other" that is refreshing for a young woman confinded by conformity. I gave her a big American thumbs up after I took the picture but I was thinking to myself was it the beginning of a beautiful life together for this couple or the end of Sabrina's freedom and life.
There were dry toasts by relatives basically just well wishers offering congratulations. There was a lot of dancing and loud very loud music. Sabrina and her husband stood up during all this and every so often she would slowly bow in gratitude to the family and friends saying warm words or dancing at the party.
I didn't dance cuz I didn't want to dance with the women/my students because it seemed like men and women were dancing seperately and I didn't know any of the men. I didn't want to dance with strangers.
Girls here generally can't stay out after dark so by 8:30 pm some were bailing their parents were too worried. The wedding began at 7. By 9 parents were calling my students getting pretty upset. So by 9:15 all my students had to leave. They wanted to stay though and say a toast in English for Sabrina on the microphone but the music kept on endlessly and by 9:15 they said they just couldn't wait for the music to stop and they had to go. But my mother didn't know I was at this party so I was free to stay as long as I wanted. The sad thing was that less than 5 minutes after the last three girls left the MC said it was my/our turn to say the toast.
So I took the mic in front of hundreds the MC kinda pronounced my name. I almost called her Sabrina in front of all these serious people but I stopped myself and called her Munirakhon in the most polite way.
I knew probably no one knew what I was saying so it was like having a personal conversation with the bride!!! I said the usual congratulatory words praising her and wishing her the best. All of which were and are totally true. I reminded her that she is the champion of "Around the World" a vocabulary game we played in the classroom. Then for some reason I reminded her that earlier in the school year she had given me little porcelin dolphins and a sweet note. I asked her if she remembered this and she nodded it was cool. It was like I was breaking her out of her acting role as the bride and really speaking to her as a friend. Her husband doesn't know English so I'm sure he was curious about what I said that made his wife nod. She even smiled a bit too. I reminded her that everyone in her class loves her and then I gave her seven red roses that the girls from my class bought. I also gave her another present that the girls from my class bought but I'm not sure what it was I think it was a blanket. Actually I had to give these gifts to the stern woman sitting next to Sabrina. Then that was it. I did my job representing our class and I know I made Sabrina happy. I walked home shortly after saying my toast. I was pretty stoaked.
One last note on the final exam I had students right one paragraph about a law they want to change in this country and why. Almost all the girls except 2 or 3 said they want to move the normal marriage age back from 17-20 to like 23-25. Even the married women said they wished girls themselves included could get married later. But the thing is there is no government law saying a woman must get married young it is just a social norm. Now it is becoming more popular here for girls to get married even younger like at age 16 or 17. Mothers come to my unversity looking for brides for their sons and ask teachers about girls. Supposedly the "best" "most beautiful" girls get married the earliest in the first or second course.
Well I could go on and on all night but basically I agree with the girls in my class. They know and I know their education is important and they want to finish that first because after they are married family comes before education usually. Sometimes family/ babies can get in the way of an education.
I have given you all I have time to give. I'm worked to the bone but still loving it in a very strange way that I don't even understand myself.
"When I was an alien cultures were an opinion." Nirvana
take care
I went to my student's wedding last night. It was only the second one I've attended. I've been invited to a few others but they were like on Wednesday nights or something and I was just too busy to go. But this was a Friday night affair and this girl Munirakhon aka Sabrina is a super special girl. Plus I had many of my students/friends there to explain everything to me and talk to me. I was probably the only man in the hall sitting at an all woman table. But that was good because then I was spaired the vodka and cognac.
Sabrina is 20 I think and this wedding was rather hastily arranged. It had to be done quickly because I guess the groom's granny might die soon. But I saw the granny out on the dance floor at the wedding dancing it up. I think she has a few more years in her.
It was a bad time to have a wedding for Sabrina because this is during final exams at the university. I had to give Sabrina her final exam on Monday because it was originally scheduled for her wedding day!
I had a chance to talk to Sabrina on Monday and she was stressed out naturally about not having enough time to fix her hair and go shopping etc. She wanted to postpone the wedding a few weeks too but that just wasn't happening. She seemed pretty scared or nervous on Monday. She doesn't really know the man she is marrying but she said that he said he loves her. So Sabrina was taking solice in this. She was scared about leaving her family because she has to go live with the man's family. The family was described to me as a powerful "political" family. I don't think Sabrina really wanted to get married at this point in her life but the right family came calling and her parents I'm sure thought it prudent. The groom is just one year older than her 21, and goes to a different branch of our university.
Well she passed my test too by the way on Monday. She knew all 40 difficult vocabulary words and answered all the 20 questions perfectly. Some how she was able to study with her wedding looming just days away. On retrospect this is amazing!
The wedding was held in a big hall specifically designed for weddings. I'm sure they have a wedding or two there every night. In fact there are two wedding halls right next to each other a big expensive one and a little cheaper one. We were in the big expensive one.
It was basically like a big reception in the U.S. The bride and groom slowly walked in the hall surrounded by picture takers, musicians, family, flower spreaders, and friends. Sabrina or all brides for that matter aren't supposed to smile during the entire ceremony. They are just supposed to be serious. But after Sabrina took her seat at the front table I went up and took her picture and when she saw me she smiled a slight smile the only smile I saw from her all night. I think she sees me as her teacher and friend someone who understands and represents "other" that is refreshing for a young woman confinded by conformity. I gave her a big American thumbs up after I took the picture but I was thinking to myself was it the beginning of a beautiful life together for this couple or the end of Sabrina's freedom and life.
There were dry toasts by relatives basically just well wishers offering congratulations. There was a lot of dancing and loud very loud music. Sabrina and her husband stood up during all this and every so often she would slowly bow in gratitude to the family and friends saying warm words or dancing at the party.
I didn't dance cuz I didn't want to dance with the women/my students because it seemed like men and women were dancing seperately and I didn't know any of the men. I didn't want to dance with strangers.
Girls here generally can't stay out after dark so by 8:30 pm some were bailing their parents were too worried. The wedding began at 7. By 9 parents were calling my students getting pretty upset. So by 9:15 all my students had to leave. They wanted to stay though and say a toast in English for Sabrina on the microphone but the music kept on endlessly and by 9:15 they said they just couldn't wait for the music to stop and they had to go. But my mother didn't know I was at this party so I was free to stay as long as I wanted. The sad thing was that less than 5 minutes after the last three girls left the MC said it was my/our turn to say the toast.
So I took the mic in front of hundreds the MC kinda pronounced my name. I almost called her Sabrina in front of all these serious people but I stopped myself and called her Munirakhon in the most polite way.
I knew probably no one knew what I was saying so it was like having a personal conversation with the bride!!! I said the usual congratulatory words praising her and wishing her the best. All of which were and are totally true. I reminded her that she is the champion of "Around the World" a vocabulary game we played in the classroom. Then for some reason I reminded her that earlier in the school year she had given me little porcelin dolphins and a sweet note. I asked her if she remembered this and she nodded it was cool. It was like I was breaking her out of her acting role as the bride and really speaking to her as a friend. Her husband doesn't know English so I'm sure he was curious about what I said that made his wife nod. She even smiled a bit too. I reminded her that everyone in her class loves her and then I gave her seven red roses that the girls from my class bought. I also gave her another present that the girls from my class bought but I'm not sure what it was I think it was a blanket. Actually I had to give these gifts to the stern woman sitting next to Sabrina. Then that was it. I did my job representing our class and I know I made Sabrina happy. I walked home shortly after saying my toast. I was pretty stoaked.
One last note on the final exam I had students right one paragraph about a law they want to change in this country and why. Almost all the girls except 2 or 3 said they want to move the normal marriage age back from 17-20 to like 23-25. Even the married women said they wished girls themselves included could get married later. But the thing is there is no government law saying a woman must get married young it is just a social norm. Now it is becoming more popular here for girls to get married even younger like at age 16 or 17. Mothers come to my unversity looking for brides for their sons and ask teachers about girls. Supposedly the "best" "most beautiful" girls get married the earliest in the first or second course.
Well I could go on and on all night but basically I agree with the girls in my class. They know and I know their education is important and they want to finish that first because after they are married family comes before education usually. Sometimes family/ babies can get in the way of an education.
I have given you all I have time to give. I'm worked to the bone but still loving it in a very strange way that I don't even understand myself.
"When I was an alien cultures were an opinion." Nirvana
take care
First Course
After this came a hearty soup followed by shish-kebab. After the soup I was too full to eat more.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Crazy Day
Every day here is new and crazy so let me tell you about last Tuesday (6/2). The night before I had arranged to meet up with habitat for humanity people and travel with them to their worksite. This was the last day they would be working in Khujand. I met them at 7:45 am near my house. I rode in a van with them out to the outskirts of town where these 10 or so American volunteers were helping to build 258 houses. I was at the site for about an hour and even got into the act when I joined the bucket brigade passing concrete for the foundation of a new house. These volunteers had only been in Khujand 6 days but my students quickly found them and made friends with them.
Then it was off to my university for two classes. One was English practice and the other grammar. I can't remember exactly what I taught but i think in grammar class we moved on to or were discussing "subject" and all the different ways to express a subject such as subject as numeral, pronoun, gerund, subtantivized adj. etc.
Then after class as I was walking through the corridor at my university when I saw some foreigners. I asked where they were from and they said the U.S. I had forgotten that a teacher trainer was coming to my university on this day. So I went to the dean's office with Vivian and Frank from Massachusetts to get acquainted. I think I was a bit abrupt but I don't think they minded too much. I made up for it the next day by having lunch with Vivian and really taking some time to talk and listen to her. I find myself being abrupt sometimes because so many people want to talk to me and I'm so busy that chit chat is just not happening. I'm like a New Yorker I think or something. Anyway Vivian gave a jam packed by people 1 1/2 hour teacher training at my university. i couldn't stay because i had to go to discussion club at the American Corner but i guess she said some great things and even had to kick out a teacher for talking on her cell phone! Vivian is an English Language specialist hired by the state dept. to travel to various countries and conduct trainings. She normally is a community college professor.
To the A.C. to have a good discussion club. One of the topics we talked about was terrorism and what it is and why people do it. But we also talked about what famous person students want to meet. I let the kids choose all the topics I rarely if ever choose any of the topics. At the end Umed said he had a little surprise and boy did he ever. He had brought a big snake in his backpack. he had caught it in his village and brought it to the A.C. i guess because he said I wanted him to but I don't remember telling him to bring a snake. I was as shocked as the kids. He said it was a poisoness snake but I'm not totally sure it was. He told about how he likes to eat snakes etc. it was pretty amazing for all of us.
Then Vivian came to the A.C. and talked to the jam packed room of kids. There are so many people in the A.C. that it begins to smell like humans the humans. Vivian and her husband showed pictures and talked to kids. They are Buddhists so that was interesting for kids to learn about. But i couldn't stay around for the end of their talk because I had bottles to recycle. this was our maiden trip to recycle bottles.
We were supposed to have a woman walk to the A.C. from the market were she works 10 minutes away and pick up the bottles. But of course this was too much trouble so with two young men we put the big bottle box in the back of a taxi and went to her. We gave her all the bottles plastic, glass etc. She told us how much each bottle was worth and what she wanted and we wrote it all down. in the end we had 4 somoni for our work. We hope to improve on this total every week. Our goal is 50 somoni. We will use the money to buy things for orphans. So then we went back to the A.C. to report to others about our findings and give Madina the $.
Then I had TOEFL class we did the listening section of the test. i had about 6-7 students at the A.C. for this class. Then we went to eat ice-cream it was 5 pm at this point. 6 of us went to an outdoor cafe for soft ice-cream.
Then as I was walking with students to get pizza from the grocery store we ran into Kim from habitat for humanity. I told her about our bottle recycling and she said she had some big gallon water bottles for us. We took four big bottles from her I think we can get a half of a somoni for each bottle which is a lot here. then we took her to the best internet cafe in town. I ate my pizza while walking around on the street. Then it was home to talk on the phone, lesson plan, correct homwork, rest and to bed.
This was a pretty crazy day for me but the next day was just as nuts but i don't have time to detail all the actvities I've been engaged in. Like Friday we went to an orphange and we went to another one today Saturday etc. etc. etc. One day's memories get erased by the next day's.
Then it was off to my university for two classes. One was English practice and the other grammar. I can't remember exactly what I taught but i think in grammar class we moved on to or were discussing "subject" and all the different ways to express a subject such as subject as numeral, pronoun, gerund, subtantivized adj. etc.
Then after class as I was walking through the corridor at my university when I saw some foreigners. I asked where they were from and they said the U.S. I had forgotten that a teacher trainer was coming to my university on this day. So I went to the dean's office with Vivian and Frank from Massachusetts to get acquainted. I think I was a bit abrupt but I don't think they minded too much. I made up for it the next day by having lunch with Vivian and really taking some time to talk and listen to her. I find myself being abrupt sometimes because so many people want to talk to me and I'm so busy that chit chat is just not happening. I'm like a New Yorker I think or something. Anyway Vivian gave a jam packed by people 1 1/2 hour teacher training at my university. i couldn't stay because i had to go to discussion club at the American Corner but i guess she said some great things and even had to kick out a teacher for talking on her cell phone! Vivian is an English Language specialist hired by the state dept. to travel to various countries and conduct trainings. She normally is a community college professor.
To the A.C. to have a good discussion club. One of the topics we talked about was terrorism and what it is and why people do it. But we also talked about what famous person students want to meet. I let the kids choose all the topics I rarely if ever choose any of the topics. At the end Umed said he had a little surprise and boy did he ever. He had brought a big snake in his backpack. he had caught it in his village and brought it to the A.C. i guess because he said I wanted him to but I don't remember telling him to bring a snake. I was as shocked as the kids. He said it was a poisoness snake but I'm not totally sure it was. He told about how he likes to eat snakes etc. it was pretty amazing for all of us.
Then Vivian came to the A.C. and talked to the jam packed room of kids. There are so many people in the A.C. that it begins to smell like humans the humans. Vivian and her husband showed pictures and talked to kids. They are Buddhists so that was interesting for kids to learn about. But i couldn't stay around for the end of their talk because I had bottles to recycle. this was our maiden trip to recycle bottles.
We were supposed to have a woman walk to the A.C. from the market were she works 10 minutes away and pick up the bottles. But of course this was too much trouble so with two young men we put the big bottle box in the back of a taxi and went to her. We gave her all the bottles plastic, glass etc. She told us how much each bottle was worth and what she wanted and we wrote it all down. in the end we had 4 somoni for our work. We hope to improve on this total every week. Our goal is 50 somoni. We will use the money to buy things for orphans. So then we went back to the A.C. to report to others about our findings and give Madina the $.
Then I had TOEFL class we did the listening section of the test. i had about 6-7 students at the A.C. for this class. Then we went to eat ice-cream it was 5 pm at this point. 6 of us went to an outdoor cafe for soft ice-cream.
Then as I was walking with students to get pizza from the grocery store we ran into Kim from habitat for humanity. I told her about our bottle recycling and she said she had some big gallon water bottles for us. We took four big bottles from her I think we can get a half of a somoni for each bottle which is a lot here. then we took her to the best internet cafe in town. I ate my pizza while walking around on the street. Then it was home to talk on the phone, lesson plan, correct homwork, rest and to bed.
This was a pretty crazy day for me but the next day was just as nuts but i don't have time to detail all the actvities I've been engaged in. Like Friday we went to an orphange and we went to another one today Saturday etc. etc. etc. One day's memories get erased by the next day's.
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