One Christmas In the Bag

I have officially survived my first Christmas away from home. It wasn't easy,but I soldiered on. The worst part was waking up knowing it was Christmas morning (normally a magical time). But as the day went on the people here really showed me that they care about me and knew that I was missing home. At school I was given a stocking full of chocholates and a candy bar. The students were going to sing me Jingle Bells, but it didn't work out exactly (the thought was there though). After school I went with my counterpart to the police station to give my contact info and introduce myself. Then we had tea and hung out for a while. It was nice to be out and about. In the evening I had a lovely dinner with my new roommate Aunt Anya. I got to talk to my family and I watched Elf. All in all it wasn't too sad (except for missing the people I love of course). Soon I'll get to see a whole new set of holiday traditions, so there's definitely something to be said for that. Oooh I officially have a mailing address, however I can't post it on the blog (safety policy and whatnot). I'll get it to those of you who want it through facebook, just let me know. Have a safe new year!

Three Days Into Two Years-It's Official

I'm a terrible blogger. It's been a good long while since I last posted so if you're still reading this thanks for your patients. I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer (not to be confused with a PC Trainee). I took part in a rather fancy-shmancy ceremony with the US Ambassador and a few members of the Ukrainian government. I raised my right hand and everything. Not I'm at my permanant site where I will live and work for two years. The second night I was here there was a rather adorable parade of Santas (Papa Moroz for those in the know), a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, and a smll concert. It was a great start to my time here. Other than that I live with one woman in a very nice house with a very cute kitten. I have many more stories to tell, but they'll have to wait for another day. In good news I shoould be getting internet soon (soon being a relative term here) so I'll be in better contact with everyone!
I love you all. Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi everyone!
I finally have some more internet time and I wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a great holiday. I didn't have your traditional celebration. Instead one of the other Peace Corps Volunteers, my host sisters, one of their boyfriends and I spend all day yesterday baking and then had an epic feast for dinner. Everything we made burned terribly in the oven, but we managed to still have a good time. After our feast we were treated to an accordian recital by my host sister and then looked at photos for a long while. It was a great day! We were joking that it was very similar to the first Thanksgiving in that we were strangers trying to figure out how to live in a new place and the "natives" helped us find our way. I must say that it was a really good thanksgiving eventhough I did miss Pumpkin pie (my favorite kind of pie I'll have you know).

Other than that I have about two more weeks of training so everything is pretty hectic right now. There is lesson planning to be done and language testing and teaching demonstrations, oh my. I am really going to miss the place that I live now when I have to move. I really love the people that I've met and would love to stay here for the rest of the two years. Sadly that won't be happening. On to new adventures. I still have two weeks to enjoy though. I'll make them good : )

Kyiv-a-go-go

Hi From Ukraine.
I've officially passed the mid way point of my Pre-Service Training. Woohoo! Life is still good here and getting better. For one, I finally got to Kyiv! On Friday my training group got up bright and early to catch the Marshrutka (a little bus)for our one hour tour. Once in the city we navigated the metro, figured out the train schedules (in Ukrainian I might add), and made our way to a main city square for lunch at the poyata xata (big belly house if you didn't know : )to eat a lovely Ukrainian lunch. From there we saw independence square, and two very large, very beautiful, very old cathedrals, St. Sophia and St. Michael's (google them, it's worth it). They stand opposite eachother on a short but histrorical stretch of Kyiv. It was totally breath taking to stand looking up at gold onion domes against the backdrop of a beautiful city only to turn around to see more of the same. Before I came here the onion domes were one of the only sites I could really picture and was totally looking forward to. It was everything I was hoping for and more. I can officially check that off the life goals list.

A gal in my group, Emily, generated one of the funnier moments that has happened since we've been here. In Kyiv we stopped to make a pit stop near a rather luxurious underground mall (literally underground, not like cool and funky). Emily is a lady who likes to shop and was looking longingly into all the clothing shops. She walked up to "Thomas" (the one and only male in our group), hooked her arm in his and looking doey eyed into the mall cooed "Oh Thomas, isn't this a tease?" He didn't respond right away. "Well, isn't it?" She looked up only to realize that this was a complete stranger. Haha, The look on both of their faces was priceless.

In other news (which I heard actually has made the news in the States) the swine flu has hit Ukraine in a big way. All of the schools in the entire country are closed for three weeks, and people are wearing masks in the streets. People are in a general panic. They are calling it the California Flu, which makes me a bit ill at ease. At least it's not the "American Flu."

In very sad news I found out this week that my Aunt Vickie passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was a beautiful, giving, kind woman and I will miss her a lot. When she got to telling a story she absolutely lit up the room. The memorial is today so which ever spiritual path you've chosen please send some positive energy toward my family.
Stay well and cherish the ones you love.
I love you all.

Hi everyone! I only have time for a short post today but I wanted to say hi!!I was asked by a Ukrainian man yesterday to say hi to America.. so here goes... hey there America... he also sent a kiss. Consider yourself kissed This experience continues to be good. Today I went to the Shevchenko museum and learned about him. They had one of four exicting death masks of him, so that was interesting to see. I didn't know much about him and he's a pretty big deal here (very famous writer for those of you who are as ignorant as I was before today : ) The internet is being really testy right now, so I'd better be going. For those of you interested in calling I found an awesome website howtocallabroad.com check it out. It should make the process a little bit easier. Love you all! Until Next Time!

This is the (Ukrainian) Life!

Hi everyone!! I'm back in the internet cafe/dungeon. I can't possibly type fast enough to share all of the info that I would like to. First of all, I love and miss all of you very much. Honestly, I have a whole new perspective after only 1 month about how important all of you are to me. I can't wait to reunite, but I also know that you are the people that got me to this point. So... what is this point. I have been studying Ukrainian for about a month now and I'm definitely making progress. I'm nowhere near where I will need to be when I live on my own, but I can get by with a combo of English, Ukrainian, Russian, and good ol' sign language (mostly sign language at this point). I can successfully ride the train, hail a taxi, and ride a marshutka (like a bus/group taxi thing). I know where to go to get food, internet, and all the basic necessities, and I've taught three lessons in the local school (one to seventh graders and the others to eighth). I'll be teaching the 8th graders again tomorrow. There are very few resources available for Ukrainian teachers. No copy machine, really substandard books, even the most basic supplies like paper are bought out of the teacher's pocket. A lot of this goes on in the States, but definitely not to this extent. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of English that some of the students have achieved. They can communicate pretty well, but I definitely feel for the ones that struggle (I'm currently walking about 1000 miles in their shoes). As for fun there has been a good amount. My host sister is a 26 year old English teacher and we get along very well. We have gone to the disco (lazer lights and techno galore... Titzie I see why you gave Eastern Europe such high marks), had a picnic in the woods where we roasted chicken, ate so much food (a lot of fish, wow do they love fish of all varieties here...salted, dried, the list goes on and on) and drank choot-choot (a little) Vodka, and gone mushroom hunting in the woods. Outings here almost always include a huge spread of food and drink, lots of toasts, and debauchery. They love the outdoors, and I'm definitely glad to be getting outside as much as possible before the winter kicks into full swing. Yesterday was my host papa's birthday. We had a big dinner together and watched some tv as a family. He has made my adjustment here a lot easier so I was really glad to be able to celebrate with him. He always helps me with my Ukrainian homework and speaks very slowly so that I'll understand him. We also watch a lot of Ukrainian tv together. Yesterday we were watching a ninja movie from japan dubbed into Russian with Ukrainian subtitles. My head almost exploded. Well that's about all for now. Oooh for those of you that wanted my address my mom and dad have it, I'll be sending out a facebook message soon also. I don't know if I'm allowed to get packages yet, and keep in mind that my mail will be opened before it gets to me so for those of you thinking of sending diamonds I would wait and give them to me in person. Love you all!

Hi everyone! Thank you for all of your comments. It is awesome to know that people are reading. This week was more of the same. Everything is pretty overwhelming, mostly because everything is in Ukrainian. Speaking of which I'll be back with more soon. Love you all!

I'm here, Safe and Sound!

I can honestly say that I have about 10 "this is my life" moments daily.The first thing that really struck me about Ukraine is that it looks A LOT like MI, environment and climate wise.I have started learning Ukrainian (which is a very difficult language might I say). We spend about four hours a day on that. During the rest of our time we do homework, learn about teaching English, walk around our tiny village, and hang out with our host families. There are about 3000 people where I live with my host family. We are about an hour from Kyiv, and it's a very nice place. A lot of people grow a lot of their own food. There's not a whole lot in the town. We have about five little shops where you can get mostly food and household products, a cafe/bar, a school, stadium, and small doctor's office. My host family is awesome! There is are six people living in our house (not including me). All adults, Babysya and Tato (gma & gpa), their two daughters, and then one of their daughters. Two men, four women. They don't have indoor plumbing, we get our water from a well and use a squat toilet in an outhouse. At first I was worried about that, but now it's old hat (I'm sure that will change when it's below 0 and I'm freezing). We bathe in a little building outside too. They have a really big garden, a cow, chickens and lots of puppies and kittens. I have definitely made freinds with the animals. Most of my day at home is spent trying to communicate in a mixture of Russian and Ukrainian (called surgic). There is a lot of gesturing and laughing. One thing about Ukraine is that they feed you a lot! Our host families are paid to feed us twice a day and I can't believe how seriously they take this responsibility. Lots of meat and potatoes. The food is actually pretty good. Oh and they LOVE candy, desserts, and chocholate with every meal. My training group consists of five people (including myself). One guy and three other gals. Poor Thomas is stuck with all women all the time. Ooh, my host sister is an english/history teacher at the local school, 26 years old, and a bad ass. We get along great and have a lot in common. She is pretty much fluent in English so that makes things a lot easier. I also have a friend named Dima. We help eachother with our homework (my Ukrainian and his English). It's a very symbiotic relationship. Also, it's nice to know someone local who speaks both languages, he has definitely done some translating for me, and helped me figure out my phone and computer. He's turning 18 soon so we'll have to throw him a b-day party. Basically I'm very safe and happy here. Of course I'm home sick and missing everyone a lot! No joke A LOT, but I definitely feel good about what I'm doing and how much I am already growing from this experience. It really doesn't hit you what you've gotten yourself into until you get here. I definitely cried quite a bit the first night at my host family's house. But then I got it together and started to really enjoy myself and the people around me. I love you all and truely miss you more than I can say already. Stay safe and stay in touch. Your comments will really help a lot.

T-12 Days Until Departure

The sad sad process of saying goodbye to family and friends is officially in full effect. This Saturday my mom and I went to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kalamazoo. It was great to see everyone, but really strange to say goodbye knowing that I won't see them for a long time. It was also bittersweet to be spending one of my last weekends with my mom before I leave. I know I'm going to miss her most of all. Luckily most of my friends don't live in Spring Lake so I'm already used to being separated from them, but it will be hard not to be able to pick up the phone and call whenever I need to hear their voices. Being away from everyone is definitely going to be the hardest part of this whole experience. I already miss my sister and Matt tons.

At the same time I am making contact with people from my training group. I finally found the Facebook group that was made by one of the gals I'll be going to Ukraine with. Our group is HUGE (over 100 people). I have been facebook stalking a few of them, but it's hard to know much about anyone from a few pictures and the groups they are in. I'm sure out of that many people I'm bound to get along with enough of them to keep me happy (knock on wood).

Saying goodbye is the worst, but saying hello for the first time can be the most exciting.

On an unrelated note here is something AWESOME that I'm looking forward to... Twelve-dish Christmas Eve Supper

My new hobby.

Hey all.

So one of the things about Peace Corps that I keep hearing is that you end up with a ton of free time on your hands. People have suggested that I take up a hobby. Here is a sample of what I've been up to : ) I felt like both songs were fitting. Enjoy!

The Next Stage

So the next step in this process (which happens in T- 25 days!) is called Staging. It's where my training group meets up at a central location to get a "brief but intense" introduction to the Peace Corps. I have just found out that mine will be held in Philadelphia, PA. I'm sure I won't be doing a lot of sight seeing.

During this time we get all of our necessary shots for travel, meet each other, and get our first taste of the Peace Corps up close and personal. I'm sure we'll also be signing paperwork assuring the government that we aren't up to no good. It's like the first day of school all over again. I'll have to pick out a cool outfit : )

What Am I Getting Myself Into?

Hello Everyone,

I have been getting a borage of information about Ukraine in the past few weeks and I thought I would share some of it with you. First of all, I am a lot less stressed out about the winter. It has been said that it is not any worse than a Northern Michigan winter (which is cold, but I can handle that). I was pretty relieved to hear that since I have been picturing trudging three miles uphill both ways to school through the arctic tundra.

One of the most helpful documents that I have received is a list of advice on packing and adjusting to Ukraine from current volunteers. They have said that for men, you can dress however you want and look just fine, jeans, track suits, turtle necks, all good. For women it is a different story. Every volunteer who offered advice mentioned how scandalous the women dress. Apparently the women ALWAYS wear makeup, tight or short clothes, and see-through blouses (the see-through blouses were brought up quite a bit). One person said that if they could sum up Ukrainian women's style in one word it would be tight. That sounds like me right? Haha I'm going to look like a nun for the next two years. That's probably for the best though.

They did soften the blow by saying that it is futile to try to look or act Ukrainian. They will peg you as a foreigner pretty quickly just by sight, and once you open your mouth all bets are off. I guess I am going to see new things. It sounds like I'll be seeing a lot of these people : )

Pack Your Bags for the Ride of Your Life!

It took from February 16th until August 6th, countless visits to medical professionals, and a lot of patience and flexibility to get to this point.  In the end it worth the wait.  I have been invited to become a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine!!!  My journey begins on September 25th and my commitment lasts twenty-seven months.  A few quick tidbits about Ukraine (I knew very little to nothing about this country until I was invited to go there).......

Language-Ukranian (Russian near the Russian Boarder)

President- Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (I'm still trying to figure out when and why they capitalize all of the letters in certain words.)

Literacy Rate- 99.4%

Currency- Hryvnia 

I'll be posting pictures and stories here throughout my travels.  Please leave me comments!  It will be nice to get messages in English : )