Since I have nothing inspiring or culturally meaningful to say this week I thought I would write about some random things that have cropped up over the last couple weeks. These are in no particular order and the song lyrics may be completely irrelevant.

"Winter blows through my coat, It's chillin my bones..." -Frank Black and the Catholics

Its autumn now, though judging by the patch of ice I slipped on walking out of my apartment door last week Winter isn't too far behind. The trees are stubbornly clinging to the last bits of green left on their boney fingers. The sun is stuck in a perpetual semblance of dusk, as even at noon the long dark shadows of the trees and buildings are tinctured with orange and yellow. I know it won't be too long before it becomes dark at 4:30 and the only time I see the sun is out my classroom window.

"imi place modul in care minti" -Eminem

Okay, he didn't say it in Romanian, but this part is about that song. Last week one of my female 8th graders came into class playing "I love the way you lie" on her cell phone. I asked her if she understood what the song meant. She could tell me the chorus but admitted to not understanding any of the rest of the song. So, I asked if she wanted to translate it in class. She was excited. Now, I don't have to tell Romanian teachers its hard to get students excited to translate anything. But these kids were ready. This week I came prepared with lyrics in hand and we listened to the song while reading the words. Little did I know, the kids started singing. SINGING! Right there in class. It was great. It may not be the best sentiment for 8th grade boys and girls to chime in on but I swear they could have sung background for Rhianna on that part. I never knew my students could sing english better than they could read it.

"Shorty is a enie menie mine mo lover..." Justin Beiber.

That's right. A Justin Beiber reference. I went there. I had a strange feeling of rejection last week when the parents of one of my 8th grade classes decided they didn't want me to teach their kids. It was odd for me because I had to put up a fight with my director in order to keep all 22 hours I was teaching. He wanted me to cut my least favorite classes and only have 18... the peace corps standard is 16. I told him I had no problem teaching 22 hours... afterall I had 23 for much of last year. When he told me I wouldn't teach the 8th grade anymore because their parents didn't want to pay the money, I was shocked and felt guilty. See, at my school each family (if I teach more than one kid from a single family, which i do alot) is asked to contribute 30 lei to pay for my housing, as it is the school's responsibility to pay my rent. I know it wasn't the kids fault but I still feel a little slighted.

"Well you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once before we felt loss for the first time?" -dashboard

I'm planning on writing a whole post about the process of comming home, but I'm just not ready yet. There are some things that are just too hard to think about.

"Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?" -Foo Fighters

I have a new counterpart this year. She's only about two months older than I am however she seems to be a better teacher than the man I had last semester. I don't want to take anything away from Liviu, He is a good man who takes his job seriously, but he doesn't have a commanding presence in the classroom. And while, like Liviu, Alina will have me make all the decisions and often follow my ideas in the one class we team teach, She is also not afriad to raise her voice and put kids in their places. I have noticed I'm having a lot more fun this year. It's easier for me to cool off after a tough class because Alina and I can joke and talk about more easily than Liviu and I could. It also doesn't hurt to have someone my own age around to laugh at the old men.

"She packed my bags last night pre-flight,Zero hour nine a.m." Elton John

I'm moving. That's right. Moving. The apartment I am in has no heat and since temperatures were dipping below freezing last week my director has moved up my move date from the first of November to tomorrow. Or at least that is the plan thus far. The day has been moved a couple of times already. I have gotten used to my jail cell of an apartment. I am looking forward to having a real bed though... should be nice. On a little side note. So far while living here, every bed I have had (excluding hotels) since being in this country I have broken... alone... *sigh*

"Maybe this mattress will spin on its axis, and find me on yours." -John Mayer

That's enough for now. Stay tuned for next weeks installment of the misguided adventures of a Peace Corps Volunteer.

(In case you were wondering, the title is in reference to a hat my aunt sent me last year after halloween. It's black with an orange sticker that says Jagermeister on the front. My kids will sometimes ask me what it means. And I usually tell them deer hunter... or something to that effect... I don't tell them its a beverage that makes you feel like death on a triscuit.)