Friday, December 5, 2008

Mr. Bird

I've been more productive in the last three days than I have in the last three months. It feels great to be doing stuff again! All of Thursday afternoon was spent with Emily in the Primary School, helping technologically challenged teachers put together a newsletter. We spent all afternoon putting pictures with text. Really simple, but super time consuming. The head of the department kept thanking us and telling us we're life savers. She offered to take us out to lunch over Bayram, but we really didn't do that much. In the morning we went to Phys. Ed. class and yet again were the only two girls who bothered to participate.

Today Emily was mysteriously missing, so I spent the morning stapling and putting together last minute filler pages for the newsletter. I am actually impressed with the results. Just before lunch all the grade 9 classes had a listening English test, and instead of using the regular British recordings, the teachers had written a script and we went around reading it to the classes so that they would get to hear other accents. It was pretty much awesome. After lunch I went back to class and talked with my friends. They seemed really happy that I was trying to talk in Turkish. I suprised myself with the amount that I was able to say. They've promised to teach me future tense and help me practice past tense after Bayram.

After school, Mattie came over and we cooked fajitas! It went really, really well. They were delicious, although I'm not sure my host family liked them as much as we did. They did the whole "Bu çok güzel!" and then didn't want seconds. Although when we were trying to make guacamole we couldn't get it to taste right, and in desperation called one of the Mexican exchange students. "Jael! Help us, we're trying to make guacamole!" It was a pretty ridiculous conversation. But the food turned out really delicious. If you didn't catch that the first three times I said it.

Next week is Bayram, and I'm going somewhere with my host family for five days (we leave tomorrow morning). I don't know enough Turkish yet to understand where, but we won't have electricity because of an earthquake ?? Uh. They told me to bring a flashlight. Melek's brother's family is coming with us as well. I'm excited because both the brother and his wife like to point at things and name them for me. Did you know an owl in Turkish literally translates to Mr. Bird? I'm laughing.

-Maeghan

4 comments:

laura said...

When you gave those classes their reading tests, you should have done a different accents in each class! You could have done an Australian, Scottish, Southern, Irish... oh the possibilities. That would be so funny.

You should make me guacamole when you get home. I have been craving it forever :) Or teach me to make it.

Can they predict earthquakes? Or was it a past earthquake? I guess that would make more sense.

Linda said...

So the technologically challenged teachers are still present in Turkey?

Wow. I wish I could do that if I was having trouble making an exotic dish...just call up someone who regularly eats it!

I was in an earthquake twice! Expect both times I didn't feel it, and once I was asleep. >_< I can't believe I missed it...I blame jet lag.

I love that! Mr. Bird ^^

Maeghan said...

Lol. It was pretty hillarious callng up Jael. I don't remember what we did anymore. She told us the only way to make Guac is with your bare hands. I used a fork. Green gunk under my fingernails? I think not. There was lemon juice and other stuff that I don't remember. Heh. Maybe she'll write it down for me.

Yes Laura. They said "Next week there will be an earthquake that will nock out our power." I miss everyday use of sarcasm.

Kathleen said...

MR. BIRD!!! HO MAN!!!

exeven is a nice word!