How do I list off all the events?
First of all was meeting my host family. They have three kids--but it's more like 15. Nastia, the mom, runs some sort of day care here. There are screaming children everywhere! It's so crazy--but I LOVE IT!
Event two was going for a walk around our neighbourhood. Hannah(a teacher that lives with me) and I went to take photos of just about everything. She's from southern U.S, so seeing snow was very new for her. Not to mention the cold! We noticed a man walking on the frozen lake--Hannah thought it would be cool to do the same. I told her she was a fool. But did my opinion stop her? Niet! She wandered out--near the shore-line of course!
"harsh sounding words!" yelled the babushka! [that means grandma.] haha! As if we got lucky enough, on our first day, to be yelled at by a babushka!
Later on during out trek, we saw these stairs.
We thought it'd be fun to climb these stairs. At the top of the first flight--we were panting! Holy crap--we seriously need to get in shape! Haha! Well, ironically enough, we have to take those stairs every day to get to school. Except there are three more flights of these stairs--and they are sooooooooooo messed up! I hardly call them stairs! It's more like rock-climbing! This little old lady passed us, practically running up those stairs. I guess this means we'll get used to them! [which might not happen until our last day in Ukraine!]
Let me tell ya, those stairs are only a smidgen of our trek to school. So we climb those stairs for about 12mins. going at our seemingly swift pace, walk down three VERY long streets, this taking us about 20 mins. Then we wait for a cable car(trollybus adnah) to pick us up, ride for about 10 mins. FIND OUR STOP! That's always the fun part! Then push our way out of the cable car and walk for another 20 mins to get the school. And then repeat on the way home. I tell ya, I'm gonna be SO RIPPED by the time I get home. What's funny is that Ukrainians calls this 'very close to school!' I'm glad I haven't experienced far!
When our coordinator dropped us off at home from the airport, she told us to be ready to eat lots of soup. We all laughed. She wasn't kidding. We've eaten?...drank?...consumed. We've consumed soup every day! And it's sooooo good!
Well--at least the stuff our host mom makes us! She's a great cook! Or..at least a great soup maker! And we eat loads of bread--and with mayo! Let me tell ya, it's a good thing our trek to school is an hour! It evens out most of the food intake!
Taking the subway(metro) around the city is always fun! It's all about stuffing as many humans as possible into an underground train!
Saturday, we ventured out as a group. The Nyvky school and Planet school teachers hadn't yet been on the metro. So their metro-etiquette wasn't up to speed. They all crowded by the door-way inside the metro. Thus making it nearly impossible for myself and one of the coordinators to squeeze in. At the last minute, we manage to shove a few out of the way, just in time for us to jump on before the doors shut! Well--I forgot I had a MONSTROUS backpack on. Ya. Awesome? I know. My stupid bag got stuck in the door! Haha! How embarrassing! Myself and Lilya struggled to yank it out from the clasped doors. If that didn't make me look like a tourist, I don't know what would!
Our coordinators frighten us into being very safe. Especially on the metro.
It's so easy to get lost! Don't let your bag out of sight. Don't smile at anyone. Don't talk to anyone(other than Babushkas). Don't speak English--or at least not loudly. Don't be loud(in Russian or English!). Try not to take so many photos! In case you aren't already killing yourself laughing...everything that we shouldn't do is everything I do! Goooood grief! This place is such an adventure !My piece of advice: give your kids junkfood. That is something I'm really missing right now! haha!
xo LarissaMormon
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