Hello, Friends.
It is a beautiful Saturday! Indiana weather is beginning to turn. Crocuses are blooming. Daffodils are up an inch today, but our 70 degree weather will encourage them to shoot up.
It is always wonderful to bump into Friends from past years. We most often find each other at the grocery stores. Be sure to say hello! I think of all of you often and wonder how you are and what you are doing.
The Hamilton County Reporter provides great, local information. Thursday, March 3's Reporter included a number of important articles:
- March 13-19 is Severe Weather Preparedness week. Read more on pages 1-2
- How to run for office on page 1 and the pitfalls of applying
- Hamilton County's Victoria Spartz and her resolutions for Congress on page 6
What else do you find interesting?
COVID-19 in Indiana
Governor Holcomb lifted the COVID emergency order in Indiana. There are a few legal implications that go along with lifting this order that includes a suspension of benefits as well as defining vaccine mandate rules. This summary from The Indiana Lawyer descriptions of the legal rulings and implications that lead us as the medical crisis wanes.
March Madness Brackets
March Madness is on! International Friends has a "pool". Sign in and fill out your bracket to compete with other Friends!
CBS Sports - 2022 NCAA® Men's Bracket Games Game From CBS Sports - CBSSports.com
- You don't have to be a basketball fan to fill out the bracket.
- You don't have to even follow basketball to fill out the bracket.
- There are Cinderella stories: Under Dogs become the winners.
How to choose...
- Do you like one of the team's colors better than the other?
- Do you like one mascot better than the other?
- Are players on the team better looking than the other?
Of course, you could also go with statistics and who might be the team most likely to win!
Ukraine and Indiana
The invasion of the Ukraine is on the top of our minds. Many of our neighbors here in Carmel are from the Ukraine. Over the course of our program, we have had any Ukranian Friends learn English with us and share their food and culture. Indiana's Victoria Spartz is originally from the Ukraine and has be a spokesperson on The Hill. Read more about her pleas and discover the latest vocabulary.
American Sign Language: Monday, 4:30-6:00 PM EST (GMT-5), Zoom
We watched and studied how one signer "sang" the Arthur theme song. This singer chose to use concept words to describe the song. This gave us a great opportunity to discuss meanings and the words we choose to best explain what we are hoping to say.
March 7: Continue the sing-along. "Write" your version.
International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30 AMEST (GMT-5), Zoom
We read the first chapter of 2 Thessalonians. This chapter clearly shows us that the people are being persecuted. Paul reminds the people that their steadfast faith has been recognized and supported. Key words in our discussion: freedom, gratitude, evangelism, responsibility and compassion.
March 8: 2 Thessalonians: 2 discusses the judgment of evil ones.
International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM EST (GMT-5), Zoom
We talked about what was important to take in the short term and how we miss the comforts of our home like our furniture and pictures.
March 8: Let's meet for lunch at Amber Indian at 11:00 AM! Join us for our first fieldtrip since the pandemic. 12510 Meridian Street, Carmel.
Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 PM EST (GMT-5), Zoom
We talked about spring festivals in our home countries and how we celebrate together. Spring in Japan includes cherry blossoms and tea ceremonies. In Turkey Nevrus celebrations in town squares welcome spring. We also reflected on relocating and the difficulties of downsizing. In the end, everyone manages to bring what is important to make a house a home.
March 9: Join us in free-flowing conversation.
English Classes: 9:30 AM-12:00 PM EST (GMT-5), Zoom
We continued working on grammar. We applied our learning in conversations and sentences.
March 10: Prepare Exercise 46 and make up Two Truths and a Lie about yourself for speedround discussions. If you don't have Exercise 46, email for it.
Kids' Conversation: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM EST (GMT-5), Zoom
We had fun sharing jokes and puns in our home languages and English. Explaining a joke or pun is not easy. Jokes can get lost in translation. One student introduced tongue twisters in his home language. These are really fun devices for learning a language and for pronunciation practice. Tongue twisters are also fun play for understanding words that are similar.
March 11: Bring tongue twisters in English or in your home language. Be prepared to explain them to us (in English!). Do one fun thing and tell us about it (no one did anything fun last week, and that is just plain wrong!).
benefits: monetary (money) or other assistance
bracket: a tree that shows team competitions
Cinderella stories: when a team least favored to win becomes champion
devices: method or media
downsizing: reducing living space or conditions
go with: choose or follow
The Hill: Washington D.C. or Capitol Hill
in the end: ultimately
lifted: when an official announcement or mandate is ended
lost in translation: meaning or humor are not as pointed
most likely: favored
over the course of: during a time period
persecuted: attacked or punished unfairly because of belief, nationality or origin, social status, etc.
shoot up: grow fast
spokesperson: someone who defends or supports a group or cause
steadfast: firm, unwavering
suspension: stopping
Under Dogs: least favored to win
wanes: fades
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