Weekly Ramble - yada yada yada

Well, Life is good.
The weather this week was really really warm, and seemed to cheer everyone up! I try to smile at everyone I can, with mixed results. Drunks on the midnight train can be exceptionally friendly, while random fights breakout on escalators. Simple chocolate in a nice package can be interesting, when your students then tell you that you bought them spiked candy. I have learned that lesson planning is 10% for the 90% of the class, and 90% for 10% of the class. Its amazing what you will eat when you are hungry, including 3 servings of peas. English Club is going great, with a variety of people interested. Sports night is awesome, however, students seem to be complaining about bruises the next day. Hanging out with students for hours on end, always makes me feel at home. I receive about a letter a week from my mommy, which always puts a smile on my face. The heat has turned on in the flat, and windows have flown open. Things I miss the most include Oreos, Mexican food, and my moms cooking. Oh, and macaroni and cheese. I am really starting to hate cigarette smoke, while almost 50% of my students smoke. My shower has a sense of humor as it likes to go from lukewarm to scalding hot within a tenth of a second, and then ice cold. I Feel naked and helpless outside, if somehow I forgot my "papers." To eat chocolate is like a little piece of heaven. I bought some raspberry jelly in anticipation of its counterpart. My English is slowly deteriorating as I always speak slow and simple to my students. I miss you all, as you all have a special place in my heart. With all my love, hugs and kisses.

pete

A picture for the week

This is a scene from Povlovska.


A note from some students after English Club.




Yes, my lack of peanut butter.



A funny man at Petergoff Palace gardens.
(puffy face and baby wings...hahaha)


Hope you enjoyed them!

Another week

hey ya'll!
School-
Its going great. Teaching lots. I am constantly developing new lesson plans and new ideas for the students. They can be rowdy sometimes.

Relationships-
I am getting to know the students really well. Hanging out with a group almost every weekend now.

Sightseeing-
I went and saw Povlovska Palace on Saturday! That was really cool.
I don't know what I am going to see this weekend.

Ministry-
We had 21 people show up for english club last thursday. And 10 people for the bible study on friday. We have english club again this thursday, but sports-night this friday.

The city is really starting to grow on me, and the culture that surrounds it. I love it.
Please, I don't really know what you want to know.....just ask.

Finances-
I am still thousands short. Please do what you can and where the lord leads.

Miss you all!

pete

A Plethora of Fun

Wow, this was an amazing week.

Last Sunday, I went to Petergof with some friends, and walked around in the gardens and such. Monday the 8th, was my first day of classes. I just introduced myself, and interviewed each student. The week was great, just getting to know my students. Most of my students are between the ages of 17-22. I teach 11 classes throughout the week, with the most being on Friday. I have a day off on Tuesday....which is really nice. I only have to plan 2-3 lesson plans a week. Friday, the 12th was my 22nd Birthday. Many of the students were thrilled by that. Every other friday night, we have "sports night"...where we play vollyball, floor hockey, futball, and basketball. I get off of work at 6:30 on Friday...so from there, I just straight to sports night. We had about 30 people show up for sports night, and about 10 came back to my flat, and we drank champagne. Saturday, I hung out with many of the same students all day, as they showed me around the city - museums, cathedrals, and such....AWESOME DAY. Then on Sunday, I went out with 7 different students to Pushkin and the Pushkin palace/gardens. One of the most beautiful places I have ever been. WOWOOWOW....look it up. I am starting an english club every thursday night, and we are having a weekly bible study every Friday night. I am really enjoying hanging out with my students, and building relationships. I am trying to learn Russian....slowly. Many of you have asked what I might need or want. I put together a small list here.

-expo markers

-airborne

-peanut butter

-oreos

-flash cards

-copy of Conneticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court

-Graham Crackers

-fun english speaking games for english club

Thanks much for all your prayers and support.

Anyone may call my house phone at this number.....

7-812-232-5944

paka

pete

pictures!

hey check these out!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070931&l=10f8e&id=40305381

love ya

pete

LIfe is good...eternal life better!

Hey...it been a while, sorry. I try to write or use a computer when my roomies aren't. I have been mainly exploring the city and understanding how things work. My biggest frustration here is the food. Its the fear of the unknown. I know its a hotdog...but why is THIS one 50 rubles, and that one 200 rubles. Scary when you don't know what it really is! haha. Be thankful that you know how to read the lables! jeez. I almost bought liver the other day. And I saved up some money, to buy a beer...haha. I need to read carefully. I wanted a true Russian beer. Of all the choices...and believe me, there are lots!....I picked the non-alcoholic beer! JEEZ. I was pissed. I found out when I came home. lol. I took lots of pictures yesterday. I walked all the way down to Nevesky Prospekt and up and down that for a few hours. My feet were sore after that. Its really windy also. The temperature is about 52 degrees F. I am already starting to bundle up. Almost everyday it rains. For food, I eat 2 bananas a day. 2 large carrots a day. A bowl of oatmeal in the morning/cereal. Maybe toast and eggs for dinner with a hotdog. Everybody laughs at me, when I eat my carrots. Who the heck skins a carrot? I never have...why should I start? lol. Today, I ventured north to find myself a white board. Fun times. I jump on this metro, and get to this spot. Oh, by the way. Everything here, is rarely connected. Everything is blurps in my memory. This remote islands of existence that are not connected, and I seem to just appear in them. They are worlds unto themselves. This little pieces of city that are rarely connected. Sometimes I dare to walk from one to another as the map beckons...and start realizing that this is another island/miniature city that I have found. It's like alice in wonderland - I am a rabbit popping out of all this holes. Anyway, I come to this new island, and am looking for this BUS. "Gdea autobus ekea?" Where is the Ikea bus? They have an Ikea here. Some big furniture store people say. Hmmm. I am standing there staring at about 40 buses. What the heck! After much street crossing and crowd following. I became a sheeple and followed about 150 people onto a 40 person bus. Now, a word of advice....NEVER be the last person on a bus like that. It was so packed, I didn't think the bus would move. I jump on, hanging out the door....wondering how these doors are going to close....yes, there was no more room! hahaha. Needless to say, after the doors hit me in the face and body a few times, a pushed hard, and endured the trip - hunched over with my face in some guys back....I didn't see light for about 10 min. lol. I walk through the mall and go exploring. I really wish I had looked up the word for white board. grrrrr. Try explaining that with charades! I carry a back pack on, with food, sweater, umbrella, carrots, and papers. Needless to say...I try to be stopped by the police....since....I still don't have everything in order...i.e. legal registration and such! hahaha. But, I walked through a line...not buying anything, and walked past a police officer. Me with a back pack on...would be the perfect shoplifter! I got stopped yelled at. I kinda shrugged my shoulders, having no idea what he said, and said what I could. Well, to make a long story short, after more cops, and security guards, they decided to hand me over to these two guys. Who then escorted me through a door, down a long hall way, and into a small interrogation room with a little light, table and chair...that little one way mirror and all. haha. Anyway, they searched everything I had, and let me go. Fun times! haha. Ok, something else now. This made my day. I am walking along to the bus stop, and I see this huge rat crawling around 50 yards in front of me. This is in the parking lot of Ikea! I walking that direction, wonder how close I can get. I stop wondering when I stop walking, and I am 1 yard from the stupid rat. I stop and stare. This rat now faces me, stands up and starts twitching. He suddenly charges me, and grabs my foot and tries to run up my leg. THIS IS A RAT! yuck! I am standing next to a large concrete pole, and I swing my foot with the rat on it against the pole as hard as I can. I shriek back in horror, as the rat limps away...only about 12 feet. I stare at him. But he is still in the way of my destination...I slowly creep forward, and he charges again. I am prepared this time. I was quickly brought back to my soccer days of making a goal, and swung my foot back, ready to swing it hard. My foot made perfect contact! That little rat squealed its last as I punted it 60+ feet across the parking lot. Yes, cruel, but so satisfying. The rat, I can say with confidence, was dead as a door nail as it lay motionless in the parking lot. I can now say, that I have taken a little bit of evil out of this world. hehehehe. Anyway, I came home safely, and am now going to go study some Russian. Pacaa! (see ya later)
I'll post some pics soon!

peoter samovich husmann