Category Archives: Zieak

Teaching about fire

Last week I taught first graders about fire. We talked about the three things necessary to make fire, the things that can burn, how fire is dangerous, and how to put fires out. Then I went outside with them and made and and then extinguished the fire. And then I got this awesome thank-you poster!

Cocoa and Mitten – our cats

We have two terrors that make our home more worthy of returning to every day.  Mitten came to us one day while I was home horribly sick.  Well, pepper brought her from a pet shop.  Cocoa came from a friend that has two Siamese cats.  She was born on St. Patrick’s Day.  They took to …

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Sending off paper lanterns

We were walking home from dinner tonight and lucked out.  People were selling paper lanterns in Sukhbaatar Square so we bought a few to send off.  I am amused by the directions – available in English and Chinese. Wishing light operating instructions 1. After the distribution of fuel to packaging equipment Kong Cross wire in …

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Chinggis Khaan’s 850th birthday

We had today off of work for a national celebration of Chinggis Khaan’s (Genghis Khan) 850th birthday. The central square had plenty of people in traditional dress taking pictures and milling about.

Big posters of student athletes

Our school gym has been given a major overhaul. There is a new floor, new paint, and now the giant posters on the wall are of our own players. These are photos that I took last year. It is really cool to see pictures I took blown up so large. There are a few more …

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Deer in downtown Petersburg

It isn’t an uncommon sight to see Sitka Blacktail Deer wandering through downtown Petersburg in the evening or early morning. A friend posted this link to a webcam showing the downtown road rebuilding. Within seconds I saw movement. It is 9:45 PM there. The movement was three deer walking through the closed street.

Dealing with crazy traffic

Tonight Carmelita invited us over for dinner at her place on the school campus. It was fantastic. We asked our normal driver to pick us up at 6:30 and we left Carmelita’s apartment about 10 minutes early. So we walked a little of the way. Then we walked further. Then we went inside the grocery …

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Pepper and Lenin

Last night Pepper posed with this sculpture of Lenin.

Leather crafted beer bottle wrist band

We bought some things at the Black Market on Saturday so we can be a little crafty.  A half a hide of leather of good quality was about $45.  A bag full of snaps was under two dollars – same for a bag of rivets.  The punch to set the snaps was under a dollar.  …

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Moustache pillowcase

Here is one of the pillowcases Pepper made. She matched up the edge fabric and piping so well!