November

Hello, Friends.

This week was a week of highs and lows in the weather. We had a few cold days with flakes of snow and sleet followed by wonderful, crisp weather for Trick or Treating on Halloween followed by some warm and rainy days that were almost like spring. This is fall in Indiana. Gradually, we will see colder and colder weather until we have a whole week of cold and snow. 

Daylight savings ends on Sunday, November 5. This weekend we "fall back." Be prepared to get an extra hour of sleep. If you have clocks in your home that you set manually (like on your stove or microwave), don't forget to set the time back an hour when you go to bed on Saturday.

We have an exciting week ahead of us at International Friends. We have two dinners as well as a great day of English practice and learning. I hope you can join us!

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30, room 100.
Our two readings this week, Psalm 1 and Matthew 4, both look at the choice of good versus evil. In Psalm 1 we are told that it is wise to avoid walking with the wicked. We discussed how easily we can be tempted by others to do bad things. It's not just teenagers who can easily be influenced by peer pressure or cultural norms! We have all walked that path at times. The wiser choice is to walk the path of righteousness in faith, which leads to blessings from God and His protection.

Matthew 4 begins with the story of Jesus being tempted by Satan. Talk about a classic example of good vs. evil! After His baptism, Jesus went out into the desert for 40 days, where He fasted and prayed and focused on preparing for His public ministry. Because of our lively discussion, we only touched on the first of Satan's three temptations. We have so much more to learn from this story! We will continue to look at Jesus's response to each of these temptations and how He combated Satan.

November 7: Please join us as we go deeper into this story. We will also be reading Psalm 133.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00, room 100.
We had a great time carving pumpkins into Jack o Lanterns. Any and all pumpkins are edible, but not all of them are the best for eating. If  you are going to make a pie or use a pumpkin for baking, choose the smaller pie pumpkin. The giant pumpkins used for carving are more decorative. There is little flesh and it is usually watery and tasteless. That being said, these bigger pumpkins often have great seeds for eating (they are bigger and there are more of them). These pumpkins also make great vessels for cooking and serving chilis and stews. Shrimp in a Pumpkin is a Brazilian dish that is easy to put together and is a spectacular to serve. The best part is that you don't have to wash a pot when you are finished.

November 7: Join us as we feast. Bring your favorite feasting dish (and the recipe for our recipe book). Sylvia will have a formal place setting for you to learn more about western table settings and table manners.

November 14: Sylvia will lead a discussion about dining customs both in the US and in your home countries. What is the usual and polite practices for eating? What is taboo?

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 101B for this week only. 
We spent a little time talking about favorite autumn seasonal food or autumn food specialty from your home country.  A food that you eat primarily at harvest time. John shared his delicious Apple Crisp recipe (along with a taste). 

November 8: We will feast on turkey and stuffing and your favorite dish. We are meeting in room 101B. Bring your family and a dish to share.

In the month of November, the United States celebrates Veterans Day.  This Federal and State holiday (businesses and schools usually do not have this as a day off) is always on November 11 and was established in 1919 by President Wilson in recognition of the Armistice which was signed by the Allied and Axis powers which ended World War I and to remember those service men who died in that war.  In 1954 by an Act of Congress and signed by President Eisenhower changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to remember all of the veterans who served in the armed forces.

Be prepared to share how your home country recognizes the efforts and service of the men and women who serve or have served in the military.  

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00, upstairs classrooms.
Thank you for allowing me a moment to promote our Thanksgiving feast. It seems like its a little premature for talking about Thanksgiving, but time is running out! We only have two more weeks to prepare for this favorite American holiday. 

November 9: Join us as we continue to study and practice English together.


in the weather: using "in" may be confusing here because "in" usually implies something that is enclosed by something else. In this case, "in" implies a change in the condition of the weather.
crisp weather: refreshing and cold weather
manually: by hand, not automatically or electronically (your cell phones will automatically change to the correct time)
dinner: a main and special meal after noon. We have breakfast, lunch and supper as usual meals. Brunch is a meal that combines both breakfast and lunch and usually runs later in the morning until early in the afternoon. 

versus: against, as opposed to, in contrast with

combated: fought with; struggled against to reduce or eliminate

edible: fit for human consumption; fit for eating

put together: prepare

taboo: practices that are not permitted socially or religiously; forbidden

a little: not much
primarily: mainly
Federal and State holiday: Federal and state offices are closed for the day; don't plan to get official business done or 
premature: too early; something that happens before its time to happen