Travis here. Finally.

I haven't added to the blog yet. Amy did all the grunt work setting it up. Thanks, Amy.

School:

I'm coaching girl's soccer, football. I teach reading, language arts, and cultural studies to 13-year-olds. I've got 12 of them. I also teach math to 12-year-olds and high school geography. My schedule is pretty easy. We go to school around 7:30 and school starts at 8:45. Gives us plenty of time to get things ready. In the eight-period day, I teach the first three, have the fourth free, then lunch is free. Then I teach two classes in the afternoon and have 7th and 8th periods free again. Except Monday and Wednesday I have my 13s for study hall. Still, you can't beat 13 preparation periods a week. There is a lot of work to be done, though. I am constantly preparing lessons or tests or projects or something. It's fun and the kids are so well-disciplined. Good attitudes and they really enjoy learning. Learning is fun to them, like a hobby. I feel like it almost needs explaining it is so unusual to me.

Here's a little about life:

Everything is cheap here. Did I tell you that? I took a shirt to a seamstress I located the other day. In broken Russian I showed her the problem. She said it would cost 100 tenge. about 75 cents. I said "Kak Dolga," When will it be ready. (I had just gotten it out of my Russian at a Glance book.) She said, "Zavtra," tomorrow.

We enjoy fresh, chemically untainted (and cheap) produce and meat on a daily basis too.