Belly Dancing really is a lot of fun. I'm not coordingated enough to be good at it, but it's fun, and damn - does it ever work muscles I had no idea that I even had! I'm quite sore this morning, mainly along the backs of my legs and the sides of my abdomen. Laughing hurts. I also discovered why you shouldn't belly dance withing an hour of eating breakfast. Don't worry, I won't share the details. Nor will I ever do that again. Ahh well; live and learn.
After belly dancing, we had the First Ever American Home Spelling Bee. I must say that the turn out wasn't really whopping-fantastic (when I told my students about it, I got looks of total disbelief. One was convinced it was an April Fool's joke. Not one of my students showed up.) although we did have enough students to make for a fairly decent spelling bee. The last two went for 15 rounds before we had a winner, which was pretty intense.
After belly dancing, we had the First Ever American Home Spelling Bee. I must say that the turn out wasn't really whopping-fantastic (when I told my students about it, I got looks of total disbelief. One was convinced it was an April Fool's joke. Not one of my students showed up.) although we did have enough students to make for a fairly decent spelling bee. The last two went for 15 rounds before we had a winner, which was pretty intense.
After the spelling bee, a bunch of us went over to K's, where we cooked stir-fry. Now, to those of you not living in the land of cabbage and potatoes, this might not sound like something to get excited about.... but I hadn't eaten stir-fry since something like June 2005, and let me tell you, it was like consuming ambrosia. We had a good time. Let's just say that trying to act out Peter the Great for charades is freakin' hard.
This morning (er, I suppose it was afternoon by the time I rolled out of bed, but you know what I mean) I went shoe shopping. Boot shopping, to be specific. I have a pair of boots that I bought at Payless about two and a half years ago. They are knee high and leather. They're dressy enough to wear with anything dressy. They're classy enough to wear to work. They've got practical, flat soles, so I never have to worry about fucking up my knees like I did in St. Petersburg. I love them. I should have bought every single pair my size that I could find... but I didn't. And now my two and a half year old Payless boots are starting to disintegrate. I really wanted to find some flat-footed, practical boots to replace them. Of course, this is Russia - what was I thinking?! They don't make *practical* boots here. (Although Brooke found practical-yet-stylish winter boots... I actually went to the store where she bought them, but the place wasn't selling anything remotely like practical spring boots...) I ended up buying the most fabulous boots I have ever seen. They are not remotely practical by any standards, and no way in hell am I going to wear them until all the snow melts and it stops raining, but take a look:
This isn't the best picture.
I'll definitely post one as soon as I start wearing them :-)
4 comments:
holy cow! thems is some boots!
we used to fantasize about the food we would want to eat back home...tacos, sushi...anything but pirozhki...but now I miss them (of course) I felt so good n trashy when I would sit in the park with a bottle of baltika and a pirog c myasom on a summer day.
you're bold to do a spelling bee, you must have a very good relationship with the students. I never got to work in any one place long enough (never more than 6 months at a go) to feel like I could veer too far into the territory where they might lose face. In fact, some of the worst teaching experiences I ever had were in Russia where I struggled not only because I looked younger than any of my students, but also because it was my first time teaching and I was just overwhelmed by not only the cultural difference in the classroom but also the logistics of having no teaching materials ... no books, paper, copiers...lucky to get chalk.
Peace Corps was eventually booted out of Russia, with few clear reasons. ALot of paranoia about us being CIA operatives (HAHAHA sorry, but most of the youth in our group were too busy being drunk and screwing each other to ever do such a thing) But I thought The Open SOciety Institute (George Soros's org) did a much better job of sending teachers...they had to have curriculum designed before they went and were matched up with a school where they knew the demographic of the students...a dream compared to teaching to every level, every age, no idea how many, every day.
Now I never take for granted my overhead, my maps, my streaming video, my computer etc...(my whiteboard, my markers...my printer...)
still wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
sorry i babbled so much!
Those are some boots. Sort of gothic victorian bondage porusski. :-)
It is amazing how the idea of "practical" footwear isn't relevant to Russian women. I was amazed during New Years how they fly around in high-heeled boots on sidewalks so icey that I could barely stand. It is no wonder they excel at ice skating!
Katja isn't that way, however. She freely admits that she is considered a bit of a tomboy by Russian standards. She has only recently learned to walk in high heels and not look awkward.
RESPEK, Jane. Those gothic boots kick some serious ass.
L.
*gothic victorian bondage porusski*
YES!
We are really lucky to have such a great and well-equipped school, with pretty much any teaching materials/supplementals we could possibly need.... although while we did have a turnout for the spelling bee, it wasn't as big a turnout as we often have... But perhaps the next time the AH does this, more students will come.
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