A day of volunteering in Ukraine

Listen to my Monday work day:

7:00 am - woke bright and early to move my way down to the post office for a skype date with the folks. Ended up with a chance to speak with others until Inna came by to get me for work at 10:30 am.
10:30 am - worked on our brochure
11:00 am - finished work, sent a letter, and decided a needed a bicycle ride! I had to make some finishing tune ups to the USSR bike of Svitlana's sister. It ended up taking more time than i thought. Plus I managed to loose a washer along the way, and had no clue how to convey that I needed to get a new one to svitlana's Grandma. Svitlana's Grandma and I communicate through random hand movements..sometimes full acting out descriptions. We end up laughing at each other most of the time, more amused than frustrated. But I ended up picking up walnuts off the ground for her for a while - not really sure if I was asked to, supposed to, or asked not to do it.

Nanny - Just to let you know, I've finally got the opportunity to spend a while cracking walnuts. They are brain food - literally! They remind me of minature brains with a left and right hemisphere, and a very definely split forebrain.

12:30 pm - Found a perch on the side of the castle over-looking Ostroh. It's a pretty awesome spot I discovered with my friend Becca. I sat there, in the bright sun, reading, while the wind blew on every spot I could see except where I was sitting.

As an aside - Becca and I went on an adventure yesterday to a lake about 5 km out of town. I forgot how great swimming could be. The water was cold - not ocean cold, but cold - but we couldn't resist jumping in this blocked off river lake below a beautiful old monstary. It was definitely a funny scene for the locals - every person who walked by stop and rattled off something in Ukrainian to us! We just nodded in agreement and they usually nodded their heads in disagreement or laughed.

2:30 p.m. - returned to Svitlana's. Cracked some more walnuts and drank coffee and read all afternoon.
6:00 pm - writing in here
7:00 pm - going to our biweekly dance class at the university. Expect us all to know crazy Ukrainian dances when we return. When I finish this I'm going to head out and take in that last bits of sun on a walk. my ankle is getting so close to being healed - but it is still pretty painful to walk on for too long. I can't wait!

I think by this time I've fully realised that my work position is going to run pretty slowly for the rest of my stay. I'm experiencing the difficulties of creating change in a community that isn't your own first hand, and I have to say I'm learning a lot. It's giving me a whole new respect for Victoria.

But right now, I don't think this is a bad thing. I've got lots of time to read books I love. To start smaller scale projects outside of what our volunteer employer offers us, and to just soak up Ukraine - maybe even learn some Ukrainian from Svitlana's grandmother.

We'll see. Overall, great day.

love,
ellen