In the last week of September and early October we took a wonderful getaway
to Greece to meet Lacey’s folks. Getting there involved several modes of transportation and travel through countries that are unfriendly with each other. But the company and weather in Greece were more than worth the effort! We made fantastic memories, but were still glad to get home to the people and work in Peja.
Winter rolled into town on Wednesday, sort of rushing fall a bit. There’s snow on the mountains and elsewhere in Kosovo. So far, however, Peja has only had heavy drizzling for a few days straight.
Qiriazi Update: Leadership Club, English, Ladies Night, & Social Events All Ongoing
Students have been attending the Leadership Club consistently and seriously! This past week they choose as their semester project an activity proposal that some students drafted at summer camp: an anti-smoking campaign targeting the Peja general high school. (There are separate high schools here for different career tracks. Qiriazi has and continues to work most with the “general” school that is viewed as the more competitive one.)
We’ve also found a rhythm for English classes. Between 5-10 students come, and we usually teach a stand-alone lesson that doesn’t build on the previous weeks.
These regular activities (plus coffee appointments) bring us together with several specific students multiple times each week. In small ways, they often demonstrate that they’re learning and growing through our activities. That's inspiring! Last weekend we held a Scottish dance evening with help from a Scottish friend here. It was our friend's first exposure to our students (at least in a while) and it was our students' first exposure to Scottish dancing. He took care to teach not only the steps but also the ways of "chivalry." Since then he's been singing the students' praises for their teachability and overall maturity - much different than many of their peers'. Encouragement like that helps us remember what we're working toward.
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1. Leadership Club students explore principles of time management by "making it all fit" into a glass jar. 2. Snow over the mountains. 3. Strong attendance even though it gets dark during Club meetings (notice how coats are even worn inside during winter!).
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