Week 7 (Really week 10 of 11 for PST): I almost ruined my chances at marriage…

I don’t even know where to start with this week. It has been my toughest one yet. Not so much from the activities of the week, I am just mentally and emotionally at a low point. I am worn out from attempting to learn this language what is at the slowest pace possible sometimes I don’t even feel like my brain retains anything meanwhile my cluster mates can drill through a list of 25 vocabulary words and then have it down. At a frustrated but funny losing it point this week, I proclaimed to my cluster and LCF that I might just be the dumbest PCT out of all 100 and something of us but by God my babusci (host grandmother) loves me! I have given up on achieving in the lang. class and I’m starting to measure my victories in laughter. I don’t hold super deep conversations but I can confidently say I make my host family and random people I interact with smile and bust a gut almost every day. My language isn’t universal but my sense of humor is.

This Tuesday brought our second and last self-assessment interview from the PC office. They asked a bunch of questions to see how far we have come in training and random information to share with us about our last week of PST (pre service training). Besides the anxiety and stress of leaving our current host families, relocating to a new village/city and starting a job that we have very little experience, my cluster and I face the challenge of a Language Proficiency Interview this coming week. This means I will sit down with a PC staff member who I have never met before and have the challenge of holding a 30 minute conversation with them about my life here in the village, my background and any random topic that comes up in the interview. Let’s just say this makes me want to cry. I am able to do what I have to survive using my broken broken Ukrainian plus a lot of charades (which aren’t welcome in the interview), but this just seems impossible. They will give us a ranking from low to intermediate mid to excellent with many levels in between those. Day one here they told me not to worry about my level just try to learn as much as I can. It still is frustrating to know that I’m going to score so low. The coordinator while giving us information about the LPI told us “Don’t worry about the LPI, life will measure you.” I’m pretty sure that is even more frightening to me. This experience for sure has been the most humbling and challenging task of my young life.

After our language lesson on Tuesday was over, I was beyond the point of frustrated. I was so worked up I couldn’t even cry. And that my friends was a perfect time to receive mail. I got 8 pieces of mail; I think my cluster hates me because two people haven’t gotten any letters yet. I got two from my pops and KS, and one from my momma, CD, Karen and RA. You have no idea how much mail means to me in this experience. It is a good way to distract myself from stress while feeling connected to home. So thank you to those who send mail. I’ll be getting replies back to you hopefully this weekend.

Speaking of mail as much as I don’t want to say it, don’t send me any new mail right now. If you forget or don’t read this until later it is no big deal. I will still receive that mail but it will be quite some delay. Because in two Mondays, I’ll be switching my site and I will have to set up mail there. PC will receive any mail you send and get it to me the next time I car is in my area or I’ll pick it up the next time I’m in the office. So continue writing it just stockpile it until I have my new address. Believe me when I say the first thing I’m plan on doing after unpacking on the 17th or 18th is locating the post office to set up a PO Box so I can receive snail mail and finally packages.

Thursday was my first solo teaching experience. I taught the 5th form about present and past simple verbs while introducing new reading passages and vocabulary. I was a little nervous so at the beginning, I read some things too fast but overall the lesson went well. I had some children who don’t normally want to volunteer to speak raise their hands and participate so I count that as a victory. Their textbooks aren’t the best and as PCTs we have to create all of our in class material which means no photo copies or provided worksheets, all of that is done by hand. So let’s just say it forces the creativity which is a good thing but there is a lot of prep work. If I ever decide to teach in the states, I am going to feel like I have every resource at my figure tips. Lessons taught: only 3 and I’m headed off to my site in a little over a week…oh, it is going to get interesting.

I must say that Fridays are my most favorite day because I have the whole weekend to not be stressed about learning the language. It also means a lot of chill time with my host family. They invited me to a family friend’s birthday party. Can’t believe it but I can’t remember the lady’s name. Anywho, she was turning 49 yesterday and I got to be there to celebrate. For you outsiders, this means a lot of vodka. When having a big get together it is very customary here to start with a toast before shooting the first shot. Many people sit around what normally seems like an incredibly too small of table with food on every inch of it. Everyone has their own small plate. You load it with food. When people’s food is gone this means another shot. This continues for a good while. Let’s just say by the time we were eating Tort (cake) everyone minus the one weak American had at least 8 shots. The bottle of vodka never really seems to lessen. I’m starting to think that instead of water, vodka flows from the tap.

At this dinner, there were 12 adults and 4 children. Across the table from me there were three sisters. They all looked very similar and had the head scarf which means they are official babushkas. Age here is something that is not taboo to ask about so I found out they were 51, 55 and 60. The all looked a few years older than their actually age. It was amusing to watch them interact with each other. The youngest sister was social and often combated with the oldest sister for the table’s attention. She had the softest face and looked the most youthful. The oldest sister was the jokester and full of energy. Her years showed on her face by the count of many earned wrinkles. After telling a joke or story, she would nudge one of her sisters who were sitting on both sides for their reaction (this would be me if I was Ukrainian and 30 years older). The middle sister was very reserved and mostly just observed all that was happening at the table. But throughout the course of the dinner, we would look at each other and smile almost in agreement about whatever crazy interaction was happening at the table.

Last night, I also had the chance to experience the most “interesting” dish since being in Ukrainian. For lack of better explanation, it was chicken jello. It was pulled apart chicken meet with little flavoring in gelatin. When my host mother offered me the dish and very closely examined it, the entire table was curious to see what my reaction would be. Without the table’s pressure, I probably wouldn’t have tried it. I put a tiny portion on my plate and an even smaller portion of that in my mouth. Again “interesting” is the appropriate it word to describe that experience. After swallowing it, I made the statement chicken jello. Apparently, they have jello here and the table erupted in laughed.

And if you are wondering where the title of this blog comes from sit down it is time for a little cross cultural lesson. Normally, at family get togethers/dinners many people are crowded around too small of a table. My host grandmother wanted me to sit by her at the table and realizing that there were still many to sit down I pulled my stool a little closer to hers which landing me in the most taboo place a woman could sit: the corner. It is said that if you sit in the corner you will have bad luck and you will not get married. The three sisters across the table started talking loud, really fast, and with a lot of hand gestures it took me a moment to understand that they want me to marry and that I should sit on the side of the table. There then was a joke about how I must marry a very, very tall Ukrainian man. Regardless what country I visit people seem to understand that couples should match in height. So here is to finding a tall Ukrainian husband.

I think we arrived to the friend’s house around 5:30 and did not leave until 9pm. I think they left so early because they have the American with them who had training in the morning. I find it so interesting and amazing that my level of Ukrainian is probably that of a 3 year old but so much can still be shared between people. Ukrainians at first glance aren’t the warmest of people, but when you are brought into their inner circle you are warmly received. At the end of the night, I was walking down the street arm in arm (acting as a brace because you never know when you will trip up in a pothole) with my host sister, mother and grandmother sinking only one verse of a Ukrainian pop song that I know. I’m going to be really sad to leave in a little over a week.

Hope everyone is well. Have a great December and Holiday Season and remember Jesus is the reason for the season.

Interesting fact: perfume, when translated, here means toilet water. It made for a very amusing moment in English class.

Also check out face book I have posted some videos of life here in the village.(Don’t judge error didn’t have time to proofread)