(no subject)
if you didn't make the list of cute hand-printed animal greetings from the specialty shop
or the edward gorey wayward greetings with altered messages & sea monster
or the classic gold-lettered standard greetings (mostly mailed to ghanaians, they totally <3)
then here I must say:
a most MERRY holiday week.
don't let your mum/uncle/squabbling siblings get to you
enjoy!the smell of pine & things cooking. even if they did start out in a package
and assist with the dishes...(I'm almost a grownup here)
and wanting for you a 2010
where you can worry less about bills
and feel loved
and give a little love
(without any excess stds)
and enjoy your co-workers or boss
and be hopeful about your prospects
and see more of the world
and a feeling of great comfort in your own skin
around others and within yourself.
and a new haircut
(why not. cut or color. or a fancy dress from the thrift shop. or razzledazzle tie!)
I'm currently updating via laptop from kosovo. my parents are living on the AUK campus at the moment which = free wireless at all times. pretty sweet; though the power's been on and off a bit. my travels here were rather ragged (4hr delay out of chicago = late arrival in heathrow=missed flight to budapest=20hr layover in their airport before the last leg of my journey). though for the chi-heathrow flight I was seated next to this absolutely lovely economics phd student from purdue and we talked almost the whole way. he was flying to see his parents in romania and had cute eyeglasses(I MAY stalk him on the PU student directory to try and catch him for schooner night at chumleys next time I'm in town). I hadn't realized before arriving here how very attractive eastern europeans really are. and europeans in general (I always tend to forget). also, as I mentioned on my facebook status...wtf is up with all these dropdead gorgeous girls? not in an "I'd do them" way. but just. wow. film-star? what? seriously. the models and artists and musicians we see, I SWEAR, 96.3% of the time land of their feet for LUCK in a larger part than for talent. just feels like there are so many undiscovereds in the wrong places at the wrong time (the balkans would just about take care of that)
so right, I got here at last! and it is good. but cold. and there's an inch of ice topped with snow everywhere as they don't shovel which is a bit treacherous
and I can't give a good description in 3 days but. the feel is very different to anywhere I've been. tonight we had this amazing dinner at one of my dad's grad students family homes....like a 5course meal. i've got some serious bloatation issues (but god it was good & didn't want to be rude!) (and lots of alcohol. but i was on my best behavior, didn't feel appropriate to be a fool). it's so bizarre talking to people your age that can remember being driven out of their homes by armed soldiers; people your age that can remember their world going to shit. that can remember war; I mean, it's one thing to hear about it from your grandpa but this is a very different thing. even things like...my mum the other day. we were on a public bus crossing the border to skopje (the capital of macedonia) to see a ballet at their opera house (yes, we were underdressed for the event. I'm no good at the classy but cold thing) and my mum was pointing out these stray dogs. and apparently, from time to time, they have these cullings (wordchoice?) where you're supposed to make sure and keep all the pets indoors. then all free roaming dogs are shot (during the war people just had to leave and the dogs were left to wander and survive as they could. which means there're now loads of wild dogs so every so often they have to cut down the population). there are still ethnic tensions-- you get that just from talking to people. we've driven by a greek army base still here in addition to an american one. there are KFOR (kosova army) vehicles that we see going by fairly often. the place is obviously on the mend but it must have been a real wreak 8-10 years ago. and apparently with the current and continued levels of corruption they've a long way to go. just like many other places :} I would completely recommend a vacation here though, and the people are absolutely welcoming and friendly (all the jibber-jabber about kosovars loving americans is true I'm finding. thank you for the bombs)
tomorrow: going to a deaf school in the morning (excited to see if they're using ASL?) then in the afternoon a filligree workshop (stoked). yea yea yea. and we have a translator, which will be brilliant so I can halfway know what's going on. the day after christmas we fly to istanbul turkey (probably what I'm most excited for) then either train/bus to thessaloniki greece, then back to prishtina to fly out to chicago for a couple days..then onward to guatemala (I'll need to do a serious shave if I'm wearing shorts)
and. meditating while doing the dishes today I was thinking...
christmas 2005. west lafayette, in
christmas 2006. costa rica with danni
christmas 2007. ghana (green turtle)with rachel & PC art kids
christmas 2008. newcastle, uk with rachel & UK family
christmas 2009. prishtina, kosovo with mum & dad
(none of these pics are mine though I made sure to pick out ones that are accurate representations of my time spent in each place. my own are on my home laptop)
I fear next year shan't be so exotic :}
chicago?
or if I get my gut in gear might step it up. 2010 remains a dilemma. but will likely be a year of experimentation (special ed masters??social work?) and seeking (what pc fellows will have me and give me money) and work (teaching english? think I'm too pussy. and don't wanna teach. can't keep nannying though as it's too dull. ummm) and applications (for. something)
which reminds me. my dad loves calling cats pussies. and today "what a SWEET PUSSY" but I didn't have the heart to tell him in america that's rather naughty. not that he'd care/has any idea. plus I don't think he has plans of returning any time soon.
and that's your end of 2009 update. and your Ihopetoseeyouin2010perhaps, invite
I'm a lucky girl. thank you mum. and dad. and sista-sista
X- O- X- O
(you heard me)
or the edward gorey wayward greetings with altered messages & sea monster
or the classic gold-lettered standard greetings (mostly mailed to ghanaians, they totally <3)
then here I must say:
a most MERRY holiday week.
don't let your mum/uncle/squabbling siblings get to you
enjoy!the smell of pine & things cooking. even if they did start out in a package
and assist with the dishes...(I'm almost a grownup here)
and wanting for you a 2010
where you can worry less about bills
and feel loved
and give a little love
(without any excess stds)
and enjoy your co-workers or boss
and be hopeful about your prospects
and see more of the world
and a feeling of great comfort in your own skin
around others and within yourself.
and a new haircut
(why not. cut or color. or a fancy dress from the thrift shop. or razzledazzle tie!)
I'm currently updating via laptop from kosovo. my parents are living on the AUK campus at the moment which = free wireless at all times. pretty sweet; though the power's been on and off a bit. my travels here were rather ragged (4hr delay out of chicago = late arrival in heathrow=missed flight to budapest=20hr layover in their airport before the last leg of my journey). though for the chi-heathrow flight I was seated next to this absolutely lovely economics phd student from purdue and we talked almost the whole way. he was flying to see his parents in romania and had cute eyeglasses(I MAY stalk him on the PU student directory to try and catch him for schooner night at chumleys next time I'm in town). I hadn't realized before arriving here how very attractive eastern europeans really are. and europeans in general (I always tend to forget). also, as I mentioned on my facebook status...wtf is up with all these dropdead gorgeous girls? not in an "I'd do them" way. but just. wow. film-star? what? seriously. the models and artists and musicians we see, I SWEAR, 96.3% of the time land of their feet for LUCK in a larger part than for talent. just feels like there are so many undiscovereds in the wrong places at the wrong time (the balkans would just about take care of that)
so right, I got here at last! and it is good. but cold. and there's an inch of ice topped with snow everywhere as they don't shovel which is a bit treacherous
and I can't give a good description in 3 days but. the feel is very different to anywhere I've been. tonight we had this amazing dinner at one of my dad's grad students family homes....like a 5course meal. i've got some serious bloatation issues (but god it was good & didn't want to be rude!) (and lots of alcohol. but i was on my best behavior, didn't feel appropriate to be a fool). it's so bizarre talking to people your age that can remember being driven out of their homes by armed soldiers; people your age that can remember their world going to shit. that can remember war; I mean, it's one thing to hear about it from your grandpa but this is a very different thing. even things like...my mum the other day. we were on a public bus crossing the border to skopje (the capital of macedonia) to see a ballet at their opera house (yes, we were underdressed for the event. I'm no good at the classy but cold thing) and my mum was pointing out these stray dogs. and apparently, from time to time, they have these cullings (wordchoice?) where you're supposed to make sure and keep all the pets indoors. then all free roaming dogs are shot (during the war people just had to leave and the dogs were left to wander and survive as they could. which means there're now loads of wild dogs so every so often they have to cut down the population). there are still ethnic tensions-- you get that just from talking to people. we've driven by a greek army base still here in addition to an american one. there are KFOR (kosova army) vehicles that we see going by fairly often. the place is obviously on the mend but it must have been a real wreak 8-10 years ago. and apparently with the current and continued levels of corruption they've a long way to go. just like many other places :} I would completely recommend a vacation here though, and the people are absolutely welcoming and friendly (all the jibber-jabber about kosovars loving americans is true I'm finding. thank you for the bombs)
tomorrow: going to a deaf school in the morning (excited to see if they're using ASL?) then in the afternoon a filligree workshop (stoked). yea yea yea. and we have a translator, which will be brilliant so I can halfway know what's going on. the day after christmas we fly to istanbul turkey (probably what I'm most excited for) then either train/bus to thessaloniki greece, then back to prishtina to fly out to chicago for a couple days..then onward to guatemala (I'll need to do a serious shave if I'm wearing shorts)
and. meditating while doing the dishes today I was thinking...
christmas 2005. west lafayette, in
christmas 2006. costa rica with danni
christmas 2007. ghana (green turtle)with rachel & PC art kids
christmas 2008. newcastle, uk with rachel & UK family
christmas 2009. prishtina, kosovo with mum & dad
(none of these pics are mine though I made sure to pick out ones that are accurate representations of my time spent in each place. my own are on my home laptop)
I fear next year shan't be so exotic :}
chicago?
or if I get my gut in gear might step it up. 2010 remains a dilemma. but will likely be a year of experimentation (special ed masters??social work?) and seeking (what pc fellows will have me and give me money) and work (teaching english? think I'm too pussy. and don't wanna teach. can't keep nannying though as it's too dull. ummm) and applications (for. something)
which reminds me. my dad loves calling cats pussies. and today "what a SWEET PUSSY" but I didn't have the heart to tell him in america that's rather naughty. not that he'd care/has any idea. plus I don't think he has plans of returning any time soon.
and that's your end of 2009 update. and your Ihopetoseeyouin2010perhaps, invite
I'm a lucky girl. thank you mum. and dad. and sista-sista
X- O- X- O
(you heard me)