Things I'm starting to realize I'll miss, Part 2

Some more things I'll miss...I think...

1. Having to be smart. Now, Ukrainians probably think that I'm not smart at all, given the fact that it takes me forever to understand what they're saying and that I often look dazed and confused, but actually, I have to spend a lot of time being smart. How is that, you may ask? Well, I have to do WAY more math while living here: currency conversions, metric conversions, etc. I won't necessarily miss the math part; I pretty much hate math. Despite that, I'm 100% convinced that I use significantly more brain power in this country than I do in the States.

2. Wordsmithery. I think I just made up that word, but here's what I mean: I teach English. I spend a lot of time explaining what words, phrases, and idioms actually mean. I've become a thesaurus and a dictionary and a translator (from English to Understandable English). I am much more careful about choosing the right words and being careful which idioms I use (because, some of them are too much work to explain). My brain is always on "high alert" mode in the word department.

3. The ability to play dumb (while actually thinking more than I usually do- see #1). This is an invaluable asset. At this point in my sojourn here, I actually know what's going on more often than those around me think I do. I understand a lot of conversations that people don't realize I'm hearing and read more signs than people think I can. The ability to play dumb, though, is priceless. Often, people will go out of their way to help you if they think you're dumb, or they'll just give up on trying to make you do something and will do it themselves. When solicitors call, I have my line memorized and ready to roll, and don't those solicitors hang up in a flurry! It's fantastic.

4. Having a regular "vegetable lady" at the bazaar. She asks me where I've been if she hasn't seen me in a while and is really happy to help me pick out my tomatoes and whatnot. She's precious and smiles at me.

5. Ukrainian mama-made Ukrainian food. Yes, I've learned how to cook several dishes, but y'all- it is NOT the same. I'm just saying. Nothing like Oksana's goluptsi. Mmmm.

Things I'm starting to realize I'll miss, Part 1

As my departure looms closer and closer, I'm really aware of the things that I never realized I would miss. It's a strange list, especially given the things I've tended to rant about in the past. But, from my heart, here goes:

1. Singing worship songs in Russian and Ukrainian on Sundays. It was frustrating for the first two weeks, while I was a) learning to read, b) trying to keep up with the words on the screen, and c) trying to figure out how they force so many sounds out of their mouths in such a short amount of time (this one still gets me occasionally). But now, I love it. I take videos of the songs all the time, because I want to be able to replay them when I get home. I'll miss that terribly, even as I'll love being able to worship in my own language.

2. Bus rides between Poltava and Dnepr. I know I just wrote about this recently, but it bears re-mentioning. Part of the reason I love it is because I know something happy awaits me on either end: in Dnepr, it's the Rays, who are like my family, and in Poltava, it's Home.

3. Having friends over for true quality time- cookies, snacks, tea, talking, laughing, going through pictures, learning about each other's lives. Some of my best memories revolve around times spent like that. I love Friday nights, because that's when I get to spend fun times with Vika and Natasha, eating, chatting, looking at pictures on Facebook, listening to music.

4. Sleepovers with Ira and Tanya. I love those girls and how much fun we have spending the night in their apartment. I'll always remember the time that Ira translated an entire Soviet-made movie (2+ hours), or the time we had cold fish paste on toast for breakfast.

5. The small space of change between the seasons. The seasons here seem to change exceedingly quickly, but for the couple of days in between, there's this cool sense of anticipation. I don't even mind it in the winter. It's just neat and somewhat mysterious.

6. The challenges of everyday living. I don't really love everything about these challenges, but there's definitely a sense of accomplishment when you successfully get everything from the bazaar that you set out to. Or, when you do things with duct tape that would make MacGyver proud or when you discover crazy culinary substitutions to use when you can't get something. OR, when you conquer the fruit flies by the use of common household products. Very satisfying (check with me in a couple of days- I'm sure I will have had a failure that makes me regret writing this one!)

7. The convenience of public transportation. I have a love-hate relationship with this one. However, though, on the whole, it's really convenient to know that you don't have to worry about putting gas in your car or finding a parking place.

8. Walking all the time. It's nice to have built-in exercise...especially if you're me and really abhor exercise. When I'm walking, though, I don't seem to notice. I've literally walked for miles here and didn't realize I was exercising.

9. Roaming around Poltava with Nastia. Actually, I spend a lot of time with Nastia. So, basically, I'll just really miss her being in my daily life (and by daily, I actually mean every single day).

10. Tackling the weekly project of creating new ESL lessons. Sometimes I dread this one, but often, it's like a puzzle. I love puzzles. It's fun to think about my students and their specific needs so that I can tailor lessons for them. Of course, more often than not, I have the privilege of totally changing my plan on the fly...

I'm sure I'll build on this post in the upcoming weeks as more and more things I'll miss make themselves known.

Erinochka, I have to hug you often now.

Tonight, I went to SMS club at church (a youth get-together sponsored by Salvation Church once a month). Nobody translated for me, which was actually kind of fun, because I understand so much more than I realize. If I have translation, though, I tend to tune out the Russian.

The theme tonight was about loneliness ("ah-dee-no-chest-va"). Loneliness is definitely something I've dealt with quite a lot while I've been here- mostly during the winter months. I'm surrounded by many friends, but sometimes, just living in a culture that is not your own makes you very lonely. My sad language skills thrust me into isolation, as does my limited knowledge of Ukrainian culture (I'm pretty convinced that I could live here for years and years and never fully understand things). However, God has taught me so much during the lonely times. Those dark and lonely winter months taught me so much about how God is truly my constant confidant and friend. I have gotten to the point where I seem to tell Him every thought, no matter how inconsequential. There were several days this winter when I was so overwhelmed by culture, so lonely without a fellow American, so depressed from the grayness and the snow and the ice, and just so...alone...that I would just cry. But, looking back, I can see that it was in those moments that I truly felt the reality of His presence.

So, during the loneliness talk tonight, I had a good time of reflection. Then, as if the Lord wanted to remind me how not alone I am, Ira came up and gave me a hug. This may not sound important, but she's not really a hugger, so I truly appreciated it. I hugged her back, and she said, "Erinochka, I have to hug you often now. I'm running out of time and know that after you leave, I'll want to hug you and you won't be here." It was such a wonderful reminder of the dear friends that I've been blessed with.

I'm uploading a video of a song that Maya and Slavik sang tonight. It's one of my favorites of the truly Russian praise songs. I hope you enjoy it!

Dekanka

After returning from Dnepropetrovsk (yes, I realize that this "vacation" series is getting long...it will end soon, no worries), I was able to tag along with a group going to visit a nearby town called Dekanka. This group of American volunteers was suffering from the same volcanic ash plight as I was; they were also stranded- only they were stranded NOT in their country of residence. Bless them.

Dekanka has a very colorful history, but it is most noted for its ties to the author Gogol. Nikolai Gogol is renowned for being a famous Russian author, but he was actually born and (so Ukrainian rumor has it) buried in what is now Ukraine (wikipedia disagrees, but I mean, who really knows?). Click here for a little Gogol history. One of his more famous works that, in my experience, a few more Americans have come across and read is Dead Souls, which is a satirical work about serfdom in Russia. Click here. Anyway, Gogol is important to Dekanka because he was born in the greater Dekanka area, and his mother named him after the patron saint of Dekanka, Nikolai.

Dekanka's history also includes World War II activity, repercussions from the great famine that swept the nation under Stalin's rule, and casualties from the conflict between Russia and Afghanistan. This town is so small, it's sort of amazing to me how many men were involved in the wars. The Russian writer, Alexander Pushkin, reportedly made friends with the daughter of the area's nobility, and gained a lot of material for his works from the fascinating stories she told him of her family's history. It was a neat little town, and I wish I could go back on a non-overcast day; they have a "forest" of lilac bushes that I'd love to see!

This arch was constructed for Catherine the Great to walk through. She liked to make a real entrance, so they tell me.

St. Nikolai Church; the one that Gogol was named for.

The bell tower. I thought this view was just so pretty.

This babushka was hauling water out of that well as if it was nothing. I was impressed.

I thought this was a cool windmill. Found out later that they used this in the production process of a local brew.

After posing with this engine, I found out that this, too, was involved in the aforementioned process. Oi.

Bus Ride Home

"Vacation" week presented me with many, many opportunities to spend time on public, cross-country transportation in Ukraine. What a blessing...

Actually, I don't really mind bus and train ride so much. The only thing that really starts to get to me is the soreness and stiffness that sets into the joints after the first 3 hours. I really do enjoy watching the countryside go by, checking out little microcosms of Ukraine. There's so much to see on those long drive: villages, landscapes, large furry creatures that wander through the streets, men and women peddling their wares on the sides of the street, brightly painted houses with thatch roofs, grandparents riding their bicycles to the market, endless numbers of outhouses (in all states of repair- or disrepair), gardens, cemeteries, magnificent or quaint Orthodox churches. There's so much.

I even discovered this year that spring and summer are not the only interesting times to drive through the country. Last fall, when I journeyed to Dnepr for Thanksgiving, I was completely fascinated by watching the leafless trees, checking out the neat designs that God crafted into their branches. I literally sat and watched the trees for hours of the drive. I think it's my version of "stop and smell the roses." In the winter, the entire face of the country is changed by the snow. Watching the falling snow on those drives is beautiful...even if you don't care for snow.

Well, Tuesday was quite possibly my last opportunity to savor the trip between Dnepr and Poltava. It was a lovely day, so I kept my camera out, trying to catch pictures of some of the things to be seen on the drive. Unfortunately, I got a little too caught up in watching and failed to capture some of the best things I saw, like the little lady sweeping her yard with her foot-long broom, the herd of chickens that escaped their yard and were being frantically chased down, the cow walking solitary down the road, the beautiful Orthodox prayer chapel made completely out of wood, and the salmon-pink cottage. Here are some of the shots that I did get, though (sorry that most of them are blurry- moving vehicle, you know):

The fancy calendar that was mounted in front of my face on the journey home. Happy little tiger.

The reversed sign on my way home. I was actually going Dnepr-Poltava, even thought this sign says Poltava-Dnepr. Don't be confused, friends.

One of the churches on the way home. I like the crane in the background.

Church and cemetery.

This was just so Fiddler on the Roof. Love it.

Oh, the sights in Dnepropetrovsk!

Monday in Dnepropetrovsk was magical.

Why, you may ask? Because the sun shone the WHOLE day! It was fantastic! The Rays and I went out for lunch and a walk along the river before stopping at McDonald's for ice cream. Such a great day! Here are some shots from around Dnepr. It's not terribly exciting, but I kept forgetting to take pictures...

I was just really impressed with how tall this building was. I'm easily amused, I guess.

This tree is covered in ribbons and locks, which couples put on there to symbolize their relationships. Aw...

Up close picture of some of the padlocks. Here's hoping they don't break up (because they throw the keys in the river- how will they get the locks off in case of a break up emergency?)

So, underneath the Love Tree Of Locks is a bench. This bench includes metal artwork of love birds AND this fancy stork, carrying a baby bundle.

Found these little statue-friends. I'm not really sure what they are, but I liked them.

Church out of the city

After my brief sojourn in the faraway land of Kiev, I hopped back on a bus and traveled 8.5 hours back to Dnepropetrovsk for a few more days with the Rays (if anyone wants to do the math on my bus/train time thus far: 4 hours from Poltava to Dnepr, 6 from Dnepr to Kiev, 8.5 from Kiev back to Dnepr). Bright and early Sunday morning, we loaded up and headed out of the city to visit a church that the Rays have been in contact with for several years.

The town we visited is, by no means, a village, but it's considerably smaller than Dnepr (not hard to do since Dnepr is the 3rd largest city in Ukraine). The town is called Marganets (clearly, that's the English transliteration), and there is much beautiful countryside to be seen between Dnepr and Marganets. Of course, I only know this because of the ride BACK to Dnepr- I slept pretty much the whole way TO Marganets. Something about long bus rides always does that to me the next day...

The church service consisted of two sermons (Mike preached one of them- in Russian), exactly 2 congregational hymns, several songs by the Rays, and approximately 1 jillion songs by a visiting women's ensemble from another church. Whew! Lots of songs. Lots of songs. After church, we were invited to join the ladies' ensemble for lunch in the church nursery/fellowship hall.

Crazy fact about Erin that should be inserted here: I am allergic to potatoes. I can't eat them. I used to be able to, and I used to love them, but now I can't eat them.

Vital fact about Ukraine that should be inserted here: The potato is the staple food item.

So, at lunch, I had to pick around the potatoes, which sparked questions about why I don't like Ukrainian food. Oi.

We finished off our evening with movies and popcorn back at the Ray apartment, AS WELL AS a skype-ed in viewing of my sister, Amiee, giving her senior voice recital. She was fantastic! This is something else I would not have been able to see/hear "in person" had volcanic ash not interfered.

The Rays, singing in Russian. Such talent.

More singing.

Posing with the primary pastor, visiting pastor, and ladies' ensemble.

This is a video of Mike and Linda Ray singing in Russian. The song is "I am the Lord (Do Not Fear)" by Grace Community Church in Nashville, TN (clearly, it's been translated into Russian :). Enjoy!

"Vacation"

Or "How Volcanic Ash Thwarted My Plans And Left Me In Ukraine After All".

I've had quite the adventure this week. Before I start with the misadventures, let me quickly list the things I am thankful for:

1. I was not stuck somewhere in transit through Europe during all this volcano fun.

2. I was able to hang out with Elizabeth and later the Rays, who made the disappointment process way more fun.

3. I was able to face my week being thankful that no one was hurt by the volcano and that things are clearing up...slowly but surely.

That being said, here's how I started Phase 2 of my "vacation":

My original plan was to meet my friend, Breanne, in London. We were then going to Salzburg, Austria for the "Sound of Music" tour. Let me tell you- I was SO excited! I haven't seen Breanne in ages, she had planned out a fantastic Austrian adventure, and then we were going to do some of the London sights post-Austria. It was going to be fantastic!

I left Dnepropetrovsk (where I had been with my supervisors...it's about 3.5 hours south of me by bus) on Thursday, headed to Kiev where I would stay with Elizabeth until my flight on Friday morning. Needless to say, I never did get on my flight.

In a magnificent effort to cheer me up and give me a "western culture" experience, Elizabeth devised a plan. We had dinner at T.G.I.Friday's. SO good! Later, we had tea (in her fancy china) and cookies (er...biscuits). We watched "Sherlock Holmes" (so British, right?) for the good British accents. I hummed songs from "Sound of Music" along the way. We took an extended (2-car) trolley bus to the bus station; Elizabeth pointed out that it's sort of like a double-decker bus. We realize that was a stretch, but hey, what's a girl(s) to do?

I then headed back to Dnepropetrovsk to spend a few more quality days with the Rays, which included a viewing of "The Godfather, part 3", a Sunday out of the city, and lots of quality conversation. I'm sorry that I couldn't spend my quality time with Breanne, but I'm glad I had friends who were willing to take me in and take care of me in my blue state-of-mind.

Me, Sveta, and Elizabeth. Sveta is Elizabeth's language helper, but oddly enough, she was actually one of my very first Ukrainian friends 3 years ago. It was so cool to get to see her- which would not have happened if I'd made my flight!

Oh, the fanciness! The tea was fantastic, and the china made it much more elegant.

Ok, this picture probably will not mean much to many of you, but here's the story. Ever since I arrived here, Ukrainian friends have gotten me to attempt to pronounce the name of this city. It's RIDICULOUSLY difficult to say, but slowly, I have mastered it. I was on the train the other day and glanced out the window at one of our 2-minute stops, only to see this sign! I had to snap a quick picture. If I were to spell this name out in English, it would look/sound something like this: Dnyeh-pro-dzehr-zhinsk. It's 16 letters long. Yeah. It's hard. You can be impressed, if you want.

More to come! Stay tuned.

Thanks, Iceland

Well, my vacation has been derailed. I had lengthy discussions with Travelocity last night, only to determine that they can't even think about rebooking me until Friday, April 23...which, incidentally, is the last day of my vacation. I'm rather disappointed, to say the least, but I'm planning to make an adventure out of this week, despite it all.

I'll keep you posted.

I'm sorry...did you say "volcanic ash?"

Dear faithful blog readers,

Please forgive me for my lack of blog-iness recently. I've been out of pocket for the last week and have now landed myself in a very crazy situation.

For a couple months now, I've been planning my vacation week- to be spent in London and Salzburg (Sound of Music tour). I was supposed to leave this morning for London. Surprisingly (and I mean, for real, surprisingly) a volcano in Iceland chose to erupt, thus altering my plans.

Seriously? A volcano in Iceland?

Well, said volcano sent a lot of ash into the air, effectively halting travel throughout Western Europe (apparently, volcanic ash is really bad for planes). Ergo, I am waiting it out in Kiev, thinking about my incredible good luck (and by that, I mean awful luck) in traveling. If you doubt my uncanny ability to find/cause travel issues, please consult Ben about the Great France Fiasco of 2004. I still have an aversion to Charles de Gaulle.

I hope that you, loyal blog fans, have not given up all hope on me. I will be back to blog effectively another day. Until then, I'm pondering volcanoes and their dispersal of ash into European airspace.

Yours most sincerely,
Erin the Stranded

My landlord sounds like the Don*

It's true. My landlord currently sounds like the Ukrainian version of Don Corleone. It's kind of creepy. I love "The Godfather" (the first one...the other two are just not the same) and think that Marlon Brando is fantastic with his distinctive voice and speech pattern.

HOWEVER

It is just not the same when "the don" turns out to be a quite elderly Ukrainian man (whose Russian is garbly even when his throat isn't infected and raspy) who, quite like those people who raise their voices in English when trying to speak to a native Spanish-speaker, gets extremely close to my face, talks extremely loudly, and gesticulates to the extreme.

Tonight, he kept pressing in to make his point. I kept stepping backward (reverting to my American upbringing of 'personal space')...until I was right smack up against the refrigerator and had no escape. He kept getting closer to explain something, but I was no longer able to follow along. This is when I just focused on his similarities with the Don:

1. raspy voice

2. putting on the pressure to make his point (Made him an offer that he couldn't refuse)

3. old and a little grumpy

4. intimidating as he gets up in my face (think "Sonny"...scary!)

5. Also...he repeated his message 6 times (kind of like when the Don repeats the same advice over and over to Michael, in an effort to warn him of impending betrayal). Should I be concerned?

If he keeps up the intense Godfather antics, I'm going to have to go to the mattresses. I'll take my cannoli with me, thank you very much!

*This post is for Dad, Mike, Kat, Amiee, and Brad.

And just when I'm at the height of my annoyance...

...something especially nice happens.

So, I think my cold has morphed into a sinus infection. I feel awesome. And, by "awesome", I mean awful. Can't breathe normally, coughing, throat hurts, head hurts, ears hurt. You know the drill. It's not the kind of thing that keeps me in the bed, but it's the kind of thing that makes me grumpy and tired and want to lay my head down on any available surface.

Last night, the water in my building was shut off. I don't know how often this happens to most of you reading my blog, but let me just say, it annoys me to no end. I had a lot of experience with this in Africa, which has turned out to be a blessing- I at least know how to cope with it. Let's make a quick list of activities that a lack of water affects:

1. Drinking water. Thankfully, I always keep about 5 or so bottles of filtered water ready to roll (I drink a lot of water).

2. Toiletry water (i.e. brushing teeth, washing face, washing hands).

3. Dish washing water.

4. Washing machine water.

5. Cooking water.

6. Bathing water.

7. Toilet-flushing water. Yes. This is the worst one, in my opinion.

The lack of water situation happens more in the summer UNLESS there is some kind of building/remodeling going on, which seems to be the case today. Either way, to any of you who have stayed in Dom Erin here in Poltava and have giggled when checking out the "water balcony", I give you Exhibit A: my current waterless situation.

In reaction to my time in Africa, I began storing bottles of "reserve water" on one of my balconies. It does look kind of funny to see bottles and jars full of water hanging out on the balcony, but I'm really thankful for it today. It becomes really important to be able to flush the toilet after almost 24 hours.

Anyway, my annoyance has continued to grow all day today, as I mindlessly reach for the tap to wash my hands or dishes- only to remember that there is no water. I've been mentally grumbling and growling and allowing my irritation to grow until...

Maya and Vova stopped by. A group of friends are having a picnic today, but because of the fever I had going on last night, I decided I should probably pass on an outing. I let Maya know, and a few minutes ago, I answered the door to find Maya, Vova, and a beautiful flower waiting for me. They came to say "get well" and that they'll miss me on the picnic. Suddenly, my water situation doesn't seem quite so terrible. (Check back with me in a couple of hours...I might be back to growling)

Христос Воскрес!

Воистину воскрес!

I heard these Easter greetings approximately 193857 times today- which is fine by me! Translation: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! What better greeting to share?

I really love Easter; it's a holiday celebrating the most glorious gift ever given! Therefore, I REFUSED to let the nasty cold I've acquired to keep me from going to church today. I've spent the past 48 hours sniffing, coughing, sneezing, sleeping, and being generally grumpy and discontent. This morning, though, I took a billion mg of cold and cough medicine, packed my tissues, and trekked off to church.

I'm so glad I did. It was fantastic to celebrate Easter with my Ukrainian brothers and sisters in Christ. We sang special Easter songs, watched a children's performance, and listened to a poignant sermon on the resurrection of the body. It was a service full of hope and encouragement.

During the course of the service, we read about the curtain in the Temple- how it tore from top to bottom when Jesus died. Symbolically, this tore down the barrier between God and Man, abolishing the need for a human mediator. This brought to mind the beautiful Orthodox churches throughout Ukraine that each include an ornate iconostasis. These decorated walls separate the main part of the church (where worshipers gather) from the consecrated area where the priests alone are allowed. Every time I see one of these amazing structures, it makes me sad that so many people in our world don't realize that we can have a personal relationship with God- without needing a human mediator.

After the service, I promptly returned home to crash and load up on more medicine. I also sorted through my various Easter gifts: a bag of happies from my family, a beautiful Easter mug from Mrs. Linda (that she brought to me from Budapest!), jelly beans from the Kinards, and an Easter cake (paska) from Tanya and Ira. Thank you, everyone!

From the Brassarts. We (Amiee and I) get lambs every year. And, yes, that is a coloring book on the bottom. That's righ: I'm 24 and love coloring.

Hungarian mug from Mrs. Linda!

Jelly beans from the Kinards (right, Rach?)

Easter cake from Tanya and Ira. Best one I've had while in Ukraine.

Then, as a cap to my otherwise lovely day, the water in my apartment was shut off. What fun! If you know me at all, you know that camping- in any form- is not my thing.

Happy Easter!

Union Day 4

Unlike most of our student projects, the Union group conducted evening English clubs Monday- Wednesday. We usually do them Tuesday- Thursday, but because this was Passion Week, we readjusted the schedule so that everyone could attend Maundy Thursday services (commemorating the night Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper among Believers). So, our last day, we were in classrooms, but we didn't have English club that night.

My group had a two-hour break in between our two classes on Thursday. Nastia and I took the gang around Poltava, showing them the sights. I forgot to take many pictures- sorry!

This team was fantastic. They were such troopers through all of the obstacles and were able to accomplish a lot of work. It was a privilege to work with them!

Elizabeth and Elena (professor)

My group and their favorite class of the week!

Stealing the Lada! Good thing the Ukrainians convicted these guys on Mystery Night- they were right!

Union Day 3

Day 3 arrived, as did a slough of coughs and runny noses for the group! They were such wonderful sports, and I didn't hear one single complaint! They loaded up on cold medication, packed their tissues and cough drops, and headed into the fray. Those of us at my school (Team A/ Team Rock and Roll) introduced a new lesson on Day 3, which was excellent, seeing as we had a "repeat class" of students from Monday. Thankfully, on this day full of coughing and nose blowing and exhaustion, the Lord provided necessary energy to make it through class, and my team had a class cancellation, which allowed for some rest/down time! And, our second class of the day only had 3 students!

Evening program #3 was another "coffeehouse" night, full of conversation and games. The students- American and Ukrainian- were able to spend a lot of time visiting with our new visitors and friends, making connections. It was an overall great evening!

Pamela and Cassie discussing "happiness" with one of the groups.

Kevin, leading a group in discussing "fears."

I took this picture merely to capture the fact that the sun was still up at 20 til 7!

Some of the gang!