I have a Russian tutor!!!

Yippeeeeeeee :)  finally!!  I am so so so so so so excited to have a Russian tutor.  After being at different trainings and hearing other PCVs speak in Russian and realizing how much mine has digressed...it made me sad and somewhat frustrated to know that I haven't been doing anything to make my Russian better.  Granted, for the first couple months after training, I didn't want to see any type of Russian class material for a while.  You try learning a language every day, for 4 hours a day, for 3 months straight and let me know if your brain reaches max capacity.  I think it would.  At the end of training...I was done.  Kaput.  Couldn't handle any more new information.  But now, I'm ready to conquer it.

One of the reasons I requested a non-Spanish speaking country for PC was because I wanted to learn a new language...and I mean really learn it.  And I knew that the only way I would ever learn a new language at this point in my life was to be submersed in it.  And boy, let me tell ya, that makes ya learn quick!  I met with my new tutor, Sveta, yesterday and today to decide on how things would work and what we would be doing.  Yesterday, she told me she wanted me to read a book in Russian.  I laughed and said it needed to be the level of a 5 year old.  So...look what she brought me today :) 

The book is actually two books in one: 1) Winnie the Pooh and 2) Malish and Karlson.  I'm going to read Malish and Karlson, which is the top part of the picture featuring a flying man with a little boy on his back.  We will meet twice a week for one hour each time to speak and work on my Russian.  I'm also supposed to read aloud my book at home.  My neighbors will probably think I'm crazy (actually, they probably already do...).  If you want to see a little bit about what the story is about...here's a youtube video on it.  I only watched the first few minutes because I am supposed to try to comprehend from the book and I don't want any help!  But, the first 3 minutes are pretty boring...I'd fast forward through that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93GNqmaToKU

One of my goals while I'm here in Ukraine is to read Harry Potter 1 in Russian.  We'll see if that ever happens...so please please please hold me accountable!! Ask me if I'm getting anywhere close to reading Гарри Поттер и Философский Камень!!  Here's what it looks like in Russian...

Also, if you google "Harry Potter in Russian"...this is one of the things that comes up.  Hysterical :)

Dumbledore, Snape, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and what's the last little guy?!  

On another note, today marks two things:  1) my first English club meeting with adults (14 people!  Not too shabby...) and 2) I haven't had a piece of meat in one month!  That's right...this girl is trying being a vegetarian.  There are a number of reasons for this which I will be happy to explain if someone is so curious...but I doubt everyone really cares.  I may go off on a rant on it someday, but I'll warn you so you can skip that days post if you so desire :)

Okay, going to indulge in one of my guilty pleasures here: The Real Housewives of ________________. It's embarrassing but true.  I'll watch any of the shows but the Atlanta one.  Fare thee well :)