Book Review: Best Friends

Best Friends by Ann M. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book in many respects is excellent, but there are several things that are left to be desired. It has characters that I will remember and a story I believe the intended audience will enjoy. It addresses many of the issues that girls in 5th and 6th grade face in their friendships and other relationships. Working at an international school where students are constantly faced with transition I believe that my students will relate to having to make new friends in a new situation.

I found the over all flow of the book confusing in regards to the interviews that Flora did with her neighbors. At first I wasn't sure why she was doing them; once I did find out why she was doing them I wished there had been a little bit more of mystery. They could have been integrated into the story better or left out all together. This is why I am rating the book a 4 instead of a 5.



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Picture Saturday: Wedding Season

We are quickly approaching Wedding Season and last Saturday I had the honour to attend my friend's bridal shower.  Since she loves aprons I decided to make matching his and her aprons with my sewing machine:

My Hungarian friend gave her beautiful Hungarian embroidery and a two cook books:

Picture Saturday: Sewing with friends

In February a friend of mine had a baby in India and another friend when to help her with the baby.  Here is a picture of my friend with the present she made on my sewing machine to take to India.  It was going to be a wall hanging, but turned into a nursing pillow named "elephanté"

I love ice cream!

Within the last two weeks the temperature in Hungary has gone from 10 degrees Celsius to over 30 degrees Celsius.   It feels like July, but it is only April.  I have had my share of ice cream the last few days.  My favorite ice cream shop in Budapest is Dr. Gelato and my favorite flavor is 'After 8'.   This post is dedicated to ice cream lovers everywhere!  What is your favorite flavor?

Picture Saturday + Video: Spring break fun!

Last Tuesday a friend and I visited an open air museum near Budapest.  I discovered this beautiful spinning wheel:

Also in Hungary it is the tradition of men to sprinkle women with water on Easter Monday.  I was walking to the bus stop on a major road last Monday and saw a horse and wagon driving up the road.  This is what happened:

Picture Saturday: Happy (late) Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Earlier this month on March 2nd was Dr. Seuss's birthday, so we celebrated with reading Dr. Seuss books in grade 1 library.  My  grade 6 helpers made this bulletin board in Dr. Seuss's honour:

Picture Saturday: the Nagycsarnok

Occasionally on Saturdays I go downtown Budapest to the Nagycsarnok (translated at the great hall and better known in our the English speaking community as the Covered Market.  Although there are many 'covered markets' in Budapest).  At the Naygcsarnok shoppers can find many fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, cheese and souvenirs.   Last week I bought 'medve hagyma' translated as bears onion which after a little bit of research I discover is a called wild garlic or ramsons in English.  While I was out shopping I also took a photo from the top of the market hall:

Why I Love My Job: Two of Everything

Last week I read Two of Everything to my grade two students.  Every year each new class thinks it is hilarious that the woman falls into the pot and two women come out.  Read the book and you will understand what I am talking about!   I had the students draw pictures in response to book.  Here are some of them (I had my very helpful grade six students hang them up):

Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a perennial favorite with my grade 2 students.

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Picture Satuday: Tomatoes

For everyone who read my prayer letter (for those who didn't receive it, but would like to send me your email address) here is a picture of the tomato plants I am growing.  I am excited that is is spring and I am looking forward to eating some fresh tomatoes in the future. 



 

Book Review: Roots

Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is thought provoking.  Although it is long and somewhat detailed this only adds to the enjoyment.  Roots speaks to the human desire to understand from whom we have come.



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Tanulok Magyarul - I study Hungarian III

This year I have greatly increased my Hungarian language skills, but I make many funny mistakes when I go out and try to speak to people.  Here are some examples:


In the midst of cleaning up water that had poured all over my kitchen from my broken water heater I told my neighbor that the washer was in the cloths.


When shopping for fabric to make pajama pants I told the lady the I was making night pants, only to look up the word for pajama in the dictionary and find out it is the same in Hungarian as in English.

I hope that you can find the humor in these stories as much as I can!

Picture Saturday: Sewing Machine!

Welcome to the New Year.  As usual I did not make any offical resolutions this year, but I do have a goal to learn how to sew better.  I want to eventually be able to make some of my own clothing that actually fits, but I have started out small making some gift bags for my friend's Christmas presents. 

Last fall I bought a sewing machine downtown Budapest at Varrógép Centrum to help me with this goal:

Merry Christmas

In Hungary we celebrate Christmas on December 24th, so I am visiting my relatives.  I would like to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas!

Picture Saturday: Student's Work displayed in the library

Libraries are often centers of cultural displays.  ICSB’s library is no different.  For the past few weeks this remarkable 3-D map of the Holy Lands created by a grade 9 student has been on display:

Picture Saturday: Christmas around ICSB

After American Thanksgiving ICSB starts to look rather Christmassy.  Here are some signs from the high school side of the building that Christmas is near:

 

In the cafeteria

On the way up to classrooms

Outside the library.  Every year the high school students take a trip to visit the orphanage.

High school front entrance

Why I love my job: grade 6 helpers. Part 2

Last week I shared with you home much I enjoy having my grade 6 helpers.  I showed the picture of the soon to be Christmas tree.  Although that tree did not work, they did make a tree out of construction paper. (Thank you mom for sending us green construction paper).   They made the tree all by themselves and had a little help with the snowflakes.  Without being asked they brought the candy for the elementary students.  There have been many questions this week in elementary library about what the candy is for.  I always tell the students "you will have to wait to find out" and I give them a choice of jelly or coconut when they leave.   

They also made this "Merry Christmas" sign!

Picture Saturday: In bloom

I have always admired my mom being able to get her Christmas cactus to bloom at just the right time.  This year I almost killed mine by not watering it, but now it is very much alive.  Isn't this how it is so often in our lives?  Needing to suffer and sometimes be close to death to experience much beauty and life? 

Picture Saturday: Me at work

Welcome everyone to my world at work:

At my desk - this was taken on Remembrance Day, hence the poppy

Shelving in the elementary section

Why I love my job: grade 6 helpers

700s - Art & Recreation  Bulletin Board

Shelf Markers for Elementry Students

This year I have some wonderful grade 6 students who are helping me in the library.  They are creative and full of new ideas.  Most often I have them work on a project that has some type of artistic aspect.  I am a believer in building leadership and independent thinking through allowing the students to come up with the majority of the ideas for their projects with minimal guidance. When I asked the students to do a bulletin board display all I told them was that they needed to use a book called Bob the Alien Learnsabout the Dewey Decimal System as a started point and choose one of the ten main classes of the Dewey Decimal System as the theme.  They were allowed to design it away way they wanted. 

Recycled Packing Material soon to be a Christmas Tree

Today when I asked them to break up some boxes and throw out some packing materials they asked if they could use it for their Christmas display instead. Of course I agreed and they made a wonderful Christmas tree.  Unfortunately, they were not able to finish it and when they were unable to return at lunch to complete it I had to pick it up off the floor and it feel apart.  I expect, though, next Tuesday we are going to have a wonderful Christmas tree in the library window just in time for the beginning of December.

Seeing the creativity and youth of these students is just one of the reasons why I love my job at ICSB!

Picture Saturday and CRWM Pages

The Christian Reformed World Missions is working in revamping their pages for missionaries - including one for me.  Feel free to check out this page.  It includes an overview of my ministry and a live count of  where I am with my support raising.

The CRWM also has a page about the background of the ministry in Hungary including a video.

Lastly, I will leave you with a picture of a beautiful window - I believe it is somewhere here in Hungary, but if not it is European for sure :)