A cool rainy Sunday--Sept 10th.
I awoke this morning to a little nip oin the air. By the time I got up and out it was 48 so I suppose when I awoke it must have been in the low to mid 40's. Awesome. And I assume it is rainy here in the Autumn as it has rained 9 out of the last 10 days. But it never seems to rain all day. Very very nice weather. I do not miss the 90 degrees and 90% humidity at all.
This past week we went to the elderly every morning and the shelter or city camp in the afternoon. The elderly was real different from working with the kids. The place we go is a place that retired people come to for three weeks at a time. The group that started Monday are blind although most are not completely blind. It was an interesting week. One day Harry did a lecture on thye Bush/Gore election and how we can elect a president without him getting the most popular votes, and a lecture on the civil war. Very interesting..you can tell harry is a college professor. One day we took a field trip with the elderly to the Firemans museum. That was very interesting. Thursday Harry taught, or tried to, everyone (including me and Andy) how to Waltz. Everyone loved it. Since there are 21 women and only 4 men, Andy and I had no choice....wow. My first waltz was intiated by a elderly blind, Mormon, Russian woman( and Andy took pictures if we can figure out how to get them from his camera to my blog). After the intial shock and ambarrassment it was fun and I danced with seveal of them. I owe here for insisting on me dancing. Friday I led a group in a craft where we made small jewerly boxes out of construction paper and then decorated them with crayons, stickers, cutouts etc. And we had two different days were Russian folk singers and dancers came in and performed. Man how life has changed :). If I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and I did, I have suceeded beyond my wildest dreams.
Today 8 more volunteers arrive so this week will be different. And Friday is Andy's last day. He is the last one here who came the day I did. I will miss him. He has been a good companion and fellow volunteer. Monday it will be me, Harry and Andy again as the new volunteers go through orientation and then Tuesday we will all go. I think I am doing the hospital for kids, city camp, and the transitional shelter next week. All good placements for me as I love being outside and with the kids.
Also of note...Dasha (one of our transalators, shown in several of my photos)botfriend Illya is a DJ at some of the dance clubs on the weekends and they invited me and Andy to go out with them Friday night. It was great, the most fun I have had since I have been in Yaroslavl. Thanks Dasha and Illya.
Also thanks Dasha for showing Andy and I one of the funniest and sadest movies I have ever seen. Thursday night Dasha brought over a movie she has called "Everything Illumuinated?". It is an awesome independent movie.
This past week we went to the elderly every morning and the shelter or city camp in the afternoon. The elderly was real different from working with the kids. The place we go is a place that retired people come to for three weeks at a time. The group that started Monday are blind although most are not completely blind. It was an interesting week. One day Harry did a lecture on thye Bush/Gore election and how we can elect a president without him getting the most popular votes, and a lecture on the civil war. Very interesting..you can tell harry is a college professor. One day we took a field trip with the elderly to the Firemans museum. That was very interesting. Thursday Harry taught, or tried to, everyone (including me and Andy) how to Waltz. Everyone loved it. Since there are 21 women and only 4 men, Andy and I had no choice....wow. My first waltz was intiated by a elderly blind, Mormon, Russian woman( and Andy took pictures if we can figure out how to get them from his camera to my blog). After the intial shock and ambarrassment it was fun and I danced with seveal of them. I owe here for insisting on me dancing. Friday I led a group in a craft where we made small jewerly boxes out of construction paper and then decorated them with crayons, stickers, cutouts etc. And we had two different days were Russian folk singers and dancers came in and performed. Man how life has changed :). If I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and I did, I have suceeded beyond my wildest dreams.
Today 8 more volunteers arrive so this week will be different. And Friday is Andy's last day. He is the last one here who came the day I did. I will miss him. He has been a good companion and fellow volunteer. Monday it will be me, Harry and Andy again as the new volunteers go through orientation and then Tuesday we will all go. I think I am doing the hospital for kids, city camp, and the transitional shelter next week. All good placements for me as I love being outside and with the kids.
Also of note...Dasha (one of our transalators, shown in several of my photos)botfriend Illya is a DJ at some of the dance clubs on the weekends and they invited me and Andy to go out with them Friday night. It was great, the most fun I have had since I have been in Yaroslavl. Thanks Dasha and Illya.
Also thanks Dasha for showing Andy and I one of the funniest and sadest movies I have ever seen. Thursday night Dasha brought over a movie she has called "Everything Illumuinated?". It is an awesome independent movie.
posted by Bryan at 1:55 AM
<< Home