a pretty cool website...

A PCV posted on facebook about this very cool website where you can enter ingredients that you have in your kitchen...and it will tell you a bajillion different recipes you can make with them!  Somebody was thinking when they designed this free website.

http://www.supercook.com/

You create a username and password and start clicking away at the different ingredients you have in your kitchen.  I should not have started this project at 9:36 pm when I'm already done cooking for the day.

Today was a good day in that I feel like the HIV/AIDS project we're working on at my work has finally become plausible.  Grant writing is an incredibly tricky business of which I have NO experience (in fact, the entire grant writing process terrifies me in general).  But, HIV/AIDS education is incredibly needed in Ukraine which has one of the fastest growing percentages of HIV positive people in Europe (I think I quoted that statistic correctly...).  Up until today, the project had been a nagging fly constantly buzzing in my ear that I couldn't manage to grab ahold of.  BUT, today, someone up above was looking out for me and finally gave me that "aha!" moment where things finally started falling into place.  I have a grant coach (a fellow PCV in Ukraine) who has helped me the past week really get some things in order for the grant.  I could not have done it without her (thank you, Stephanie!).  Keep your fingers crossed that the rest of it keeps falling in place...

I skipped the gym today.  Bad Lydia.  But, I did go twice over the weekend.  And, I walked a heck of a lot today with Dan and Vicki to buy our train tickets for the ski trip.  It was snowing most of our walk...which made me that much more excited to ski!

Today's word of the day is something I need a translation for.  I kind of understand what it means, but I'm hoping my dad or one of my Russian teachers will give me the actual translation for it.  Ukrainians say it ALL the time.  Olena defined it as "it's all okay."

договорились
pronounced: do-gah-va-ree-lees

Google translate says it means "agreed."  That makes sense...because most Ukrainians say it at the end of a conversation.  In my head, I pictured it meaning something along the lines, "until we talk next time" because the root of the word (говорить) can be seen.  So, what do you think Pops and Maria?  


I'm gearing up for next week when I get to go to Russian Language Refresher which is supposed to be a fun and useful PCV experience.  Twice a year, the PC in Ukraine hosts Russian and Ukrainian Language Refreshers where PCVs get together with some PC staff to have a week of Russian/Ukrainian classes again.  I am really, really hoping that it will give me the boost of energy I need to get a tutor. Ukrainian Language Refresher is going on this week in the Rivne oblast (way northwest).  My Russian Language Refresher will be held in Chernigov (north-central).  AND, double bonus...I will get to see my host family for the first time since training!  They live about an hour and a half away from Chernigov and I'll stay with them on Friday night after training.  I am so so so excited to see them and see Oster...hopefully covered in snow!  More about Language Refresher later.  Toodles :)