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Week 2 and New Favorites

Our first dialogue finally completed!
The end of week 2 and I still don't think I've fully processed the fact that I'm in Ukraine and will be for the next two years. The language learning is hard for sure, the goal is the get at least 3 hours in a day but we have started teaching in classrooms and PC has health, safety, and cultural training for us as well. Immersion is the best way so hopefully that can make up for some of the time we are missing in the classroom. I am excited to start team teaching this week because we were able to actual participate in a class this week and the students seemed very excited and receptive to what we had to say which has helped to remind me why I need to get through training. As we are preparing to teach we are trying to get materials ready to make the topic more interesting and not relying as much on the book. The first topic is "Items in the Kitchen" which might not sound boring until you find out the items are not things you cook with but things like a cupboard, counter top, and table. Many teachers here have a system of tape and paper they leave things blank on the paper and fill it in with another strip of paper and tape, so that they can reuse the material. The strangest thing about this is that teachers on a real tight budget will you thin wallpaper because a roll of wall paper cheaper. A roll can be the rough equivalent to 8 or so pages or large paper. Everyone wallpapers their house though so the variety of supply seems to be much larger than needed.
Sasha finding the simplest things entertaining

It has been rather wet and dreary this week making me a bit worried for winter with how cold I'm getting. We have been going on more field trips which also makes the wet weather not fun but I have learned to always be prepared and having a big bag is certainly helping with that! When we have gone out to practice our language on field trips people have been patient and encouraging just proving what we have been told about welcoming and kind Ukrainian people. It is also exciting when I can communicate with my host family! One day this week our homework was to ask our family what they liked to cook and what their favorite fruits and vegetables are. I was asking Mama Tanya when little Sasha start talking to her mom who then tells me Sasha wants a turn so then I repeated my questions to her and she answered everything with a smile and a laugh which was adorable. My host family has been very busy working a lot this week so I have tried to spend more time with Sasha who is entertained running around my room exploring my things and stacking them.

I have discovered some new of my favorite things!

  • Amazing large,square, down pillows
  • Ukrainian dumplings with chicken and potato inside
  • Ukrainian dumplings filled with cherries
  • My host family!
  • Free FB and other social media
  • My host moms homemade preserves!
  • Chocolate!
  • Bazaars
  • люблю (lu-b-lu) meaning I love. Its very fun to say
fresh muffins from my host mom
homemade pizza
* The list will only continue to grow
meat dumplings






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