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Site Placement!
Oh boy did I take a blog break! Since last I blogged I went to my site for a quick visit, finished PST, became and official volunteer, and lost my computer cord. Finishing up PST was crazy busy finalizing our plans for our final project which was a conference for teachers about adapting games to fit different knowledge levels. and working hard to learn more of the language. Then came swearing in in Kiyv, where I lost my computer cord and had a real excuse for not blogging. I have been at my permanent site for just over 3 months now and am really getting the hang of things.
Our "classroom" covered in language posters

December
Swearing In with my Language Group and Instructors 
I spent December observing classes at my site. It wasn't always fun but I certainly understood better how my teachers do things at my school. It was cold but not terribly, insulation doesn't seem to be especially efficient in Ukraine but they have mastered warm blankets. December 19th is St. Nicholas Day in Ukraine and this is the day when children receive presents. I was invited to go with some students to St. Nicholas's House where children went to receive more presents, play, and meet St. Nicholas. Christmas was hard but my Host Mom prepared a dinner for me and two of the English teachers came and they all gave me little presents it was very nice of them!
Students at St. Nicholas's House where there
were plenty of costumes to take pictures with 

January
My Counterparts daughter walking me home
Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated in January according to the Orthodox religion. January 6th is Christmas Eve and when most of the celebrating actually takes place. Traditionally there is wheat on the table, 12 lent dishes, and the meal is started with Christmas Kasha (a type of oatmeal). The meal doesn't start until about 5 in the evening when it is dark and most people have spent the day fasting so everyone is excited to dig in. After dinner children go around to peoples houses singing Christmas Carols and people give them money. Christmas Day was celebrated by adults going around to carol and the money they received went to the Church. I will say that both these nights were windy and cold. I went around to about 3 houses with the adults and then I went home because I couldn't feel  my toes. January is also when there is a two week break from school, of which I spent about a week inside because again, it was really cold.
Christmas Carols

February
School is in full swing and I have been in the groove of teaching 4th-11th grades. With my break from blogging I can't remember if anything exceptional happened.

Fourth Grades with pictures of their rooms
March!
My birthday is March 5 and I wanted to celebrate by making fajitas! I had to make homemade tortillas and chicken and it all turned out really well. Everyone enjoyed a fajita and I hope to make them again soon! Everyone was really kind and I got some really wonderful and thoughtful presents! All of the people here are really so kind. The next week I took a vacation to Germany and got to check some castles off my lists! My friend Sherry was able to meet me there and it was really great to see someone I love and spend time adventuring with them. When I got back to Ukraine I had a week long conference learning about implementing a community project. Spring break has now come around and after that there's two more months of school before I start summer camp.












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