Feel pretty good about this: Two major projects were just finished.
One was a booklet of exercises for teachers to use to train their students for the Olympiads. My coordinator was responsible for one half, and I for the other. Perhaps misinterpreting what was required, I located a number of one-page passages that I thought would interest the students (about bands like Linkin Park or Black Eyed Peas, or things like fashion) and then created orginal multiple choice and true/false questions for them. I also wrote a LARGE number of speaking and writing prompts. I say misinterpreted because my coordinator simply handed me a number of passages with questions that she had photocopied from TESOL books. It was then my duty to type them. Still, I'm proud of the work and the fact that every bit of that book (save an intro in Ukrainian) was typed and laid out by me. It was mass produced today and will be distributed to teachers in the oblast.
The second is what I've been working on since last March: the climbing wall. It is done, it is big and it is beautiful. Thirty feet tall, ten routes and only one of them vertical. Seven are various degrees of back-inclines and two have overhangs. In other words, this ain't your grandma's wall. Don't worry, though, the wall is good for beginners: It is meant to train kids into climbing and because there's not a lot of height, it was important to have the angles and overhangs to keep it challenging.
I'll have pics up as soon as someone I know with a digital camera takes them.
We also bought twenty brand new pairs of shoes and three new dynamic ropes with the grant money and all were abused this weekend by the builders as we tested her thoroughly. The wall, althought outside, has a roof built over it and a plastic curtain hanging from the roof. The curtaine acts as a weather protector and heat trap, and while there was three inches of snow outside and more still falling, we were still able to climb all day. I was given the honor of being the first to climb her. Before me, she was nezaimenoov, a virgin. Now she'll remember me for the rest of her life.
Jay, as requested, the route built with your donated holds is called Rock Dawg, and it's the hardest on the wall: completely back-inclined with five feet of it inclined at 30 degrees. Thanks, man.
The official grand opening is this Saturday, and if all goes according to plan there will be reporters and television crews on hand. The wall will be free to use for those under 21, as part of giving the kids of Zhytomyr a healthier past time that builds discipline, self-esteem and goal-setting.
Have to say I'm pretty proud of it.