They Weren’t Lying: Snail Mail is The Best

November 5th, 2009

It has been another long week. Every morning I get up and think today is the day where I’m going to feel like I’ve made some progress with the Ukrainian language. Well it’s Thursday night of week 3 and I feel like it should be day one and I’m still jet lagged on top of it.

I guess I told myself that language would be hard but I definitely underestimated how much I would miss being able to communicate whenever I wanted. My host family is absolutely great and I want to have a deeper relationship than charades and looking up words in the dictionary can provide. So I find myself stuck wishing I didn’t care to learn the language meaning I would be a lot less frustrated instead of being completely frustrated because I so badly just want to be able to speak Ukrainian.
But tonight I did find the ability to relax. First of all I got my tutoring done at 8am instead of 3pm which meant when class finished at 1:30pm the rest of the day was Kate time. This makes doing homework not so bad because I don’t feel like I have to rush home to eat potatoes and then start on work. I came home had some lunch then played around 7 games of UNO with my host sister (the H1N1 scare is worth having my host sister to chill with; also just want to put it out there I took the series 4-3).

I got my language homework done the best I could. Eventually started lesson planning because I need to have 15 lessons planned instead of 15 taught. If all goes well hopefully I will be able to teach week 9, 10, and 11. If not I’m going to be entering my two years of service on the fly. I’m hoping to at least get in the classroom a few times to feel comfortable and not be totally freaked to start teaching. Allison and I were suppose to team teach so we are picking up where our last lesson plan ended with a new one.

PC has also put certain requirements on the 15. One of them has to be an introduction of ourselves and developing an idea of where our student’s abilities stand. For mine, I worked out a circle chart of my interests. It is geared toward older students but could be watered down for younger or students with lower abilities. Just thinking of ideas, I’m started to get excited and remember the reason I’m here.

Tonight while coordinating over the phone with Allison (you have to love the free life to life (aka Ukrainian Verizon to Verizon deal) she told me that when she was finishing up her lesson this afternoon that a PC car came to drop off our biweekly allowance with some mail. I was one of two volunteers who received mail in my group. Cindy and I both received three letters. I couldn’t have been happier; seriously I cannot remember the last time I felt like this. Maybe when I was five and got a playschool camera for my birthday. So today my favorite three people are my mom (go figure), Ruthann and Bre. I must say Bre Parra you impressed me with your ability to plan a week and half advance to send me a Halloween card. I love you friend and I laughed out loud when reading my card (I think you know why). Mom I loved the card but please get a little more descriptive than “I miss you, Mom.”

Right now my letter count is 18-3; also sending 5 postcards tomorrow. So as of tomorrow the 6th of Nov., I’ll have sent 23 piece of mail (either individual mailed or grouped) while I have received only 3. Please keep sending letters, you have no idea how they make my day. By the postmark dates to when they were driven out to my little village it took right around two and half weeks. Also from looking at my mom’s card it cost only .98 cents and come on friends that’s less than a Wendy’s frosty (believe me I know). Mmmm a frosty… anywho keep those letters coming at a steady pace.

If you really hate snail mail, I get to check my facebook every once in awhile so you could drop me a line on there as well. As far as what I write on my blog, I write random thoughts from the day (also don’t judge spelling or errors its 9pm and I’m ready to crash from the long day) but if anyone has any particular questions about life here in Ukraine just add a comment right here on my blog.

Hope you are all doing well. Overall, I’m enjoying my time here in Ukraine but I do miss you all. Later YOs!!