COS and First Bell

Trip Start Sep 25, 2004

Trip End Dec 22, 2006

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of Ukraine Yaremche and Sokal, Ukraine
Friday, September 1, 2006

I just got back from the COS (Close of Service) Peace Corps Conference in the Carpathians, and today we started the new school year. My planned COS date is December 5th, so it seems suddenly that there's not much time left. It means I'll be really busy during my final semester. Days are getting shorter, colder... but I'm feeling pretty happy in Sokal, today especially happy! Everybody is excited about the grant project- me too. They are talking about who will be FIRST to do the training. I just love it- Lyubomir is doing a great job. Yes!

Also, I love the "bell" ceremonies. It's so beautiful to see the WHOLE community lined up together- parents, kids with big poof balls in their hair, and stray dogs running around in the center. The local apple trees are full of red globes now, and I feel like I am walking in a crisp autumn story-book with green leaves and red balls

Conference Hall at COS

. The only low point today was the liver-mayo salad. That was a mistake, but I thought it was coleslaw.

(Added Sept. 2nd)
My parents called me today, and I promised them I'd add this little story... the part where I went to the bathroom at the celebration, and there was no water in the bathroom- that's not rare. We couldn't flush of course, but more importantly we couldn't wash our hands, so we went back to the table to use some instant hand sanitizer= pour a little vodka on your hands! My dad mentioned that doctor's prefer something with at least 70%alcohol, but I think Ukrainian vodka probably kills most things.

Regardless of my infallible hygenic practices, I still got a little oozy after the party last night, and got up 4 times to use the bathroom. I'm blaming it on that weird liver salad because there was definitely some globulous-gooey, eye-ball consistency thing in the bite I tried. Today I give two BIG thumbs DOWN to weird salads.

The dancing was incredible though! I just love Ukrainian mood "nastriy" and party dancing- it totally makes up for the gooey liver, vodka-hand-washing and mayo.

PS- Mr. Bryan "FashionMaster" Warf... if you read this, I would just like you to know that I wore my glittery gold-white Ukrainian (but made in China) "ELF" shoes- the ones you thought were a joke- and I looked fan-sparkle-tastic. =P