Sweet Things

This is a cute article about l-o-v-e in Peace Corps.

Today, all my 11th form students got their class yearbooks right before we had English. Which essentially meant that they were going to be distracted the entire time looking at them so I scrapped my lesson and let them have the time to sign yearbooks. I mean, it's their last year of school! It was sweet how many of them wanted me to write messages to them (and I wrote in English). Even though they sometimes drive me crazy with their laziness, I'm so excited to do the traditional dance/party celebration and then head to the river to watch the sun rise with them for graduation at the end of the year!

You Know You're an Experienced PCV When

You know you're an experienced PCV when you stop lying to yourself that tomorrow will be better.

It will just be another day.

Turkey!

Enjoy some pretty pictures from my trip to Turkey!

 

 

 

 

 

Articles

Here's some of what I have been reading recently.

A famous Ukrainian writer wrote this piece for the NYT, and I think he conveys an accurate description and feeling of Ukraine. This paragraph nails Ukraine and Ukrainians:

"But I am in no position to predict the future. All I know is that the Ukrainians will continue amazing the world by the very fact of their existence, by their flexibility, shrewdness and their ability to adapt to any circumstance. Given the current situation, I find the latter quality encouraging, because as soon as real democracy comes to Ukraine, Ukrainians will quickly grow accustomed to it, life will become civilized, and Ukrainians will turn into law-abiding citizens. Obviously, that is not something that comes naturally to them, but should life require respect for law, they will do it, even if that should run counter to their interests. The authorities must simply create the appropriate conditions."

This is a good article from Persephone Magazine about how Tymoshenko and FEMEN, Ukraine's two most well-known and visible female figures, are portrayed in the media.

The Kyiv Post's Getting Yulia demonstrates just how much of a hot mess Ukraine is. In fact, you can just check out the Kyiv Post web site for a good variety of articles about Ukraine.

Calvin and Hobbes

 

One of my favorite things about my village: I can always clearly see the stars. This also reminds me of sleeping on the roof at camp this summer, looking for shooting stars and watching the satellites.

Brovchenko and Cherevyk

I live on Brovchenko & Cherevyk Street. Every time I tell someone in Ukraine this, they say, "Huh?" because most streets in Ukraine are Lenina, Shevchenko, Kirova and other easily recognizable names.

Eventually at some point, I was told that my street is named after two local boys, Grigory Brovchenko and Opanas Cherevyk, from the World War II era who are considered heroes within my village. I finally got the story about what happened from a student, albeit in very general terms.

Here are buried young avengers

Brovchenko Grigory

Cherevyk Opanas

Tortured by Fascists in the year 1942

From grateful villagers

During the war, troops (I assume German) occupied my village and used cables to communicate. These two boys, aged 13 or 14, cut the cables one day, preventing the Germans from communicating. The troops were furious and threatened to kill everyone in the village. The two boys confessed to the crime and were hanged from a tree. I believe this happened in 1942.

Soostri

 

I'm happy he lives in my backyard. He's always unfailingly happy when he sees me, which always puts me in a good mood. How could you not love that face?