That's right folks. When I went to the Post Office today expecting something from Peace Corps, instead I was greeted with an unexpected package!!!!!! My dear brother and sis-in-law sent this baby and man was I excited to open it.
I literally SQUEALED when I saw the pop-tarts sitting there. Even better? They're the confetti kind which is a limited edition I saw online and have yet to try.
So many goodies!!
Thank you thank you Jeremy and Tina. The design mags, notepad, Easter goodies for my kids {let's be real: the Cadbury min-eggs are for me. I'm not sharing my fave Easter candy...}, a mini-umbrella, and a Zippo hand warmer! Oh, and a card that plays the ENTIRE Boomer Sooner song! I can't wait to show it to my friends. I loved the Easter card too, which I'm guessing my brother had something to do with.
Am I right, Jeremy? :)
I wrote on my sis-in-laws' facebook wall at 4:30 pm saying that I was trying my best not to open the mini-eggs yet.
That lasted a whole 'nother hour before I opened the bag. Turns out I have no self control when it comes to food from home. Whoops. I am putting the pop-tarts away for a rainy day though!
Speaking of precipitation, it snowed today. For a lot of hours. Didn't stick very much. I am not getting out my winter coat again. Nuh-uh. No way.
A birthday shout-out is in order for today as well :) March seems to be an incredibly popular month for my friends to be born?! Today is Miss Britney's birthday--a dear friend with a true servant's heart.
She drives a red bug in real life! Not just this mini one... :)
Lydia, Britney, Grace--Mexico 2010
I first got to know Britney during the summer of 2010 on the 3-week mission in Mexico called Juners. During those weeks, I watched Britney come out of her shell and truly become a leader for the younger ones on that trip. She was always willing to lend a hand, no matter the {nasty} job. Her love of life is truly contagious. And, she has a wonderful sense of style :)
She also looks great in corn-rows.
after a week of corn-rows, we were sad to take them out.
an ex-gymnast. look at that form!
I've never met a red-head who could tan like she does. She's darker than me, which isn't saying a lot, but we won't get into that now...
at Passion 2011
Passion girls going to see Beth Moore
Hope your birthday is filled with love and lots of things that make you feel special today, Britney :) sending you a hug from 5500 miles away!
I'm finally back to my apartment in K-grad :) It is great to be back. There's not much else to say than I'm very glad to be home again! Had blood work done this morning at PC and then went to lunch with Phil at a nice Italian restaurant in Kiev (he had to come get some paperwork done for the day). Our marshrutka ride home was one for the books...it started snowing on the way home and practically turned into a blizzard for a little while. And, the road between K-grad and Kiev has gotten so bad that the pot holes span an entire lane. This means that the driver is swerving back and forth for minutes on end. After finally making it home, I was greeted with one of the sweetest care packages...but not from the states! This care package came from my lovely and sweet site mates--Dan and Vicki :)
homemade cornbread, chili, chicken noodle soup, bread, butter, and a red pepper.
Some of the food was still WARM (ie, fresh out of the oven) when Dan brought it over. I could barely wait 5 minutes to dig into the chili and cornbread. I'm full and tired and ready to curl up in my own bed for the first time in almost a week! So excited.
Much love,
Lydia
P.S. My water is off at the moment. Lovely surprise to come home to. I think my landlady turned it off...but I don't know how to turn it back on. Wah wah. Let's hope she comes and turns it on tomorrow :) toodles
I'm free from the reins of my first {and hopefully only!} Ukrainian hospital experience. It was incredibly nice overall, and I was very impressed with how everything was run. So, what's next? I'll be on antibiotics for a while, in addition to a cough medicine. I will be in Kiev a few more days...making sure there's no relapse and getting blood work done on Thursday. Hung out at the office most of the day and came to my hostel a few hours ago. Plan on lying pretty low tomorrow here at the hostel where the wifi is a bit better than at PC headquarters :)
A new group of PCVs makes the {incredibly long} journey to Ukraine today!! They will arrive sometime tomorrow...which means that my one year anniversary of being in Ukraine is approaching rather quickly. I joked with someone in the office today that for my one year anniversary present, I got pneumonia. I definitely am feeling better, and for that I am super thankful. There were 4 or 5 days there where I wanted to curl up in a ball and not get up.
In honor of my leaving the hospital, I wore a NEW shirt. New clothes are not a common experience for a PCV...and my new clothing items were from the good old США (USA)...which made them extra special :) Right before Valentine's Day, I received a great package in the mail from one of my sweet youth family's in Oklahoma. Normally, I would post this as a "way-back-Wednesday" post (with old pictures that is), but since I have tomorrow's way-back-Wednesday post almost ready, I decided to go ahead and post this today.
In my American box-o-goodies, was not one, but TWO t-shirts :)
from the Passion conference (post about Passion here)--thanks Tino :)
an Oklahoma t-shirt from a new boutique in Norman (called Stash, look at the cute bag on the left...)
and because no care package is complete without a box of yellow goodness :)
Thank you, thank you Louy fam :) and Tino too! The Louy's are one of the sweetest and funniest family's I know. And their last name is great because they can make lOUy specialized shirts. Get it?
David, Sarah, Lydia, Missy
I met Sarah when she was a tiny little middle schooler on the Boulder mission trip in 2008 and got to hang out with her at church on a regular basis. I can't believe that she will be a SENIOR next year... :) And just because I love going through old pics...
So, thank you Louy fam and Tino for my lovely shirts. I wore the Oklahoma shirt today for the first time and had lots of people notice it at the PC office! And, everyone should be extra ready for a doozy of a post tomorrow. Fair warning :)
Excuse the past few days of skipped blogging. I ended up having another round of sickness...though this one is hopefully almost over. Tuesday, I taught all of my clubs like normal...and since I was sick two weeks ago for Valentine's Day, we celebrated Valentine's Day a week late! I made a Valentine's Day powerpoint with random pics collected from searching google about things we do in the US for Valentine's Day. Thanks to my parents and the Louy Fam, my kiddos had authentic Valentine's Day cards AND conversation hearts. Words cannot explain how much my 3rd formers LOVED this candy.
Liza and Nastia
Margaret, Nastia, and Diana
Nikita and Andrei
Ivan and Yaroslav
The kids only ate a few of the hearts in class and I was confused when I asked them what they were doing with the rest of the candy?
"Taking it home to our families!"
I couldn't believe these kids were willing to share this candy with their brothers, sisters, and parents. Definitely underestimated them :)
On Tuesday, I went home exhausted from teaching, but ready for the rest of my clubs on Wednesday. However, no kids ending up coming to English clubs on Wednesday, which was good for me because that was when I started going downhill fast. My throat hurt, my voice was giving me problems, and I felt nauseous alllll over again like before. I went home Wednesday evening and fell asleep around 9 or 10 pm (way early for this night owl!). I was supposed to play some English games with kids on Thursday morning at a school here in K-grad, but I called the teacher and informed her I had no voice to instruct games. I slept all day Thursday. Barely ate anything. Friday was a bit better, but I called the PC doc just to update them on my illness, that is all still part of this viral infection.
I can speak pretty normally today, but am still trying to rest my vocal chords...doc's orders! I managed to get all of my dirty laundry done today and have spent most of the day reading The Hunger Games book 2: Catching Fire.
Two of my sweet sitemates, Dan and Vicki, brought me homemade chicken noodle soup (that I'm saving to eat tomorrow!) and homemade cornbread (which I ate over half of today...). Vicki asked the question, what have I been doing for 2 weeks of basically being in my apartment? The answer: read and watch tv shows online. I am now up to date on Glee, Modern Family, and the New Girl. And, I'm on the second season of Desperate Housewives. You could say I've had a little time on my hands. :)
The weather has finally warmed up here...which means that all of the snow/ice is becoming giant {monstrous} puddles. You know what that means...this girl will get to break out the pink rain boots soon! Unless it drops below freezing again...
I gave myself an hour-long manicure today. I've never actually used all of the tools that came in my mani/pedi kit my sister-in-law got me...but I put them all to use today :) and then used some of my LUSH cuticle cream that Kym got me for my birthday. My hands felt like a million bucks!
Off to read more now. Toodles :) and a shout-out to all of my McFarlin kiddos on the team-leader retreat! Wish I were there with y'all :)
I've been in bed all day. I've got a temp right now and am not feeling too hot. The ski trip was a blast and I can't wait to post about it, but I simply don't have much energy right now. About half of the group on the trip got sick after we were all headed home. Total bummer after a great weekend of shooping down the mountain.
Being sick in Ukraine is pretty much the only time I wish I were home in the states. I want Chicken and Stars Campbell's soup like you have no idea.
maybe my parents can stick in a few cans of soup when they come to Ukraine?
To prove to you how sick I am, let me do a little story-telling. I got the sweetest package in the mail from the Louy family in Norman (with a fun gift from Tino too). I went and picked it up at the post office yesterday after waiting for 2 hours at my apartment to try to feel good enough to go out. By the time I had the package and was back home, I felt too bad to open it then. I didn't end up opening it until today...and now I'm too tired to post a picture of the wonderful goodies that were inside. More about that soon hopefully, but thank you David, Missy, Sarah, and Tino :) it made my Valentine's day as nice as it could be considering the circumstances!
Maybe I'll watch a movie today in honor of Valentine's Day. Hollywood certainly has lots to pick from...and in case you need a few options, here's a pretty cute clip of some :)
After work yesterday, I went by the post office with hopes of finding something waiting for me. What I found was a surprise package from my parents that included some Valentine's Day goodies for my kiddos!!!
My kids will sport some Snoopy and friends Valentine's Day cards...
And because no Valentine's Day celebration is complete without these guys: conversation hearts
There were a few other treats in my package...including some pretzel M&Ms (which may or may not already be gone...). AND, some unprepared popcorn!! I'm excited to try making it on my stove :)
Thank you Mom and Pops for the lovely surprise! I was hoping that my kids might get some American treats for V-day! Happy Thursday!
It was -30C (-22F) when I woke up this morning. Brr!!
As I lay in bed this morning all nice and toasty, I didn't want to get out of bed and into my cold(er) room. Last night, I used one of my brother and sis-in-laws Christmas/birthday presents. A hot water bottle!
I have the red one :)
I've never had one of these things, but holy cow was it phenomenal! When I get in bed, my toes are usually freezing...so I tucked this down at my feet and let it warm up my toesies while I read my book (Chasing Harry Winston). More on the book in a minute.
I conducted my morning like normal. Made hot water for my instant coffee. Cut up a banana and ate it with yogurt (note: had to thaw the yogurt first because my fridge is frozen...). Turned on my computer and checked email and facebook. And then, my phone rang.
It was Olena, my counterpart, on the phone telling me the most glorious news ever: I didn't have to come to work today! "See you Monday," were the last words we spoke. Yippeeeeeeeee! That meant that my day became a LOT more productive, at least in the scheme of things that needed doing at my apartment.
Important things first...I tried this video that my brother posted on my blog yesterday. Turned out to be an epic fail from my window, but it's still cool to watch the lady do it!
Eventually, I started making veggie chili (I base it off this recipe but definitely can't follow it to a tee. Half of the ingredients aren't available here...). Tastes pretty darn good if I do say so myself! Watched the newest episode of Glee. Cleaned up the apartment. Thought about showering and then decided it was too cold. Then decided it was time to go to the store. But first, let's take a look at the weather (this is tonight and tomorrow's forecasts, but they were basically the same):
current temp right now: -24C
gonna get down to -29C in the morning but it will feel like -30C. Wowzers.
So, I decide to go to the store. Kishenya is my favorite store in Kirovograd but it's a marshrutka ride away. I wanted to go yesterday but didn't think I could physically wait for a marshrutka in these temps, so I opted for the grocery store that's across the street from my apartment. I'm pretty spoiled, I know.
There are a number of marshrutkas I can take to get out to Kishenya. Instead of waiting for one that I was positive would go there (I had already been standing outside for 2-3 minutes), I saw the #5 that I knew went out to another store nearby. I assumed that it would go down the street that Kishenya is on.
I assumed wrong.
Let me state that marshrutkas are not easy to see out of to begin with. But, when the windows are completely iced over on the inside of the mashrutka, it makes it really hard to see out. It was literally like riding in a big box with a tiny hole to see out of the front. I had to guess where we were half the time. We stopped a few times and let people off and more people got on. Eventually, I figured we had to be getting close. And then, we stopped. Everyone started filing off the bus and I could tell that we were at the end of the line...and nowhere near Kishenya.
I had to laugh at myself for not waiting for a marshrutka I knew would go to Kishenya. At this point, I was by some apartment buildings and could see EpiCenter about 500 yards away. Head down, hood up, hands in my pockets, I started walking. Let me add that the first breath you take outside literally makes you cough because it's so cold. My eyes were tearing up. I wasn't all that cold, just feeling incredibly stupid because I wasn't patient :) I stopped in EpiCenter and looked around, mainly just to warm up. EpiCenter is kind of like a Home Depot, while Kishenya is like a Wal-Mart/Target.
Not sure how far EpiCenter and Kishenya are away from each other, but I had a revelation sometime along the walk (it's probably half a mile if I had to guess). I had heard talk of people saying their eyelashes froze...but I didn't understand what they meant. About halfway through the walk, my eyelashes felt weird and wet. And then they started sticking together. It is SUCH a weird feeling. It must come from the fact that my eyes were tearing up like crazy and I'm sure the wind doesn't help the situation either. Whatever the scientific reason, by the time I got to Kishenya, my eyelashes were icy and white-ish. I didn't have a camera or I would have taken a picture of this phenomenon.
While at Kishenya, I bought a rolling pin. I have really been wanting one (instead of using a bottle of hairspray in a ziploc bag) and decided that I will truly use it in the next 17 months. I plan on making homemade wheat thins sometime tomorrow or Saturday (recipe here!). We'll hope they turn out well :)
Back to the book I'm reading. This is the first book book I've read since I have had my Kindle. I picked this book up in the Peace Corps office last weekend and thought I would give reading a real, physical book a shot again and give my Kindle a rest.
It is SO weird to be reading a real book. My fingers instantly try to hit the "next page" button. Or even worse, there are words every page that I want to look up the actual definition for. Can't do that with a real book :( Don't know how I feel about this because I absolutely love having real books on my shelf and picking them up to look at them. Read the plot. See what other books the author has written. It's so strange now to have it all electronic. BUT, I'm very thankful I do have the Kindle because without it, I wouldn't have read as many books as I have (somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 since I've been gone?).
I am tired and cold and ready to curl up with my hot water bottle and my real book :) goodnight blog readers!
It's cold. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. This is the coldest weather I believe I've ever been exposed to. People in Ukraine ask me what the weather is like in Alabama and Oklahoma. "Not like this..." is all I can answer. I'm a misfit because I'm not wearing a wolf (true story), mink, squirrel (also true story), or fox fur coat. BUT, I can thankfully say that I am dutifully prepared now as of February 1st, 2012.
Why, today, you ask? Because of my most recent care package (still Christmas and birthday package...only 6-7 weeks late) that arrived today. Behold, the Snuggie.
It's not just a Snuggie. It's an OU Snuggie.
The fur hat also completed the look (relax, it's not real, PETA).
A lot of my PCV friends have Snuggies that have been sent to them in care packages. I think friends and family send them thinking it's a funny joke, but in all actuality, it is the warmest thing I'm wearing at the moment. I am now part of the CK (only a select few will understand that acronym) club of proud PCV Snuggie owners. Thanks Mom and Pops :)
It is so cold in Ukraine that schools basically throughout the country are closed until Monday. The schools do not have the money to pay for the heat and it's too cold for the kids to work in a classroom. I had one kid come to English club today. There are lots of sad stories and articles online about this cold spell that is wreaking havoc all over Eastern Europe. Say a little prayer for the people (and animals!) that are left outside in this weather. It is truly miserable. Read about it here. I wanted to go to my favorite grocery store (a marshrutka ride away) but could not stand outside waiting for the bus. I haven't seen any dogs the past few days...hope they're huddling together somewhere :(
In other news, my fridge (on the balcony) is completely frozen. Good thing there wasn't any American food of high importance in there (like Velveeta!).
Today's words of the day:
норка-mink
лиса-fox
You can probably guess why... :)
Goodnight Ukraine. See you in the morning when it's going to feel like a balmy -30C (-22F). Yep.
I am home safe and sound after a long hiatus of marshrutka rides, metro rides, bus rides, long and incredibly cold walks in the snow/ice, a visit to my wonderful host family, and most importantly, Russian language refresher! I arrived home last night and made myself my first bowl of easy mac :)
It was phenomenal (thanks Hayley and 'rents!). It tasted just like home.
I went to work today and got our summer plans started for numerous summer camps and Europe trips and English clubs. However, today, the subject of the post is on a small victory I obtained:
I finally have a new PO box lock!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has only taken a month for them to find and install a new lock. The good news? The key works and I didn't have to pay for it! The bad news? They only gave me one copy. I'll be going to get a copy made very soon :)
Waiting for me in my PO box was a package slip (for a package from my bro and sis-in-law!), a letter from my Pops (complete with Zits cartoons and a $5 bill that I plan on showing students tomorrow), and a large squishy envelope from an address I didn't know. I would normally not be able to contain myself from ripping into all of the packages, but since I had two other things to open, I managed to save my brother and sis' Christmas/birthday package to be opened on a skype date late tonight or tomorrow.
Upon getting home with my loot, I remembered that sweet Lyndsay had told me to be on the lookout for something in the mail. The mail is still WAY backed up over here and I wondered how long it would take for it to get here. This is Miss Lyndsay Jain, who in my phone is also known as Tarzan from a summer camp we did together in Toronto :) Get it? "Me Tarzan, you Jane."
Lynds and I on Senior Recognition Sunday (2010)
Also taking part in the package sending was Lyndsay's sweet boyfriend Matt Schlegel (or Schlegel as I have always called him!). I have known Schlegel for a long, long time...like maybe since 2005? I was trying to think back and remember the first time we met and I honestly couldn't remember. Pretty sure the first trip we traveled on together was Choir Tour 2006 to Washington D.C.
3-d movie...Matt's in the blue striped shirt.
Ever since that trip, I have been all over the United States and Mexico and Canada with him...and Lyndsay accompanied us on a lot of those trips the past few years!
"The date train's a comin', the date train's a comin'..."--Juners 2008
caught in a bit of downpour in Glacier National Park (in Canada!)
at the double Quincieniera in Mexico (with Chris!)
surprise going away party, when I was about to leave for Ukraine...
Anywho, you see how much these two mean to me. I could continue on, but let's just say that they are two of the sweetest and most genuine people I know. They both have a love for life that is simply contagious and makes you always want to look on the positive side of things. So, as I opened up my package, this is what I found...
I instantly recognized their own separate handwritings and was so excited to read their sweet HANDWRITTEN notes inside :) And boy do they know me well...pics from home and Reese's Pieces?
Inside the large red envelope (which was the last thing I opened) was one of the sweetest surprises ever:
a Christmas card signed from a lot of my kiddos and friends at church :)
it made me laugh out loud and smile from ear-to-ear as I read each and every note on it.
Thank you LJ and Schlegel for going to all of the trouble of getting everyone to sign it. And thank you to everyone who signed the card! It absolutely made my day! And let's just say that the Reese's were an added bonus :)
There are simply not words that can describe my love for Mexican food. It is a food that I ate at least once (usually more like 3) times a week in the states.
In Alabama, there was Taco Casa and Pepito's. Not to mention my all-time favorite meal from Lena's Kitchen: taco-salads. This is the meal that I request anytime I eat with my parents. It has probably been my birthday meal for the last 5 years. My mom could always entice me to come eat at their house if she said she would make taco-salads.
In Oklahoma, there was Qdoba, Chipotle, Freebird's, Tarahumara's, On the Border, Abuelo's, Cha Cha's, Ted's, not to mention the infamous late night run capital of the United States: Taco Bell.
In Mexico, nothing beat the kitchen of Socorro...complete with the world's best guac. And homemade tortillas from the fresh tortilla market. And the gordita stand in the food court of their version of "Wal-Mart."
So that brings me to Ukraine...where Mexican food basically does not exist. This is where my care packages from home come into play. Tonight, my kitchen got to smell like home. Why? Because of the bright yellow box that is Velveeta cheese. And the wonderful can of goodness, known as Rotel.
I introduce to you: queso.
mouth-watering.
Let's just say it's a good thing I went and worked out this morning (running about a mile and a half I might add...). The amount of queso and homemade tortillas (recipe here) that I consumed tonight feels like one for the record books.
my version of refried beans in the background...
Best.Meal.Ever. The end.
P.S. Thank you for the supplies to cook this meal Holman fam and mom and pops :)
P.P.S. I ate a strawberry Pop-Tart for breakfast today. Thank you J & T :) one word: phenomenal.
After my unsuccessful day of shopping for a new PO box lock yesterday, I found myself finishing work and feeling brave enough to go deal with the post office lady on my own. My counterpart was busy, and this weekend has yet another Ukrainian holiday (this time, Old New Year)...which means that the post office would be closed at some point over the weekend.
I walked into the post office...practicing vocab in my head. The same lady from all of the previous times saw me, barely acknowledged that I was standing a foot in front of her, so I did what any other American would do: I waited to be acknowledged. I never know if they are working or on a break...and most Ukrainians would go up to the window and ask that. And I guess I could, but I wasn't feeling that brave. After a minute, I finally said, "Excuse me..." and got her attention.
The look on her face was pretty priceless: Oh good, it's that girl again.
I quickly explained that I had been to the bazaar and looked at all of the shops for a new lock. None of them have any. Do you know anywhere else that I can look? She informed me that the manager would be in tomorrow and that if I was available, I should come see what he can do for me then. Victory! After thanking her profusely, I timidly asked her if I could see in my post office box. I cringed...waiting to see her groan and get out of her chair. She calmly said yes, and even remembered what number it was. It was all pretty harmless today dealing with her...somebody up above was looking out for me :)
And...when she opened the case for me, I did in fact have a package slip waiting in my box!!!!!!!!!
As I left the building, I walked around the corner to go to the building where I pick up packages. Then I saw the line.
The window that I always go to pick up packages had a little sign in it that I couldn't understand. The girl was sitting there, and I awkwardly asked her if she was working. She said no, and to get in another line.
"Um, ma'am, can you tell me which line I need to be in?"
She hurriedly pointed to the longest line in the room. Of course. So, I moved to it and started waiting. At least 5 more people came in after I did, asked the lady the same question, and got at the end of my line. I had to avoid eye contact this entire time because people always seem to pick me of all people to ask a question to...like I can A) understand them and B) would know where to send them.
We wait...the man behind me coughs ALL over my back...and picks his nose. I turned around and glared at him a few times. I was not having luck with public places today (this morning on my marshrutka, one of the kids had a dirty diaper. It was almost bad enough to make me get off and walk...). I texted a few of my PCV friends. I wait. One person in the line gets through. Now there are only 6 people in front of me.
And then, the lady who normally helps me with packages magically decides to start working again and calls me over. "девушка!"--meaning "girl!" I quickly turned around and realized she was talking to me. I squealed with delight (to myself) as I ran over and gave her my package slip. She quickly went to find it in the back room...and I was home free. No more coughing man. No more nose picking.
The grin on my face made my cheeks hurt as I rushed home.
The package was one from my brother and sister-in-law. I got to skype with them while I opened it...and it was full of surprises for both of us because it was mailed just over a month ago! It included some Christmas things that I will still use...in addition to some stellar food choices :)
**natural Jif peanut butter (which I've never had!)
**funfetti holiday cake mix AND icing
**marshmellows for s'mores (and for Ukrainians to see what a marshmellow is...)
**candy canes (these were because Ukrainians had NO idea what a candy cane is...)
**Reese's Pieces (I couldn't resist and opened them tonight. Whoops.)
**DESIGN MAGAZINESSSSSS :)
and perhaps my favorite thing in the package:
pop-tarts. oh.my.gosh.
Thank you thank you Jeremy and Tina :) perfect timing because I'm just about finished with my bag of Chex mix from mom. I don't know how long I can save pop-tarts. Pretty sure I've eaten those things since I was probably 10 years old?
I am trying to play catch-up on all of these random Christmas/New Years performances I went to during the month of December. This was a practice that I went to when Maria (one of my link-cluster mates and sweet, sweet friends!) was in town. My counterpart and I were showing her around my work...walked in the dance room...were invited to come and watch...and I luckily had my camera. These kids were precious...maybe 9-10 years old. Enjoy!
Today's word of the day was cough. You can probably figure out why.
So, I lost my PO Box key. I normally do not lose or misplace things, but everyone has a slip up. My post office is very similar to an American one in the way the PO Boxes work I think. Well, kind of. There are 5 or 6 big stands of post office boxes, and each of the stands has a big door that can open up (so the staff can put our mail in our boxes). Then, there are individual doors for each PO Box. Hope that makes sense.
Needless to say, I didn't think it would be a giant hassle that I lost my key. I kind of lost it over a week ago...but have been waiting on Christmas/birthday packages to arrive in the mail. And, I knew if I told my parents that I lost the key, they would think that me not getting my packages was somehow related to the missing key. Totally not the case. My mom is probably laughing and rolling her eyes at this knowing that I'm right... :)
The first time I went to the post office and informed the lady I lost my key, she opened up the big door and let me see in my box. She informed me I needed to buy a "замок"...I memorized the word and ran home to look it up. I was guessing that she told me I needed to buy a whole new lock, but when I google translated the word, it showed up as CASTLE. Ha. Not exactly a lock like I was thinking...
Then I got sick and barely left the house for a week (btw, just finished my last amoxicillin dose today! yippee!). I think I checked my PO box twice during that time. Each time, the same lady was working and she got madder and madder at me that I hadn't bought a new "замок" yet. I explained to her that I don't know Russian all that well and that I would be bringing a friend with me to help translate. Then, it was Ukrainian Christmas and the post office was closed for a few days.
Flash forward to Tuesday of this week. Olena and I went to the post office to see about buying this new lock. The lady not so kindly opened the whole door for us to look at what we needed to buy, and I got to look in my box and see that I had a package note waiting for me! Olena asked the lady where we could buy this lock. The lady (of course) had no clue. She said she'd try the bazaar.
So today, after working on my PEPFAR grant some (HIV/AIDS project grant), one of my EuroTrip travel buddies Zhenya (a high school girl in K-grad) was subjected to walking around the entire central bazaar looking for this mysterious PO box lock. An hour and a half later, we had been to SEVEN stores, and not one of them had a lock. Whyyy!?
This is the pesky little item that I so desperately need...why does no one carry them?!
The post office is missing out on a prime opportunity to make some extra cash here. After having tried 7 stores, I would have paid quite a lot to buy it from the post office if they indeed sold them. But, they don't. I don't remember ever taking a marketing class but that's a no brainer to me. We ran out of time (and options at that bazaar) today...so tomorrow the hunt may continue. Olena said we will go to the post office tomorrow and tell them they're no where in town. Can't wait to see what the lady has to say about that...lol :) just your normal Ukrainian adventure...
This is my weekly manicure, courtesy of Lyuda :) I bought the nail polish in Poland for around a dollar.
note the bedazzled ring finger...quite a popular trend here.
this is the longest my nails have ever been on their own...shocking, huh?
bling.
I'm thoroughly engrossed in The Help right now. I don't know what page I'm on (grr...that's my one complaint about the Kindle), but I'm 70% finished. Itching to read some more tonight...that's for sure.
This is the second night this week my dinner consisted of homemade Chex mix. This time, I at least poured it in a bowl so I would show a little self-control. Then I filled it up again. The peanut butter fudge my mom made was a hit at work on Wednesday. I guess I'll have to be nice and share some of my peanut butter and make them PB&J's one day at work. They won't know what hit them.
My last news for the day is that I'm trying to memorize at least one or two Russian words every day. The blog may be my accountability partner for helping me go back through and remember past words. Today's words included:
1) замок--which can mean castle OR lock
2) папка--folder (learned this word when writing stuff for my grant)
3) найти--to find (verb). As in, "Я не нашла ключ от моя почтового ящика," or "I have not found the key to my mailbox."
It's almost Friday :) maybe you should go get a blinged out manicure...they're quite the rave in Ukraine.
One more thing. No, two more things. 1) It SNOWED in Oklahoma, and not here? What the heck is that about? 2) enjoy the sneak-peak of a video from my work party.
Kym is dancing with a ribbon.
Mary-Kathryn is the other girl.
The guy in the red apparently works at my office, although I've never seen him before.
The guy in the suit is our orchestra director.
The guy in the red and black striped shirt is a great saxophone player/teacher.
We're dancing in the cafeteria, because that's where all great Ukrainian discos are held.
There's plenty more videos to post...slowly but surely :)
Only a Peace Corps Volunteer knows the feeling of walking down the street with a package. And today, I had not one, but TWO packages waiting for me at the post office :) You see, it's not like I can hop in my car and dig into the thing right there. First, I have to walk to the marshrutka stop. Then, I have to wait for the correct marshrutka number. When it comes, I get on and wait while we slowly make our way towards my apartment. When we finally make it there, I wait for the street light to turn red so I can cross. I'm on the homestretch. I walk as fast as I can, past the old men playing dominoes in my courtyard who probably wonder, "Why does the American have a big goofy grin on her face?" When I make it to my apartment, I drop everything, kick off my shoes, and barely remember to lock the front door. I'm about to burst as I wonder what fills the incredibly heavy packages...one from my loving parents and one from Hayley and her sweet parents, Frances and Jon. I've been waiting a little bit over a month for these packages (and a few others too...) but the wait was totally worthwhile for what was in these goodies.
from good ol' Altus, Oklahoma! Courtesy of the Holman fam :)
from my parents...with my mom's Russian cursive handwriting. That's right PCVs. Impressive, no? I think my Pops can write in Russian cursive too.
Oddly enough, the main thing I requested was food. And boy did both packages deliver (sorry, couldn't resist the pun)...
I must have emphasized how much I love Reese's Pieces and how they are not available here... :) this should last me for a few months.
These will be the first Cheez-Its I've had in almost a year. I'm going to try to save them for a rainy day...we'll see how well that goes :)
Both packages came with a Velveeta! I can finally make queso. And the Holman fam was smart and stuck in one of every kind of Rotel. So. Excited.
The Velveeta with a post-it note (from my mom) reads, "No point in wrapping the Velveeta, you would know it for sure!" Very true. I might have hinted that I really wanted some of it too... :)
And the blue box. Need I say more?
As I opened my parents box, I wondered why in the world they packed things in tins...
Little did I know what was INSIDE the tins...homemade treats, straight from Mom's kitchen :)
That's Frost Family recipe Chex mix on the left and homemade peanut butter fudge on the right. It's okay to be jealous.
The Chex mix was completely filling that tin...but I kind of couldn't control myself once I started eating it. And the PB fudge is so rich and delicious that I might just have to share a little with K-grad PCVs if they read this message.
I could keep taking pictures of everything in the boxes, but let's just say I'm pretty blessed and spoiled. Yeah, we'll leave it at that.
Oh! And the last goodie which I've been wanting for a LONG time! And Hayley or her mom must have been a mind reader...
This mini anti-bacterial has a cover that can attach to your purse. PERFECT for unexpected snotty nosed kids sneezing around you on the go.
I don't know if anybody's day could top mine at this point. :) I ran a mile this morning (first time since Dec. 27...). I ate homemade Chex mix and peanut butter fudge for dinner. Yeah, it's a pretty good day :) much love to my parents and Hayley and her parents. Thank you, thank you!
