Hi Everyone.
 
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are having an enjoyable holiday.

I was thinking of you all as I taught about Thanksgiving in my classes yesterday and today. The lesson included some brief historical background, discussion of what the holiday is like in America today, a poem, a word search puzzle with Thanksgiving foods, and learning to sing, "Over the River and Through the Woods." Most of the students were receptive, and they really liked learning the song. My 9B class was the usual mix of apathy, confused stares, and outright rudeness. After I kicked two of the boys out, the class did proceed a little more smoothly, but I don't think I'll treat them to another special holiday lesson until they show that they can appreciate it.

After that class, I went for quick walk down to the river to relax and get some fresh air before my adult class at 4:00. At 3:30 the light is already starting to fade, especially on cloudy days, but the snow on the ground and lining the tree branches provides extra light. The ice on each side of the river is slowly growing toward the middle, and I think it will be frozen over in a week or two. (Current sunrise time is 8:22 a.m., and sunset is 3:57 p.m. The shortest day will be Dec. 22, with sunrise at 9:00 a.m., and sunset at 3:43 sp.m.)

Yes, winter has set in. It started snowing last week, and now we have about 5 inches on the ground. The temperatures are in the 20's and 30's during the day, 10's and 20's at night. I am so happy to finally be living in winter! And Mazsalaca is a fine setting to experience my first winter in 5 years. There was never much traffic in town to begin with--during summer and fall, maybe a car would go by every 5 or 10 minutes between 6 and 8 p.m., and then there were even fewer once evening set in. But now that the cold weather is here, I see even fewer cars. This means that the streets are quiet and clean. I haven't seen a snow plow--the cars just pack the snow down. People do shovel their walks and driveways, though. The most common implement for clearing snow is a contraption that looks like a cross between a plow and a push mower. It has two wheels, and two handles to push with, and then a plow that is like a miniature of the big road plows we have in America. It is set at an angle, and pushes the snow to the side. The other tool is a birch-branch broom. These look just like the classic "witches'" broom, with a clump of long, thin, twigs strapped to a pole. People use them in the summer to sweep sidewalks and packed-earth paths, in the fall to sweep leaves, and now in winter to sweep snow. Quite a versatile implement!

There are streetlights in town, but they do not go out as far as my apartment building, which is actually outside the town limits. So I get to walk in the snowy dark and enjoy the deep quiet of this time of year. The paths are easy to follow in the woods, so I have still been able to take my walks, and I hope to go cross-country skiing at some point. The school has skis, so I just need to ask one of the physical education teachers to borrow some. I may ask to join one of the gym classes so that I can get some practice. Today there were small children going round in circles out in front of the school, practicing before they headed out on longer treks.

My life is slowly settling into a routine, but it is taking longer than I thought it would for me to feel at home here. The past few months have been pretty hard for me emotionally. So many changes and challenges take their toll. Teaching takes an incredible amount of energy, and I am still not quite comfortable teaching English. Most of my students are cooperative, which helps a lot, and I get good support from my co-teachers and the other faculty at school. But some days I feel overwhelmed. My Latvian language skills are improving slowly, and I know I will feel more a part of things at school when I can understand the notices posted in the teachers' lounge and on the student schedule board. But some days are pretty hard, especially when I am missing my friends and family back home.

I now have three adult classes after school: one for the English teachers, and two different level classes for other teachers and school staff. And my 12th-grade class wanted to start an Enlish club, so we are meeting on Friday nights. Activities outside my normal class schedule are called "outreach" by Peace Corps, and are part of my 24-hour-a-day job as a volunteer. So far they are fun and enriching, especially the English club. We meet in an outbuilding of the old manor house/elementary school. This small building was remodeled as part of a Red Cross project to create a childrens' center, and it is quite nice. It has a sauna, and a few weeks ago we had a sauna before our meeting. As were were sitting in our towels and starting to sweat, the girls brought out jars containing a mixture of coarse salt and baking soda. We scrubbed our skin with this mixture, then went and rinsed off in the shower. Back in the sauna, the next step was to rub honey all over our bodies. More sweating and another rinse, and we were finished. I recommend this process for soft, glowing skin!

I have also been singing with the town choir for about a month. They meet once a week in the evening to practice for two hours. We have been preparing for a Christmas concert which, unfortunately, I will miss. But I really enjoy spending the time singing, and it's fun to sing familiar carols in Latvian. It's also a chance for me to get out of the school world that I spend most of my time in and meet some other people in town.

Along with teaching, choir practice, and a weekly Latvian lesson, I spend time walking in the woods or walking to the town center (takes about 25 minutes) to go to the shops or the post office. I go to Valmiera almost weekly, and sometimes visit Valentina, my host mom from last summer. And I spend a lot of time just being at home: cooking, reading, writing, listening to music, working on lessons. My apartment seems to have stabilized at a pretty tolerable range of temperatures: from around 60 to 66 degrees, depending on the temperature outside. For a few weeks in October it was rough going: the heating system that serves both the school and my apartment was being repaired, and we didn't have heat or hot water for two weeks. (Water is heated by wood-fired boilers and then piped through the buildings. The underground pipes had to be dug up and replaced.) This coincided with an early cold snap, so both home and school were about 50 degrees for a while there. Other discomforts include fleas and an uncomfortable bed. The fleas are a fall feature here, and you can't avoid them. Riding the bus, going to a movie, going to school, you pick them up and bring them home. But now that the cold weather is here they are dying off, and not such a bother. After enduring a chronic backache from my bed--an old, fold-down couch which seems to be a universal piece of furniture here--for two months, I finally started sleeping on the other couch-bed in the study. This one seems to be a little better, so hopefully that discomfort is on the way out too.

Aside from the fleas and the bed, though, my physical life here is quite comfortable. I have lots of space, privacy, and quiet. I can safely walk in the woods, and can walk in the dark on the road at night without fear. My Sorel boots are serving me well, although they are not dressy enough to wear to school. The information the Peace Corps sent me before I came here talked about not bringing flashy colors, or extravagant clothing. But I find that I'm usually less well-dressed than my co-workers. They don't have a lot of different outfits, but what they wear is nice. And the coats! When I was shopping for a long coat in Madison last May, I passed up the warm, long down coats in bright colors and bought a plain, gray wool coat. Here, not very warm in my plain coat, I look like a throw-back to Soviet times, while around me people are wearing bright colors and modern fabrics. Thankfully, I only need to wear that coat to school and for dressier occasions, and can revert to my purple down jacket the rest of the time.

This may be the last time I write to you all before Christmas. I will be leaving Mazsalaca on Dec. 23 to go to Riga, and then flying out of Riga on the morning of the 24th, to spend the holiday in Dundee, Scotland, with my Dad and step-mom. Because of Y2K precautions, Peace Corps is extending our break, so I don't have to come back until January 9th. I am really looking forward to this trip, and I'm glad that I will be able to spend Christmas and New Year's with family.

Over the past five months I have learned that I am not quite as independent as I thought. You--my dear friends and family--mean more to me than anything else in the world. I am very grateful to those of you who are keeping in touch, and your care packages have been lifesavers during my bleaker moments. Just knowing that you are all out there, occasionally thinking of me, and sending me your supportive thoughts and prayers, really helps a lot.

Take care, and know that I am thinking of you.

Visu Labu,

Sarah

P.S. Here is an updated list of hints and tips for sending packages:

*Regular parcel post takes about 7 weeks, airmail takes about 10 days. Airmail is really expensive, so I suggest parcel post. (I don't mind waiting a while for a package.) If you want something to get here very fast, DHL delievers in Latvia.

*Be sure you use a sturdy box, and use some kind of packing material to fill any empty space. Tape all the box edges. Most boxes are pretty beat up by the time they arrive here.

*Put food items in zip-lock bags. That way leaks are contained, bugs can't get in, and I can use the bags.

*Many things will fit in a padded envelope, and this is usually less expensive to send. If you send tea, you can take the tea out of the box and put it in a zip-lock bag, then flatten the box and put both in an envelope. (If you are sending Yogi tea, I don't need the box, but I like to have other boxes to use as realia.)

*As far as what to send, here are some ideas: Yogi Lemon Ginger Tea (or regular Yogi Ginger Tea); Miso, or instant Miso soup; dried shitake or portobello mushrooms; sundried tomatoes; books; periodical subscriptions (a Sunday paper would be nice); music CDs (especially classical); tapes of "All Things Considered" or other NPR programs; stationery; warm stuff to wear, like long underwear, sweats, flannel PJs--medium tops, large bottoms (I wish I had brought all my white turtlenecks. Contrary to Peace Corps propoganda, people do wear white here!); decorations for my walls (fabric, pictures, posters, drawings, photographs); English-language realia; and, as always, and most importantly, Letters! I love to hear from you.