So my birthday is commin' up...

I know a burning question in all y'alls minds right now is, "what to get Mr. Matt for his birthday?", well I have a potential answer that'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to boot.

I'm currently fundraising for a grant project I've started for my community. In a nutshell, it's to ideally create a new English textbook and resource center as well as updated needed technology in my small school.

My project can be found through the Peace Corps Donation page and seraching for my project code:

 www.peacecorps.gov/donate

343-358

Literally any bit you can donate will help towards realizing this project. Not to mention donations can be tax-deductable.

If you have any further qusetions, feel free to let me know via email and I'll try to get back to you in a timely fashion. Feel free to share this with friends or family that you feel might be interested in also supporting my community.

Here are some of the kids you'd be assisting for most of their public education!

Again, thanks for your support!

Dec 1: World AIDS Day

What some of you may not know about the country where I currently serve, but Ukraine has the fastest growing HIV rate and the largest population of reported HIV infected individuals in all of Europe. Sadly it's a very hushed/controversial subject (understandably) where even in schools the main aspects regarding HIV transmission is just overlooked and untaught. Furthermore, a large proportion of Ukraine's older generation is under the pretense that this issue isn't one of Ukraine's, but of that of other third world countries.

1.4% of Ukraine's population is reported HIV positive
1% is the minimum requirement to be considered an epidemic

the tourism regions of the south are highly affected

While working in Kozelets, the lesson I taught on HIV/AIDS had to be "edited" due to sensitivity issues. I was glad to hear that in my new school had an open policy and a faculty mentality that all the information should be available for it's students to hear. 

 anti AIDS posters students made at my school

The HIV/AIDS working group provided lots of material and ideas to jump start my lessons and trainings I have sense held on the topic. Using my school as a gauge, I have sense held Healthy Lifestyle training sessions on HIV/AIDS, stigma/discrimination, smoking, and alcoholism at what I think is up to six different schools in neighboring villages! While obviously I don't teach in perfect Ukrainian and I'm thankful for my Ukrainian partner to back me up, it's been a great way to meet and reach an audience of students outside my own school. Not to mention utilize some of my micro bio knowledge!


I did a showing of A Closer Walk which features Ukraine as one of the three countries it focuses on in regards to the AIDS crisis. If interested, I highly recommend you to watch it - my students found it very personal.

The Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

I don't think anyone should ever be too "old" or "cool" to make a turkey hand - so forcing my 8th through 11th formers was all but sickeningly justified. Though no frets, my younger kids also got in on the action.

apologies, the SLR unfortunately doesn't go everywhere I do, and the iPod doesn't take still shots well

While yes, my work did include holding turkey day presentations (which were awesome might I add), I got to also celebrate it in true Amurican fashion... with Western Murder Mysteries, Saunas, and a total of 3 turkeys of course. 


The day of thanks was actually broken up into two separate weekends - chronological order went as followed...

Thanksgiving #1

My Poltavian family Thanksgiving + Kristen (an outsider) was held in Kotel'va, which boarders Sums'ka Oblast to the north. 

View Larger Map

As mentioned previously, festivities at this gathering included a murder mystery (an impromptu play) under the code name : Fort Griffin Clock Tower Celebration at Clyde's Bar and Saloon. General introductions were as follows.

Howdy All,
It's my much esteemed pleasure, as your recently appointed Sheriff, Slim Pickens, to cordially invite you this Friday, November 19, year of our lord 1875, to celebrate our newly constructed clock tower in the center of our fair town of Fort Griffin. Festivities gonna be held at the Clyde's Knothole Bar and Saloon, just a holler from the town center, startin bouts when the wolves howl, with a chili cook off, games, open bar, live music, n' dance shows. I'm purdy new here to your fine budding city, and I know a lot of us have howdied but ain't shook yet, so I'm lookin forward to acquaintin myself with all you fair, God fearing citizens.  I'm certain ain't nothin' gonna go wrong on such a grand 'occasion! Below you'll find your entrance card. Make sure to read your specific directions. Finally, remember to dress and act your parts at this fine establishment, or you'll be 'bout as welcome as a skunk at a nuptial. 

I was deemed worthy to play Buck - Outlaw meaning...

You’ve been an outlaw since … ahh but it’s too painful to say (starting this vague story multiple times in the night would be ideal). You’re tough, you don’t have much of a rhyme or reason for acting so, but you are. You like it when bad things happen to people, you make up your own western themed curses minus the real swear words. You used to have a love affair with Candy the can-can dancer. You let your tough exterior guard down to let her in and she ripped your heart out. And it makes you mad! It especially makes you mad when someone disrespects or has something bad to say about her. The outburst or rage is occasionally followed by a sad streak that comes on real strong and may be accompanied with weeping. Any attempt at consoling (or mocking your weepin’) will be me with another streak of mean. You have noticed the occasional eye from that new can can dancer, what’s her name? Picker, Poker, Pepper…..? She is cute but there just isn’t room in your sore heart right now. You absolutely cannot stand Mr. Tinker the Piano Player, and you are not quite sure why.
Speaks: a gruff voice which turns to high pitched whining when weeping

Cliff notes version - Candy/Priest died, I cried, yelled, and got angry (a lot), investigation commenced, culprit was found, I shot her, and we all continued to hate Mr. Tinker. 

we're all still in character

Overall, impressively quirky and fun. 


The next day was our actual feast. Which involved food prep, some good old "2 hand touch" football (lightly enforced), feasting, lounging, sleeping.  


Since none of us had every truthfully prepared a turkey, we sought refuge in YouTube. Sadly, not all videos were too helpful - example.

Warning: what you're about to see may be disturbing 

  

A very successful Thanksgiving #1.

before 

during

after

молодець

Thanksgiving #2

#2 wasn't as easy of a travel though I found a new cheap way to get to Kiev (for only 25 UAH - aka 3 USD)! Stopping in Kiev also meant I got to raid the Peace Corps office for stuff Volunteers who have completed their service left. It's like going into Target, sometimes you score, sometimes you don't. 

View Larger Map

Anyways, we (Kym was assimilated) made our way to Rivne via a 4 hour marshrutka from hell. Not in the sense that it was in any particular reason awful, it was just unbearably hot. To the point where I turned to Kym and said, "is it ok for my eyes to be burning?". We left hell and made it to Dyadkovichi (uncle town?) where Maria, my old clustermate, lives. 


We ended up accomplishing much over the extended weekend.

• Learned Ukrainians are far better volleyball players then most PCVs
• Held a seminar on Thanksgiving traditions countrywide
• Saunas are always epic - especially for Miss Booker's 24th birthday
• Explored Rivne
• much has changed since Rivne was the headquarters of the Nazi Regime in Ukraine
• Reunited with old friends over an Ukr Disco
• I cooked some delicious mac and cheese from scratch
• and of course checked another Oblast center off the list

the noms

да, это вилка, спасибо Лидия

great hostess and her counter part

While it's hard to beat bourbon whip cream, 65 degree weather, Wii, and a home cooked meal as 2010 Thanksgiving had to offer, this one packed enough Amurica.

time to go home

A special thanks to the many photographers who's images can be found in this post.

iMovie's making me famous

So the word's out in my celo that I know how to make mildly decent looking films, so now the petitions for help are rolling in. The first being at my the local kindergarden. I work there once a week teaching a painting or craft project / simple english lesson. I then proceed to get fed lunch, whether I'm hungry or not (I find for a man, saying no to food shouldn't be in my vocabulary).

here's project №1

So this video was shown at a later point at some kindergarden county gathering. I later received a jokingly sarcastic comment from a neighboring PCV regarding "what the hell I did". Now he must now make a video for his community kindergarden. I swear sometimes it'd be faster to send a letter by word of mouth then through the Ukrainian mailing system. 

Teacher's Day - День Вчителя

what I'm currently listening to

30 September

students teaching, dancing, singing, festivities, от і все

aftermath

Lazy Weekends are Da Best

what I'm currently listening to

With every first of the month comes a few things...

• new monies put into my account (all ~ $300.00!)
• cell phone bills
• monthly scheduling 
• etc

so basically I needed time to catch up on my life and sleep. And after taking a gander at what my gCal says my life will be like for October - not to mention it's supposed to start to snow this month, it's been awesome to have this weekend free.

I'll proudly admit I've basically been in my pj's for 92% of the weekend - only getting "put together" for my outing to town for the bazaar, supermarket, and ATM. I finished the book I've been reading (now in dire need of a new one) and caught up on TV shows, friends, news, emails, music (like I said, all things revolving around life). 

Speaking of friends, check out this sexy Skype session with MP... granted it was 3AM in Santa Cruz. 

It reminded me of said YouTube video. 

Anyways, life is good, belly is full

need...to...buy...a...warm...jacket

Thanks for tuning in