Time is literally flying here. I can’t keep track of the days. The last week went by in a blink. I’m not even sure what happened last week. I mean, we laugh A LOT in our group whether it’s busting on each other or just getting a kick out of the fact that one of the words in the Russian language that we use a LOT is ‘Kak’ pronounced ‘cock’. One of the highlights of one of our language classes was when Conor asked a question with the word ‘kak’ in it and Kim innocently said, “Conor likes ‘kak’.”, and then immediately realized what she had said mid-sentence. That one definitely brought on some tears of laughter.
On Wednesday the 21st we took a tour of the library in Chernigiv where we were given library cards and invited to join the English Club. They mentioned how John La Plante, the 81 year old Peace Corps volunteer from Connecticut had started both the English and the French Club at the library, but that since he had left they had found a replacement to run the English Club, but that they hadn’t found anyone to run the French Club. So guess who opened her big fat mouth and said, “I speak French!”? Yep, that would be me. So I committed to running the French Club once a week until I leave at the end of June. I think it’s kind of funny. One of the reasons that I was bummed that I wasn’t sent to Africa is that I wouldn’t be using my French. Who would have thought I would be speaking French in Ukraine? Crazy.
My family takes me to the sauna or as they call it the banya. My host-parents and their friends rent a private sauna suite. We have gone the past two Thursday nights. Things I have learned… First, that you are supposed to wear a wool cap in the sauna. This one puzzled me a lot. It’s freaking hot as hell in there and then you want to trap the heat in? I didn’t get it. My Russian wasn’t enough where I could ask why, so I asked my sister who speaks English why… I guess they wear hats to protect their hair from the dry heat. Who knew?
The people here like what they call ‘the contrast’, and this explains a little about all the Russian/Ukrainians on Brighton Beach/Coney Island that would go swimming in the winter when it was freaking cold in New York. You go in the sauna, get hot, start to sweat, then go and dump ice cold water on yourself or go outside in the snow, or just cold as it is at night here right now. Hot/Cold/Hot/cold for two hours. There is a lot of shooting the shit and eating sunflower seeds. The men drink beer and the women drink tea and water. My host-dad tried to tell me the other night that drinking beer at the banya was good for you, but then my host-mom started screaming Niet, Niet!! (No! No!) and then miming heart palpitations and saying that it was bad for me. I told her she didn’t have to worry, and that I have no desire to get super hot and sweaty and then dehydrate myself even more. It’s hot, I don’t want to pass out. My host dad is 4 inches shorter than me, who would carry me home?
First night at the banya, my host-mom dragged me around like a small child. She showed me the toilet, to go outside to cool off, to take a cold shower after being in the hot sauna, etc. As the night came to a cap, she also showed me that we should shower and wash our hair before we went home. This is where the not quite understanding the language bit me in the ass. She explained the shower, then I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to do so I paused and then she said, is it okay if we shower together? I thought the look of horror on my face was really obvious, but she stripped off her bathing suit and started showering, so I really didn’t have much choice, but to do the same. So within two weeks here, I’ve seen my host-mom naked. My host dad also walks around the house without a shirt on, and my host-sister dashed around in her underwear one day… I guess, they must accept me as one of the family. Nakedness is good, right?
Clash of the Titans is opening next weekend at the movie theater. I’m not exactly sure if it will be dubbed or just subtitled in Russian, but I am pretty pumped to get to see a movie here. It’s also time to start planting potatoes here. My family is planting on Saturday. I wonder if I will be included. I offered to help in the garden a week ago, but they told me I didn’t have to. We’ll see. I’d be happy to help, but then again, I do get very little free time here so usually when we have free time we head to the city to get internet access and café lattes. I’m also learning to play cribbage, which I am pretty pumped about.
Beck Newman is a Rock Star for having coffee with me on Skype.
I’m blanking on a lot of stuff that happened at the moment. I will try to be a more conscientious blogger in the future.
Ah funny story of the day. We get a coffee break during Russian lessons about halfway through. Conor is meat deprived in his host-family, so Kim brought Conor a hotdog from her host-house. Many jokes ensued about Kim slipping Conor the wiener. Natasha, our Russian teacher, asked me “What does this mean, wiener?” So I explained that ‘wiener’ is another word for ‘hotdog’, but also ‘wiener’ is another word for ‘penis’. I should mention that Natasha is very good-humored and patient with us. So she giggled about this as well.
