I love this little blog, but I don't really know what to do with it anymore. My life is consumed with school and the business and I don't have much time to just think, philosophize, and write. Not to mention that my 'public' persona as photographer/educator prevents me from using this as a place to vent.

So I'm going to be making some changes. I think I might be going underground, a bit. As in deleting names and too-revealing details. I want to change the appearance of this puppy and let it work for me once again as a public diary. I refuse to give up on the interesting component of my life and give in to boredom. I am SURE that more adventures are to follow :)

So bear with me as I find the time to make the above-mentioned changes and make this blog better-than-ever!

Yay for the holidays! We finally have a nice apartment that we can actually enjoy and we finally have essential things like a dining table/chairs so that we can have people over. Decorating is. . . slowly happening. I have a photo wall of family/memories that I'm slowly growing so not every wall is bare.

My true joy of this season is FINALLY having a for-real, adult Christmas tree. I've had a mini-tree since childhood and a tree each Christmas, but Sasha and I haven't yet had a regular family tree. I really wanted to get a live tree, but when I realized that it would be up from Thanksgiving to mid-January (old New Year) and the thought of needles (not to mention getting rid of a tree in an apartment complex), I re-considered. So my one outing on Black Friday was to Target to get a tree for $25. Sure, it isn't the fanciest artificial tree, but it sure is cute in our living room. You caught glimpses of it in the cans for comments post and my family photo from yesterday, but it was only yesterday (two days after Christmas that the decorating was completed.

The best part? I can finally use all my ornaments!! I have been collecting beautiful glass ornaments since my first Christmas in Ukraine. Some I bought in Ukraine, some in Prague, some in the US. But they are all beautiful and I LOVE them!

The first two are Santas: one from Ukraine and one silly Santa I got at Target today. The next row are also from Eastern Europe: a hippo from Prague and a monkey from Ukraine (the first ornament for my future tree that I bought--to ring in the year of the monkey). The last row has a cute snowman and a beautiful seal that my mom bought us this year.

The other great part? Our tree will be up to enjoy for at least 2 more weeks. Trees only go up around now in Ukraine and they stay up for New Year's (they're called New Year's Trees) and through Orthodox Christmas on January 7. So my little lighted joy will stay lit for a while more.

I'll try to post a bit about how we celebrate the next holidays. We're still in the process of building family traditions since it is only Sasha and I celebrating. It is kind of exciting to be able to do that and not be restricted by what has always been done ;)

We had a great week with my family--mom, dad, and Mike drove out to spend the holidays here with us. We ate a lot, shopped a lot, and watched a lot of movies :) It was good time spent with the family.

.

Now they're on their way home and we're re-grouping. It is a little crazy to have guests for the week but worth it. We have a fridge full of food, new ideas (Sasha was really inspired after watching Avatar in IMAX 3D). Today Sasha's editing, I'm working on photos and cleaning. And visiting Target for after-Christmas sales. ;)

This is only the beginning of the holiday season for us: we now have New Year's and Orthodox Christmas (to be spent quietly at home). It is my goal to find some new traditions for us--previous Orthodox Christmases have been spent at home sleeping. Maybe I'll fix a new fun traditional food. . .or something.

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas and I wish everyone a successful and happy new year!!

Autumn 2009 is over! Sure, I still have finals and portfolios to grade and a final paper to write BUT I have no more scheduled responsibilities 'till the New Year. It has been a long quarter--feels like the longest yet--and I'm so glad to be done. Teaching was fine (3rd time teaching Writing4), but I didn't really like my classes. Pedagogical grammar was just that--a lot of grammar, and my other class didn't have a clear focus. But that lack-of-focus allows me to write about pretty much whatever I want (like language and nationalism in Ukraine), so that's a good thing. Yay for writing a political paper about nationalism in Ukraine in an English class. Love it.

I think this quarter has been particularly tough because I've been really juggling a lot of responsibilities. I'm trying to be a good teacher and student AND make our business successful. I edit photos, arrange advertising, blog what we're up to, and keep a public face all while trying to teach useful lessons, understand course material, get homework done, and suck-up just enough to keep my future options open. I will finish my course requirements in March, but I'm funded 'till June so my future is open. Will I go teach (in the tough Seattle TESOL market)? I'm not sure. Will I find another job? Will I apply for the PhD program? Not sure. It is scary (and maybe a little exciting?) to not know--at all--what I'll be doing in a year.

But I love the bits and pieces of what I do. I enjoy being in front of a class (still not sure how I feel about teaching English in particular, but that's neither here nor there). I enjoy being a student. I enjoy being a photographer. I enjoy owning my own business. The little things overwhelm me at times, but overall, I love it.

One other aspect of blog-life that is unclear is how this blog fits into it all. Between my teaching face and my Photo/video face, there's little space left for my adventures. Maybe it is because I feel adventure-less or because I worry about who might read this blog (not that I'm hiding anything ;) ), but it is harder to randomly post.

So forgive my absence.

Enjoy a photo of my kitty, who sat in this box for hours today. :)

Happy Holidays!

A quick note: I originally posted this on our business blog, but you guys might appreciate it as well :) Sasha tends to go by 'Alex' for business stuff, because it's easier (though very weird to me)!

Thanksgiving break couldn't have come at a better time. I have been running for the last few weeks; trying to keep up with photo editing, school work, teaching, and planning. I've hardly had time to think. Putting the breaks on for just a couple days is such a blessing! Since I got home at 6pm last night, I've done nothing but relax. We slept 'till almost 1pm today and now I'm cooking and cleaning. Turning down the pressure for just a few hours has already given me some clarity and peace. And for that, I'm VERY thankful.We are both so thankful for our supportive families: mine in Montana and Alex's in Ukraine. Since Alex's family is so far away and my family is coming out to the Seattle area for Christmas, we're spending Thanksgiving as just the two of us. Rather than preparing a big fat turkey for just the two of us, we decided to start our own traditions and make turkey meatballs. You see, we've got Turkey and the meatballs are almost like Ukrainian kutlety. For dessert, Alex was inspired by one of those chef shows on TV and decided to make raspberry souffle in an apple--awesome!

A quick video of our dinner preparations:

Thanksgiving Dinner from Zinchuk Studios on Vimeo.Our feast! And can I just say that that burning log is made from coffee? Not sure how it works, but it burned fore-ever!

We are thankful for our health, our business, and all our opportunities. Alex has so many ideas to improve both the quality and ease of our cinematography business. I am thankful for each day spent in a warm home full of love with a roof over our heads.

To our couples and our friends & family: thank you for inspiring us and supporting us! It means so much!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I've heard rumors and panic for days, but the headlines finally hit BBC (my gauge for whether the news we hear out of Ukraine is legit): there is most definitely

"Panic in Ukraine over swine flu"Schools are closed for 3 weeks in a mandatory quarantine. Movie theatres and other public gathering places are closed. Public events are severely limited. 60 people have died in the past few weeks from an 'unknown' respiratory infection. There are no more flu meds or face masks in the pharmacies.. .

My sense is that everyone is in a tizzy because of lack of information. The fact that people are dying of a 'mystery illness' is scary. Politicians have a great opportunity to react and blame and stir the pot of uncertainty in election season (Ukraine's first presidential election since the Orange Revolution in October '04 will occur in January). Sasha's family is fine and they say they're not worried. Sasha's nephew Max is home from his university classes in Crimea for the 3 week quarantine. But life goes on as usual in Pervomaisk. I just hope it stays that way.

It has been a busy day (and yet despite that, I'm updating. . .). We're 90% moved out, but we had some things to take care of urgently this morning. I should have been preparing for a presentation I have at a conference tomorrow, but instead we were running an old mattress set to the landfill. It was a great accomplishment to learn where the landfill (well, transfer station) is located and to effectively dump our garbage, but it was not what I should have been doing today.

Despite distractions (like fielding calls for our business), I did manage to plan an ok lesson for class today (in the computer lab, they'll be intertained) and I think I'm ready for the conference tomorrow. I'm presenting on using blogs in the ESL writing classroom, so it is a perfect fit that I'm venting here ;). I go through how to get on blogger, why to use it, and show them examples of my class blog (interested? it's at http://writing4zinchuk.blogspot.com).

What is on the agenda for tonight: take the bus back home (direct bus--yay), hit WalMart for a couple things, and unpack. Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight before the spotlight is on me tomorrow!

We have (mostly) moved! HOORAY! Finally we've (almost) gotten rid of our tiny one-bedroom in Seattle (facing onto an alley, full of garbage bins and potholes). We're now in a peaceful 2-bedroom in Federal Way--complete with duck pond, washer & dryer, dishwasher. . .ah! civilization!!

Moving was rough--after traveling back from Ukraine, Sasha got sick with something. His only symptoms were a fever (101-ish), headache, and runny nose. He probably had that fever for 5 days, including the days we packed, loaded, and moved. Thank god we hired movers for the unloading process. Best money ever spent: for $150 two young nice trained guys moved all our furniture/boxes in about 45 minutes! If anyone needs a mover in the Seattle area, here's the link to their site: www.ecomoversmoving.com

Using movers actually put us in a better mood than we were before. It was so quick and easy--I wish unpacking was that easy! Since I'm commuting to Seattle, Sasha's been recovering, and I'm doing school/teaching, it has been hard to find time to unpack. Sasha has already learned how to use the washer/dryer, so that's a good thing :)

I guess I should do a post on Ukraine. I hesitated to post while Sasha was gone because I didn't want to openly and constantly announce to the world that Sasha was out of town.. for safety reasons, I guess. To sum it up, Sasha was in Ukraine for 3 1/2 weeks and hated most of it. It was hard to be apart (yes, we're one of those couples, who can't bear to be apart), he had a hard time with culture shock, and he was bored. He did film his friend/neighbor's wedding, so here are a couple photos:

One last thing: I promised my mom a recipe, so here it is:

Yummy Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 Cups Sugar 1/2 cup oil 2 eggs 1 cup pumpkin 1 3/4 cup flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp allspice 1/3 cup water 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) Combine sugar and oil. Add eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with water. Add nuts. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.Happy October!

Last week I got an email from the Red Cross (I'm in the Seattle Language Bank as a Russian interpreter/translator). They were looking for volunteers with language abilities to volunteer in their emergency shelters as "there is supposed to be massive flooding this year due to faulty dams along the Green River, and it is predicted that thousands of residents will be displaced".

I hadn't heard anything (I only periodically watch the news), but it turns out that an earthen dam on the Green River is leaking and engineers are unsure/unable to completely repair it. The county has already declared a state of emergency and the Army Corps of Engineers has taken temporary measures, but predictions are that when the rains come, they will need to release a lot of water to take pressure off the dam. And so Auburn, Kent, Tukwila and Renton are likely to flood.

Eek!

More info here:

City of Auburn Green River Flooding Information

MyNorthwest.com

So, I have been doing shelter training at the Red Cross. 6 hours down, 8 left plus 6-ish hours of Adult CPR/First Aid. A lot of training, which has been pretty boring. But I guess the boredom is better than bored at home. I've edited all photos, done all my homework, classes are ready to go. I'm stir crazy, Simon our cat is stir crazy. Sasha needs to come back!

At UW the weeks of each quarter are counted. It pays to keep track of each week since there's usually only 10 weeks in a quarter and it flies by. Last week was most of 0 week--we start classes Wednesday, so technically Week 1 starts then, but I'll be so busy I may as well be starting tomorrow.

This weekend I had a photo shoot (actually 2, the fabulous Nataliya and her too cute niece Kristina). If you're interested, find it on our blog: zinchukvideo.com/blog. I also went through most of TA orientation, again. Every year there are a couple 2-year TAs, and I was one of them. We are asked to come to orientation in our 2nd year in order to give our advice to the new TAs and get updated. I tried to balance giving advice and being annoying, but I fear that I didn't keep the right balance. It is a relief that it is over.

I bought books. I bought Sasha a birthday present. I bought some new shoes. I'm good and ready to begin, I hope. Tomorrow I have a full day of lesson planning and registration duties. It will be busy, but it is good to get started. I will be teaching Writing 4 for the 3rd time--I will soon be the writing expert. I'm actually going to present a seminar on blogging at a state-wide TESOL conference in October, which will be a fun way to gain professional experience :)

And I sleep. I go to bed very early (like 7pm last night), get up early, and I'm busy busy. It is good and refreshing. I'm glad autumn is here!!

So I'm under the covers, bowl of clam chowder in my belly, and purring kitty warming my feet. It's cold and rainy outside but I am happy and content. I've spent the last few days (re-)reading (Harry Potter 5-7), setting my own schedule, and taking care of things. Like, Goodbye, WellsFargo, hello sweet new credit union. Goodbye, crappy Seattle apartment, Hello Federal Way!

I found an awesome apartment in Federal Way that's 2-bedroom, washer/dryer, dishwasher, fireplace, vaulted ceilings, balcony overlooking the duck pond. A little bit of heaven and so much cheaper than now! We're set to move the weekend of Oct 17, so 1 month to go!

I really should take before/after photos of our miserable life in Seattle vs spacious and nice new apartment. Right now we are so crowded both in the apartment and in our location, that the openness of the new place is breathtaking. Yeah, the commute by bus will suck, but it is much better to have a nice life and crappy commute than crappy life with a short bus ride, don't you think :)

It gives me peace to know that I'm saving bucks (this has been a tough year) and saving sanity. Animals and nature bring us joy, so this apartment couldn't be a better fit :)

It feels like it has been 10,000 years since I updated this blog. All my energy has been going into our business blog.

Last Friday I finally finished teaching Summer Quarter. We're also beginning to wrap up our wedding season. And, I'm on VACATION FOR A MONTH! Yes, you heard me correctly. The next time I have to be anywhere is September 23rd!

That's why it's time to get caught up!

So, in July I went to my 10-year high school reunion.

old friends

Then, I went to my friend Phil's wedding. He was my first 'love'--we dated in 7th grade but I dumped him when somebody found out. Then we dated again in high school. He is now a good friend who also lives in Seattle yet I never see. His new wife Emily went to college with me, but we never knew each other. They compliment each other perfectly and I am so happy for them!!

Aside from that, it has been work-work-work, wedding-wedding-wedding! I hope to update more often during September, so keep coming back!!

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary and all I've got to say is this:

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what does this say?

You have probably heard the complaints of my fellow Seattlites echoing around the globe--yesterday was the hottest day in Seattle history. Let it be known that it is not all rain and fog around here. . . we have had one HOT summer.

Last night's sun (shot from my phone) even looks hot!

We couldn't handle the idea of being in our hot apartment all night, so we went to a rooftop BBQ in Freemont. A-Mazing! There was a cool breeze coming off the water, fresh air, and a perfect view of the heat lightening. The best part? Meeting new people--the BBQ was a group of photographers. We ran into some acquaintances and made new friends. It was painful to come back to our oven-apartment last night!

Today has been better--my classrooms on T/Th have air conditioning, I have renewed energy after being social last night, and I don't work tomorrow!! Hip-hip-hooray!

So, I'm back to 'work' editing photos in the dark, avoiding cooking, and drinking lots of cold drinks. I just hope it cools down before our Saturday wedding!!

Last night Simon found a small bird in a tree. Poor thing was so hot & panting. Sasha pushed Simon away and called me out to look. We thought it might be a hummingbird. We tried to put some cool sugar water near the bird, and she flew right into our living room (since our windows were wide open to try and cool the place off).

She made herself right at home--flying from lamps to cupboards and back. She couldn't seem to figure out how to get back out the window. . .so we had to 'trap' her in our cat carrier and carry her outside. Even then, she just flew back to the tree for a rest. Poor, cute thing!!

Any ideas about what kind of bird she is?

Also, we had a great weekend in MT for my 10th high school reunion. As soon as I have a chance, I'll post photos here. . .it was a pretty wild trip!!

I told you, we are busy :)

Headin' to MT soon--pictures guaranteed when we get back!!

I haven't been posting recently because I have been really, really busy. Teaching keeps me busy during the day, and whenever I'm not thinking about my students or creating lessons (or teaching them), I'm working/thinking/obsessed with our business.

This has been a year of phenomenal growth for us. We transitioned from standard definition cameras set on tripods to high definition cameras on a steadicam. I have an amazing photo camera that has added amazing video to our video clips, not to mention makes my photos look pretty good. We have invested a lot of money, but more than that, we have invested our time and our souls into making our business work.

And we are obsessed. We keep making travel plans over my breaks from school, but when the vacation comes our business goals seem more pressing. We haven't made any social events for some time because we have film shoots every weekend and often on weeknights. Even when my parents were here, we had a film shoot one evening. It is great that we are growing, but it is tiring at the same time.

Worst of all is the psychological obsession--it is like dating someone your really like. I check twitter, facebook, my email, google reader, etc 10x an hour for news, emails, and most importantly, affirmation. Yesterday was a good day--we got several new comments on our newest video {found here}. It feels good to have people appreciate what you do when you invest so much into it. And you obsess when you don't hear anything at all :)

The personal side of life is taking a toll because this business is so extremely personal. It is a large part of Sasha's American identity--instead of being a respected police officer in his community, he wants to be the best wedding cinematographer in Seattle. A goal that he, really we, is working hard to achieve. So if you really want to know what we are up to, visit facebook (where I have hijacked my profile to give business updates, don't hate me), visit our studio blog, visit The Wedding Chicks where I guest blog, or give us a call. I can't guarantee that we'll call back soon, but we'll appreciate it none the less ;)

This is worth the 8 minutes to watch from start to end. Sasha says the timeframe is from just before WWII to 1946 (noted at the end). A very emotional video.

My family came to visit for a few days, so we decided to take them on a safari :) Didn't know a Safari was possible near Seattle? Well, wildlife fun is avaliable just a few hours away at the Olympic Game Farm

It was a great idea to get out of traffic and have some fun. We got to feed llamas, yaks, bears, deer, elk, and many others. We did the driving loop 2 times, it was so fun. Now for some pictures:

I guess the story behind these guys is that they are former animal actors or the children of animal actors. They sure knew how to beg! We brought a loaf of whole wheat bread (the only kind allowed in the park) and the animals were so much fun that we bought another loaf :)

I love zoos! I've been to many of them throughout the world. Today, Sasha and I decided to spend the afternoon at the Woodland Park Zoo here in Seattle. According to my parents, I was there when I was very young, but I have no recollection. But today was so nice--and the animals so cool--we'll remember it forever.

Here are some of our favorites:

Hungry Hungry Hippo

Monkeys

Mama and baby gorilla

(note that the baby's nursing)

Penguins

And flamingoes

mating!

Fascinating article I came across today from glamour.com:

Yes, This Woman is a "Mail-Order Bride"

Yesterday was my 4-week follow-up for my broken foot. I went into the office, feeling good. I chatted with the doctor and she felt my foot and said that things seem to be healing well. I guess my fracture is probably an avulsion fracture.

She sent me down for a follow-up X-ray and it confirmed what I have felt: it is healing nicely! As the doctor said "I'm an awesome healer". Usually foot fractures have a 6-8 week healing time, but mine is looking good after 4 weeks! So doctor's orders are now: if it hurts, don't do it. That means, I wear the cast when it is sore, but I can wear good shoes if it feels fine. Yay!!

Interesting note, the 2nd X-ray showed my break much better than the first. A month ago, I thought the break was a little 3mm crack. In fact, the whole bone was cracked along the side/bottom (a good inch or so), with only 3mm showing at the top. No wonder it hurt so bad!

Inspired by

a) awkward family portraits

b) my upcoming 10-year class reunion

-and-

c) free time

I decided to hit the photo archives for some high school fun.

I was somewhat socially awkward in high school, but I was confident and had a consistent group of friends (hi guys!). I loved school dances. And with my confidence, I thought I looked soo good for those dances with *boys*.

How wrong was I. . .

First real dance, Sophomore Winter Formal. I loved that ice-blue dress with its matching dyeable shoes.

Cute enough. However, I apparently didn't get the memo that hair claws are for lounge time, not school dances:

But apparently that's what it takes to tame my mane.

Sophomore Prom was much better (I guess some schools don't let youngsters into their proms, but at my HS, all students--frosh to senior--were usually allowed).

Aww. ..

Junior year Winter Formal was lots of fun--complete with dance party in somebody's basement after the dance:

But, back to the same 'ol fashion choices:

Whhyyyyyyy!

I like to think I did well with picking out dresses. . but oh, my hair! My long, curly mane of hair has always been a problem.

But not all dances were a fashion flop:

For junior prom we went vintage:

And in general, senior year was much better!

I read a really interesting article on the BBC today. It seems that they've been doing a series on 1989 and the fall of communism (in honor of the 20th anniversary of that year of change). Today, the editors profiled the impact of the 1989 events on Ukraine.

"How 1989 fanned flames in Ukraine"

Some of the most interesting comments:

"Gorbachev decided to let a little bit of genie out of the bottle. But you cannot let out just a little bit"

Poet Ivan Drach

"I envied the Poles. I thought they were 10 years ahead of us. But then things in Ukraine took off really quickly."

Writer Andrei Kurkov

"The degree of lies, secrecy and disregard for people's lives after Chernobyl critically undermined whatever was left of trust in the authorities."

Read more here.

I was blog-surfing again tonight, and came across new photo inspiration here.

It is a collection of the most awkward photos EVER! Love it!

Dude, next time I need to refresh my list of "poses" I'm totally lookin' here!

P.S. I'm totally gonna go scan some HS dance photos now.. .will update soon ;)

Happy Birthday, Dad and Mike! My dad's birthday was yesterday and little baby brother turned 20 today. I guess he's not such a baby anymore. I've been craving white cake for days (unexplainable), so I baked a cake in their honor, since they're in Montana and I'm not.

Awwww, so cute!

Inspired by this video and by a recent conversation with my dad, I figured I'd mention a bit about the role Peace Corps has played in my life here. I started this blog after I finished my Peace Corps service, but my time spent as an English teacher in Ukraine is threaded through my life today. While in the Peace Corps, I met my husband. While in the Peace Corps I found a profession that fulfilled my desire to teach, to always be 'doing,' and to be involved in the world.

My 27 months in Ukraine were hard, were rewarding, and were frustrating. I learned how to be an adult in Ukraine: I paid bills, I lived alone, I held a job. . .It was an amazing experience that has shaped my future.

I am always thrilled when people I know email asking for more information. Peace Corps isn't for everyone: it is a 2-year contract with the US government. The bureaucratic rules make some crazy. Some people don't like the 2-year committment. But it is a wonderful opportunity to go abroad and really do something in the world, it is a good way for the US government to spend its money to 'increase understanding.'

Enjoy this Peace Corps ad with its 3-D photos and Matthew McConaughey voice-over :)

I'm almost done with my first year of my MA TESOL program. In fact, I technically only have 2 quarters left. It is nice to know that I have a lot of work and teaching experience under my belt, and also nice to know that I'll be employed this summer. All I have left is a presentation, a short paper, and grading portfolios for the class I teach. Then a week or so of freedom! before I begin teaching for the summer.

This summer we have 9 weddings, I believe. I will be teaching 3 classes. We will go to Montana 2 times, Oregon once. It will be busy, but fun. We will make some money (finally) and get out of debt (I hope). I am looking forward to this summer!

Thursday I go to the doctor for my 4-wk follow-up for my broken foot. I think/hope that she'll tell me to leave the cast on for just 2 more weeks. It is feeling quite healed. Today, Sasha's been sick (throwing up all night, feverish today) so I needed to do a sprite/jell-o run today. I decided to drive and to wear shoes, not the cast. My ankle gets a little sore without the cast because I think it's gotten a little weak, but I could put on shoes and walk without problems. Of course, I'm not going to 'push it' 'till the Doctor says I'm better, but it is nice to know that it's healing.

Yesterday was a fun day--the Jai Ho crew performed for the End-of-Quarter ceremony for the students we teach. I dragged Sasha along so he could see his video on the big screen--they played the film and then danced. The students loved it and our program director even had Sasha stand up so everyone could applaud him. It was a great moment. :)

Hopefully we'll be in Montana by next weekend and we'll have more *adventures* to tell.

Jai Ho from Zinchuk Studios on Vimeo.

The 2009 MATESOL (that's Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, i.e. what I'm studying) grads wanted to do something memorable on the way out. One soon-to-be grad had the great idea to learn the Jai Ho dance from Slumdog Millionaire. I couldn't participate with a broken foot, but I offered to film it with Sasha. Thursday evening, the eager almost Grads gathered to do the dance. We had a ton of fun and this will be one film not to forget. :)

A couple pics:

Sasha's application to lift the conditions* on his temporary green card was approved today: he is now a Permanent Resident of the US. Yay!

*since we were married for less than 2 years when Sasha applied to immigrate to the US, he only received conditional permanent residence.

So this crack in my 5th metatarsal is pretty small, but having a broken bone is kind of a big deal. My mom reminds me daily to take care of myself and let things heal. In fact, this has been quite a lesson for me--here are a few things I've learned:

1) Slow down. If I had slowed down, maybe I wouldn't have fallen and broken my foot. But more importantly, a few days aren't so important in the grand scheme of things. If I need time to heal, I need to take that time. I broke my foot on Tuesday evening, and the best thing I did was take several days off to just heal.

2) It is ok to be a baby sometimes. My break isn't that bad, and it didn't hurt to much (after the initial half hour or so of tears). But now that it has been 2 weeks and it is getting better, it feels so much better! Which means I should have babied myself when I needed it, and even now I need to take care not to hurt it again (side note, I kinda tripped while teaching today and oh! did that hurt. Caught myself right on my break. Oy!).

3) Crutches suck. For so many reasons. My arms hurt, I got tired, I was clumsy, I hated the symbol of being broken. I ditched 'em as soon as I could.

4) Appreciate yourself. I'm in the best health I've been in in years. Appreciate what health you have and take care of yourself when you're ailing. A silly little foot bone has laid up many plans. I hope it heals quickly and accurately so I can move on, but I need to take care so that it doesn't happen again.

That's it for now, but my sweaty, heavy, awkward air cast is a consistent reminder to take care of myself.

Since I have a lot to read tonight, I'm going to post this wedding trailer 'till I have time to post again. We filmed the wedding Saturday, did the trailer Monday. Enjoy!

Alexey + Vera : Trailer from Zinchuk Studios on Vimeo.

I've noticed that I've been getting a lot of hits recently, so all my new visitors, "Hi!"

I see, through my sleuthing, that many of you are coming from Peace Corps Journals. Leave a comment to say 'Hello' and I'd love to visit your blogs. If you have questions about Peace Corps, let me know. I started this blog after my Peace Corps adventure (just after my wedding to a Ukrainian who I met during Peace Corps).

So, new friends, Hello!! Stop by again!

A couple weeks ago, I alluded to some decisions that we've been trying to make around here. To stay, to go, to work, to play. Sometimes, the scariest decision is to stay, but that's what we've done this time.

I was awarded a fellowship to teach next year in Poland. But with our expanding business, my maybe-desire to continue on to the PhD program at UW, and the definite-desire to stay firmly rooted in one bit of soil for more than a few years, we made the big decision to turn down the fellowship.

Scary! Could it have been the opportunity of a lifetime? Sure! But I am all about making every opportunity the opportunity of a lifetime!

So that's it. 3 posts in one day. 3 updates. And now you know, we're not going anywhere :)

I'm really proud of how well our business is growing, and I'm pleased with the contribution I make. Sasha really is an amazing wedding cinematographer, but based on recent work, I like to think I'm not too bad of a wedding photographer. If you're interested, take a look at my recent work here:

Zinchuk Studios: the Blog

It has been almost a week since I broke my foot, and it isn't hurting much anymore. I actually had a lot of time to rest it over the past several days--Wednesday I stayed home from teaching and classes because I was overwhelmed by the idea of trekking across a huge campus on crutches. It was actually good that I stayed in bed all day and elevated my foot. It only turned slightly green and swollen over the weekend--probably because of ice packs and elevation.

Thursday Sasha again complained of tooth pain up where he has 1 rotten wisdom tooth. He was supposed to get it pulled in March but he was terrified (needles make him green/almost pass out) so he put it off. I insisted that he go in for at least the consultation on Thursday, so we did that at 3:30 Thursday afternoon. Again, I avoided classes and teaching, kept my weight off my foot and then we drove to the Oral Surgeon. They took a look and decided to pull the tooth (along with another molar he's know for a while needs to go) ASAP. So, 7:45 am Friday we were there, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Usually wisdom teeth are pulled with general anesthesia, but considering the fact that Sasha hates needles/I can't drive due to my broken foot/aircast; he did just local. Apparently, the molar was just fine but the wisdom tooth hurt really badly! Poor guy. But he dealt with it and by 8:30 we were on the road back home.

I didn't do so well getting around on crutches. I don't know if it was something related to getting tired, but I almost fainted in Safeway. So it really was a good thing that we laid low all weekend.

Since I wasn't sick in bed, but 'broken' in bed, I almost died of boredom. Thank god for live streaming of the Eurovision song contest (Yay, Norway!). It kept me entertained for all of Saturday and we got the Mp3s to listen to in the car. We drove around on Saturday for a bit so that we didn't get completely stir crazy. You see, we're pretty active people. We go for walks several times a week. We're always running somewhere, doing something. With a broken foot, I have lost a lot of independence. I am supposed to wear the cast for 2 months, which means 2 months without driving. Yeah, Sasha and I spend a lot of our time together and yeah, he drives me around a lot anyways, but now I can't run errands or do stuff when I need to.

Now it is Monday and I made it back to campus. UW has a 'dial a ride' bus that helps 'disabled' students get around. It was quick and easy to use--they'll soon be my new friends. I taught this afternoon and my students seem to have missed me. I'm tired, but I did all right. Tomorrow: class and teaching--we'll see how I do for a full day.

I broke my foot yesterday. :( It was stupid--I fell a couple steps after getting off the bus. Apparently, the pull I felt when I put my foot down on uneven concrete (which caused the fall) actually pulled my bone apart. It's a fracture of my 5th metatarsal. Maybe I'll even show ya'll my x-ray.

So now I have an air cast, crutches, and I must stay off it. My poor foot is turning a nice shade of green.

I feel stupid and incapacitated--I can't stand, walk, get dressed normally. Who knew feet were so important ;) I'm chillin in my bed today to get ahold of myself. Tomorrow is a new day, and so is the next. But the reality is, I must spend several weeks on crutches, a couple months in this cast, and I need to heal so I don't need surgery.

Yes, it is a small dumb fracture, but it is in a tricky place. It may or may not heal. If not, surgery. Let's hope it heals nice and fast. I don't have time in my busy lifestyle for that, too. Between school, teaching, the business, etc, this adds another layer of craziness. That's why I'm staying home, at least for today.

I love Eurovision. With entries like last year's Ukrainian (2nd place winning) entry, how can you not love it:

Ukraine's entry this year:

Yeah, I know it kinda sucks, but entertaining!

Azerbaijan's entry--some girl and Arash. I loooove Arash (although, actually, all his songs sound the same)

What does Russia have to offer? Oh, wait, a song written by a Ukrainian and sung by a Ukrainian. Sweet.

From the Eurovision website:

Anastasia Prikhodko

Mamo | lyrics Composer(s) Konstantin Meladzé

Lyrics writer(s) Konstantin Meladzé, Diana Golde

Biography

Anastasia Prihodko was born on 21st of April 1987 in Kyiv, Ukraine. She was educated in the National University of Fine Arts in Kiev.

A kind, smart and friendly girl from Kiev, Anastasia has an interesting and rarely low deep voice like that of an opera’s diva. She has graduated from a music academy, the department of folk vocal.She sings quite unordinary minor songs and folk songs in both the Russian and Ukranian languages.

Kinda boring, and the end totally sucks. ..but she's singing in both Ukrainian and Russian (although I don't clearly hear one or the other, just a blend).

With 42 countries participating, there's some fun entries, and since it's being held in Moscow this year, I'm sure there'll be plenty of scandal ;)

Right now I'm working on some hopefully fabulous advertising in a local Seattle bridal magazine. I really wanna make the best ad possible so I'm gonna float some ideas out here.

Our goal is to choose something iconic. Something to catch your eye. Something you don't see every photog doing. Something that works with our logo:

Please help! Which photo (s) do you like best? (they will appear in the ad without our watermark on the photo)

1)Ray of light

2) Silver and Gold

3) Passion in Pink

4) Take Three

5) Happy in Love

6) All of the Above

7) NONEof the Above

Pay no attention to my dumb titles--they're just for polling purposes. Click on the photos to see them bigger in flickr. Give me your honest advice. You'll find the poll to your right.. voting ends Friday at midnight.

THANK YOU!

I have been quiet on the blog recently because this spring is like every other: i get stir crazy and seem to make big changes around this time. Last year, it was quitting my job and going back to school. The year before, immigration. The previous year, getting married and going to grad school (the first time around).

What's up this year? Well, deciding whether or not to leave the country for a year. Making some decisions about our business. Figuring out my plans for grad school next year. . ..nothing has been decided so there's nothing to say.

We are busy finishing up our last '08 wedding details, doing engagement shots/love stories/etc for our '09 couples. Teaching is going well (I think), I'm getting by in my classes, and altogether doing ok.

So, it may remain quiet here for a bit. . as we decide what's next for us. Brides keep us busy, school is just another thing to juggle. So to everyone out there, stay healthy and I'll write more pretty soon :)

We went to do Sasha's 'biometrics' for his permanent residence card (permanent green card) today, and the whole process was so easy! I've learned that anything involving the US government (or any government for that matter) is complicated. But, we drove down to Tukwila, got in line, and about 40 minutes later, things were done. Now I just hope he gets his green card in the mail, no questions asked.

A fairly quiet weekend ahead--DVDs to burn, labels to print, and Sunday morning an engagement photo shoot. I have homework, readings to get caught up on, and well, rest. Spring is here, which is a season of change. I get a little stir crazy this time of year. . .and I just don't know what kind of adventures are next. Half of my brain craves stability and a nice life. The other half treats stability like a nightmare. I think Sasha's the same--if he's bored, he's crazy, but he's also skeptical of crazy adventures.

I hope this mood will pass, having made the right step forward. Whether it is another adveture or stabilty, I just want peace :)

Ian + Sharon: Trailer from Zinchuk Studios on Vimeo.

Here's the video :)

Happy Orthodox Easter! We've had a busy weekend and I still have much to do, so I'll be quick here.

Friday we filmed a wedding. I'm so happy with my camera that I could cry. Our video also turned out awesome. I'll post our newest video clip soon--here's a couple photos to hold you over :)

Saturday we slept. Seriously. I had to get up at 9 to return a lens and a 2nd HD video camera by 10am so I groggily got up, took some ibuprofin (you get so sore filming weddings!), and drove to downtown Seattle. Then I went home and went back to bed. We got up sometime around 12:30, took a walk, and decided to celebrate Easter by the Ukrainian clock. We made our Easter feast and then Sasha called home.

Today, I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I've been editing photos for most of the day (thanks to my mom who made me realize that I can install our expensive editing software on 2 computers so Sasha could work all day and so could I). I have some homework that I must do right about now. I made banana bread. I've done laundry. Sometimes a good day of rest can really help give you energy to do all the things you've been neglecting.

Spring is really in the air. It is warm, flowers are blooming, wedding season has begun. It was a good weekend, but I wish I could linger a bit more. . .

We moved from Ukraine to the United States 2 years ago today. It is really amazing to think about how quick 2 years can pass. It feels so long when its in front of you, but so short when you look back. I am proud of what we've accomplished in the past 2 years, and I can't wait to see what's ahead of us!

From our first days in the US

1) I found a job that wasn't too bad, worked for just over a year and then started my masters program.

2) Our Business, started in May 07

Since starting on standard cameras, we've expanded to HD and photography

3) We've expanded our family with our kitty kitty Simon.

(side comment: today we went for a walk, to a store about 15 blocks away. Simon, like usual, decided to follow--like a dog. We got about halfway and he was still following! And crying with loud, sad, cries. When he tried to cross a busy street we had to turn around and shut him in our apartment so that he didn't get hurt!)

4) We've been back to Ukraine 2 times. Not bad for 2 years away from your entire family (for Sasha). It is amusing when you talk to other Russians/Ukrainians who haven't been back for 10/15 years and they still have close family there.

5) I don't know what I expected 2 years ago when we first arrived. In some ways, we have achieved more than I ever dreamed. It has been hard (last night I almost slept on the couch in frustration with some technical aspects of our business--we kept fighting and fighting in frustration with the computer). Every day we try to improve ourselves and our lives. It is amazing to live with Sasha in my home country and really be working towards 'The American Dream'.

Here's a link back to our first post from the US:

Our arrival in the US

Happy Easter to most of the Christian world! Except not us--Orthodox Easter is next weekend. I'm not going to continue with my usual theme of feeling odd on the holidays (since we're not celebrating anything today, but stores are closed, everyone's feasting, children are gleefully searching for eggs. . .).

Instead I'm going to leave you with this photo from Seattle wedding planning website Seattle Style.

It's a PEEP WEDDING!

Here's our first HD video--it is the love story to accompany the engagement photos we did over the weekend. Enjoy :)

Ian + Sharon: Love Story from Zinchuk Studios on Vimeo.

We had a very busy weekend doing engagement photos/love story video shots. It was so fun, but a ton of work. Saturday--5 hours. Sunday--5 hours. Two great couples!

Here's some photos for the photo lovers out there :)

BTW: I rented an awesome camera this weekend: Canon 5D mkII. After doing a test-drive, we're gonna get one very soon. Aren't the pics beautiful?!

I have officially made it through week 1 of Spring quarter--and I feel good. Classes are managable and interesting. Teaching is going really well so far! This weekend we have 2 engagement photo shoots/love story video sessions. . .it is Spring and I feel forward motion.

The one frustration of the week is our computer. As we transition to high definition video, we need a computer that can handle it. Our computer is a dell, which is reliable but frustrating to upgrade. I have spent more time on the phone with them than I'd like, and I've spent more money than I should, upgrading, returning, buying, returning, and ordering online. But we will soon have a new processor and graphics card, and our computer should be running well for much cheaper than a new computer.

I also have a new photo-camera baby in my hands. Well, it is a rental of the camera I intend to buy very soon. It is amazing--the photos are incredible, it is easy to operate, etc. BUT it doesn't go with the software I have on my computer. It does work on Sasha's soon to be upgraded desktop, but I love laying in bed, cozy and warm, to edit photos. SO that may be another investment.

So, things are looking up. The daffodils are in full bloom. It is supposed to be in the 50s, 60s all weekend, and I think classes are going fine. Not a bad way to go through spring :)