I Forgot I Had a Blog

Bless me blogworld, for I have sinned. It has been many weeks since my last post. I invented this thing so I could effectively communicate with friends and family back home. Well no one should be surprised at my absence because for me "effective communication" involves carrier pigeons sent out once every 12 months.

Here are some firsts that I've experienced today: first snow in Ukraine (we're on hour 8 of snowfall so this 'first snow' won't be ignored, dan); first language test in Ukraine (called the LPI); first injury in Ukraine.
SNOW: Of course the site of snow blanketing soviet era building makes my heart go all a'flutter, but after my 45 minute walk home with a formidable wind whipping snow into my face and blinding me no matter where I turned, I was a little glad to be out of it's reach and under my nana blanket.
LPI: Went fine. My idea of prepping for the test this weekend was to drink beers, play chess, and shop for my fabulous new Ukrainian style wedge boots. I think my LPI scores will reflect my efforts. We'll take another LPI before we end our service and that's where I better reach "damn, she's good" level.
INJURY: We have this game we like to play in the creepy creepy stairwell of our LCF's apartment called "turn off the lights and hide in a dark corner for the next trainee to walk by and then scare the shit out of them". Today was the first day I played the roll of scare-ee. So after I screamed bloody murder my next instinct was to attack and kill my friend. I charged at him, leading my with shoulder, and he ending up blocking my charge and now my shoulder hates me. It was very difficult lifting my arm to add salt to my borsht tonight so this injury is having extremely serious effects on my quality of life.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...UKRAINIAN CAT PICTURESSSSSS!!!!!

the usual breakfast joint

My first cat slideshow of this blog is of a perfect little place I like to call kitten grove. Everyday on my way to class I pass this magical area where thousands (7-10) homeless cats congregate to get their morning meal provided by a kind, local babushka. I shall greatly miss kitten grove but I have faith that 'if I build it, they will come' to my site.

waiting to be served

caught her showing off her gymnastics skills

Discussions over a hot cup of morning tuna

straggler

come on buddy! everyone's welcome at kitten grove!

i've been spotted..run

enough with the cats..for now. here's some of my favorite graffiti on our LCF's apartment building

soccer players across from kitten grove.

my favorite ukrainian, alia! LCF extrordinaire being celebrated on national teacher day. she's displaying all her gifts from us (i got her the cookies she's eating)

making blinchikis

too busy eating to take a picture of the batch of completed blinkchikis. this was all i managed to get a picture of, the disfigured final blinchiki

political posters that were everywhere in october.

i didn't not steal some

so Chernigov is famous for it's churches/monasteries. here are some pictures of them

original bricks displayed, meaning they're probably 800ish years old. wishing i hadn't waited months to post these pictures because now i forget what the symbols on these bricks signify

this is the church that you're greeted with as you enter the city (bottom right corner of picture is part of a cannon that also points right at you as you enter the city)

Here's a piece from my last blog post draft that I wrote a month ago. It's still kinda relevant but very boring. However, I doubt anyone's even reading this anymore after all the cat pictures (editor's note: finished godfather<4 stars>, now reading dracula):

I'm procrastinating. I have to write (in russian don't ya know) a 3 page essay about my life in Ukraine, that's due tomorrow. So I'm updating my blog, writing emails back to friends/family and watching The Walking Dead, in order to see what all the fuss is about.

Today I visited my first track in Ukraine and challenged a 3 year old boy to a race. He won fair and square. It was the first running I've been able to get in here and it felt amazing. Tomorrow I'm sure it won't feel amazing.

Also finished my second book in Ukraine a few weeks ago, A Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion. 3.75 stars. Now I'm firmly embedded in The Godfather by Mario Puza. I actually haven't seen any of the movies all the way through, so the plot points are all new to me. But I suggest if you love the movies, you'll love the book. Not a difficult read at all.

Of course anyone who truly loves books buys more of them than he or she can hope to read in one fleeting lifetime. A good book, resting unopened in its slot on a shelf, full of majestic potentiality, is the most comforting sort of intellectual wallpaper.
~David Quammen