THANK GOD IT'S THURSDAY! * Vocab update: b'ḥoshi (singular), b'ḥoshitan (plural): cheers
Month: September 2012
THE COMMON COLD. Constant, never-ending, ubiquitous COLDS. The little twerps have infected me. That's why I've been sleeping so much. I never stood a chance against 28 new germ-hosts. My body's shut down - my American antibodies are trying to fend off these new, Kurdish cold germs. But the germs have won! And these are … Continue reading Curse of the Kindergarteners…
Somehow, this job is getting easier. It's still wickedly exhausting - I think that last night I fell asleep at 7pm, and this morning I got up at 6am. And the night before that, I slept from 8pm to 6am. So it's really, really tiring, and I'm having trouble finding the energy to exercise, and … Continue reading I’m Doing It
In the bazaar's meat district, there's a little side street that sells live chickens. You order as many as you want, and they slaughter them there for you. You come back 15 minutes later, and they're beheaded, plucked, and trussed for you. I definitely want to order one or two, but until my Kurdish improves … Continue reading Chickens
My students are going to crack me. I know it, I'm going to lose it, end up wandering around the streets of Suli talking to imaginary teachers about how Jad's voice doesn't operate on a volume below "scream" and how Aryeen doesn't seem to grasp the concept that a chair is for sitting and instead … Continue reading I need a straight-jacket
I've totally finished preparing my classroom. Totally. The boards are ready, the desks labelled, the books sorted, the chairs and desks counted. Whew. That seriously took 3 days to do. Maybe 4. What day is it, again? Words for today: khuzj: hair khuzi lula: curly hair maez: table kursi: chair pAHnka: ceiling fan bashtirr: better … Continue reading My Classroom
So, making friends... it's hard. And it's also really, really crucial. Here's why: I'm in a new place, about which I know next to nothing. I don't speak the language. All the friends I've made over the past 22 years are thousands of miles away. I have a bunch of new co-workers with whom I … Continue reading Hi, I’m Rachel. And you are…?
In Mutual Weirdness 