some things about training

Since our last post, Ukraine has kept spinning and we have reached the final stretch of our time in Baryshivka.

Training has been full. i will try my best to explain that statement but i doubt i'll do it justice. before we arrived and even in the first few weeks here we would ask peace corps volunteers or RPCVs how training had gone and most of them gave us a half smile and said "well, yeah it was good." i understand it now, or i think i do. trying to describe training in a few short words is difficult, and its hard to sum up all the ups and downs that come with it. before you jump to any conclusions or i start explaining my comments i want you to know that we are very happy we are here and thankful for the opportunity to be here. we have met wonderful people and have been treated with respect and care.

because they have to prepare you for an unfamiliar environment in oonly 3 months, training is packed with activities and challenges.

first off, language. never did keith or I ever think we would learn russian. learning the language is a challange to say the least. we have been lucky enough to have a great language teacher and have made a lot of progress since we arrived. however, the everyday task of communicating (especially with strangers) is difficult. for the most part, i understand what people are saying, and i know i have the vocabulary in my brain to respond but a lot of the time it doesnt come out, or if it does, it comes out in the wrong order. i suppose that'll come with time and further exposure to the language.

the weather. saying goodnight to the sun at 4 pm is an unforseen challenge. i never thought that this would affect my mood or productivity.... i was wrong. it is not only emotionally but also physically hard to deal with dark skies in the afternoon. i dont know how it happens, but productivity drops and you need to work a little harder to be optimistic. you can also see it in the people around you. their moods shift too and its hard to not be grumpy even though nothing is upsetting you.

uncertainty. the air of training is dense with uncertainty: where will I go next? am i ready? will they like me? should ibuy another sweater? are these gloves made from real rabbit? will i have phone/internet service? how are people at home? if i get on this bus will i be able to tell people to stop when i need to? will it rain? will it stop raining? will i ever learn russian? why are they shaking that chicken? where can i find my favorite cookies? does this dog bite? if i don't eat this, will i offend anyone? do we have water? when will the quarantine be lifted? do i have swine flu? do you have swine flu? do i have appendicitis? is there meat in this? how much butter is in this? what am i eating? why is this good? can anyone understand me? can i understand me? why dont my lesson plans write themselves?
although these seem a bit strange and even funny, its things that we encounter on a day to day basis and can weigh heavily when youre already feeling a bit homesick or tired. finding humor in each of these questions is prbly our best coping mechanism. that and of course the great support we've had from our host family and cluster mates.

must get on the bus now... i will write more when i can.

laura