What Would Make Me Happy...a list

I am starting my second year of teaching in a little less than two weeks. Here is a list of things that would make my second year as a teacher and volunteer that much greater.

Spanish books (to teach myself Spanish over winter)
Teeth Whitener (the strips)
Crystal Light On the Go (they orange ones)
Twizzlers
Marshmallows
Markers
Stickers
Candles
Lip Gloss
Fun school supplies (to give to students)
cute pens, pencils, notebooks, pencil cases
World Map
Socks
Yarn - sparkly heather grey...if possible :)
Christmas decorations (takes three to six weeks to mail, so plan ahead)
Starbucks Coffee (ground, not whole bean) - Sumatra or Sulawesi
Socks - booty style...below the ankle, that is
Bath and Body Works stuff - body cream, spray, antibacterial soap (w/o water)...
Tropical Passionfruit, Crisp Citrus Herb, Fall/Winter
scents

EXERCISE DVDS!!! I have advanced Tae Bo, but would like more Tae Bo, Yoga, Dance...a variety. I am going to start an afterschool program for girls in 8-12 grade to do aerobics everyday after school and teach them a little about nutrition and their health needs. I NEED DVDS so they have a variety of exercises and don't get burned out on the one I have. Thanks!

- this list could and will change

The Doctor is In

I arrived at my village to a sick host mom. She has a tremendous cough and has trouble breathing. The doctor says she has bronchitis and I think he is pretty much correct. She caught this sickness by drinking cold water. She has drank cold water many times in the past, but this one last time was the one that did her in. "Never in my life will I drink cold water from the refrigerator again." My host mom has been to the doctor every day since I have been back, taking blood, taking urine samples, x-raying her chest... Every time she buys a new set of medicine (injections, pills, teas, etc.) and none of them seem to help. The medicine here is lacking and most of it, I am sure, is the same thing but in different packaging. The doctor tells her different things to concoct to help with her breathing and coughing. A mixture of lemon, honey and aloe which you drink by the tablespoon. The most recent suggestion is the most fun. The doctor told her to melt parafin wax and then place it on her chest. I guess it holds in the heat and sort of works like that icy hot theraflu stuff. So we melt the wax and after lunch we begin to play with it. It is too hot to touch so we let it cool a little. Once the wax cools, I begin to experiment with it, by rubbing it on my chest. My host mom sees how I am doing it and she too begins rubbing this semi-hot wax onto her chest. Imagine, two women standing at the kitchen table over a bowl of melted wax, globbing it on their chests. I stop midway, I am not the one who is sick (although I have a slight cough which I think I caught from someone in America!). I begin to help her, because she has concentrated only in the spot directly above her cleavage. So, now, imagine two women standing at the kitchen table over a bowl of melted wax, the older with her shirt pulled open, and the younger one globbing wax onto the others chest. My host mom now has a chest covered with parafin wax which she has covered with a plastic bag, and then a towel to keep the wax from falling off and to hold in the heat. Her response, "Never in my life did I think I would have to put wax on my chest just from drinking cold water...never again!"

Back in the Outhouse!

I am back in Moldova after being in the US of A for three weeks. I had a great time and was a little sad coming back on the plane(s). I realized I was not in America the moment I got in the taxi and proceeded to put on my seat belt. The taxi driver gave me a quick glance over and I was too dumbfounded to take it back off. The day after I got back I said goodbye to a good friend of mine, Maria/Masha, who has completed her service. She is starting her new life in America and waiting for her fiance, Mark/Marcel, to follow her in October. I will miss them both. Ah, school will begin soon, and I have to get my stuff together. I am both excited and sad to start the new school year. I don't want to, yet I want to. The first year was full of errors and semi catastrophes, so this year, hopefully, there will be less of them. I can take the things I did well and continue doing them, and take the not so wonderful activities/events, and improve on them. Wish me luck as my days of summer come to a close and I begin school on September 1st.

Back to the Motherland!

This summer, while out of school, I used up some of my vacation days to surprise my mom and sister back in Georgia. My brother and dad helped plan and finance the trip for me and we have been scheming since April. I arrived in Atlanta on a Friday and my best friend, Chet, and I went out to dinner for some stir fry. YUM! Of course, we went out drinking after that and then back to his house to concoct drinks with some more friends. I attempted to play pool, but once again, was unsuccessful.
The next morning I drove down to my parent's house where my brother and dad were waiting for me but my mom was still in the dark. I surprised her while she was vacuuming and she almost fell over. Imagine not seeing your child for a year and you can get a mental picture of what kind of homecoming it was. We piled into the car and drove to my sister's house. Immediately after stepping out of the truck I heard "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..." through the front door. I guess she caught a glimpse of me walking up to the door. It was a good time.
So I have been back in America for a week and some odd days and I am halfway through my vacation and my time left in Moldova. I have ate Panera Bread, Sushi, Donatos, Burger King, White Castle, Chinese food, Hamburgers, Chipotle...and there will be many more added to the list. I am glad to be back home and to see my family and what is going on in their lives. I am now in Ohio visiting the rest of my family and running here and there checking things out. So, if you are in the USA area, call me...if you don't have my number then you are just out of luck. Maybe if you email me or catch me online I will give it to you. If you want to see me, you have to come to me. I made it to the Eastern time zone, you have to travel the rest of the way.