So much to do.. so little time! Remember those summer days when I was home doing practically nothing? Ya well that seems like LAST YEAR to me now! My days start at 5am with "Kevin & Bean" waking me up (the radio talkshow people that come on when my alarm goes off). After getting ready, I come online to check traffic and weather, and of course email, and by 6:45am I'm on my way to school. Mind you, it used to take me about 25-30 minutes to get to school before. Now, all of a sudden it's taking me 45 minutes because of all the traffic--which is getting worse and worse. I'm in class by 8am, until 3:15pm, after which I rush back to my car (his name is "harout the honda") and I'm back on the freeway rushing to go pick up my little cousin from school. Just when you think my day is over... I take my cousin home and help him do his homework, feed him, and most of the time entertain him in some way until the parents get home. By this time it's 7pm... i'm DONE! But wait, there is still homework to be done for the next day, and of course since I live at home with family... something else ALWAYS comes up. That's a typical day in my life these days.... Yesterday I visited my counselor at school, and I have GREAT news!!! Looks like I'm RIGHT on schedule to graduate in December. I don't think I've quite grasped the idea of being a college graduate yet, but I think I could get used to it! :) haha I was afraid they would surprise me with some class that I had forgotten to take, and tell me that I can't graduate... but no... i'm safe!

This week I heard some really saddening news. One of my childhood teachers, Mrs. Arax Miller, passed away on Tuesday. She had been an English teacher (and so much more) at Chamlian Armenian School, since the day the school opened more than 27 years ago. She was really a huge asset to the school and made such an impact in so many students' lives. I wish every teacher was so involved with their students as she was. A funny thing I remember is when the bell would ring, we'd go into the classroom and stand by our desks, waiting for her to get there. Of course, we'd assign a "scout" to let us know when she was coming so we could chat in the meantime. Well, one day our "scout" ran in and said "yegav, yegav, yegav!" she nonchalantly walked in 2 minutes later and said, "I know what "yegav yegav" means you guys!!!" And we all got ZERO-s that day! hahaha Thank you Mrs. Miller--- she taught us way more than English!

Lately I've been having some issues with the children I work with on Fridays. I don't know whether it's MY patience that has utterly worn out, or if it's that the children are just misbehaving more... maybe both... but I'm having a hard time trying to get them to relate to all the things I want them to learn. Sure, learning about Armenian history or even current events isn't the funnest thing you could be doing on a Friday evening.. but I've tried games, i've tried group activities... you name it! They are just NOT INTERESTED! I think it's also their attitude. The new generation has this inexplicable attitude that I just haven't seen before. I can't really describe it.. I want to say apathy, disrespect, spoiled, etc... but really it's a little bit of all those things in them. Where does it come from? (Definitely TV !!!) I know I sound like i'm 90 years old when I say this, but really.. Weeeee weren't like that when we were their age! So right now I'm trying to think of something ENTIRELY different that might get the children to be a bit more interested in "who they are".... Armenians. (I'll let u know if I come up with something extraordinary) :)

Gotta run....
TSUH! :)~
p.s. - Raffi M...New Years in Armenia? VERY TEMPTING!!!