08 November 2005

site announcement

We are assigned to a city in the Rivnenska Oblast.

Near Belarus.

The city started life as a train station.

I'll be teaching at two sites, a Lyceum or Economics and Law and a Collegium. I'll be teaching English, Business English, and US History (if nothing changes, which is impossible). Karen will be teaching at a pedagogical college.

We leave for our site visit tomorrow.

07 November 2005

Monday in Kyiv

Little did we know, today is a special day in Kyiv. We passed by hundreds of demonstrators in the center, and our driver had to take a very long detour. More on that in email (perhaps).

We are in Kyiv for one day, to find out where they will send of for the next two years. If it were up to me, I would have us stay exactly where we are in P-town. Our host family is incredible, and we are learning our way around town. This morning as we were leaving to catch the 7:15am marshrutka, babusya told us that she has gotten used to having us around the house and she feels pity that we will leave. We assured her we would return in 2 weeks after our site visit, but it was so kind of her to tell us that. We even got a hug from our host mother when we left. It was the first for each of us.

I have been getting your letters and emails. Thank you. Dyakuyu. It is so nice to hear news from home.

We might be sent to a place with internet, or we might be sent to a place with outhouses and no hot water, so you may not hear from us for 2 weeks but please don't worry. We are healthy and happy.

Speaking of hot water...the other night when I went to take a shower (we have to sit down in the tub, but it's closer to a shower than a bath cause you have to wash with the trickle of water that comes out of the spout) I turned the hot water heater up too high, and the water actually began to boil in the pipes. I knew I had done something wrong, but I wasn't sure what to do about it. Babusya came over and turned off the hot water entirely, so at first it was freezing, then hot again, then freezing, and you get the idea. I opted not to shampoo my hair, in case the water was too hot to rinse it out. Hehe...maybe too much information, but you can appreciate the small differences (luxuries) of being home.

All our love. xoxoo

metro

10 cents to ride the metro to Kyiv.
 
A million dollars worth of stories.