My family is trying to pawn me off...

Hey!

So...yeah, I know it's been a while on the blog again. Actually I am keeping a really good 'journal' on my computer. But as some of you may know I've hit a bit of an internet SNAFU. See we did have access to free internet but they cut us off. I'm now at an internet cafe but I would really like to find someplace to use my own computer and then post my other entries.

But here's what's going on so far.
Completed the first two weeks and heading into the third. A lot of times it seems like I'll be here forever (which I've heard is normal feeling) but really thinking about it time is going rather quickly. We start teaching next week which is something I'm really nervous about bc I've never taught before; let alone in Russian! We are teaching a class on Healthy Lifestyles about not smoking to 7th graders. The good news is that I don't have to teach alone so I'm glad for that.

Other than that I'm doing ok. Language is still hard but I'm working at it and I definitly know more than when I came here so that's a step. Honestly sometimes I feel like I'm just not sure about this. Like I've def felt like wanting to go home a few times...but I do feel like there's a purpose to me being here and I'll find that out eventually. (hopefully sooner than later) I'm becoming slightly more comfortable as the days go by but for some reason the mornings are always the hardest for me and it's when I feel the loneliest.
This week I also managed to get food poisoning...apparently from the tomatoes. Since tomatoes are not in season it is not unusual for someone to get sick from eating them. I felt HORRIBLE! I had such bad stomach pains and you can imagine what else. But at least now I know what food poisoning is like so that if it happens when I'm at site on my own I'll know what to do. Basically just rest and try to get some fluids. I didn't feel so bad about getting sick when I learned that my host sister also was sick...so it wasn't just me being foreign.
My host family is still great. I've been getting into helping out around the house...last weekend I helped clean and stack wood and last night I helped to plant in the garden.
Tomorrow is Easter so I'll have a busy day! We are going to church at 5am! And I'm not sure what else happens during the day; last week Anna said something about going into the woods and having a picnic w/ my family's friends.

Next weekend is Oksana's birthday so I'm sure we'll be having a party, etc. Hopefully this time I won't get hit on! On that note...I think my host family is trying to marry me off! Last week Papa had a friend over doing work or something and at dinner he asked me if I had a boyfriend, like back at home, and I told him no. Then he said (in broken English/Russian/gestured) that his friend could be my boyfriend. !!! I was like...hahaha...no. It was kinda akward but pretty funny. Then last night my host mom and sister bought me and gave me a new coat which was very nice of them. Now this coat is not something that I would normally buy in the US...I suspect they are trying to help me be more Ukrainian as well... This coat is a mid length trench coat, has multiple zippers in multiple places, has shoulder pads, and is BRIGHT yellow. So I tried it on and it is a little big but fits ok for the most part and I do really like the style. So mama and sister helped me to fix it and then told me that all the men will like me now - like in my new coat. For the record...I did not join PC Ukraine to find a boyfriend/husband! HAHA! But it's been a hilarious experience. And I am grateful for the jacket. Despite the bright color it's comfy, I have a scarf that matches so I can tone down a little, and at least I won't be hit by a car or marshrutka.

Love!