Perpetual Change

Autumn

The season has been very pretty, but not as I expected.  There haven�t been many colors, but all of the leaves have fallen off.  I never thought about how pretty it would be to watch them falling in a soft breeze.  I used to see the empty trees, while my parents were in Philadelphia, but I never thought about the process, after the changing at least.  And now they have raked all the parks and we haven�t had snow yet.  I think the green carpets and the bare trees are really a quite striking scene.

 

The weather (they say) has been very warm this autumn.  Except for maybe two weeks, it hasn�t been any colder than Florida in the winter really.  I have really enjoyed it.  And it isn�t getting dark TOO early, at least not yet.  I however go out often, during the day, without a coat.  This is VERY surprising behavior to Ukrainians.  They dress more by season than daily weather, and in fact some have commented to me that they know they don�t need to wear a coat for this weather, but it is autumn now.

 

Thank you to all that sent birthday wishes from all over the globe.  It was really sweet.  They make a really big deal here, so I started changing the subject when people asked about a month or so ago, but an amazing amount of people remembered.  Some of my students at a different school found out, and I don�t even know how.  They wished me many nice things, I need your opinion.  Yes, today, you get to vote on Ukrainian school children�s marks.  I had one class, with which I was not happy, and they knew, who found out it was my birthday, and went to the nearby market between classes to buy me a flower (a traditional gift), but they were late coming to class.  Do I mark them as tardy?  I haven�t been able to decide.

 

When ever a teacher says autumn to me, they quickly correct themselves because they think that is only the British variation.  It always makes me a bit defensive (though I don�t show it), as if we, Americans, can�t have that word also.

 

And finally, I must say once more how amazing it is to me that everything grows in three months, even potatoes and carrots and beets.  I thought these grew through the winter, but no, they would last through winter, but they have finished growing before that.  The idea of having an orange tree with the last fruits while it is blooming with next years is such a foreign concept in so many ways.  And, oh, how I miss grapefruit off the tree in the backyard early in the morning.

 

see my Peace Corps Blog at www.jjspc.blogspot.com

posted by jjs @ 10:36 AM