Monday night Ieva came over… a bunch of us had gone to see a movie, which was SO bad, I won’t even mention the title… let’s just say it’s the first movie I’ve ever walked out of. It was too early and too nice to go home, so we all took a walk around Talsi for a while. (I’m learning that Latvia is a walking culture. In America, if you want to talk to someone, or relater somehow, you sit and eat, go out to dinner, something like that. In Latvia, you take a walk.) After we hung out in the parking lot for a while, we came home and brought Ieva with us. She told me some time ago that she doesn’t really know how to cook… of course, she can make pasta and such, but she can’t really cook. Well, that became a challenge for me! We came home and decided to make chocolate chip cookies! I helped her, guided, answered some questions and such, but she did it and they were AWESOME! I had a blast, too, because I got cookies out of the deal, and I didn’t have to do much of the work… she even cleaned up!!! I’m gonna like this arrangement!

I’m learning that sometimes, even when life is hard, friends make all the difference.

It’s been a little bit of a rough time for me lately… mostly just a lot of decisions that need to be made and such. But my friends… wow. Sometimes all you need is a hug or just to sit and chat together, or even just to sit together and not talk. I felt bad when one of my friends (I will withold the name of who it is…) sat and talked to me instead of going to class… (granted, I think it was more for avoiding a test, but…) but it was a huge encouragement to me. Sometimes you just need to BE with friends. And I love my friends.

(This was taken today at school at my desk… my last day… sad.)

Yesterday was our big “activity day” in English. Actually, I only called it that so I had some name for it without telling people what we were doing. We pulled the 10th & 11th grades together and I got Chris and 3 other people to help us. I split the students up into 5 teams and we went on a “photo scavenger hunt”! Each team had a list and a digital camera, and we hit the town! It was so much fun! They had no idea what this was, and had never done anything like it before, which just made it all the better! They had 3 hours to find everything, and I know I saw parts of Talsi I’d never been to before. It was so much fun! On my team I had Evija, Agnis, Andis, Janis & Egita. Chris had Elza, Ieva, Agnese, Egils & Kristaps. Here’s a couple pics, but more will be on our website soon! These pictures are of (from the top) Lydia’s team with “shaving cream beards”; Chris’ team “on their heads”; and Lydia’s team “infront of the police station”.

Now that school is almost over, I wasn’t planning to post anymore journals, but when I read this one today, from one of my 10th graders, I just had to! This is by one of my most creative students.

Sleeping is my favorite hobby. It is easy and relaxing hobby. Unfortunately, I don’t sleep very much. That’s because I don’t like going to sleep. Next, I like to do nothing. Personally to me it is much better than do something, because it is easier. My third favorite hobby is doing absolutely unnecessary things, most of them are stupid. For example I like watching TV or movies. Another unnecessary thing is playing a piece of wood with strings. It is called a guitar. My forth hobby,which I don’t like so much is doing necessary things wrong. Especially these things are doing homeworks, driving a car, riding a bike. Very sad, but I don’t like doing necessry things. I am not learning well, and I am too crazy. I think I should find better hobbies.

They also had a homework assignment to write a letter of protest, and most wrote a letter to the newspaper. This same student wrote one a little differently though:

To the Mars government

Dear Preisdent,

I write this letter to inform you about the problems that your government may have. These problems are connected with the latest discoveries of science. However, I think that your government, with a little financial help, we together could resolve this problem.

So, the mainproblem of the Mars government, in my opinion, is that on the planet of Mars isn’t living creatures. Honestly, I have to inform you, mister president, that, according to the newest researches, there haven’t been found a life on mars. That would cause an international disclaiming of your democratic government!

Despite the internationsl attitude to your respectible government, we can show that you are the democratic and legal president of Mars. The best resolution would be showing the militray power of Mars, by great invasion.

So, I hope that the Commonality of mars and it’s government will take action and show the real power of this planet!

You just have to love 10th grade creativity!

I still, often, ask God why He has blessed me with these great friends I have. I know I’ve asked Him for friends here, though I have to admit I didn’t think that prayer would be answered the form that it has been, and yet, I’m so blessed, beyond what I could have imagined.

Saturday afternoon after apartment turned into something resembling a Mexican restaurant with the help of “The Crew”; Ieva, Agnese, Peteris & Andis. Enchiladas, salsa, & guacamole were on the menu, as was much laughter and fun. I just LOVE hanging out with these guys! The bless me more than I think they know. Just thinking about them and what God has in store for them brings a smile to my face and warms my heart so much!

That evening was the Eurovision comptetition on TV. Ugh. It’s a quite popular Europe-wide music competetion which Latvia has often done very well at. This year, Finland won, and it has half of Europe thrilled and the other half quite upset and even disgusted. Finland sent a monster-costume clad band, and while it was unique, many are dissapointed that they were chosen as the best act in Europe, and I think I have to agree.

Sunday evening was the World Ice Hockey Championship game. Since USA & Latvia lost out earlier, of course we were thrilled that Czech made it to the finals. Ieva came and watched it with us, and we had Skype conversations going on with other friends here in Latvia and Czech going on simultaneously. I even dug out our Czech flag and hung it over the TV… though nothing we did helped. Czech lost 4-0 to Sweden, so they got second place in the world. Oh well, maybe next year.

Friday was “The Last Bell” ceremony. I’m told that, traditionally, it would be a celebration of the last class bell that the 9th & 12th graders had to observe, as they were then done with classes and only had to focus on studying for their “leaving exams.” It was also a time when they would find out if they qualified to take these important tests, thus allowing them to continue with school.

  Friday’s ceremony was more of a “well wishing” for exams for thses students. Interesting none-the-less.

Left: 9th grade       Right: 12th grade

Recently I’ve been wondering how in the world I got here! I know that less than a year ago I was really debating about taking this position at the school, and the biggest reason was that I didn’t get along with and (I said that) I didn’t like high school kids! Wow… my perspective has been SO changed! Now, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without these guys in it!

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Never Been Kissed” with Drew Berrymore, you can get an idea of what this has felt like for me. The past week, while Chris was in England, I feel like I was submursed in Latvian high school culture! I know that, in all reality, I’ve really just barely gotten my toes wet, but it’s been such an amazing experience! I’ve also never watched so much ice hockey in my life - 3 games in 1 week! (The Ice Hockey World Championships is being held in Riga, and Latvia is a pretty big contender for the title.) I’ll tell you… watching the Latvia - USA game with Ieva & Andis was fun (especially since USA won)! It’s a challenge, though too… especailly since I’m picking up their no-so-perfect English phrases! GRRR!
2 weeks of school left. I’m looking forward to a change, a break, but man, when I think that in all reality I’ll probably never see some of these kids again… it’s sad. I’m so thankful for the time I’ve had with them… and look forward to continuing in the frienships that are just now being built!

In the last 24 hours, I have:

• actually taken a good picutre (I’m not usually very photogenic)

• been accused… no, mistaken for being a classmate of my students by one of their moms (that shaved a good 15 years off of my age, until she found out I was the teacher!)
• discovered that I’ve lost about 15 lbs since Christmas (I had no idea)

AND

• I walked into the teacher’s office today and sitting on my desk was gold! Well, not really, but it might as well have been. There was a “Have a Great Day” note and a beautiful can of Dr Pepper! It’s so hard to find here… often not possible, but one of my student/friends knew I loved it and found it and brought such a huge smile to my face!

I’d call that a good day!

Well, Chris is in England, so I’m holding down the fort here at home! I don’t really like being alone like this… I guess I need people around. I don’t have to talk and such all the time, but I just like having people around me. But, it has been such a beautiful week and it’s been so warm! I’d be happy if all summer was just like this… clear, sunny and in the upper 70s. Love it!

Today I was hanging out in the school courtyard during lunch with some friends & students and *POOF*! Out came a camera! So, check out the new pics on our site of me, Peteris, Andis and some of my other students!

I thought it was time for me to share some of my 11th graders’ journals!

There was no topic given for this first entry.

Soon it will be the summer break. I am waiting this time, the last lesson in school then all summer free. Summer is the time when I learn things practically not just reading and calculating! For me this summer will be the last summer before (college). Many questions are without answer… Who will I be? What will be my job? Where will I learn? I think I will miss my class, the little jokes and tricks…

 This one was also a “free write.” I guess we weren’t the only ones who enjoyed bowling!

Fun with friends

On Saturday I were with my friends. We went to the “bowling”. I hadn’t played bowling for a few months but before I said to Peteris that I’m gonna smash him at the game. Woops! He won the first game. Oooo, our bowling king. At the second game me and Lydia had nearly similar scores… the others Chris, Ieva and Agnese… it just wasn’t their day for bowling. But the important was that we did something together and had fun.

 I love reading these journals. I learn so much about my students from their writings. I only have 2 1/2 weeks of school left. In some ways, I’m ready for a break, but in other ways, I’m going to really miss hanging out with these guys!