Back to school:)

This occurs every 8 weeks for me....my school runs on 7 week semesters and I've just begun my third one today!  True to form, I got a phone call yesterday (St. Patrick's Day) after 7 p.m. telling me my classes start at 4 Monday and to come in at 3:30 for a staff meeting.

I survived my first day back...I actually have some students I do not know... This semester I am teaching different levels of students, more advanced groups (uh oh....do I remember real English?) but it should be fun!  The best part is, with a 26 hour max on hours per week and with 20 during the week....I will have a lighter schedule on Sunday.... Just hope it's a good one without long breaks:)

St. Patrick's Day...without green beer!

Was it still St. Patrick's Day if I didn't drink green beer?  Or make fake Baileys?  Yes, apparently so since I did go to two different Irish Pubs in Kiev and drink beer....It just didn't happen to be green.  And I didn't concoct a fake Baileys drink like we used to do frequently in PC.  Last year, my fake won....it's because I used whiskey instead of the dreaded and suggested vodka.  Happy St Patty's Day!

Pancakes!

The start of a week long "Russian lent"... this pancake festival is very common and popular here in Ukraine, with such a large Orthodox population.
My flat mate and I decided to try this local one (one metro stop away from us) and it was so frigid outside we didn't last long...However, many folks were having picnics outside, bringing their own wine and vodka...

these two guys in traditional costume, eating caviar on bread were happy to pose:)

scary faceless woman in traditional clothes

the lovely chapel this festival was nearby

Not finding any traditional pancakes without a livery, meat substance, we didn't have any.  Nor were we excited about caviar, so no to that too.  We didn't stay long enough to see if there was any fistfighting, but it was fun anyhow:)

this woman and several others were the entertainment, doing traditional dancing and singing....

No

second hand mania!!!

Thankful for the huge second hand market that I've been to a few times before, but today with my flat mate Parker, and we found many amazing yet weird fabrics and textures!

Thursday.......

I go back and forth between being excited and on top of the blog situation to falling dreadfully behind on the posts....again.... Today I started working on an art project that's been brewing in my mind for a long time....the serenity prayer in multi- media big installation fashion.

Mini Kiev outing

Today my friend Rebecca and I had an outing to the local outdoor miniature Kiev display.......

Beautiful little doll house (very large doll house) size replicas of many famous buildings in Kiev, especially all the gorgeous churches.. Here are a few of my favorites!

computer issues

Once again, I find myself with my computer not charging....that's the bad news, the good news is I kept my last receipt so I have all the numbers and I also have Irya to call and order it for me, plus I am getting a steady pay check so I have money to buy it...whew...

vacation.....

Vacation doesn't have to bring an exotic get away for it to be fun!  My week long vacation started today with me purchasing (at bargain prices after much looking around) brand new sheets for my bed, and a cute duvet cover to cover my couch in my room.  What a difference this fabric makes!!

Sunday is semesters end

Today is the official end of this semester for me....now for an entire week off...whoppee!!!!

March 10th

Lucky for me, I have this great oven which works.....so I can bake too many sweets and indulge in them!  Today however, the baking was for the benefit of the students in my classes tomorrow, Sunday, which is my busiest and longest day. Brownies and carrot cake:)

what day is this?

....I know what day it is really, just lost track of my journal here due to some technical difficulties.... I think I last appeared on Thursday the 7th....

So for all intents and purposes this should be my Friday, Women's Day entry.....and a lovely one I gave myself!  A visit to the Kreshatek area complete with a kebab for lunch and some shopping in the amazing (partly) underground mall.  I even bought a small bag full of personally selected stones.....ahhh... they are beautiful!

thank goodness for hair color:)

I recall the old Clairol commercial "only her hairdresser knows for sure"..... I have become my own hairdresser here and fortunately I've messed around with color enough that I actually was able to find and buy here, the correct stuff to re-highlight my own hair!  I did bring the touch up color for the monthly root touch up, and am not sure what I'll do when that runs out....but for now....my hair is looking good:)

students

I consider myself fortunate/lucky to have such great students!  This group from my favorite class, stayed after their speaking final, because they wanted to celebrate Women's Day with me!  They brought champagne, chocolates and flowers:)

the end of another semester!

My time here in Ukraine is measured by the "semesters" here at AEC.... They are 7 weeks long and fairly intense for the students.  Today marked the end of my second semester here.  My students are awesome and some of them will be leaving and I'll miss them!

Lucky 13

Hey, I just recently noticed the street number of my school (where I've been working almost 4 months) is 13!!!!

busted door lock?

I am grateful today, not that my front door lock is acting weird and not always locking, seeming to be loose and ready to fall out.....but that I actually have money to pay for the new one, as I know that here in Ukraine when something breaks in the apartment it is the tenant who must pay for repair or replacement. The appropriate person has been called and now the wait for the repairman begins.

This whole broken lock indeed sounds a little too familiar, because busted door lock should have been my nick name in Mongolia.  In fact, some of the men who worked at my school dorm, asked me why I kept breaking my locks?!  Sad, but true, my front door of my beloved apartment/home for over 2 years in Arvaikheer, had the worst front door ever!

As per Peace Corps regulations, my apartment had two solid wooden doors at the entrance.  It was my outer door that gave me and everyone else so many headaches....This door was actually rather flimsy, and warped.  It had definetly seen better days.  Instead of lying flush against the door frame, it bowed slightly at both the top and bottom, like it was being unnaturally pinched in at the spot of the lock, ready to spring open once the lock was opened....Not exactly the way a proper door lock should be.....I always saw this as a big part of the problem, but could never convince any Mongolian that I was right.  (However, after I left and before the next PCV moved in, the door was replaced!  aha)

That and the shoddy cheap ass Chinese locks that were available in town..... in all of Mongolia... (that's a whole 'nother story, about the crappier Chinese wares being sold in Asia and other parts of the world, not the higher quality crap that is sold in USA)....

The door had a heavy duty lock in the center left hand side of it, but that one had long since been broken and the keys lost and never replaced.  Instead, a new lock hole had been bored under it, more toward the bottom of the door (no wonder the door was no longer flush), and a cheaply constructed flimsy lock replaced it.

The trick to locking and unlocking this door was all in the hip action.  You had to slam your hip just right into the door to push and hold it into place in order for the lock to connect.....oy.....I was never so glad to be rid of these door problems.....

But alas, this wonderous apartment of mine may have gotten the busted door lock vibe from me.... These doors are much more solid, straight and sturdy.  However, the lock has been sticking and my flate mate with her sprained/messed up wrist has a more difficult time than me with the door, it sticks and doesn't always work.....But on the bright side, I can afford to have it fixed:)

macaroni & cheese

Yes, I am back to food gratitude:)  Sunday is my long day at school, an actual full work day, lol.  I start at 11 am and finish at 8 pm.  I have two 15 minute breaks plus a half hour break in there.  Knowing myself as I do, and how I can't go without food for more than a few hours, I always pack lunch and snacks.

After eating a bowl of oatmeal with sugar, cinnamon and bananas for breakfast, I packed the following to stave off hunger during the long day ahead:  Two small peanut butter and jam (raspberry) sandwiches, a mini strawberry yogurt, a small pack of pretzels, an apple, a small pack of peanut M & M's and a packet of instant coffee.

More than sufficient calories and tasty treats to keep me going, awake and lively during this "regular" for most people work day, but the longest day of the week for me.  I always find myself dreaming about what to cook when I get home, partial almost hunger, the other part my food obsession.  So last night it was mac & cheese.... I was thinking oh, I have some shell macaroni, can whip up a white sauce and put in that Viola brand creamy cheese (fake cheese food in a tub that taste sorta like Velveeta) and tear up some of the swiss as well.  Pop it in the oven, after I chop up some of the bit of ham I have in the fridg, bake it for a short time, while the fresh brussel sprouts I had cleaned and put over to cook finished up and.....yep, I had fresh mac & cheese with ham and brussel sprouts for dinner.  Brilliant and tasty:)

A religious experience

I was so excited on my day off to go on an adventure!  i went exploring in a touristy and historic area of the city, and toured a few churches.  They were lovely, peaceful and I had a spiritual feeling there.  It was a good day. 

the Lunch Lady....

I think most Americans when they see this title will think of the woman stuck in this job during their formative school years.  Maybe during elementary school the lunch lady was like a grandma to you, but later on.... being a lunch lady didn't seem so cool.  

For Glee fans like myself, I think of Marley's mom, referred to as the fat lunch lady.  

I'm not talking about those kind of lunch ladies, nor the rich, well dressed women who meet their lady friends for lunch at a swanky restaurant.  I'm the lunch lady, along with my flat mate Parker and our friend Linda.  All 3 of us fall into the over 50 category and today we enjoyed a tasty lunch which I made for us.

Friday lunch is the best time for those of us who work the same crazy hours to get together with good food, friends and conversation.  I hope to make this a monthly meeting.

Irish beer

Yep, I am lucky enough to live in a great city which has many Irish pubs, including one in my neighborhood, where I met my friend Rebecca for a pint after work last night.