It's apparently some kind of teacher holiday today. An invitation was passed my way to meet some other teachers at a restaurant tonight, but thank you very much TOEFL, even though I have a special break from my other lesson plans tomorrow (midterms), you are still keeping me on my toes (future unreal conditional what?). So instead of dinner, I just got back from a hot four hour date with my lesson planning book.
It is an actual holiday, though. I remember in Russia we attended a teachers' day party, and that was a REAL party. It started and ended with encounters with the police, someone got a black eye, and during dinner every single table had its own bottles of: champagne, wine, vodka, and cognac. There was even an MC there to keep the party going. Maybe it's a smaller holiday here in Ukraine. Or maybe the teachers are just better behaved :p
Yesterday was the best day in Kharkov yet. I met up with some students... we went bowling and to lunch and to the arcade. It was a blast!! Bowling here is really fun- I know what you're thinking, US readers: bowling? Isn't that so 1980s? Well, maybe in America, yes. But both in Ukraine and Russia every bowling alley I've seen (all 3 of them) have been quite fashionable and hip on the inside. It's a really pleasant environment to hang out in. Later that evening I met Timur and his family for pizza. To achieve so much free time in one day I spent almost the entire previous day planning for classes. Hopefully I won't have to spend as much time lesson planning in the future, hopefully this is the worst of it....and at least the semester is about 1/2 over!
Also, it looks like D will be coming sooner rather than later, thank God! Maybe even by the end of next week....????
Oh, one more note: the weather here is freakin' fantastic. Just when I think it couldn't get better, it does. This is 100% real autumn! The sky is stormy and threatening most of the time, occasionally we get brief heavy downpours (really need to invest in an umbrella!), and it's constantly very chilly out. I do wish the heat was on in my building (it's supposed to be 38 F tonight).... maybe by the end of the month? In Russia they turned on the heat sometime in October- is it the same in Ukraine? I hope so! Anyways, the weather is great. I had completely forgotten what this season felt like.
It is an actual holiday, though. I remember in Russia we attended a teachers' day party, and that was a REAL party. It started and ended with encounters with the police, someone got a black eye, and during dinner every single table had its own bottles of: champagne, wine, vodka, and cognac. There was even an MC there to keep the party going. Maybe it's a smaller holiday here in Ukraine. Or maybe the teachers are just better behaved :p
Yesterday was the best day in Kharkov yet. I met up with some students... we went bowling and to lunch and to the arcade. It was a blast!! Bowling here is really fun- I know what you're thinking, US readers: bowling? Isn't that so 1980s? Well, maybe in America, yes. But both in Ukraine and Russia every bowling alley I've seen (all 3 of them) have been quite fashionable and hip on the inside. It's a really pleasant environment to hang out in. Later that evening I met Timur and his family for pizza. To achieve so much free time in one day I spent almost the entire previous day planning for classes. Hopefully I won't have to spend as much time lesson planning in the future, hopefully this is the worst of it....and at least the semester is about 1/2 over!
Also, it looks like D will be coming sooner rather than later, thank God! Maybe even by the end of next week....????
Oh, one more note: the weather here is freakin' fantastic. Just when I think it couldn't get better, it does. This is 100% real autumn! The sky is stormy and threatening most of the time, occasionally we get brief heavy downpours (really need to invest in an umbrella!), and it's constantly very chilly out. I do wish the heat was on in my building (it's supposed to be 38 F tonight).... maybe by the end of the month? In Russia they turned on the heat sometime in October- is it the same in Ukraine? I hope so! Anyways, the weather is great. I had completely forgotten what this season felt like.
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