I never would have believed it if last month you'd have told me that today I'd be sitting on the balcony with the window open, in shorts and a t-shirt, with the warmth of the sun shining on me.
And to think back home they just got another foot of snow!
It's been 42 days since my last post, and though my day's schedule hasn't changed much, the day's length sure has! Unbelievably, the last three weeks have been 45 degrees, cloudless, and gloriously sunny! The amount of light has changed drastically, as the sun is now up from 8am until 8:15pm. The weather has lightened everyone's moods, and even walking to the super market seems fun! Though winter is supposed to come back soon, these weeks have truly been a gift of grace from God.
Lately at IA I've been teaching elementary science. It's been such a great experience. Here's my favorite story so far:
While teaching the 2nd graders about mollusks, I prepared a slide show with examples such as snails, squid, clams, and octopi. I gathered pictures of the animals in the wild, and then what they look like when prepared in a dish for eating. I was excited to get the classic "eww gross!" reaction when the pictures of octopus salad and escargo came up. Boy was I surprised. As soon as the soup with suction-cup tentacles floating in an inky broth was projected, the chorus of "ohh yummy's" and "yeah! did you bring some for us?" made me laugh out loud. I guess I should have expected it, considering there was 13 Korean, Thai, and Japanese students to the one American. It seems that teaching at an International Academy would never get old.
I am still enjoying my involvement in the music department immensely. In early February we had the winter recital, in which I accompanied students' violin solos and directed the middle school boys choir. Day to day I teach elementary music and am currently teaching the 5th graders Vivaldi's "Gloria," which is coming along very nicely. Unfortunately, I will miss the spring concert, but it is great to help prepare them for it. Also, I had the pleasure of being the MC at the school talent show.
Lastly but firstly, my parents came to visit! We had a wonderful time touring the city, going to Helsinki, Finland, and showing them around my life here. I am so blessed to have loving and caring parents, and my appreciation for them just keeps growing and growing. We got some good pictures of our time together, so if you'd like to see them, check out my facebook page.
P.S. I feel 100% safe here in St. Pete. Since I look Russian, I haven't run into any trouble at all in relation to the Ukraine dispute. But I thank you for all the prayers and thoughts. Please keep it up!
God Bless!
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