Christmas

Wow. Christmas was great. Getting there and back, not so great. I missed connecting flights in both directions and spent a night in a hotel in Munich both times and one piece of luggage was lost both ways as well. It took 5 days to get my bag California and 2 days in Albania. At least the luggage wasn’t lot completely. So other than that it was great. I got to see most of my friends, my sis and bro were in town, my sister lives in New York, and my aunt and uncle in Oregon came down too. My friend from elementary school, who lives in Geneva now, was in town as well. My mom makes the best food ever and I also got to get in some of my favorite fast food as well. I went to the movies and ate movie popcorn and had drinks other than beer. It’s the little things that can make me happy. I also realized everyone has a cell phone with internet. Have I been gone that long? Coming back was not as bad as I thought and I am on the home stretch. I have only 5 months left and a bad economy to come back to. I had some bad jet lag and lots of work to get started on, but when you are up at 3am, lots of work can be done. I have already had a model UN meeting and I taught today and I have another meeting. I also have a new project going. I am setting up a new job for the next volunteer to work with the Department of Education. I am starting the job so they can continue. What I am doing is working with the inspector of foreign languages. What he does is goes to inspect teachers to see if they are doing a good job. I go with him and give small workshops and trainings to the English teachers that need help. He has never worked with a volunteer before so it is a long process but worth it. Most of the teachers I see are in villages surrounding Berat and the teachers do not get much help or training otherwise. In Berat the teachers have had a lot of training and are pretty good teachers and do not need much help from volunteers except teaching writing. I am doing that and pushing for writing to be taught at the large trainings. The pic of snow is from my hotel window in Munich. There is a pic of me and my friend Bob at dinner, my bro and sis on Christmas and my baby Eloise with antlers.