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The Traveling Gnome
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Recent Posts
Simon Says: It's time for a new post
Grapes have seeds and other revelations
Would you like fries with that?
The Unofficial English Club
Quarantine-Induced Musings...
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Yes, I have conservative friends, too.
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Archives
May 2009 (1)
April 2009 (1)
March 2009 (2)
February 2009 (4)
December 2008 (2)
November 2008 (4)
October 2008 (1)
September 2008 (5)
August 2008 (4)
July 2008 (5)
June 2008 (9)
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Simon Says: It's time for a new post
It's been awhile since my last post. Although I am a repeat offender, I am contrite. It's not that I mean to neglect this blog. It just happens. The reasons are varied. In the winter, it was more paralysis, brought on by snowstorms and 4 p.m....
Published
Tue, May 26 2009 10:41 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
education
,
Peace Corps
,
Ukraine
,
Europe
,
Saved By the Bell
270 Views,
4
Comments
Grapes have seeds and other revelations
I'm fond of saying that I've learned a lot in my short time in Peace Corps Ukraine. And one of the more tangible things is a proverb: краше пізно ніж ніколі. It means "better late than never." And it's just as true in the U.S. as...
Published
Tue, Apr 07 2009 9:03 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Texas
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
American Culture
,
Seasons
,
Cliches
,
Genetically Modified
,
Top Ten
,
Grammar
288 Views,
2
Comments
Would you like fries with that?
I'm really not that American who travels abroad and eats at McDonalds. OK, up until my trip to Prague last week, that was a true statement. Immersing myself in local culture, eating foreign cuisine, and speaking as little English as possible are all...
Published
Tue, Mar 31 2009 4:48 PM
by
Claire
Filed under:
culture
,
traveling abroad
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
English
,
Starbucks
,
McDonalds
,
Prague
187 Views,
0
Comments
The Unofficial English Club
Today was a good day. After many failed attempts and half-starts, I had my very first English Club. I had tried several times to arrange meetings through the chain of command: principal, vice principal, head english teacher, my counterpart. It was a long...
Published
Wed, Mar 11 2009 11:00 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
culture
,
education
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
English
,
justin timberlake
,
michael jackson
,
kelly clarkson
178 Views,
0
Comments
Quarantine-Induced Musings...
A frosty wind isn't the only thing in the air in Western Ukraine right now. Flu season is in full-force, causing many schools to be "quarantined" indefinitely. My school closed on Thursday, February 19, to the delight of all well-bodied...
Published
Tue, Feb 24 2009 1:41 PM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
Ivano-Frankivsk
,
Hangman
,
Quarantine
,
Flu Season
,
Living Library
,
Winter
226 Views,
1
Comments
Just another day in the fishbowl
I'm finally getting the respect I never deserved. As a five-foot-two basketball player, I'm not exactly a show-stopper. Sure, I can drive the lane or spot-up for a three, but I'm no superstar. In America, that is. In Ukraine, a female basketball...
Published
Fri, Feb 13 2009 4:31 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
Ivano-Frankivsk
,
Basketball
346 Views,
4
Comments
The Lord Giveth and The Lord Taketh Away
I know what you are thinking. It’s been more than a month since my last post. But remember that time when I have you two posts in one day? It’s that time again. What a crazy month it has been. Encouraging fact: I’ve started to think...
Published
Sun, Feb 01 2009 8:32 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
traveling abroad
,
Texas
,
Peace Corps
,
Ukraine
,
Apple
,
Mustang
,
Europe
,
Fed-Ex
,
MacBook Air
579 Views,
4
Comments
Why I'm Thankful for Matt Chandler
It’s kind of a funny thing to say considering I’ve never met the guy or been to his church in Dallas. But I really am thankful for him. I heard him speak about a handful of times at Baylor and his message would always resonate with me, but...
Published
Sun, Feb 01 2009 8:24 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Christianity
,
Texas
,
Peace Corps
,
Ukraine
,
Apple
,
Matt Chandler
,
Gospel of Luke
,
Ipod
480 Views,
1
Comments
My First White Christmas
I remember this time last year how curious I was just where I would be celebrating the birth of Christ in the coming year. I had already been accepted to the Peace Corps, but I was waiting on my placement. After settling in to Ukraine in October, my thoughts...
Published
Sat, Dec 27 2008 9:48 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Christianity
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
Internet
,
Snow
,
Christmas
587 Views,
9
Comments
Home Sweet Home
After 10 weeks of training, it was time yet again to leave a family, a community, and in my case an entire region of a country. Since graduation, it seems as if I’m in a constant state of motion. First, I left Waco for Katy, then Katy for Ukraine...
Published
Mon, Dec 22 2008 12:26 PM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
386 Views,
3
Comments
The First Snow
I know, I know: two posts in one day. But I've been internet-less for about a week and oh so much has happened. On a chilly Wednesday evening, I witnessed my first Ukrainian snowfall. It was silent and beautiful. We had just left the house to run...
Published
Sun, Nov 30 2008 4:15 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Texas
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
Minnesota
,
Snow
783 Views,
5
Comments
A Cross-Cultural Open Gym Experience
Before I found out I was moving to Ukraine , I probably couldn’t have found it on a map. Ukraine, Romania, Georgia, Poland, and Belarus all blended together in my mind when I pictured Eastern Europe and Russia. My prior knowledge primarily consisted...
Published
Sun, Nov 30 2008 4:02 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
culture
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
Sports
,
Volleyball
311 Views,
1
Comments
"Please! Can we have English?"
I'm finding it harder to write these posts because there is so much going on that narrowing down what to say is a struggle. In addition to our daily language classes, we’ve started teaching four times a week. Probably one of the funnier experiences...
Published
Fri, Nov 14 2008 9:17 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
education
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
English
,
Children
456 Views,
5
Comments
The Power of Information
I’m at the halfway-point of my Peace Corps training program, and I’m getting really excited about teaching full-time and being in my new site. Of course I still don’t know where that is and what exactly I’ll be doing, but that’s...
Published
Fri, Nov 07 2008 6:02 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
,
Wacoan
,
BBC
,
Internet
,
Election
352 Views,
1
Comments
Live from Ukraine
There is so much in life you can't predict, and in the Peace Corps, there is even more. I have been in Ukraine for nearly a month, and I am already starting to look fondly upon the fluid life I'm living. For example, I can buy tomato sauce at...
Published
Sat, Oct 18 2008 5:32 AM
by
Claire
Filed under:
culture
,
education
,
Peace Corps
,
United States
,
Ukraine
456 Views,
6
Comments
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