What do you want to do tonight?

Last night after English club, Nastia asked me if I was up for having visitors. Well, sure. I'm Ukrainian now, right? So, she invited over Alina, our hair stylist's daughter. Alina is studying English in school and wants to practice, so of course, Nastia thought of me. Brilliant, right? Speaking English is my super power.

Anyway, I started thinking, "What am I going to do with her?" It was too late to watch a movie (and her English isn't that advanced, anyway). It was a little too late to start a baking project (I very often have visitors help me make banana bread or something). There weren't enough of us to play a game. It's too cold and slippery to go for a walk. What's a girl to do with nighttime guests?

You do what Ukrainians do, of course. You listen to music and look at pictures.

We went through pictures on my digital frame and my computer- me telling her about my American life. We talked about music and listened to some. Nastia wanted me to tell her about the tornado (it's Nastia's favorite story for me to tell new friends; I think it's because they don't have too many natural disasters around here). I practiced my Russian with her...basically, we just sat around the table and visited. I think it's an art of friendship that we've somewhat lost in the States. That makes me a little sad.

Here's a challenge for you: try being friends the Ukrainian way sometime. No texting or facebooking while friends are visiting- just sit and talk about your lives. It's a lot more fun than you'd think! You can learn a lot, and you'll find much more to talk about than you thought you would. It's a fact: real friends are more fun than the virtual versions of them.