Sweet Things

This is a cute article about l-o-v-e in Peace Corps.

Today, all my 11th form students got their class yearbooks right before we had English. Which essentially meant that they were going to be distracted the entire time looking at them so I scrapped my lesson and let them have the time to sign yearbooks. I mean, it's their last year of school! It was sweet how many of them wanted me to write messages to them (and I wrote in English). Even though they sometimes drive me crazy with their laziness, I'm so excited to do the traditional dance/party celebration and then head to the river to watch the sun rise with them for graduation at the end of the year!

You Know You're an Experienced PCV When

You know you're an experienced PCV when you stop lying to yourself that tomorrow will be better.

It will just be another day.

Turkey!

Enjoy some pretty pictures from my trip to Turkey!

 

 

 

 

 

Articles

Here's some of what I have been reading recently.

A famous Ukrainian writer wrote this piece for the NYT, and I think he conveys an accurate description and feeling of Ukraine. This paragraph nails Ukraine and Ukrainians:

"But I am in no position to predict the future. All I know is that the Ukrainians will continue amazing the world by the very fact of their existence, by their flexibility, shrewdness and their ability to adapt to any circumstance. Given the current situation, I find the latter quality encouraging, because as soon as real democracy comes to Ukraine, Ukrainians will quickly grow accustomed to it, life will become civilized, and Ukrainians will turn into law-abiding citizens. Obviously, that is not something that comes naturally to them, but should life require respect for law, they will do it, even if that should run counter to their interests. The authorities must simply create the appropriate conditions."

This is a good article from Persephone Magazine about how Tymoshenko and FEMEN, Ukraine's two most well-known and visible female figures, are portrayed in the media.

The Kyiv Post's Getting Yulia demonstrates just how much of a hot mess Ukraine is. In fact, you can just check out the Kyiv Post web site for a good variety of articles about Ukraine.