promoting dialogue, without any of my help

Yesterday was a good day. 

My team teaching counterpart in my high school visited the US this summer as part of a program bringing together English teachers from Armenia and Turkey at Indiana University.  It was not only a skills exchange through learning about new teaching techniques, but also a cultural exchange between two cultures that have very little contact (The border between Armenia and Turkey is closed, the Turkish Government in solidarity with the Azerbaijani Government, who has a territorial dispute with Armenia).

Several teachers that I know earned the opportunity to participate in this exchange and all of them had a very positive experience, and have many Turkish friends now.  Today in class my counterpart had set up a video conference with one of her closest friends she met from the exchange in Turkey so that their students could meet one another.  The connection was poor, but they were able to meet young people from a country they share a common border with, but had never had the opportunity to interact with.

As I was leaving, I saw some students working on a poster.  My team teaching counterpart asks the students what it was, and I kept hearing the word 'trafficking' and I asked if they were doing a poster on human trafficking, which isn't a issue I would think Armenian high school curricula would address, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that my students were learning about this issue.

Oh, and also I was complimented on my new green hat and handwarmers (to match my green scarf) by the local tatik down at the small store outside my building.  She saw me the other night and said, oh yes, I remember seeing you walking out with your green gloves and hat.  They were knitted for me by another volunteer and are perfect for typing because my thumbs are open.  I have them on because I posed for some photos.  I took a bunch and didn't know what to post, so I just made them into an animated GIF file.  Click on it to enjoy.

My First Gif.  This is like the 5th one actually.  Messing with the frame speed.