what a week
gentle readers, this week has been one for the books. . . .
my second year of service just started and i'm back to work. because of the high rate of english teachers on maternity leave (about 25%, with another teacher out at a medical sanitorium trying to GET pregnant), our teaching schedule is in all kind of flux. the good thing is that i get to teach a bunch of little kids this year (2nd and 3rd graders) in addition to my big kids!! not that i don't love my big kids, it's just that the little ones pay attention and do what i say because i am the teacher. and little kids LOVE their teachers. huzzah!
speaking of my big kids. . . have i got a story for you! now *disclaimer*: i heard this news second hand -- from a teacher who talked to the kids that it happened to. and i'm sure that through this channel the information and facts have been sanitised and tweaked. but, here goes. some of my older boys got in a fight! what happened was, about 10 or so kids from another town caravaned to my village and approached my boys after school. they said that they wanted my boys to collect a certain amount of money from their classmates every week and give it to these other boys so that nothing bad will happen to the kids in my school (sort of like paying protection to the mob). my boys refused. then all of the boys from the other school jumped my boys! can you believe that?! one of my boys was STABBED IN THE ARM and another was HIT IN THE FACE WITH A METAL POLE AND GOT HIS JAW FRACTURED! what the duece!? those two boys will be ok, but the whole incident, understandable has got my school (and me) a little shaken up. from what i heard, my school's doing everything in it's power to find the boys that hurt my boys and to keep something like this from happening again.
also, this past week, my grampa passed away. now i make it a rule to not get all mushy and sentimental on this blog and i try to present the lighter/more interesting side of my service. but, rules were meant to be broken -- although i'll try to keep my sentimentality to a minimum and refrain from future touchy-feely postings.
for those of you that know me, you know my grampa had been ill for a long time, and we all knew that the end was near. i don't know what happens to us after we die. maybe there's a heaven, maybe there's not. but i do know that he's not in pain anymore, and i know that's best for him. but i do have to regrets concerning my grampa's passing. first, i'm sorry that i can't be there with the rest of my family to help put him to rest and share in the myriad of emotions that are spilled at a funeral. i want you all at home to know that my thoughts and heart have been only with you all since grampa passed away. and i wish more than anything that i could have been with you. second, i wish i would have been able to say goodbye properly to my grampa. he was such a huge part of my life growing up and i owe so much to him. after i left, his health started into a downward spiral, but i always thought he would get better, because, he's my grampa, and grampa's always been around. but i was wrong. so, for you, grampa --i hope you can check my blog from wherever you are. i won't say goodbye to you, because i will keep you always with me. i can't say goodbye, because you haven't left me.
love.
my second year of service just started and i'm back to work. because of the high rate of english teachers on maternity leave (about 25%, with another teacher out at a medical sanitorium trying to GET pregnant), our teaching schedule is in all kind of flux. the good thing is that i get to teach a bunch of little kids this year (2nd and 3rd graders) in addition to my big kids!! not that i don't love my big kids, it's just that the little ones pay attention and do what i say because i am the teacher. and little kids LOVE their teachers. huzzah!
speaking of my big kids. . . have i got a story for you! now *disclaimer*: i heard this news second hand -- from a teacher who talked to the kids that it happened to. and i'm sure that through this channel the information and facts have been sanitised and tweaked. but, here goes. some of my older boys got in a fight! what happened was, about 10 or so kids from another town caravaned to my village and approached my boys after school. they said that they wanted my boys to collect a certain amount of money from their classmates every week and give it to these other boys so that nothing bad will happen to the kids in my school (sort of like paying protection to the mob). my boys refused. then all of the boys from the other school jumped my boys! can you believe that?! one of my boys was STABBED IN THE ARM and another was HIT IN THE FACE WITH A METAL POLE AND GOT HIS JAW FRACTURED! what the duece!? those two boys will be ok, but the whole incident, understandable has got my school (and me) a little shaken up. from what i heard, my school's doing everything in it's power to find the boys that hurt my boys and to keep something like this from happening again.
also, this past week, my grampa passed away. now i make it a rule to not get all mushy and sentimental on this blog and i try to present the lighter/more interesting side of my service. but, rules were meant to be broken -- although i'll try to keep my sentimentality to a minimum and refrain from future touchy-feely postings.
for those of you that know me, you know my grampa had been ill for a long time, and we all knew that the end was near. i don't know what happens to us after we die. maybe there's a heaven, maybe there's not. but i do know that he's not in pain anymore, and i know that's best for him. but i do have to regrets concerning my grampa's passing. first, i'm sorry that i can't be there with the rest of my family to help put him to rest and share in the myriad of emotions that are spilled at a funeral. i want you all at home to know that my thoughts and heart have been only with you all since grampa passed away. and i wish more than anything that i could have been with you. second, i wish i would have been able to say goodbye properly to my grampa. he was such a huge part of my life growing up and i owe so much to him. after i left, his health started into a downward spiral, but i always thought he would get better, because, he's my grampa, and grampa's always been around. but i was wrong. so, for you, grampa --i hope you can check my blog from wherever you are. i won't say goodbye to you, because i will keep you always with me. i can't say goodbye, because you haven't left me.
love.
posted by ashli at 5:30 AM
4 Comments:
Ashli,
My sympathy goes out to you and your family...keep your Grandpa in your heart because as you said he will never really be gone.
Hugs
Marla
Hi Ashli
Just checking on you, This is is the orphanage lady just checking out your blog. I hope all is well.I have been hanging out with Jo packing tomatoes not to exciting. Kelli
hey Toots
I have your birthday card and gift at my house, It was returned, I was waiting to re send it to you. Now your back I Can, Lots of nothing going on here, I will write you a letter and send it with your birthday stuff, Love and Miss you, Aunt JoDee worshor ye ga ma goran!
I found this site whilst looking for other blogs based in/around Kazakhstan.
My belated condolonces with your Grampa's passing, my Grandma passed around the same time, I hope your family gets through this time of reflection.
On a (slightly) happier note, would be able to write an update on what happened re. the rival village boys attacking yours?
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