West vs East
This title has been one of the longest standing in my blog “on-deck” queue. It first referred to how the news is reported about Ukraine here and in the USA, then it referred to an exchange I did with students from the East of Ukraine, and then with a camp I did to get to know the East better this summer. As Stanley has just mentioned it, and I took my students back to the East on the other half of our exchange last month, I decided it is time to commit some thoughts.
First, the Russian language is very prevalent, even where I live, on TV, in movies, in music, and in books. Ukrainians think the languages are so close, but the fact is that if they have never spoken Russian, they are exposed to it constantly from a young age. Sometimes a program on TV will be in Russian, but the credits are in Ukrainian.
Second, this is an excerpt from an email to a friend, a while ago, “The debate wasn’t really if your news is biased, it all is. It was more do you think getting news from a limited angle skews your own views, even if you know it is biased. I am impressed BBC is on public TV [and they even have it here in Ukrainian on the radio], but as you yourself pointed out, all those sources are Western. In fact they are the core Western sources, and this is definitely not the West. Ukraine means borderland in some ancient context, and it is so interesting because it truly is a bridge between Eastern and Western culture, not fully either, but also not really distinct in its own right. Granted these are opinions, but my point was that I thought our (Western) news, with its concepts of free speech, were the best that you could come by. What I realized after arriving here and talking to people, are two things 1) the best may still be a long way off from the truth, and 2) not all nations have consistent government views and opinions. The same news events here can be viewed wildly differently from one region to the next, even from one apartment to the next, and in my experience the whole truth is yet somewhere else completely. I think you would get a much better idea of the situation here from being here for a week than reading all our news about it for a year, however, I still think your view would still be far from the truth. They create the truth here, from moment to moment. Ukraine is the mother of all things relative. Actually I suspect the further East you go, the more true you would find that statement, but Ukraine is the first culture I have lived in that is remotely non-Western. I don’t really know how else to describe this concept accept for the fact that my parents never really understood me when I told them, in person or on the phone, quite detailed accounts of how things happen here, common everyday things, but while they were traveling in Russia before they even reached Ukraine, they called me and said that it was all so clear to them now.”
I am amazed what you in the USA, do and don’t get from the news of my corner of the world, and even more amazed how subjective making and interpreting the news is here.
Third is Camp East Extreme. This was a camp that was organized by volunteers of the East to celebrate the East. They wanted only good Russian speakers to do the camp, all in Russian. I called and said, “can I come if my language is good but it is not Russian?” They said, “yes certainly, but some kids may have trouble understading” (the state language) and they certainly wouldn’t all be able to speak back to me in Ukrainian. I said fine, and found that for the most part, after they got used to my (funny way) of speaking, they had no problems understanding, but they indeed were uncomfortable, or couldn’t speak Ukrainian back. I imagine it would be the same in my part of Ukraine, but with the languages reversed. It is so interesting though, because they read literature, jokes, music of both cultures in the native language. They can joke between them or converse, each speaking his own, and everyone understands (except us, Americans). I think it is really unique. Maybe the other Soviet countries are similar. The cultures between East and West are definitely almost identical, though they think the difference must be greater.
Anyway, camp was a lot of fun. They made very cool Tie Dies. One woman on the Finland team would sing the name (Fin-land-ia) all the time and it was hilarious. I had to hold another counselor’s tongue, and he mine, and sing the National Anthem as a “humiliation” for being late one afternoon (not fun, but funny, I’m sure). My team was South Korea. Does anyone know the meaning of their flag?
Fourth, so I did this project last year with another volunteer, where we teamed our students as pen pals in English. The project was to compare lives, through English, and it worked great until they figured out they could text each other (or write there own letters) in Ukrainian/Russian. They came out to visit us for 4 days, and it was one of the most fun projects I have done. So then for fall break a few weeks ago, they invited us there. Unfortunately train prices went up, and even with fundraising (an alien idea here), I could only get 3 students to go. But we had a great time, and even the 29 hour train ride there and (26 hours) back (which I was dreading) wasn’t bad at all. I enjoyed getting to know a few students a bit better, and it was very interesting to see the other side of the country.
One day we went to a very old monastery. The Soviets rather effectively killed off religion in the East, and this is one of the only ones left. It is called the Holy Height and it has a church on top of a precipice of chalk that is carved out of it. It is really pretty. It has another monument on a hill that looks over the town, and we asked this woman to take our group picture. She talked and counted in Russian for like 14 photos, but when we said thank you in Ukrainian, she replied in Ukrainian. Our waiter at a café would also speak in the language we talked. I was told that people of the East are very intolerant and unknowledgeable of Ukrainian, but my experience was not that at all. Later, volunteers from further East told me that I just wasn’t in the “real” East yet, but where we were was quite far, and where they live, almost all the people are actually ethnically Russian, and I think a little bit upset that the area isn’t still part of Russia.
Oh, and as we were leaving, our massive group took up the road as some women were about to take a picture, and one of them said (jokingly important, in Russian), ‘could you please be quick. We have a Foreigner with us.’ To which our group replied, “but we have 2!”
Flat Stanley IV – Around town
Monday, 31 July
Today I just walked around town with John. He had lots of errands. Each store is small and does, or sells, something very particular. So you have to go to a different one for everything. 3 stores that John wanted to go to have changed in the last month while he’s been away!
Then in the afternoon, he went over to a friend’s house to can cucumbers. They’ll be pickles when he opens them and they are good to eat here in winter when it is hard to get fresh vegetables and rare to find frozen vegetables. It is possible to buy them already canned but it is much cheaper to do it yourself, about half price, and that is a lot of money to people here. Every family has their own recipes too. They also can tomatoes, peppers, and fruits. It is a lot of work though.
Then after that, we went to see this friend’s new turtle. It was a tortoise (lives only on land). Some people have turtles or fish here but most people have cats and dogs. Almost everyone has a cat or dog. Some have guinea pigs and a few have birds.
Tuesday, August 1
In the morning, John and I went with friends to a neighboring town to buy an embroidered tablecloth. It is a tradition for family to give this at a wedding but John is going back to the USA for a good friend’s wedding soon and he will bring one to her. He bought a pretty tan wool one with white embroidery.
Then we went to the 2nd hand bazaar. John needed new sneakers and this bazaar is like going to a big mall or factory outlet store. John found nice shoes for a good price, but the girls with us couldn’t find anything that they wanted. [editor’s note: John must have Ukrainian instinct somewhere because he has only bought 2 articles of clothing in Ukraine, both of which took him a long time to decide between many similar items, which is typical of him, and both have turned out to be very popular, where as he has seen many people wearing the exact same item.]
Then this evening there was a Plast meeting. Plast (пласт) means “scout”. It is like Ukrainian girl and boy scouts. John is helping to plan a camp with them that I will get to go to just before I leave. Tonight’s meeting was for last minute details and to tell the campers’ parents everything. It sounds fun. I’m excited.
August 2, Wednesday
John usually has English club for students my age at the library on Wednesday, but the librarian called and said everyone is at the sea for vacation. Ukrainians love to go to the mountains or the sea for vacation, to Crimea or Odessa, a big town like Savannah. John says you can tell lots of people are gone because the bazaars are quieter than normal. They still seem pretty busy to me. So instead, we went to the pool. It was big and nice on the edge of town but you pay for 1 hour, so you must wait for the hour to begin. They clear everyone from the pool, and then they let us in to change and swim. And there is a woman that watches all the lockers so that no one steals anything (they don’t lock) but she also watched us change! Everyone wears little speedos and they think our swim shorts are funny!!
August 3, Thursday
John had more errands today, and one was to check his email. He goes to a special ‘club” like the computer lab at school, a room with lots of computers together, and he pays for the time that he uses on the computer. Many people do this because they can’t afford computers.
Then we went swimming again, and then we started cooking. John has Taco Night Thursdays before his adult English club. He invites some Ukrainians and the volunteers in the neighboring villages. We made the tortillas in the morning. It isn’t too hard. John learned how to do it here from a Mexican-American volunteer. He made chicken fajitas tonight and one of the volunteers brought her host sister. She was very amazed both by the unique food and that John cooked. Ukrainian men virtually NEVER cook. Everyone here thinks Americans are fat and bad cooks. John and the others are trying to change their opinions. The dinner was very good and we had fresh watermelon and chocolate for dessert. Ukrainians eat a lot of chocolate, but it is very good.
Then at English club there weren’t lots of people but we had an interesting debate about leadership and politics. The political situation in Ukraine is very interesting right now. There was a peaceful revolution 2 years ago and now the person who lost that revolution has become the Prime Minister and will have to work with the winner, the current President. Many people are confused and disappointed.
After the club, some of us went to have ice cream at a café where smoking is not allowed. There are very few places like it because almost everyone in Ukraine smokes even though they know how bad it is. This is another part of John’s work, to change their behavior.
August 4, Friday
John spent most of today preparing for an environmental camp that we will go to next week. We had to meet with some of the students, print and prepare lessons, and find a translator to help. We did find time to go swimming though. There we met a friend of John’s who is a swimming trainer. He is going to marry an American soon and speaks very little English so he wants John to give him some studying ideas. He said he would come over to John’s tonight but he never did. John and I worked and read some more while we waited. John made stuffed peppers with meat and buckwheat. Buckwheat is called grechka in Ukrainian (гречка) and it is very good and popular. People eat it a lot, but it is hard to find in America. His friend never came but that is normal for Ukrainians to change their plans and not tell anyone. We got to watch a beautiful sunset.
August 5, Saturday
Not much happened today. We did go swimming again, and checked internet. We just hung around because it started to rain then. The potatoes are very fresh at this time of year (they keep them in the basement all through the winter) so the mashed potatoes are particularly delicious now.
August 6, Sunday
We went to church today at the Ukrainian Catholic Church where John sings. There are lots of Ukrainians that live abroad in other countries. When people live in other countries but hold on to their old culture, they are called Diaspora. Ukrainian Diaspora keep a lot of their traditions very strongly, and John has a prayer book from a Diaspora Church in Connecticut. It has the Ukrainian church service on one page and the English translation on the facing page, so it was easy for me to follow along and to understand. There are no benches in the church, so everyone stands the whole time, but in this church they don’t kneel and put their heads to the ground. The music was very pretty, all without instruments, only singing.
After church we went home with a friend of John’s from the choir to visit. Her husband plays basketball on Sunday mornings, and he met us back at their apartment. A friend of his came to measure their windows, because they are very old ones and John’s friends want newer, better ones. This friend speaks in Russian even though he speaks and understands Ukrainian also. It was peculiar; he would speak in Russian, and they would answer him in Ukrainian. People can be very proud and stubborn here of their Russian (or Ukrainian) heritage. He is a Ukrainian citizen but only since the end of the Soviet Union.
[Editor’s note: perhaps I mentioned this before, if so please excuse the repetitiveness. During the Soviet Union, there were 15 nationalities, but only one citizenship; because of that (or other reasons) your nationality was printed into your passport. That custom was kept and continued after Ukraine’s independence. So Ukrainian citizens may have other nationalities printed right on their documents, and in fact they might feel much closer to this other nationality. Somewhat related is the fact that people often comment on how I can learn Ukrainian in 2 years and Russians living here can’t learn it in 15. I was of the impression of ‘why would they,’ when everyone understands Russian. Language is a tool, not an art, and people won’t learn another when the first works fine for the tool’s purpose, to communicate. This was my opinion, but recent events which I will discuss soon in another post have forced me to admit that the Ukrainians’ indignation with these individuals is somewhat well founded. Often they can speak very good Ukrainian (in my area, though not always in other places I have visited) but choose not too, which seems to be some under-handed statement]
He left and we all went to their father’s house in a neighboring village. We made shashlik (Ukrainian tasty barbecue), and saw this house that he is building. It has a pond where he will grow and catch fish, and a small garden, and he will put in solar panels to conserve electricity. It will be very nice one day, but people only build when they have extra money, so it is little by little with big breaks in the middles sometimes. They don’t use credit or have much investing, so the building is there investment.
Then we went home, packed and went to bed. We will have an early day again tomorrow; we are going to another camp!
Flat Stanley III – Western Ukraine, meet the world.
July 21,
After we arrived and left our stuff at John’s apartment, he took us on a tour of his town. The town is 900 years old and was built here because there is a salt mine. The mine still works! There is also a church made completely of wood without nails that was made in the 11th century.
The town hall has a big clock tower from which you can look out over the whole city. The clock tower is a more Polish feature and the town was part of Poland for 400 years. It was also part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and has some nice architecture from that time.
There are many statues around town. One of them is Ivan Franko who is a very famous Ukrainan writer. We had chernahy for lunch at a café. It is like Ukrainian chili, and you can only find it in the western part. Then we went to the village where Ivan Franko was born. Next month, it will be the 150th anniversary of his birth. The village is near by and there is a museum that shows how he lived. His father was a blacksmith, so they were considered wealthy, though it didn’t look so to me. 5 people lived in one room where they cooked, slept and ate. The roof was made of thatch.
In the evening we went to John’s second host family here. We had borscht, watched TV and did laundry for the next camp. They have a washing machine, but many people still wash all their clothes by hand in the bathtub.
July 22,
Today we went to a small town very nearby. The town is in the foothills of the mountains and very famous because it has healing mineral waters that come out of the ground. One is supposed to be for beauty, one for stomachs, and one for kidneys called “Naftusia” is very famous. There are many health resorts and people come from Russia, the Baltic Nations, Germany and Poland to relax and heal here. There is a huge park with sculptures and musicians. People walk around sipping the water from special glasses or with straws because the minerals are bad for your teeth. They look for squirrels because they are rare and here they have big, poofy ears!!
There is also a craft bazaar with many different products made of wood. They are traditional crafts of the mountain people. They also have many of the embroidered towels and shirts here. Traditionally each pattern and color was special to a village or family just like Scottish kilts. Then in the evening we played soccer with some of John’s friends. Then we packed and went to bed because we will have a big day tomorrow.
Sunday 23 July 06
Today we got up at 5:30 am! So that we could make the bus to the International Camp. We are on Team Ukraine with John. John wants to cut his hair like a Ukrainian Cossack. Cossacks were old warriors on horses who defended Ukraine. They had big mustaches and they shaved there heads except for a bit on top, that they left long.
There are people at camp from Poland, Ukraine, and other Americans. We raised all three flags and sang each national anthem. John took a picture of me singing with Baba Halya.
Also this morning we went to church. The women cover their heads with cloths when they enter the church. Most of the service is sung by a choir on the second floor and the Priest. He stands behind a wood wall decorated with many paintings, and you can only see him through the door except for sometimes when he comes to our side. He came to our side at the end to tell all the people how Americans had come to the camp and maybe some would stay. The camp is in a very small village of about 1000 people high in the mountains, but the mountains aren’t too big. They are like the Appalachian Mountains at home.
Monday 24 July
At camp we split into 4 teams. Each day one team had chores. Our day was first. We had to cook on a wood stove and so we had to chop wood. It isn’t as hard as it sounds but cooking is harder because there is lots of smoke. Then we had to heat water on the stove so that we could wash our dishes. The water in the sink comes from a spring in the ground and it is cold but tastes good.
Tuesday 25 July
Today our group taught at school. Our international camp is doing a camp for students from the village for a few hours each day. Today was Environment/Earth day. We learned about food chains and our relationship with the Earth. Then we did a clean up of the village and played some sports.
Wednesday, 26 July
The camp theme today was “Healthy Living.” We taught the campers about HIV/AIDS, the negative effects of smoking and alcohol and about how to eat right and be responsible. Then we played Frisbee after lunch. They don’t have Frisbees here but they really liked it.
After dinner, John decided to have his hair cut like a Cossack.
Thursday, 27 July
Our group had today off at the camp. It was really nice. We took a walk to the old dam that was never finished and climbed on top. Then we played in the river for a bit. The weather is really nice. We aren’t too high in the mountains but it is a little cooler here than in the town. It is about 80-85 degrees everyday, but they measure temperature in Celsius.
We watched the Pirates of the Caribbean in English with Ukrainian subtitles, though many times they translate the movie but you can still hear the English in the background. Then we had a campfire. We played the game like at the wedding where first Ukrainians sing a song, and then the Americans, but this time there was also Polish songs. It was very interesting, - some slow and some like camp songs, but very pretty. We went around many times. The Americans sang “Amazing Grace,” “Home, Home on the Range,” “I’ve been working on the railroad,” and others. Then at the end John sang a scout song that they always sing at the close of a campfire before they go to sleep.
Friday, 28 July
We had chores again today but breakfast was easy because we made the left overs from yesterday. In Ukraine, it is very common to finish for breakfast what you made the day before. Ukrainians eat different types of oatmeal or milk soup with pasta, for breakfast only, but most days’ breakfast foods are no different than other meals. Many people only eat bread and butter and tea. Part of John’s job here is to teach about good nutrition, and the importance of a good breakfast.
Today’s theme is Ukraine, so our group decided to make Varenyky for dinner. They are like ravioli with mashed potatoes inside and you eat them with sour cream. They are a Ukrainian national dish. We started the mashed potatoes before lunch.
After lunch we had a carnival for the kids at camp. We had face painting, finger fencing, bean bag toss, twister and water balloons. It was really fun. Then we went back to finish the varenyky. We made about 300 completely “from scratch”!! There is no phrase in Ukrainian for “from scratch” because there is no other way to make food. Then we had the closing of camp. We lowered the flags, sang the national anthems, shared our “secret santa’s” and our contact info. Some people are leaving very early tomorrow and everyone was tired so most people went to bed early.
Saturday, 29 July
We got up, cleaned, packed and a bus came for us. Everyone said goodbye and we rode back to town. The Americans all came to John’s house to get cleaned up, because today was Kelly’s birthday. She is another Peace Corps volunteer in John’s town. She had a Mexican party with tacos and chips and salsa. These foods are very unusual in Ukraine and some of the ingredients are hard to find.
Some people went to the disco club afterwards. Dance clubs are very popular here.
Sunday, 30 July
John took me and one of the other visiting volunteers to the Polish Catholic Church this morning. Roman Catholic services are the same all over the world so you always know what is going on even if it is in another language like Polish. This church was very traditional though and so a bit harder to understand. John usually goes to a Greek Catholic church. This church has Orthodox customs but speaks in Ukrainian and believes in the holiness of the Pope in Rome. The service is really very similar to the Roman Catholic service but with more singing. John has started singing in the choir which he says is hard because they are very good.
After church we met everyone at one of the two pizza places in town and visited before they all left for their trains. John and I stayed in tonight. We were tired.
[Editor’s note: all of this camp’s entries are so short, because this camp WORE me out, and that didn’t leave much time or energy to write, but it was fun and very worthwhile]
Surrealism of Stayky
I went back to visit a village where I helped to mentor a new group of volunteers, as Stanley mentioned. Two were there visiting their host families, and they invited me along to enjoy the beach of the Dnepr River for some time. I only stayed a day.
When I walked into town, I went to the beach, where the girls were already with their host families and friends, and one mother was asking a lot of questions to them about me. People routinely talk about me while I am standing there, often regardless of whether I understand or not; I normally just listen innocently, but this time it grated on my nerves that she didn’t ask me; so when she asked if I could speak any Ukrainian, I chimed in that I speak Ukrainian well. Later I realized that this was the very first time that I ever said this. Usually when asked I say that I am studying or that I can get by.
While we were there, the one café in town had an employee with a birthday, and they came down to the beach to celebrate. All the ladies stripped down to their undies and went swimming – singing and doing shots from a little tray in the water. They of course recognized the two volunteers who came over to sing too, but when the volunteers called me over to take a photo of this, the waitresses even remembered me… from the one day when I had been there! The birthday girl, of about 40, made me take a shot with her, and then she kissed me! I was a bit surprised.
I have taken to packing in plastic sacks for short trips, as many Ukrainians do. It is amazing how little they take and yet still dress to impress. My (real) dad was proud of me! He said that is how he used to pack on the ships when he was my age. He actually used paper. This and other things inspire, more often now, the comment that I am a real Ukrainian. Usually this is closely followed by how I need to marry…or drink… or both.
When I was leaving the village, I stopped at a Museum dedicated to a very old culture that was in the Kyiv region before the Kyivan Rus. The museum was amazing. It was done excellently, and it was one of those times where you have to stop and ask, ‘Where AM I? How can they have been digging up artifacts for 80 years, and don’t all have indoor plumbing?!’ The most interesting part was that the museum is mainly for the Tripilya culture which lived in the area from 7000-4000 BC, but the day before my friend had seen an excavation of human remains that were 10,000 years old. Considering that the Tripilya people were the first agriculturalists, that means the remains in the hole, that she was staring at, are older than sliced bread!
IST
My dad said that when I told him the Cyrillic alphabet isn’t so hard and he really should study it before he comes, he thought, “Sure, but this is ‘Mr. Focused’ talking.” Then he found it wasn’t so hard, but after our In-Service-Training for Language, I realized how right he was too. Languages are not my God-given talent; studying and dedication might be. My host mom (and tutor) says I need a girlfriend to practice my language… and kill some of my insatiable thirst to study. But I also realized how proud I am of my dad’s compliment.
PS. I just started studying Russian. I figure that might actually be marketable after I leave here. I understand a lot more Surgic, already (the hybrid Ukrainian-Russian dialect), but we will see if I can keep them both straight myself while speaking.
The Kaleb and Lena Brown’s Wedding
Their wedding was truly beautiful, as are they, and their families. I got to stay with Lena’s family, and they were unbelievably warm and friendly (and thrilled that I spoke Ukrainian unlike the volunteers that had studied Russian there).
There were not many volunteers at the wedding, but we each gave a toast. I had been doing a fair amount of translating already, so when I stood to give mine, I started in English, but the crowd cried for Ukrainian first. I said, in Ukrainian into the mike, that I would tell the story in English and then translate; then I said in English that if Kaleb didn’t like the story I was going to tell, I would make something up to say in Ukrainian. Then I began.
The first time I met Kaleb, I felt like I had known him for years. We roomed together many times in Chicago, for our staging and when we first got to country. And once we had a discussion about how Kaleb said that he was tired of relationships, and didn’t think he would get involved with anyone until he thought it would really go somewhere. Then during training, I couldn’t help but think that these must have been light words, since the news of him and his host sister came within 3 weeks. I didn’t say this at the toast though; my opinion had changed by then; I said that little did we know that the day after he spoke these words, he would meet the woman of his dreams.
At the time, I also had forgotten how bizarrely true the part about knowing him for years was. You see (and I may have told this story before), in Chicago, we were supposed to be at the hotel for registration between 2 and 3. Well I got stuck in traffic, and came running in at about 2 minutes to 3 (big surprise, huh?); I was pretty nervous that they were going to kick me out or something. It is not exactly the first impression you want to make in Peace Corps. Well I come running in, trying not to look worried and slip in the back, when no sooner am I in the door, a man (Kaleb) who was talking to a woman by the door goes, “Hi, you worked on a boat in San Remo, Italy, didn’t you?”
I was a bit thunderstruck. I thought, “Do I know this guy? How can he know that? What have these people been up to already?” When he saw my (probably horrified) expression, he asked my name, and said I should probably go over and check in. With that introduction, and my state of mind, it took me a full ten minutes to figure out what was going on.
Well, all the other over-achievers had of course got there right at 2, and so they had this sheet with an interesting fact or experience of each person but without their names and you had to go around, introduce yourself, and fill in the names on the right lines. Well they happened to pick “worked as a deckhand on a private yacht berthed in San Remo, Italy” for mine, and since no one in the room (of 45) seemed to claim it, the group began to think that it was made up.
Those times seem so long ago and the feelings I remember from then seem so distant, strange, and fairy-tale like. It was really quite remarkable to me to be at Kaleb’s wedding. By the way, that was my 8th wedding in the last 3 years. I’ve been to 2 since, I missed 5, and there are 3 more coming up within the year. My life is really unbelievable sometimes.
Anyway, Kaleb and Lena looked so happy, as all wedding couples do. I hope I can find that someday. Marriage is almost a daily conversation here. My host mom actually said, with a bit of disdain that 26, is old to be getting married. I had just told her that it is the average age in America (all the wedding photos that I show my Ukrainian friends have done a lot of dispel the myth that all Americans marry at 35 – thanks Joanne, Mike, Meagan, Claes, Kaleb, Lena, Katie, and Joel). I then told her that I would be 26 in 4 months. She looked a bit shocked and then changed her mind, saying that I seemed younger, and 26 isn’t so old (this was several months ago).
It was interesting to be part of this wedding because my language skills were called on quite a bit. My performance was adequate but not admirable. Even fluently speaking two languages does not guarantee good translation, and I’m neither fluent or an interpreter. It was a good experience, and all and all, it was a fabulous time. I wish you, Kaleb and Lena (and all the others), every happiness, ever-growing love, and wonderful health. I hope all your dreams come true.
Things I don’t understand,
How can I continue to come up with odd socks, when I live by myself, and wash by hand?! I’ve lost three to somewhere.
Why are my post ladies, SO nasty? What difference does it make if my package has been waiting a few days? What right does she have to demand why I didn’t come sooner?
Why don’t they have detention here? I wished for the right of detention the other day. I explained to my students what it was. They were a little better then. The weather seems to affect them so much! And it has been truly beautiful this autumn.
