DoHe! Please, put your pencils down.

The closest church near my flat.

(H = N = integrated. This week I went to write something on my to do list and used an H as I would in Ukrainian instead of N. Does this mean I’ve been here too long? Will one day I wear mesh and 5 inch heels? Oh, God 6’7 in mesh, I’ll look like a cross dresser!?!)

Howdy from a still very snowy and cold Ukraine! Enjoying a sunny Sunday from the warm confines of my Ukrainian flat with my feet propped up as I sit in my favorite arm chair. This week has been a busier than normal. Monday and Tuesday my site mate and I held a session for the International Writing Competition. We had 22 participants, not the greatest considering we advertised this at all five Kivertsi schools. Yet for its first year, I think it shows promise. Students from the 6th through 11th form were giving three interesting questions and chose one to write about in the hour time frame.

Joke of the Week provided by my brother, Lou.
What has 75 balls and screws old ladies?
(end of blog for answer)


Two 4th formers from my school who thought it was funny I was taking photos of the snow from the bridge.

Here is a sample of a 6th former’s response to the question would you rather be a bird or a fish. “Every animal can do a nice thing: birds fly, fish swim, kangaroos jump, plants make flowers, and cows sing…sorry. Cows don’t sing. They make a moo!...in fish world there are no skyscrapers. There are surface scrappers…airparks (not water parks…Where can be more exciting world than in the ocean.” This kid’s essay was awesome as well as him in person. He was such a little man with his school jacket and professional attitude toward school. Only wish every student could be like him.

By the numbers
200+ - Pages of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo read yesterday
24 days until opening day for the Cubs
22- Participated in creative writing competition
19- Mexican Wine by Fountains of Wayne played on my iTunes
11 – Countries taking part in the international writing Olympics: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Moldova, Mongolia, Philippines, Ukraine
8- Airmail letters sent this week
6- cups of coffee that I have had in my entire life (all in Ukraine)
5 – Beets that I forgot to boil before making beet salad
4- Times I turned down drinks thus far at school
2- Souls it takes to plow all the sidewalks in Kivertsi (old horse & old man)
1 – Vodka shot with old host mom and val (tried to get out of it)

My friend, Tonya, came over one evening of the week to have tea, cookies and chit chat. She is normally pretty busy, because she is in her last year of interning at the hospital in Lutsk. We caught each other up on the gossip around town. While hanging out she saw the desk flip calendar of “Country Sayings.” She started trying to read them without tearing them off. She came across one she liked so much she wrote it down. “A good word never broke a tooth.” It was so funny at how cool she thought it was. I mean yeah there are funny little sayings, but it was the whole concept of having a little flippy calendar with quotes printed on it that she just found fascinating. It was great to catch up with her and hopefully have more time to hangout this summer when we are both a little less busy.


Val and I holding the first Kivertsi creative writing competition at her school.

I have previously mentioned that I have a “Friends” English club were we watch my beloved American sitcom and talk about it. Since my vacation home and the terribly cold temperatures, it has transitions into an UNO club that means at my flat instead of the cold room attached to the children’s library. I nicely introduce the game in a couple of practice rounds and then settled into a no mercy mindset. If these Ukrainian girls are going to learn, they must learn the real way and that means someone calling UNO on you as they play their second to last card. I’ve lost some games, but I can proudly say no one has called UNO on me yet. Oh, spreading the UNO fever one country at a time.

Friday after school, Val was so nice as to help me cart my heater, smoke detector and fire extinguisher from my first host family’s house to my flat. After I long time of living cold on the edge, I am now well protected against a home fire as well as a little warmer when sitting around in the evenings reading. It was not as simple as just knocking on the door and getting the bag out of the garage.

My old host mom welcomed me and Val in. She had us take off all of our warm weather and gear to go into the front room to sit and talk. It was the 411 on Val (Val didn’t know that she was going to be my buffer going into it). I love the fact after being asked maybe two questions the big “do you have a boyfriend” came up. I feel that every mid age woman that knows a PCV thinks it is their job to find them a spouse. Val has already been on one getting to know (date) greeting with a 31 family friend of one of her teacher’s.

I have dodged the dates with Ukrainians thus far. I avoided my old host mom going into how she could set me up with someone by telling her when I went home for Christmas I got a boyfriend or unofficially have a boyfriend. Really hope little white lies don’t count when I get to heaven otherwise I might not get in. We eventually moved into the kitchen for some sandwiches, soup, fried eggs and my favor homemade pickles. Only after spending a little over an hour, we earned the right to go home with the items we came for. There is no such thing as just dropping by in Ukraine. I’m surprised we got out under 2 hours.


Regardless, how much snow or how cold the temperature the boys will always play Futbol!!

Well nothing else too too exciting to report. As you know or should know, I miss all of you, but I’m really starting to feel completely at home here in Ukraine. I’m hopefully that March will bring no snow (I’m really hoping) and warmer weather. Thanks for reading. Love and miss you all.

Kate

SUNDAY MORNING WITH VOLYNSKA VOLUNTEERS / TERRY

1.Describe yourself in 5 words
GETTING OLDER, BUT RESISTING VALIANTLY

2.Favorite and least favorite thing about Ukraine
FAVORITE: MANY THINGS, BUT THE TOP FEW ARE OVERNIGHT TRAINS, HOLUBTSY (STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES), HOT WATER PIPES IN BATHROOMS WHERE YOU CAN HANG YOUR TOWEL (WARM TOWEL IS NICE ON A COLD MORNING)
LEAST FAVORITE: RIGHT NOW - THE BUS RIDE BETWEEN CITIES - THE ROADS ARE CRAP!!!!!!

3.Title of your PCV Autobiography
THE PEACE CORPS DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN A MUD HUT (BUT MAYBE IT SHOULD)

4.3 survival tips for a PCV in Ukraine
- STAY FLEXIBLE - VERY LITTLE WILL BE WHAT YOU EXPECTED, AND IF YOU LET IT, THE PC BUREAUCRACY CAN DRIVE YOU NUTS, NOT TO MENTION THE "LAST MINUTE" MENTALITY OF UKRAINIANS WORKING ON PROJECTS.
- BE PATIENT - EVERYTHING TAKES LONGER THAN YOU THINK IT SHOULD
- TRY EVERYTHING - EVEN THAT FISH SALAD TURNS OUT TO BE PRETTY GOOD AND SALO IS MIGHTY TASTY.

5.What Americans don't know about Ukraine, but should...
WELL, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING, SINCE AMERICANS DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS PLACE. BUT LET'S TRY THE GREAT CULTURAL TRADITIONS - A UNIQUE AND PASSIONATE STYLE OF SINGING, CRAZY (AND FOR THE GUYS, INCREDIBLY PHYSICAL) DANCING, THE SYSTEM OF TOASTS THAT ACCOMPANY THE VODKA, TAKING YOUR SHOES OFF WHEN YOU ENTER A HOME, WEDDING PARTIES THAT LAST FOR DAYS, ONLY HAVING TO CHIP IN FOR ONE BIRTHDAY PARTY AT WORK (YOUR OWN, SINCE IT'S UP TO THE BIRTHDAY KID TO PROVIDE THE GOODIES)-ALL OF WHICH HAVE DEVELOPED AND THRIVED DESPITE A TRULY COMPLEX, FASCINATING AND SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING 1000+ YEAR POLITICAL HISTORY.


(answer)
BINGO