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When time isn't money
Posted on September 11, 2009 | No CommentsIn Ukraine, I wear a lot of hats. And not just in winter. I’m an English teacher, an American culture expert, a Mexican food chef, a basketball coach, a yoga instructor, a journalist, a travel agent, and a decent day laborer. I’m also a novice economist. -
Running Into New Friends
Posted on September 8, 2009 | 1 CommentI made a pact with myself when school started. I was going to run everyday during September. I’ve always been good at daily exercising, but I’ve never had to do it on my own before. It’s a lot easier when you have a team or a gym waiting for you. Hitting up the local soccer stadium where more people are smoking cigarettes than burning up the track is less than inviting. But people are surprisingly friendly there. -
Sweet Solitude
Posted on August 20, 2009 | 13 CommentsThis is my moment of zen. I hesitated to share it with you. In a culture as public and communal as Ukraine, I get territorial about my precious private moments. I took this photo on the coast of the Black Sea, after the rest of my party departed for a nap. It was pretty bold of me to stay behind. -
No Turning Back
Posted on July 28, 2009 | 6 CommentsSitting in a house-church in Burshtyn, Ukraine, I heard a familiar song. It was the only one my new friends knew in three languages. First they sang it in Ukrainian, then in Russian, and finally in English. -
Simon Says: It's time for a new post
Posted on May 26, 2009 | 7 CommentsIt's been awhile since my last post. Although I am a repeat offender, I am contrite. It's not that I mean to neglect this blog. It just happens. The reasons are varied. In the winter, it was more paralysis, brought on by snowstorms and 4 p.m. sunsets. In the spring, it's quite the opposite. -
Grapes have seeds and other revelations
Posted on April 7, 2009 | 2 CommentsI'm fond of saying that I've learned a lot in my short time in Peace Corps Ukraine. And one of the more tangible things is a proverb: краше пізно ніж ніколі. It means "better late than never." -
Would you like fries with that?
Posted on March 31, 2009 | 2 CommentsI'm really not that American who travels abroad and eats at McDonalds. OK, up until my trip to Prague last week, that was a true statement. -
The Unofficial English Club
Posted on March 11, 2009 | 3 CommentsToday was a good day. After many failed attempts and half-starts, I had my very first English Club. -
Quarantine-Induced Musings…
Posted on February 24, 2009 | 2 CommentsA frosty wind isn't the only thing in the air in Western Ukraine right now. Flu season is in full-force, causing many schools to be "quarantined" indefinitely. -
Just another day in the fishbowl
Posted on February 13, 2009 | 4 CommentsI'm finally getting the respect I never deserved. As a five-foot-two basketball player, I'm not exactly a show-stopper.
