Awesome sign on my side of the tracks.
TUESDAY TO TUESDAY, do enjoy.
Last TUESDAY- Half Day
It is normal for the day after Easter to be a joke at school, because it is sort of assumed that families are still celebrating with friends as well as extended family. I went to school anyhow. My first class of the day, I have 11th form for the second period. They all decided to play hooky. Fine with me. I chilled in the teacher’s room listened to my iPod and wrote some letters. Third period, I had 5thA form. Normally, I have 20 kids, but instead only 7. We checked homework, continued working for a little bit, but then decided to play heads up, three up (they still enjoyed the easy game adapted 7up).
In between third and fourth lesson, there is a 25 minute lunch break. This day teachers brought pashka (Easter bread) to share. But what made this lunch period a feast was the fact one of the part time teachers had gotten engaged. Break out the sandwiches, holodets, candies, cookies and wine. The bell rang for fourth lesson to start. Only a few teachers headed to class. I was suppose to teach with Valya (girl my age who got engaged), but since it was her party we were covered and didn’t have to go teach. 5thB form I had for 5th period. Again, normally 18 students 6 that day. We did normal class, but for the last 15 minutes played a game. Oh, did I also mention that all classes were cut from 45 minutes to 35.
WEDNESDAY – Uno & Cake.
My English club that started out as a ‘Friends’ watching English club has now transformed into an Uno club, which is completely fine with me. In winter, we decided that it would be more comfortable to meet at my flat for tea (provided by me) and cookies (provided by the students) instead of the cold room in the children’s library building. So now almost every Wednesday at 5pm we get together at my flat. This week I told the students not to bring anything, because Melissa’s family had loaded me down with delicious cakes and I need to unload them on to some other souls. The students were happy to help. So over tea and delicious cakes, we played many games of Uno. They also advised me on what to yell if a kid happens to yell cuss words at me next time I run. Now, I have two cuss words in my Ukrainian knowledge.
Travis & Aidan passing out info at the WELL seminar.
THURSDAY – Pizza and Drunks
Thursday was a normal day at school. Some classes make me happy to be at school and others don’t. After, I came home did some things around the house before heading to the pizzeria at seven to have dinner with Val and Tanya. It was a great way to celebrate getting our monthly stipend in our accounts (otherwise Val who is still mastering the skill of budgeting would have probably passed on the invite). Val and I went ahead and ordered some food, because Tanya texted me that she would be a little late coming from working at the hospital.
So there Val and I sat chatting it up about school, the weather, and the new Britney Spears video that was playing when the Ukrainian men behind us noticed that we were speaking a foreign language. One guy started to get into our conversation by asking if we were speaking English or German. He was a harmless as well as his two other friends that were professional dressed and not too too drunk. With nothing else to important to do, Val and I amused them with our little Ukrainian. Eventually, Tanya got there. Let’s just say that she wasn’t as amused with the idea of chatting with these men so after they finished theie beer we asked them if they would leave our table so we could practice English with Tanya. They didn’t seem to be insulted at all and left with no problems. That day not a big deal to be interrupted, but I feel like you have to be in a good mood to play the token happy American who doesn’t mind speaking with random uninvited table guests.
Whoever did this feel free to come to Kivertsi and tag my building with some art.
FRIDAY – Beer or Canvas
On Friday, I couldn’t have been in a better mood. Beginning of a four day weekend! Woot woot for Ukrainian Labor Days (the first Monday and Tuesday of May). Val and I headed into Lutsk after school to go to a Kievstar (cellphone and modem company) to buy a special modem at a discount price. When we got into the city I called the boys (Jon and Ben) who were already enjoying their vacation by hanging at a local outdoor beer patio/tent. Val and I headed over to meet up with them. Eventually the group became seven of us.
The group enjoyed some beer while I had my first cavas (non-alcohol rootbeer like drink) of the season. After the group finished at the location, we all headed to the center so Val and I could make our modem purchases before heading to a pizza place to grab an early dinner. I don’t know if it was the lunch that I had previous to getting into Lutsk or the cavas, but something didn’t agree with my stomach so after finishing my little small meal I headed back to Kivertsi without Val. Got home, but didn’t play too long on the internet, because I knew I would need to be rising at a decent hour the next day.
Kate size or Kelsey size? You decide.
SATURDAY – W.E.L.L.
WELL stands for Workshops in English Language and Leadership. It was created and is run by fellow PCVs. This weekend a workshop was hosted at the University in Lutsk for students from 10th to first year university. It was a lot of fun to work with other volunteers as well as be around a large group of students enthusiastic about learning English. I along with three others taught a session about Asia and inventions that were created there and Africa specifically four countries. I was a little disappointed that Ghana nor Kenya were not ones.
The workshop was from ten in the morning until a little past five in the evening. It was great event and I was impressed with everything. After, the volunteers, I believe there were around fourteen of us, headed to one of our favorite Lutsk restaurants to get some grub. I pretty much take every opportunity to order borscht that I can since I have yet to make it myself (I think I might be frequently traveling to Ukrainian Village in Chicago to indulge in Ukrainian cuisine when I get home). After dinner, we headed to the same beer patio from the day before. It is great to sitting around with a large group of PCVs and shoot the shit. You can imagine that I shared some stories. Kelsey (my link mate from training) was visiting for the weekend as well as some of Val’s friends so there was a little convoy of American girls headed back to Kivertsi. We had an interesting marshuka ride home to say the least from unwanted attention of two fellow passengers that were intoxicated.
Because my pops requested. The supermarket is like any grocery store on the inside.
SUNDAY – Mexican & Euro Trip Plannin’
With Kelsey’s presence at my site and her cooking abilities, we decided to make Mexican and with the presence of volunteers left over from the WELL it quickly turned into a FIESTA instead of just a boring dinner with the two of us. There were nine of us and we all enjoyed hot sauce and ranch dip mix that RPCV Becky graciously sent to me. Late lunch started around three and lasted until six thirty-ish when we decided the weather was so nice that we should probably go for a walk.
Kelsey and I eventually broke off from the group to walk around Kivertsi and take some photos. She brought her nice DSL camera while I look like an amateur with my little Canon Powershot. Side note: I miss my first beloved Powershot. It took by far better and more vivid photos than my current one. Anywho, we made a short appearance at Val’s house before beating the rain home. Once, we got back it was time to plan, so plan we did. Kelsey and I have got the dates and rough route we will be taking this summer to explore Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. Oh, how awesome it is to be a PCV with a summer break. I’m going to miss this very much one day.
MONDAY – Bye & Movie Weather
Kelsey set her alarm to get to the bus station in Lutsk at a decent hour. She was out of my flat by 7:30 and instead of going back to bed I opted to watch the Swedish version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and then take a nap before lunch time. Well let’s just say that the nap never happened, but a long movie-a-thon did. I’m a little ashamed to say I wasted the day by watching four and half movies. Only stopping in the middle to shower and have a few short phone conversations, but I’m blaming the weather. It was chilly with a very dark overcast. The majority of the day, I spent curled up in my sleeping bag watching movies. I love to get lost in a good or even not so good movie. If you thought watching 4.5 movies was sad, you might want to take a seat. I declined my normal coffee in my TB routine yesterday and with the lack of caffeine I was asleep at 6pm because I slept through an alarm that was suppose to keep it at a one hour nap. Fun times.
This TUESDAY
With the enormous amount of sleep from last night, I woke up early and got to it. Little laundry, check. Refilled my cupboards with clean dishes, check. Cleaned kitchen, check. Graded vocab quizzes, check. Emails, check. The only thing I have left to do before heading into Lutsk is to proof read this, post it and then I’m out the door to go Skype with my sister. Well I might need to throw on a pair of pants before exiting my flat.
Hope everyone is starting their May well. Miss and love you all.
Kate
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