Flags, Smoke, Police, & Futbol

Volyn's fan/young & crazy section!

Another normal week in Ukraine, and by normal I mean a week filled with the most random of things. This week I’m going to use a list format, because…well I want to. Please do enjoy.

-“Teacher: A teacher’s job is to take a room full of live wires and try to ground’em all.” Off of the country saying of the day calendar. I would concur.

-I found probably grey hair number five. I would explain it from the previous item on this list.

-April Fool’s Day is celebrated in Ukraine (sometimes). I was greeted at the school door by four dancing Roma women (gypsies as Ukrainians would say). Very…interesting.


Pre-gaming with potatoes and vodka.

-Sweatin’ with the oldies. By that I mean, sweating with the little old babas on the bus who still wear winter coats and scarves. It is only early April and I’m already screaming on the inside for some to open a window. Going to be a long summer.

-Until this week I had never played Frisbee with a man who had a fake leg. Outside of Val’s house, we played Frisbee in the street with her two Ukrainian neighbors who were at the youngest in their fifties. Good times!

-2 quiet PCVs + 1 loud PCV (not me) + 1 extremely loud Ukrainian teacher counterpart + 1 old curious and looking to get married Ukrainian man = awkwardness for the whole bus the 30 mins from Lutsk to Kivertsi.

-Always make friends with the man sitting next to you at the football match. You will get free sunflower seeds and they will be entertained with your American cuss words as you yell at the panzie from the other team who was faking an injury.


Jay gets best fan of the day award. He traveled from northern Volynska Oblast 6 hours all together. (Left Jay, Right Terry being a goof)

-plus10<20 cups of coffee. With my lack of energy this past week, I have finally taking up coffee. It is the fake instant coffee that is sold in single packets. I feel so more adult now reading NPR and the NYTimes online over a hot cup of joe.

-Sad. Is the best word to describe the situation of being on a public shitter and discovering TP when you forgot to bring your own and the excitement it adds to my life. Oh, and the second saddest thing would have to be finding a public bathroom that has a toilet seat.

-“She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers
Dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time”

Me enthusiastically singing this Taylor Swift jingle that was being played in the Ukrainian grocery store to a not so enthusiastic Melissa. Oh how this was the best day ever in Tam Tam (grocery store). I heard country music and I made the best purchase every, drum roll please… a BASKETBALL. Now, Val and I can finally hoop it up on the courts next to my building. Ukraine isn’t going to know what hit’em.


Why not celebrate with smoke bombs and fireworks in a crowded stadium. Final score them 3, us 0.

-Congratulations to Corey and Casey Barrette! They got hitched this past Saturday. Really wish I could have been home to celebrate with you, but I was thinking of you the whole day over here in Ukraine. Love you both Mr. & Mrs. Graham-cracker!

- The beginning of April is here and I’m already hardcore yearning for June. Can you say summeritis?

-Parks & Recreation I would like to add to my ever growing list of loved TV discovered in Ukraine. Amy Poehler is no Tina Fey, but still pretty funny. Just finished up season two, now need to get some at the next PCV get together.

-Fresh air and more sunlight are now enjoyed in my flat. This weekend I took down the plastic that had been nailed up around my windows in the room I sleep in. My balcony needs some seriously cleaning. I found my missing sink, but from the looks of it I doubt it will be returning to the bathroom any time soon.

-UConn loses in the first game of the final four. Suck it Geno! Since my Lady Vols aren’t in it, I can cheer for the team that knocked them off. Go Irish!! Oh, how I miss March Madness and all types of familiar sports and teams I like to watch. Go Cubs!

As you can see from above nothing too crazy happened, but not anything too boring either. Hope everyone is enjoying spring weather and that green grass as well as colorful flowers soon surround you. I can say I’m thoroughly enjoying walking to school with no scarf, gloves, and double pairs of pants. On days like today, I even get to rock on with sunglasses on my walk across town. Miss and love you all.

Kate