Some objects are bigger than our heads:

So as you will see from the following pictures, there are many things in Ukraine that can dwarf even the most big headed peoples dome-piece's, or as it is pronounced in russian "galavuey."

Happy birthday Tim!!!

I know every post I write about how things continue to keep me busy, and I always hope that they slow down, but to no avail; I feel like I get busier and busier every week. We hear from many current Peace Corps volunteers that we will miss this busy life style when we finally get to our site and settle in. Supposedly we will be bored to hell many cold nights, so far I haven't seen much of it, but we'll see. I prepare to combat this alleged "boredom" with my fly-fishing tying kit, Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Cien años de soledad, and my boy Pablo Neruda. Im sure the gentleman will keep me company throughout my stay here. To you readers, when I finally do get to my site feel free to send me any more of their works, along with anything other type of literate for I hope to play teacher by day and sponge by night.

But yea, things are still crazy busy; with language classes everyday for 4 hours, technical sessions twice a week, technical and language tutoring and teaching 5 classes a week at the school it is tough to get bored here. The food remains very tasty, and I continue to discover new flavors and places to find cheap and delicious food as well. I do not know if I have also mentioned this previously, but the beer here is phenomenal and only 50 cents american for 1 bottle. As a side not a bottle of beer here is not our typical 8oz bottle but a "pol-litre," or a half liter. So it is quite a deal, though I find little time to enjoy the frothy brew.

Life here is good, you walk around and you are stopped by random people who ask you many questions you can answer and many more you cannot. Sometimes you are greeted with a mouthful of gold teeth that would put Little John or the Cash Money Millionaires to shame, but some times you receive cold suspicious stares. The waether has turned cold and wet and plump babushkas (grandmothers,) waddle by in groups, their equally plump cheeks peeking out of their always present colored shawls. Young boys play fight roughly without overbearing others keeping them from otherwise learning the ballet of battle and pairs of stray dogs behind them mimic the same dance. Walking through the bazar, even in a town as small as Oster you see everything for sale; from food, to mittens, and fishing poles. Piglets squeal while being carried away in burlap bags, rabbits wait patiently next to chickens to go to their new homes ore wait until next sunday (someones stomach!)

Recently I have participated in an assessment of my community integration which was an interview about my capacity building, health and safety skills, and integration into Ukrainian life which went well and tomorrow I have my SPI, Site Placement Interview, which all the volunteers are freaking about, it is our 1 chance to voice where we would like to be placed fro our 2 year stint here. Much information passes through he grapevine of volunteers here in Ukraine, so not many of us know exactly how to act during this 20 min interview, do we voice our locational preferences? host family or not? city or village? young learners or high-school? past experiences? Who knows? Does it even matter? Well we will soon find out. On december 6th I will head to Kyiv for Swearing in and site placement. The day after I find out the name of my site I will be there. Stay tuned and wish me luck!