So far I have devoted all of the blog to life with Viona, but it is a fast approaching reality that she will be going home in a few short months. This weekend is a reminder of that, as Viona is on a FE trip to Washington D.C. The FE people picked the right weekend as this is cherry blossom season in DC and it should look spectacular. Viona will blossom as well with the new duds that she got for the trip -- the cutest dress and a new vest. Viona's English is remarkably flawless but in parading off her new clothes she proudly displayed her new "West."
We miss her already.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A Little Taste of Home
Viona has done remarkably well with at least appearing not to be too homesick. Last night we took her to a Turkish Restaurant and she was so happy, happy to speak Turkish, happy to have a familiar dish, happy to have dessert and coffee that was so sweet it even was sweet to the American palate .... happy for a little taste of home.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Kosovo Independence Day in NYC
Thanks to Aunt Alaina the City of New York recognized the 3rd anniversary of Kosovo's independence in a ceremony in Times Square. Viona got to meet many significant members of the Albanian Kosovar-American community, including the Ambassador of Kosovo to the United States, the Ambassador of Kosovo to the United Nations and the publisher of the most noted Albanian language publication in the United States, The Illyrian.
On the way up Viona got her first trip through the Lincoln Tunnel and then into Mid-Town Manhattan
We arrived early so we engaged the heart of capitalism in its left ventricle, McDonalds and then off to the square.
Times Square did not disappoint it is spectacular, although far more diamond shaped in person than it seems on television.
And then the ceremony where several dignitaries honored both the United States (in its role as Kosovo's sponsor in movement away from Serbia) including the host of the event, Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer. Mr. Stringer even mentioned Viona in his speech. Quite an honor for a seventeen year old foreign exchange student living in Mount Holly NJ
And then the show stopper .... a billboard proclaiming the liberty of Kosovo, with our favorite Kosovar Viona right in the middle of the action.
On the way up Viona got her first trip through the Lincoln Tunnel and then into Mid-Town Manhattan
We arrived early so we engaged the heart of capitalism in its left ventricle, McDonalds and then off to the square.
Times Square did not disappoint it is spectacular, although far more diamond shaped in person than it seems on television.
And then the ceremony where several dignitaries honored both the United States (in its role as Kosovo's sponsor in movement away from Serbia) including the host of the event, Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer. Mr. Stringer even mentioned Viona in his speech. Quite an honor for a seventeen year old foreign exchange student living in Mount Holly NJ
And then the show stopper .... a billboard proclaiming the liberty of Kosovo, with our favorite Kosovar Viona right in the middle of the action.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A Day in the Life
When we found out that Viona was coming to live with us this year, I did a little searching of terms in Albanian and Turkish, the two languages she spoke at home. The Turkish word for daughter, Kiz, seemed to stick with me, though I must confess I never felt as though I got the pronunciation correct. The i is not a typical English I sound, neither short nor long but some schwa in between -- but I did notice that my pronunciation was getting very close to the local term of endearment (and sometimes derision), Cuz. So I combined the two -- in my mind I think Kiz, but I say Cuz.
The Kiz and I usually start our day at quarter till 7 with the teenage girl occupying the closest bathroom to the bedrooms: Age before beauty evidently does not apply. Viona usually makes her lunch or dries her hair while I take Lottie outside (our dog) and then we depart together at about 7:20. The ride to RV (her high school) is a nice time for the two of us to chat (or not depending on how tired we are) and we have had a number of interesting conversations in the 5-7 minutes it takes before I drop her off -- anywhere from movies to hearing the news of Cliff Lee signing with the Phillies (that was a rather one sided conversation) to issues that Viona finds interesting. Our present engagement is a sort of Tayloristic experiment to see which route to RV is most time effective. I will certainly report back with our findings.
When I drop her off at RV Viona claims that she goes to classes, but who knows -- the straight A's on the report card could somehow be computer manipulations. But lets assume that she goes to class -- currently she has a history course (along with whatever else of less importance). They will be seeing 3 films this semester: Saving Private Ryan, Iron Jawed Angels (brilliant movie on woman's suffrage and Alice Paul) and something else .... but 7 hours of film designed for entertainment? come on, what are my taxes paying for? that's not education, and I find it insulting to my academic field that these pieces of hollywood ..... ok. Nicole has advised me that I am not allowed to show my displeasure at the curriculum choices of the Kiz's high school teacher. Humbug.
Viona normally comes home around 2:30 though at times she does stay after school for an activity. She plays with the kids, maybe has a snack and then studies. What a wonderful student she is. It is too bad that some teacher is wasting her mind on an entertai .... alright. We eat dinner together at 5:30-6:30. Most recently, Jack has taken to asking Viona for a lollipop when he is finished with dinner, presumably because he does not think that Mommy or Daddy will get it for him. Viona, sometimes with my help, cleans up after dinner. She has been very forthright and assertive in helping around the house. We have seldom asked her to do anything -- but we don't have to. She does almost everything on her own. A testament to her family in Kosovo.
Maybe we watch TV together or view a DVD -- the last one I remember we showed her was The Emperor's New Clothes, a what if story about Napoleon if he had escaped from St. Helena (and yes Jeff, I did explain to her). But if there is school work to be done then Viona is upstairs on the internet like any typical American high school student -- or studying.
The other night we had to go to the store together to buy her something for school. On our way home I wanted a drink, or perhaps I should say Soda, and so we stopped at a 7-11. When we entered Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" was beatin' through the store. The people behind the counter were cheerful and of course 7-11 is filled with all our favorite treats. Viona turned to me and said, "this is the happiest place." I smiled and walked down electric avenue for a moment and thought, "it sure is."
We went home with soda and ice cream.
The Kiz and I usually start our day at quarter till 7 with the teenage girl occupying the closest bathroom to the bedrooms: Age before beauty evidently does not apply. Viona usually makes her lunch or dries her hair while I take Lottie outside (our dog) and then we depart together at about 7:20. The ride to RV (her high school) is a nice time for the two of us to chat (or not depending on how tired we are) and we have had a number of interesting conversations in the 5-7 minutes it takes before I drop her off -- anywhere from movies to hearing the news of Cliff Lee signing with the Phillies (that was a rather one sided conversation) to issues that Viona finds interesting. Our present engagement is a sort of Tayloristic experiment to see which route to RV is most time effective. I will certainly report back with our findings.
When I drop her off at RV Viona claims that she goes to classes, but who knows -- the straight A's on the report card could somehow be computer manipulations. But lets assume that she goes to class -- currently she has a history course (along with whatever else of less importance). They will be seeing 3 films this semester: Saving Private Ryan, Iron Jawed Angels (brilliant movie on woman's suffrage and Alice Paul) and something else .... but 7 hours of film designed for entertainment? come on, what are my taxes paying for? that's not education, and I find it insulting to my academic field that these pieces of hollywood ..... ok. Nicole has advised me that I am not allowed to show my displeasure at the curriculum choices of the Kiz's high school teacher. Humbug.
Viona normally comes home around 2:30 though at times she does stay after school for an activity. She plays with the kids, maybe has a snack and then studies. What a wonderful student she is. It is too bad that some teacher is wasting her mind on an entertai .... alright. We eat dinner together at 5:30-6:30. Most recently, Jack has taken to asking Viona for a lollipop when he is finished with dinner, presumably because he does not think that Mommy or Daddy will get it for him. Viona, sometimes with my help, cleans up after dinner. She has been very forthright and assertive in helping around the house. We have seldom asked her to do anything -- but we don't have to. She does almost everything on her own. A testament to her family in Kosovo.
Maybe we watch TV together or view a DVD -- the last one I remember we showed her was The Emperor's New Clothes, a what if story about Napoleon if he had escaped from St. Helena (and yes Jeff, I did explain to her). But if there is school work to be done then Viona is upstairs on the internet like any typical American high school student -- or studying.
The other night we had to go to the store together to buy her something for school. On our way home I wanted a drink, or perhaps I should say Soda, and so we stopped at a 7-11. When we entered Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" was beatin' through the store. The people behind the counter were cheerful and of course 7-11 is filled with all our favorite treats. Viona turned to me and said, "this is the happiest place." I smiled and walked down electric avenue for a moment and thought, "it sure is."
We went home with soda and ice cream.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
A Very Viona Christmas
Monday, December 13, 2010
Viona take Manhattan
NYC, the center of the Empire, all of what is good and bad, sublime and ridiculous -- and finally after 4 months of waiting patiently Viona got one of her American wishes to go to the greatest place on earth (don't worry in March she'll go to the happiest place on earth). Of course, NYC is not for everyone and the frenetic pace among other things could be maddening, but for some it is an electric energizing environment where you feel you are at the center of the world, and you are.
We arrived Friday night and were treated to an incredible steak dinner by Viona's FE (foreign exchange) Uncle and Aunt, Tom and Alaina (our brother and sister in-law). We then feasted on Shrek #4 and tried to get the kids to motor down, which did not occur. Even Jo Jo resisted the spell Viona is normally able to cast on him to make him go to sleep (we have begun saying that Jo Jo is Viona's boyfriend and even though he is only 8 months it sure does seem so). We had to get to sleep but none was to be found until far too late ... we had a big day ahead of us.
Even though the kids went to bed several hours late they woke us all up at the usual 7-7:30 time. It only took us a few hours (and a fantastic French Toast breakfast) to get out the door. Viona got to sample her first NYC subway ride as we left Brooklyn where Tom and Alaina live for the city's core, Manhattan. On the subway Jack did get a cheer from a group of kids who were singing and when they stopped Jack added his rendition of "E-I-E-I-Ohhhhh" It's hard to say where we went as we were underground, but a stop and transfer or two and we got off at 79th street and the Museum of Natural History. Dinosaurs, ancient hominid bones and a big blue whale -- it was quite alot to take in and even though we were there for several hours we didn't even see one of the floors and several wings. Before we went in, Viona had her first Hot Dog. Another monumental feat in American Culture for the Queen of Kosovo.
Viona did have an interest, and feel a connection with the Asian exhibits, which featured several Turkic peoples -- hence the connection. She photographed her way through whatever we had time for and had, quite surely, at least a couple dozen photos. But we had more plans and after a gyro took the subway to Mid-Town and the shopping district.
Wow, talk about decadent capitalism. The wealth on display in some of the stores made me blush ... we walked past several blocks of high end jewelry and clothing stores before getting into some more sensible areas .... toys and FAO Schwartz. Schweet, and the candy was first followed by floors of anything a kid can imagine, including a rather cool hovering helicopter, but as it had no camera we decided not to get it. Then it was off to Rockefeller Center. We got to see the Christmas Tree and it was lovely, but a sea of a 10,000 people blocked our passage to the ice rink and so we decided at 7:00 that it was time to start for home. But Alaina had another plan. I really think she saw that Viona wanted to see the rink, afterall she did buy a "I love NYC" in our brief stay in the Rockefeller Center Plaza. Viona and Alaina went off into the night while the rest of us trekked back to Brooklyn.
Much to our surprise they arrived home before us, having seen the rink and then deciding to call it a night themselves. It was quite a day .... but, shhhhh, time for bed. The morning has its own plans.
Broadway holds a certain fascination for Viona, and so Alaina arranged for the girls to see a show. Fortunately, the boys got to stay home and watch football, in peace. They went to see Lion King. I can easily see Viona beaming through the whole show. Rosie loved it as well and wished "I wish Jackie Boy could be hear." Mostly because "the music" was making her "cry." AHHHHHH. Viona seemed almost tearful herself as she recounted her experiences. Quite a trip, Quite a weekend, Quite an Empire.
We arrived Friday night and were treated to an incredible steak dinner by Viona's FE (foreign exchange) Uncle and Aunt, Tom and Alaina (our brother and sister in-law). We then feasted on Shrek #4 and tried to get the kids to motor down, which did not occur. Even Jo Jo resisted the spell Viona is normally able to cast on him to make him go to sleep (we have begun saying that Jo Jo is Viona's boyfriend and even though he is only 8 months it sure does seem so). We had to get to sleep but none was to be found until far too late ... we had a big day ahead of us.
Even though the kids went to bed several hours late they woke us all up at the usual 7-7:30 time. It only took us a few hours (and a fantastic French Toast breakfast) to get out the door. Viona got to sample her first NYC subway ride as we left Brooklyn where Tom and Alaina live for the city's core, Manhattan. On the subway Jack did get a cheer from a group of kids who were singing and when they stopped Jack added his rendition of "E-I-E-I-Ohhhhh" It's hard to say where we went as we were underground, but a stop and transfer or two and we got off at 79th street and the Museum of Natural History. Dinosaurs, ancient hominid bones and a big blue whale -- it was quite alot to take in and even though we were there for several hours we didn't even see one of the floors and several wings. Before we went in, Viona had her first Hot Dog. Another monumental feat in American Culture for the Queen of Kosovo.
Viona did have an interest, and feel a connection with the Asian exhibits, which featured several Turkic peoples -- hence the connection. She photographed her way through whatever we had time for and had, quite surely, at least a couple dozen photos. But we had more plans and after a gyro took the subway to Mid-Town and the shopping district.
Wow, talk about decadent capitalism. The wealth on display in some of the stores made me blush ... we walked past several blocks of high end jewelry and clothing stores before getting into some more sensible areas .... toys and FAO Schwartz. Schweet, and the candy was first followed by floors of anything a kid can imagine, including a rather cool hovering helicopter, but as it had no camera we decided not to get it. Then it was off to Rockefeller Center. We got to see the Christmas Tree and it was lovely, but a sea of a 10,000 people blocked our passage to the ice rink and so we decided at 7:00 that it was time to start for home. But Alaina had another plan. I really think she saw that Viona wanted to see the rink, afterall she did buy a "I love NYC" in our brief stay in the Rockefeller Center Plaza. Viona and Alaina went off into the night while the rest of us trekked back to Brooklyn.
Much to our surprise they arrived home before us, having seen the rink and then deciding to call it a night themselves. It was quite a day .... but, shhhhh, time for bed. The morning has its own plans.
Broadway holds a certain fascination for Viona, and so Alaina arranged for the girls to see a show. Fortunately, the boys got to stay home and watch football, in peace. They went to see Lion King. I can easily see Viona beaming through the whole show. Rosie loved it as well and wished "I wish Jackie Boy could be hear." Mostly because "the music" was making her "cry." AHHHHHH. Viona seemed almost tearful herself as she recounted her experiences. Quite a trip, Quite a weekend, Quite an Empire.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Moon Over Mount Holly
Tonight was my first foray into High School theater to see "Moon Over Buffalo" for which Viona was the prop master. The stage presentation was quite surprising for a what I would have expected out of a high school performance: interesting design, intricate detail, good context for a play set in the 1950s. The acting may have been amateur but the actors showed the necessary exuberance and were at times indistinguishable with some of the professional actors (waiters) I knew in Philadelphia. Viona's part was back stage and I wandered back after the final curtain to see if she needed a ride home or whether she would go out with the cast and crew. That outing will not take place until Wednesday but several of her colleagues noted how helpful she was in the production. It is not hard to believe. I finally found her and her face was shone as a spotlight, as if she had been on stage. Such was the joy evident in our Kosovo daughter, such was the joy of our star.
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