Our Ukrainian 'Field of Dreams'
The Sharks who captured 3rd Place.
8 lovely Peace Corps Volunteers who do a fantastic job of representing America.
Me and Kate (she was the next PCV that my training family hosted). Super hilarious girl.
Matt (one of my favorite PCVs) rockin' the Magnum P.I. look.
Me today just so you don't forget how I look and just how nappy my hair is.
Well I am sitting in my room at my site and sweating as if I were in a gym in a unairconditioned gym in the middle of the summer playing AAU basketball. Just got back from the one grocery store in my town. There is a limited selection that I can buy there but normally they have all I want besides the family super size cereal that I like to buy. Feeling a tad homesick, my cure for that is American products. I bought a diet coke (never find Diet Pepsi) and a Kitkat.
This last week I was at a baseball/softball camp in Khmelnytsky, Ukraine which is southeast from my site exactly 6 and half hours on a bus. I had asked a co-worker how long it takes to get there and they guessed around 4-5. So the trip there wasn’t that bad because I just kept thinking it would be the next town for an extra two hours.
The camp was Sunday through Saturday (11th-17th). There were 8 Peace Corps Volunteers and around 60 Ukrainian participants from 13 to 30ish years old. We were assigned to a team and acted as a coach, player and umpire. My team was the sharks because of our royal blue t-shirts. It was fun to interact while playing the game. We taught them take me out to the ball game and other cheers such as “hey batter batter, hey batter batter, swing batter!”
Two of the fields were made on the soccer field at the local university while the other field was at a nearby middle school on their soccer field about a 5 minute walk away. The other volunteers and I stayed at the university’s dorm. Most of the nights, someone would have a recipe that they wanted to try so they would go buy the groceries and everyone would pitch in money. It was inexpensive and pretty delicious if you ask me. My favorite dish or dessert I should say was the ice cream sandwiches one of the girls made.
The first couple of nights were the last of the world cup games. We watched them at different bars. It has been really fun to watch how Europeans get so into “real” football as I have been taught to say. One of the nights, we even had the chance to watch the game with two South African guys. As much as I love Da Bears and Cubbies, “real” football is the world’s sport and really fun to watch during the world cup. I might just stay interested after getting back to the states.
Sunday morning, I caught an early marsuka to try to avoid the blazing sun and heat. It worked until I got back to Lutsk (the city close to my site) and had to catch a marsuka for the last 15K home. I get on with my big hiking back pack (really glad I bought it for PC, holds what I need and doesn’t kill my back regardless how many pairs of yeti shoes I put in it) but unfortunately there were no more seats and was forced to the last standing spot in the aisle. I’m standing there sweating holding on to the bar on the ceiling worrying about my forearm sweat dripping on the lady seating on the right side of the marsuka.
Paying enough attention to whip my forearms on my t-shirt to avoid this awkward situation, I start to think “have I just pissed myself?” At the last town before Lutsk (hour away), I finally bought a Sprite because I was dying of thirst. Normally, I try to avoid liquid but figured I was in the clear. As I’m standing there thinking how could I have peed on myself I realize that I’m sweating so much that it is running down my backside to my legs. Note to self: next time wear a white t-shirt to avoid looking like a man with all the sweat marks.
Yesterday and today, I’ve been lounging around trying not to get too sweaty. Today, I only did one load of laundry by hand because it looks as if it was going to rain. It eventually cleared up and my stuff dried on the line in no time. Washing stuff by hand isn’t the worst, but I will be excited to get back to the states to have soft clothes from the dryer. Not a big fan of crunchy socks and underwear. My babusci just came into my room to tell me that before leaving tomorrow to meet Allison in Lutsk I must wash my clothes that I have separated in different piles on the floor.
Leaving with my new babusci hasn’t been bad, but it still hope one day to have my apartment (even though I realize that is highly unlikely because I don’t think my school cares to look nor pay the difference of rent.) It is just sometimes I feel enough of a freak show walking around in Chacos, Nike bball shorts, t-shirt with my hair up in a messy bun and Ghanaian bag over my shoulder that I would really appreciate the non-judging free space of my own tiny apartment. I guess this experience will just make me appreciate it that much more when I do get my own place in my life plus I would miss out on the random vodka drinking that happens probably 3 to 4 days of the week.
Well I am going to make a fruit/yogurt salad with the fruit I bought from the market today. Didn’t proofread because I’m hungry, please forgive me. Hope everyone is well and know that I miss you all.
Kate
Oh, if anyone has read any good books and would like to send them to your favorite volunteer I would greatly appreciate it. I have three books left. One will be done this week. The others since they are light paperback books will probably accompany me on my back pack trip in August if I don’t read them before.
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