Some goings on

Wednesday, 17th
This week is Peter Pan week. I decided to do Indians Monday, Tinker bell Tuesday, Pirates Wednesday, the lost boys both Thursday and Friday. We have had so much fun. The kids loved pretending to be Indians, talking about fairies and wearing their eye patches. Today after school Amy, Jessie and I went and got waffles. They were so good. I don't know what they put on them but it's amazingly tasty. Afterword, Amy and I road the metro to the end of the red line looking for boots at a big warehouse. We couldn't find it, and when we called to ask for directions we found out we had gone to the wrong end of the metro line. In the interest of time we went home. Go figure. I'll get boots tomorrow. I've been thinking that for the past few weeks. It's not that bad just an annoyance but because I'm on this side of the world it's just an experience.
Friday, 19th
Well tomorrow came and tomorrow went. Still no boots, but today I found a way to walk to school with out walking through two inches of water. Yesterday our meeting in the evening got canceled. I got on facebook for a sec and got to talk to Jo the Pro. That was fun, he asked if I was in Ukraine. It will be fun to go back and tell everyone where I was all of last semester. I got to talk to Lizzie through Skype Wednesday morning. I haven't really talked to her yet either. She said that Bro. Palmer asked where I was, we used to go everywhere together. I thought that was funny also. Because our meeting was canceled I got to go play volleyball with my host dad. You know how last semester I would go play soccer with Andrew and I was the only girl. The feeling of minority was tripled because of my being the only girl, the only person under six feet and the only person that doesn't speak Russian. It's defiantly the best volleyball experience I've ever had or ever will have. I'll be sure to tell you about Poland next time.

Valentines Day

For valentines we had a party with our students. They got to decorate cupcakes, which they didn't eat, and then dance to the Macarena. It was fun at least, if not educational. We also got some pictures of the students. We are learning so much, I wish I could learn faster though. Life seems like a constant realization of life. I want to just know everything sometimes, but then life might not be as much fun. Well here are some pictures of the party.

Odessa Trip

My group and I went to Odessa last weekend. We took a train Friday night after everyone got done teaching. It was my first train ride so I got a picture of it when we got off. We meet some of the teacher’s friends and they showed around. We went to a ballet at apparently the 2nd best Opera house in the world, with the 3rd best philharmonic orchestra, watching some of Tchaikovsky’s best, which included Swan Lake.

Then we went to a jazz club and I got apple pie. We went to the 200 steps, a bridge with tons of locks on it, touched the black sea, and went to an orthodox church. Quite the list for just two days, it you don’t mind my saying so.
Fun Fact: The locks represent the love two people have for each other. They put the lock on the bridge and through the key into the sea.

The Bridge with locks on it

The 200 Steps (Potemkin Steps)

Theater and Borsh

Borsh, the soup in the picture, is great! I love it. their is a lot of onion, and potato, and stuff. I have had my host moms twice and ate the whole thing. For city orientation we ate at a restaurant and I got borsh but it was cold and I got the part that was pretty much only onions and it was cold, unlike the borsh my host mom made.

I bought Ukrainian cookies yesterday, they are a lot like the ones Ryan brought home.This week was just getting familiar with everything. It's not to hard when it comes at you 90 mph. It's like getting hit by a train then realizing your alive. Meaning I don't know how I got here, and I haven't had time to internalize it, all I know is what I have to do everyday, and that I love every bit of this experience. so, the ballet was so cool, we watched Snow White. The theater is had four floors, box seats, a red curtain with gold tassels, an orchestra, everything like phantom of the opera, except before you go in their are place for you to give them your coat and they would hang it up for you.

Things are looking up!

Teaching is a work in progress, it was insane on Monday, but now I think it just might be possible. Tomorrow, Friday, our group wants to have a slumber party at the head teachers apartment and watch chick flicks. great huh. But Saturday promises to be better with a Snow White Ballet, and city orientation. I have been able to get to know my host mom a little more the past two days. They showed me some pictures from Christmas and New Years, at the "country house." They said we might get to go their for Easter. I'm excited. The pictures from last years Easter were amazing. The flowers and grass looked like a painting, or photoshop. I took some pictures today and put them on my computer, so tomorrow maybe I can post them or something while I'm at the school. I hope you guys all have a great day
Love you, Tiffany

My sleeping quarters

Ryan asked me to describe my room and the rest of the house in one of his emails. This is just for anyone else who'd also like to know! : )
I live in a small pink and purple room with a purple covered bed and hearts on my pellow, the armchair has a flower print blanket on it. :)I don't have a closet, but i get to use a cubboer with three shelves for my clothes. I have my own room. and I think that the mom and daughter shair the other room. i haven't met my host dad yet, he dosen't work in keiv. I will get to meet him on tuesday. I guess he sleeps on the couch, maybe. It's an apartment on the 4th floor, the two bedrooms, the "big" room and a kitchen. The table is small. I eat dinner by myself but my host mom puts five plates out just for me. She asked me why I didn't eat this morning and I said I had some cerial and she said I should not eat like a mouse.

Here is a picture of my room!

Monday

First day of teaching! wow that was fun. It's so hard to get kids to pay attention all the time. Tomorrow will be a lot better, I'll get the hang of it soon enough. On the way to the school this morning I got lost so I went back to the metro station and tried to retrace my steps. Then I found Amy and Jessica and we found it together. We got there later then planed so we didn’t get to prepare as much as we were hoping. We got through it, learned the kids names and how not to do a lot of things. We are going to FHE tonight at 7:30 and hopefully I can stay awake till then and get on a workable sleep schedule. Now I’m getting tired in the afternoons and want to take a nap but then I can’t sleep at night. I didn't get a chance to post this sooner, but this was written on Monday. Hope everyone is doing well!