Visual Intrigue

Since my last post was woefully un-visual...this post will be gratuitously graphic, bringing balance to my blogging life. I just finished helping my mom cut some vegetables for my bday dinner. From the looks of it, it's going to be a FEAST and I'm super pumped. I also stopped into a random market yesterday and picked up a bottle of champ for the occasion. Not scared to bring a little Heather (RHOOC) to northern Ukraine. This was the first time she's allowed me to help with preparation and I was feeling so good about myself that I thought I might even get to help with the actual cooking of the food. But as soon as I peeled my last garlic she said "ok see you later". So I have some extra time on my hands before dinner, hence this post.

Our собака (sobaka). He has 3 working legs, which is pretty common with the dogs around town.

I wish I captured more pics of our apple picking day, but this was it. They have 3-4 apple trees in their back yard and we (they) spent an entire Sunday plucking apples from the trees, using a wooden ladder and tall apple-plucking device. Both looked like they were straight outta Snow White. My mom makes apple jam, juice and various other spicy/sweet condiments out of these babies.

Vahnman.

Fresh squash for dinner! I'll be walking down the streets like it's any other street in the U.S., and then I'll hear a rooster crow from someone's back yard and think "oh yea, I'm in Ukraine"

My bed after our first language class. Learning a language in 3 months is easy.

5000 apple pancakes (блинчики) made by my babushka. I popped these like skittles. Also pictured: homemade apple juice. Never liked the stuff until now.

Adorbs tea pot we use every day

I'm obsessed with the mailboxes here. Mostly because none of them have been updated since the 1930s and no one seems to mind.

The entranceway of our LCF's apt. This was with a flash. I took a picture without a flash and it was pitch black. It's super creeps walking from a bright day outside into a horror movie entranceway.

Fall in Chernigov.

Stray dog on a stroll (look at who's lurking in the background....)

...is that Andrea?

LENIN! complete with flowers from his secret admirers.

His autograph. Two policemen were staring me down while I was snapping these pics as quickly as possible. I ran away before they could approach.

Big fatty fat crows everywhere.

My library!!! (sign in ukrainian)

Front door

So far, my favorite room in the library to work in. Since they haven't turned the heat on yet in any building in the city,  I'm only able to last about an hour before my hands start to go numb. 

One wall is lined with Ukrainian oil paintings. Thinking of investing.

The ceiling

Found this guy spying on me from behind a screen