Still on holiday. This week was full of teacher meetings and individual conferences where I tried to warn the teachers who's classes I will be teaching not to worry when I start asking their kids to do really weird things in the name of language learning. I will be coteaching with 6 teachers, and two will not actually get to talk to me until school starts on Monday. It should be interesting, and I've been waiting a while to actually start teaching. I've already planned my lessons for Monday, mainly focused on seeing what level the kids are at, and letting them get to know me a little bit. At least one class will be challenging, the chapter they are on is actually titled "The verb Have Got". I don't usually use this word, and my high school english teacher told me never to use it. It's because they are British books, but even in England, do they seriously use "got" in anything but spoken language? Would'nt it be better to teach the kids the verb "To Have" which can be spoken and understood in the US and UK, but also correctly written in an academic setting? In addition got also seems to require fancy contractions, such as "I haven't got any oranges". To top it off, this is my 5th form class (5th grade if you speak american). If anyone has any insight into this, send me an email.
On Sunday I supposedly move into my apartment. When I spoke to my future landlady (is there a better word that applies to apartments) today in the bazzar, it was a bit disconcerting because when I said "on Sunday good", she nodded, and then went into a long, extremely fast spiel from which I only understood "me and my daughter". And in normal Ukrainian fashion, it's impossible to set an hour of meeting, and when I asked what time precisely it would be good to come with all my stuff to get the key, she said anytime. So I said after lunch on Sunday. Which really means after church. And when I suggested a more precise time, 1pm, she said "we'll see". There has been some additional apartment drama which I can't seem to understand because either no one gives me the whole story, or nobody actually knows the whole story, or I just can't understand through some wall of cultural barriers. Basically my current host mom is already looking for another apartment for me, one with only one room, because she says I don't need two rooms. I don't disagree. I assumed it is because the peace corps is only paying 200grn/month, which barely covers electricity, gas and water. Most two room apartments in this town cost 300-500grn. Mine would probably be closer to 500grn because it has a toilet inside and was recently remodelled, which in ukraine means basically covering up old materials with new tiles, wallpaper, paint. My host mom denied it was a problem of cost, and when I talked to my landlady, she said everything was good, there is no problem, which is also what my landlady's daughter said, who is a fellow english teacher. So what's the issue? It's just morally wrong to live alone in a two room apartment? I asked if another family needed this apartment, or if I did'nt live there another family would be able to pay more rent. Negative to both. I just don't understand. Unfortunately there are no leases here, so I could be kicked out at any time without notice.
There are a lot of political relations within the teaching community. All the teachers chaff under the authority of the administration, yet kiss up with presents on birthdays, and long toasts at parties. One of the vice principles had her birthday yesterday, and I heard some of the teachers discussing who got invited and who didn't to her party, and how it had to do with what family and how much money they had (my language skills work sometimes). The vice principles and principle make almost and more than twice as much money as the the teachers, respectively. Supposedly, because salaries here are hidden, a precident set by the president, and his ministry officials, who many say should not be driving porches when most people in the country have outhouses. Despite this hiddenness, Ukrainians are very money aware, and would easily win any price is right game. I have also been warned that kids from richer families are assumed to be smarter, and given slight favoritism in class because it is dangerous to make enemies with the rich families in town. There are not very many of them.
Today there was another holday dinner, we were hosted by my host father's mother, and this time I knew to chew my pelmeni slowly, because once again, I was lucky enough to get a copek, which means will be rich, but I also got the pepper corn, which means my life will by spicy, hard, and short. The drive up included a quick spark plug change, because even the logging trucks were passing us. All 4 plugs sparking made all the difference. Under the hood was increadibly simple. Even I could work on this car. It was increadibly open, with lots of space to get hands and arms around the engine.
I think tomorrow is the last round of religious celebrations, something about holy water, revelation, and Vladamir. I really need to get a book on religious history around the time when Catholocism split from Orthodoxy. My framework of musical history was only lightly draped with religious overtones, and I know mostly about the reformation, and counter reformation, because even Slavic composers music was mostly played in in western europe. The way I understand it is that crack between the eastern orthodox and the roman catholic churches followed the division of greek and latin languages. But the split occurred during the crusades, which were not sent out to crush other Christians. So then I get really confused, and again wish I knew more and had access to an English library. I do know that there was already competition between the Roman Church and the Greek Church, especially in what is now Ukraine , and the East Church was more successful because they used native languages in their services. I should add a "this is not fact" disclaimer. As I said, I need some books.
