Christmas in Olexandriya

December in Ukraine

I’ve been busy, so I haven’t updated my blog lately. As I haven’t updated it since the entry about my first day here, I’m going to hit the highlights.

I went to the bazaar for the first time on Sunday, December 15, 2013. I didn’t buy that much that day. I bought a pair of really cool black leather gloves, and a mobile with MTC (the service my colleagues use).

The next week (Monday, 16 December through Friday, 20 December) I was at school. I got to meet the students and see what they were looking for in an English Club. On Thursday, 19 December, I watched the New Year’s play. The whole school watched. It’s about the traditions of Christmas/New Year’s in Ukraine. Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated on Orthodox Christmas, in January. The whole town is decorated for New Year’s, with trees, lights, and presents for all. It is very beautiful. There is a huge tree in main square, with blow-up Santa and Frosty, and a nativity scene. The, um, unusual, part is that Vladimir Lenin overlooks the whole thing.

On Friday, 20 December, my counterpart (A) called and told me that a friend of a friend had found me a new flat. And could I be packed and ready in 30 minutes? I said that I wanted to see the flat first, so A and her friend and I went to the new flat. It’s awesome. After going over the PC guidelines, I decided that it was perfect. So, we decided that I would move in the next day. The friend, A, and I had dinner together at a pizza place, to celebrate my new flat, and new friendships. Only drawback – no silverware, flatware, pots, or pans.

 

So, on Saturday, 21 December, the Solstice, I moved into my new flat at 5 or so in the evening. As I didn’t have Internet, I made plans with my counterpart to meet at a local wifi-café for lunch on Sunday.

The next week was complicated, as I had Wednesday off. I had Wednesday, 25 December (Merry Christmas) off because I was waiting for the Internet guy to set up my Internet. A great Christmas present – wifi in the flat. I was able to FaceTime with my parents and family on Christmas! The rest of the school week, I was at school. On Thursday, 26 December, I watched a play put on by the ninth forms. It was very interesting, and was about the Snow Maiden being kidnapped. Had a full cast of gypsy fortune tellers and army officers.

 I was also given a large number of Christmas presents, as my students wanted to “Congratulate [me] on Christmas, and to feel at home in our town.” These gifts included a New Year tree (my director insisted that I get one), a kitty-bank (a piggy-bank, only a cat), Christmas tree decorations, lots of chocolate, 2 really cool magnets, a Winter scene (made in crafts class), a pair of Christmas slipper socks, a box of candy from my director, a Christmas decoration, and a hand-made jewellery-box.

(not pictured, a box of truffles).

On Friday, 27 December, I talked to A about my schedule for next semester, and what forms I’m teaching. I got copies of the first unit of the textbooks, so I can start planning my own lessons, and creating games. I’m going to be team-teaching the 6th formers, and one set of the 11th formers. A and I decided that we are going to pull-out some students from the 9th and 11th form, and I’m going to teach them, and once a week, we are going to put everyone together, and learn about grammar.

On Sunday, 29 December, I went with A to the bazaar, where I bought forks, knives, spoons, a cooking pot, a frying pan, and some other kitchen necessities. I was thinking about cooking a dinner, but remember that I had no ingredients. I didn’t have salt, or butter. Got both at the bazaar. Had the odd experience of being given a taste of the butter – like of ice cream. Need to ask A the word for “unsalted” as that was the butter I got. Awesome, now I don’t have to figure out the salt ratio when I bake. Now, I can have a dinner that doesn’t come from a packet.

Today, Monday, 30 December 2013, I slept in. After a small breakfast, I went to the grocery store, ATB, where I proceeded to buy the ingredients to borshch. I spent the afternoon cooking. While my borshch was cooking, I made myself scrambled eggs. I didn’t have any mozzarella or shredded cheese, so I used the sweet curd cheese. It’s a larger-curd, more cow-wy and more bitter cheese than ricotta. It’s really good mixed with sour cream and a either a spoonful of sugar or a spoonful of jam. It is also very good scrambled into eggs, with a pinch of salt. My borshch turned out pretty good. I need to see if I can find some chicken broth – boiling the chicken just doesn’t create a strong flavour – as well as get some spices. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ground pepper.