Snow encouragement from the Lord

I have 2 verses that I quote to myself when I'm maneuvering around on the ice:

Psalm 121:3 "He will not let your foot slip..."

and

Jude 24 "Now, to Him Who is able to keep you from falling..."

They're like my mantras. I love it that the Lord included those verses in the Bible- just for my ice walking problems.

Things I've been enjoying lately...

Here are some things that I've been enjoying lately. I always like to share good news:

Mark Driscoll's "Redeeming Ruth" sermon series. Click here to download free podcasts. I've listened to the whole series twice!

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. Want to invest? Buy it here. This is the second time I've read it.

Sporcle. Beware: you may become addicted. Click here and here to test your European knowledge. Let me know how you do!

My friend, Kari, and her husband have recently traveled to Senegal for a few weeks. Here's her blog about the trip. This particular one mentions me! I'm Aminata (that's my Senegalese name).

Librivox audiobooks. Download literary classics (audio) for free! You can also find them on iTunes and download them as podcasts.

Skype! Helps me stay in touch with my friends and family at home.

Beth Moore's Stepping Up Bible study. Many thanks to Felesha for leaving it with me. I'm planning to pass it on to another friend when I'm finished.

Reading up on Russian/Slavic culture on the Russian Blog.

Kari's Soft Honey and Ginger cookies. They've been a big hit with Ukrainian friends! I can't get molasses or brown sugar here, so these have been so great.

If you try any of these, let me know!

Perpetual Student

One Ukrainian friend that has become very dear to my heart is actually one of the teachers that I work with. If you'd told me when I first got here that I would come to love her so much, I would have rolled my eyes at you (I'm a very accomplished eye-roller, right Susu?). But, it's true: I just love that Margarita Mendeleevna!

She's been an English teacher at the Road-building Technical College for 42 years. She came here to teach after graduating from university in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and she's been here ever since. She has a real love for her students and wants them to become the very best that they possibly can. My favorite part about her? She's always on the prowl for more knowledge about the English language!

Her English is really quite excellent. She speaks in a very formal, proper way, having learned English under the Soviet system. Her accent and much of her vocabulary is British (you would not believe how much British I've learned to speak since moving here! And, yes, I call it "British"- not "British English."). Her favorite activity? Reading John Grisham novels. She's read tons of them and is always searching for new ones.

Can you find her? She wanted to be in the picture but not anywhere near the foreground!

I spend every Friday in her classroom. Throughout the rest of the week, she makes lists of questions to ask me about English nuances or about idioms she's run across and the most appropriate way to use them. I truly enjoy explaining them to her and watching her face as understanding dawns. She's such an inspiration to me; she's in her late-60's and still thrives on learning. Just try telling her that she knows enough about English and shouldn't waste her time!

A few of my favorite Margarita-isms:

1. "He enjoys going to the gym to work out and pump." (I realized she knew the phrase "pumping iron.")

2. "There was a disgraceful photograph of one government official on the beach- only wearing strings!" (I figured out that she meant he was wearing a speedo.)

3. "Erin, I wanted to check with you about some of the grammar in this book. I am quite proud of myself and fancy that I have caught some mistakes!"

She's truly a blessing in my life, and I will miss her very much. I wish you all could meet her!

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.

Day of Defenders

February 23 (yesterday) is "Men's Day" or "Day of Defenders." Originally, it was created to honor the men who served in the Soviet army. I've read that it was originally known as "Red Army" day. I've heard that it was actually created as a reaction to "Women's Day," which is celebrated on March 8. Last year, I was given a box of matches, sporting a tank on it, as a marker of the day.

I think, having grown up somewhere besides the Soviet Union, my first reaction to anything Soviet is "Whoa...don't want to be a part of that!" After living here for even the short amount of time that I have, I've gained a respect for the men and women that comprised the Soviet Union. I still don't have high opinions of Mr.'s Lenin and Stalin and their methods (and never will), but I do have a great deal of respect for the masses of men and women who so determinedly kept their families going. Most of the time, the older generation tends to be harsh and pushy when out in public. However, the more I learn of their lives during the Soviet Union, the more respect I have for their lives and force of will. The men- the ones who were required to fight in wars and battles, the ones who had to provide for their families- had to work and fight extra hard, for a cause that they'd be conditioned to revere and respect. That determination is something to respect.

No matter what opinion I have of the USSR, I respect the men who were so valiant and brave. You can still sometimes see that same determination on the faces of the men and boys today.

Blessings of my life

I know that I frequently write about how much I hate snow or how I get frustrated with cultural differences. I don't want to leave you with the impression that I dislike my life here. In an effort to rectify this situation, I thought I'd write about some of the blessings in my life.

1. Salvation church

I spend a LOT of time at church or participating in church events. The folks at church are kind of like my second family. They've been so great to include me in everything and to take care of me when I need things.

Snowy shot of the church building

Last year's group shot of (some of) the "youth group." Anyone unmarried and younger than 30 can be youth...

2. Ira and Tanya

These two girls were my first friends in Poltava. I've spent countless hours working alongside them, hanging out, praying, laughing, and eating great Ukrainian food with them. They are so faithful to help me and to encourage me.

Tanya and Ira. Love them.

3. Nastia

Nastia is my lifeline, most of the time. She's my neighbor and kind of functions like my mom- whether she wants to or not! She helps me when I have tricky things to do like buy train tickets or get my hair cut without major translation issues! She ALWAYS makes sure to include me in any ministry or fun activity. I can't tell you how many hours she's spent at my apartment, hanging out with whatever group of students happens to be here. She's great.

Last year with Nastia.

This year with Nastia!

4. Victoria and Nataly

These two girls were my first friends at one of the universities at which I teach. We've stayed friends for over a year now, and they spend many Friday evenings at my apartment- making cookies, watching movies, playing games. They are precious and I love them.

At the movies with Nataly (left) and Victoria (right)

Christmas Eve with Nataly, Victoria, and my sister, Amiee

This is only a very, very tiny look at the blessings in my life, but I wanted to give you something positive to associate with Poltava...rather than just the vitriolic musings about snow.

PERManent damage? Nope!

This last week, my supervisor and his wife came to Poltava for a few days (they live about 3.5 hours south- in a different oblast). It was great fun to have them stay with me (they came to visit me and to attend a few meetings), and they brought their dog, Mandie, which was so fun! Lots of great things occurred: movie watching, Mexican eating, visiting, and English clubbing. Also, there was one afternoon of perm-giving.

That's right: Mrs. Linda entrusted me with updating her perm. Like, the kind on her head.

I was positively terrified! All I could imagine was me giving it my best shot...and her hair falling out. However, it went really well. She talked me through each step very thoroughly, and we watched a true classic, "Mr. Mom," to put us in the right mood for do-it-yourselfing. I felt quite accomplished. Unfortunately, I don't have an "after" shot. So, you'll just have to take my word for it! :)

Supplies

Brave Mrs. Linda. And Mandie. *I did have permission to post this, by the way!

If you eat British food, you may go hungry

Tonight at English club, I was able to visit with a friend that I hadn't seen in several months. Her name is Ina, and she is super sweet and precious. At the beginning of the school year, she and some of her schoolmates went to Great Britain for 3 weeks of "culture exchange." Since I haven't seen her since her trip, I was asking her questions about her experience. When I asked her what her favorite thing she ate was, this was the answer I received:

"Actually, we ate Ukrainian food while we were there because our house mom said that if we ate British food we would be hungry."

Please make of that what you will.

The stuff of life

This week (minus the less-than-positive interaction at the university) has been quite good. Both English clubs went well (even though the Intermediate club consisted mostly of Beginners and the lesson had to be changed on the fly; I thrive on structure and this culture puts my character to the test), and my class at another college went exceptionally well. Apparently, the troublemakers were absent, and all the sweet, quiet ones were able to come out of their shells. If you're ever interested in seeing some of what I do in class, you should check out my ESL blog; I post on lessons that I've done/what's been a big hit/what's been helpful/etc: http://erininukraineesl.blogspot.com/.

The weather has been intense this week. Last night, instead of snow, we had freezing rain. I'm not sure that I quite grasp how there can be such a thing as "freezing rain"; I've always been under the impression that frozen rain is snow, but ok. I took some pictures of the tree outside my kitchen window as the freezing rain coated it. It was really pretty...but I got VERY cold with the window open!

And, just for your amusement, I'm including a picture of the carrots I bought this week. I am kicking myself for not getting a "before" picture. I remember my mom taking a picture of the sink after cleaning produce when we lived in the Middle East. I asked why, and she said it was because no one would believe how dirty it was. I am now doing the same thing. When I bought my carrots, they were black. They did not look like carrots. This picture is post-soaking and pre-hardcore-scrubbing.

A Walk in the Snow

Today did not go as planned.

For this whole school year, I've been leading an English club at a local university. It's always been on Wednesdays at 2:10. Last week, I got a text message on Monday night, asking me to come on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. It was from the professor responsible for English club, so it seemed legit to me. It worked out fine last week, and I had a great group of students.

This week, I got a text telling me which room to go to and what time to be there. I showed up, and the classroom was full of students who had no idea who I was and told me that they were waiting for their professor to show up and lecture. Awesome. I began tracking down different professors that I know and ended up talking with the chair of the Language Department. She was very annoyed. Apparently, the change from Wednesday to Tuesday was not made known to her, and it messed greatly with her schedule.

So, I ended up not teaching anything today. She said she'll send me a message when she gets it all sorted out. It was rather embarrassing and discouraging...

I headed to the bus stop to start the trek home. I waited at the bus stop for a long while. Bus after bus came by, but not a single one was going my direction. At long last, a bus headed towards my apartment came by...and when it did, I saw that the bus was literally bursting at the seams with people trying to cram in.

I decided to walk.

I didn't walk the entire way home (mostly because part of the way home is on an icy incline, and I didn't want to fall down the hill), but I walked halfway home and got a bus for the rest of the way. I spent the walk praying for the professors and students at the university. I tried to channel my frustration into something productive and loving; it helped change my perspective on my afternoon.

Even though I was slipping down the sidewalks, I could appreciate the new snow (we've gotten about 4 inches today), the falling snow, and the lack of wind. I took some pictures for you and everything!

The pretty snow!

The not pretty snow...this is the street. The black part that you see is actually ice. Not so fun.

Another street shot. Yikes!

P.S. On the bus home, I realized that I had a "lucky ticket" (счастливый билет). You have a "lucky ticket" when the 6 numbers on your ticket add up a certain way: the first three- when added together- equal the sum of the last three numbers. No sooner had I figured out that I had one than the guy standing in front of me realized that he did, too. It was funny to watch him wave it around in front of his buddy, saying "I got the lucky one and you didn't. Ha!"

My lucky ticket! 16 = 16

Happy Erin Day!

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time, you know about my slight obsession with Ukrainian names. I know that I've written a lot about the different variations of names, so this post will not be about that. Instead, did you know that Ukrainians (and other citizens of Slavic, Orthodox, and traditionally Catholic countries) are named after saints? This is the reason that there are so many people with the same names.

The most interesting part of this is that you are supposed to be congratulated on your Name Day (kind of like another birthday)! The Name Day is closely associated with the person's baptism as a baby. So, a few weeks ago, my friend, Ira, congratulated her sister, Tanya, on St. Tatiana's Day. St. Tatiana is the patron saint of students, so the entire day is known as "student day." Those named Valentin or Valentina celebrate February 14th as their name day. I'm not really sure about any others, though. Sorry...

However, I'm trying to pick an "Erin" name day. At first I thought I would name my birthday as "Erin" day, but then I decided that I should have another day...2 celebrations. Do you have a Name Day?

Thoughts

Thoughts that ran through my head today:

1. Today is the last day of presidential elections for Ukraine. One candidate is a man (Yanukovich) and one is a woman (Timoshenko...current prime minister). No one seems to think too much of either of them. I don't know much about either, and what I do know isn't really positive. Keywords: prison stints and mafia. Yippee.

2. At church, it is very common to have two sermons within the service. The services are never less than 2 hours, so they have plenty of time. For our first sermon this morning, we ended up standing the whole time. It was almost 20 minutes. Orthodox believers always stand; Orthodox churches don't even have pews or chairs. However, let me just say that I cannot pay attention while standing. I start a stream of consciousness something like this: man my legs are tired. I wonder if my knees are locked. don't they say that if you lock your knees and get overheated you'll pass out? oh wow I'm also hot. does this mean that I'm about to pass out? if I pass out what will it feel like the second before I go down? if I go down will I whack my head on the pew? If I do that will they make me go to the hospital?

Basically, I don't hear anything that's being said, and all I can think about is how much more focused I'd be if I was seated.

3. Today is the Super Bowl. Until about two days ago, I didn't know when the Super Bowl was or who was playing. I LOVE SEC football. I don't care at all about the Super Bowl. I just like the food. So, I decided to make snacks, invite friends over, and watch "Remember the Titans." It's football-related.

4. The grocery store was out of normal milk; all they had was buttermilk. Does this happen in the States?

5. The sun came out today, and it was lovely. I had to ice skate to church, but the sun was pretty. I've had a constant headache for almost 4 weeks. I think it's barometric pressure-related. It's been awful- feeling wretched every day. Today, however, I have not had one. Victory!

That's all for today. I think...

Snow explanation

I've made no secret about my snow feelings. However, this last week, I define my feelings a little more. We got new snow last Friday, and I thought through a lot of my snow issues. I have decided that I CAN like snow, under the following conditions:

IF the snow does not strand incoming family members for, say, 24 hours and

IF the temperature stays at a decent temperature, like the teens or 20's and

IF the snow is not accompanied by stabbing, Siberian winds and

IF the snow is piled prettily (white and fluffy...not black and hard) on the side of the road or sidewalk and

IF the snow doesn't become so packed down that it becomes a thick layer of ice that pedestrians slip and slide on (which it ALWAYS does and nobody seems to bother with shoveling or plowing) and

IF the snow doesn't relentlessly beat against your face and

IF the snow in the streets doesn't become so packed and slick that you, oh I don't know, fall on the street in front of a bus and have to scramble to get out of the way...

IF all of these details fall into place, I can appreciate the snow.

Erin, why do you have a picture of toilet paper on your camera?

Nastia asked me that question yesterday as I flipped through some pictures on my camera. I had forgotten that I had them on there. I took a picture of toilet paper for the benefit of you, my dear blog followers. I think I've written about this before, but it bears repeating, I guess. Products that you buy here come packaged very differently.

Things that come in bags:

1. mayonnaise

2. ketchup

3. ice cream

4. sour cream

5. milk

Sometimes, milk comes in boxes or tiny bottles. I'm currently a fan of a brand that comes in a small bottle. I like the little cat that's on the label. Juice also comes in boxes (not just the little ones with straws that you take to kindergarten). I'm including a picture of a box of apple juice that I had recently- not so much because it's a box but because the picture is a knock-off of the "Twilight" marketing campaign. Ha!

The picture of the toilet paper, incidentally, is included because the toilet paper is scented. They didn't have any unscented last time I went, so I had to get the apple-scented kind.