not quite Tom Sawyer, but still whitewashing

So this morning was actually a lot of fun.

The 8th, 9th, and 10th formers gathered at school this morning (11th form had to go take tests connected to finishing school)...that is, the ones who showed up, along with the staff. The girls had buckets and the boys had bicycles. We went along Novoselivka Street and the girls whitewashed the bottom two feet or so of the treetrunks white while the boys hauled water to mix with the whitewash. (Apparently the whitewashing is done in order to a) keep the bugs from taking over and b) it makes the trees prettier.) Us teachers spread out and did varying jobs...mine was to watch for traffic (it's a main road) and yell at the kids walking along to stay on the sides of the roads. No one died, so I figure I accomplished my job.

We finished up around 10:30 am, which meant that I was only there for two hours total, and we didn't even get started until 9-ish. So I'd say we made pretty good time.

bother!

Last night, due to the good weather, Maksym (21-year-old college kid I help out with English occasionally who wants to move to Canada, an acquaintance of a teacher at school) suggested that we go for a walk during our conversation practice. So we walked around the center, eating ice cream. He's definitely loosening up a little as far as being willing to speak English...his comprehension is good, but he was scared at first of making mistakes. And it was a good conversation, about ethnic food and Tajikistan (he was born there) and how he thinks that Balaklia is SO boring and I don't.

However...apparently my downstairs neighbors were in a cafe and saw us, and called me to see if I wanted to come hang out, and I said no, as Maksym really did want to practice English. But the music teacher at school is Oleg's dad, and now I'm just waiting for it to get on the gossip mill that I was hanging out with a young man. My bet is that I'll have heard about this from someone (not Oleg) by the end of the day on Monday, allowing for the weekend.

At least I didn't run into any students.

~*~

Off to school today for Earth Day...we're going to go paint the tree trunks white!