The List

My brother is coming to visit soon and he asked me for a list of things that he could bring me. I've already given him the list, but I thought you might find it interesting so I went ahead and posted it below.

Mozzarella Cheese
Asiago Cheese
Swiss Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
String Cheese

Yes, I really like cheese. Partly because of my love of Italian food, partly because I'm a vegetarian and depend on it for protein, and partly because it's delicious!

Dried ravioli/tortellini
Pesto packets

It's next to impossible to find good pasta in Ukraine. It is possible to make your own pesto, but good ingredients can be hard to find and it's a lot of work!

Peanut butter - possibly impossible to find in Ukraine

Popcorn kernels (for the stove)
Cheeze itz

Maybe the number one thing that volunteers miss the most is good old American snack food!

Black beans - There is some kind of white bean that seems to me to be about the only bean that Ukrainians eat. It is possible to find other kinds if you look hard enough, but I have never seen any black beans! Great for making mexican food!

Protein bars - Being in Ukraine has definitely taught me to be a better cook, but sometimes you just need to grab something and eat it on the run.

Mouthwash - impossible to find in Ukraine. Good tooth care is especially important in Ukraine because the tap water here does not have fluoride in it (as if anyone could drink the tap water anyway)!

Vanilla extract - impossible to find in Ukraine, everyone uses vanilla sugar instead.


And Avery if you're reading this there are a few other things my good friend Martin is craving if you are able and if you suitcases aren't already bursting at the seams. Any or all will be greatly appreciated (and he'll put us up in Crimea if we can make it down there). Thanks Avery!

Tobasco sauce (chipotle flavor)
Dr. Pepper
Pancake syrup
French's mustard

And to the rest of my friends and family - you have kept me in good supply, not only of food, but also of love and encouragement. Thank you all so much! If there is anything you would like sent back from Ukraine let me know and if my brother is still feeling generous after lugging a suitcase full of food to Ukraine I'll try to send it back with him when he returns home. Thanks!

Video update

Here is a short update with a video of some of the kids playing on the airplane.



Video by Heather.

Just when I think I've gotten to know my town really well I discover something new about it. There is a park near the school where I work that has an old Soviet passenger airplane parked in it. The people who I've asked have told me that it had some kind of a problem while it was flying and had to make an emergency landing. Everyone was okay and the plane was in tact, but it was left where it stood and a park was built around it. The inside of the plane was converted into a museum for a while, but that was closed a year or two ago. The inside of the plane is completely empty now.

I first went to see the plane about three weeks ago and I went back again just last weekend. Unfortunately, on my second visit I discovered that a fire was started in the plane and it was partly destroyed. The front half is in tact, but the rear is laying on the ground, now only partly connected. Some of the kids in the park had discovered that if they ran back and forth on the tail wing they could make it rock back and forth and they were having a great time doing this, sort of like a teeter-totter. It didn't seem safe to me, but none of the Ukrainian adults that were around seemed phased by it.

This may be because Ukrainian playgrounds are often different from playgrounds in the states. If I was a kid I would definitely rather play in a Ukrainian playground. If I was a parent, I would never allow it. In America, the things you have at a playground are pretty standard. I imagine this is partly because these toys have been tested again and again to make sure no one will get sued. This is not the case in Ukraine. Playgrounds are often unique and I don't think the same stringent safety standards exist in Ukraine like we have in America. Anyway, that's enough about playgrounds.

The latest with me is summer planning. Right now there are all kinds of things I am going to do this summer, the only problem is that I don't have firm dates for any of them. The good thing is that this isn't as big a problem as you would think because I live in Ukraine. When the Peace Corps staff told me during training that America was a "planning" culture and Ukraine was not I really didn't understand what they meant. None of us did because we were without a reference point. Now I understand. Even when I do make specific plans with someone to do something I understand that it isn't for sure and the times, dates, location, and really anything at all related to the event is subject to change. The only trick is to understand this in advance and then you don't get stressed out.

So, here are my plans for the summer: I am going to spend a week or two at a summer camp doing fun things with kids and teaching them English. My brother Avery is coming to visit me in my town and we will go to Poland to meet up with my Mom. Afterwards it is possible that she will come to Ukraine or I will go with her to France. I will travel to Crimea to visit my friend Martin. I will hold my own summer camp for a week or two to play games and help some of the kids in my town with their English. I'm taking a trip to Turkey for a week. I'm finishing and submitting a grant. I'm going to get a hot water heater (I hope). I will get some new books for the students and teachers at my university. If I have time (ha!) I will visit Lviv and Odessa. I think that will be enough for the two months that I have off. I will let you know how these things play out as they occur, but I think it will be a good time. Until then, do pobachennya!

Pictures by Heather.