The weather has begun to break - warmish and sunny, the mud slowly drying and children, birds, street animals of all ilk and the babushkas are beginning to come more alive. I keep hearing how different the country is in the summer and I’m beginning to believe it. Indoor space is at such a premium here, so when the weather is nice, people break free to enjoy time outdoors.

I’m just about at one month in-country. Language is progressing, though slower than I’d like, but then sometimes I feel good that I can put together a slow sentence at all, considering that this is a completely new and not particularly easy language. I’m also trying hard to speak with people even if I don’t know all the vocabulary that I need - which is most of the time… :-D

Our cluster is beginning our project and we are working out finding translation help and also setting up meetings with the Unemployment Center that we’ll work with. The center has asked for help to set up a training workshop and we’re going to find out what kind of training and then work to teach their staff to do the training so that they could continue after we leave in 2 months or so.

It’s funny because in some ways three months seems like such a long time for training, but I know it’s precious little, both for our internship and also studying language. I asked my LCF yesterday if I could get more work and also for tips on working outside of class. I’m so motivated right now to study Russian and really want to take advantage of having such a good teacher and also these intensive classes. She was super responsive and already has made some changes to our class to accommodate my request and I’ve spent some hours organizing grammar and vocab to do self study.

Yesterday, after class Ira and I planned to go for a walk. I came back to their apartment, and changed into “sporty” clothes, as Ira put it. She got dolled up as usual, which is the norm here and what I’m beginning to do as well. “Dolled up” means putting on makeup, which varies from a subtle, put-together look to full-on “I’m using every product Mary Kay creates” faces, having one’s hair at least be kempt if not styled and wearing pressed, clean clothes and shined shoes. Ira falls in the former category and always looks and smells nice before leaving the house.

However, I looked “sporty” and didn’t have on my long, black wool coat that fits in so well here, and for the first time since I arrived, really felt out of place and that people were looking at me. It was interesting and made me realize how little of that I’ve experienced here, especially contrasted with Costa Rica, where I was constantly being pointed at, out, etc. I guess that’s the advantage to being white in a homogeneous, white society. I understand that volunteers of different ethnicities, but particularly African Americans, can experience much prejudice and hassle in Ukraine.

When we returned from our turn around town and the nice park in town, the neighbor babushka sitting at the entrance to the building stopped Ira and I. Between my lack of understanding and her eating those ubiquitous, black sunflower seeds, I got the words “American” and “militia” (which is what they call the local police). After we got into the apartment, I asked Ira what babushka had said. Apparently, some police officers had come by the apartment to investigate the American living here.

We met with the mayor, head of the city militia and several city officials on Monday and all of us have been registered with the city militia, per custom and law for foreigners. Apparently, police officers visited all of the volunteer’s home stay apartments yesterday. Only one of us was home and he said they were quite nice, but didn’t speak English of course and he didn’t understand their Russian, so the interview was brief. He found out from his neighbor that they interviewed the neighbor and asked lots of questions, some of which were making sure he was being taken care of by the family.

It is difficult to understand from an American perspective why the police might concern themselves with such a trifle as Peace Corps volunteers living among them, but I think some of it comes from a mentality that goes back to Soviet times. In discussing this with our LCF, we found out that many Ukrainians sort of assume their phone could be tapped, as so many were before during Soviet times. As such they don’t discuss anything sensitive at all, such as money, being away from their apartment for a vacation, etc.

In any case (Mom - this is for you!) the visit poses no danger and not even an annoyance. The two LCF’s in Brovary with us are meeting again with the militia to clear up any questions they have.

This Sunday, Ira and I are going to see Swan Lake at the National Theater. It should be lovely. I’m excited for an outing! I’m going to try to arrange a trip soon with a friend to stay overnight in Kyiv and just have a day and a half of non-home stay time. Just a few hours. That or I really could use an afternoon outdoors away from cars and concrete. I’ll have to figure out easy ways to accomplish this when I live in Kyiv!