My new job

In addition to teaching English, I now get to take care of two pigs! Well, at least for a few days. Most of the houses here have a small farm/courtyard. Because the yard at my hosts house is used for a Church, it's not a good place to raise pigs. So, they are raising two pigs here at my house. The pigs will eventually be dinner at festivities later this summer, but I don't want to think about that.

Normally, my host's 85 year old father takes care of the pigs. He will be out of town for a few days, so I offered to take care of the pigs while he is gone. It is a smelly job, but they are really cute animals. They remind me alot of my parents' dog Oliver: friendly, a little smelly, naughty, and they like to wipe their cold wet noses on you just like he does! I cleaned their pen for the first time yesterday and it was a funny experience. I decided to wear my flip flops into their pen because I figured they would be easier to clean than my sneakers. Well, the pigs never saw toes before, especially toes with purple nail polish. The female pig was so fascinated with my toes. She kept trying to sniff them so I ended up hoping around then pig pen trying not to get my toes nibbled. After I put on sneakers and came back, it was time to shovel the manure. It only would have taken a minute or two, but the pigs were in a playful mood and kept trying to play tug or war with the shovel and broom. It may be a smelly job, but I love animals so I don't mind.

Most of my adult students clean houses in Belgrade for work, so naturally, I taught them the verb "to clean." They really thought it was funny when I told them I cleaned the pigs' pen. At least me taking care of the pigs is making my students laugh!