today...

today i passed by an antique shop that had some really neat old rings in the window. one of them had birds all around it. now, I love birds as an idea about freedom and how the maker of them cares for them so much - and us so much more. but i have a friend who LOVES birds too. so i thought 'hey! I'll get that for Maria. She'll love it.' so i went in and practiced my macedonian and got the ring. a while later i was looking at it and thought 'why do all the birds have a dot on their chest?'
then i turned the ring 'upside-down' and realized THEY'RE DOLPHINS?!?!?!
what?
so much less cool than birds.
I am sorry if i am insulting anyone's crystal dolphin collection - but honestly. when i see dolphins i think of Lisa Frank. who's with me?
the dot on the birds' chests were actually the eye of the dolphin.
so dang.
(if you're reading this, Maria, i hope you understand my purest and enthusiastic intent. and i apologize for the dolphin ring that you'll be getting...)

today i drank salep for the first time. it was delicious. it's like a white hot chocolate... but not. so good.
the air has cleared up. all the smog got rained down this week. it is really nice.

i got to go to a graduation of sorts for a group that got certified in literacy training at one of our cooperative schools. it was way fun. These people are now ready to teach their fellow Roma to read and write. Now most of that class has enrolled in our ESL class. yay!
we are having and 'american thanksgiving' this monday with the class. i am making mashed potatoes.

i will leave you with a few pictures of the graduation.

no. snow white did not teach the class, she just acted as a guardian. well she and her dwarf friends.

the graduating class.

there was even some dancing - which by the way dancing to 5/7 time music is nearly impossible. i have so much to learn...

even the baby on the poster is having a good time

let's go in for a closer look...

oh yeah. he's happy.