tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35578487298473193762024-03-05T13:35:13.323-08:00Джингер (the Jinger)The Ramblings of a Recently Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from UkraineJinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-74420198993809993342013-04-28T16:36:00.001-07:002013-04-28T16:38:00.932-07:00Paleo-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Even though I don't really eat strict paleo (I love cheese and ketchup too much), I tried my hand at baking with paleo ingredients for the first time last Friday! I made some paleo-style chocolate chip cookies for a CrossFit friend's birthday, based on my friend Olivia's recipe - you can find the original recipe on her blog, <a href="http://oliviaspalate.com/2013/04/11/chocolate-chip-paleo-cookies/" target="_blank">Olivia's Palate</a>. To make the cookies paleo style, I used almond meal, coconut oil and maple syrup instead of the flour, butter and sugar found in a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cookies didn't quite have the chewy consistency of my favorite Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies, but overall they still tasted great!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first batch of paleo chocolate chip cookies cooling off. </td></tr>
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<i>**Note:</i> if you don't know what the word "paleo" means, I highly recommend taking a glance at <a href="http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/" target="_blank">"The Beginner's Guide to the Paleo Diet"</a> for a quick and easy breakdown. </div>
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<b>Here are the ingredients that you'll need:</b></div>
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<li>3 cups of almond meal or almond flour (I used almond meal from Sprouts)</li>
<li>1/2 cup melted coconut oil (I just bought the Trader Joe's brand)</li>
<li>1/3 cup pure maple syrup</li>
<li>2 large eggs</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups or 12oz of chocolate chips (I used Trader Joe's organic semi sweet chocolate chips, which I considered to be paleo but some people may be stricter about this)</li>
</ul>
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This recipe made about 3 dozen small cookies, about 2 inches in diameter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cookie ingredients. </td></tr>
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<b>To make the cookies:</b></div>
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1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F before you start mixing anything. </div>
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2. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. <i>Note: I prefer to mix all the wet ingredients together, then add the dry ingredients. But the order of the ingredients really doesn't matter that much as long as you can get everything mixed together to form a cohesive cookie dough.</i> </div>
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3. Next, add in the salt and baking soda. </div>
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4. Gradually mix in the almond flour until the mixture forms a batter. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Gt-G5BGUD9V-3lCdb7iMADyIK42LlgqCGv38ws9FtfJv6ZwUSARTRVz9wsjsLo3-Jks-PVuCk-qDFfY2af0LGmXhFgBA90dMue9Z2vIfc4G6fcGtLIv4uxVCOAZy_KShcOoJsIp14Qs/s1600/IMG_0837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Gt-G5BGUD9V-3lCdb7iMADyIK42LlgqCGv38ws9FtfJv6ZwUSARTRVz9wsjsLo3-Jks-PVuCk-qDFfY2af0LGmXhFgBA90dMue9Z2vIfc4G6fcGtLIv4uxVCOAZy_KShcOoJsIp14Qs/s320/IMG_0837.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almond meal has a different consistency than regular flour.</td></tr>
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5. Measure out roughly 1/2 cup of the coconut oil. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it will need to be melted before you can add it to the batter. I simply melted my coconut oil by putting it in the microwave in a ceramic cup for about 1 minute, but I suppose you could also melt it on low heat in a saucepan on the stove. The coconut oil will turn clear when it is melted, and then you can measure out 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil and add to your cookie dough mixture. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solid coconut oil at room temperature looks suspiciously like lard, but it melts easily into a clear oil. </td></tr>
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6. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix the batter until it forms a sticky dough. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cookie dough turned out a lot stickier than I thought, perhaps next time I'll add a little more almond meal or less coconut oil. </td></tr>
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7. Spoon balls of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, about an inch apart. I prefer smaller cookies, so I used about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie and flattened the dough a little bit into a circular shape. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to flatten the dough a little or the cookies will be too chunky. </td></tr>
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8. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees, or until the cookies turn golden brown at the edges. Remove the cookies carefully from the cookie sheet (as they may crumble if they haven't baked long enough) and let them cool before serving. My cookies didn't expand as much as I expected, but they were still tasty! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh out of the oven! You can see the grainier texture of the almond meal. </td></tr>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-90639307834654344312013-04-24T14:34:00.001-07:002013-04-24T14:34:56.777-07:00San Francisco Coastal Hike with the Georgia Tech Northern California Alumni<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Saturday, I met up with a group of Georgia Tech alumni from the Northern California region to hike along the coast and headlands of San Francisco. This hike took us about 5 hours because we walked fairly slow and stopped quite a while for lunch. But it was a great day to be hiking - we got extremely lucky, because the weather happened to be bright and sunny (as opposed to SF's normal fog and wind).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-hQtF6byDQQwgNzJHb4h7t95ceT7meO-oV7SpBQOVY2nrjHlzVtB7iV-3MvO513mdNoIYlBk06TuxYrUn7Nc0XgdXIoBCiAq9pgtVcbCNF87ywsSihvbTWrwcy8lttFeYXxgz_2Wkhk/s1600/921439_572868242743760_959096428_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-hQtF6byDQQwgNzJHb4h7t95ceT7meO-oV7SpBQOVY2nrjHlzVtB7iV-3MvO513mdNoIYlBk06TuxYrUn7Nc0XgdXIoBCiAq9pgtVcbCNF87ywsSihvbTWrwcy8lttFeYXxgz_2Wkhk/s320/921439_572868242743760_959096428_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hiking group at "Land's End" with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_ludDgJFeeuMIVxjfBlx87NHJPw3mJWwIA4MQS2j0JfeBx8DG6sAQaGPBKRYT3_RV0nvsThSbAl-LefIwPrH5aWuH1d7wKdPszmnEew9257cjs8DJhMZUL6cioPk2ouvegD3UrNcbPs/s1600/coastal+hike+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_ludDgJFeeuMIVxjfBlx87NHJPw3mJWwIA4MQS2j0JfeBx8DG6sAQaGPBKRYT3_RV0nvsThSbAl-LefIwPrH5aWuH1d7wKdPszmnEew9257cjs8DJhMZUL6cioPk2ouvegD3UrNcbPs/s320/coastal+hike+map.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hiking route from Ocean Beach to the Marina (map courtesy of Google Maps). </td></tr>
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We started off the hike at the intersection of Great Highway and Fulton Street, in Ocean Beach. I had never been to this part of SF before, so I was pleasantly reminded of Southern California's beach scene with the stores and cute houses. There weren't that many people hanging out on the beach, maybe because its still too cold to swim in the water. However, there were surfers braving the waves in their wetsuits.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting on the ledge at Ocean Beach. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5nM0oY10Cu9AsddwkKgyhjPjZ0uaj7YSq5Tvt5-XTaqjkkNdVv3bDaUiprl9pI8tMxML29eyLNYYExwRj7-xUW3sdAUnZIrf0gBpAa2lf0-2w1-DrWQeithVFw64w5hCt_5tkTAUvRg/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5nM0oY10Cu9AsddwkKgyhjPjZ0uaj7YSq5Tvt5-XTaqjkkNdVv3bDaUiprl9pI8tMxML29eyLNYYExwRj7-xUW3sdAUnZIrf0gBpAa2lf0-2w1-DrWQeithVFw64w5hCt_5tkTAUvRg/s320/IMG_0705.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just thought it was interesting that the riptide warning sign included Chinese, Spanish and Russian. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykyUqbvJgyZKutNHFkANIoE8cemKkLnNSg6EoOUwr5-CselapHwqfI7tFzszxMW9SP6ComfCcrWllL3EcVJQFTMKZu5zM3gqCAxUIIWWiyALdJIxcMQYUxR-tdlD-XyBXpgQvFGhJKV8/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykyUqbvJgyZKutNHFkANIoE8cemKkLnNSg6EoOUwr5-CselapHwqfI7tFzszxMW9SP6ComfCcrWllL3EcVJQFTMKZu5zM3gqCAxUIIWWiyALdJIxcMQYUxR-tdlD-XyBXpgQvFGhJKV8/s320/IMG_0712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view as we headed up the hill from the beach. </td></tr>
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After Ocean Beach, we hiked along the Sutro Baths upper trail to Land's End. And when I say hiked, I mean that we walked along the sidewalk paths and on staircases that have been built into the trail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFp833Upy8hXBZbol2rzPkxUCsBVxuiJNqC1k6I6lVMAeaATIXuc7PxAxPqZeR_iQTtBPtEbRwE_VX3YAYTBYv5acRNghOwtHRuJ58vMYRAeXMRWvfpIOd97Zg35dpnb-wL9s1S7DgUlI/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFp833Upy8hXBZbol2rzPkxUCsBVxuiJNqC1k6I6lVMAeaATIXuc7PxAxPqZeR_iQTtBPtEbRwE_VX3YAYTBYv5acRNghOwtHRuJ58vMYRAeXMRWvfpIOd97Zg35dpnb-wL9s1S7DgUlI/s320/IMG_0715.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Point Lobos.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsFLPiZg3U0h4VURWiAWxdeC95iinjWTLSzV7Cl3BugsZ9njb79a0COenFD4p3yczJ1D0ouBgAzEQKWH8NHQsRIEbfK3tKfmex1F5SAg8b4uDPE85nwAqje6W7qyuEiruDEx8UoQ4QYE/s1600/IMG_0716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsFLPiZg3U0h4VURWiAWxdeC95iinjWTLSzV7Cl3BugsZ9njb79a0COenFD4p3yczJ1D0ouBgAzEQKWH8NHQsRIEbfK3tKfmex1F5SAg8b4uDPE85nwAqje6W7qyuEiruDEx8UoQ4QYE/s320/IMG_0716.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going up!</td></tr>
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The Land's End part of the hike was my favorite, because it took us right down to the water. It was a lot rockier than I expected, but it was beautiful! There were some logs strewn across the beach area, so I assume people come and sit on them from time to time to have quiet waterfront picnics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDJ_ypmyzUNHuXUuFCpS2fCIpJt9K54KWXCJVNZFr48PXNSeSvg6f72jbr3e8s2_5IehxUkc9-NYwX6cvqF3XLGFoUIOPeviZ9Fu6FgKvVjhaqw1xLQxqKgXRNucujldEuaCSXxhvv84/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDJ_ypmyzUNHuXUuFCpS2fCIpJt9K54KWXCJVNZFr48PXNSeSvg6f72jbr3e8s2_5IehxUkc9-NYwX6cvqF3XLGFoUIOPeviZ9Fu6FgKvVjhaqw1xLQxqKgXRNucujldEuaCSXxhvv84/s320/IMG_0717.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the rocky coast from the trail. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI3j9lxodvsYh4PL_K52EA8wlsU1gbZbR4Hi_eadTM4VsdhUGy0KV7gjRtqIz9GlXxT_iL-eh8e2FXUs7YyGbdSWkf37e1JuMwX0neWRQ7yAVIghN7k1QWSCOlPYfRsUOW1Lu3YNfHUw/s1600/IMG_0720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI3j9lxodvsYh4PL_K52EA8wlsU1gbZbR4Hi_eadTM4VsdhUGy0KV7gjRtqIz9GlXxT_iL-eh8e2FXUs7YyGbdSWkf37e1JuMwX0neWRQ7yAVIghN7k1QWSCOlPYfRsUOW1Lu3YNfHUw/s320/IMG_0720.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeff leading the way with all of his legit hiking gear. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbOBkLQbwBcPZd2C3HXcf3OUmX_X1en5_WgUbDf0Rk34FsBvLVS7L1QI1itVqAzyvWF25t9I4jQ3_54ejKMQv0jv-NV_AtE8Xo2quPktR6y_gFg1HdL03jE4JnHB42CXE8TLUCk5SXqw/s1600/IMG_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbOBkLQbwBcPZd2C3HXcf3OUmX_X1en5_WgUbDf0Rk34FsBvLVS7L1QI1itVqAzyvWF25t9I4jQ3_54ejKMQv0jv-NV_AtE8Xo2quPktR6y_gFg1HdL03jE4JnHB42CXE8TLUCk5SXqw/s320/IMG_0722.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little beach area. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/ccfa/3nfZIqZ5JZc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/ccfa/3nfZIqZ5JZc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocks and rocks on rocks. </td></tr>
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From the Land's End trail, we went up to the Eagle's Point labyrinth. I'm not really sure what the labyrinth part was, but the view of the Golden Gate bridge from there was gorgeous (so that is where we took a bunch of group photos). It was also a little scary because there was no guard rail or anything to prevent you from falling off the edge off the cliff into the bay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/cd30/Gc5t_nq8Go8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/cd30/Gc5t_nq8Go8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting closer to the bridge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/cddb/a5qly-29oWw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/cddb/a5qly-29oWw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphins in the water :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/cd39/oMBZ5MUpZdE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://cs410523.vk.me/v410523114/cd39/oMBZ5MUpZdE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan, me, Laura and Jeff. </td></tr>
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After walking up through the Sea Cliffs neighborhood and past China Beach Park, we stopped to eat lunch near Baker Beach on Battery Chamberlin Road. The houses in the Sea Cliffs area are all huge mansions worth millions of dollars for their view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbLfy72qQYNRyIcqNuZJCLTX9qk-yZ1sSUNjJfX5MmUdamoKsUl3PXgL8lc4dTrlyg77N3nYiFgojtiLB3SPiotapLaJh0CDgcDtzzbvtp35bEkMdV0uphrB5uQEdVFnZM0moz-zVsIw/s1600/IMG_0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbLfy72qQYNRyIcqNuZJCLTX9qk-yZ1sSUNjJfX5MmUdamoKsUl3PXgL8lc4dTrlyg77N3nYiFgojtiLB3SPiotapLaJh0CDgcDtzzbvtp35bEkMdV0uphrB5uQEdVFnZM0moz-zVsIw/s320/IMG_0746.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Sea Cliffs from where we ate lunch. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9tr2buaMlKlizgADyAw0Dy9I5vq97IVdbyYa83KpEjkHS-LIA5RCTyM21eiUlty-m_j5AAJx2CJ11zExa6wtHq703PKsV9e_HVVXHPbFO_J8hRZOfAisAUPfuTFe4lnV58DUWWn8eVM/s1600/921287_572868352743749_758890820_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9tr2buaMlKlizgADyAw0Dy9I5vq97IVdbyYa83KpEjkHS-LIA5RCTyM21eiUlty-m_j5AAJx2CJ11zExa6wtHq703PKsV9e_HVVXHPbFO_J8hRZOfAisAUPfuTFe4lnV58DUWWn8eVM/s320/921287_572868352743749_758890820_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group photo with one of the old cannons. I'm not sure why there are a bunch of cannons right on the beach.</td></tr>
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After lunch, we walked up the Battery to Bluffs Trail and the Coastal Trail to the Presidio area. Most of this walk was uphill, and there was a lot of poison oak along the way (so we avoided going off the trail). We ended up at Battery Godfrey in Fort Scott, which is basically next to Golden Gate Bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAlrZfRcrTVja3GjLNGQcxtj_ZIzwKFfAm84TrcpKbrsROFRohWaacfdVzu-9Wqp0VTbnLYbLw0wZBbwme4vbQ8SuNdL-fugt85w0CI0i3K_9We9YBKilfkC9078JxhNuCZLYFGeM4Zw/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAlrZfRcrTVja3GjLNGQcxtj_ZIzwKFfAm84TrcpKbrsROFRohWaacfdVzu-9Wqp0VTbnLYbLw0wZBbwme4vbQ8SuNdL-fugt85w0CI0i3K_9We9YBKilfkC9078JxhNuCZLYFGeM4Zw/s320/IMG_0751.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking down the Coastal Trail. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQXVFk_v0RQGvm3u-_3O-3WBQ4tysm6IyoP9Agq97ibYU_lz363l9bLbRZfXNIeoCjoGf1I6Zw3Cbd3HMFQ3bdFWndgPeTOtBkNm6fs0VPxsWU01-QuqX8bzaTiuEj37Fbcpy_XHPg4Y/s1600/IMG_0752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQXVFk_v0RQGvm3u-_3O-3WBQ4tysm6IyoP9Agq97ibYU_lz363l9bLbRZfXNIeoCjoGf1I6Zw3Cbd3HMFQ3bdFWndgPeTOtBkNm6fs0VPxsWU01-QuqX8bzaTiuEj37Fbcpy_XHPg4Y/s320/IMG_0752.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Battery to Bluffs Trail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTl8LI2uzu3kte5KOqvS6tdAyOB0bsLA7h7VjtQ7Wfk_71u3D4eF3C00pqfMGliYbVwxfLj5MQrfNiWQUqromc1n1mK6U55AO586zXvdV9XT3PnLUlG_awLO-3ZdzatIG9zSK897EIzg/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTl8LI2uzu3kte5KOqvS6tdAyOB0bsLA7h7VjtQ7Wfk_71u3D4eF3C00pqfMGliYbVwxfLj5MQrfNiWQUqromc1n1mK6U55AO586zXvdV9XT3PnLUlG_awLO-3ZdzatIG9zSK897EIzg/s320/IMG_0754.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dove Loop. </td></tr>
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Once we got to the Golden Gate Bridge, our group started splitting up because some people wanted to walk across the bridge. The rest of us continued down to the Marina area, and then we went to go eat another late lunch because we were hungry again!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnXCx9zZHEG4QKVqwrgKdOhr_sZENRRC0jI0JnLu6gJpzHJ7aZGohoqSTvBUERWymzZ1boqJxL8rCCKAzSBSYnB2ZQ7Pg1a-UiCMbJbrnO7P03l-fhDYN_G10uJFnKHy6yzWdXJFe6D0/s1600/922670_572868849410366_1666058293_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnXCx9zZHEG4QKVqwrgKdOhr_sZENRRC0jI0JnLu6gJpzHJ7aZGohoqSTvBUERWymzZ1boqJxL8rCCKAzSBSYnB2ZQ7Pg1a-UiCMbJbrnO7P03l-fhDYN_G10uJFnKHy6yzWdXJFe6D0/s320/922670_572868849410366_1666058293_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailboats passing underneath the bridge. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4PmVf5dZot2p5CQzY81mdMfLDvmJUZQvw-eo5RKLfqSvTlkUldKFU5PMGlzN0-AJeXbU2QoPZthr8bgMZv1SxuNJe8Jv7CiQN_lo0BhyphenhyphenAwK7dCLnNTlIbAhPSwBMyCWNtZoKim9TuJE/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4PmVf5dZot2p5CQzY81mdMfLDvmJUZQvw-eo5RKLfqSvTlkUldKFU5PMGlzN0-AJeXbU2QoPZthr8bgMZv1SxuNJe8Jv7CiQN_lo0BhyphenhyphenAwK7dCLnNTlIbAhPSwBMyCWNtZoKim9TuJE/s320/IMG_0761.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ankur showing the map of our hike (we actually started further left of what is show in that map). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGIujOA9iOU3kEgDdBVT_16JqoejRS_lNspCmUDu3v4WwZrOgs6PfKMt-LjEHVOqe56p5vrNDSWsL-FRtua5es2B3Q4DYn7fbFL4r_51HbXXEu4RkNlMoKtKJ99QupjaYI9h25A72vyQ/s1600/IMG_0764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGIujOA9iOU3kEgDdBVT_16JqoejRS_lNspCmUDu3v4WwZrOgs6PfKMt-LjEHVOqe56p5vrNDSWsL-FRtua5es2B3Q4DYn7fbFL4r_51HbXXEu4RkNlMoKtKJ99QupjaYI9h25A72vyQ/s320/IMG_0764.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Golden Gate Bridge! </td></tr>
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I had a lot of fun hiking through San Francisco's coastline with the Georgia Tech alumni group! Its always interesting to meet other alums, mostly because we all work at cool places now - 3 of the alums work at Google! We all enjoyed swapping stories about dining hall food, our old Calculus TA's and some intense CS classes that we took while there. I'm proud to be a Ramblin' Wreck :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW04eydjwtWuHx7V4zTLCRxBBZ_c3C20QxArc1L-urZSPTZ5TyX9WS378cAlzf-LZUdd9mYN18IrLZKOTyjpt2ECy3hfX2LFbie4MMUGGVsevaScpzDysorghvac242uOgCpsM6ATIGRk/s1600/IMG_0768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW04eydjwtWuHx7V4zTLCRxBBZ_c3C20QxArc1L-urZSPTZ5TyX9WS378cAlzf-LZUdd9mYN18IrLZKOTyjpt2ECy3hfX2LFbie4MMUGGVsevaScpzDysorghvac242uOgCpsM6ATIGRk/s320/IMG_0768.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reppin' my GT gear at the Golden Gate Bridge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuHJbidXZZ0nDO3d318L82eMaCgnS5tEBDjOZFvYPooS5ApHXxD_Vs0sojf-ydRFAyWKDalMuB2lLEsF6vKVmzr7kMLvklxfvrmCQCsNbTQBMJxDfcFP3Kv-illt6_Oj-JJB_AvdA8c8/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuHJbidXZZ0nDO3d318L82eMaCgnS5tEBDjOZFvYPooS5ApHXxD_Vs0sojf-ydRFAyWKDalMuB2lLEsF6vKVmzr7kMLvklxfvrmCQCsNbTQBMJxDfcFP3Kv-illt6_Oj-JJB_AvdA8c8/s320/IMG_0769.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-hike recovery food: a hotdog with relish on a toasted flat french baguette with curly fries! I know its not Paleo, but it tasted great and I figured that I earned it with all that hiking haha. </td></tr>
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</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-28741153154688820192013-04-02T16:47:00.003-07:002013-04-02T18:01:36.809-07:00Passing the 90 Day Mark at CrossFit Pleasanton, Power Yoga and Open Workout 13.4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week, I successfully finished my first 90 days of CrossFit at CrossFit Pleasanton! Its been great - my strength and fitness has come a long way from where I was in December and I've made some awesome friends along the way. I still weigh exactly the same and look about the same, but I also haven't made that many changes to what I eat (meaning that I haven't switched to a Paleo diet). And I still haven't bought any Lulu workout clothes yet, but I did buy myself some Olympic lifting shoes!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRj86huFRAhV_XdJ9trQZ9-Sx1jSo2u9PUjmssusWc2V6RV4pAuq0LXj5o8MoaKYK46sWbzr65mSDh06eEgeM0PLrU7P94GZWMuLg-kT6NKHoJ0_sXY1yMwQIT3Z2j5xeyF76fdjt43kA/s1600/IMG_0428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRj86huFRAhV_XdJ9trQZ9-Sx1jSo2u9PUjmssusWc2V6RV4pAuq0LXj5o8MoaKYK46sWbzr65mSDh06eEgeM0PLrU7P94GZWMuLg-kT6NKHoJ0_sXY1yMwQIT3Z2j5xeyF76fdjt43kA/s320/IMG_0428.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with the 8:30 class last Wednesday!</td></tr>
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However, I've gone from not being able to do any pull-ups in the On Ramp beginner class to completing 72 kipping pull-ups during a 12 minute workout! I've hit a couple new PRs (personal records) in Olympic lifts that I never did during college such as the snatch, overhead squat, and clean & jerk. I also ripped the skin of my hand open pretty badly during that workout with all the pull-ups, but luckily my friend Sally helped me clean it up with Neo-to-Go and a sweet Princess bandaid.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhS0oi1RRUkx5Mm6XRPioHygdVQYRD5u_cW2fq7bR13ZdDnjoxRrodspOuaPwxsx-rK_tSVhm73a0kU945iSrxudkgvGQrsDibdpZYAYsqN-Av8SHQxQOD2CnOYI21FgSlT5GOa2jqwY/s1600/IMG_0445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhS0oi1RRUkx5Mm6XRPioHygdVQYRD5u_cW2fq7bR13ZdDnjoxRrodspOuaPwxsx-rK_tSVhm73a0kU945iSrxudkgvGQrsDibdpZYAYsqN-Av8SHQxQOD2CnOYI21FgSlT5GOa2jqwY/s320/IMG_0445.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The disgusting skin tear in my hand and after Sally fixed it up!</td></tr>
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Last week, we did the CrossFit Open workout 13.4, which was a couplet of two different movements: the clean and jerk and a gymnastics-like exercise called Toes-To-Bar. Here is the workout:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-uxPGSB2fvuAbzzRbR9Cc0PyZ4nYM1buq1LFqx1pypOY6-o2Lpx2yq-uols3yNTRTSebkXLSE6Dt9HU596ajltPlY3QWoVbBya9HLNubKgcfL6IKb4ff9k-mKBFObt4lRQGt3JdyV60/s1600/544317_10151525065094521_680655985_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-uxPGSB2fvuAbzzRbR9Cc0PyZ4nYM1buq1LFqx1pypOY6-o2Lpx2yq-uols3yNTRTSebkXLSE6Dt9HU596ajltPlY3QWoVbBya9HLNubKgcfL6IKb4ff9k-mKBFObt4lRQGt3JdyV60/s320/544317_10151525065094521_680655985_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As many reps as possible in 7 minutes. </td></tr>
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The prescribed weight for women was 95 lbs, and I had never done the clean and jerk during a regular workout before. But what I found was that the weight was actually okay, even though it was heavier than I thought it would be for me. I got through the workout with 27 reps, which isn't a lot but I finished all 9 clean and jerks in the round with just seconds to go and the weight was a little of a challenge for me. Photo credits to CC.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRE9Z6GYlNYUbIuK_mEbP2AA9oKmr_kHRXnQYZDd_Nn6_zo9bxHX45PzzjLEc0O31ETukl75TSBUVB7HltkCBKrKGB-85l9uHeSukwV8yO5Uy3d6yBqKaTETTfkJ2HR56aM1jyt_6EcM/s1600/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRE9Z6GYlNYUbIuK_mEbP2AA9oKmr_kHRXnQYZDd_Nn6_zo9bxHX45PzzjLEc0O31ETukl75TSBUVB7HltkCBKrKGB-85l9uHeSukwV8yO5Uy3d6yBqKaTETTfkJ2HR56aM1jyt_6EcM/s320/IMG_0495.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting the clean from the floor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5tJcTXJGnroePgJyZc5lg85qzb4ykwRIKb6IIaHvciCEKIcbu-D-Uu2OvA0f-nskboy-XEFSCeVtX9ejYSn6JZnOEqLzSCR755nDQ2ew-8UoGvwoIqUNtGZy4qPObYveIHyr5YKrSUg/s1600/IMG_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5tJcTXJGnroePgJyZc5lg85qzb4ykwRIKb6IIaHvciCEKIcbu-D-Uu2OvA0f-nskboy-XEFSCeVtX9ejYSn6JZnOEqLzSCR755nDQ2ew-8UoGvwoIqUNtGZy4qPObYveIHyr5YKrSUg/s320/IMG_0494.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Push jerk to put the weight overhead. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhyphenhyphengy9-dVbugk4nW6_RrsieEr61s-PzyBlwGHQKF0PVrTKAuoHixgus8n4SG8KLnmJDQAR8UjiGZd949wzDguLWeg-yhUFIwAMgqsvvg3wbV5zA4IT5kslhXyWsqgzKDab4LGnookt_U/s1600/IMG_0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhyphenhyphengy9-dVbugk4nW6_RrsieEr61s-PzyBlwGHQKF0PVrTKAuoHixgus8n4SG8KLnmJDQAR8UjiGZd949wzDguLWeg-yhUFIwAMgqsvvg3wbV5zA4IT5kslhXyWsqgzKDab4LGnookt_U/s320/IMG_0496.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kipping swing. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6VinFXPXP47KhHdKdqXN4vcRtzvYD1pv5SMnYV9sd5VjYeu4XUw3fE4XsJxdbJE9bLw8CmXeHBJkdDCH0OpopPjBfOJ13dfUqDOWgSrgNLv5DCBUyn2JNrVUOs8SJWlpqoGC1He5kH8/s1600/IMG_0497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6VinFXPXP47KhHdKdqXN4vcRtzvYD1pv5SMnYV9sd5VjYeu4XUw3fE4XsJxdbJE9bLw8CmXeHBJkdDCH0OpopPjBfOJ13dfUqDOWgSrgNLv5DCBUyn2JNrVUOs8SJWlpqoGC1He5kH8/s320/IMG_0497.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my toes up to the bar. </td></tr>
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The past two weeks, we've had active recovery on Wednesdays with a Power Yoga class! Our instructor is Mark Alexander and his classes are grounded in the styles of Ashtanga, Power and Vinyasa flow. We've been focusing on building strength and flexiblity through different poses and even working on our handstands! I've taken a number of different yoga classes before, including the Bikram hot yoga, and this has been different from any of the other classes so far. It has also been challenging for me to maintain my balance right after a regular CrossFit workout, but I love yoga!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbDPk7Rq1oKmD8OzQYBnqKLyKML2rcJJbzR5FjYshyNDi3cpZFMkH7zqAr2RAT-bmVH7kJPg_R5kXtBDaTlxP_4afMBg71hHfG3PX3H4oi99kPqruNMRuKOn0xvMmavwjFwnXlECSD9k/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbDPk7Rq1oKmD8OzQYBnqKLyKML2rcJJbzR5FjYshyNDi3cpZFMkH7zqAr2RAT-bmVH7kJPg_R5kXtBDaTlxP_4afMBg71hHfG3PX3H4oi99kPqruNMRuKOn0xvMmavwjFwnXlECSD9k/s320/IMG_0430.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crescent pose. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJ46OjaSd0IBlndWiaHVfHn6-Tzip0aWWE6FRAQXbhHtp6q4h9bjTZEfmgVXlDJPV2cooTl5dLDeAhnzmjJRDQXiPJ2ijNMcFF8Ml4yxW2X6OhmcozvCDkmCmhyphenhyphen83bbvzt06fYFSfkKs/s1600/IMG_0431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJ46OjaSd0IBlndWiaHVfHn6-Tzip0aWWE6FRAQXbhHtp6q4h9bjTZEfmgVXlDJPV2cooTl5dLDeAhnzmjJRDQXiPJ2ijNMcFF8Ml4yxW2X6OhmcozvCDkmCmhyphenhyphen83bbvzt06fYFSfkKs/s320/IMG_0431.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christina in the half moon pose.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6CjVXx-voOTYXcONo4TdQ-kHfumjX2lYnkaD-Nt9ztkdseS6ei6I7P1OfLt3g3q0530NcKSy0ywT48niUodZTJOyggbySFbOFa-igvN4HWOagH5VHB_RBwYCoUXLSrINTu961e-r4Pc/s1600/IMG_0436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6CjVXx-voOTYXcONo4TdQ-kHfumjX2lYnkaD-Nt9ztkdseS6ei6I7P1OfLt3g3q0530NcKSy0ywT48niUodZTJOyggbySFbOFa-igvN4HWOagH5VHB_RBwYCoUXLSrINTu961e-r4Pc/s320/IMG_0436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul and Megan doing the Twisting Crow balance (this is one that I just fell over in).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sCC0sNVA5GDwmUEv_W5eysy-6Fc7IYec5LrQQYYHaHlCa_G-rxonlljhMBS1h95EM7jzZJcsJNjUkrrrmcnVeLo0QF9Esiv0pJ8SuFVseKSWA9Wn9nTbEy1pLmC5Jy2Mc8N92hFkCP8/s1600/IMG_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sCC0sNVA5GDwmUEv_W5eysy-6Fc7IYec5LrQQYYHaHlCa_G-rxonlljhMBS1h95EM7jzZJcsJNjUkrrrmcnVeLo0QF9Esiv0pJ8SuFVseKSWA9Wn9nTbEy1pLmC5Jy2Mc8N92hFkCP8/s320/IMG_0441.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan and I trying to stabilize our handstands - the goal is to get our feet off the wall into a freestanding handstand. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUzoTjvKtovbmNIyVfd2-SKKWkeBSw5U9hJV67yzXvEKN-9JQ2S23IHVc2ed_a4-hENobZQRWNt-Td6vB4_4CgL1pzmZWjYv_V3-EY4adafccSgHE4VatZjs-k_044ziHgZtGMlBUjWs/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUzoTjvKtovbmNIyVfd2-SKKWkeBSw5U9hJV67yzXvEKN-9JQ2S23IHVc2ed_a4-hENobZQRWNt-Td6vB4_4CgL1pzmZWjYv_V3-EY4adafccSgHE4VatZjs-k_044ziHgZtGMlBUjWs/s320/IMG_0444.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christina doing a handstand for the very first time! </td></tr>
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I'm sad to say that this week will be my last week of attending the 8:30 class at CFP, but I'm really excited to be starting work at a new job next week! I'm going to have to commute to/from San Francisco every day, but that just means I'll have to hit up the early morning CrossFit classes... good thing I'm a morning person : )</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-66383095452115533002013-03-21T17:39:00.001-07:002013-03-21T17:41:30.368-07:00DIY: How to Paint Your Reebok CrossFit Shoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since I've started CrossFit a few months ago, I've been dying to get some olympic lifting shoes. While they are expensive, they provide much needed stability while doing olympic lifts like the overhead squat or snatch. I researched the different brands online and read through many forums where people debated their classic Adidas powerlifting shoes vs. Nike Romaleos etc. What I learned was that there are advantages to having a stiff sole for powerlifting, and that Adidas shoes have been around the competitive weightlifting scene forever.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDoDp32hZA10qPofHtUlt0EiLPPpLnsuzSxaqNwAsy8rOnRIdGEQOka_24gXfJKSO-RBz6lGmqv9EftyW5ztMmVUx4azjW55lbEf7SfW_5SkhDtJzuIPHobugvqpeyUOcuYXjGksH0lU/s1600/nike+romaleos2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDoDp32hZA10qPofHtUlt0EiLPPpLnsuzSxaqNwAsy8rOnRIdGEQOka_24gXfJKSO-RBz6lGmqv9EftyW5ztMmVUx4azjW55lbEf7SfW_5SkhDtJzuIPHobugvqpeyUOcuYXjGksH0lU/s320/nike+romaleos2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nike Romaleos 2 (photo courtesy of strengthrx.com)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdPTbrz2gsWbP9bH9mFn0ooR1eKYVQh3K4BSt0uToIbG8zuGyQg7W4CFzvzpnOF1hujsYv5bBpcwsrNMJZc55cLbiWdwXLOqmWFXJKkO7pk_5Iz21y2q3RUM84BW-zdH_lVBIeaFtSB4/s1600/Deep_squat_position_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdPTbrz2gsWbP9bH9mFn0ooR1eKYVQh3K4BSt0uToIbG8zuGyQg7W4CFzvzpnOF1hujsYv5bBpcwsrNMJZc55cLbiWdwXLOqmWFXJKkO7pk_5Iz21y2q3RUM84BW-zdH_lVBIeaFtSB4/s320/Deep_squat_position_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A competitive power lifter with Adidas shoes, in a deep squat stance (<a href="http://reasonablydoubtingnews.blogspot.com/2010/12/crossfit-functional-cheating.html" target="_blank">photo credit</a>)</td></tr>
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But in the end, the coaches at <a href="http://www.crossfitpleasanton.com/" target="_blank">CrossFit Pleasanton</a> (CFP) convinced me to just get the Reebok Oly Lifters because these shoes have the most flexibility in the soles and at the toe. A lot of CrossFit workouts aren't pure olympic lifting sessions - we do a lot of other movements mixed in, such as box jumps, pull-ups, burpees, jump roping, etc. I've never been a huge fan of Reebok, but I love my shoes so far... but felt they were a little boring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qjIJdyIOyf6Uubda5lmfLmVRXtuuJCpcdBsSdLX_ayhutfwbwLqRGygz58WoYNFQI6Trc0IbUQoeLdtOW1PJfRHaesgcr6R-4pGuo4YxOOfbFKuJlenXNEkB_OYesJz2sXoEoPO7DU0/s1600/CF_OLY_Lifter_Womens_1725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qjIJdyIOyf6Uubda5lmfLmVRXtuuJCpcdBsSdLX_ayhutfwbwLqRGygz58WoYNFQI6Trc0IbUQoeLdtOW1PJfRHaesgcr6R-4pGuo4YxOOfbFKuJlenXNEkB_OYesJz2sXoEoPO7DU0/s320/CF_OLY_Lifter_Womens_1725.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stock photo from Reebok.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You can order custom Reebok shoes from Reebok's website, but they cost $180 plus tax and shipping. I bought my shoes for $135 from CFP. I did a little research on the internet, and learned that leather paint costs only about $4 per bottle so I figured I could just paint my shoes myself to brighten them up. I ordered a 4oz bottle of Angelus leather paint in Light Blue and Angelus Matte finisher from <a href="http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/10144517-AA.shtml" target="_blank">Dharma Trading's website</a> and bought the rest of the supplies I needed at Walmart for $16. 4 ounces actually turned out to be way too much paint, I should have just bought the 1oz bottle and saved myself a few bucks.<br />
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*Note: some of the DIY websites that I read used other paints like nail polish or just regular acrylic paint, but I chose to buy the Angelus leather paint because the paint needs to be flexible with the shoe's movements. There would be no point in going through all the work to paint my shoes, only to have the paint flake or chip off while I'm working out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBc3CLWKK0i4pF_JZt0Rd37YPno-yb5ZmyuP30a_POsQoe-7GpMObYFGFT4U9nK4uwndYHJqGr0QHOiSZc0mT4P24GZEoZvHIokAv2N0o4MGk0Vtull5sCDCrpIJOOch8shFrXA3WpgU/s1600/blue+and+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBc3CLWKK0i4pF_JZt0Rd37YPno-yb5ZmyuP30a_POsQoe-7GpMObYFGFT4U9nK4uwndYHJqGr0QHOiSZc0mT4P24GZEoZvHIokAv2N0o4MGk0Vtull5sCDCrpIJOOch8shFrXA3WpgU/s320/blue+and+black.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were the shoes that I designed on the Reebok website, to model what my shoes would look like when finished. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshNjjOYPW7TrvJ2GNsGbIrcnE5Zz65G7JWT23LN6-InNSexOSVoIRtB1hbzNIodT8X6s1GNCBtvyIXcgrIMqpzzNwhQ2lqth4JxZk-W8cxN7am3ojnMHAwoNjrUYmZ1jpQs5VBqSdqL8/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshNjjOYPW7TrvJ2GNsGbIrcnE5Zz65G7JWT23LN6-InNSexOSVoIRtB1hbzNIodT8X6s1GNCBtvyIXcgrIMqpzzNwhQ2lqth4JxZk-W8cxN7am3ojnMHAwoNjrUYmZ1jpQs5VBqSdqL8/s320/IMG_0325.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My actual Reebok oly lifter shoes, after being painted... the color doesn't quite match but I'm still happy with how they turned out! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>You will need:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Acetone for removing existing coatings (available at any hardware store or about $6 in the home improvement section of Walmart) - nail polish remover NOT recommended.</li>
<li>Angelus Leather Paint (available at many online craft suppliers. I bought mine from Dharma Trading Company)</li>
<li>Q-tips</li>
<li>Old dish rag or old towel</li>
<li>Painter's Masking Tape (Quality matters - I used 3M blue painter's tape)</li>
<li>Paint brushes (Synthetic is fine, I recommend using an angled brush for increased accuracy)</li>
<li>Your shoes</li>
<li>(optional) Angelus Acrylic Finisher or Angelus Duller</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-ElfvyE9InfiuROjeE4IlMiUYdsS5y0fBE_9H_likt7yysg9S3X9iD_YI0zSYF5I-QdMc3TbVsW1qPRlsW1ZV5pCDM97r6wvmsmUXDZpOu4QDisPWobMFZaaL_De_lBV0SPoaohyX1g/s1600/IMG_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-ElfvyE9InfiuROjeE4IlMiUYdsS5y0fBE_9H_likt7yysg9S3X9iD_YI0zSYF5I-QdMc3TbVsW1qPRlsW1ZV5pCDM97r6wvmsmUXDZpOu4QDisPWobMFZaaL_De_lBV0SPoaohyX1g/s320/IMG_0312.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoes and painting supplies. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b>Step 1</b></div>
<br />
Prep the leather by removing existing polish and coatings with acetone. You should remove the shoelaces from the shoes (if your shoes have shoelaces). If you don't prep your shoes thoroughly, the paint may not adhere to the leather very well and all your work will go to waste. Use the blue painter's tape to tape off any areas that you don't want to paint, and then rub the acetone over the shoe with a dish rag. You can use the q-tips for hard to reach areas, such as around shoelace loops. <i>Don't forget to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands while you do this.</i> I would recommend doing this outside (or in a well-ventilated area) because acetone smells terrible. Also, be aware of where the acetone might drip - it will take the paint finish off from your floor if you're doing this inside the house.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJcZ3JT5JG2ixFS1o3yhTwyczZoKG7YYDwOsPqmqsT1ahtlPv734AlTrBxVjdgkeGZ01twm7yaG_7TovBOzuEnuhyqr_1Dd4smnrLOOkvYsUr4x18e-RH493lL_37feZR_WK_jH_NJSQ/s1600/IMG_0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJcZ3JT5JG2ixFS1o3yhTwyczZoKG7YYDwOsPqmqsT1ahtlPv734AlTrBxVjdgkeGZ01twm7yaG_7TovBOzuEnuhyqr_1Dd4smnrLOOkvYsUr4x18e-RH493lL_37feZR_WK_jH_NJSQ/s320/IMG_0315.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put the blue painter's tape over the Reebok logo and the tongue of the shoes before I prepped them . </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Step 2</b><br />
<br />
Paint the leather portion of your shoe with your Angelus paints. Some websites recommended thinning down the paint, but I just used the paint straight from the bottle. I painted 2 coats on my shoes while using a hairdryer to help the paint dry in between coats (most of the websites recommended 2-3 coats). Some general painting tips: if you are painting multiple colors, start with the lightest color first. If you are painting a lighter color on a dark background, you'll probably need to "prime" the area first with white paint. Don't worry about dripping paint onto the sole, you can always fix it afterward by dabbing a bit of acetone on it with a q-tip. Remove the blue painter's tape while the paint is still wet, this will allow the paint to run a little at the edges into a smooth line.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvipgEBJehBdDKx8adsCeMWZB-OEAW1zjA0ffezZqm_ZSgfbXhZDdeqe5gGnAzmYCVaLh5AThJ4dP9cL82t2H8IAMd4INTHWhCBE8J8FZgKQcj3kigaNGxIilddCT2jcrxVDYG2juRx8/s1600/IMG_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvipgEBJehBdDKx8adsCeMWZB-OEAW1zjA0ffezZqm_ZSgfbXhZDdeqe5gGnAzmYCVaLh5AThJ4dP9cL82t2H8IAMd4INTHWhCBE8J8FZgKQcj3kigaNGxIilddCT2jcrxVDYG2juRx8/s320/IMG_0316.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 1 coat of paint - you can see how the paint is still uneven and where the brush strokes are. Remember that multiple thinner coats are better than a single thick coat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoVoatsdXe7_8cF74bcu2N0jKLRM12p56AYMBrpxRCddbQBZM2G7i3pHjo_FMrJxJZNnZcGGLe5uoCqo8wJKD8o8ETgVozAsIjYpSoHFZlznYreWLZnHSCX6qYJQm3nyNaWeJAXsQZsI/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoVoatsdXe7_8cF74bcu2N0jKLRM12p56AYMBrpxRCddbQBZM2G7i3pHjo_FMrJxJZNnZcGGLe5uoCqo8wJKD8o8ETgVozAsIjYpSoHFZlznYreWLZnHSCX6qYJQm3nyNaWeJAXsQZsI/s320/IMG_0318.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done with 2 coats!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDopptJSpoWhbFfXRbWyP6kBc89A7__BEKd8MBHHRKyXii7mjQBm2lkupGDaGZkP1OHZlbhsQweXTYou079o3zPkX-DmruPOcuGPsTladxplkasISD9Yp4ZOChZBDxOKTYwSvbgiZWRo/s1600/IMG_0319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDopptJSpoWhbFfXRbWyP6kBc89A7__BEKd8MBHHRKyXii7mjQBm2lkupGDaGZkP1OHZlbhsQweXTYou079o3zPkX-DmruPOcuGPsTladxplkasISD9Yp4ZOChZBDxOKTYwSvbgiZWRo/s320/IMG_0319.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The results after peeling off the blue painter's tape. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Step 3</b><br />
<br />
The last step is to seal the paint on your shoes with an Angelus Acrylic Finisher for a gloss or matte finish. All you have to do is dab the finisher onto your dry shoes with a clean dish towel. You can also buff your shoes with a soft cloth or pantyhose, if you want a glossier finish. According to Dharma Trading's website, Angelus paints naturally have a semi-gloss finish. I bought an Angelus Matte Finisher because I wanted to protect the painted leather from scuffing up in the gym. The finisher is supposed to provide a flexible, waterproof coat on top of the paint. Allow the shoes to dry completely for 24 hours before you wear them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUeNoXbV2G9wpkx2LRaDyzI4ZRDoVByYvVIY5YqAisj5F1GZbBzSg5zbxrbqw3usOtiMDMw6Cp82w3VPLzRPZWbQTfQeiCJzBsNVZsLON0RAmyAQhZmjeJWEfFpCqoSK2QDMEBzFQlP4/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUeNoXbV2G9wpkx2LRaDyzI4ZRDoVByYvVIY5YqAisj5F1GZbBzSg5zbxrbqw3usOtiMDMw6Cp82w3VPLzRPZWbQTfQeiCJzBsNVZsLON0RAmyAQhZmjeJWEfFpCqoSK2QDMEBzFQlP4/s320/IMG_0321.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished DIY Reebok oly lifter shoes! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_azJjCpEAsAZhmr2DT-FCRFJWlYdKGnlKJqpVq8DvRKjuF9rVOP8qvww3CQ28KAb1s3rhhvxD4BwpsasuHRS4xinLHY5gF7O7YL3BAiQRTMeqQAitLoMIwMXzns_VZVF8JFKwuiBzYLo/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_azJjCpEAsAZhmr2DT-FCRFJWlYdKGnlKJqpVq8DvRKjuF9rVOP8qvww3CQ28KAb1s3rhhvxD4BwpsasuHRS4xinLHY5gF7O7YL3BAiQRTMeqQAitLoMIwMXzns_VZVF8JFKwuiBzYLo/s320/IMG_0322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'd never know that I painted them if I didn't tell you :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you'd like to read more about how to paint leather shoes, <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Painting-Leather-Shoes-or-other-leather-stuff/#step1" target="_blank">here is the most useful instruction list</a> that I read and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvV0KPjKkPI" target="_blank">the best YouTube video</a> that I watched. </div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-23565549730066103292013-03-10T21:51:00.001-07:002013-03-10T21:51:24.711-07:00CrossFit Open 2013: Week 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been training at <a href="http://www.crossfitpleasanton.com/" target="_blank">CrossFit Pleasanton</a> for a 2 months and 2 weeks now, and I'm proud to say that I have now successfully completed my first Open workout (also known as 13.1)! After being convinced by many of my fellow CrossFitters to sign up for the CrossFit Open 2013, I sifted through a lot of different articles online and watched YouTube videos from last year's CrossFit Games competition. The articles are intimidating, and the the videos that I watched were even more intense. However, the tipping point that influenced my decision to sign up for the Open was that I figured that I had nothing to lose if I just gave it my best shot, since I've never competed in anything CrossFit-related before. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EnPYCgjgzXHbjZ2PZrfz27I-f4d4v2YSxwnfjJDFLBQYeQEMs7s7dtGfN3VLqcNeJO0MahE_vZ8OMcgHcIwmyQ6wCWYK00OzhNEWhVxDKCZ-5fPDqmga6EXGZnSFqVfuYzYXzmWad7M/s1600/577788_10200910953160744_1525972755_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EnPYCgjgzXHbjZ2PZrfz27I-f4d4v2YSxwnfjJDFLBQYeQEMs7s7dtGfN3VLqcNeJO0MahE_vZ8OMcgHcIwmyQ6wCWYK00OzhNEWhVxDKCZ-5fPDqmga6EXGZnSFqVfuYzYXzmWad7M/s320/577788_10200910953160744_1525972755_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first workout of the CrossFit Open 2013 - as many reps as possible of burpees and snatches in 17 minutes. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had forgotten what it was like to be competing... and the nervousness that leads up to game day. Once I read the workout, my heart immediately started racing because I knew that snatching 75lbs would be a challenge for me. We did last year's 12.2 "snatch ladder" workout at CFP few weeks ago, and I didn't get a single rep at 75lbs. But that workout had a time cap of 10 minutes, and I felt really crunched for time. The 13.1 workout had a much more generous time cap of 17 minutes, since they essentially combined the 7 minutes of burpees from workout 12.1 (the first Open workout of 2012) with the 10 minute "snatch ladder" of 12.2 (the second Open workout of 2012). Looking back, I think ending my first round with a few squat snatches really helped set up my body for the heavier weight - thanks to this video of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=923LTxhwKc4" target="_blank">13.1 snatch tips with Coach Diane Fu from CrossFit San Francisco</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet3j21lGLl4A11L8mlHiXr1rfQdRQ30qUFY2fMuABbhg_T3fYIYpPH1HZh2mOOO9-Ua6A51ebCpVFSrNdWGiuQuJPG_jZy6q7_P6KtLPogJTM3cX-xfKCik_x8RSlBDLartcjK1QzpHs/s1600/894434_10200234453716776_525485022_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet3j21lGLl4A11L8mlHiXr1rfQdRQ30qUFY2fMuABbhg_T3fYIYpPH1HZh2mOOO9-Ua6A51ebCpVFSrNdWGiuQuJPG_jZy6q7_P6KtLPogJTM3cX-xfKCik_x8RSlBDLartcjK1QzpHs/s320/894434_10200234453716776_525485022_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting that high pull. Photo by <a href="http://rossettiphotography.com/" target="_blank">Everett Rosette</a>. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGU2kfxlyyy1_LOOMkty79UQP9BBr6OtMaElXPNOXkMEkOIDVqwWhhwMbOZ8JF6uZa5EQZ_bfJXr3SDuUCsYq5aOdGO67iTLfbnWMxxGejCm5l0A8m39x0or3M_o8cdwTrXibikyWVho/s1600/885219_10200234445956582_809632013_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGU2kfxlyyy1_LOOMkty79UQP9BBr6OtMaElXPNOXkMEkOIDVqwWhhwMbOZ8JF6uZa5EQZ_bfJXr3SDuUCsYq5aOdGO67iTLfbnWMxxGejCm5l0A8m39x0or3M_o8cdwTrXibikyWVho/s320/885219_10200234445956582_809632013_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Success! Photo by <a href="http://rossettiphotography.com/" target="_blank">Everett Rosette</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm really proud to say that I completed 13.1 with 105 reps, meaning that I got 5 snatches at 75lbs for a PR (personal record)! Doing this workout in a heat of some of the top women from CFP was great, it pushed me to stay on track with the burpees and I loved that everyone was yelling for each other to get through the snatches. I think my "game face" in the photos says it all :D</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-91882747172444897272013-02-28T13:48:00.002-08:002013-02-28T13:50:15.124-08:0010 Things I've Learned in My First 60 Days of CrossFit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For the past 60 days, I've been working out and trying to getting back into shape at <a href="http://www.crossfitpleasanton.com/" target="_blank">CrossFit Pleasanton</a>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Now that I've joined the ranks of ex-athletes who do CrossFit, I figured I would take the time to share some of my thoughts on what I like about CrossFit. All photos are from CrossFit Pleasanton (CFP), unless otherwise stated. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">1. </span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">CrossFit is addicting.</b><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
I first went to CrossFit Pleasanton was about a week after getting back into the country, and I started off by just going 3 times a week to their "On Ramp" introductory courses. I "graduated" 3 weeks later, after having learned the basic lifts and terminology, and my first workout was the "Filthy 50" on New Years Eve. After that, I started going just 3 days a week and doing the regular WODs. Those first few weeks were rough on my body, I was ridiculously sore after essentially taking 2.5 years off from lifting (I didn't have access to a weight room while living in Ukraine). then up to 4 days. Now I'm proud to say that I'm back to working out 6 days a week, with between 4-5 workouts at CrossFit and running for cardio on the other days. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmoIf093YQInGNFOOWTXbqHc48XpV6dnbPGAeOrszGSjKDMsc52IrBvqSxLduQ3AsoMhpiq7EH_dgP_HZGwLnsnSgVjciWEhRja_WEXJAG0e3kc8taypa30YZuvmuMW9k2ky6mRMOpAs/s1600/393049_544557102223191_1416505358_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmoIf093YQInGNFOOWTXbqHc48XpV6dnbPGAeOrszGSjKDMsc52IrBvqSxLduQ3AsoMhpiq7EH_dgP_HZGwLnsnSgVjciWEhRja_WEXJAG0e3kc8taypa30YZuvmuMW9k2ky6mRMOpAs/s320/393049_544557102223191_1416505358_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of CrossFitters on New Years. </td></tr>
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<div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
2. <b>The world of CrossFit has its own lingo. </b></div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
CrossFit is used as both a noun and a verb. A gym is called a box, the daily workout is a "WOD" (workout of the day) and there are many other assorted abbreviations that I'm still learning. For example, RX = to do the weights as written in the workout (as opposed to modifying it to make it lighter), SDHP = sumo deadlift high pull, HSPU = handstand pushups, double unders = a double jump with a jump rope. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu5SfMlz7uIpzt-_MzntGji9LU_qD2tdyeLJReYGRHvw9So-FTYXzFVXx90rwtpdE15wOYM01dJJ8z5981M7fX7eqgbCqgf2E-VN_nzpclluJPwLQbtRw3qRNBD65yNxHQRfxaz4zFS0/s1600/419778_576989508979950_395937522_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu5SfMlz7uIpzt-_MzntGji9LU_qD2tdyeLJReYGRHvw9So-FTYXzFVXx90rwtpdE15wOYM01dJJ8z5981M7fX7eqgbCqgf2E-VN_nzpclluJPwLQbtRw3qRNBD65yNxHQRfxaz4zFS0/s320/419778_576989508979950_395937522_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't even know what a kettlebell was until I started working out at CrossFit. </td></tr>
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3. <b>CrossFit is an expensive hobby...</b> </div>
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One of the most common reactions that I get when I tell my friends that I've been doing CrossFit is "isn't that expensive?". Well, the answer is yes. I've spent over $500 in 2 months with paying for the gym membership, and buying gear like 2 pairs of shoes and a speed rope. And I still need to get olympic lifting shoes and a weightlifting belt, and maybe some wrist wraps. The costs add up while you're unemployed, but I think its a worthwhile investment in the long run. I would rather spend my money at a gym that actually pushes and challenges me, and I don't mind buying gear that will help me get better and stronger.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Efa95XHkXiqODAThGZ1RSxjEnan56Ee1LrY-I0fuNslb5hq_0GuByhXFm5uGpnd40QzaurtwvS3YrGvkprG7TFAO6ZNsYsoCO0HsCjNISQdGDFStFWzCulZewQ3mxpn46UnCeQ4redc/s1600/rpm-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Efa95XHkXiqODAThGZ1RSxjEnan56Ee1LrY-I0fuNslb5hq_0GuByhXFm5uGpnd40QzaurtwvS3YrGvkprG7TFAO6ZNsYsoCO0HsCjNISQdGDFStFWzCulZewQ3mxpn46UnCeQ4redc/s320/rpm-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This RPM speed rope retails for $45, but its apparently the best (read: fastest) for double unders. </td></tr>
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4. <b>People don't judge you at CrossFit. </b></div>
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One of my least favorite things about working out at gyms like LA Fitness is that guys always stare at you when you lift, especially if you're lifting the same amount of weight that they are or doing something that they've never seen before, like a one-arm dumbell snatch. CrossFitters don't frown at you for doing a lighter weight because lighter weight will get you more reps or faster rounds. They understand that everyone starts off at different fitness levels - they get that you're new, and try to give you tips on how to improve instead because they were once in your shoes. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMCWfetHCSLrDNlFXUF-LPz5o6DYjZVvXzC1I0GgTHxYQLYY6INmqN2P9eR3R6GctW4J49GbJR48E_I8iMeyH7VxlIfvmexghnbQRfRyu-GdYPSVDtCRGsp6cEwRQHfFldZIq-WkOKVM/s1600/295581_10151266311807676_890671844_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMCWfetHCSLrDNlFXUF-LPz5o6DYjZVvXzC1I0GgTHxYQLYY6INmqN2P9eR3R6GctW4J49GbJR48E_I8iMeyH7VxlIfvmexghnbQRfRyu-GdYPSVDtCRGsp6cEwRQHfFldZIq-WkOKVM/s320/295581_10151266311807676_890671844_n.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach and CFP owner Paul Southern deadlifting in an official CrossFit competition. </td></tr>
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On a side note: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm thankful that I have had weightlifting coaches to teach me the proper technique for Olympic lifts. It makes a big difference and I know the good technique will serve me better in the long run than something like being able to crank out fast reps of power cleans in poor form. If you've never done any sort of Olympic lifting before, it will take you a while to learn the motions before you get it right. It took me probably about 6 months before I could get my elbows up (high enough to have my upper arms parallel to the floor) on a front squat, so don't be discouraged if you are having trouble with it - Olympic lifting isn't something that you should expect to learn in just a few weeks of On Ramp classes. </span></div>
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5. <b>Some things are just inevitable if you CrossFit.</b></div>
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Some things you just can't avoid: bruises from climbing the rope, banged up shins from deadlifts, calluses from pull-ups and gaining weight. I also banged up my collarbone from my first time doing thrusters (front squat plus an overhead push press), and had some nice bright bruises for about a week. The weight gain that I'm talking about is lean muscle mass, and its not necessarily a bad thing. I lost about 10lbs during my 2 years in Ukraine, from not eating enough protein and not working out. But I've gained it back within these two months, so I'm glad to say I'm back to the same weight I was in college. Ripping up your hands is also inevitable, people just take it in stride and compare how they "tore" up their palms after the workout. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyGTXo6-mQclfuvgkSju86ONVfgU_CbjoD84k-ITetFjfMuJda1EfejjnQuVNuuWKcqOkCS7ennGiwBpL2zYegvoi4u5hGRiXqMNT0IRDjQiCb7td4WSw5SkHXBf6jvydFZj3d23IGuc/s1600/582580_570631819615719_575250703_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyGTXo6-mQclfuvgkSju86ONVfgU_CbjoD84k-ITetFjfMuJda1EfejjnQuVNuuWKcqOkCS7ennGiwBpL2zYegvoi4u5hGRiXqMNT0IRDjQiCb7td4WSw5SkHXBf6jvydFZj3d23IGuc/s320/582580_570631819615719_575250703_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Sally climbs the rope for the first time! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6dlK2HU1ae4JmOB70ZkTuK1M3cjvCoybLy2qdvXlmG5cZPY9p3is2xM5Ijwa3NNUHfNDwvBdlqVabd6px62euKzr7BMZIMZ6gMum9NiBA0uYupmQiVCBEm2nfQypDiUU0CDkt49RM5M/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6dlK2HU1ae4JmOB70ZkTuK1M3cjvCoybLy2qdvXlmG5cZPY9p3is2xM5Ijwa3NNUHfNDwvBdlqVabd6px62euKzr7BMZIMZ6gMum9NiBA0uYupmQiVCBEm2nfQypDiUU0CDkt49RM5M/s320/IMG_0307.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what my leg looked like after climbing the rope for the first time. Well actually, I climbed it 5 times, 3 times, and then 1 time in a workout. </td></tr>
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6. <b>Lululemon is the new Under Armor for fashion in fitness gear.</b> </div>
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I remember hearing about Lulu during my last year of college, but I brushed it off as just being a fad for designer work out gear. All the hardcore athletes that I knew preferred Under Armor to other fitness brands like Nike, Adidas and Reebok. Little did I know, that when I got back from spending over 2 years overseas, Lulu yoga pants had turned into the new Nike tempo shorts. Now everyone and their mother (and grandmother) wears Lulu. People also wear it on the streets in their daily lives with their UGG boots. Disclaimer: I'm not sure if this is just because I live in California or if this is a trend across the whole nation. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYBzKTq_pKPMsduzr-JDe8h9DOv_rjl1cWO3oFORhY9Jb0jwk7SE-WTEN7HfilFrjnsds3Q6m8yT1J4v6KYPZfvjFC01VBlDQckVbM2l4b07PlO84AzF5HO4zD2JA4jVRttSyAko0_cc/s1600/793914_568111929867708_383276929_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYBzKTq_pKPMsduzr-JDe8h9DOv_rjl1cWO3oFORhY9Jb0jwk7SE-WTEN7HfilFrjnsds3Q6m8yT1J4v6KYPZfvjFC01VBlDQckVbM2l4b07PlO84AzF5HO4zD2JA4jVRttSyAko0_cc/s320/793914_568111929867708_383276929_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Its also important to have awesome knee-high socks at CrossFit. </td></tr>
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7. <b>Working out in a team environment is more fun than working out alone. </b></div>
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One of my favorite parts about working out at CrossFit is the team environment. Although I work out around the same time every day, there are usually different people there. In my opinion, CrossFitters are competitive enough to push each other to work hard but not super-over-competitive to put people down which happens sometimes in competitive sports. It made me realize how much miss being on a team, working out with my teammates, cheering each other on and comparing our results to a record board. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfn5q_VhLFCYVyKBOXuAeZOeDqTfB6PcNx5BYvJdgM8-X3gwcJ6Y-FSKkHhtgzAWUhVltSnfvZAJd0z3FEyp0gAIh4iRxhhdHak50AAZxo-ucGCF9qJhlh8B823l_OHpbagZ5-26Fjulg/s1600/72341_576662442345990_1357088481_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfn5q_VhLFCYVyKBOXuAeZOeDqTfB6PcNx5BYvJdgM8-X3gwcJ6Y-FSKkHhtgzAWUhVltSnfvZAJd0z3FEyp0gAIh4iRxhhdHak50AAZxo-ucGCF9qJhlh8B823l_OHpbagZ5-26Fjulg/s320/72341_576662442345990_1357088481_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CrossFit Pleasanton has a recordboard too! I'll make it up there someday :) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Nx28f23h_LTkTBkyKNxMS7pfA0DWuhi7047K90SNrTsdHSXjX-X866eizGOH6qukmvj-0rk00wPY7z-XFMQH331888DUqLwRiy1RZFA47aBZrb5fRO-u42-98978_42xLUidAzJ83Xs/s1600/563173_573209436024624_85014813_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Nx28f23h_LTkTBkyKNxMS7pfA0DWuhi7047K90SNrTsdHSXjX-X866eizGOH6qukmvj-0rk00wPY7z-XFMQH331888DUqLwRiy1RZFA47aBZrb5fRO-u42-98978_42xLUidAzJ83Xs/s320/563173_573209436024624_85014813_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone is just dead after a WOD sometimes. </td></tr>
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8. <b>Weightlifting shoes are really worth it. </b></div>
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I tried a pair when we did overhead squats for a 1 rep max, and I could totally feel the difference. They really stabilize your feet position, and now I see why the hardcore guys from my college swim team would rave about their weightlifting shoes. Since I don't have any good weightlifting shoe photos, here's a photo of one of the guys from CFP jumping 54.5" for a max box jump! I only jumped 34" that day haha. </div>
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9. <b>I can do pull-ups!</b></div>
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A few years ago, my max for strict pull-ups from a dead hang was like 5. This was while I was in college and worked out regularly, averaging 9 swim practices and 3 weightlifting sessions each week. When I started working out again after coming back from Ukraine, I couldn't even do a pull-up with a band in the On Ramp class. So I've been staying after the WOD every day for a few weeks to work on my pull-ups, and now I can do 9 kipping pull-ups on my own without a band! I haven't tried to max out strict pull-ups again yet, mostly because the kipping ones are easier so I don't want to go back to doing strict pull-ups. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EKcdZ8cZSxmhcN7bYMqUFwO-w7uHZUcKtXf0HFVBaGc4JPsH6VhyKe9rkCtoyD_ARcO4-OKK5KPWYWoGFOdWchCWvmt_QumP3DmUk9ZgQP1bfhzk2_gZi2_cvb7P4i7ddBJYsHXm21Q/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EKcdZ8cZSxmhcN7bYMqUFwO-w7uHZUcKtXf0HFVBaGc4JPsH6VhyKe9rkCtoyD_ARcO4-OKK5KPWYWoGFOdWchCWvmt_QumP3DmUk9ZgQP1bfhzk2_gZi2_cvb7P4i7ddBJYsHXm21Q/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kipping swing (photo credit to Coach Kaitlin).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2NioEZdRyPULwqvGmca1isS0FSkJjUAJFdubOI2CxKeQurqJuY9X2mk5MnCIxfeK_7VLV084F2NOKLiOM850gGjfv6od-OC8Q0sVz4EUnzCCMP4wygC3H1XcWsP18lkNr6LF5GsWfEQ/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2NioEZdRyPULwqvGmca1isS0FSkJjUAJFdubOI2CxKeQurqJuY9X2mk5MnCIxfeK_7VLV084F2NOKLiOM850gGjfv6od-OC8Q0sVz4EUnzCCMP4wygC3H1XcWsP18lkNr6LF5GsWfEQ/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my chin above the bar! (Photo by Coach Kaitlin)</td></tr>
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10. <b>Swimmer shoulder problems will never go away. </b></div>
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After enduring about 15 years of abuse in the pool, my shoulders still have problems. I used to swim distance, meaning that I ground my shoulders day in and day out by doing high volume anaerobic workouts in the pool. Swimmers were definitely known for wearing ice packs wrapped awkwardly around our shoulders in the athletic dining hall. Even now, I still have limited flexibility and a limited range of motion in overhead movements like snatching. I've gone back to doing shoulder rehab with rotator cuff strengthening exercises with a band, in the hopes that it will prevent my shoulders from the telltale pinching pain during workouts. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mGojrjmgdqYI3XnQ1y14hAyzaHq3crwXfyFVGLJPZJSx3C76Z0Er2eSDB2wXslIjsJGZW3fFTiSAhT0rrN-geooIsC-oYJK1u5houmdJz7RpIvMlhlUGiZMle1MdDiltQxmBaFo4E38/s1600/61713_10152565008200593_2039226892_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mGojrjmgdqYI3XnQ1y14hAyzaHq3crwXfyFVGLJPZJSx3C76Z0Er2eSDB2wXslIjsJGZW3fFTiSAhT0rrN-geooIsC-oYJK1u5houmdJz7RpIvMlhlUGiZMle1MdDiltQxmBaFo4E38/s320/61713_10152565008200593_2039226892_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my goals is to be able to do a 1-arm handstand someday like Coach Kat! I'm still working on just being able to do a regular handstand though. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Looking forward, I've signed up to participate with CrossFit Pleasanton in the CrossFit Open 2013. I know that I'm not anywhere in shape to win anything and that I'll probably get beat by a lot of the moms who work out at CFP, but I'm still excited to work out with my gym and see where I'm at! </span></div>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-64116310920869608832013-02-09T15:11:00.001-08:002013-02-09T15:11:33.997-08:00On Deck at a Cal Berkeley Swim Meet and Meeting Missy Franklin!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend, my sister and I went up to Cal Berkeley's campus to watch the women's swim team take on UCLA. I've only been to Cal's campus a few times before, so it took us a while to find parking but once we did, it was like being back in college. I swam all 4 years during my time at Georgia Tech, and I'm proud to say that my little sister will be entering Cal next year as a freshman on the swim team there : ) I had forgotten how much I missed meet days, especially home meets. I loved cheering the Bears on from the stands right alongside the pool!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwt9vCbAPWdY1W6nZRVSNQkauV0-WavqIeSAU-pP1v0JtQUMqBZEKPyPp5OEHs9ylx527FBymk44PFuIfI8XEHdG6V9espC9C-qnce4uMdCFeIHBSjce2XSjrO7N1yfntVL5y4aeHbZY/s1600/IMG_0314+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwt9vCbAPWdY1W6nZRVSNQkauV0-WavqIeSAU-pP1v0JtQUMqBZEKPyPp5OEHs9ylx527FBymk44PFuIfI8XEHdG6V9espC9C-qnce4uMdCFeIHBSjce2XSjrO7N1yfntVL5y4aeHbZY/s320/IMG_0314+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diving in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-x7eq4mHaBu3HUR6VzwwUqj43JSsMSInbXey0RQYJaXoahWucjJfWttLM-sDjMJH9ROArOTEIT3g98xzOendTADmB9FnjaI97z-zlUDdPZwsUIZZ8aK8pvNXZvRtUYOWdUJQLRJ6u6rQ/s1600/IMG_0324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-x7eq4mHaBu3HUR6VzwwUqj43JSsMSInbXey0RQYJaXoahWucjJfWttLM-sDjMJH9ROArOTEIT3g98xzOendTADmB9FnjaI97z-zlUDdPZwsUIZZ8aK8pvNXZvRtUYOWdUJQLRJ6u6rQ/s320/IMG_0324.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister reppin' Cal with Sophia and Missy - their friends are going to UCLA next year. </td></tr>
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I was also super excited to get to see my old friend Katherine! She and I used to swim on Arizona Desert Fox (AFOX) together in Phoenix during middle school and high school. Its crazy to think that 10 years have already flown by and yet we're still hanging out at the pool. Katherine graduated from Cal last year, and she is now in graduate school.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXOWtJw6kfXJ7WC8naakFQKiRfQiAn9rvQDgf9Dnio8Sfue9CI7CPOKxN8fSlhBZeNiP2I1ts3ncHf4mFFJXDPNjPnGQX0jy7bOS8txPtCvZ5XEwrB6ODjuvi54TKxCHM0wc3N1i9SK4/s1600/IMG_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXOWtJw6kfXJ7WC8naakFQKiRfQiAn9rvQDgf9Dnio8Sfue9CI7CPOKxN8fSlhBZeNiP2I1ts3ncHf4mFFJXDPNjPnGQX0jy7bOS8txPtCvZ5XEwrB6ODjuvi54TKxCHM0wc3N1i9SK4/s320/IMG_0316.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister and I with Katherine!</td></tr>
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We also got to hang out with Missy Franklin! Missy is really sweet and incredibly down to earth for being an Olympic gold medalist. She is also entering Cal next year, where she and my sister will be teammates on the swim team. There were a lot of swimming fans who came to this meet just to see Missy and get her autograph. I am absolutely blown away by the caliber of the Cal girls, they have multiple Olympians on their team and hold a few national NCAA championship titles. They have a strong history of swimming fast and I know they'll continue that trend in the next few years!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGPFJQwYW-zPPwFjqj9SBH7vSaVeJEp8Pj0MA2woi6poVl1x4NRH6YG1ZovfQS_AkfNVKpgb2o1WIeV4drLpzZuW9IDWzbaI3gZJ6hLDZNYD-F6RDxNsAXie7o4-n7MdHyghXxBmuZIs/s1600/IMG_0313+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGPFJQwYW-zPPwFjqj9SBH7vSaVeJEp8Pj0MA2woi6poVl1x4NRH6YG1ZovfQS_AkfNVKpgb2o1WIeV4drLpzZuW9IDWzbaI3gZJ6hLDZNYD-F6RDxNsAXie7o4-n7MdHyghXxBmuZIs/s320/IMG_0313+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missy makes me feel really short haha. </td></tr>
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After the game, I went with my sister and Missy to grab lunch in downtown Berkeley. Cal Swimming had provided free basketball tickets to the recruits and their families, so we went to the Cal vs. Oregon basketball game. I love the atmosphere inside a basketball stadium, it was fun to watch the game although I didn't know the Cal cheers or fight song... It was a great game, it came down to the last second and Cal won by just a few points!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC_T7wcn0qiyQ0AdgZHDmd52aufXfaWg68sDtfs-pWm2HwAitXH3rBSD6DQD_6a3Nd-XnYSKF4efVVb1w7mTMXl2KTrsbpyAhWS2eiW2jVtx2Zn9WGlrwDQcpUbWpsNykEFapF5MPn0I/s1600/IMG_0326+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC_T7wcn0qiyQ0AdgZHDmd52aufXfaWg68sDtfs-pWm2HwAitXH3rBSD6DQD_6a3Nd-XnYSKF4efVVb1w7mTMXl2KTrsbpyAhWS2eiW2jVtx2Zn9WGlrwDQcpUbWpsNykEFapF5MPn0I/s320/IMG_0326+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister selfie. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmOfsASg3v85sa4i_29wofkH1BJA1aeUmTrdsTgjfqeHoLpqTUPtGBEsyE3XLCdd5kOgkgTWRVvtGMu0bWveRy-tlTZmisyDptdLvu4Z8pB0JICsIjPUbEOGL9pRQZGEKzYoFRp8ywNQ/s1600/IMG_0327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmOfsASg3v85sa4i_29wofkH1BJA1aeUmTrdsTgjfqeHoLpqTUPtGBEsyE3XLCdd5kOgkgTWRVvtGMu0bWveRy-tlTZmisyDptdLvu4Z8pB0JICsIjPUbEOGL9pRQZGEKzYoFRp8ywNQ/s320/IMG_0327.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selfie with Missy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexQ9Ltl0B-sYniBD0lnmEUXZ9OJIbDX4m7ViD_woPO-5YCQhb53hpPptWzZAFNbilbSpW5PetHIHRmFxIKc_E8yusM8suNqf6NjYEkL5Sdhy0WdrmB09GVz72QUK38USyXgkCA_P3-Uc/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexQ9Ltl0B-sYniBD0lnmEUXZ9OJIbDX4m7ViD_woPO-5YCQhb53hpPptWzZAFNbilbSpW5PetHIHRmFxIKc_E8yusM8suNqf6NjYEkL5Sdhy0WdrmB09GVz72QUK38USyXgkCA_P3-Uc/s320/IMG_0325.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how much yellow there is in the stadium, especially their student fan section!</td></tr>
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</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-44324457527762798932013-01-21T18:01:00.002-08:002013-01-21T18:01:20.179-08:00Throwing Down at the Color Vibe's 5K "Color Run"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Saturday, my sister and I drove up to Vallejo to do the 5K "Color Run" hosted by the Color Vibe. If you've never heard of a "Color Run", they are events held across the nation where participants wear white clothes and volunteers throw color on them throughout the run. I saw a lot of photos from my friends who did one in Atlanta, so my sister and I decided to give it a shot. What I didn't realize is how many people would be there - I went to pick up the race packet on Friday at a sporting goods store in Walnut Creek and the line was ridiculous... I waited 20 minutes in a single file line that wrapped around the store (and felt like I was waiting for a roller coaster ride at Disneyland).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPKPSLFoFXFNVbbYE2ntB1XOnnslMMIvXiggGufAViuCiwJ5ALYKjz6MS63PG5HXnApHQvO-D7Z5AFxVximsuhqTaDz-fSIML4tUd4LphccTw4_mwbHMiAOci-QpZxZ9Uw9VSUMLOCdE/s1600/IMG_0232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPKPSLFoFXFNVbbYE2ntB1XOnnslMMIvXiggGufAViuCiwJ5ALYKjz6MS63PG5HXnApHQvO-D7Z5AFxVximsuhqTaDz-fSIML4tUd4LphccTw4_mwbHMiAOci-QpZxZ9Uw9VSUMLOCdE/s320/IMG_0232.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Splattered in color after the race!</td></tr>
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Luckily, the event was hosted at the fairgrounds in Vallejo so there was plenty of parking. Everyone just parked on the grass in rows, just like you would at the state fair. It was freezing in the morning - by freezing, I mean about 40 degrees F. Since this was a fun run, there were people of all ages there and lots of people showed up in fun costumes and white tutus!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwvo2j0OxfuEAEzqZ3BIbXJVSPDaGiXxfQ-xFNn9KZecGHQSUr2uMCQ_GKEGZkOPEVFGfiUew9wyjtU5F5lZ67kK6jREg4mxddfZR93N6kVTvsIp3qGw640VLrri6lATNsLNjau8mRwc/s1600/IMG_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwvo2j0OxfuEAEzqZ3BIbXJVSPDaGiXxfQ-xFNn9KZecGHQSUr2uMCQ_GKEGZkOPEVFGfiUew9wyjtU5F5lZ67kK6jREg4mxddfZR93N6kVTvsIp3qGw640VLrri6lATNsLNjau8mRwc/s320/IMG_0178.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister and I before the race with our clean white tshirts. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj43AqTyhojDFkYJkyPrce-sZ8gtlrcC5qe64j59yiQkTHWOZxWEX5reOBB2EM2IUSka4nEG05tgI_3ESuhSSnz0sVGMjGQHTeVOya_f9bsyN6gm81aIMcWCjSOg8MBuF6tXea7B837RM/s1600/IMG_0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj43AqTyhojDFkYJkyPrce-sZ8gtlrcC5qe64j59yiQkTHWOZxWEX5reOBB2EM2IUSka4nEG05tgI_3ESuhSSnz0sVGMjGQHTeVOya_f9bsyN6gm81aIMcWCjSOg8MBuF6tXea7B837RM/s320/IMG_0179.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? It looks just like the state fair parking. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FyXiJNNmFpoBFoy3_atG3ERllGTo-Xj49DrxNxlLzO95EoyXzIRmKJfuRtCpiUq31FqgV95IXlyN4P4aCpXsHpmAw6CUOnWA9_WaEgt2wvhRXiPAlHY7nst3gp7mIpLKZH9I74MXsx4/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FyXiJNNmFpoBFoy3_atG3ERllGTo-Xj49DrxNxlLzO95EoyXzIRmKJfuRtCpiUq31FqgV95IXlyN4P4aCpXsHpmAw6CUOnWA9_WaEgt2wvhRXiPAlHY7nst3gp7mIpLKZH9I74MXsx4/s320/IMG_0180.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking to the entrance. </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It took us much longer than expected to park the car, so we actually only got there about 15 minutes before the starting time.... I was really thankful that I had picked up our race packets the day before. Since there were thousands of runners, they started everyone in waves every 5 or 10 minutes. My sister and I were lucky enough to start in the first wave : ) </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWB-yz9SKsKaxEoXUGZva9TymGJxy8VUTvUTUSZylZ7IOfwdga540Z9f5SVU2GObUwFee0sNM8rY2CYKvnz-ps-ixPcFT2W0NZaukBa3CtzlubhJVvxxlQtBtJj6pEpGle5QksEuNXrB0/s1600/IMG_0181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWB-yz9SKsKaxEoXUGZva9TymGJxy8VUTvUTUSZylZ7IOfwdga540Z9f5SVU2GObUwFee0sNM8rY2CYKvnz-ps-ixPcFT2W0NZaukBa3CtzlubhJVvxxlQtBtJj6pEpGle5QksEuNXrB0/s320/IMG_0181.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The starting line for the first wave. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQR7T806pLiwZewZIahdubgcJA1DIt192ZoCUznlxkY1gP8sgM9iJlCAd5tjXaMFNanfvIazybKcph6Ht7yqIyXr96d9HRnJCwtWtCc5HPiS6AB0lFsvMX5zPUM_i4-qezsLgn3Q87t0Q/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQR7T806pLiwZewZIahdubgcJA1DIt192ZoCUznlxkY1gP8sgM9iJlCAd5tjXaMFNanfvIazybKcph6Ht7yqIyXr96d9HRnJCwtWtCc5HPiS6AB0lFsvMX5zPUM_i4-qezsLgn3Q87t0Q/s320/IMG_0182.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course the lines for the port-o-potties were also like the state fair. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfges1bJhgs7e93T1udaSJEAifaAh15wIjLu491A5fiERpkfJARzkdjQqfybNHSOJ2No48iyN8hcIZeYj96k4hDPc29t5wS0FXlCelagwowRUID_UoIYIk2x06cy2-0rtc_jh0khbZn9M/s1600/IMG_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfges1bJhgs7e93T1udaSJEAifaAh15wIjLu491A5fiERpkfJARzkdjQqfybNHSOJ2No48iyN8hcIZeYj96k4hDPc29t5wS0FXlCelagwowRUID_UoIYIk2x06cy2-0rtc_jh0khbZn9M/s320/IMG_0185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we're off! </td></tr>
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I used the Nike Run app on my phone to track our run, and it turns out that we only ran a total of 2.82 miles (which is less than a 5K). We ran through 4 different "color stations" where people threw fistfuls of the color powder onto us and it got everywhere! **Note: the color that they use for this event is NOT paint, it is basically a powder like cornstarch so it is non-toxic and comes off in the wash easily.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm_CA5YZZxfQigKhD_hU1UwPnzaOX-aT0kAFbTzZMwc1iM_dIbcSR7Ntf0rJ96b8BGobBJpsgc3CVgrhPAgddZvD2r9uE2Y9H8w7SeexthAMTSy_E-r0eexUS0NXg6upuUAWYh101iV4/s1600/IMG_0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm_CA5YZZxfQigKhD_hU1UwPnzaOX-aT0kAFbTzZMwc1iM_dIbcSR7Ntf0rJ96b8BGobBJpsgc3CVgrhPAgddZvD2r9uE2Y9H8w7SeexthAMTSy_E-r0eexUS0NXg6upuUAWYh101iV4/s320/IMG_0187.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister after getting hit with yellow and blue at the 3rd color station. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5kBvAqkyBYLdt6zUL5s0BcJ08YznGukCLipTJWr9XMUAsQMWNbyho9sAPlF2r7jIzA-KQpbTxx3nAHqpGCtJ8dSnnv6gpeAIivVhs61omVqpB7iuaHNPSLzbzSmZ64axdRllxDRESGk/s1600/IMG_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5kBvAqkyBYLdt6zUL5s0BcJ08YznGukCLipTJWr9XMUAsQMWNbyho9sAPlF2r7jIzA-KQpbTxx3nAHqpGCtJ8dSnnv6gpeAIivVhs61omVqpB7iuaHNPSLzbzSmZ64axdRllxDRESGk/s320/IMG_0234.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I paused to take a photo with a random chicken statue along the way.</td></tr>
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We finished our run in about 30 minutes, just in time to see the last wave of runners start from the starting line. It was a lot shorter than I expected and the course was not bad at all. It was a great experience and I'd definitely do another "Color Run"!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgaf8dAXSbLDnmPr_LvNkWjbv43CUKYe7ALKtxgdhkiWi2vXOYyGqWTOt8gAhFktmW4k2gJepL_qNga5IDYF-3WjnkxD3AKkyubghKwheztbtMhhqKseV5yuvIbUQ4EUV1dXCi6ERFDc/s1600/IMG_5879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgaf8dAXSbLDnmPr_LvNkWjbv43CUKYe7ALKtxgdhkiWi2vXOYyGqWTOt8gAhFktmW4k2gJepL_qNga5IDYF-3WjnkxD3AKkyubghKwheztbtMhhqKseV5yuvIbUQ4EUV1dXCi6ERFDc/s320/IMG_5879.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paint got everywhere, even on our faces (and underneath my sunglasses)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6meAydBhvTRGFfr7jRjjexZ2TR7QfsPV-5t6Rd9feRmFYx7l5O4SPJWdpj3PN51dEfwVHkMHHGMceyVj8BNyeOq7dAIX9IF2QU3Me72ZL5DmfTtturD2xOi4sOmCLdUhw9b5bLdeakVU/s1600/IMG_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6meAydBhvTRGFfr7jRjjexZ2TR7QfsPV-5t6Rd9feRmFYx7l5O4SPJWdpj3PN51dEfwVHkMHHGMceyVj8BNyeOq7dAIX9IF2QU3Me72ZL5DmfTtturD2xOi4sOmCLdUhw9b5bLdeakVU/s320/IMG_0229.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DONE! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKuiaEUG2aMJ46JGazhUPp0IwXkexh9nn-DooDe69hY3SqTkxvDkWY_eiEtj9Up3FN3Z502DTUY6TD424WB9b2_LHV8OMl6BJTvlFwnYhLafmkbU8lX1dNXp5TFbn8BKyXr5QD1_iIOA/s1600/IMG_5907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKuiaEUG2aMJ46JGazhUPp0IwXkexh9nn-DooDe69hY3SqTkxvDkWY_eiEtj9Up3FN3Z502DTUY6TD424WB9b2_LHV8OMl6BJTvlFwnYhLafmkbU8lX1dNXp5TFbn8BKyXr5QD1_iIOA/s320/IMG_5907.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just rolling in color. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRQIx5IdG-IFhHfICEE3awf4pcB4GVuuCEW3VcYEzwL204vU3Frpp_6-_YC8urTYb5mlPzoPC7s749LLYxnzjjBRMWQyOC5Z4vOFYJr8UHuW39lyVzGt1f_rFdDrApyuW6NdRLZpiKbc/s1600/IMG_5913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRQIx5IdG-IFhHfICEE3awf4pcB4GVuuCEW3VcYEzwL204vU3Frpp_6-_YC8urTYb5mlPzoPC7s749LLYxnzjjBRMWQyOC5Z4vOFYJr8UHuW39lyVzGt1f_rFdDrApyuW6NdRLZpiKbc/s320/IMG_5913.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We loved the "Color Run"!</td></tr>
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</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-41382296361752552902013-01-14T18:11:00.002-08:002013-01-17T23:06:37.214-08:00Visiting Apple Headquarters!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
About a week ago, my dad took our family to visit Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple has a few offices around the world and this is their international headquarters for their corporate offices. He works there as part of the hardware team as a device physicist/engineer. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to disclose more about exactly what he does there, but he has worked at Apple for a little over a year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL4LPcN2etW94LYG5qTyluybIQ5kAkVHbzKjotjMDcw6XxwtIZTnllijhLa69RbhB_AojOCFqjYXpwx1vt0j6Bfy92-pCWnADerpnECb4awrBEcA_7L9oFS48J_IjMdBuNr6j0Sz8Ao0/s1600/IMG_0572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL4LPcN2etW94LYG5qTyluybIQ5kAkVHbzKjotjMDcw6XxwtIZTnllijhLa69RbhB_AojOCFqjYXpwx1vt0j6Bfy92-pCWnADerpnECb4awrBEcA_7L9oFS48J_IjMdBuNr6j0Sz8Ao0/s320/IMG_0572.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">by the sign for Apple's campus - their address is One Infinite Loop :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB0D54dHel2P67iEOgUGAqpX5SDnhJ2dmuPyWTmrMtlgteyikya87r1CyG_jY-V3_1F88UcX-jxUuqTQOkYJ-CYkgUM6RiZC3XQX8wK7Tvs2m5Cw-TEj4cNNtvXeFMXlu_QOLOMKCzaA/s1600/IMG_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB0D54dHel2P67iEOgUGAqpX5SDnhJ2dmuPyWTmrMtlgteyikya87r1CyG_jY-V3_1F88UcX-jxUuqTQOkYJ-CYkgUM6RiZC3XQX8wK7Tvs2m5Cw-TEj4cNNtvXeFMXlu_QOLOMKCzaA/s320/IMG_0567.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? The street is really named Infinite Loop. </td></tr>
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We signed in at the main building as visitors, and got our nametags. Then we walked to the cafeteria for lunch. Their cafeteria is basically a large school cafeteria that offers a lot of different stuff - fresh salads, pizza, chinese food, sushi, mexican grill, burgers, etc. You basically grab a tray, order whatever you'd like, then pay at the cashier. You can get a great meal for about $10 and all of it is very fresh and made-to-order. They have standard soda fountain dispensers and a few Starbucks Coffee machines. They also offer free apples haha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbtKcqpWZUx6wRM5XXYiBbesFiTlPsRSdexjKyZma4rdsBAjlK_HcA05ldJYgn3Jo3SKPbb8OHfc-tFLzgB-oau6nU3o3-qFA_yK8IiKcoWsHWXsrajjrdqHT_Iu5oarPolvIYG-iyzE/s1600/IMG_0558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbtKcqpWZUx6wRM5XXYiBbesFiTlPsRSdexjKyZma4rdsBAjlK_HcA05ldJYgn3Jo3SKPbb8OHfc-tFLzgB-oau6nU3o3-qFA_yK8IiKcoWsHWXsrajjrdqHT_Iu5oarPolvIYG-iyzE/s320/IMG_0558.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The visitor entrance. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheszw7_42hCUpw-Q36khyphenhyphenOpa7WxW1-7uCx4xagXRKKeibaBFKom9WP5jGzqkz2FvL-CQL2saqZfi5CAGkzcZgC7tR7Iw820UjgV9cnLtumxpT65n8Xnyr2tPjYvxj-NBBMu3dtzIXPEps/s1600/IMG_0559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheszw7_42hCUpw-Q36khyphenhyphenOpa7WxW1-7uCx4xagXRKKeibaBFKom9WP5jGzqkz2FvL-CQL2saqZfi5CAGkzcZgC7tR7Iw820UjgV9cnLtumxpT65n8Xnyr2tPjYvxj-NBBMu3dtzIXPEps/s320/IMG_0559.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The visitor entrance to the building. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ifWjWB0JrtjucYg5SOt-_gJVkUjN35E_e3Cn5NIKlOca9TIOxg1y6VGjZuOvbxvlJZfu0ugQn3Q65yAc0g4CChhsbk3nY2ejruGXEQgBo-i4hvaJs92pS7zd-uLNiFvVisMwv29V9c/s1600/IMG_0553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ifWjWB0JrtjucYg5SOt-_gJVkUjN35E_e3Cn5NIKlOca9TIOxg1y6VGjZuOvbxvlJZfu0ugQn3Q65yAc0g4CChhsbk3nY2ejruGXEQgBo-i4hvaJs92pS7zd-uLNiFvVisMwv29V9c/s320/IMG_0553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Apple cafeteria is packed during lunchtime. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrEF55iObQxNwptUCMo2-SiCHgVb0H71_hrUi-2-zTG2GWOLfLytp0lo-Qm0XuzK-QR7ndfDM3BZwvlZETY7rsEjLpX9cQqsfcSgLvB2DeawPGtGevN0tQpExZntAmq5-kbn3isJ5eBw/s1600/735146_546125062066421_1093615425_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrEF55iObQxNwptUCMo2-SiCHgVb0H71_hrUi-2-zTG2GWOLfLytp0lo-Qm0XuzK-QR7ndfDM3BZwvlZETY7rsEjLpX9cQqsfcSgLvB2DeawPGtGevN0tQpExZntAmq5-kbn3isJ5eBw/s320/735146_546125062066421_1093615425_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The salad bar - where they mix your salad to order. </td></tr>
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Unfortunately, Apple doesn't allow visitors to go into their labs or offices due to security reasons - just on the grounds and in the cafeteria. So we just wandered around and took a few photos!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYPwxv2Xqh68SIkjYE82_rimfBi5vJpW7qAWUrBVSdQrXawYhxJo5cs3mYvAzcGm-mNF_U7zDbxXLqSXJVWG5SfQRtLIUE-BwpT2OP63P3FhILlRDcL2MkSxD2T5M_qFbXgVQwCLCxhE/s1600/IMG_0554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYPwxv2Xqh68SIkjYE82_rimfBi5vJpW7qAWUrBVSdQrXawYhxJo5cs3mYvAzcGm-mNF_U7zDbxXLqSXJVWG5SfQRtLIUE-BwpT2OP63P3FhILlRDcL2MkSxD2T5M_qFbXgVQwCLCxhE/s320/IMG_0554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back of the building with the visitor entrance. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh76HKOYLhvt7SnEzsLmv989JeQVSHrs13uR-OCeLBvkrCMm2ZiJrlQ_FSrdb52G1zVrHlDNLPo0R1728ZOJkZRNQkw4min4YxfKPjQ-MG58hkmftbmlDCgQBNNsEPxQilD1RNlr-10Xk/s1600/IMG_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh76HKOYLhvt7SnEzsLmv989JeQVSHrs13uR-OCeLBvkrCMm2ZiJrlQ_FSrdb52G1zVrHlDNLPo0R1728ZOJkZRNQkw4min4YxfKPjQ-MG58hkmftbmlDCgQBNNsEPxQilD1RNlr-10Xk/s320/IMG_0561.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister and I.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4MSDcnkgzrYHR5pVPYt-N4jkUZxEH8cbRXOzVW4MEXxhShng9VXzA1clDwvzoFgqzb9zjra4Mew3ZVzjv8t3WkNf9aqIZ8OZ3hAToQhTXFjMFwT9vYeBCx7EFrsgNXxWVNN97FEu5KY/s1600/IMG_0556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4MSDcnkgzrYHR5pVPYt-N4jkUZxEH8cbRXOzVW4MEXxhShng9VXzA1clDwvzoFgqzb9zjra4Mew3ZVzjv8t3WkNf9aqIZ8OZ3hAToQhTXFjMFwT9vYeBCx7EFrsgNXxWVNN97FEu5KY/s320/IMG_0556.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple separates all their trash into compost and recycle as well!</td></tr>
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We also walked by the Apple Store. Yes, there is an Apple store on Apple's campus... In addition to the standard Apple electronics and gadgets, they sell a lot of shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, jackets, hats, etc with the Apple logo embroidered or printed on them. I think its mostly for employees and families of employees but I believe the store is technically open to the public.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxhxH2Y8h-26aRLGouqqpQZlBDNQ3cxWGcEqGuqOx3Rfo6QazeAsdqPq45e74v4PQ5XY1JjvxDtqLXMvmmMkuwI01iYTt2ux9jmoN4ngovicnNrLeEzMkpM1GrRY7ZTHN-Q6SPWn7Xuo/s1600/IMG_0560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxhxH2Y8h-26aRLGouqqpQZlBDNQ3cxWGcEqGuqOx3Rfo6QazeAsdqPq45e74v4PQ5XY1JjvxDtqLXMvmmMkuwI01iYTt2ux9jmoN4ngovicnNrLeEzMkpM1GrRY7ZTHN-Q6SPWn7Xuo/s320/IMG_0560.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite Apple shirt: "Siri, remind me to wash this T-shirt."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBRrQVA7fNj7qv1GjKyHxya3fTb2K-tNi5_TeCg21HiPP2JZhj5MAPS8LyCh5z-eJE45jV4dUjNx7iQTHC9cSO5IZag4QW4RcTs4OOHXrKUaJykizyVBKEmf6tx8C5bakoewyQMXBqWE/s1600/537203_546124308733163_12204808_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBRrQVA7fNj7qv1GjKyHxya3fTb2K-tNi5_TeCg21HiPP2JZhj5MAPS8LyCh5z-eJE45jV4dUjNx7iQTHC9cSO5IZag4QW4RcTs4OOHXrKUaJykizyVBKEmf6tx8C5bakoewyQMXBqWE/s320/537203_546124308733163_12204808_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple's decorations in the hallways made me laugh... "Remind me on May 19th that it is Dad's birthday" - thank goodness for Siri!</td></tr>
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In other news, I've officially been home for a month today! Not much has changed... I'm still job searching and hanging out at home :/</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-37507096324572288742013-01-09T10:04:00.000-08:002013-01-09T10:04:47.959-08:00World Map Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After digging around through my old blog posts, I realized that I never posted about my World Map Project! I participated in a few different World Map projects during my time in Ukraine, and randomly stumbled across this <a href="http://www.filmarcher.com/latest-news/" target="_blank">post about a Peace Corps film documentary</a>, with a shout out to the <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2011/03/alisons-world-map-project-eating.html" target="_blank">World Map that I worked on with my friend Alison</a>. We painted a patchwork map on wallpaper at her school with her students, and she later hung the map on the wall by mounting it on some type of wooden frame. I also helped out with my friend <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2011/06/sashas-world-map-project.html" target="_blank">Sasha's World Map</a> at her school, where we painted just the continents outside on the side wall of the school.<br />
<br />
So I think what happened was I got too busy with volunteering at EuroCup 2012, that I didn't have time to write a post about my World Map project... I just uploaded all the photos onto my Facebook page instead. I'm really ashamed that I never posted about my own World Map project here :( but I guess its better late than never!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ryJA7Q_VTXyj8Xz2gM1CmwG7JG5CbAQ5x5iMxvUWV2lMu6IvpM7k2ljf5Pyo7ff9IGoGXSHTSPFLHSuUqT57t5sJ9esxOGY5XHC70GlfmRtMS3vajN59U5ubR2Z54FHMjwZaIxi-2uo/s1600/IMG_2211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ryJA7Q_VTXyj8Xz2gM1CmwG7JG5CbAQ5x5iMxvUWV2lMu6IvpM7k2ljf5Pyo7ff9IGoGXSHTSPFLHSuUqT57t5sJ9esxOGY5XHC70GlfmRtMS3vajN59U5ubR2Z54FHMjwZaIxi-2uo/s320/IMG_2211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My World Map, painted directly on the wall in the hallway of the 3rd floor of my school. </td></tr>
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From May 25-30, 2012, my students and I finished up our community HIV/AIDS awareness campaign by painting a World Map as an AIDS memorial mural in our school. This was the last step in the project funded by my PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) grant from Peace Corps. I worked with a team of about 15 different students ranging from 5th to 10th grade, and with the help of my PCV friends Erika Hornli and Sam Choi, we painted this map in just 4 days. If you're interested in learning more about the World Map project or painting your own world map, you can download a pdf version of the <a href="http://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/library/R0088_worldmapproject.pdf" target="_blank">Peace Corps World Map Manual here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 1</b><br />
<br />
First we measured out the space for the map on the wall. The ideal size that I wanted to have for the map was 1.5 meters by 3 meters, but that didn't quite work out evenly because we had to calculate the exact size based on 6 x 6cm squares. The actual size of our map turned out to be 168cm by 336cm, so that we could have an even number of squares for the map (according to the World Map Manual). We sketched out lines in pencil, taped down the edges with scotch tape, and then painted blue paint for the ocean. Day 1 was actually a Friday, and we let the paint dry and harden completely over the weekend before coming back on Monday.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzBCZShyphenhyphenm2JxBPFU9-uaiHFOMmNZnkWFrGnndPKq3DlWf0hvi9FQiMwguRqCHTw5265Y58Ek8EFrDL00mqj2vX8zdYg6eheXdK7FhuQksJnKj-7LlPdh__uL2d5sV-oR9dO_K_CCI4Ao/s1600/IMG_2133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzBCZShyphenhyphenm2JxBPFU9-uaiHFOMmNZnkWFrGnndPKq3DlWf0hvi9FQiMwguRqCHTw5265Y58Ek8EFrDL00mqj2vX8zdYg6eheXdK7FhuQksJnKj-7LlPdh__uL2d5sV-oR9dO_K_CCI4Ao/s320/IMG_2133.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting at the top and working down was best, because otherwise the paint dripped onto the floor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-V8qpeUrO8mKi_KNjmOFYHtqeBsKeMJEquOG8x-OCF72auJdSSF6zSWMTOOsQEVHLe3OGEeFNbfH8cObqGgsnfjZB0JXGe4w-vtfQ1bQJLM1LVxVyolYwjO9c-E9s-80_f6bE1t2Cuc/s1600/IMG_2135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-V8qpeUrO8mKi_KNjmOFYHtqeBsKeMJEquOG8x-OCF72auJdSSF6zSWMTOOsQEVHLe3OGEeFNbfH8cObqGgsnfjZB0JXGe4w-vtfQ1bQJLM1LVxVyolYwjO9c-E9s-80_f6bE1t2Cuc/s320/IMG_2135.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling the paint onto the wall. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZJMDsXIsCfFXKijLQgkRvFeho19Tyub9YsWRriMWvKE847TCLaYpLaVzJoYWGBZSuzWgXCebItp5n11oVKIklc2O_uSvuj0X2WPd0kD7oeM0-oQavN-QczHb4AScVu4y6Ut6uj2p0vQ/s1600/IMG_2137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZJMDsXIsCfFXKijLQgkRvFeho19Tyub9YsWRriMWvKE847TCLaYpLaVzJoYWGBZSuzWgXCebItp5n11oVKIklc2O_uSvuj0X2WPd0kD7oeM0-oQavN-QczHb4AScVu4y6Ut6uj2p0vQ/s320/IMG_2137.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling up the space for all the water! </td></tr>
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<b>Day 2</b><br />
<br />
We marked off 18 large squares on the wall, each forming a block of 10 by 12 squares. Then we drew in all the squares, making our map 28 by 56 squares. We used the grid method to draw outlines of the countries in pencil, then darkened the outlines with black permanent marker. Originally, I had planned to use the projection method with a projector. However, it didn't work out because the image wasn't detailed enough to trace for such a large map (or the quality of the image was distorted by the projector).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaTeNU4CzQn7cr_bEKna1p4lT1kIx8HqEtQMXyLrqu7ntP5be0mU5cjSE_rbuia9tLVijhgoT4GcCK_MjeXNhnht6HX3QbSZ2DnRsCdgwiGOH4DYc3HyMNo_-F21TwycNcpFeh7O-9jY/s1600/IMG_5527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaTeNU4CzQn7cr_bEKna1p4lT1kIx8HqEtQMXyLrqu7ntP5be0mU5cjSE_rbuia9tLVijhgoT4GcCK_MjeXNhnht6HX3QbSZ2DnRsCdgwiGOH4DYc3HyMNo_-F21TwycNcpFeh7O-9jY/s320/IMG_5527.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measuring straight gridlines takes teamwork, even when you have a 2m long ruler. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcJgcMSBnStJ1UPLZYYs5G_Whu2azZk2trFjcXdG7pqXN7MzeeKdpsab1mQ8rKQTczwehjdIwps4oLs_ajb0imy-Fc8A2L5_Tecz_xmb68P4KpFxxz7UEY2KqwIhs3XFbNPnzl6NkDi8/s1600/IMG_5522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcJgcMSBnStJ1UPLZYYs5G_Whu2azZk2trFjcXdG7pqXN7MzeeKdpsab1mQ8rKQTczwehjdIwps4oLs_ajb0imy-Fc8A2L5_Tecz_xmb68P4KpFxxz7UEY2KqwIhs3XFbNPnzl6NkDi8/s320/IMG_5522.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I colored all of the map plans ahead of time, so the kids would have a better understanding of which country was which. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh0EIjWqxRXm9DIi6DGw1DglTaQM6s3CJ8z98k8P4dqc2GjsDAZ4Ce4Dd3wfrRXNJbiQ1nDDUy14_RBsADeHxGHAAnpeTjAQI4rXmGt5FPJLHIbGFOekoo8vU7SLW627DjM23IXsxiXY/s1600/IMG_2149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh0EIjWqxRXm9DIi6DGw1DglTaQM6s3CJ8z98k8P4dqc2GjsDAZ4Ce4Dd3wfrRXNJbiQ1nDDUy14_RBsADeHxGHAAnpeTjAQI4rXmGt5FPJLHIbGFOekoo8vU7SLW627DjM23IXsxiXY/s320/IMG_2149.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting the outlines. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBB4MnDh6lH9bvbe0c9QVGbVYyp7-_H7St4RPS3E-ZkkF8PvqV3v2Hi890a08hGiKfneoDG5v96fbrHsk6j_vkyZTBnYCPnaGmOZRvpiMpkciz4wAGwUdd7N8c8ok608dxUp1_FltRmE/s1600/IMG_2156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBB4MnDh6lH9bvbe0c9QVGbVYyp7-_H7St4RPS3E-ZkkF8PvqV3v2Hi890a08hGiKfneoDG5v96fbrHsk6j_vkyZTBnYCPnaGmOZRvpiMpkciz4wAGwUdd7N8c8ok608dxUp1_FltRmE/s320/IMG_2156.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About halfway done... we've progressed to using the markers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRWcRB-8omj5SZHgcxYjZPg4uE2WkgaEtZpJxbJvQ7iO6zJSb7o81EH8qVkuqlR-luUwMuli7HjY40-ZN1vFSUh2eud2e9sZ4gvLcWwj9MtmxECENiKCKdRwnZhbx-IpIYpvJc8A-_T4/s1600/IMG_2166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRWcRB-8omj5SZHgcxYjZPg4uE2WkgaEtZpJxbJvQ7iO6zJSb7o81EH8qVkuqlR-luUwMuli7HjY40-ZN1vFSUh2eud2e9sZ4gvLcWwj9MtmxECENiKCKdRwnZhbx-IpIYpvJc8A-_T4/s320/IMG_2166.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam single-handedly drew most of Africa by himself. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Zv8t6Fj4GUw8aVPTssjqQyHluO9TsimvO5qpBneFp9jjjY7-j-3JjysPAeV2iWfPIOeLbDBvHWyPAbb0wRlCXrJ7vxl3bbhPM0uLsKb7nrsOcPektM8NdAdaKYb07jv3r38Y7Ew-wRI/s1600/IMG_5530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Zv8t6Fj4GUw8aVPTssjqQyHluO9TsimvO5qpBneFp9jjjY7-j-3JjysPAeV2iWfPIOeLbDBvHWyPAbb0wRlCXrJ7vxl3bbhPM0uLsKb7nrsOcPektM8NdAdaKYb07jv3r38Y7Ew-wRI/s320/IMG_5530.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with the finished outline of the map after day 2. </td></tr>
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<b>Day 3</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Day 3 was everyone's favorite day because we painted the wall! We mixed concentrated colors with white paint in plastic cups, and basically just painted in the colors according to the World Map Manual. At the end of the day, all the kids who helped out with the map got to put their handprint on the wall.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyjUnSjLUZxVyKUPzHo1SlaHkB1KUexuk-ABTIGKOGSrevyjOjUZ3liF7Jvx9drf1fawTvXWXNUfkvs5DE9dMCXbhNk4_ZGk4e5K60Ft1aapekEMJFsQ5BMjcvyu1R5tGb9KZ2Lc6V9I/s1600/IMG_2171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyjUnSjLUZxVyKUPzHo1SlaHkB1KUexuk-ABTIGKOGSrevyjOjUZ3liF7Jvx9drf1fawTvXWXNUfkvs5DE9dMCXbhNk4_ZGk4e5K60Ft1aapekEMJFsQ5BMjcvyu1R5tGb9KZ2Lc6V9I/s320/IMG_2171.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anya and I mixing the paint. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzMOof16OTNzdFHy1rXNKK1LwLznV_b90-Rkgvu1RIM-yQNicrD3biMr-MwLvebbw9rn0JExQUjhcHlVYVEUnQYKzE1wRoUC8l56D1KGcnmaJetYP7yvVRemPlh4I1XlK19WTke09AcU/s1600/IMG_2180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzMOof16OTNzdFHy1rXNKK1LwLznV_b90-Rkgvu1RIM-yQNicrD3biMr-MwLvebbw9rn0JExQUjhcHlVYVEUnQYKzE1wRoUC8l56D1KGcnmaJetYP7yvVRemPlh4I1XlK19WTke09AcU/s320/IMG_2180.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dasha and Erika painting Russia and India. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FGD0IGZSe8kEEM_6YpjGQlzFWbvDXBMfk5nzcWTNx_pl9hyphenhyphennmAuu3BiGf31tq0aXqb1pqnGDmBLrpZDCnjTA2CgXf32vRRIDZ8vvtbIFRu5R0NyYquhiWZR1QS7DjPSeRm3dowD91r4/s1600/IMG_2188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FGD0IGZSe8kEEM_6YpjGQlzFWbvDXBMfk5nzcWTNx_pl9hyphenhyphennmAuu3BiGf31tq0aXqb1pqnGDmBLrpZDCnjTA2CgXf32vRRIDZ8vvtbIFRu5R0NyYquhiWZR1QS7DjPSeRm3dowD91r4/s320/IMG_2188.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About halfway done! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGXf3bSK1oxY9UxHVj2P1dK867VeyB89W7_mbhFaHcIufsgD-DQHyNJgUvctNPRD45M-1Ds3nBjTWm3pWIZez91dCXW6Eu0fQit6hC6q68flpOdGqDjYt_w-Uwxu5b0y5-9b0fL4ym3s/s1600/IMG_5546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGXf3bSK1oxY9UxHVj2P1dK867VeyB89W7_mbhFaHcIufsgD-DQHyNJgUvctNPRD45M-1Ds3nBjTWm3pWIZez91dCXW6Eu0fQit6hC6q68flpOdGqDjYt_w-Uwxu5b0y5-9b0fL4ym3s/s320/IMG_5546.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katya working hard on Africa. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k7JR-EmMz6R40EufW91TmEihJbQzdP4iY8nNEnhpdRvJId-3gM3f70ozXJ6dm8ZMpfl19KUSDA0J6hrCYvRZNBN1p97bTQ3Bw6TKIxBktQJ8Qu4AEfMyDgc1D9_EUQlnoQ8dVS04ouA/s1600/IMG_5561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k7JR-EmMz6R40EufW91TmEihJbQzdP4iY8nNEnhpdRvJId-3gM3f70ozXJ6dm8ZMpfl19KUSDA0J6hrCYvRZNBN1p97bTQ3Bw6TKIxBktQJ8Qu4AEfMyDgc1D9_EUQlnoQ8dVS04ouA/s320/IMG_5561.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting the title.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38bBxrxoW5StkBTCqWX9FGSyaPKWb8mz_VQxLg0Xs1YzPZQnNlR83eito6PsvZIOPcuRhosIXG2Cf0zznyKOuEO1Ue1egdhzVR8QhDSpGqDHSR17iYLEmVKXTRMyZZTQd0kaxMD61E-A/s1600/IMG_2198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38bBxrxoW5StkBTCqWX9FGSyaPKWb8mz_VQxLg0Xs1YzPZQnNlR83eito6PsvZIOPcuRhosIXG2Cf0zznyKOuEO1Ue1egdhzVR8QhDSpGqDHSR17iYLEmVKXTRMyZZTQd0kaxMD61E-A/s320/IMG_2198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished map, after day 3!</td></tr>
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<b>Day 4</b><br />
<br />
On the last day, I labeled all of the countries (in English, of course) with a black permanent marker. All of the students came by to sign their handprints, and we painted a clear coat of sealant onto the wall. Then we were done, and everyone got to take photos with the map!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6x2T6GHfCtiKbmLOuSw-NASYHbdkAXgH8TZOU6TjchGYGYNx-sn8UZ81cztSELCOsnMd1DL2zjCb14DBzUewjTjcGs0Jj0WGGuBdBvMG-VtyzlfBM0YYVurVLoZUW1C1qgNLj7pDtD9Q/s1600/IMG_2202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6x2T6GHfCtiKbmLOuSw-NASYHbdkAXgH8TZOU6TjchGYGYNx-sn8UZ81cztSELCOsnMd1DL2zjCb14DBzUewjTjcGs0Jj0WGGuBdBvMG-VtyzlfBM0YYVurVLoZUW1C1qgNLj7pDtD9Q/s320/IMG_2202.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dasha signing her name on the wall. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOiEhGwIXIfd2j_saVq4GuhpNQMQtBdQa3KrcSAYMhglZxayYfL9FjToU99PNDZ1YJLdpYTS376xem93Dz4xpPNSgm6geASEjil5xNC2wyIuhWf26dJo36UByf94Q0JCkp0yTXIYNiR0/s1600/IMG_5573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOiEhGwIXIfd2j_saVq4GuhpNQMQtBdQa3KrcSAYMhglZxayYfL9FjToU99PNDZ1YJLdpYTS376xem93Dz4xpPNSgm6geASEjil5xNC2wyIuhWf26dJo36UByf94Q0JCkp0yTXIYNiR0/s320/IMG_5573.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katya carefully writing her name in English. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlb5WJofjwI3QY90KIAKTjvc25rW8-rnjTOkeqORM0dUiJWYoGuD6mFsMwzdEL_OBVgjceqn6CRczcscZIn8bnDxeByeKTGNMpasDbVx7q_-YVNdI1m8UCm4rp6GYj3Tf63f0yqhflCys/s1600/IMG_5596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlb5WJofjwI3QY90KIAKTjvc25rW8-rnjTOkeqORM0dUiJWYoGuD6mFsMwzdEL_OBVgjceqn6CRczcscZIn8bnDxeByeKTGNMpasDbVx7q_-YVNdI1m8UCm4rp6GYj3Tf63f0yqhflCys/s320/IMG_5596.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Anya and Dasha - my 2 rockstar 10th graders and Erika. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nUiV2J-DrnOjNEab0Jt1UJOdGNM5gBzsColuudoBDNe1vMDw67FuurfB8OVGzxUyHcA1Jtpr540tMvRU25Cb_UZmHz_T3JY9iT9pIiX1fnrRkEWtisf4KHNY6PLcPw1f5TQDADFGOEM/s1600/IMG_5601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nUiV2J-DrnOjNEab0Jt1UJOdGNM5gBzsColuudoBDNe1vMDw67FuurfB8OVGzxUyHcA1Jtpr540tMvRU25Cb_UZmHz_T3JY9iT9pIiX1fnrRkEWtisf4KHNY6PLcPw1f5TQDADFGOEM/s320/IMG_5601.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished World Map! </td></tr>
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When we returned to school in the fall, I was glad to see that the map was still there... not that I had expected anything to change over the summer. Our school staff had strategically placed some potted plants in front of the map, to deter little kids from running up and touching the wall. Of course, this didn't stop them anyways because they all like to measure their hands and point out different countries. I'm proud of the team of students that I worked with, and I hope that this map will last my school for many years into the future!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAYUbWNUkGH14QtW6tYCgpKA52vhd2gzBZ5fmv89HKOqZYiDJ5agKW5dhpBG_zb92xBIgFl1C42EVXWvfQDG2iGz9KgWFiqbqeKK_AyRQy8EkgxipAlR6pkB6ytK-O21wBrHP0iiJCx8/s1600/P8300002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAYUbWNUkGH14QtW6tYCgpKA52vhd2gzBZ5fmv89HKOqZYiDJ5agKW5dhpBG_zb92xBIgFl1C42EVXWvfQDG2iGz9KgWFiqbqeKK_AyRQy8EkgxipAlR6pkB6ytK-O21wBrHP0iiJCx8/s320/P8300002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The world map on September 1, 2012. </td></tr>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-75110908209388498802013-01-08T23:06:00.000-08:002013-01-08T23:06:54.070-08:00Winter Break: Ice Skating, Eating Classic American Food, and Playing in the Snow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Over winter break, I spent a lot of time hanging out with my sister and our family since I hadn't been home for over 2 years. It has been great just relaxing at home, without worrying about things like if my internet/power will go out when it storms and whether today is the day that I have to finally handwash my laundry. <br />
<br />
My sister and I had originally planned on going ice skating in downtown San Francisco on Christmas Eve - they have a cute little ice rink in Union Square, right across from Macy's. Unfortunately, that ice rink is really small and always overcrowded. We were about to head downtown when my parents reminded me to check tickets online, and the tickets were sold out until that evening. These photos are from a week before Christmas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihODPGd8cmgqWWtahnOjpyDRKKGPmULtvDyuMctQe_0qEvOun0H20HwuAiAPX5DgzWquaajrJCHdTHELgfcUvDU_9kB61SGX6mXeEYFy-TxEmmx2Qrw5pZ-Rltc93r99KjOu7V3YbqnnE/s1600/IMG_0298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihODPGd8cmgqWWtahnOjpyDRKKGPmULtvDyuMctQe_0qEvOun0H20HwuAiAPX5DgzWquaajrJCHdTHELgfcUvDU_9kB61SGX6mXeEYFy-TxEmmx2Qrw5pZ-Rltc93r99KjOu7V3YbqnnE/s320/IMG_0298.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ice is so busy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YeyYQEFFxGbt7uL1GJaHzmKfNPrPSUBtSxGQCWcpTvgme1d-AvIGUts1wX8RE7wETh3yzDJKAi427Rlveoe7TjocnHzpLMkd-GOrbLxgyjQYKBmK2mrJtiL7hy8mWIC6N7C52d7rhbQ/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YeyYQEFFxGbt7uL1GJaHzmKfNPrPSUBtSxGQCWcpTvgme1d-AvIGUts1wX8RE7wETh3yzDJKAi427Rlveoe7TjocnHzpLMkd-GOrbLxgyjQYKBmK2mrJtiL7hy8mWIC6N7C52d7rhbQ/s320/IMG_0299.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But the rink is right next to the Christmas tree in the center of Union Square. </td></tr>
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So we went ice skating at a rink closer to our house instead, which actually turned out to be better since there were less people and the ice was much cleaner. My sister and I wore our Christmas-themed headbands haha. See how there is almost no one on the ice?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6oXUxrUdGKVEd0BtwU4xHXpPWOeOl_D6VUYMgico-lrh25W01Ysn3q_Rwe60rRjiWwaKY0GZO0tPOmnZFjlnUhNA98u1uxm6wjzdmRUVaReC_tUbU92zO9BZHFsFHN5DiuwYOGYd9-w/s1600/IMG_0364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6oXUxrUdGKVEd0BtwU4xHXpPWOeOl_D6VUYMgico-lrh25W01Ysn3q_Rwe60rRjiWwaKY0GZO0tPOmnZFjlnUhNA98u1uxm6wjzdmRUVaReC_tUbU92zO9BZHFsFHN5DiuwYOGYd9-w/s320/IMG_0364.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Throwing up the peace sign. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislu_mhgXSfay6pLmLRSNTl2XpBU5JpIooCFgbsezBtdcguyj3oE9Y4k4UaAGID-p-MHSPQ94Bn5VPoAYXp9CVHqVCzdlPiVxzBMkTAcvoJKVNnobzb0RSjBfOud9SdUGDbFtQmslooNg/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislu_mhgXSfay6pLmLRSNTl2XpBU5JpIooCFgbsezBtdcguyj3oE9Y4k4UaAGID-p-MHSPQ94Bn5VPoAYXp9CVHqVCzdlPiVxzBMkTAcvoJKVNnobzb0RSjBfOud9SdUGDbFtQmslooNg/s320/IMG_0384.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta love how the California flag flies everywhere. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-orWMNHPBjHbI4z_letAufoOHuE15Q2h9rILO8ea7v7kgcOEySjBvjwvjsmHFUJp04b6LIRwm1NnkwdF0YtSvyTb26ONE4aBLbeZLpu__rs0AoaLxQ8LydPU9X-Duj5Dh6F8ykjo62M/s1600/IMG_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-orWMNHPBjHbI4z_letAufoOHuE15Q2h9rILO8ea7v7kgcOEySjBvjwvjsmHFUJp04b6LIRwm1NnkwdF0YtSvyTb26ONE4aBLbeZLpu__rs0AoaLxQ8LydPU9X-Duj5Dh6F8ykjo62M/s320/IMG_0362.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy holidays from the Li sisters!</td></tr>
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Since I've been back for almost a month now, I've been enjoying all sorts of classic American foods that I couldn't have in Ukraine. Well, I guess I could have tried to cook these dishes, but they just wouldn't have turned out the same. Plus a lot of imported foods are expensive, so the cost of preparing American dishes probably would have outweighed the benefit of having comfort food. Anyway, here are just a few dishes that I've had since I've been home (apologies to my friends who are in Ukraine for making you hungry).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5NHcIIkSLA8zn_ltY0NPuv8qE73hp9sNTWrCRzo29TSI_Ul70HQLEDuJUJMT1u1UWwf8vembV-1Q_A70iMiJQbObvSOKeRyM-ltSzsNzk8pnMwPC46aso4mGe_7z9t60tKoRqdswskk/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5NHcIIkSLA8zn_ltY0NPuv8qE73hp9sNTWrCRzo29TSI_Ul70HQLEDuJUJMT1u1UWwf8vembV-1Q_A70iMiJQbObvSOKeRyM-ltSzsNzk8pnMwPC46aso4mGe_7z9t60tKoRqdswskk/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quesadillas with steak - only in California can you find organic Mexican food. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrQ-N7a_RR33x1ArbGsnmLlkmRtYPdUXJ2Jjzd6alr9kNi93sFZY-7ElY4gE1EjP6PKZHgQsAuJnQdu8SZT38V33Gd1KKNJgFkNr_Wu4Ju2hLDCdXMTbnTZcvpYsuXuTQQ6iF6Y9Sh-U/s1600/IMG_0346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrQ-N7a_RR33x1ArbGsnmLlkmRtYPdUXJ2Jjzd6alr9kNi93sFZY-7ElY4gE1EjP6PKZHgQsAuJnQdu8SZT38V33Gd1KKNJgFkNr_Wu4Ju2hLDCdXMTbnTZcvpYsuXuTQQ6iF6Y9Sh-U/s320/IMG_0346.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Classic Chinese beef noodle soup with "bubble tea" (milk tea with tapioca balls).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1Jqz9QNSPgpJVf_hNbI5abdFdUMhgm5k_h1hobFpPWmFpSpxtmtrH4VcZv7nfxt1F10bghXxfVBtyE3yoQEFeCs-5nOo9oNtX3XE4KzMWZz4BfSGuU7ULEdgHFZw6J7D6RCNmXx66H0/s1600/IMG_0580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1Jqz9QNSPgpJVf_hNbI5abdFdUMhgm5k_h1hobFpPWmFpSpxtmtrH4VcZv7nfxt1F10bghXxfVBtyE3yoQEFeCs-5nOo9oNtX3XE4KzMWZz4BfSGuU7ULEdgHFZw6J7D6RCNmXx66H0/s320/IMG_0580.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good Southern meal - pulled pork with BBQ sauce, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, and a biscuit. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUx2Jdoa8Xp8dJz8DoD9_YMc7RsK1e77JcOtVuH3nZArBDX7XVgDNcFG8MbtctrZAkZ9hHKDOM8Lxg6s527hJhhMf2JQRRPiKdVuPDlpuFzLr-yfIMUrtjFfO0Gxm5P9VjJW7hvpgfBc/s1600/In+n+Out+Burger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUx2Jdoa8Xp8dJz8DoD9_YMc7RsK1e77JcOtVuH3nZArBDX7XVgDNcFG8MbtctrZAkZ9hHKDOM8Lxg6s527hJhhMf2JQRRPiKdVuPDlpuFzLr-yfIMUrtjFfO0Gxm5P9VjJW7hvpgfBc/s320/In+n+Out+Burger.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In'n'Out Burger! My sister and I had a classic cheeseburger, hamburger, and cheese fries (from their "secret menu"). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi930pbUfk52tPZdzoUMSaagpk22S9CBOSmi_NZRYIen3NbqxNuWD9BWxebnHk8MHqDaypQrRL_NQBnMckQqrWRwawIdgQpi13DxNKgWcX4YczHs216G7jLRgUPGm0lpRiu-V4bR6Mcc/s1600/bbq+ribs+and+fries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi930pbUfk52tPZdzoUMSaagpk22S9CBOSmi_NZRYIen3NbqxNuWD9BWxebnHk8MHqDaypQrRL_NQBnMckQqrWRwawIdgQpi13DxNKgWcX4YczHs216G7jLRgUPGm0lpRiu-V4bR6Mcc/s320/bbq+ribs+and+fries.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBQ riblets and fries from Applebees!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKhDDe3y9JmKCOtR2PJg54hmWH34rH6cLADj1S2_eTAL_EYlwgSG18ic1Tyw7e1qRRUtcxixmg3JcRxsNeJoMSlngBaT4ZIohRsUhWFC43FzrNbLu549DN8pEUxOsZhcbSgKPgn6FXNI/s1600/boneless+chicken+wings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKhDDe3y9JmKCOtR2PJg54hmWH34rH6cLADj1S2_eTAL_EYlwgSG18ic1Tyw7e1qRRUtcxixmg3JcRxsNeJoMSlngBaT4ZIohRsUhWFC43FzrNbLu549DN8pEUxOsZhcbSgKPgn6FXNI/s320/boneless+chicken+wings.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boneless chicken wings with ranch dressing and celery from Applebees. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFd625dkYzImTNqpI_YFhzBLtTLIdXtKoYboxe9WZTpCLnFHwu4yORkpVJqnw9Edmtle7S9qQXWx2ZSOQ9dIP_Mgwgwm_zsNXUxplgaF7KQ30WtnassolDlUL5E4GF6l3dMcTaCTNq29s/s1600/tacos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFd625dkYzImTNqpI_YFhzBLtTLIdXtKoYboxe9WZTpCLnFHwu4yORkpVJqnw9Edmtle7S9qQXWx2ZSOQ9dIP_Mgwgwm_zsNXUxplgaF7KQ30WtnassolDlUL5E4GF6l3dMcTaCTNq29s/s320/tacos.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken tacos from Chipotle Mexican Grill. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjX20P9QtxDpmDkJ8zfAnj7HsMhx7E0Ji97rmHzmvyjQdiG-XapzP8FVRrKBAMkWNxCL26b2Fh0meYtsVoYRL91IngBu_u3izSgbzHukC4BRGqLTXJWWskYpL7lhVHYEiX02aXbAVVmY/s1600/fried+mozzarella+cheese+sticks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjX20P9QtxDpmDkJ8zfAnj7HsMhx7E0Ji97rmHzmvyjQdiG-XapzP8FVRrKBAMkWNxCL26b2Fh0meYtsVoYRL91IngBu_u3izSgbzHukC4BRGqLTXJWWskYpL7lhVHYEiX02aXbAVVmY/s320/fried+mozzarella+cheese+sticks.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my all-time favorite appetizers: fried mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce from Applebees. </td></tr>
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We drove up to Tahoe which is about 3 hours away from where we live in California, and its in the mountains so there is quite a bit of snow there. They had over 3 feet of snow on the ground, but it was barely 30 degrees F outside. Since we don't "play" in the snow often, my sister didn't have any winter clothes and she borrowed my lime green ski jacket and hat :D<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_QId6qnmvVHAMJye9gMctOdS-ftdQzr1XMGR5dQz6tqs-XCRV1QvzMjrF73igskKdMpPMgPdxYHxx_59OhKT4dc7nKQeOrFiO3hbBFsOnK2A3opHdlbN4mX9kT-ogWcpeXssEA4GvyY/s1600/IMG_0414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_QId6qnmvVHAMJye9gMctOdS-ftdQzr1XMGR5dQz6tqs-XCRV1QvzMjrF73igskKdMpPMgPdxYHxx_59OhKT4dc7nKQeOrFiO3hbBFsOnK2A3opHdlbN4mX9kT-ogWcpeXssEA4GvyY/s320/IMG_0414.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of snowy trees along the highway. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfdJ9z5NRm5KDG5aoBXQKn9AdQmnDJx4z27J08hgwyxHX9nmbv-Ib0JJNu5mbPWVJXdpG5XA_gZXFj1RbjT0iMVngH6ANVS43g-cVs47D_tLa_6s5ImadNPAfun0USlDCXUvhC6MbZdk/s1600/IMG_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfdJ9z5NRm5KDG5aoBXQKn9AdQmnDJx4z27J08hgwyxHX9nmbv-Ib0JJNu5mbPWVJXdpG5XA_gZXFj1RbjT0iMVngH6ANVS43g-cVs47D_tLa_6s5ImadNPAfun0USlDCXUvhC6MbZdk/s320/IMG_0422.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister sledding down the hill on our little dish. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HfPq4iDUn4TMGUcn2WIS1xh4-HxsjE5qeMA_Dc8leOvXnp3sgn_BKi0c4AGG-EdHxkyZQDLmCZukUyNnqcBgasNVR32gCHA-GhCXU-NqOB7ZqmBxsgqDqZnedzHrkZXoa0RePscE2tY/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HfPq4iDUn4TMGUcn2WIS1xh4-HxsjE5qeMA_Dc8leOvXnp3sgn_BKi0c4AGG-EdHxkyZQDLmCZukUyNnqcBgasNVR32gCHA-GhCXU-NqOB7ZqmBxsgqDqZnedzHrkZXoa0RePscE2tY/s320/IMG_0427.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even my dad went sledding a few times!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbUmwnQJIeJvah2jDZqIHqhAdklLA-PK8udoPpNT3-RQtG0nM9hZmK5iWDuMx_Xq8hGLZqihlHNWE3VAHSAlMF_A_1HHxGA7EHrHvSZb-Y0WhG6mp9Efpa5RcP-m0FTE7eLVChugKdMA/s1600/IMG_0447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbUmwnQJIeJvah2jDZqIHqhAdklLA-PK8udoPpNT3-RQtG0nM9hZmK5iWDuMx_Xq8hGLZqihlHNWE3VAHSAlMF_A_1HHxGA7EHrHvSZb-Y0WhG6mp9Efpa5RcP-m0FTE7eLVChugKdMA/s320/IMG_0447.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister and I.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKE-t8-Q1HwouWI8-mACysTxKGVpD4ZhUpqhyjJ4739gDwj9iPRvUlD1zouCtLwlnQl0jGY-YdtAHikpjJBFaftP1-WWNVqz-Ohv3Q-iJM1mVQRHG8fahi115H3q7NrY0hOMaQa4_CVY/s1600/IMG_0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKE-t8-Q1HwouWI8-mACysTxKGVpD4ZhUpqhyjJ4739gDwj9iPRvUlD1zouCtLwlnQl0jGY-YdtAHikpjJBFaftP1-WWNVqz-Ohv3Q-iJM1mVQRHG8fahi115H3q7NrY0hOMaQa4_CVY/s320/IMG_0449.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, thats one huge snowdrift about 3 ft tall. </td></tr>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-38663013804425544792013-01-03T10:36:00.000-08:002013-01-03T10:45:32.098-08:00My Last Week in Ukraine: Visiting the Hydro Park, Chernobyl Museum, Pechersk Lavra, and the Motherland Statue in Kyiv<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I'm a bit behind on my posts as usual... this is from my last week in Ukraine (which was about 3 weeks ago). I spent the week in Kyiv, and since I didn't have any plans to meet up with people, I just hung out with new friends that I met at my hostel - <a href="http://www.tiu-kreschatik.com.ua/" target="_blank">TIU Kreshatyk</a>. I stayed in that hostel almost every time that I went to Kyiv during my 2 years in Ukraine, and its my favorite hostel because its not too big and you always meet friendly travelers there. I actually helped them paint a little during my stay there in December since they were remodeling : )<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out in the kitchen while the guys painted. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzezBL-uy_5SL50EPPtV8__dmqHSUhPFyOl6oQusTqizoqsSQeIi-djGzpkmnL4mIRFbO2a6L9rO3m7vPAR39chZ7xplYRTBcwL_FYPkCofSsfWFiJDNW_MIVohzOWXGddI1R9lW99wU/s1600/IMG_2404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzezBL-uy_5SL50EPPtV8__dmqHSUhPFyOl6oQusTqizoqsSQeIi-djGzpkmnL4mIRFbO2a6L9rO3m7vPAR39chZ7xplYRTBcwL_FYPkCofSsfWFiJDNW_MIVohzOWXGddI1R9lW99wU/s320/IMG_2404.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to paint the wall in the common room. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHOEhuE7e6hJOM7Uyf6KFNs4Llt6XTUuOh1xJBOHR2FIl8t-8MldSJQ8jPdI-NNbl60NPagmfSfNfDMGiIA83KkrY-cZWBuwohEdjt2UA8VUNFBxvPe1EsSHEuYBHN8ISQFdLfUg09so/s1600/IMG_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHOEhuE7e6hJOM7Uyf6KFNs4Llt6XTUuOh1xJBOHR2FIl8t-8MldSJQ8jPdI-NNbl60NPagmfSfNfDMGiIA83KkrY-cZWBuwohEdjt2UA8VUNFBxvPe1EsSHEuYBHN8ISQFdLfUg09so/s320/IMG_2413.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At 1:30am - we are almost done and Olya is refueling with coffee. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvZoKlK82DvD9az0YZM-kApUXjK1baygpvRBKA-ibJ9Hf2kX7PRVS6c31fMb2NLCec8ifv1-7GyFUT_JoVmhDu8Bz-0s-kRJGU8Hj3Bq7jQfM4gcuXsngtpdhuYLHqiVM-bDdEnCOjDk/s1600/IMG_2418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvZoKlK82DvD9az0YZM-kApUXjK1baygpvRBKA-ibJ9Hf2kX7PRVS6c31fMb2NLCec8ifv1-7GyFUT_JoVmhDu8Bz-0s-kRJGU8Hj3Bq7jQfM4gcuXsngtpdhuYLHqiVM-bDdEnCOjDk/s320/IMG_2418.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished! In this house... we are family! </td></tr>
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I went exploring around the Hydro Park area of Kyiv with an Austrian guy named <a href="http://dominikreiterer.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Dominik</a>, that I met at the hostel. I had never been there before, though I'd passed it while riding the metro (the subway) and our friend Roma (who works at the hostel) recommended visiting it. There is a small stretch of the Kyiv metro where the metro trains run above ground, mainly to cross the Dnipro river. The Hydro Park is located along the banks of the river, and apparently its a very popular swimming place in the summer even though the beaches are small. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGGn48zHVZ7XDAxu-wFrz2KWhirUFtDjXmT7RdarrbZS2SYDQuX_0qLP-XjNs1YOrNchNxlJFRegFHUvvxCuOi2XM7odzaNSTxOyeeF4H737jyD9qfw52ZKf-Bn7APmbwUktBIbPqV3U/s1600/2012-12-08+13.49.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGGn48zHVZ7XDAxu-wFrz2KWhirUFtDjXmT7RdarrbZS2SYDQuX_0qLP-XjNs1YOrNchNxlJFRegFHUvvxCuOi2XM7odzaNSTxOyeeF4H737jyD9qfw52ZKf-Bn7APmbwUktBIbPqV3U/s320/2012-12-08+13.49.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking with Dominik and Roma on Kreshatyk street, near the Maidan.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACUg3w44OxmQqnp4QWWBUajQSeBBpjaaEJxWmIvD_s-6DwMZPlbZ2hgRuDBndes_tdDjy0P5pKowQTfHH1AhS_B5l-XBKkSZit8Cv-XIsU4lfMJ17juH-CZojXOPll2TbNfmTLapfg1E/s1600/2012-12-08+14.16.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACUg3w44OxmQqnp4QWWBUajQSeBBpjaaEJxWmIvD_s-6DwMZPlbZ2hgRuDBndes_tdDjy0P5pKowQTfHH1AhS_B5l-XBKkSZit8Cv-XIsU4lfMJ17juH-CZojXOPll2TbNfmTLapfg1E/s320/2012-12-08+14.16.02.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ukrainian street dogs aren't afraid to stare you down. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvXv9p7f8VsbQ1PKODs33ySnd_lWvUaU1np1iIgGQueS2kyEXGCKbfhaYYrEds5jwoV3P41sFxWB6VfD88NS2BrPW3wNUNwV5VRSrGcN8OJEkNIG0N7BXe-jXZDftTO0TDp65rpKXjIs/s1600/2012-12-08+14.26.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvXv9p7f8VsbQ1PKODs33ySnd_lWvUaU1np1iIgGQueS2kyEXGCKbfhaYYrEds5jwoV3P41sFxWB6VfD88NS2BrPW3wNUNwV5VRSrGcN8OJEkNIG0N7BXe-jXZDftTO0TDp65rpKXjIs/s320/2012-12-08+14.26.36.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the bank of the Dnipro - you can see the Motherland "Родина мать" statue in the distance on the left. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6GQZDKYoOT0I19UgvckBE9twZuHzNQcMTHZ578PfhpEaLtdaY0SVSdQsjD9Phd0Lzp4D3Kn0I5UmcUHcKStotNYFkggZ64BV7OVP-obrioz8TqtqumF7nsKpEz9TZdZiUU60W9qKq40/s1600/2012-12-08+15.16.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6GQZDKYoOT0I19UgvckBE9twZuHzNQcMTHZ578PfhpEaLtdaY0SVSdQsjD9Phd0Lzp4D3Kn0I5UmcUHcKStotNYFkggZ64BV7OVP-obrioz8TqtqumF7nsKpEz9TZdZiUU60W9qKq40/s320/2012-12-08+15.16.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other side of the Dnipro, with lots of new fancy apartment buildings along the waterfront. </td></tr>
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Dominik left a few tickets to the <a href="http://www.chornobylmuseum.kiev.ua/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">National Chernobyl museum</a>, so I snagged one of them and went to check it out. It was not very easy to find - I spent about 30 minutes slushing around the streets trying to find it. I had to ask about 5 passerby which way to go, and not all of them knew where the museum was. I can't imagine how tourists who don't speak Russian or Ukrainian can find this museum. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-kVcmFias0n1rMbAXeVX4L1kffL0x0lwFmQEQPalpFVkvo9V8A4D-tFBZQcJQz8MbWBGrMMR6BuwMQLau1cwhZAGci0WgGQfSLEg2ueYUkX3HSm6RuccBSCWeY2Px3c7g-gJdLtGVao/s1600/IMG_2351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-kVcmFias0n1rMbAXeVX4L1kffL0x0lwFmQEQPalpFVkvo9V8A4D-tFBZQcJQz8MbWBGrMMR6BuwMQLau1cwhZAGci0WgGQfSLEg2ueYUkX3HSm6RuccBSCWeY2Px3c7g-gJdLtGVao/s320/IMG_2351.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a small sign for the museum on the right hand street corner, so I turned left (following the sign)... apparently I turned too early because it was the next street down. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZnEwlOjwW-tnnGjmcn6AgzBIeInS8v0jAQ12FfbzTDc4xqwMr56NmaG6S9qnid8dUM6nIlcDnmZpHSJDPOwKcSU_F_KPgrLYKd2VTKZjyiqRxJEJSFEbTM04NvIUFVLTPXYmbvviHvw/s1600/IMG_2352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZnEwlOjwW-tnnGjmcn6AgzBIeInS8v0jAQ12FfbzTDc4xqwMr56NmaG6S9qnid8dUM6nIlcDnmZpHSJDPOwKcSU_F_KPgrLYKd2VTKZjyiqRxJEJSFEbTM04NvIUFVLTPXYmbvviHvw/s320/IMG_2352.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice how the streets aren't really plowed here... so I really did slush my way around. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGkVie_e0AXwo_6t0kuuA8BJbCOJnkXxgyUK_U2j2i7zR1KVkYofyPmmVbAloqJQ_-PQMlR3VNi_sEl8ik-0j6UB24KdQQr7W-a23wJtAIzdB3YgrDh8LPRgjYl38rx3OkJ2OATujjJc/s1600/IMG_2354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGkVie_e0AXwo_6t0kuuA8BJbCOJnkXxgyUK_U2j2i7zR1KVkYofyPmmVbAloqJQ_-PQMlR3VNi_sEl8ik-0j6UB24KdQQr7W-a23wJtAIzdB3YgrDh8LPRgjYl38rx3OkJ2OATujjJc/s320/IMG_2354.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finally found it - the entrance to the museum. </td></tr>
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Once I got inside, the cashier lady was extremely angry and displeased that I had brought a ticket with me - I guess there had been a slight misunderstanding, Dominik thought the tickets were free and they apparently weren't. The cashier lady insisted that they did not sell or give out tickets in advance, so she argued and screamed at me for a while and then eventually let me in with that ticket. This happened to be one of those situations where I was glad that I spoke Russian but found that it was unfortunate that I spoke Russian, because the cashier lady was super offended that I was arguing back and said some very mean things to me. After this, I was afraid to ask the lady if I could purchase a headset so I just walked around the museum by myself. The museum was small but interesting, and I'd definitely recommend getting a headset in your native language if you visit because all the exhibits are in Russian.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwaGsSZhUEV5cuhZVPhM58nimE3wfcig-kQvKANG3Z2jd9nPY7uXOZhqvFuJ6J-nPFucrd6aCMgWltFET-VXSC1BVlZ3heURcbyckyNA3EO-LipRIt6E5gA56Y74zCdnB850k6ExTyAc/s1600/IMG_2358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwaGsSZhUEV5cuhZVPhM58nimE3wfcig-kQvKANG3Z2jd9nPY7uXOZhqvFuJ6J-nPFucrd6aCMgWltFET-VXSC1BVlZ3heURcbyckyNA3EO-LipRIt6E5gA56Y74zCdnB850k6ExTyAc/s320/IMG_2358.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Documents and artifacts belonging to people who worked at the Chernobyl factory - many of them were in the military. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDanEa3QImyLk_RBE-7CTL4fIUEFHkwv4H9NvTJgIQolnzfNQx2ctJoWlBqPpjCaRfhrF15HbIOlNvkWRPVz786NgXB4A8n57KbmmnhWfZt4HIFOUnRUQBTO-3V4dxpUr_Xk9LySpNb4s/s1600/IMG_2364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDanEa3QImyLk_RBE-7CTL4fIUEFHkwv4H9NvTJgIQolnzfNQx2ctJoWlBqPpjCaRfhrF15HbIOlNvkWRPVz786NgXB4A8n57KbmmnhWfZt4HIFOUnRUQBTO-3V4dxpUr_Xk9LySpNb4s/s320/IMG_2364.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portraits of loved ones who passed away in the explosion. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nvnKZjOklvb5pPp-kOkr9RHwjhJ68SdcAjxF_oPuBpAdBDS3r_2iG6PbjinZgkmwSGdwPOthj6t5yPU2gLAdNfZvkCuP9HUNm-ndZSU7dnlafUH7dtmqZVaYnPX8E3T7nmKk3lIeDgw/s1600/IMG_2369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nvnKZjOklvb5pPp-kOkr9RHwjhJ68SdcAjxF_oPuBpAdBDS3r_2iG6PbjinZgkmwSGdwPOthj6t5yPU2gLAdNfZvkCuP9HUNm-ndZSU7dnlafUH7dtmqZVaYnPX8E3T7nmKk3lIeDgw/s320/IMG_2369.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some kind of full body nuclear radiation scanner. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB936kXJH7iMnCa9oLNmhP6t-nC6qB7neiCFqTblqDtuAKnQUkG-UY0SvOFAPNJYaxIlm8XydHNhAuB7UKZlVBw2mCQsPmuMhlnG4wKbw4tfkAcB9gUyOuUPemOEpAwppkMhhSvyLseE/s1600/IMG_2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB936kXJH7iMnCa9oLNmhP6t-nC6qB7neiCFqTblqDtuAKnQUkG-UY0SvOFAPNJYaxIlm8XydHNhAuB7UKZlVBw2mCQsPmuMhlnG4wKbw4tfkAcB9gUyOuUPemOEpAwppkMhhSvyLseE/s320/IMG_2373.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cards and paper cranes from children worldwide.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVun7djtDm91PDyrJOuRe5_U7Ug0Zu7dK_gCTGAxAfTxaKCQqE-NTpcjbcoohM7pLaA-zccCOFoviobPtjKODTyf7mTPTk6ISeRa4iua555H7yV-9p4NLi0s5Rs6Tmih1BDY4w8dgdjkI/s1600/IMG_2375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVun7djtDm91PDyrJOuRe5_U7Ug0Zu7dK_gCTGAxAfTxaKCQqE-NTpcjbcoohM7pLaA-zccCOFoviobPtjKODTyf7mTPTk6ISeRa4iua555H7yV-9p4NLi0s5Rs6Tmih1BDY4w8dgdjkI/s320/IMG_2375.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos taken some years afterwards, when all the homes and buildings were deserted and partially destroyed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sVO78xurAn9e0se1OrOtjCiVd_pPiU5tYqP_c8s6_K4vAo7hBufjQ-K_qwjapTjtspvv4uAK1Mnb9f9ouP9-yzAcJQIAx9njzNHszirellldl_OTmyh3f8QJq-vmiTIX29puUV0eOhk/s1600/IMG_2385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sVO78xurAn9e0se1OrOtjCiVd_pPiU5tYqP_c8s6_K4vAo7hBufjQ-K_qwjapTjtspvv4uAK1Mnb9f9ouP9-yzAcJQIAx9njzNHszirellldl_OTmyh3f8QJq-vmiTIX29puUV0eOhk/s320/IMG_2385.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos of those affected by the explosion. </td></tr>
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I also met a group of 5 Swedish guys at the hostel, they had come to Ukraine to watch a Swedish football team play in Dnipropetrovsk and were just staying in Kyiv for the weekend before they flew home. We had a great time hanging out and walking around the city center, we even went to Puzata Hata so that they could try local Ukrainian food. Puzata Hata is great because its the most affordable place to eat downtown and you can see what you are ordering, since its a cafeteria style buffet line restuarant. They wanted to check out some of the city's sights, so we went to the Pechersk Lavra "Печерская лавра" - a Eastern Orthodox cathedral built as a monastery by some famous caves. After that, we hiked up to the big Motherland "Родина мать"statue. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dTlnduYZlSdC29_jZ1kw_JkC9KgT3Kx09Dhni5yj5MIlg8LhFxcR6jyZSVV7IOoJpzPrr9VD2fxA3SK_qbUT-HFIZIM38sGrV0yfkhbljkBAU8pGFEksHHcoXqRgDdjEDEcECNEOE5I/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dTlnduYZlSdC29_jZ1kw_JkC9KgT3Kx09Dhni5yj5MIlg8LhFxcR6jyZSVV7IOoJpzPrr9VD2fxA3SK_qbUT-HFIZIM38sGrV0yfkhbljkBAU8pGFEksHHcoXqRgDdjEDEcECNEOE5I/s320/IMG_0538.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the Dnipro river from the Dnipro metro station (which is above ground). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi1mqQL_m_bgk-Dk-4kOdPCkhiovY60kPPXX_Q1xpYlgU5K639tcwSyWe4S8XMhpY__l7zus06G3a73BMM_1Rhn5XrEXKejWHT_I8C4DTqrJ6D28HOVkLuwE0XQPtZNFDoFvwaKb9vSE/s1600/IMG_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi1mqQL_m_bgk-Dk-4kOdPCkhiovY60kPPXX_Q1xpYlgU5K639tcwSyWe4S8XMhpY__l7zus06G3a73BMM_1Rhn5XrEXKejWHT_I8C4DTqrJ6D28HOVkLuwE0XQPtZNFDoFvwaKb9vSE/s320/IMG_0541.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pechersk Lavra cathedral. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2sA2iLVV-qTiWgWn53JifLCjAYpsOQZ7FsUbMJD2cPZ0LOjU-bUry4z5wwLL8KVIoHe7mUGm0H_RKSPpuoqnG3XXyMvF24-neNDd-ss-9OEWDYAzhCuf1dDN-8ZDIs8On143PfbiOOQ/s1600/IMG_0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2sA2iLVV-qTiWgWn53JifLCjAYpsOQZ7FsUbMJD2cPZ0LOjU-bUry4z5wwLL8KVIoHe7mUGm0H_RKSPpuoqnG3XXyMvF24-neNDd-ss-9OEWDYAzhCuf1dDN-8ZDIs8On143PfbiOOQ/s320/IMG_0543.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom of the cathedral's walls, where you can walk down into the caves. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPYl_BUEhkg8KJ_SmCqoeU6BPBLor3arlXw6wyE5tljtQEVtuou-PMCvLKCorxFniX_wAA9z5jit29II8SM5PZO2cmcoLT6WFPE4fPEzVqMfVOLnJE3UwfJ550s5ycpcxWIiONfHmpeI/s1600/IMG_0539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPYl_BUEhkg8KJ_SmCqoeU6BPBLor3arlXw6wyE5tljtQEVtuou-PMCvLKCorxFniX_wAA9z5jit29II8SM5PZO2cmcoLT6WFPE4fPEzVqMfVOLnJE3UwfJ550s5ycpcxWIiONfHmpeI/s320/IMG_0539.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Motherland statue! It reminded of the Statue of Liberty, though its not quite as tall.</td></tr>
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<div>
After wrapping up all my COS (close of service) paperwork for Peace Corps, I ended my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer on December 14th! There is a tradition for COS-ing volunteers at our main Peace Corps office in Kyiv - you get to ring the bell to signify that you are officially done! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ru7-gEi6c5vjFiqX5tuzyKNKvXpwroDV9k3TOEDPoD5DlJEHL4EhWheUJTaPGDbC33jYUFqEELw5GEqgs-K1glseZhOl2xGp4SFfK7DvdQosqnc-X8W95eK_FibjpPyQLglK0k4nlt0/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ru7-gEi6c5vjFiqX5tuzyKNKvXpwroDV9k3TOEDPoD5DlJEHL4EhWheUJTaPGDbC33jYUFqEELw5GEqgs-K1glseZhOl2xGp4SFfK7DvdQosqnc-X8W95eK_FibjpPyQLglK0k4nlt0/s320/IMG_2422.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Officially finished with my 27 months of Peace Corps service! </td></tr>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-92013410860587383842012-12-20T09:47:00.000-08:002012-12-20T10:06:42.617-08:00The 10 Best Things About Being Home in America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After spending 27 months abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I can't express how great it is to be back home in America. I arrived back home last Friday and I love being at home with my family! I took the Peace Corps plane ticket instead of Cash-In-Lieu (which is more for people traveling abroad after their service). I flew from Kyiv to Amsterdam, then from Amsterdam back to San Francisco. I was on KLM both times and the food was great - they fed us breakfast with a croissant and omlette on the 2 hour flight to Amsterdam, which was wonderful because I had gotten up at 3am to get to the airport on time for my 6am flight. Then we got 2 more meals on the 10 hour flight to the States, plus 2 snacks which included ice cream! I don't know how they transport/store enough ice cream for 300 people on a 747 airplane but it was a nice surprise.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSm8EVJZtMGdlpUJ9sNeqU2UzjW51Q9I4mj2hYWIfVoFP36-wI8u01S0_7p2ftQOvh8MpIrIbbquKv_7NaVNoTKBeNDN2vTzXG4tPfTWKdtV4iNkkKvA3FI9x4-fCAZEeMVF4mbC8lJo/s1600/IMG_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSm8EVJZtMGdlpUJ9sNeqU2UzjW51Q9I4mj2hYWIfVoFP36-wI8u01S0_7p2ftQOvh8MpIrIbbquKv_7NaVNoTKBeNDN2vTzXG4tPfTWKdtV4iNkkKvA3FI9x4-fCAZEeMVF4mbC8lJo/s320/IMG_0212.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made it back to our house with all of my luggage and bags! (while still wearing my big furry winter coat)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6l7xv9yHtWM4sVjQpfT6Wx8xLrukJz51CYIXEF4P_5u9POijgFPRSHoGX9QhE0Ap_gVwwBKsCLftuW9qFXUWQpNfO0Olb8J0kD0E9zPk6SKFMzA3prewS0SzqNMxiBNdEBqlbALHLp0/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6l7xv9yHtWM4sVjQpfT6Wx8xLrukJz51CYIXEF4P_5u9POijgFPRSHoGX9QhE0Ap_gVwwBKsCLftuW9qFXUWQpNfO0Olb8J0kD0E9zPk6SKFMzA3prewS0SzqNMxiBNdEBqlbALHLp0/s320/IMG_0267.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The welcome home sign that my sister made for my bedroom door.</td></tr>
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I've been readjusting to life here, but I'm still experiencing some culture shock from Ukraine. So here is my list of the top 10 things which have amazed me about being home (in no particular order):<br />
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<b>1. Driving myself</b><br />
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Driving my old car is awesome, even though left turns at night still freak me out a bit. But I love not having to wait for public transport, its wonderful to be able to just hop in the car and go whenever I want without checking schedules and routes first.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56kK1HDOc2mqmkx-KU0O2LRsL-S_PFhPTkDTpEwEgV3VNgVUNYQ9k9SCaD4s7UiA1mJNS8hVASkPLtMdoElrC9bO_7QAfukuFqNYcN_LnJgF2yl2X5QraBw7pMHD01NRAjxV-pSUh-YM/s1600/IMG_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56kK1HDOc2mqmkx-KU0O2LRsL-S_PFhPTkDTpEwEgV3VNgVUNYQ9k9SCaD4s7UiA1mJNS8hVASkPLtMdoElrC9bO_7QAfukuFqNYcN_LnJgF2yl2X5QraBw7pMHD01NRAjxV-pSUh-YM/s320/IMG_0229.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad took this photo while I drove for the first time since being back. </td></tr>
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<b>2. The variety of food and international cuisines available</b></div>
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You never realize what you'll miss until you don't have it. In any given town in America, you can find Chinese food, Indian food, Mexican food, Italian food, Subway, Pizza, Sushi, etc. and this is one of the things which I missed most while living in Ukraine. So my family and I went to a Chinese restaurant near good ol' Ranch 99 (a large Chinese supermarket chain) for lunch!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJy-1q2CPAyRx5rDqF4-bkziuiBvKTkiOVSeLCdyiNLYLxW2KLUmas9R06Rw3IEccunQnX6eAaEjFTCPNq4YWsuEewFwPAHt5asc65E-SAHnTHIc7JGu_zi4t8-uqdeBLEsA58ETJyFg/s1600/IMG_0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJy-1q2CPAyRx5rDqF4-bkziuiBvKTkiOVSeLCdyiNLYLxW2KLUmas9R06Rw3IEccunQnX6eAaEjFTCPNq4YWsuEewFwPAHt5asc65E-SAHnTHIc7JGu_zi4t8-uqdeBLEsA58ETJyFg/s320/IMG_0228.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green onion pancake with sesame seeds, broccoli beef, chicken lo mein, and a milktea drink with tapioca pearls. </td></tr>
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<b>3. Shopping at Walmart/Target</b></div>
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The idea of going to just 1 super store for EVERYTHING is something that I really missed. Most Ukrainian towns have separate stores for everything - food, kitchen/houseware items, electronics, home repair shops, etc. In the big cities, they have big supermarkets but nothing is quite like Walmart or Target. I thought my brain was going to explode in the seasonal section with Christmas decorations and candies. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCJPRALTfcqUfFTLkOFW2WJjUJEsYGLFa13G_vZsTTgMcZwAk8BXhCsT3OxsI-EUvj1fSsgutHsNA73raIyhc-b2D1jvCWI-0LjA2ssR_MClg37ghsbJQ_R06mH-FlaCToIAslMoNwLU/s1600/IMG_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCJPRALTfcqUfFTLkOFW2WJjUJEsYGLFa13G_vZsTTgMcZwAk8BXhCsT3OxsI-EUvj1fSsgutHsNA73raIyhc-b2D1jvCWI-0LjA2ssR_MClg37ghsbJQ_R06mH-FlaCToIAslMoNwLU/s320/IMG_0294.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where else can you find great deals on Hello Kitty moccasins, slippers, and boots?</td></tr>
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<b>4. Having clothes that don't have holes in them</b></div>
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Handwashing takes its toll on clothes. It doesn't matter how much you paid for the clothes, or what brand they are, but how sturdy they are... I only brought 3 pairs of jeans with me to Ukraine and unfortunately I wore holes into all of them from walking around everywhere and handwashing. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLcEY_3cuUsPtQRUGKkHPFRGBC_o0JytvnZttj9DAD1QP1GXSfn3erV8ZTKYhN3vIsrZJ5Yc0vHivAA6gj8uFztWh8SryxqgKxZJDCiBtBr666IQucCkdagEViv87qNxaykD38Z7ZcNc/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLcEY_3cuUsPtQRUGKkHPFRGBC_o0JytvnZttj9DAD1QP1GXSfn3erV8ZTKYhN3vIsrZJ5Yc0vHivAA6gj8uFztWh8SryxqgKxZJDCiBtBr666IQucCkdagEViv87qNxaykD38Z7ZcNc/s320/IMG_0263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pair of Forever21 jeans was sent to me by my sister as a Christmas present only about a year ago... and they had holes in them after about 8 months of everyday wear. </td></tr>
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<div>
<b>5. Kitchen appliances - dishwasher, microwave, washing machine, gas stoves with automatic lighting</b></div>
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These kitchen appliances are things that most people take for granted, since almost everyone has these in their house/apartment or easy access to them. But in Ukraine, these are luxury items and only the wealthier citizens can afford things like washing machines and microwaves. I actually never even saw a dishwasher or a stove with automatic lighting - I always had to light the stove manually with matches or a lighter. This can be kind of scary, especially since 50+ year old gas stoves may have gas leaks (which cause gas explosions every once in a while). </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXByAj_umvgrFSRu4QDjznrLjAnNl5BMeQJHKiVSG-FgH6TWes0SzNHrC5DwseYOvzNmllxzTje6nehHL9irt0-V0-e0j-P2f1K3oW_NIWvHxgEVOsCsEvVPoAtpKJNVJk6C168KROQjE/s1600/IMG_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXByAj_umvgrFSRu4QDjznrLjAnNl5BMeQJHKiVSG-FgH6TWes0SzNHrC5DwseYOvzNmllxzTje6nehHL9irt0-V0-e0j-P2f1K3oW_NIWvHxgEVOsCsEvVPoAtpKJNVJk6C168KROQjE/s320/IMG_0264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stove in our kitchen at home - I never thought that I'd be so thankful to just turn a knob and see blue flames light themselves. </td></tr>
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<div>
<b>6. Soft toilet paper</b></div>
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Toilet paper is definitely one of those things that Americans never really think about... all they sell here is the kind that comes on a roll and tears off neatly into little white squares. But when you go abroad, you'll probably learn that toilet paper comes in different colors and types, such as the rough brown crepe paper that is commonly used for toilet paper in Ukraine. It doesn't even come with a hole in the middle of the roll, because not many bathrooms have that little toilet paper holder installed on the wall. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgudAOIie4am5tk9OzUh5qxWjpyj6yXtlBj8zTxY7GaCm4SaMgJuD1bbLQ0B1B5seoTITVrxYg5dQefH0-EUgOWijYNESOB8Cg9yphowvzFTqTaIAoju1AB7iv7TgoEs7gxrCenuO4AY/s1600/IMG_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgudAOIie4am5tk9OzUh5qxWjpyj6yXtlBj8zTxY7GaCm4SaMgJuD1bbLQ0B1B5seoTITVrxYg5dQefH0-EUgOWijYNESOB8Cg9yphowvzFTqTaIAoju1AB7iv7TgoEs7gxrCenuO4AY/s320/IMG_0265.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only Charmin was the international standard in toilet paper.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYH-f_z3KInl0uHDdjdLXzTDbNQTvvU7ENAIL6EnOe9fyaUSFhbtKeRAdZL-eCQRqUPyoMHT4BGSPOyNWgWWnIDkDznlSzfaZ_qmqxkfyNCLaRmtR9DM5NUQOUxH4GBk7UirVGMA_4wls/s1600/IMG_0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYH-f_z3KInl0uHDdjdLXzTDbNQTvvU7ENAIL6EnOe9fyaUSFhbtKeRAdZL-eCQRqUPyoMHT4BGSPOyNWgWWnIDkDznlSzfaZ_qmqxkfyNCLaRmtR9DM5NUQOUxH4GBk7UirVGMA_4wls/s320/IMG_0268.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ukrainian toilet paper looks soft and clean, doesn't it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>7. Flushing the toilet</b><br />
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As mundane as this sounds, its really convenient to be able to just flush your toilet with a little push of a button or lever. I was lucky enough to have a bathroom inside my apartment (as opposed to some other volunteers who had toilers outside in the backyard). But my landlady had broken the little latch inside the toilet to flush it with the lever long ago, and so therefore we flushed our toilet by dumping water from the bucket into the toilet bowl.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a9ftmTYnJvIOfUUFODiCS7cnx8_hhMDtTFtmNMTo9Yfq3wdYBj-9guUUNrUkZkj08qx279qNPFI1Sxj0KsQb8FlZNng3KpCaHpQs13V0G3XeHrNRe3BO1gHWRZBBl5VmKnX7o1qElcs/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a9ftmTYnJvIOfUUFODiCS7cnx8_hhMDtTFtmNMTo9Yfq3wdYBj-9guUUNrUkZkj08qx279qNPFI1Sxj0KsQb8FlZNng3KpCaHpQs13V0G3XeHrNRe3BO1gHWRZBBl5VmKnX7o1qElcs/s320/IMG_0339.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also, I'm thankful that our toilet seat cover matches our toilet. </td></tr>
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<b>8. Hot showers with unlimited hot water whenever I want</b><br />
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After living in an old Soviet apartment where the hot and water taps can't connect for a showerhead, I got used to boiling water on the stove and bucket bathing. There is nothing nicer than a long hot shower after a long day, and this is something that I definitely appreciated when I traveled to big cities or stayed in hostels. </div>
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I don't have any photos of myself taking a bucket bath, so here is a photo of how I did laundry by hand in 2 plastic tubs - the tub on the right is with dirty clothes in soapy water.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lJ4wICdM4QVIZ643Av5TtleOcc1rp7v_2qon_pPbiwAQmZQOmbD2XD1_ZviOJvAiGCzZvZwFV7wfP5VL3XKaUzId7BgqmbM8YwEUowAuezvqNRIAuG7cFlbuHto1mvE88xGrdfuqx1k/s1600/PB180094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lJ4wICdM4QVIZ643Av5TtleOcc1rp7v_2qon_pPbiwAQmZQOmbD2XD1_ZviOJvAiGCzZvZwFV7wfP5VL3XKaUzId7BgqmbM8YwEUowAuezvqNRIAuG7cFlbuHto1mvE88xGrdfuqx1k/s320/PB180094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least I was lucky enough to have tile in my bathoom, instead of just wallpaper. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxhDhzUg3QDcJMiysLSVvlJHKD5w6Nb1KsbYVFb8ZFlmTAHBtaYk690vVUm_QrypMfashaMWJnx1GWi8baE7wU4KQZiB1K7Qz6TpVmElzV_sa3be6kw54lJJdDMRROh0scIX3_ygNLqI/s1600/IMG_0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxhDhzUg3QDcJMiysLSVvlJHKD5w6Nb1KsbYVFb8ZFlmTAHBtaYk690vVUm_QrypMfashaMWJnx1GWi8baE7wU4KQZiB1K7Qz6TpVmElzV_sa3be6kw54lJJdDMRROh0scIX3_ygNLqI/s320/IMG_0266.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A real shower!!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b>9. Living in a mouse-free house!</b><br />
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Along the lines of the bathroom theme, I used to have a mouse problem in my apartment. I lived on the first floor in the corner apartment of a 2-story building that was probably about 70 years old. And we had mice. I learned a few things, such as mice are nocturnal and will scratch and gnaw your cardboard boxes in the middle of the night. We bought little pellets and placed them around the corners of the house and closets, wherever my landlady thought the mice were coming from. Also, I learned that if mice do not run away when you try to take a photo of them, they may have already ingested the mouse poison (and therefore will die soon).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1-Zbwh0AI7P0WQRa65qVGPUniv4t2YOSW0yS56Zjew0CifBEiuj52zY7DzfSNHN9oCyE9HctESFVFF8RTwem1f9FQZ6YQavUEfWdkz_O1U4cNr6mlG0w7G0xkBr4DNpsswJZpxALZ0s/s1600/IMG_2336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1-Zbwh0AI7P0WQRa65qVGPUniv4t2YOSW0yS56Zjew0CifBEiuj52zY7DzfSNHN9oCyE9HctESFVFF8RTwem1f9FQZ6YQavUEfWdkz_O1U4cNr6mlG0w7G0xkBr4DNpsswJZpxALZ0s/s320/IMG_2336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little guy died several hours after I took this photo in the kitchen, I found him on his back, paws up. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukqiAYVIPK8tdA6PDFAIk5HZ57wW85otII5AgqY08Q0jOhrmcaYyorwcnLexiU25sDIOiaUhToAprPRCgGNlE74gDIo7GgdQCySfHMaQn4veMSKX5KBPn2bH9kmQ7qnFgwx9yVUO-gcU/s1600/dead+mouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukqiAYVIPK8tdA6PDFAIk5HZ57wW85otII5AgqY08Q0jOhrmcaYyorwcnLexiU25sDIOiaUhToAprPRCgGNlE74gDIo7GgdQCySfHMaQn4veMSKX5KBPn2bH9kmQ7qnFgwx9yVUO-gcU/s320/dead+mouse.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy apparently ate so many of the pellets in the bathroom (this photo is next to the toilet) that he probably died instantly. </td></tr>
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<b>10. How people smile at each other in public</b><br />
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I was completely taken aback when the U.S. Customs agent at the airport smiled at me and made small talk - this would never happen in Ukraine, mostly because most people are grumpy at their workplaces from arguing with unhappy customers all day (and people don't really do small talk, unless its village gossip).<br />
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So anyway, these are some things that I'll never take for granted. Its wonderful being back home in America! I'm thankful for every modern convenience that we have at home and I'm looking forward to spending Christmas and New Years with my family for the first time in 2 years : ) Happy holidays to you, wherever you are... whether you are at home or abroad! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3D8XyloO2JquP-IDsUG2ywMJornIKKQuSZAhAsQtglG8_DBd6unsyfP3jglTMnGX-1BrngnFmrG9u7Z6bRpHdebFktwLGieu4Me8CXK07iVAR2b32ggP8nEMFHzA6EVxWd_V3kYuFmE4/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3D8XyloO2JquP-IDsUG2ywMJornIKKQuSZAhAsQtglG8_DBd6unsyfP3jglTMnGX-1BrngnFmrG9u7Z6bRpHdebFktwLGieu4Me8CXK07iVAR2b32ggP8nEMFHzA6EVxWd_V3kYuFmE4/s320/IMG_0292.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt and flower wreath next to our Christmas tree!</td></tr>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-89903320016570405612012-12-13T08:45:00.001-08:002012-12-13T08:45:24.017-08:00Headed Out: Saying Goodbye to My School<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Friday, I had my last day of work at my lyceum. Its crazy how time flies, I feel like I just arrived to my site not too long ago and now I've already left. Saying goodbye is always difficult, especially when you have to part ways with people that you've lived with and worked with daily for the last two years. I had a small goodbye dinner with a few of my English teacher colleagues and friends on Thursday evening.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl2R_01Gm37hsLdEZkx0tCtuy2z_Z72wKQLqFaSMKsSPFJM5__gHfmhHrgy3rMyKW8BdXM6z8PH7tuU-o1HRfaWws3pdxe_0MpBP0Tf2oQAJzpMQr5hUriqIbmtmPZwAGqQGlUeQUEB8/s1600/PC060186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl2R_01Gm37hsLdEZkx0tCtuy2z_Z72wKQLqFaSMKsSPFJM5__gHfmhHrgy3rMyKW8BdXM6z8PH7tuU-o1HRfaWws3pdxe_0MpBP0Tf2oQAJzpMQr5hUriqIbmtmPZwAGqQGlUeQUEB8/s320/PC060186.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the German Chocolate goodbye cake that I baked for dinner. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWvHPRPMndvZfcge3rgLoKRMYV7dfWPhHlcxLeRg5oCNJeO3ITvE2VlM4Wi95skGm7eBdaMfjzAztaQ0nH9B1je93jtJaSfsrmzIeBMviktaU-b8Y5Dm0HiOxXvRPjfAluXtAQyFnGfE/s1600/PC060189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWvHPRPMndvZfcge3rgLoKRMYV7dfWPhHlcxLeRg5oCNJeO3ITvE2VlM4Wi95skGm7eBdaMfjzAztaQ0nH9B1je93jtJaSfsrmzIeBMviktaU-b8Y5Dm0HiOxXvRPjfAluXtAQyFnGfE/s320/PC060189.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lina, Larisa, me, Nadia, Sveta, Anna and Liliya.</td></tr>
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At school, my last lesson was with my beloved 5A class. These kids are great - they are always enthusiastic and excited to have English lessons... some of them even do their homework in their workbooks ahead of time. We've had lessons together for the last two years, and its been wonderful watching them grow from little 3rd graders into (slightly bigger) 5th graders. They had to present their own renditions of the "3 Little Pigs" story, with extra credit if they made themselves pig ears or noses.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCY8ipqcDirYvVy_s62OmdnnQ7GCt9tGSeid6m3wbMhMgy78oCxWYOMua5uBqgftldbPbsZrj5JC_Kd90e9-2ShpaJ5lzj2ZGpKDzECRfg-SvBbEGHpblx0oo0wljNmjxQz8KffBIG6c/s1600/pig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCY8ipqcDirYvVy_s62OmdnnQ7GCt9tGSeid6m3wbMhMgy78oCxWYOMua5uBqgftldbPbsZrj5JC_Kd90e9-2ShpaJ5lzj2ZGpKDzECRfg-SvBbEGHpblx0oo0wljNmjxQz8KffBIG6c/s320/pig3.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Little pig, little pig, open the door and let me in..."</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHS9HCdRGrNhPbt7pfHUPZ7dZVpUULCOGzpl-rkfgKvY6Oo4bPzO72gN-T6nyf3_buBtm25EwV0xsYRue2Z8FiOQghZcGCJohj5X3MzGGtsfrjsUoZu5u1H9DbXSCT1fCPvGTM0NbIAY/s1600/pig4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHS9HCdRGrNhPbt7pfHUPZ7dZVpUULCOGzpl-rkfgKvY6Oo4bPzO72gN-T6nyf3_buBtm25EwV0xsYRue2Z8FiOQghZcGCJohj5X3MzGGtsfrjsUoZu5u1H9DbXSCT1fCPvGTM0NbIAY/s320/pig4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larisa and a few of the students. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSr12bFv369BrV6MADJLRO30QD8M0qfjLAnlMohH4nJ4L0LTG4IoP7-bL482CvWKvepM09Sk-OcKrDF31n1zvm6V-wbMIJ4gSNFOKUwac9Y552aqcnc7S888WAdl6xxsfCSrw1QOt1oU/s1600/wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSr12bFv369BrV6MADJLRO30QD8M0qfjLAnlMohH4nJ4L0LTG4IoP7-bL482CvWKvepM09Sk-OcKrDF31n1zvm6V-wbMIJ4gSNFOKUwac9Y552aqcnc7S888WAdl6xxsfCSrw1QOt1oU/s320/wolf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"...or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!"</td></tr>
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In the afternoon, my school had a goodbye concert with kids singing and dancing American-style dances for me. The 11-B class and 6-B class presented me with gifts - an embroidered picture, a photo album, and a traditional flower wreath for the house. They were very sweet and I am sad to leave them behind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11-B performs a small skit while singing traditional Ukrainian songs. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9th form girls singing in Ukrainan. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndqvJNN00DrJWqE-4YAphtj0y9GHWVHiwE6Fwi2oEWnRf5tGsng-EYWGAG1x7paKr_rRHX2Wx8ZUfShzy54b0iJiwJbnZsfhGHX3YLHSN-Sy-0T6XQBYYvasQXkcEt2J0TLIK-4pWuYI/s1600/fantasy+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndqvJNN00DrJWqE-4YAphtj0y9GHWVHiwE6Fwi2oEWnRf5tGsng-EYWGAG1x7paKr_rRHX2Wx8ZUfShzy54b0iJiwJbnZsfhGHX3YLHSN-Sy-0T6XQBYYvasQXkcEt2J0TLIK-4pWuYI/s320/fantasy+girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the "Fantasy Girls" group of 7th graders. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESXjor3w8ZjkSe1WSW6C2iGdKhnjzWgjkKj8vunweHXn3_lDGc-Gwti8OEFrMdZoWEORWoQh8cyxUqMgpKDHUrXsN2HJKbkI-XBZVopwseVyfuIrKG9WbrOn7jhGgykDKoxhVuhhvIac/s1600/waltz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESXjor3w8ZjkSe1WSW6C2iGdKhnjzWgjkKj8vunweHXn3_lDGc-Gwti8OEFrMdZoWEORWoQh8cyxUqMgpKDHUrXsN2HJKbkI-XBZVopwseVyfuIrKG9WbrOn7jhGgykDKoxhVuhhvIac/s320/waltz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a group of 8 graders dancing the waltz. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzMfvNs_EqI2pqURB-WqjKnuDFomfmd3ylOzm-okIRvzXdvBBYVvOLbo9VyFohxCVYg6MEW5vfzPqj62FMGb_cP89YVQKUOFg1ysC5kVGEaLs5ZzHyjy3hIfA8Zg7c10GTW6E-tnFyzo/s1600/6B+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzMfvNs_EqI2pqURB-WqjKnuDFomfmd3ylOzm-okIRvzXdvBBYVvOLbo9VyFohxCVYg6MEW5vfzPqj62FMGb_cP89YVQKUOFg1ysC5kVGEaLs5ZzHyjy3hIfA8Zg7c10GTW6E-tnFyzo/s320/6B+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with the 6-B class and their presents!</td></tr>
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We ended the concert by showing a slideshow that I created... highlighting all the projects, camps and trainings that I did at our school or with students from our school. It is very fast since they asked me to cut it down to 5 minutes (and only in Russian because I didn't have time to make an English version as well), but here is the video if you're interested : D<br />
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-56236456497709169302012-12-05T15:44:00.000-08:002012-12-05T15:44:39.622-08:00World AIDS Day 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week, I organized a few events at my school in honor of World AIDS Day 2012. As an active member of the HIV/AIDS Working Group in Peace Corps Ukraine, I do my best to try to organize a lot of HIV awareness events and trainings. World AIDS Day is held on December 1st every year, and this year's international theme is "Working Together for an AIDS-Free Generation". You can read more about World AIDS Day here - http://aids.gov/news-and-events/awareness-days/world-aids-day/ or check out what I did at my school last year <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2011/12/raising-awareness-on-world-aids-day.html" target="_blank">(Raising Awareness on World AIDS Day)</a>.<br />
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On Wednesday, I held an after-school event with Liliya Nikolaievna to make red ribbons out of red paper. With the help of a few 11th grade girls who had attended the HIV trainings and/or Camp H.E.A.L. with me, we worked with about 25 students from the 5th grade. 5th graders are crazy and energetic all the time, so having the older girls really helped to keep them focused on the red ribbons instead of getting too excited and running around like they usually do. We used the same <a href="http://redribbonsaroundworld.wordpress.com/how-to-make-an-hiv-awareness-origami-ribbon/" target="_blank">origami red ribbon lesson plan</a> that we used at Mini Camp H.E.A.L., except I cut out all the strips of paper ahead of time to save us some work.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lina demonstrating how to fold the ribbon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liliya working with a few girls from her 5B class. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yulia and Lilia explaining what to write on the ribbons. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ0BkKmcRzr1T6U_brGegW9tWQqkJpPP585KLj-CdbELxh8MEQLpXrCGBsLKWAsZKiiLl8Zh5pFZEgiTN7VTGCDFBJC4wcUtVJfVgoym_2swlPB0jWEExK_8lOy77BYz7S5McUh3KRL4/s1600/PB280066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ0BkKmcRzr1T6U_brGegW9tWQqkJpPP585KLj-CdbELxh8MEQLpXrCGBsLKWAsZKiiLl8Zh5pFZEgiTN7VTGCDFBJC4wcUtVJfVgoym_2swlPB0jWEExK_8lOy77BYz7S5McUh3KRL4/s320/PB280066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls are all finished!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dasha and Vika are finished with their group too!</td></tr>
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The goal of these red ribbons was to write messages of hope and solidarity, since we would be giving the ribbons to the Kharkiv branch of the All-Ukrainian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS. After explaining to the kids what they should write on the ribbons, I learned that not all of the 5th graders knew what HIV or AIDS was (in Russian or Ukrainian), since they have not all been exposed to lessons about it yet. However, some knew exactly what it was, and the older girls also helped explain things to the younger students. This is why it is important to have HIV awareness projects in at the community level, so that everyone in the community can help each other learn about HIV/AIDS and pass on their knowledge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our best attempt at making a heart : )</td></tr>
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One of the 11th grade girls, Anna, helped me to pin all the red ribbons onto a white lacy curtain and we used it to create a small exhibition on Friday. We had a school-wide poster contest, with the theme "Celebrate Life". We will send our school's winning posters to Kyiv to participate in the national poster contest, which is organized by the HIV/AIDS Working Group. We also pinned red ribbons on everyone to show our support and awareness for people living with HIV/AIDS.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some 5th graders and I with Larisa Alexandrovna and Alina Vladimirovna. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFXaW3b4JMLjJfoQHdhOyY8CS7TF4q3k1tSGH2rMAK_FDKSg8Mm_-H1HxQj6m9of6-Cj5tYwVNluLUUbtqiBLrAKNLhKalIaQ7TXtsGMvy5R-DaPqJUgceLlWfM8OZFy1elXceCMD8I8/s1600/PB300099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFXaW3b4JMLjJfoQHdhOyY8CS7TF4q3k1tSGH2rMAK_FDKSg8Mm_-H1HxQj6m9of6-Cj5tYwVNluLUUbtqiBLrAKNLhKalIaQ7TXtsGMvy5R-DaPqJUgceLlWfM8OZFy1elXceCMD8I8/s320/PB300099.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liliya pinning a ribbon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with some 9th grade girls. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8th grade girls. </td></tr>
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After school, I collected all the posters and Liliya and I decided the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners for the older (7th-11th grade)/younger students category. I am proud of my students for helping me out and for creating awesome posters! Its great to end my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer with a positive event : )</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-82982414055910522332012-11-28T09:41:00.000-08:002012-11-28T09:41:08.157-08:00Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Friday, my friend Ivan came to our Lyceum to do a training on public speaking. He's the same trainer who did the public speaking training at the <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2012/10/traffic-jam-stop-human-trafficking.html" target="_blank">"Traffick Jam" counter human trafficking seminar</a> in October, I was so impressed with his training that I invited him to come to my school! I organized this training with our school psychologist, Ira Ivanovna. We had a group of 24 participants, ranging from 8th through 11th grade. If you're wondering why we invited children as young as 8th graders, its because they are already participating in school concerts and competitions by that age - so public speaking is useful for all of them! In fact, Ira liked this training so much that she wants to invite Ivan back to our school over winter break, to conduct the same training for our teachers : )<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with all of our participants and Ivan!</td></tr>
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A fear of public speaking is a world wide problem, its common here as well as back at home in America... so I hope that my students gained a little more confidence and knowledge about how to present themselves as good public speakers. First, Ivan talked a little about which situations they might have to give presentations in. Then he showed them some exercises they can do to warm themselves up, especially how to get rid of adrenaline and relax your nerves.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Who's ever done any public speaking?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan talking about why public speaking is an important professional skill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One way to de-stress - grab and release the edges of the chair a few times.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing the kids how to sing a little to warm up their voices. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different vocal exercises with crazy letter combinations. </td></tr>
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After the students learned the basics, Ivan split them up into groups of 3 and assigned them random topics. Each participant had to improvise for 3 minutes about something easy like snow, chocolate, grass, shops, love, cups, cars, etc. The other members of their group gave them feedback about the pros and cons of their mini presentations, such as recommendations on how they could improve their gestures for emphasis or eye contact. Then they repeated the improvisation exercise again, and most of the students said that they felt more confident speaking the second time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcayfpiDvPEo-iC7ATLiEIAUZpKF6MSKqPs1tpd7b3WIksp1ZXZCDMQ4t6ffqbWh5e_hqnYhTvgqauVAmUHst3N8D8Qt7vjXtGR6BapVF8sAes3FY6a_3j51BlWKBATje6OljkyRjMeB4/s1600/PB230194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcayfpiDvPEo-iC7ATLiEIAUZpKF6MSKqPs1tpd7b3WIksp1ZXZCDMQ4t6ffqbWh5e_hqnYhTvgqauVAmUHst3N8D8Qt7vjXtGR6BapVF8sAes3FY6a_3j51BlWKBATje6OljkyRjMeB4/s320/PB230194.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitalik talking about cars. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03UfOT6OOXeaQ6aLVOHGRhwqZV4wq31IyUPtXS3LfEUdtez-2qaZVq2dRhRL7CBJ9TywPginPGYnJRmISUgCWaGWIg8pBUeqIksSQF8L8vuf9OiXGv7hx8ieZMHB9z7n5gC4JihHxsxI/s1600/PB230203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03UfOT6OOXeaQ6aLVOHGRhwqZV4wq31IyUPtXS3LfEUdtez-2qaZVq2dRhRL7CBJ9TywPginPGYnJRmISUgCWaGWIg8pBUeqIksSQF8L8vuf9OiXGv7hx8ieZMHB9z7n5gC4JihHxsxI/s320/PB230203.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dima pondering his topic. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yana speaking animatedly.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anya giving her friends feedback on hand gestures. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilia taking notes on her feedback. </td></tr>
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Even though our training only lasted 3 hours, that most of the participants felt like it improved their public speaking abilities and all of them loved Ivan's charismatic presentation. This is the last training that Ira and I will organize together at my school, so I'm glad that the students had the opportunity to work with Ivan and build their professional skills! If you'd like to learn more about Ivan and his trainings, you can check out his website (in Russian) at <a href="http://ivanbudko.com/">http://ivanbudko.com</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anya, Anya and Vitalik.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0SqUCsZN9KccZXwyQK4zmjpjY4970wAKBWxHPkEYl7Fa4ovHVdlZredT31xf8kByJOcZ9QHrxIn8TdOMDrnVoyB8exMuEOrvTMzTyCLWx7aiwZJjrSWSQI_pWdp1FJ8Hu5rnVa__1Vc/s1600/PB230160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0SqUCsZN9KccZXwyQK4zmjpjY4970wAKBWxHPkEYl7Fa4ovHVdlZredT31xf8kByJOcZ9QHrxIn8TdOMDrnVoyB8exMuEOrvTMzTyCLWx7aiwZJjrSWSQI_pWdp1FJ8Hu5rnVa__1Vc/s320/PB230160.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanya, Anya and Katya from the 8th grade. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSWyj-yBWJhvgIN4SO0lHChpDZcfwjk1JAS4iT1G8hzpOR7eyRyEL-x7CPjWrbycatbSor8LcjnTaAiE0CkaW6am6jSlU9wVKz7Ab3opWciqEzDeGO0FkYgAMdKrDkGPmyt0PtnSLGMc/s1600/PB230161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSWyj-yBWJhvgIN4SO0lHChpDZcfwjk1JAS4iT1G8hzpOR7eyRyEL-x7CPjWrbycatbSor8LcjnTaAiE0CkaW6am6jSlU9wVKz7Ab3opWciqEzDeGO0FkYgAMdKrDkGPmyt0PtnSLGMc/s320/PB230161.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anya, Lyuba, Yana and Tanya from the 8th grade. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt6ZFKzktH5AByh-j6fjy39Wq2mcfGS4bMzA5pvfzeQpxHP0eBuqfixakCS9ZxLOaEGBiOl0A-FyAkqkN4jVHBbxy1bp7o9h9N0d6gpq10LJPwuMZTVQWq3R83z4Iu-NIz3dc_4nXUCQ/s1600/PB230165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt6ZFKzktH5AByh-j6fjy39Wq2mcfGS4bMzA5pvfzeQpxHP0eBuqfixakCS9ZxLOaEGBiOl0A-FyAkqkN4jVHBbxy1bp7o9h9N0d6gpq10LJPwuMZTVQWq3R83z4Iu-NIz3dc_4nXUCQ/s320/PB230165.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elle, Lilia, Dima, Sasha, Dima, Dima and Misha from the 10th and 11th grades. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4Niu8j5AB8bnDnn4vtb1lNLocOsfbeBS6MfkX0DCvir2RaNPlIsAZ2xoeaFqBk6olcpvBKK1kAfsYkFwutY9J3H918RoW4lnG4VrJ5neHx5fER-jYpgF4xGLWtBGVtlnrzhkuRHYygQ/s1600/PB230166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4Niu8j5AB8bnDnn4vtb1lNLocOsfbeBS6MfkX0DCvir2RaNPlIsAZ2xoeaFqBk6olcpvBKK1kAfsYkFwutY9J3H918RoW4lnG4VrJ5neHx5fER-jYpgF4xGLWtBGVtlnrzhkuRHYygQ/s320/PB230166.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanya, Dasha and Vladik. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIC3-tmClsOaBO7yVrLUJPqv_kICYJuNRbbsbm0bOXjuNiaIF3BJ5gdRjUdB_P2lrBT-uW8Nf-gAgDo3UzOuCAeaIfo3gBiPOUeaSORgck4vkSmrn6-SwPHtB57Sgvbk63zKpoB80fgg/s1600/PB230225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIC3-tmClsOaBO7yVrLUJPqv_kICYJuNRbbsbm0bOXjuNiaIF3BJ5gdRjUdB_P2lrBT-uW8Nf-gAgDo3UzOuCAeaIfo3gBiPOUeaSORgck4vkSmrn6-SwPHtB57Sgvbk63zKpoB80fgg/s320/PB230225.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dima, Misha, Ira and Yulia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't believe I'm leaving my site next week to head to Kyiv and COS... but don't worry, I've still got a few things planned for a World AIDS Day project/presentation at my school!</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-90712659522685281642012-11-25T12:06:00.000-08:002012-11-25T12:08:10.188-08:00Baking a Pumpkin Pie From Scratch - Sharing American Thanksgiving Traditions in Ukraine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday I celebrated my third Thanksgiving in Ukraine with a few of the other Peace Corps Volunteers from Kharkiv oblast, and a few of my teacher friends from school. We crammed 12 people into my bedroom and used pretty much all the dishes and silverware that I have in my apartment! I baked a whole chicken, made mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing with salo (the weird cold pork fat that Ukrainians love), chocolate chip cookies and baked pumpkin pie from scratch! It took a few hours of cooking in my tiny kitchen but everything turned out well. Shannon brought us some homemade cranberry sauce and my teachers brought traditional Ukrainian "goluptse" (cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice) and salads. I was very thankful to be surrounded by my friends in Ukraine, these past two years would not have been the same without them!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfdp8CukfNgktQn66rDwY0N89hxxcnQPt5JcGiMhXCZx6PNYfvuVHBxAGf3KEMPuplDo4hAiWEvbO20Z4P77m8KWFYRL9AjC1ct_oEjC1wUEm1VPf21XB6IvLYjL3Z2VgDOmoEFjPnhM/s1600/PB240009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfdp8CukfNgktQn66rDwY0N89hxxcnQPt5JcGiMhXCZx6PNYfvuVHBxAGf3KEMPuplDo4hAiWEvbO20Z4P77m8KWFYRL9AjC1ct_oEjC1wUEm1VPf21XB6IvLYjL3Z2VgDOmoEFjPnhM/s320/PB240009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with my teachers Sveta, Anna, Lilia, Larisa, Ira and Aliona.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wAyUB4jAON8V7Ct46n7VeXDsmqKiO4EWbNnGSh40DrGlj_psAZ6gwDbqoAiZOP9Yuh8K5Oz9pLFw7_QJ55UYeh-aDdNENuf-Nytyf2B1rXf1mxNLkvz3sW4V3WmxfqQpQFz2rGz8KhM/s1600/PB240012a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wAyUB4jAON8V7Ct46n7VeXDsmqKiO4EWbNnGSh40DrGlj_psAZ6gwDbqoAiZOP9Yuh8K5Oz9pLFw7_QJ55UYeh-aDdNENuf-Nytyf2B1rXf1mxNLkvz3sW4V3WmxfqQpQFz2rGz8KhM/s320/PB240012a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my friends on the other half of the table - Kali, Stas, Ed, Yuan, Danny, Shannon and Anna. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, and I've tried to keep the tradition going even while living in Ukraine. Here's how I baked the pumpkin pie - I used a homegrown pumpkin that came from my teacher Larisa's garden. The pumpkin was probably about 5 pounds and shaped like a squash. I peeled the skin with a potato peeler, and sliced the pumpkin into small chunks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQsFdkyUGsDj_wLYVguiUcHHCbFvppgW_icePKBDu5EF1JanV8XO-APDVbMeqPXWVs1OdBpVwRnq70lgwmyX3y52CX8PYpkaCF9FnDF6NOpPdDykwIU7437Nl2BsUJd_0FeVIeVSE3T8/s1600/PB240001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQsFdkyUGsDj_wLYVguiUcHHCbFvppgW_icePKBDu5EF1JanV8XO-APDVbMeqPXWVs1OdBpVwRnq70lgwmyX3y52CX8PYpkaCF9FnDF6NOpPdDykwIU7437Nl2BsUJd_0FeVIeVSE3T8/s320/PB240001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It may look like a squash, but its definitely a pumpkin!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I boiled it until the pumpkin was soft, then drained it and mashed it with a potato masher. This probably loses most of the pumpkin flavor (and all the vitamins), but it works. If I was at home, I would have used that canned pumpkin anyways and I figure that mashed fresh pumpkin is still better than canned stuff with preservatives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOmCinY54iwyPX43oANhixqK-HR6oQ_O5RzvEjx0LpgYVehgKlxuiQ2iPrsmHA3tTEw_8U_ojt35Lc16Sde3RxPO_FEmFkLOI2st0AKFvRNkLX3EtGbLYUfGZHx5bR1SBjtEYKFETRhc/s1600/PB240002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOmCinY54iwyPX43oANhixqK-HR6oQ_O5RzvEjx0LpgYVehgKlxuiQ2iPrsmHA3tTEw_8U_ojt35Lc16Sde3RxPO_FEmFkLOI2st0AKFvRNkLX3EtGbLYUfGZHx5bR1SBjtEYKFETRhc/s320/PB240002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It turned out to be a lot more pumpkin than I expected. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilZYjqwFSWo-PJGc3cExW6rgYU-MZrqM8lMZVBfm9jqy7eCbhIXXOwOXKKwtwvrszMlvBAFODz6cSBsQD-aBUyui1Xlqor5bIBXqXX8t7FuhefVgyTKc3dxT-nEnBCAtNwPhUytUherI/s1600/PB240004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilZYjqwFSWo-PJGc3cExW6rgYU-MZrqM8lMZVBfm9jqy7eCbhIXXOwOXKKwtwvrszMlvBAFODz6cSBsQD-aBUyui1Xlqor5bIBXqXX8t7FuhefVgyTKc3dxT-nEnBCAtNwPhUytUherI/s320/PB240004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind my scary-looking pot. I swear its normal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I added eggs, milk, sugar and the spices - dried ginger, nutmeg (мускатный орех), cloves, cinnamon, salt. All of these can be found in Ukraine at a supermarket. Cinnamon and ginger can be found at smaller convenience-store type "produktys". Then I mixed everything together with the potato masher and a whisk, and poured it into the pie crust. The pie crust was the "easy oil pie crust recipe" from our Peace Corps "Babushka's Kitchen" cookbook. I don't particularly like this recipe, as it was dry and crumbly (even though I added more milk than the recipe called for). So I won't share the recipe with you here, because I think you can probably find a better recipe by just googling pie crust recipes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0y1c5ODss5FSoFbKVfWpU8AXty3vSeu2MrXYTJy5vgDHo4CY1jZTh8dFyI85x5XJIQUiBVVuw_pigfcpYimk-RDLVPWt984NCX7ghEH_iLla5xozXdU-XmnG6bjQMRY8sWjVko32cmc/s1600/PB240003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0y1c5ODss5FSoFbKVfWpU8AXty3vSeu2MrXYTJy5vgDHo4CY1jZTh8dFyI85x5XJIQUiBVVuw_pigfcpYimk-RDLVPWt984NCX7ghEH_iLla5xozXdU-XmnG6bjQMRY8sWjVko32cmc/s320/PB240003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crusts, spices, and Ukrainian milk in a baggie (milk is rarely sold in cardboard boxes here, and the baggies are always "sealed" with clothespins).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiUDSzgXYfoqIr81gWh6ot8gEcEoSHnDt-jg99q8Z0IEoO5DAmohb25BqfhTsOeBr__4WxPRm4bC8-Q85XcX7rw5ZHGGSU15Cr8iSvm2U0wLIBkyDOl2XPI0dw_cdk5_GOV1Wo6sH3NA/s1600/PB240005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiUDSzgXYfoqIr81gWh6ot8gEcEoSHnDt-jg99q8Z0IEoO5DAmohb25BqfhTsOeBr__4WxPRm4bC8-Q85XcX7rw5ZHGGSU15Cr8iSvm2U0wLIBkyDOl2XPI0dw_cdk5_GOV1Wo6sH3NA/s320/PB240005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the oven!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I baked the smaller pie for 45 min and the larger one for 1 hour, until a toothpick came out clean in the middle. I have to watch my baked goods carefully because my oven doesn't have a thermometer, it pretty much only has 2 settings - on and off. The pie bubbled up a little but otherwise turned out pretty much like a pumpkin pie should! Now, if only I had some whipped cream to serve them with :) They actually do sell whipped cream in the city of Kharkiv, at large supermarkets, but its kind of expensive so unfortunately its a luxury which is out of my budget.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUqmfoyGhXprFReOJUm0c8JQd_qwOZj_VzQpRRuH_Wbzbx0gZMDh1z9Qm2TRNZaf4zXzEZYuFnBK0ABtIGgip8Uq0CUjBa-bzJoeDAca2N9jRJ86m2JgrTejXdJWzouhax39XcZdUQdI/s1600/PB240007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUqmfoyGhXprFReOJUm0c8JQd_qwOZj_VzQpRRuH_Wbzbx0gZMDh1z9Qm2TRNZaf4zXzEZYuFnBK0ABtIGgip8Uq0CUjBa-bzJoeDAca2N9jRJ86m2JgrTejXdJWzouhax39XcZdUQdI/s320/PB240007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's nothing like the smell of freshly baked pumpkin pie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I used the basic pumpkin pie recipe from our Peace Corps <a href="http://pcukraine.org/materials/downloads/00_Babas_Cookbook.doc" target="_blank">"Babushka's Kitchen" cookbook,</a> volume 3. This cookbook is mass distributed to all PCVs in Ukraine during our first 3 months of training, and its great because it has a lot of classic American dishes adapted to Ukrainian ingredients. I doubled the recipe and made 2 pies because I had a lot of mashed pumpkin.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zAHIb5diO32i6AI6os6J2yFh5gznsxYeL2B3VGahmLoR2XXep9UxczgvVsDtSmHe2YOVmXMo5Gsk_ex_PKu30IG23jlZqzXXodAAu0-lFFlpuYjmlwJyT4h91lfbFDn_2VGqtfRVXDc/s1600/PB240006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zAHIb5diO32i6AI6os6J2yFh5gznsxYeL2B3VGahmLoR2XXep9UxczgvVsDtSmHe2YOVmXMo5Gsk_ex_PKu30IG23jlZqzXXodAAu0-lFFlpuYjmlwJyT4h91lfbFDn_2VGqtfRVXDc/s320/PB240006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pages from "Baba's" cookbook. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here is the actual recipe that I used (except I doubled this to make 2 pies):<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 cups mashed pumpkin</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">½ teaspoon salt</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 ½ cups 1.5% milk</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 can of sweetened condensed milk (320g)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 large eggs</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">2/3 cup sugar</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 ½ teaspoons
cinnamon</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">½ teaspoon ginger</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">½ teaspoon nutmeg</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">¼ teaspoon cloves</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <i>Easy
Oil Pastry</i></span></li>
</ul>
Hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends!</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-11063922341763407962012-11-23T08:53:00.005-08:002012-11-23T08:53:54.590-08:00Traffick Jam - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Friday, two of my 11th graders - Dasha and Vitalik conducted their own training on human trafficking with a group of 15 students from the 8th grade as part of our school's human trafficking awareness week. Dasha and Vitalik attended the <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2012/10/traffic-jam-stop-human-trafficking.html" target="_blank">"Traffick Jam" counter human trafficking training</a> with me in Kharkiv last month, and I'm proud to say that they learned enough there to be able to teach a lesson on human trafficking by themselves!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiysF9fA_m2zLTyiIJInvk5mBazo7GlhbWGVHOFpSIAZt-utP-cVU6QRV2LbMBTDnjNgcZo1kTZY5nmOaby34WFmct9KTYlVlTEBSjWPhiGuT01Od0iEDNz67tTkxVcmK74JpyNWvqCs/s1600/PB160038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiysF9fA_m2zLTyiIJInvk5mBazo7GlhbWGVHOFpSIAZt-utP-cVU6QRV2LbMBTDnjNgcZo1kTZY5nmOaby34WFmct9KTYlVlTEBSjWPhiGuT01Od0iEDNz67tTkxVcmK74JpyNWvqCs/s320/PB160038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group photo with 527 pamphlets and the class certificates.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHD5RGE9aCe4ymzWLvxY73Zv-ElRdpSwQxxtCp-eO8fcCPw8ZCd5VpHsvmCSCqfYAeB1-e6wMnAb06WZT7kd256sKFl5LPzRvWEwqBwUyXSTy0a6TQPkQLQZSSjAhqrIpFVrF9YHM585I/s1600/PB160042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHD5RGE9aCe4ymzWLvxY73Zv-ElRdpSwQxxtCp-eO8fcCPw8ZCd5VpHsvmCSCqfYAeB1-e6wMnAb06WZT7kd256sKFl5LPzRvWEwqBwUyXSTy0a6TQPkQLQZSSjAhqrIpFVrF9YHM585I/s320/PB160042.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Dasha and Vitalik (in my teal suede shoes).</td></tr>
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Dasha and Vitalik prepared for this lesson for 2 weeks with Ira Ivanovna, our school psychologist. For the most part, the 8th graders were attentive and the girls were more active then I expected. Personally, I don't like teaching lessons to 8th graders because they don't listen to me (since I'm young for a teacher) and rather play on their cell phones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFnL-Pa5CcuSiJvQF9ZFJzvv59L_nfr1QoNUUtQ_0rTYboIKZYXHlHci1O7qADwcVaeX7VDJq_JD2-8IiDMTuuAD6L7uoDCGUK3QzyQDEmB7yw4CY52VWF5smrEjNUb23uW1Pj3k-cXo/s1600/PB160002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFnL-Pa5CcuSiJvQF9ZFJzvv59L_nfr1QoNUUtQ_0rTYboIKZYXHlHci1O7qADwcVaeX7VDJq_JD2-8IiDMTuuAD6L7uoDCGUK3QzyQDEmB7yw4CY52VWF5smrEjNUb23uW1Pj3k-cXo/s320/PB160002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitalik starting off the lesson by asking the students what do they know about human trafficking. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFR7AzGTVVAbOoQp4i4bZ9_3c-wN3S3sczeScu3YN6mLf8CBCGh_ixcoNWyC4TyxccpGllwhTmur1jsn8xdQ0l1Kl2e9PjTZ54raDm885e_5nbhAc04Ic-eHJJwioJ1xZGdBUhVMxLe8/s1600/PB160006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFR7AzGTVVAbOoQp4i4bZ9_3c-wN3S3sczeScu3YN6mLf8CBCGh_ixcoNWyC4TyxccpGllwhTmur1jsn8xdQ0l1Kl2e9PjTZ54raDm885e_5nbhAc04Ic-eHJJwioJ1xZGdBUhVMxLe8/s320/PB160006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ira explaining that human trafficking is more than sexual exploitation. </td></tr>
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After covering the basics about human trafficking, Dasha and Vitalik discussed some facts related to human trafficking in Ukraine. For example, Ukraine is not only an origin point - it is also a destination and transit point. Not very many of the 8th graders knew this, so its a good thing that we had this training (otherwise they may never have been made aware of the dangers of human trafficking).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilATFVmAjFTVz_bNEIE-jGQimc9F2FP-eZifBsCmgrS_ZDvBuBbLWqsWI6oFm7UgJlGzZy49_nqonEgMCE-h2ySmwAFGxA5HgEqpz32OuiZaVms9C4FIZ7TOrANZ4k-ugQ06X4Pie8E_E/s1600/PB160008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilATFVmAjFTVz_bNEIE-jGQimc9F2FP-eZifBsCmgrS_ZDvBuBbLWqsWI6oFm7UgJlGzZy49_nqonEgMCE-h2ySmwAFGxA5HgEqpz32OuiZaVms9C4FIZ7TOrANZ4k-ugQ06X4Pie8E_E/s320/PB160008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listening to the 8th graders compare their answers about who are the traffickers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdgq4b8hgwu7_nbjFEY64VXW_d6TQIyrdLrZKt3p6enH7OOCL7Vt3wRtk5ueDzSifja3VUIdajyWJ1WxYJIFXYqT952UfDV2ZP1HodxiJ434c6lrxtWu9JqCz8EBR44soL2gwPDHgnH4/s1600/PB160014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdgq4b8hgwu7_nbjFEY64VXW_d6TQIyrdLrZKt3p6enH7OOCL7Vt3wRtk5ueDzSifja3VUIdajyWJ1WxYJIFXYqT952UfDV2ZP1HodxiJ434c6lrxtWu9JqCz8EBR44soL2gwPDHgnH4/s320/PB160014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dasha explaining the task - the students had to label a pie chart with their guesses as to which countries Ukrainians are trafficked to. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rEqmwBOgY7CverNnYnGapX5qvJUearV2x2cECVJz2cBaqK1VW1Y1-0g-qSY1XmMs-Bz6idcxNkh2kjNSA6ca6IsgGvcwln-4QjRwNV3FO4M48ts9kpdKQK3aIofntPG9f7p66CSDksk/s1600/PB160015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rEqmwBOgY7CverNnYnGapX5qvJUearV2x2cECVJz2cBaqK1VW1Y1-0g-qSY1XmMs-Bz6idcxNkh2kjNSA6ca6IsgGvcwln-4QjRwNV3FO4M48ts9kpdKQK3aIofntPG9f7p66CSDksk/s320/PB160015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids working together to brainstorm where traffickers can find potential victims. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_jeB7QFYdxchtrxH0qx9onCXpRMYU_YNgRiEdieVZFUQsOhCbnaUUZL7cVDU-CJrQIVTMilOG870wsfomjsD-41hMZi0Z8hPdg-rG5qzxHEo2mKaQBKLuPN1PMQeXbOrqj9LjUM0S1U/s1600/PB160017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_jeB7QFYdxchtrxH0qx9onCXpRMYU_YNgRiEdieVZFUQsOhCbnaUUZL7cVDU-CJrQIVTMilOG870wsfomjsD-41hMZi0Z8hPdg-rG5qzxHEo2mKaQBKLuPN1PMQeXbOrqj9LjUM0S1U/s320/PB160017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanya sharing her group's answers with the class. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhylxEY0LYWBY8C2vTy9AX8pp3B3FB4Qf4M6RvasXGmnwntieGkgZMrg-8hizcjtrjG15B7nxw6zuJWX6IXQG791JXJYMN-sOJKS0Axd501JZDpQM7ZUD2IvShPavzfg_z6MlqYgFwmw/s1600/PB160032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhylxEY0LYWBY8C2vTy9AX8pp3B3FB4Qf4M6RvasXGmnwntieGkgZMrg-8hizcjtrjG15B7nxw6zuJWX6IXQG791JXJYMN-sOJKS0Axd501JZDpQM7ZUD2IvShPavzfg_z6MlqYgFwmw/s320/PB160032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group debating over different statistics.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0ZHGDMKFPta5g0srpi5GaZrilOVNO_y4xji2F1CqAG1x-xVv4zEYu_NeCCv4OfpdQEEMGcykCRWKbn6sDpqGr4MmDVUMYMKCLfY3vZRmpPvDQiD2SPg45lkOy_S4YQnu4xwui7F159Y/s1600/PB160034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0ZHGDMKFPta5g0srpi5GaZrilOVNO_y4xji2F1CqAG1x-xVv4zEYu_NeCCv4OfpdQEEMGcykCRWKbn6sDpqGr4MmDVUMYMKCLfY3vZRmpPvDQiD2SPg45lkOy_S4YQnu4xwui7F159Y/s320/PB160034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitalik explaining the statistics to the students. </td></tr>
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Even though this was only a short training on the basics of human trafficking, I'm grateful for two things: the first is that Dasha and Vitalik had the chance to conduct their own lesson and the second is that the 8th graders seemed actually interested in what we were talking about. Before this training I was worried about how they would respond to this topic since it can sometimes be a little controversial among Ukrainians - not all Ukrainians believe that human trafficking is a problem in Ukraine, and I'm glad that we taught our students to believe otherwise!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgERQD4IQ9_ZyZPCy5ZH3m06bddqyd5sdKWI1WJhT908waHyrEXUmnDE6GlwBm9KrRuzIFNaS6by1Y20v6vqgS1d_zw8lWviQd8oKQquSx-OqnXcm7ffJfN8qAcb4lr0G1shniaAKko8/s1600/PB160043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgERQD4IQ9_ZyZPCy5ZH3m06bddqyd5sdKWI1WJhT908waHyrEXUmnDE6GlwBm9KrRuzIFNaS6by1Y20v6vqgS1d_zw8lWviQd8oKQquSx-OqnXcm7ffJfN8qAcb4lr0G1shniaAKko8/s320/PB160043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great job Dasha and Vitalik!</td></tr>
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</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-41693833032313235232012-11-15T21:27:00.000-08:002012-11-15T21:27:14.845-08:00Celebrating 20 Years of Peace Corps Ukraine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On November 15th, 1992 the first group of Peace Corps Volunteers arrived to serve in Ukraine. I can't even imagine what it was like at that time, just after the fall of the Soviet Union. But I am proud say that I am part of the 40th group of volunteers here, serving 20 years later!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyImoKCz7DTV5dR84pB05F9TJPsNXyUxd5Hyn8eFWwOqJU47gFlEuK86eLO6Ve9X6y9Lvm9QAfk8C4OcJqXfSupg7PZ-h5phNeyqVjfUVpG4Udodr2c4pZjvrtGElH-M6uvgtnzbJJUI8/s1600/546906_10151269395135914_507863689_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyImoKCz7DTV5dR84pB05F9TJPsNXyUxd5Hyn8eFWwOqJU47gFlEuK86eLO6Ve9X6y9Lvm9QAfk8C4OcJqXfSupg7PZ-h5phNeyqVjfUVpG4Udodr2c4pZjvrtGElH-M6uvgtnzbJJUI8/s320/546906_10151269395135914_507863689_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reposted from the Peace Corps Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/peacecorps. </td></tr>
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In honor of the anniversary, here are a few of my photos from around Ukraine! As my time in Ukraine is winding down, its kind of sad to reflect back over the 2 years and look at photos that I took so long ago. Its incredible to think that I've already been here for 26 months, and that I'll be leaving this country to head home in just a few weeks...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMZbQaaVn-SxlXENijb_Vxs-poFYwhcNL_o5qWhHbaYWx6wmcm76_r7g1TdA4-8Fau85UCvXE5G2pOioD9MYeTcRO1jH5UGXTO56n0yZfCjDOcoyM0TGQsXNBRhKO9iM-Vu19BpnU6uoY/s1600/IMG_8247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMZbQaaVn-SxlXENijb_Vxs-poFYwhcNL_o5qWhHbaYWx6wmcm76_r7g1TdA4-8Fau85UCvXE5G2pOioD9MYeTcRO1jH5UGXTO56n0yZfCjDOcoyM0TGQsXNBRhKO9iM-Vu19BpnU6uoY/s320/IMG_8247.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Sophia church in Kyiv, as seen from the bell tower. January 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKQAeTHEjJAWCax_qPMkyQrr00Y_U2DY9vmWvdmL53XTjlUl0G-rxqAruFtN6juWX5w5BCgZLtpY0PRB40TtX6fc7Q1lrSjD2Aqf1N48xJvHecaPK6J0fxwa942h9uQHP9cqLGzqSbD4-/s1600/IMG_6968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKQAeTHEjJAWCax_qPMkyQrr00Y_U2DY9vmWvdmL53XTjlUl0G-rxqAruFtN6juWX5w5BCgZLtpY0PRB40TtX6fc7Q1lrSjD2Aqf1N48xJvHecaPK6J0fxwa942h9uQHP9cqLGzqSbD4-/s320/IMG_6968.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving into Boriyspol airport in Kyiv. September 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuQDcHcOVnTIXb5j0q6UrwbPfOSTgeVPmhyEN_wui6zMVNFcHTI3dXm-Eq1AoPlv-MdY0XhBQ9lUuE4GYGSnMtWOcH7r0TEPXjzUMxA41vVdzwV4XkNIQWtdm9iyDbUMy8pwxYgt8lyVM/s1600/IMG_1985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuQDcHcOVnTIXb5j0q6UrwbPfOSTgeVPmhyEN_wui6zMVNFcHTI3dXm-Eq1AoPlv-MdY0XhBQ9lUuE4GYGSnMtWOcH7r0TEPXjzUMxA41vVdzwV4XkNIQWtdm9iyDbUMy8pwxYgt8lyVM/s320/IMG_1985.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road sign with distances to major cities around the world in Odessa. May 2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoqUr_arEB1mwrmRvbhlpScJptpx5yOINp07QPfnx3tybUhLR8amPuni3S4D3rQxeD6-ORP2F8F_75J9GSqCAAW_mUJyOXlVTGy8sz1V4RPuxP8WnWTI4LgRHo0uH4561B70wbPRyxvMp/s1600/PA020014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoqUr_arEB1mwrmRvbhlpScJptpx5yOINp07QPfnx3tybUhLR8amPuni3S4D3rQxeD6-ORP2F8F_75J9GSqCAAW_mUJyOXlVTGy8sz1V4RPuxP8WnWTI4LgRHo0uH4561B70wbPRyxvMp/s320/PA020014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 5th grade students presenting their group project about a school newspaper. October 2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFB_cSl86vE_YnLSIXIeVE2gRpSIG2DI6P0UDmOfKSYhesHMgzJl2HKKnbZ-2KiqyQg0AWQwseluqdY2qT3qU-JegLCkKWGJZ9q816bbED6wJOal1ixIxkVCfu1hN3C0gt6yWYWJmMsGD/s1600/PB110032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFB_cSl86vE_YnLSIXIeVE2gRpSIG2DI6P0UDmOfKSYhesHMgzJl2HKKnbZ-2KiqyQg0AWQwseluqdY2qT3qU-JegLCkKWGJZ9q816bbED6wJOal1ixIxkVCfu1hN3C0gt6yWYWJmMsGD/s320/PB110032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of my building (on the right) from the street. November 2012</td></tr>
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And now life is calling and I don't know where I'll head next, but Peace Corps will always be the toughest job that I'll ever love! </div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-65606678319321728372012-11-11T03:11:00.000-08:002012-11-11T03:11:57.444-08:00Mini Camp H.E.A.L. 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Over fall break, I organized a 3-day mini Camp H.E.A.L. with a handful of other PCVs, using the leftover funds from my summer Camp H.E.A.L. partnership grant from Peace Corps. Camp H.E.A.L. is an annual Peace Corps-organized summer camp focused on the biology, transmission, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, counter human trafficking, human rights, leadership, volunteerism, healthy lifestyles and project design and management. This is by far my favorite Peace Corps summer camp, and the one that I'm the most passionate about. I've been involved with this camp for the last 2 years - you can check out my blog post about the summer </span><a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2012/08/camp-heal-2012-youth-helping-youth.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Camp H.E.A.L. 2012 here</a><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMUpao7EVSGHAiyZ7XoY1jKA36t_eipWeMz_HxItmfJk_4lw-2VLkk6K0dQjOMRsTHZPi1xPq4VEbxOpM4Pw47zDYnsDhUxNZJ7IiLz8tZtMy-JIspVzQO4lSOkyrFbh4etnXfRXX8BSl/s1600/group+tshirts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMUpao7EVSGHAiyZ7XoY1jKA36t_eipWeMz_HxItmfJk_4lw-2VLkk6K0dQjOMRsTHZPi1xPq4VEbxOpM4Pw47zDYnsDhUxNZJ7IiLz8tZtMy-JIspVzQO4lSOkyrFbh4etnXfRXX8BSl/s320/group+tshirts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocking our Camp HEAL tshirts!</td></tr>
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For this mini version of the summer camp, we headed to a little town called Ahtyrka in Sumskaya Oblast (on the eastern side of Ukraine, northwest of Kharkiv). I originally wanted this camp to take place in the city of Kharkiv, but it didn't work out because Kharkiv doesn't have many sanatoriums/resorts and we couldn't afford staying at a hotel downtown. So we decided to rent a charter bus to/from the Kharkiv train station and stayed at the beautiful resort Bymerovka, the site of <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2011/07/camp-heal-and-camp-ohalow.html" target="_blank">Camp H.E.A.L. and Camp OHALOW in 2011</a>. We took 50 students from around Kharkiv region, ages 14-20 as participants along with a few university students and English teachers as adult chaperones. It was super jam-packed with activities, lessons, and games and I think everyone was a little overwhelmed with how much we had planned, but everyone seemed to have a great time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SsdeTY9jOLusD2k3vwbIkkgbAIlFbmZwDiiezIa3qVjQDwA1PYybXbmDn7_nwnOuyhRrIuj2xueTEfEVq8E1C3IgF12IOGvg5_xoZ5L_hsvoSgfjpMeyh1dVQ8y4KAkXr5JKMJL5K8UB/s1600/6pg5d_t95oc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SsdeTY9jOLusD2k3vwbIkkgbAIlFbmZwDiiezIa3qVjQDwA1PYybXbmDn7_nwnOuyhRrIuj2xueTEfEVq8E1C3IgF12IOGvg5_xoZ5L_hsvoSgfjpMeyh1dVQ8y4KAkXr5JKMJL5K8UB/s320/6pg5d_t95oc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my school psychologist Ira Ivanovna!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gffFU_EB0PdgwEX0e2aiOd_LUjGhqkYmvkS9970KJ9HpwaU-XKCY00lLlTa81Id2AYWFjmoM08o-z7RMGY-q1WwII2FuEPoiIcFHn2CggVm4ixHsaM_kGSYP5l7zvOkC-_LwIC-o35IO/s1600/8zxc7pH0_Sg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gffFU_EB0PdgwEX0e2aiOd_LUjGhqkYmvkS9970KJ9HpwaU-XKCY00lLlTa81Id2AYWFjmoM08o-z7RMGY-q1WwII2FuEPoiIcFHn2CggVm4ixHsaM_kGSYP5l7zvOkC-_LwIC-o35IO/s320/8zxc7pH0_Sg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 11th grade student Anna Overko, who is an amazing artist - she painted this banner for us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbufuroPzbbD4CrO49yEkqcBnmH7Qk1fDagZnjX5lqo36PldSJsTRttKR551FKgl-7GRUwsISBYWwS6OzYdwVCo5QnCq3uxQeYvpRYPqFO_9SWs3VpW3N0rtIcAs3unZA3mvcozEhw_zbX/s1600/9y_GoTFvR_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbufuroPzbbD4CrO49yEkqcBnmH7Qk1fDagZnjX5lqo36PldSJsTRttKR551FKgl-7GRUwsISBYWwS6OzYdwVCo5QnCq3uxQeYvpRYPqFO_9SWs3VpW3N0rtIcAs3unZA3mvcozEhw_zbX/s320/9y_GoTFvR_w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt with his counterpart Julia, an English teacher from Myrgorod, Poltavskaya Oblast. </td></tr>
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We divided up the participants into six teams, and asked them to come up with a a team name and design a team flag. Some of these kids are super creative and came up with funny names that I would never have thought of!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMFws7pXO5iIFVUsD756beqTe-478-puGBJidFNAuBcVCwIXCqMOCn1WTr7nR6_VUopn1grWiG7HEObx84Icg0HZ2bbMZdxx08IzWE3Z3UckcYO4h-Wmo180wbWpumBb35hcpUryv_NwQ/s1600/red+curly+hairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMFws7pXO5iIFVUsD756beqTe-478-puGBJidFNAuBcVCwIXCqMOCn1WTr7nR6_VUopn1grWiG7HEObx84Icg0HZ2bbMZdxx08IzWE3Z3UckcYO4h-Wmo180wbWpumBb35hcpUryv_NwQ/s320/red+curly+hairs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Red Curly Leg Hairs"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAucs1jatukcAcmiG9pufD5mreXf5ZyY16-YOAKs5yU4F_KcRZkcA-3ktJMPuFLk2oh79y2CWx8D3CimL3r69xrUXRrHsBAk-invkhEWCUi_KTVHHS3We06TysJsGSbryh8rCcr8tRP9Tx/s1600/smurfs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAucs1jatukcAcmiG9pufD5mreXf5ZyY16-YOAKs5yU4F_KcRZkcA-3ktJMPuFLk2oh79y2CWx8D3CimL3r69xrUXRrHsBAk-invkhEWCUi_KTVHHS3We06TysJsGSbryh8rCcr8tRP9Tx/s320/smurfs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lukas and the "Blue Smurfs"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxnpFbvN5PhJZrIi0mmW39PXOC74x5wxjASN5AkwpA30my0wMfy04B1-J4ytCVYpLI05-ddRgSEVL88LyyTgTXvFsshbmGlCPYb1tO1gMbO1WUOVkF56LrWhgVgXRQQ2QXYQcMNYZQAws/s1600/crazy+chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxnpFbvN5PhJZrIi0mmW39PXOC74x5wxjASN5AkwpA30my0wMfy04B1-J4ytCVYpLI05-ddRgSEVL88LyyTgTXvFsshbmGlCPYb1tO1gMbO1WUOVkF56LrWhgVgXRQQ2QXYQcMNYZQAws/s320/crazy+chickens.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Crazy Chickens"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlggyGDrO0fLkqP-d2FDTzVy7u2Km7V3Qf9Y6a7KKTxTu0bXAX3fk2DDK-AcUgZlW18-IOLegAh76OypU3hJzh0yNpqezHqUq8uexJUIo7nSckCQvz8GU0VcnVo_Fr4krFclHYnzG0dYN/s1600/green+crocodiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlggyGDrO0fLkqP-d2FDTzVy7u2Km7V3Qf9Y6a7KKTxTu0bXAX3fk2DDK-AcUgZlW18-IOLegAh76OypU3hJzh0yNpqezHqUq8uexJUIo7nSckCQvz8GU0VcnVo_Fr4krFclHYnzG0dYN/s320/green+crocodiles.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Green Crocodiles Family"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOw7aJ3BcQ5h3diGnpsjw9SkkmlqTfylmpKEz835GN85txQc2HQN2vWhf5q7RXyMKOwEcVUl59Lf5ycCbMWdZJjtGgOvM4LHkfqppWD_6NSDc6JybTQhGrZgYJF1UwqCb6_MIf3NExLiC1/s1600/pink+panthers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOw7aJ3BcQ5h3diGnpsjw9SkkmlqTfylmpKEz835GN85txQc2HQN2vWhf5q7RXyMKOwEcVUl59Lf5ycCbMWdZJjtGgOvM4LHkfqppWD_6NSDc6JybTQhGrZgYJF1UwqCb6_MIf3NExLiC1/s320/pink+panthers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niki and the "Pink Panthers"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclP5EKR7mLOGE_kewd6iExa2syMBscwQPG8wNVk8cWUQp4cfhGrvmJkAakRwRJ3QBUJasuElgHox47MAXBgNpJrKmnZf90w_UN4v_ICwCZz56jYcJVOjDcXy4Q-tOQmMKaAbjlKucluYo/s1600/purple+pandas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclP5EKR7mLOGE_kewd6iExa2syMBscwQPG8wNVk8cWUQp4cfhGrvmJkAakRwRJ3QBUJasuElgHox47MAXBgNpJrKmnZf90w_UN4v_ICwCZz56jYcJVOjDcXy4Q-tOQmMKaAbjlKucluYo/s320/purple+pandas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt and the "Purple Pandas"</td></tr>
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We started off the first night with a lesson on the biology of HIV/AIDS and making origami red ribbons to show awareness and solidarity for people living with HIV and AIDS. We used a lesson plan created by my friend Abby Anderson, another Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine who also worked at Camp HEAL and Camp OHALOW (Overcoming HIV AIDS and Leading Our World) with me in 2011. You can get <a href="http://redribbonsaroundworld.wordpress.com/how-to-make-an-hiv-awareness-origami-ribbon/" target="_blank">the lesson plan here</a>, with instructions on how to fold your own red ribbon from a sheet of A4 sized paper.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig61coqlrICVlMXrl4u7gT95ZkPIAJawRmTDIbMJPyHM5LnI8RutWqgIGpjAWE5lUbq-yhSx6ERgPVUVAqEUYiiQ5lu5r2EsMh2fwgGqOp7LJwjQtQRx599UWRMQNQo8seZE5oUdedVmC3/s1600/biology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig61coqlrICVlMXrl4u7gT95ZkPIAJawRmTDIbMJPyHM5LnI8RutWqgIGpjAWE5lUbq-yhSx6ERgPVUVAqEUYiiQ5lu5r2EsMh2fwgGqOp7LJwjQtQRx599UWRMQNQo8seZE5oUdedVmC3/s320/biology.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niki and Pete explaining the stages of HIV.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IoXAI8A7U5Mxg6u1QHboJopmquPUspuiNQg3pcNigNxAmAVF9kJvG7tIkI7SNNBMWGGzaGks3qyYTWoVwCzL0faDRVV1eEXjyFp8mvAfEhYuGQvsIMYNMGRaBUSan4UdFABi96jT8Z3C/s1600/matt+bio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IoXAI8A7U5Mxg6u1QHboJopmquPUspuiNQg3pcNigNxAmAVF9kJvG7tIkI7SNNBMWGGzaGks3qyYTWoVwCzL0faDRVV1eEXjyFp8mvAfEhYuGQvsIMYNMGRaBUSan4UdFABi96jT8Z3C/s320/matt+bio.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt going over the T-cells and B-cells. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyGAkOanub8qqn_6BIhqvWdeVZg98ld9QVUBOgkfHZyX6bmRnVgbaH8wY8tEABwgIiuMPDer26bJVi5AtWOzSJ-g4jOk-QlSkyWtxarEwG193mPz6PPQ-3QvQ6jRtLRzd9_T_BWZkzCoV/s1600/making+red+ribbons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyGAkOanub8qqn_6BIhqvWdeVZg98ld9QVUBOgkfHZyX6bmRnVgbaH8wY8tEABwgIiuMPDer26bJVi5AtWOzSJ-g4jOk-QlSkyWtxarEwG193mPz6PPQ-3QvQ6jRtLRzd9_T_BWZkzCoV/s320/making+red+ribbons.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niki working on the red ribbons with the pink team.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViM01whxh_55bSQorzUymnQ8F3qAtRl2GKgGrOtQeVTY2Zkda_K3p8GpVtjqczBWG6mNkLiPysVlI96udLXZmXFJ_t4AMqMr3flb6IvcSKXzNSdKTIi9JHYXER2WIOou9s-f7gcJsa4qo/s1600/red+ribbons5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViM01whxh_55bSQorzUymnQ8F3qAtRl2GKgGrOtQeVTY2Zkda_K3p8GpVtjqczBWG6mNkLiPysVlI96udLXZmXFJ_t4AMqMr3flb6IvcSKXzNSdKTIi9JHYXER2WIOou9s-f7gcJsa4qo/s320/red+ribbons5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kym making ribbons with her team: the "Curly Red Leg Hairs."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8undtRK2LKwOUROd-DXaydzHWTpbwxJoqLVIchPS8XyqYjzts62iHFBX6ZuFNeKMlvON43uFfNVvQVNsIzw-xAOCo68n0AzCXwQUiiAtdTgJ-d7jMIiLnK4XW7VSr-k9lf6cHRysbSvKt/s1600/cb3hK7JbnBk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8undtRK2LKwOUROd-DXaydzHWTpbwxJoqLVIchPS8XyqYjzts62iHFBX6ZuFNeKMlvON43uFfNVvQVNsIzw-xAOCo68n0AzCXwQUiiAtdTgJ-d7jMIiLnK4XW7VSr-k9lf6cHRysbSvKt/s320/cb3hK7JbnBk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorting the ribbons by language - half of them were in English (to be sent to Peace Corps volunteers serving in other countries) and half were in Russian/Ukrainian. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYXSIQ_RWUv1kfwAI5syBsSB38ixPpadhd6FX4plUnr3tuhrUQR6gP8ukQ6ota7HKrtNo3ITA54wpEZRilYHcsefT4qmyUkrZMUYp-EZN3nTo_vpphD80eMzvkEJmUml3AOpSNtQHLr3u/s1600/red+ribbons2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYXSIQ_RWUv1kfwAI5syBsSB38ixPpadhd6FX4plUnr3tuhrUQR6gP8ukQ6ota7HKrtNo3ITA54wpEZRilYHcsefT4qmyUkrZMUYp-EZN3nTo_vpphD80eMzvkEJmUml3AOpSNtQHLr3u/s320/red+ribbons2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ribbons hanging on the wall. Translation - don't lose hope! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8NEIiyAIKNWURHnC1xyKjE3QBMoOsNLj1toxZKLivjkpyqc1ckGzph2y_BOSLXuJJMK_o3eUHGwGV2dhj0uRrvVBp2uXdCSa6Cfh7P9xIwW1ELL3D6kqlWLwyLIeWcMYk36r-ey95TDK/s1600/red+ribbons4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8NEIiyAIKNWURHnC1xyKjE3QBMoOsNLj1toxZKLivjkpyqc1ckGzph2y_BOSLXuJJMK_o3eUHGwGV2dhj0uRrvVBp2uXdCSa6Cfh7P9xIwW1ELL3D6kqlWLwyLIeWcMYk36r-ey95TDK/s320/red+ribbons4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collecting ribbons with two of the girls. </td></tr>
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Then we had "Dance, Dance, Dance" in the evening - where Kym, Matt and Lukas taught everyone some typical American dances: "Crank Dat Soldier Boy", "Cotton Eyed Joe" and "Cupid Shuffle". These dances were a big hit last summer, so we decided to teach them again!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYXcZepEgiMmsqJ9UFxKKS3TvxwZ70KkcYWUZdtzMhfPRy_ptHrKXOoDis8of1wLkBV4JQCyBr-89nNj1RKEo5wI_ndEsTTmkhyKufsjM17PVaIGHQSjeyOusvQcTkPoq6DJh0UjvWD-Y/s1600/soldier+boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYXcZepEgiMmsqJ9UFxKKS3TvxwZ70KkcYWUZdtzMhfPRy_ptHrKXOoDis8of1wLkBV4JQCyBr-89nNj1RKEo5wI_ndEsTTmkhyKufsjM17PVaIGHQSjeyOusvQcTkPoq6DJh0UjvWD-Y/s320/soldier+boy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cranking dat. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdysev4oRUFuY39Ti4qwjCdv1Vnce0r-mKTz7M-S3WGOdWMVJqS0yO_2zE9ljlCmAUdKrMSjlsLfFTJveOVBbnoVLsbmsLF4JRglTNyaaLQfq1C05iwxisSqv7m_iXHYqDk30V5PRN9-Mt/s1600/cotton+eyed+joe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdysev4oRUFuY39Ti4qwjCdv1Vnce0r-mKTz7M-S3WGOdWMVJqS0yO_2zE9ljlCmAUdKrMSjlsLfFTJveOVBbnoVLsbmsLF4JRglTNyaaLQfq1C05iwxisSqv7m_iXHYqDk30V5PRN9-Mt/s320/cotton+eyed+joe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steps to Cotton Eyed Joe are tricky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlU7nlsuw-KnmlQG9CHHY3AaSk8Q57E4ahJlQbk-IPpaXSBvlNfvRzKnpLybvTBQoS6qxIHBwCFHrqHd3O6bXBo_LZlUfjAgzBkIvAOeJyMtcRvmfn0kpjT2Ohy89PX3EBXqBlzJVsihz/s1600/cupid+shuffle+pcvs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlU7nlsuw-KnmlQG9CHHY3AaSk8Q57E4ahJlQbk-IPpaXSBvlNfvRzKnpLybvTBQoS6qxIHBwCFHrqHd3O6bXBo_LZlUfjAgzBkIvAOeJyMtcRvmfn0kpjT2Ohy89PX3EBXqBlzJVsihz/s320/cupid+shuffle+pcvs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Now kick, now kick..."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpDfgb4W55OS4lQof33V1irIgfq5Zsi3yAnEWjwztxRM2AV-JrLq9tprXsIIYpV-dEvhzaWErpPfT8CGi5zwrzrSWILyzolxZMb962bw4V0xZDi7qIoiHBoRPtk19Iy5IP3U-JowPrbp_/s1600/cupid+shuffle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpDfgb4W55OS4lQof33V1irIgfq5Zsi3yAnEWjwztxRM2AV-JrLq9tprXsIIYpV-dEvhzaWErpPfT8CGi5zwrzrSWILyzolxZMb962bw4V0xZDi7qIoiHBoRPtk19Iy5IP3U-JowPrbp_/s320/cupid+shuffle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"...now walk it by yourself" - Cupid Shuffle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEc1f6-7j0PKm19wW0H2MeTDviIKNhEmamicMfcxlYjSMoOAxzzWvTpJPbTEgjd7EhhLYBARkrsy0Xgl1GkN3exg4K-viYzVGuezav5XzQo-4OM-BVMe2dzuHDZAuI6BAPKpnsYkx841f/s1600/_ED4_Lrb7GI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEc1f6-7j0PKm19wW0H2MeTDviIKNhEmamicMfcxlYjSMoOAxzzWvTpJPbTEgjd7EhhLYBARkrsy0Xgl1GkN3exg4K-viYzVGuezav5XzQo-4OM-BVMe2dzuHDZAuI6BAPKpnsYkx841f/s320/_ED4_Lrb7GI.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stas showing off his "Gangham style"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrujkK3RZ425SoJUrASp3DuYXyhg8b2AqCgMBI8WmOrRki5JL0RPN-8zIB7NZEKF9Rt5-yF33RVaJwtT1auiuj43zdrdRvQDAVu8X2aIbh7jGo3XVgGwcM9P2Jp441wmTKP96Y2o-Iq48V/s1600/V0hkmi8Rw_A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrujkK3RZ425SoJUrASp3DuYXyhg8b2AqCgMBI8WmOrRki5JL0RPN-8zIB7NZEKF9Rt5-yF33RVaJwtT1auiuj43zdrdRvQDAVu8X2aIbh7jGo3XVgGwcM9P2Jp441wmTKP96Y2o-Iq48V/s320/V0hkmi8Rw_A.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls from Kharkiv's Karazin national university. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmndcSLpRdNO5Y7Czsp-l4z-nI2lVRE-GGyeKLONrM9HpBT-eigtgAr7FwFUOme04onVeC2gfFWH2HXt3tPU7cLiWGOZR7dko6bwinVjGNIPbIA9wlY_0Rzd1gDhxfm0XP8StF-B9oNBuM/s1600/disco+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmndcSLpRdNO5Y7Czsp-l4z-nI2lVRE-GGyeKLONrM9HpBT-eigtgAr7FwFUOme04onVeC2gfFWH2HXt3tPU7cLiWGOZR7dko6bwinVjGNIPbIA9wlY_0Rzd1gDhxfm0XP8StF-B9oNBuM/s320/disco+girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ukrainians love discos!</td></tr>
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The second day, we had 3 lessons - Stigma/Discrimination with Jamie, Project Design and Management with Kym and HIV Transmission and Prevention with Niki. The transmission and prevention lesson was interesting because it included a demonstration about the correct way to put a condom on a banana. While this type of demonstration may be considered controversial and risky in Ukraine, it is extremely useful because correctly using a condom to have safe sex is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of HIV. A lot of the kids are shy at first, but then they open up and laugh because none of them have ever put a condom on a banana before.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdnj215FShGTD9sqnFRdMp32VIPsXYsykH1U-MGLAxWE_0ZVcYAYLzzkkgnb8lDP2DjqnNTTnlXBRyjvPOd9hYgBaSYtbf_RAzK-HtUV3DQMJJvv9aChrvycUzJQSsh9ELE5j6_TtwRbY/s1600/DMG_Pq2njL4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdnj215FShGTD9sqnFRdMp32VIPsXYsykH1U-MGLAxWE_0ZVcYAYLzzkkgnb8lDP2DjqnNTTnlXBRyjvPOd9hYgBaSYtbf_RAzK-HtUV3DQMJJvv9aChrvycUzJQSsh9ELE5j6_TtwRbY/s320/DMG_Pq2njL4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamie explaining the difference between stigma and discrimination.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebAianweEY3xolieTVReld2gfqc2O4ITlAjnBAjDHmVvcya_qNXtvzWbCF1SI0A4ja_gmdgk-7NGUuK8t47GGiL52ha2giBkVCTB0nFUMngAQ7barUcIddnVKB3a_KqIc-QiZ590HWA4A/s1600/RIIVYxTnug4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebAianweEY3xolieTVReld2gfqc2O4ITlAjnBAjDHmVvcya_qNXtvzWbCF1SI0A4ja_gmdgk-7NGUuK8t47GGiL52ha2giBkVCTB0nFUMngAQ7barUcIddnVKB3a_KqIc-QiZ590HWA4A/s320/RIIVYxTnug4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink and Blue teams with Niki deciding whether the statements about transmission are true or false. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxxa0mATD9-ejbdq8H1QbtRffD4zFZXYRGHerH1t7v3E6LsfE1pWIu5vo7dyGCEZylutw-weTO__lkFEthMNUe0ffMCZ-fh8lxNn0w1Fy7PAaANPoG9ku96Hgo6-l8SIrsicicR7PA1qP/s1600/36xo1LYOdN8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxxa0mATD9-ejbdq8H1QbtRffD4zFZXYRGHerH1t7v3E6LsfE1pWIu5vo7dyGCEZylutw-weTO__lkFEthMNUe0ffMCZ-fh8lxNn0w1Fy7PAaANPoG9ku96Hgo6-l8SIrsicicR7PA1qP/s320/36xo1LYOdN8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kym teaching about the stages of developing a project. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGM9xQx4H2LCPU7WrYVS-5OI6Ny4CDG0GneWetAPR_55VHB4T0Goyp1qvBEjKvK-J6X6gCQfY4gmWbe9zy-TUNtOg2nrfP4K6NgUKxkPboDaKTy0Yavitl8LuwSvxuDhtDaN_a147iriO/s1600/zGMyebvH6L0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGM9xQx4H2LCPU7WrYVS-5OI6Ny4CDG0GneWetAPR_55VHB4T0Goyp1qvBEjKvK-J6X6gCQfY4gmWbe9zy-TUNtOg2nrfP4K6NgUKxkPboDaKTy0Yavitl8LuwSvxuDhtDaN_a147iriO/s320/zGMyebvH6L0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niki and I demonstrating the proper way to use a condom. </td></tr>
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<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAxz8bXfaUan668oRpc2BKOvCI2Qzvh6k4Jz__DpDZ-uOfL_rsNGpDd3so5E3cNmzSpgLKyiLQjKSw2Ys7Os2Sw7cilRMZnRZu5ZfID3HokYVzS0NuC018jDFiHVrKpw2JCqNkBWfJ0GC/s1600/ELixFx8oxIU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAxz8bXfaUan668oRpc2BKOvCI2Qzvh6k4Jz__DpDZ-uOfL_rsNGpDd3so5E3cNmzSpgLKyiLQjKSw2Ys7Os2Sw7cilRMZnRZu5ZfID3HokYVzS0NuC018jDFiHVrKpw2JCqNkBWfJ0GC/s320/ELixFx8oxIU.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the twins, Egor and Misha.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdOVAsc2ZPlthlM0dqvjyZFUjkqVl5jOTyMcGobWu2Og5bTMRLFpyD1xapFIBsJfKYugm4YQg8yFgozaQLsfp14uGeEa1eAiIyzrOwIsjXZ_kvN9-K5ieTvC00BCsOLDp0Y5olTjUZAJr/s1600/NNHuG_NV1os.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdOVAsc2ZPlthlM0dqvjyZFUjkqVl5jOTyMcGobWu2Og5bTMRLFpyD1xapFIBsJfKYugm4YQg8yFgozaQLsfp14uGeEa1eAiIyzrOwIsjXZ_kvN9-K5ieTvC00BCsOLDp0Y5olTjUZAJr/s320/NNHuG_NV1os.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nela, Lera, Liz and Kate.</td></tr>
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Then we had a series of leadership/team building activities organized by Pete, where the teams rotated between three stations. The first station was "crossing the river", where the teams could only step on (paper) stones to cross the river. The second station was "toxic waste", where the teams worked together using only yarn, and a silicone bracelet to pick up a glass and a ball together and move them out of the danger zone. The third station was a 10x10 grid, where the teams had to find the correct path by trial and error. Then signal their teammates without talking, showing them which way to walk across.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6B9c7fdzXdAdTJUmZBuinxcczHMX3AfH8pwLRaV-UYCxiI3qvYKvj77kjHqUkjDWCZ1ONtAyG1gEIcHpAoylI68U3K0Wan4pD1Ia5rPIdFJb0oCgqK1kHaumVqSd_4PSeEu8spwPM7kw/s1600/sw7yGXCTPJs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6B9c7fdzXdAdTJUmZBuinxcczHMX3AfH8pwLRaV-UYCxiI3qvYKvj77kjHqUkjDWCZ1ONtAyG1gEIcHpAoylI68U3K0Wan4pD1Ia5rPIdFJb0oCgqK1kHaumVqSd_4PSeEu8spwPM7kw/s320/sw7yGXCTPJs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple team's interesting strategy for "crossing the river"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5qitjwEgFux15jGKl9urxIs2pBhKdsTA-v7I6Oyo1ymtM3_LoGJcNrJYGANFiG7Q10NdiO_J80rkOSQR-6XjB7KAdxAHx6843zvXNNQN1-LV3uV66mWwLil3ETvdLSO1kOHKkJutT5N6/s1600/GzadF4qYFhk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5qitjwEgFux15jGKl9urxIs2pBhKdsTA-v7I6Oyo1ymtM3_LoGJcNrJYGANFiG7Q10NdiO_J80rkOSQR-6XjB7KAdxAHx6843zvXNNQN1-LV3uV66mWwLil3ETvdLSO1kOHKkJutT5N6/s320/GzadF4qYFhk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green team girls negotiating their way across the grid.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzV5kjACNFGeAeNOA7uCAcrms-lhdzGDy0Jc8gTQ9pYdrlskSIOyOsvqZOXmtbw7bGIM8ubgB91tmXGn4p1lDS_gC2f01RvqbOVb8vadFBhZZlMiomyszIVwnCx2Zi3TgacEMijS3CYeZ/s1600/hzhG-vioJOc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzV5kjACNFGeAeNOA7uCAcrms-lhdzGDy0Jc8gTQ9pYdrlskSIOyOsvqZOXmtbw7bGIM8ubgB91tmXGn4p1lDS_gC2f01RvqbOVb8vadFBhZZlMiomyszIVwnCx2Zi3TgacEMijS3CYeZ/s320/hzhG-vioJOc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green team girls untangling themselves in the "human knot"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQPt8C9IIys80qYFdSna-8HQE52N7xwz_3_Nvop2l67_1doXU1o2pqYmQ6CnXJOL8tL3EXnKpMWHYBMRITDc_FFDgopCXbRhSJf4yrQE_j0_Vz8pMK-vVOjtLH-t1dzj7lSj4KixtIpvL/s1600/-axeOi31XI4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQPt8C9IIys80qYFdSna-8HQE52N7xwz_3_Nvop2l67_1doXU1o2pqYmQ6CnXJOL8tL3EXnKpMWHYBMRITDc_FFDgopCXbRhSJf4yrQE_j0_Vz8pMK-vVOjtLH-t1dzj7lSj4KixtIpvL/s320/-axeOi31XI4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ira and Stas working together with the pink team to place the "toxic waste" onto the cup.</td></tr>
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We also had a guest speaker come from the Kharkiv regional office of the All-Ukraininan Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS. He shared his life story and experiences as a person living with HIV in Ukraine. Many of the students said that this was very interesting for them, since they had never had the opportunity to meet anyone affected by HIV/AIDS. To protect our guest speaker and his status, I will not post any photos of him. There is still a lot of stigma surrounding HIV in Ukraine, a lot of people are afraid of even hearing the word HIV said out loud. Our camp is one of the few programs trying to change these attitudes by educating the youth of Ukraine about HIV/AIDs, including the ways of transmission and prevention.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkt4RFXvJplAKI0Qf3WMz-OLzrZBMdcCYLN4myUkfr_3w-kfqoD1Bf9k001bigwr0giXZr4nEgLasneDVaGskukc3u2OAggJpfKGiSdU0G0Lc5xdSEJvmzel7PFxRwrrc8FioGkDN9m_R5/s1600/group+halloween+scary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkt4RFXvJplAKI0Qf3WMz-OLzrZBMdcCYLN4myUkfr_3w-kfqoD1Bf9k001bigwr0giXZr4nEgLasneDVaGskukc3u2OAggJpfKGiSdU0G0Lc5xdSEJvmzel7PFxRwrrc8FioGkDN9m_R5/s320/group+halloween+scary.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone all dressed up in their Halloween costumes. </td></tr>
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In the evening, we had a Hallowen Disco! All of the kids were excited about this because many of them had never celebrated Halloween before. Most Ukrainians tend to think that Halloween costumes have to be scary and bloody, but we tried to show them that Halloween costumes can also be funny or crazy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqw1yNPR7ERooT9wdS3P6AQW42lVbnzh_ypIcNPn1cBqc_DxNd8hmpamwPaCHeApxAI6mg1PZ40OK75aSzwd27yfjKqixKKL2RB9JYXNKNcld-CzZ4rzB2jVwJkp5bAsyqmYMnKDDJhBp/s1600/hwYJ0ZRQpj0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqw1yNPR7ERooT9wdS3P6AQW42lVbnzh_ypIcNPn1cBqc_DxNd8hmpamwPaCHeApxAI6mg1PZ40OK75aSzwd27yfjKqixKKL2RB9JYXNKNcld-CzZ4rzB2jVwJkp5bAsyqmYMnKDDJhBp/s320/hwYJ0ZRQpj0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baba Jamie (a Ukrainian grandmother) and iJing. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cGANjq2JAJ8M5KJG_HKM_mzNgFJCFzFA7GVoqnMeZkTpEM4oAke6RAfjZIZVv18Hu7qcUHkKjiSwOxgvUovtyM-xEKLF8lpvNlgld_ah_SsYXvYUaOxS1VAh5m7FvDplopiYpp89DfUA/s1600/1KP83kAm2Oc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cGANjq2JAJ8M5KJG_HKM_mzNgFJCFzFA7GVoqnMeZkTpEM4oAke6RAfjZIZVv18Hu7qcUHkKjiSwOxgvUovtyM-xEKLF8lpvNlgld_ah_SsYXvYUaOxS1VAh5m7FvDplopiYpp89DfUA/s320/1KP83kAm2Oc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alla as a clown and Jenia as The Joker, with Ira. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BJXw9pxgA3X-5K-FAX_AYgRX0v1hvP_j3V3K_QNfGzRG55mtydZsfdIw6NEmZtB7QFVXf5IQstvCC5KD6TRUDG43Y7fmk6z65DmrldXW8SSCafZUvaU-GrinDU1MOfIecz8-A4WkM8IY/s1600/J1eBm0XiDRo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BJXw9pxgA3X-5K-FAX_AYgRX0v1hvP_j3V3K_QNfGzRG55mtydZsfdIw6NEmZtB7QFVXf5IQstvCC5KD6TRUDG43Y7fmk6z65DmrldXW8SSCafZUvaU-GrinDU1MOfIecz8-A4WkM8IY/s320/J1eBm0XiDRo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of my students from Shevchenkove - Liza, Masha, Lilia, Anna, Anya, plus Marina and Alla. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw6yyx8DaeAToLTk06p2FnWkVX3-gNbcjB1VtTVCjLhWAqpU-uMtx24qquj0zdoQUk4_MH_mdmLQntIXpTwyxrEqh4cguC-5bivYmaAWHo0Oxy03P5Yru6Czl_i5h6NiWOutyCAUpSSLL/s1600/halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw6yyx8DaeAToLTk06p2FnWkVX3-gNbcjB1VtTVCjLhWAqpU-uMtx24qquj0zdoQUk4_MH_mdmLQntIXpTwyxrEqh4cguC-5bivYmaAWHo0Oxy03P5Yru6Czl_i5h6NiWOutyCAUpSSLL/s320/halloween.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of bloody zombies and vampires with Jill as Iowa sweet corn and Matt as Robin Hood. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RTgQ0de9Ami-aOkljEao4k1aLy53DTReZMgU676r0ouAARQ6hKxrQsMgErBNuAsO9o0w8lfkTIJG3AnNxazD1dPoPqrO79JMOHR02O52_q4qLU0pgRkGyei-uK5ksa3IRPWM3b5ob73b/s1600/les90Nh7KXg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RTgQ0de9Ami-aOkljEao4k1aLy53DTReZMgU676r0ouAARQ6hKxrQsMgErBNuAsO9o0w8lfkTIJG3AnNxazD1dPoPqrO79JMOHR02O52_q4qLU0pgRkGyei-uK5ksa3IRPWM3b5ob73b/s320/les90Nh7KXg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another group of kids with Matt... notice Vova with the bloody zipper face - he won best male costume!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSW8WTqOJLgvkJQKg3AbauJUH5B1XNsj2rNc0JpvtMHlc56Tv2oUbalWRinck4qq6Cl70qzpBcqtIcokAzEKydHgPq-MBpXQsz7zwi4HyClAKdA5HAic_tNS5jbLzxPDQhtyrOla4R3pF/s1600/Siano6kXS_U.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSW8WTqOJLgvkJQKg3AbauJUH5B1XNsj2rNc0JpvtMHlc56Tv2oUbalWRinck4qq6Cl70qzpBcqtIcokAzEKydHgPq-MBpXQsz7zwi4HyClAKdA5HAic_tNS5jbLzxPDQhtyrOla4R3pF/s320/Siano6kXS_U.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5vd7CjFOy7L994nee3z6wf5GiFWTwbi-cbQTUJ-7lzSBmrgJFw8U1gcHtlWHDtmVu_8Z48CmzxTWagBOUlyowc9_2rH59omjSgx47zM3g2qN7X0hwih8_8WoDXuuRJisin9Nco-iIshA/s1600/zombie+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5vd7CjFOy7L994nee3z6wf5GiFWTwbi-cbQTUJ-7lzSBmrgJFw8U1gcHtlWHDtmVu_8Z48CmzxTWagBOUlyowc9_2rH59omjSgx47zM3g2qN7X0hwih8_8WoDXuuRJisin9Nco-iIshA/s320/zombie+girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the zombies say "rawrrrrrr"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-8gGNBRFY1JVfnGcMvNi1f5PSkmGmPhR7ws096K-03-8IG8gNrGAeN8hSCXw8yoGCrspo2DlMHLKdl4y7JhfEQ-AFu6oEufQyHi9FzGevM27MrBrv8BijdYewwQH7-kj5TndDkns40rH/s1600/QTb87Vu_ZnA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-8gGNBRFY1JVfnGcMvNi1f5PSkmGmPhR7ws096K-03-8IG8gNrGAeN8hSCXw8yoGCrspo2DlMHLKdl4y7JhfEQ-AFu6oEufQyHi9FzGevM27MrBrv8BijdYewwQH7-kj5TndDkns40rH/s320/QTb87Vu_ZnA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oppa Camp HEAL style!</td></tr>
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On the last day, we had only two lessons - human rights with Lukas and human trafficking with Jill. After the lessons, we had a quick trivia style quiz game to test the knowledge of the students. Since we were crunched on time, we watched the slideshow and quickly passed out all the certificates and then we hopped on the bus back to Kharkiv.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3MpcYxZqyLJUg9lQZU3HoqApAiUfQ24oQSqBukR4zy-0dis25cXIP504wxmp1FENHNmSKvSS3IFFK_Hon6r5Lmf0dIm3ZmFtbGCP9hnkq99xA3lqooOa0J6DMOQfzoQZiBy-W-tZhIiT/s1600/0Xe7FLST9nU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3MpcYxZqyLJUg9lQZU3HoqApAiUfQ24oQSqBukR4zy-0dis25cXIP504wxmp1FENHNmSKvSS3IFFK_Hon6r5Lmf0dIm3ZmFtbGCP9hnkq99xA3lqooOa0J6DMOQfzoQZiBy-W-tZhIiT/s320/0Xe7FLST9nU.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The statistics for Jill's human trafficking lesson. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcO7rgI1Y8BRIerq4PURJHs0EybYL0AQ3PA6BtNgQISLJ15fFk247CgaOMlAFaExv-uMhKWM1DEVm4FblKs3tVO5dZnMdw2-Pm_abTzj1fa-I95908J9C6MqT1uPt4Gajv9CzTRt5f19AS/s1600/iA6cMjtAcNI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcO7rgI1Y8BRIerq4PURJHs0EybYL0AQ3PA6BtNgQISLJ15fFk247CgaOMlAFaExv-uMhKWM1DEVm4FblKs3tVO5dZnMdw2-Pm_abTzj1fa-I95908J9C6MqT1uPt4Gajv9CzTRt5f19AS/s320/iA6cMjtAcNI.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jill teaching about the different types of human trafficking.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6TQ-l7lzdF9bYkt7Ld6nuwQPOhyzNTHW9G_8Yfga_cGNy5PcbK1-HQ2JAd1ZhUD8XT9LrTn6gHAn4A-28myWLs-02iszGTOnC2VdFyi8eL5iIPoTdKihYUNSck3onv0hx1n93wt8iHN8/s1600/RUgUrQcKOJM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6TQ-l7lzdF9bYkt7Ld6nuwQPOhyzNTHW9G_8Yfga_cGNy5PcbK1-HQ2JAd1ZhUD8XT9LrTn6gHAn4A-28myWLs-02iszGTOnC2VdFyi8eL5iIPoTdKihYUNSck3onv0hx1n93wt8iHN8/s320/RUgUrQcKOJM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Crocodile family girls!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqov3encHcBsQOznC77T0C-yPIhLsKifhzd6eXZPJoYxu4mKdqOBj4O5Fe68xsLXJgKP9Ug4OKbUjkKIzOtiCKjl6pkO7UAJGRnp-sfERqjHBJ6XLHojZDC6fPfv3mKZI-nVtursVHWUc/s1600/qgutUqc8DBY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqov3encHcBsQOznC77T0C-yPIhLsKifhzd6eXZPJoYxu4mKdqOBj4O5Fe68xsLXJgKP9Ug4OKbUjkKIzOtiCKjl6pkO7UAJGRnp-sfERqjHBJ6XLHojZDC6fPfv3mKZI-nVtursVHWUc/s320/qgutUqc8DBY.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple pandas!</td></tr>
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I'm proud to have been a part of Camp H.E.A.L. for the past two years during my service in Ukraine as a Peace Corps Volunteer... these 3 camps have been some of the fondest memories that I have, and its been awesome working with such enthusiastic and bright young Ukrainians. I love Camp HEAL!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBxRoYe3pj3aB5U1WPXcoa4qZ5UtCH6CJAhAAkVO4qGALkBNkxFMUipDyMYl68P_nlPMqJhKDM7U5jqWMRHYsLtmT_Fw_VwfjPDt9ZJXxFq2IGzeJ9kQGX5Zjv33RfToYIv9waK1N0Mzr/s1600/CwWhSYWZBHs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBxRoYe3pj3aB5U1WPXcoa4qZ5UtCH6CJAhAAkVO4qGALkBNkxFMUipDyMYl68P_nlPMqJhKDM7U5jqWMRHYsLtmT_Fw_VwfjPDt9ZJXxFq2IGzeJ9kQGX5Zjv33RfToYIv9waK1N0Mzr/s320/CwWhSYWZBHs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running around with my director clipboard, solving problems like no hot water in the rooms or the kitchen not knowing that we had coffee break haha. </td></tr>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-57547909359939205082012-10-25T09:07:00.000-07:002012-10-25T09:07:12.091-07:00Human Rights: Ideas and Realities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Friday, I organized a human rights training at my school with my school psychologist. We had about 25 students participate, ranging from 9th to 11th grade. I invited my friend Oleg from the Kharkiv branch of the Salvation Army to come and conduct the training. Our training was done in Russian and it was called <b>заПРАВься! (</b>a play on the Russian reflexive verb for "to fill/refill", since the Russian word for "rights" falls within the middle of the word)<b> "Права человека: идея и реальность"</b> (which translates to Human Rights: ideas and realities).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDRUTsNnFF6K6ANA2hkWsWWNMEVCnp4M8kIHy2XpCIBhf3EcFwyNaF5ePghZGEwqgpVj3CgOmePrrSNLOeLxtxfpxYayPM3l_56hFhBOUQmTJH9-bR8ZKNc7Io43RwryThks9wZHhfNTO/s1600/PA190236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDRUTsNnFF6K6ANA2hkWsWWNMEVCnp4M8kIHy2XpCIBhf3EcFwyNaF5ePghZGEwqgpVj3CgOmePrrSNLOeLxtxfpxYayPM3l_56hFhBOUQmTJH9-bR8ZKNc7Io43RwryThks9wZHhfNTO/s320/PA190236.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost everyone at our training! A few girls had to leave early to catch the school bus home. </td></tr>
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Note: I would normally have called this a seminar, since its a one-day thing filled with different lessons and activities, but my school psychologist told me that its better to call it a training since Ukrainians associate the word "seminar" with just sitting there and listening to lectures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvb_iOQ71iZfSi1x5lZiO67GJrRiO_RQVJxxWO8O89flshxBeu5zsY0fmIJfg6w6LA_N_r8LpjX4uYVExyF7jc3VnljFtmBI1LZSw2jnMJR3l-NH_0NwcguHP88G2Ha28BQuCOH4nMgCwP/s1600/PA190217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvb_iOQ71iZfSi1x5lZiO67GJrRiO_RQVJxxWO8O89flshxBeu5zsY0fmIJfg6w6LA_N_r8LpjX4uYVExyF7jc3VnljFtmBI1LZSw2jnMJR3l-NH_0NwcguHP88G2Ha28BQuCOH4nMgCwP/s320/PA190217.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids brainstormed their own ideas about what human rights are... translated as: life, education, food, words, medicine, love, care, freedom, choice, family, work, friends, tastes.</td></tr>
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We started off with a short video about the history of human rights, which included famous leaders from all around the world such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Then we passed out the <b><span lang="RU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Всеобщая декларация прав
человека</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> - </span></b>Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Oleg asked the students to divide into groups to read and discuss the rights that were listed there. The task was to choose which 5 rights are the most important, and this was interesting because not every person chose the same rights - different people have different priorities and values in life.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgcyMX7xcxB_Ob44Ok8JBfy2l7cecgnieOeciCL7ga8TzzDJ-4xSgCNRsPzfx7VCySdbnZ2ns8-jYV1sRcku88qWWF6VQE3_Wiy7KUHdVTWCDaFTNslYqA5K94u0429w2MOC7dOaqExZ-/s1600/PA190198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgcyMX7xcxB_Ob44Ok8JBfy2l7cecgnieOeciCL7ga8TzzDJ-4xSgCNRsPzfx7VCySdbnZ2ns8-jYV1sRcku88qWWF6VQE3_Wiy7KUHdVTWCDaFTNslYqA5K94u0429w2MOC7dOaqExZ-/s320/PA190198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oleg working with the kids in groups. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX47P5DpBE_67eal2SfmZG-7dr1X9TM9VAfyc1zyXzSZ53mYfgCR0uPyF870b1IjwUC_1_sLCVuEkI2r9g6V1KioMefPyugpbGcUgRsi_lB8botnyjxCsRMDtjZ88JbeZC7pcAoFNRmXl/s1600/PA190204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX47P5DpBE_67eal2SfmZG-7dr1X9TM9VAfyc1zyXzSZ53mYfgCR0uPyF870b1IjwUC_1_sLCVuEkI2r9g6V1KioMefPyugpbGcUgRsi_lB8botnyjxCsRMDtjZ88JbeZC7pcAoFNRmXl/s320/PA190204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liza presenting about her group's chosen rights. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next the participants were asked to choose one small strip of paper from a bag. Each strip of paper contained a different description of a person from varied backgrounds such as an unemployed single mother, the daughter of a bank manager, a soldier in the army, a HIV+ prostitute, an illegal immigrant from Mali, a pensioner who used to work in a shoe factory, a 27 year old homeless person, a young artist who is a drug user, a refugee from Afghanistan, etc. Each participant was asked to play the role written on their piece of paper. All the participants lined up in a single line on one side of the room and Oleg read out descriptions of different scenarios such as the possibility of graduating from college or being able to marry whomever you want. The task for the participants was to take a step forward if they thought that they had the right/possibility to that scenario, or to take a step backwards if it wasn't a possibility.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4E91UfRnjSzVWGpgmplpUKZBsTH4ydNW4nIZMEbTTnjeihmnkqdzWR70UFyG9v6WfNaEs6iaNACgNQg47w91TnZ2PO7GfUmD1tSAylqCeD6YQ612PcILWRJqofkqhW0XGoC0wwnRWh0QI/s1600/PA190206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4E91UfRnjSzVWGpgmplpUKZBsTH4ydNW4nIZMEbTTnjeihmnkqdzWR70UFyG9v6WfNaEs6iaNACgNQg47w91TnZ2PO7GfUmD1tSAylqCeD6YQ612PcILWRJqofkqhW0XGoC0wwnRWh0QI/s320/PA190206.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"close your eyes and imagine yourself in the life of the person "</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPRwnA8kACzWJo3GiWhbGqNNBu9qPV4KmeI__nz3CJhkRas7JF6xpPUM-6CJavIROYKyDG4xPFnw5jdrgyZZDU1_BBxlpnR1zCjvyF_H5kYEWdeT46_vJBmSZ-j3Hs9OtlPni3e6tfoc8/s1600/PA190211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPRwnA8kACzWJo3GiWhbGqNNBu9qPV4KmeI__nz3CJhkRas7JF6xpPUM-6CJavIROYKyDG4xPFnw5jdrgyZZDU1_BBxlpnR1zCjvyF_H5kYEWdeT46_vJBmSZ-j3Hs9OtlPni3e6tfoc8/s320/PA190211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving forwards and backwards.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then we had a lunch break... which of course meant that Ira (my school psychologist) and I had to cut and prepare lots of salami and cheese for sandwiches, accompanied by cucumbers and tomatoes of course. We also had an assortment of cookies to go with tea and I baked some American-style chocolate chip cookies :D<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNd2mYfgfJENe9CpQFAVYD8DPhwlZv923q4WDmIJygLZQ19tkDvaXGXk2gDMnjMu59F7hpvbi_Wxa0-G-oIpQqSZhpT9ViTb-xAVJKRVS2sFOUh0ob1qdImFyh7VUZxVnjFtvTq31bGad/s1600/PA190214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNd2mYfgfJENe9CpQFAVYD8DPhwlZv923q4WDmIJygLZQ19tkDvaXGXk2gDMnjMu59F7hpvbi_Wxa0-G-oIpQqSZhpT9ViTb-xAVJKRVS2sFOUh0ob1qdImFyh7VUZxVnjFtvTq31bGad/s320/PA190214.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noms!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After lunch, we had an interesting exercise where the participants were given a list of 19 different people. They had to choose 3 people which they would travel in a kupe with from Sophia, Bulgaria to Vladyvastok, Russia (kupe is the 2nd class on a Ukrainian train, with 4 seats) and 3 people which they would definitely not travel with. This train ride would take them across the Trans-Siberian railroad and it would probably take about 2 weeks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLGC0LEfkwAKtGNOf92h3bsWSwM_5l34OQ0DNv7wBW_R_TBb_tTHA8fQ2dDbhG242-bYh3x2Vxgt1EIy0XjkpmHGo9dkFsZUSF0QfbyavjUEsDhrgM5kyXMW1Zz12BhvSfsLpxiyhr3U5/s1600/PA190216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLGC0LEfkwAKtGNOf92h3bsWSwM_5l34OQ0DNv7wBW_R_TBb_tTHA8fQ2dDbhG242-bYh3x2Vxgt1EIy0XjkpmHGo9dkFsZUSF0QfbyavjUEsDhrgM5kyXMW1Zz12BhvSfsLpxiyhr3U5/s320/PA190216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Here are the different people they had to choose from:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span lang="RU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Американский
солдат, который возвращается из службы в Ираке (an American soldier, returning from duty in Iraq)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Швейцарский
финансовый брокер с большим весом (an overweight Swiss financial broker)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Африканка,
продающая продукты (an African lady who sells groceries)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Молодой
художник, имеющий ВИЧ+ (a young artist who is HIV+)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Цыган
из Венгрии, который только освободился из тюрьмы (a Roman who was just freed from prison in Hungary)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Немецкий
репэр, ведущий альтернативный образ жизни (a German rapper who has an alternative lifestyle)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Слепой
аккордеонист из Австрии (a blind accordion player from Austria)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Молодая
молдованка, не имеющая визу и с ребенком, которому 1 год (a young woman from Moldova who doesn't have a visa, with her 1-year old baby)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Голландская
агрессивно-настроенная феминистка (an aggressive feminist from Holland)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Консервативный
американский баптист (анти-аборт активист) (a conservative American Baptist who is an anti-abortion activist)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Скинхед
из Швеции, который находится в пьяном состоянии (a skinhead from Sweden who is always drunk)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Английский
футбольный фан (an English soccer fan)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Польская
проститутка из Берлина (a Polish prostitute from Berlin)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Испанский
полицейский, гей (a Spanish politician who is gay)</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Арабка,
студентка в Украине, мусульманка (an Arabic girl who is </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Muslim</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> and studies at a </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Ukrainian</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> university)</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Гражданин
Израиля, родом из России, посещающий родственников в Москве (an Israeli who was born in Russia, visiting his relatives in Moscow)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Украинский
националист из Львова (a Ukrainian nationalist from Lviv)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Вьетнамский
эмигрант, работающий на Барабашова (a Vietnamese immigrant who works at Barabashova - the huge open air market in the city of Kharkiv)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Грузин, работающий на
рынке (a Georgian guy who works at the bazaar)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<br />
So, who would you choose to ride the train with?<br />
<br />
The last part of the training was when we discussed stereotypes and it was interesting to see how the students reacted to them. For example - fat people are kind, all Swedish people have light-colored hair, all Ukrainians love salo, gay people are immoral, invalids can't participate in sports, Arabic people are impulsive, etc.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KocIySzzAPdjp1pjtgSZXt_-rFvw6JirDGU0J0Ww-mMvkU4FugfeO1iaq9LkA75q7TCZXQslDxG5bzl9nRgq2A8AuSnSwxGm2m6OYgHvvT8FwPtG4r0KuLgfF69O2g-ISMrpKfL1H3gO/s1600/PA190219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KocIySzzAPdjp1pjtgSZXt_-rFvw6JirDGU0J0Ww-mMvkU4FugfeO1iaq9LkA75q7TCZXQslDxG5bzl9nRgq2A8AuSnSwxGm2m6OYgHvvT8FwPtG4r0KuLgfF69O2g-ISMrpKfL1H3gO/s320/PA190219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oleg with the 11th form girls. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAEBjStpYI9QANYFDBgvgrAwUdJUTCzA1CzoF-VBdrbOvVcGlnOweV-5QCYiYa5s8DOgfRG_BLm_OzKW7PsMPeo1wrFyKA6HhzZ9I0gcFBKLxwaeogZYi49ZY2cAzmBLa8533SY6L5m0W/s1600/PA190220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAEBjStpYI9QANYFDBgvgrAwUdJUTCzA1CzoF-VBdrbOvVcGlnOweV-5QCYiYa5s8DOgfRG_BLm_OzKW7PsMPeo1wrFyKA6HhzZ9I0gcFBKLxwaeogZYi49ZY2cAzmBLa8533SY6L5m0W/s320/PA190220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guys and Oleg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55QQwvg4IhaehNMLi6c10qf5BB0g8SmYKa8SSQ2jFXMtSCnZTbe2NRKQl7RzT0MzKkNFqVnq6C9cRzXieiz2keI1RQxWMLH7RjTnwK84Y2Y-aQg1W8ps7iUYyJtQgUzCtqFJBCspLAlag/s1600/PA190221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55QQwvg4IhaehNMLi6c10qf5BB0g8SmYKa8SSQ2jFXMtSCnZTbe2NRKQl7RzT0MzKkNFqVnq6C9cRzXieiz2keI1RQxWMLH7RjTnwK84Y2Y-aQg1W8ps7iUYyJtQgUzCtqFJBCspLAlag/s320/PA190221.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 9th form girls with Oleg. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All my students loved the training with Oleg! They pretty much all thought it was interesting, a lot of the information was mind-opening to them and I'm happy that they were all open to talking about human rights :)</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-14662281134143811202012-10-22T23:22:00.001-07:002012-10-22T23:22:16.489-07:00A Night at the Moscow Water Circus!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the reasons that I love the city of Kharkiv is that there are so many random things to do. I went to the Water Circus show two weekends ago with Byron and Connie, the two Peace Corps Volunteers who live in the city. Byron was treating his Russian tutor and her family to the circus, and he had a few extra tickets so I got to go! I've ridden past the circus building on marshrutka buses, but never been inside. The circus is not quite what you'd imagine from an American point of view - its not inside a big red and white striped tent...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZck-5gcDMLelWycLzl6BAgg7ciuo8X_80WXkhbvHe9Tighx-QQRCvl0zfWIyRLYNNZjs2MrPkvEz82uhlPQG6Er8zpQqbRl5K1tS0SRslVNXq_hCCFdV9-pJ2W24kNvg0PryCXzGIxBpU/s1600/kharkovskiy-cirk_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZck-5gcDMLelWycLzl6BAgg7ciuo8X_80WXkhbvHe9Tighx-QQRCvl0zfWIyRLYNNZjs2MrPkvEz82uhlPQG6Er8zpQqbRl5K1tS0SRslVNXq_hCCFdV9-pJ2W24kNvg0PryCXzGIxBpU/s320/kharkovskiy-cirk_m.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A professional photo of the Kharkiv circus building!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't say that I remember the last time that I went to the circus, my family was always more of a science-museum and zoo type. I remember going to a lot of those when I was little, but not circuses. Walking around inside the circus building with all the families and little kids was like being taken back to my childhood.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91T82tkih74ayVqji8sDPgQZc3dJFA8Stw9NfY_PdKdQ0uHBY6p9I3dK5TLjpKZxRNyFO6BS-wiyi43IBbOZ6Gcr4aqOY-g40tkmOChPi8SpwK0IlyOZpRGrM_sxmKqJ1Trp48qm5oCKR/s1600/PA140075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91T82tkih74ayVqji8sDPgQZc3dJFA8Stw9NfY_PdKdQ0uHBY6p9I3dK5TLjpKZxRNyFO6BS-wiyi43IBbOZ6Gcr4aqOY-g40tkmOChPi8SpwK0IlyOZpRGrM_sxmKqJ1Trp48qm5oCKR/s320/PA140075.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vendors selling popcorn and snacks. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRPSGDMmNEvnpKZeOXr-UHqIp75uTM7LqthGmJVQkmgNyWgsMRnqgQkGh62XDAcm1TBLqKlnkHToxxmBvjBeiNKKk_n8LPCnWJKZ1_7TgKwHyF9F5RR41XjW2A1xtoHr6IrVHRj6Ra_0m/s1600/PA140077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRPSGDMmNEvnpKZeOXr-UHqIp75uTM7LqthGmJVQkmgNyWgsMRnqgQkGh62XDAcm1TBLqKlnkHToxxmBvjBeiNKKk_n8LPCnWJKZ1_7TgKwHyF9F5RR41XjW2A1xtoHr6IrVHRj6Ra_0m/s320/PA140077.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are also selling assorted light-up toys, masks, balloons and things like bouncy balls. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildsd5qYwXPfgz4w2CQZRekCLXe97NOt_H0BksVEdgu_vK2oNo5W6H-Ll8ZxneueRurXNM8gjnlVoOyDfp3rRk9FiFh3xoP5kXzNYwbnjKXVfEZmhO21F5WKxb25L4Tw1sYsAZZQUWfF3g/s1600/PA140078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildsd5qYwXPfgz4w2CQZRekCLXe97NOt_H0BksVEdgu_vK2oNo5W6H-Ll8ZxneueRurXNM8gjnlVoOyDfp3rRk9FiFh3xoP5kXzNYwbnjKXVfEZmhO21F5WKxb25L4Tw1sYsAZZQUWfF3g/s320/PA140078.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So of course I bought some red clown noses for us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz0cHw0uk2Cl3jMB7wYMM5Q7qFqRZ3Jm7nzYT_zpeKRs4_B5JHJm1PvYAKA8i7ZdE1J37_EokFL0OxBGwiCClFlyx9_PmNJC1mLK39Iqypi8hQbFU7-F9OAB5qoiiyV5YL-tDSZ5mj-bq/s1600/PA140120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz0cHw0uk2Cl3jMB7wYMM5Q7qFqRZ3Jm7nzYT_zpeKRs4_B5JHJm1PvYAKA8i7ZdE1J37_EokFL0OxBGwiCClFlyx9_PmNJC1mLK39Iqypi8hQbFU7-F9OAB5qoiiyV5YL-tDSZ5mj-bq/s320/PA140120.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie bought some cotton candy!</td></tr>
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The water show is a special show that is in town from Moscow, they set up a temporary pool in the middle of the circus ring and performed acts such as synchronized swimming, dancing, acrobatics and animal acts. I think that the circus building hasn't been remodeled since it was built during Soviet times - all the old wooden seats reminded me of the hockey-style stadium seat at the old Yale University swimming pool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaPuFIRaIrAXXpFq3QmaxqHojWP3ZR129zuMC2mLc01_EIW4gPgg4VTqMyngf5l8eRsbuvzLaD_LON9HtQ3VXyU6o3lH1-N9dpN05mK0-bAQyrXggEPUOJLnjBMCuLJBlP8ifAXIYdu4u/s1600/afisha_september.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaPuFIRaIrAXXpFq3QmaxqHojWP3ZR129zuMC2mLc01_EIW4gPgg4VTqMyngf5l8eRsbuvzLaD_LON9HtQ3VXyU6o3lH1-N9dpN05mK0-bAQyrXggEPUOJLnjBMCuLJBlP8ifAXIYdu4u/s320/afisha_september.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The advertisement in Russian for the Moscow Circus (in water). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe1ZsBLOdR_UqI5OgEfO-9UthmPD6r-kOXhBtBqKI7ckR0w69edfrDf_s-2_Dw4NK022BZbZKnK5gMSUbSZXlEaEP_Cl3_XI0eGfptkPYrQ3dza1OHX60-aAmp35b7UJ5RaRk0Pcdy0kk/s1600/PA140071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe1ZsBLOdR_UqI5OgEfO-9UthmPD6r-kOXhBtBqKI7ckR0w69edfrDf_s-2_Dw4NK022BZbZKnK5gMSUbSZXlEaEP_Cl3_XI0eGfptkPYrQ3dza1OHX60-aAmp35b7UJ5RaRk0Pcdy0kk/s320/PA140071.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the show, kids can pay 20grn to ride the flying cables up to the ceiling... notice the old wooden stadium seats. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakm_JOKSNTHTmhyphenhyphen0bDtUFqMkoUl3aEx9YB-rnVq4mVegC2FVRCqcU-PKduZAAHkXlBbX6wluk3VCuMJFvzkReVUcN003t9IbH2F5odwexoPlggXi0OT6NlpmfGd8l9HCZ0dl5iZrCENwz/s1600/KiphuthPool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakm_JOKSNTHTmhyphenhyphen0bDtUFqMkoUl3aEx9YB-rnVq4mVegC2FVRCqcU-PKduZAAHkXlBbX6wluk3VCuMJFvzkReVUcN003t9IbH2F5odwexoPlggXi0OT6NlpmfGd8l9HCZ0dl5iZrCENwz/s320/KiphuthPool.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Kiphuth pool at Yale University, also with old wooden stadium seats. </td></tr>
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Byron got us great seats - we were in row 5, in the front and directly across from the stage. We were actually so close that we were in the "splash zone" from the pool! Here are some of my photos from the show... I apologize for the mediocre quality of some of them, the smoke machine made it foggy and therefore some of the photos didn't turn out quite so well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxQm9UB92b_WSons27ZpzZjEhy3UBEbSYPyAjgra3WyPLhMWX1bW5hrlpYLlfgqXyXnbl6eyhzMOWMuUu5qzh3iLXeX-r3iWhK_nW060zbeQpsEOLesJcPwG_5oL3wlU_BEEwNYPcE4m6/s1600/PA140083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxQm9UB92b_WSons27ZpzZjEhy3UBEbSYPyAjgra3WyPLhMWX1bW5hrlpYLlfgqXyXnbl6eyhzMOWMuUu5qzh3iLXeX-r3iWhK_nW060zbeQpsEOLesJcPwG_5oL3wlU_BEEwNYPcE4m6/s320/PA140083.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The opening of the show, featuring the different performers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MmDMpfSz4AUbOFte9Q2XJTh6QgdqXbv6-hP5PXzDkl72ujNHHa_XLaQqACKTPckCU3FUAQV40bnxJ9zPt0SE1ZktVUrs15ReTEpGAHLEr_fvOm5UW6hNMWGZJ9Pb2_YkTcKPEVvVNvuU/s1600/PA140089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MmDMpfSz4AUbOFte9Q2XJTh6QgdqXbv6-hP5PXzDkl72ujNHHa_XLaQqACKTPckCU3FUAQV40bnxJ9zPt0SE1ZktVUrs15ReTEpGAHLEr_fvOm5UW6hNMWGZJ9Pb2_YkTcKPEVvVNvuU/s320/PA140089.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy acrobatics.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3kpvfc15YgndGkU83hiWISsY9E_arZv4scF2-Y3huqCXWubiXImpB7cvoiPwE3-Ju-n93P6o0UsB9I5A2DvXnGGB3J22VRkiNhAxhpuww3FDP9qRGNrlAqQFhg7e8ked_VddeoeKkhnQ/s1600/PA140101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3kpvfc15YgndGkU83hiWISsY9E_arZv4scF2-Y3huqCXWubiXImpB7cvoiPwE3-Ju-n93P6o0UsB9I5A2DvXnGGB3J22VRkiNhAxhpuww3FDP9qRGNrlAqQFhg7e8ked_VddeoeKkhnQ/s320/PA140101.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juggling and riding unicycles. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEbChs5h6Z_zSQJUYNo2tufr01d9ZqjP1GPbUT0LfqAAestM5fUcgbeFHZqvvjMHrxahJZAYVBe6ELbIXKkZnZYRsPv9v4uALlhyphenhyphencSgkk6HrBaS0y2cdvudzZ5o1q0w5r5LuFgZOZBK0x/s1600/PA140116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEbChs5h6Z_zSQJUYNo2tufr01d9ZqjP1GPbUT0LfqAAestM5fUcgbeFHZqvvjMHrxahJZAYVBe6ELbIXKkZnZYRsPv9v4uALlhyphenhyphencSgkk6HrBaS0y2cdvudzZ5o1q0w5r5LuFgZOZBK0x/s320/PA140116.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubbles! They did the classic - put a kid inside a giant bubble using a hula hoop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_mjxopbidf6nLH2aXJ2N3785kigmzav8H9jjs03vGGXfRXDNNcHkW_mLGWJEAFE5u8RsGYXDCN6WDv0l8IMZobdfk1UzGqQrofIy8injsN4LyjgSl63WUIcrXmsxtUsKbJ5vEWH2re3O/s1600/PA140129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_mjxopbidf6nLH2aXJ2N3785kigmzav8H9jjs03vGGXfRXDNNcHkW_mLGWJEAFE5u8RsGYXDCN6WDv0l8IMZobdfk1UzGqQrofIy8injsN4LyjgSl63WUIcrXmsxtUsKbJ5vEWH2re3O/s320/PA140129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swinging acrobatics and an accompanying synchronized swimming show.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHw9EtXuphgwV3tGPQ3MVdQJQdBrurtHTf669hlAoBTcQqNyWnvIWJU-hhgQQeAGknu1lJSyuv7Z_3mqFycOvSIxQdL8kVfSJcBGM-MenCxp7moQDKVUFhg2-UnUJB7l4sYGT68a8e6ss/s1600/PA140142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHw9EtXuphgwV3tGPQ3MVdQJQdBrurtHTf669hlAoBTcQqNyWnvIWJU-hhgQQeAGknu1lJSyuv7Z_3mqFycOvSIxQdL8kVfSJcBGM-MenCxp7moQDKVUFhg2-UnUJB7l4sYGT68a8e6ss/s320/PA140142.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy swam around the little pool with a huge boa constrictor then performed some stunts with this alligator (or crocodile, I don't really know how to tell the difference). </td></tr>
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If you're interested in going to the Kharkiv circus, I'd recommend it! But only if you like circusy stuff likeme or have small children haha :D You can check out showtimes and more information on their website at <a href="http://circus.kharkov.ua/">http://circus.kharkov.ua/</a></div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-4366201315512696042012-10-21T01:54:00.001-07:002012-10-21T01:54:17.578-07:00Water Testing Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week, my students and I participated in the "Water Testing Project" organized by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) of Peace Corps Ukraine. EWG was awarded a grant by the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers association of Northern California (RPCV NorCal) to conduct water testing in every oblast of Ukraine. I conducted a lesson for 5th graders about water pollution in Russian, with the help of one of our English teachers Liliya Nikolaievna.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wa6KD4YXD6mSItKLI9F6GFLpaEIr0qgKud_NSybEw9i5PTGacamx9Z857nmjLJDoCoV6DOGIbbxTt1l2sQAPoPXi1-Bbh5fEQ0IxBsdFw5xW0bqeaw9g_hEYp1PNag9W9-5ISAG7CVnN/s1600/PA180172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wa6KD4YXD6mSItKLI9F6GFLpaEIr0qgKud_NSybEw9i5PTGacamx9Z857nmjLJDoCoV6DOGIbbxTt1l2sQAPoPXi1-Bbh5fEQ0IxBsdFw5xW0bqeaw9g_hEYp1PNag9W9-5ISAG7CVnN/s320/PA180172.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with the 5B class that participated in this project. </td></tr>
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Most people in Ukraine either drink water drawn from a well or straight from the tap. Some people (who can afford it) buy bottled water from trucks that drive around selling distilled water, and very few Ukrainians have water filters such as Brita pitchers. Peace Corps Volunteers in Ukraine are told not to drink water straight from the tap -- each town has its own legends of people losing teeth or developing health issues because of the local water. Liliya and I taught about the different sources of water pollution and the dangers of water pollution to the environment and to people.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7GY93P7IRf1ZfYLWSLLqRt7MAUHi9lUDzMK5CQV5g0v-6iuBXuP68Hmk2J354SIahZ4Tq_7STlshX043WcUF2lLUeEJ3BXWNml5Q5C9RJ9_gq4eEet854fMnX6sZY-mE2JWRUVBmCc13/s1600/PA180145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7GY93P7IRf1ZfYLWSLLqRt7MAUHi9lUDzMK5CQV5g0v-6iuBXuP68Hmk2J354SIahZ4Tq_7STlshX043WcUF2lLUeEJ3BXWNml5Q5C9RJ9_gq4eEet854fMnX6sZY-mE2JWRUVBmCc13/s320/PA180145.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water is important for bathing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexxtB6LYmuv19ziUUUF8VPOXOysus3Cdht_7_MFblaYz9q6UgjLctXiIxHGCFpvoIstTeeTnzs_nD7DNPD2D39ZosroZ-PDfWl91oFKUUMHytASftsqzd40RI3Q70ULgUgN2nEmeK5xoG/s1600/PA180146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexxtB6LYmuv19ziUUUF8VPOXOysus3Cdht_7_MFblaYz9q6UgjLctXiIxHGCFpvoIstTeeTnzs_nD7DNPD2D39ZosroZ-PDfWl91oFKUUMHytASftsqzd40RI3Q70ULgUgN2nEmeK5xoG/s320/PA180146.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These kids were super excited for their 1st lesson taught with a projector.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwxqtYFgf2lq9OxPh6460lEKO7DdoXHvFoytj1zXboGUTDNA9FicJiVbIoqhyphenhyphenFJi9knna3UMdn5yFod_1iPSOTJbzuezo4H_yQcaGhYkipEQ8P729dJVxS3O9Izlr-XEjCot_84k_28hG/s1600/PA180149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwxqtYFgf2lq9OxPh6460lEKO7DdoXHvFoytj1zXboGUTDNA9FicJiVbIoqhyphenhyphenFJi9knna3UMdn5yFod_1iPSOTJbzuezo4H_yQcaGhYkipEQ8P729dJVxS3O9Izlr-XEjCot_84k_28hG/s320/PA180149.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liliya discussing the translation of the video with the students. </td></tr>
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Next, we watched a short video showing a news report on water pollution in Ukraine. Since these are only 5th graders, we read the translated transcript of the video in Ukrainian first. Then we looked at a table of different chemicals that can be found in tap water, and discussed the different sources of these chemicals and their effects on the body.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrK5Elp8QHFfzUgdLPWexEHSg4D_t6AEIPQhJJwaAQXVQz0Urxh6BGF7SEaNmHACOxMZDYDLPMSaFICnIrYLpswse44wtSORo5VtGTmuwG0Clmn6ESieAmUkuimhp3RX-_kg3CNK-uGotY/s1600/PA180153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrK5Elp8QHFfzUgdLPWexEHSg4D_t6AEIPQhJJwaAQXVQz0Urxh6BGF7SEaNmHACOxMZDYDLPMSaFICnIrYLpswse44wtSORo5VtGTmuwG0Clmn6ESieAmUkuimhp3RX-_kg3CNK-uGotY/s320/PA180153.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading the chemical chart - some of them didn't know what chemicals like sulfate, nitrate, etc were because they don't have Chemistry class yet. </td></tr>
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After that, the students worked in 4 groups to count and sort out different "chemicals" that were found in their "water" (a Ziploc bag filled with small squares of paper with different colored dots drawn on them). They graphed their results on a worksheet and then presented them to the class.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pp-KgTee1n87nBrJWmsbzbZ22OBglhBOEqu78PK0e93UIbJCmI0FS8GiNmdS5NBh7qGqt6-c2hgbW6CN7njBTbOK-SSlPPBD54Iua12FuHK4h9yb0XOinmwXGQ3JVAQ0KdCO_xeqSH71/s1600/PA180157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pp-KgTee1n87nBrJWmsbzbZ22OBglhBOEqu78PK0e93UIbJCmI0FS8GiNmdS5NBh7qGqt6-c2hgbW6CN7njBTbOK-SSlPPBD54Iua12FuHK4h9yb0XOinmwXGQ3JVAQ0KdCO_xeqSH71/s320/PA180157.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Explaining what each different dot means. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70og4ASrmvnHXW2Y16Emv1FFHXbuRFPaPkts2M8wcdwC1K0u1OY4uHb9RI8t0RJ27EQMHamF_KqAQvmZmqJH4cZsFF-VtKpKoRXmsU3I1-y2CkTKBYUvKJD_V9fgzsCiNcCBFb_xYIrpk/s1600/PA180159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70og4ASrmvnHXW2Y16Emv1FFHXbuRFPaPkts2M8wcdwC1K0u1OY4uHb9RI8t0RJ27EQMHamF_KqAQvmZmqJH4cZsFF-VtKpKoRXmsU3I1-y2CkTKBYUvKJD_V9fgzsCiNcCBFb_xYIrpk/s320/PA180159.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Counting and sorting the little pieces of paper. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last part of the project was everyone's favorite - the part where we actually tested the water! We used small plastic cups, filled with tap water from the school bathrooms. We did the water tests together, so that I could make sure that each testing strip was kept in the water for the right amount of time. We recorded the results of the tests and then sent them back to EWG to be included in the water testing map of Ukraine!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNie1syJjK6m92FS482mqNbooukyLxatwIiHHdVhD8uMed4iqoi1d_6wkd-V0mquaFUsqFXNN3cvjZpE4RdeMkihAzkD6Zbm0Jqek0Zcd2dbjEFLBXeKLEw1y0fPqd5OT_QAUM729_0Q8W/s1600/PA180162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNie1syJjK6m92FS482mqNbooukyLxatwIiHHdVhD8uMed4iqoi1d_6wkd-V0mquaFUsqFXNN3cvjZpE4RdeMkihAzkD6Zbm0Jqek0Zcd2dbjEFLBXeKLEw1y0fPqd5OT_QAUM729_0Q8W/s320/PA180162.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanya dipping the test strip into the cup. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYy7snHU319Pjd0oN9a2kzx-8gx8PEloQN0E-We7KjOtK7gZluofHC9btndI20kEN40CsTFZXlvltdig6fKoS9f2iuctRogQn2_6n7uGi_8joNQaxkvnXIOeW_CjZVsAPw0aks7RCFbcIl/s1600/PA180164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYy7snHU319Pjd0oN9a2kzx-8gx8PEloQN0E-We7KjOtK7gZluofHC9btndI20kEN40CsTFZXlvltdig6fKoS9f2iuctRogQn2_6n7uGi_8joNQaxkvnXIOeW_CjZVsAPw0aks7RCFbcIl/s320/PA180164.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the boys testing the copper level of the water. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaWKA3D-V0KXWi1eY_N2JK4RfX3st9T1_9UcKcHx9BnX67oTJTBJPqYK7gcAlzPga6ksgQpJh1PQcepkjtbh0XfvopC-Wc-48mcYMntIYe42M3j0eS1P1L8I2HsxCNw8U2LEpRXnpesGT/s1600/PA180165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaWKA3D-V0KXWi1eY_N2JK4RfX3st9T1_9UcKcHx9BnX67oTJTBJPqYK7gcAlzPga6ksgQpJh1PQcepkjtbh0XfvopC-Wc-48mcYMntIYe42M3j0eS1P1L8I2HsxCNw8U2LEpRXnpesGT/s320/PA180165.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The test strip turned orange! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For more information about this water testing project, you can go to the <a href="http://ewgukraine.wikispaces.com/Water+Testing+in+Ukraine+Project%21" target="_blank">EWG website</a> - you can find all the lesson plans and check out the interactive map of the water test results from every oblast! My project hasn't been added to the map yet (for Kharkiv oblast), so here are our results:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Test for:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Actual Values<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Dangerous Values</b><o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bacteria (E. Coli)<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> (not completed)</o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>0<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chloride<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
500<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">> 250 mg/L<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
F. Chlorine<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
0.25<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>4.0 ppm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Copper<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
0.5<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>1.3 ppm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Iron<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
0<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>0.3 ppm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mercury<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
0.002<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>2.0 ppb<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sulfate<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
0<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>250 ppm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nitrate<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
0<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>10 ppm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nitrite<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
0<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">>1.0 ppm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
pH<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
7.5<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;"><6 .5=".5" or="or">8.5<o:p></o:p></6></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alkalinity<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
350<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">No general standards, although
20-200mg is typical for freshwater</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 3.85pt; mso-yfti-irow: 13; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 3.85pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hardness<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 3.85pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.05in;" valign="top" width="197">
<div class="MsoNormal">
425<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 3.85pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 105.15pt;" valign="top" width="140">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">Values:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">Soft (0-120)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">Hard (121-425)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: maroon;">Very Hard (>425)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-87860358271435467882012-10-13T01:42:00.000-07:002012-10-13T01:42:49.733-07:00Riding An American Roller Coaster in Ukraine!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week, my boyfriend Stas and I went back to Gorky park in downtown Kharkiv to check out the rides. We were there on opening day, standing in the rain along with thousands of other people because all the rides were free that day. We finally got to ride the American-style roller coaster! It cost 35 UAH (~$4.30) to go on the little roller coaster for about a minute. All the Ukrainians screamed their heads off and I proudly rode the whole ride with my arms up in the air... I guess they're not used to extreme roller coasters at Six Flags :D<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-JsmhvXqHnnL_iyWWzvoJvAvzNiut0SMelG8OmxuG7IYSZ3tGNxuDvgsAQQboWtDiByQjcpEF3l_67CrM8Z8XuBSlFVk_5YdEi3_toSBpVKylDju8u9BT0FdAdUnirqf71NsKlO3cuFw/s1600/photo+2(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-JsmhvXqHnnL_iyWWzvoJvAvzNiut0SMelG8OmxuG7IYSZ3tGNxuDvgsAQQboWtDiByQjcpEF3l_67CrM8Z8XuBSlFVk_5YdEi3_toSBpVKylDju8u9BT0FdAdUnirqf71NsKlO3cuFw/s320/photo+2(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the roller coaster!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w7po18jQkNr-XYMo0kWRtQOm35L09q3lwqA3VWv5j72cEsLgAJ10yLordhfKXv451fdIhI_yZY2XT1yaLL7CcRnpO8KlYB1xYT0xIRSiBiukk3uKebCe1j2zftUqsXbMu2dsfuOebGBk/s1600/photo+1(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w7po18jQkNr-XYMo0kWRtQOm35L09q3lwqA3VWv5j72cEsLgAJ10yLordhfKXv451fdIhI_yZY2XT1yaLL7CcRnpO8KlYB1xYT0xIRSiBiukk3uKebCe1j2zftUqsXbMu2dsfuOebGBk/s320/photo+1(5).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to ride. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But now that the free rides are over (and the weather is colder), hardly anyone was at the park. This was both good and bad - good because you didn't have to wait in line at all for the rides, bad because there is a 4 person minimum for the operators to run the ride. Since there was only 2 of us, we couldn't ride some of the rides which we wanted to, and had to settle for the more popular ones that the random other people in the park also wanted to ride. The park has some classic amusement park rides like a little log ride, rotating swings, bumper boats, and stuff like twirly crazy rides that twirl your seats around horizontally while also twirling the whole ride vertically.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJh5jXuHBPUnJx8FVCxC0gDRgxUlrF0Sw87qsdzthLI7nD-NkrbYuRkrrFzWzyrbe03pzTwQp_5jKLS3BjgLCDof9YOrFR1QSm0jLyTD2ln6HLTfcBAogCbYZ3vOc2cFoeeASt5D067idx/s1600/photo+3(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJh5jXuHBPUnJx8FVCxC0gDRgxUlrF0Sw87qsdzthLI7nD-NkrbYuRkrrFzWzyrbe03pzTwQp_5jKLS3BjgLCDof9YOrFR1QSm0jLyTD2ln6HLTfcBAogCbYZ3vOc2cFoeeASt5D067idx/s320/photo+3(5).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got cotton candy though, so it still felt like a real amusement park : )</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also rode the Ferris wheel. I thought it was going to be like an American-style Ferris wheel, where everyone gets in, then they spin it fast a few times and let everyone stop at the top. I was wrong though, we just went around once... one super slow loop. When we got to the top, I was actually scared a little bit - not because I'm afraid of heights, but because the wind was whistling loudly through the cracks in the plexiglass and I was afraid that we might tip over. But everything was okay, Stas assured me that the Ferris wheel is supposed to be structurally sound because it was designed/built by an Italian guy (as opposed to a Ukrainian).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJPy33-I5HElOxPgnaX6PCBKZVwNXg_7YYW1T5ugKpfHWQYhtQtd5HCzEJUqX6btALhtwi5lbMXfrh7l5w-Fn_cqocosTAAU9fztmfTbLhy303XowOJ6AFOgY7TsaKlQMxHQTCz5zaW_O/s1600/photo+2(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJPy33-I5HElOxPgnaX6PCBKZVwNXg_7YYW1T5ugKpfHWQYhtQtd5HCzEJUqX6btALhtwi5lbMXfrh7l5w-Fn_cqocosTAAU9fztmfTbLhy303XowOJ6AFOgY7TsaKlQMxHQTCz5zaW_O/s320/photo+2(3).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the little carriage. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTYRNL39zoScYZPpIpbaDMs2Tk5P7tMMG4wgaxkccO0aLmG-kXobuVn8MH8Xouzi-6TkzjuqyKFbtPfp7xzlpa7S_XaKn9uY7-FQVUDpQb_THjW_rRWb1kiYd9DW44LYlsnPQyqu7uUYA/s1600/photo+1(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTYRNL39zoScYZPpIpbaDMs2Tk5P7tMMG4wgaxkccO0aLmG-kXobuVn8MH8Xouzi-6TkzjuqyKFbtPfp7xzlpa7S_XaKn9uY7-FQVUDpQb_THjW_rRWb1kiYd9DW44LYlsnPQyqu7uUYA/s320/photo+1(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the park from the top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloWDwZuuq1trDINtAAVQWl48mZF3eFNSuvDL0C_q8es3Ss4N3RXHu0oZQPmW_BKloHO_dQ5cnjy1rRooLMav2FT5r-QHZXIWzA44kpNfh_hRkXfAq0A3QJzJtoUrdTvXzpARdqxRH7nHO/s1600/photo+3(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloWDwZuuq1trDINtAAVQWl48mZF3eFNSuvDL0C_q8es3Ss4N3RXHu0oZQPmW_BKloHO_dQ5cnjy1rRooLMav2FT5r-QHZXIWzA44kpNfh_hRkXfAq0A3QJzJtoUrdTvXzpARdqxRH7nHO/s320/photo+3(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the city!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Gorky park was much better the second time around, and I actually really enjoyed how empty it was... no crazy crowds of screaming kids or people pushing and shoving to get to the front of the "line". If the weather is nice and you have about an hour or two to hang out, you should check out Gorky park! Most of the rides are 25 or 35 UAH, or you can buy a day pass.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAggrZ1MTjPjNpUBcLgflQkoZGLuZBkQ3PjJSmeJ9t_wZC4qLmTqWZ9iTSQOBEo197dAiqwj6MSJas9CgmNKjiOOpKzoi2Jeic1DCS3HzJHnlZIUzVn3GRFgUd9yMgwG6w9XjowlE0iol7/s1600/photo+3(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAggrZ1MTjPjNpUBcLgflQkoZGLuZBkQ3PjJSmeJ9t_wZC4qLmTqWZ9iTSQOBEo197dAiqwj6MSJas9CgmNKjiOOpKzoi2Jeic1DCS3HzJHnlZIUzVn3GRFgUd9yMgwG6w9XjowlE0iol7/s320/photo+3(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was actually the best part of my day... finding a giant orange! These giant orange stands sell smoothies and ice cream in the summer. </td></tr>
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</div>
Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3557848729847319376.post-36946963833595247352012-10-11T14:08:00.000-07:002012-11-28T09:43:05.992-08:00Traffic Jam: Stop Human Trafficking!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend, I worked with a few Ukrainian friends to organize a counter human trafficking project called "Traffic Jam". The 3 Ukrainian organizers - Alla, Platon and Vova are students who participated in Camp CACTUS last summer - a leadership camp in Ternopil, focused on organizing community and social development projects. They did most of the work planning the project such as recruiting participants, making the seminar schedule, and all I did was help them find trainers and a place to hold the seminar. We organized a 2-day seminar as a training of trainers about human trafficking at the American Center in downtown Kharkiv.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3pvBFsSVPbXaXiMWLEmTamjPywC1vhJD7GgafMmWd-Z3HyskfOhygl2BJQLEXso44Ul40_M6RiWjiD6EXY_DmiC3Pg_knKefblA_m-Hb6vxrwt96VcJNEdYSZEuR6MShvQcXVdoi3BFW/s1600/PA060056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3pvBFsSVPbXaXiMWLEmTamjPywC1vhJD7GgafMmWd-Z3HyskfOhygl2BJQLEXso44Ul40_M6RiWjiD6EXY_DmiC3Pg_knKefblA_m-Hb6vxrwt96VcJNEdYSZEuR6MShvQcXVdoi3BFW/s320/PA060056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic Jam Seminar participants and organizers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The group of 3 students was granted a mini-grant from CACTUS to fund the seminar. CACTUS is a camp organized by Peace Corps Volunteers but it is also funded in part by FLEX grants - my friend Roma wrote a grant last year, and he was granted funding for the camp. FLEX stands for Future Leaders Exchange, and its a very well-known program here because they offer full scholarships to 9th-11th grade Ukrainian students to study in America for 1 school year.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_OHWPxNxU_wGxgbSAUb965nSQD1QrLzDlDVQS337M1sJiXpRslX9hsDhZ5rK8TaiDUnqzyz9nPWwC4VFUNL_fW654ZEmOS7usO2PhZzGCpgGcvBi_ZuiIF5QWIoSVvcDMOScfw1UIT6B/s1600/PA060033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_OHWPxNxU_wGxgbSAUb965nSQD1QrLzDlDVQS337M1sJiXpRslX9hsDhZ5rK8TaiDUnqzyz9nPWwC4VFUNL_fW654ZEmOS7usO2PhZzGCpgGcvBi_ZuiIF5QWIoSVvcDMOScfw1UIT6B/s320/PA060033.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started the seminar with this self-assessment exercise: "my opinion about the topic counter human trafficking", and we were excited to see that most of our participants were interested and wanted to know more about the topic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrXoBI78dValzzNUnwgNzHlmrusO3GpReUoR1UoyjK43waGdg2820HSC7EOk6emr9qlwFji2gS2zeymHsSWQKM1zUFAjZnVrMVzCgXZCWhxDDFknIWXW1eOwbHV8jLxWtr-gzeOWq_P6u/s1600/PA060045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrXoBI78dValzzNUnwgNzHlmrusO3GpReUoR1UoyjK43waGdg2820HSC7EOk6emr9qlwFji2gS2zeymHsSWQKM1zUFAjZnVrMVzCgXZCWhxDDFknIWXW1eOwbHV8jLxWtr-gzeOWq_P6u/s320/PA060045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We played "Lions and Trees", an American-style icebreaker where people basically just run away crazily from lions and toward trees. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our first trainer was a lady from the Kharkiv ministry of human rights and human trafficking. She gave a very long and thorough presentation in Ukrainian. I'm only pointing that fact out (that she spoke Ukrainian) because most people speak pretty clean Russian in Kharkiv. Kharkiv is very close to the Russian border and a lot of people who live in Kharkiv either have Russian roots or travel frequently to Russia.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3X9B2Km-_h4liBXX_N87FZFsN6V8oKdkPT2SwRQZ7YkXCj4lsGS00A3M6214PqDOmdymyP6P7r6YbkVQYDtKc5f7L9iGaKL_ZBQvXoAEhcHnp_dE2vhFPi7CDCWtf0aCefwuPdRdkXNl/s1600/PA060026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3X9B2Km-_h4liBXX_N87FZFsN6V8oKdkPT2SwRQZ7YkXCj4lsGS00A3M6214PqDOmdymyP6P7r6YbkVQYDtKc5f7L9iGaKL_ZBQvXoAEhcHnp_dE2vhFPi7CDCWtf0aCefwuPdRdkXNl/s320/PA060026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After some technical difficulties, we finally got the projector to work. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzbJ678hFrKJocFYN_urq8DbYLRk0R-gLgNXsKWYrEFAsVYxhf3y8WKrr22PYDX8xdFBVTxme1kB7uXj5h1TnRMEzjCnuqXOIiIgLiNsf4Klvv3S-3oozJkRJN_7IVbbXSogBEmS64k5a/s1600/PA060040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzbJ678hFrKJocFYN_urq8DbYLRk0R-gLgNXsKWYrEFAsVYxhf3y8WKrr22PYDX8xdFBVTxme1kB7uXj5h1TnRMEzjCnuqXOIiIgLiNsf4Klvv3S-3oozJkRJN_7IVbbXSogBEmS64k5a/s320/PA060040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The participants divided into groups to brainstorm how human trafficking affects peoples lives - not just the lives of victims but their families and others as well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second trainer that we had was a former police officer. It was interesting to hear his point of view, from someone who has experience with trying to catch traffickers and other criminals. He also asked me to compare the American justice system with the Ukrainian system - like how our police can ask someone to wear a wire and secretly record conversations, which hold up in court as evidence. Apparently this isn't legal in Ukraine, and he thought that our system worked much more effectively than Ukraine's. However, the conversation started to get over my level of Russian knowledge (since these are specific legal and police terms that I didn't know) and it got heated really fast when he made some statements that contradicted with our participants point of view and they were shocked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The third trainer that we had was phenomenal... his name was Ivan Budko and he was a charismatic and enthusiastic young man who came to train our participants on public speaking. His training was by far the best training that I've ever seen done by a Ukrainian - it was super professional and yet active and engaging with the communicative method. This topic is unusual for professional development in Ukraine, even though its become almost an expected topic at American professional development seminars. Just like Americans, many Ukrainians are terrified of giving public speeches. Not very many of our participants had experience with public speaking, and I think that they learned a lot of techniques from our trainer like how to relax before giving a presentation, preparing your speech to fit your audience, scanning the room and eye contact (a big one for Ukrainians!), how to use appropriate hand gestures, and how to capture your audience by doing small things like adjusting your emotions and the volume of your voice. If you'd like to invite him as a trainer to your next seminar or conference, you can find out more information on his website at <a href="http://ivanbudko.com/">http://ivanbudko.com/</a> (which is in Russian but he speaks English fluently).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ADtZlj1Ehpazq_iqVQBRWyDz_ECBnGU56fUb79i9YZhRsEqxadwOqcDSXkO6LTJaPd92FEX3C-qy0qEJfPUoHKEgHYS9q53u0E12RFLvw0U5-UVUxqJAlkHonYYEo74kOqsOZRkh3YxU/s1600/PA070057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ADtZlj1Ehpazq_iqVQBRWyDz_ECBnGU56fUb79i9YZhRsEqxadwOqcDSXkO6LTJaPd92FEX3C-qy0qEJfPUoHKEgHYS9q53u0E12RFLvw0U5-UVUxqJAlkHonYYEo74kOqsOZRkh3YxU/s320/PA070057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan explaining the breakdown of a public presentation into its components; 20-60-20 by percentages of warm-up/introduction, main body and conclusion/call to action. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVIUO7jJ0FPVIlF64c3_cJyjunImC6Ym9Xm2JWcwPkbvAns_HMOvu90Vth3Pis1eaumzA3FHevk9pihQsMFXalhbilLq7cQfXcorQI1mg_SgbhgNmuQ820bEUe07s-Cr6tvOrT1HoN_uI/s1600/PA070058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVIUO7jJ0FPVIlF64c3_cJyjunImC6Ym9Xm2JWcwPkbvAns_HMOvu90Vth3Pis1eaumzA3FHevk9pihQsMFXalhbilLq7cQfXcorQI1mg_SgbhgNmuQ820bEUe07s-Cr6tvOrT1HoN_uI/s320/PA070058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming up by making funny humming noises with vowels. </td></tr>
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We ended the seminar by asking the participants to practice giving short presentations using my "527" powerpoint slides. This was the presentation from when I conducted a <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2011/09/527-counter-trafficking-seminar.html" target="_blank">"527" seminar in fall 2011</a> as part of the Gender and Development's nationwide counter trafficking awareness project - where Peace Corps Volunteers from every oblast participated in training Ukrainians and filming public service announcement videos. The goal of the 2-day Traffic Jam seminar was to train our participants well enough that they would be able to go back to their schools and communities and conduct human trafficking lessons on their own. I brought 2 of my 11th form students with me to the seminar, Dasha and Vitaly, and we will conduct a counter human trafficking lesson for the 8th graders in our school. Dasha attended <a href="http://thejinger.blogspot.com/2012/08/camp-heal-2012-youth-helping-youth.html" target="_blank">Camp H.E.A.L.</a> with me last summer, so she already has had some lessons about human trafficking and she also participated in the 527 awareness campaign that we did on the beaches of Sergeevka, Odesska Oblast : )<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXEEULozsCtSGYosZICAAyVxR0oMRd24eE_LUmOHvOJYsg0i1DTZF_KN03YUCCOYdrDPNM3XyfFb1rblZs6upmYmqg5PcNgXmL_nlILEodiVVD2Uc6vByIDMGnTI2o8xXHjXVNVk4y9Hs/s1600/PA070066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXEEULozsCtSGYosZICAAyVxR0oMRd24eE_LUmOHvOJYsg0i1DTZF_KN03YUCCOYdrDPNM3XyfFb1rblZs6upmYmqg5PcNgXmL_nlILEodiVVD2Uc6vByIDMGnTI2o8xXHjXVNVk4y9Hs/s320/PA070066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitaly and his partner presenting about the education levels of trafficking victims... over half of them have a university or college education - these are the people most likely to search for jobs outside of Ukraine. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJ5Nf_a6P2oWgQvJPVwS8whBXmsayJoMOW2eZYtuzjGd7cARdlkbPCn1iDgDQZoZdkcLfprXZDG9OONwsS_4A0dogX6t-dXFip1Q09GsN-MfTJ4K9o3kf2aSGmuex6ve1kPi0XAvFYqrN/s1600/PA070068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJ5Nf_a6P2oWgQvJPVwS8whBXmsayJoMOW2eZYtuzjGd7cARdlkbPCn1iDgDQZoZdkcLfprXZDG9OONwsS_4A0dogX6t-dXFip1Q09GsN-MfTJ4K9o3kf2aSGmuex6ve1kPi0XAvFYqrN/s320/PA070068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dasha presenting about 527 - the national hotline where Ukrainians can call to check if job/travel/study abroad opportunities are legitimate or not. </td></tr>
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Overall, the seminar went really well and I was very impressed with the initiative and project design skills of these young Ukrainian leaders! If you'd like, you can check out our VK page at <a href="http://vk.com/trafficjamproject">http://vk.com/trafficjamproject</a> (but its all in Russian).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ias9P6BBhnIRxHq5h6ex7tbkf8QHltZEiJ4unCajgB1WHOJjZj2xjEU3QElKH5W_V05DrmKy5iaVb2-v3vvMXaj_AWG3ERzgA0bx-KqFQ6KiDFBTTDMUkRXf68U9_yGg3GXbBTMpShJ6/s1600/PA060054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ias9P6BBhnIRxHq5h6ex7tbkf8QHltZEiJ4unCajgB1WHOJjZj2xjEU3QElKH5W_V05DrmKy5iaVb2-v3vvMXaj_AWG3ERzgA0bx-KqFQ6KiDFBTTDMUkRXf68U9_yGg3GXbBTMpShJ6/s320/PA060054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Vitaly and Dasha between the American and Ukrainian flag :D</td></tr>
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Jinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02030657475414094415noreply@blogger.com0