More on my Time in the South

It must seem like I’m including every stinking detail with these books I post, but oh, it only scratches the surface. As I scroll through a list of stories I want to tell (up to 22 at last count), fabulous memories come flooding back. Twenty-two is a daunting number, but I’m gonna go for it! (We’ll see if I manage to include every last one. :) Grab a cup (or maybe a pot?) of tea and let’s dive in!

Nauryz and IST. A great time to reconnect with volunteers you already know, connect with ones you hadn’t managed to meet earlier, and celebrate together the completion of a huge hunk of our service. The result: links are made and awesome things happen, whether the tie is an activity, or faith, or PC work.

Classroom Management
Teaming up with other PCVs to accomplish some task can really be a joy. During IST, I got to do just that. Over four days, dozens of presentations were made, both by volunteers and Peace Corps staff. Many weeks back, I was asked to share my grading system with other PCVs. That transformed into co-leading a session on Classroom Management with Echo, a rock-star volunteer who is teaching at the college level in Southern KZ. With a little research and a lot of creativity, we put together a session that seemed to go really well (though not at all according to plan. But really, am I still planning? That’s just silly.). Brought me back to my Rawhide days, scheming effective management techniques to address difficult behaviors. In the end, I’m hoping at least a few volunteers returned to site with some new tricks up their sleeves.

As for this grading system, that also has ties to my Rawhide days. I took the general principles of their scoring system and decided on four main areas I wanted to highlight in my classroom. I give my students a score of 0-5 in timeliness, homework, participation, and quality. From the average of those numbers, I decide on their daily score. I’ve got some wiggle room, but the part I appreciate most is being able to show my students exactly what I expect them to improve for a better grade. Objectivity is great.

What have I gotten myself into?!
Throughout my time in Shymkent and Almaty, I bumped into more and more runners! (I’m more of a jogger, really, but “runner” just sounds so much better.) Back in the quiet apartment in Shymkent, I met Hannah, who joined me on a couple morning runs and told me about a few PCVs who are training for a marathon in Russia this coming August. We brainstormed and got all sorts of excited about the idea of copying them, not this August, in 2011.

I shared my excitement with my parents a few days later. Recognizing that we might be open to places other than Russia, my dad suggested Greece. Thanks to Runner’s World, he was aware of what a special year this is. The year 2010 marks the 2,500th year anniversary of the marathon!! On October 31, 2010, a marathon will follow the original route. My excitement quadrupled and I had to get online to see about registration. Already in April, all the tour packages were sold out, and I couldn’t figure out if there were spots available for entering the race without all the fancy perks. A day or two later, my answer came. Registration closed. Seven months ahead of the race, she’s all booked. Darn it.

Our sights shifted to a land not so far from there. A marathon in Istanbul, Turkey, will be held on October 17, 2010. We agreed that October is a perfect time to run, as it gives us warm summer months in which to train. So that we wouldn’t miss another registration, Hannah, Holly, and myself got ourselves signed up. Bib 400 for me. Oh, I may have lost my mind. Have I lost my mind??

Especially with the excitement of registering for a marathon, the disappointment of not being quick enough for Greece had abated. So when I relayed the story to a friend back home, I was taken aback when she asked, “Denise, why are you not going to watch this marathon in Greece?” “Uh… well, uh… I guess I could!” Molly was even so kind as to pull up ticket prices to show just how feasible such a trip could be. No plane tickets purchased yet, but I’m going to Turkey, by golly. We’ll see if I dare make a 2-week trip out of it.

First order of business is to decide on a training plan. And I must mention that we extended the invitation to other volunteers. Right now we’re up to 5 who are registered! Good golly I’m excited! This summer, knowing that at least four other girls are also trudging along dirt paths past wild dogs and gawking locals better keep me going strong.

Prayer Chain
One more community brought closer together was that of believers! Being a Christian in Peace Corps is quite a different thing than circumstances in which I’ve lived before. To be honest, I didn’t know whether I’d come across brothers or sisters in Christ. So oh, is it terrific every time I discover that connection with others.

Some of us put our heads together and decided we ought to organize some sort of weekly e-mail. With a big thanks to Hannah, we’ve got a weekly e-mail coming out with contributions from whoever wants to contribute an encouraging/challenging word, followed by a list of names. We each pray for one designated person for the coming week. Having an intentional network of prayer support is invaluable.

Little by little, I’ll get you all caught up! So stay tuned!