I put together this small presentation to express my gratitude for the teachers and students at Gymnasia N. 7 in Novoukrainka, Ukraine. This video is approximately 20 minutes long. Hope you enjoy seeing the faces of our school! Love NataliePeace Corps Volunteer(2008-2010)

With the first three weeks of school under my belt, I finally feel back into the routine. I'm working with a new group of 4th graders (4th grade is usually the youngest I teach), and after each lesson with them, I'm reminded of how much of an actress I really am in the classroom - their excitement, but limited experience with the English language, make for interesting lessons! I was also shocked

As Gymnasia N. 7 seeks to expand its connections with the world, we have been working on an application to work with a company called "Global Gateway" which seeks to 'bring an international dimension to education'. Our school will be linked with other countries around the world to learn more about how students study in other countries, and of course about their local traditions, customs, and

Summer has officially ended... time to pull out the 'professional' clothes, plan lessons each day, and spend more time with students! FINALLY! I had a fabulous summer, but I'm definitely ready to get back into the routine of school. In preparation for school, I've been at school nearly every weekday to meet with teachers, work on grant projects, and catch up on the latest happenings in each

Printed Thursday, August 19 by the Kyiv PostMark RachkevychUkraine is home to the world's largest contingency of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers.They are jokingly referred to as the "Posh Corps," but they also could be called ambassadors of peace. They carry cell phones, have running water in their homes and a McDonald's restaurant is usually not far away.They're U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in

Traveling with Lena has been full of adventures, interesting conversations, and a chance to get to know Lena on a new level. Just a reminder, Lena is my counterpart - or the person in my community whom I work with most closely. I am so thankful to have an awesome counterpart that I get along with so well...View from our hotel... I absolutely loved being at the foot of the mountains. Another Peace

Lena and I have been traveling together... I wanted to share some pictures from our adventures:More pictures and stories coming soon...Love Nat

Eastern Europeans with HIV: Help us!July 21, 2010Associated Press VIENNA (AP) - Eastern Europeans with HIV are urging their governments and the international community to take immediate action to fight AIDS in their region.The activists - from Russia, Ukraine, and Estonia - say their politicians don't care that more than 3,000 people will die this week alone from the virus and that access to

After returning from my travels with Mal and David, I returned to Novoukrainka to a new site mate! Another Peace Corps volunteer was assigned to the community I live in, so we met as soon as I returned. We have spent three weeks and I've definitely enjoyed sharing space with Lynae! We are both helping each other transition in different ways - I'm showing her around, introducing her to my support

Spending a week in Egypt with Mal and David was incredibly refreshing! The resort we stayed at in Sharm El Sheikh had two beaches we could travel to - one with snorkeling in the Red Sea and the other was a more 'chill' beach, where we could enjoy huge floating beds in the water, rent paddle boats with slides, or just relax with watermelon and a beer :). One of the excursions we went on was a

There are many exciting plans to look forward to this summer, but wrapping up the school year and celebrating with senior students makes me realize that my service committment in Ukraine is almost finished. I really can't believe it has almost been two years since I missed my airplane from Portland to the Peace Corps Orientation (in Philadelphia). I have appreciated being adopted into my site

Beginning with Victory Day (May 9th), I was invited to a neighborhood concert. The audience consisted of five enthusiastic grandmothers, three sets of parents, some youthful bystanders, and me. Here are some fun pictures from the celebration:All the performers at their finest!Saying goodbye to volunteers who have fulfilled their service commitment has always been one of the most difficult times

Twice each year, my oblast hosts a "Softball Weekend" - which reaches out to Peace Corps volunteers, the local community, and an orphanage. It consisted of a round robin softball tournament on Saturday with Americans and Ukrainians, an "All Star" game on Sunday (Ukrainian team vs. American team), and all the softball participants donating money to a local orphanage to purchase expressed needs

Came across this video and fell in love. Appreciating the thousands of awesome things around me is a constant struggle, but so essential to my well-being.One of my "awesome things" is the support I have received throughout my Peace Corps service. Thank you to family and friends who continue to send emails, arrange Skype dates, put together amazing care packages, and meet me in new places around

It was wonderful receiving a surprise visit from another person from the states a few weeks ago! Ingrid was visiting from Moscow, Idaho as part of a teacher exchange program. Not only was I able to meet with her, but also the teacher (from a different school) who was hosting her. This was a great connection to make and I enjoyed the company and conversation throughout our dinner together.This

Yes, the focus of my trip in Italy was consumption. Consumption of wine, delicious food, and gelato. I had a fabulous time with Brian and Justin - they were awesome traveling companions! I may have made a mistake the night before I left by dancing at a night club in Kyiv until I had to depart for the airport (but hey, it saved me the cost of a night in a hotel and I spent time with friends). Once

Two friends and I decided to board a bus headed for Chisinau, Moldova (the capital). We stayed two nights in a great little hostel and made our way around the city. Here are some pictures from our trip:When we first arrived, we checked in to our hostel, familiarized ourselves with the city map, then headed to "Bier Platz" - a German restaurant. Yep, we ate seafood at a German restaurant in

Living abroad can be exciting, full of new adventures and people, and a time to focus on my personal growth. However, with a low command of the Russian and Ukrainian languages, I am finding that sometimes I forget there is an entire world apart from my daily existence. Until it comes crashing down…My life did not come crashing down by any means, but the last couple weeks have brought about some

Always new happenings to report for a Peace Corps volunteer - I'm not sure where to begin! At the beginning of the month, Kirovohrad Oblast hosted our English Olympiad competition for 9th-11th graders. Nine of my students participated in this competition (because they placed in the regional competition) and we ended up taking four of the nine possible places. Below is a picture of some of my

Traveling home for Holly and Darren's wedding allowed me to reunite with so many friends and family, take care of some much needed shopping, and most importantly, support Holly in the days leading up to the ceremony. Here's my favorite picture of the recently-married couple:Holly and Darren had a fairly large wedding, with nearly 250 people in attendance! The bridesmaids wore adorable light blue

…by video from Novoukrainka (specifically, my 4th grade class) Happy Holidays from Ukraine!I’m looking forward to my trip home next Thursday (I begin the journey on Sunday). Today was our first day back from quarantine. It felt so good to be back! The roads were full of slush and school was cold, but it was so energizing to see my students again.On Saturday, I’ll head into Kirovohrad for a

Why: To experience daily life in Ukraine as a Peace Corps volunteer through pictures, stories, and video that I have prepared with my community and school to share with you. When: Thursday, January 7, 2010 beginning at 6:00pm Where: Washington State University Vancouver campus (Administration Building, lecture hall 110) Click here for a map, directions, and parking information. Hope to see

Well, it has been two weeks since my last blog entry… really, only two weeks? I have so many stories to share! Wonderful news: my SPA grant was funded for a Multimedia Resource and Training Center in our region! You can read more about this grant on my other blog. Throughout this process, I have been impressed with the staff’s enthusiasm for this project and their willingness to share these

It’s time for some honesty: I have been having a rough time in Ukraine lately. No, nothing out of the ordinary has caused my optimism to disappear; in fact, I can’t quite put my finger on the cause of my perpetual sour mood. So, I’ve made a list of possible reasons and will try to communicate each of them. Throughout this blog, I feel that I’ve maintained a fairly positive attitude and it has

It has been almost a month since my last posting. I'm not quite sure what is holding me back from posting... I'm just having a difficult time right now. Just a quick update for you: all is well with me, the school year is flying by, and I had a fabulous birthday last Thursday - complete with many friends, cake with candles, and my new coat (thanks mom and dad for sending it in my care package).

Last week, I went on two "excursions" with my students. Not the typical school field trips we would take in the states, but I really enjoyed this time with my students! On Wednesday, we went to a collective farm to dig up carrots for our school cafeteria. Apparently, the students work in the fields quite a bit in September to allow the school heavily discounted veggies. Each student was assigned

Last week, I had a scheduled appointment time with my Regional Manager, Zhanna, to visit my site. During her visit, she wanted to see me conduct a demo lesson and check out my new apartment. As I was walking to school at 7:45am last Wednesday, I was slightly nervous to have someone observe and critique my lesson. I had thought through the material, I had built my students' knowledge to this point

As of this week, I have been living in Ukraine for one year. It's amazing how quickly time flies! I have had so many adventures and challenges along the way...I have also appreciated this time on my own - especially to have the chance to reflect and find a more balanced perspective on life. There are many lessons and ideas I will bring back to the United States with me, and some things that I

My Tuesday morning started off by jumping out of a train. Really. You see, I was up in Kyiv for the day to attend a meeting (which I'll explain later). Because of my newfound appreciation for traveling by train, I boarded the 3:25pm Kyiv-Odessa train. However, I depend on the provodnik, the person whose sole responsibility it is to wake passengers up before their stop, give us bed sheets, and

Tuesday, September 1: First Bell CelebrationsThe first of September marks the first day of school across Ukraine. Except, rather than having actual lessons, it is a day to celebrate the new academic year. We met in the Palace of Culture where we recognized students with achieved high grades last year, introduced new teachers (my school has two new teachers), awarded teachers for their work in

By CLAIRE ST. AMANT Tysmentsya, Ukraine After graduating from college in 2008, I joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Ukraine. I'm not sure where I meet more people who know less about what exactly the Peace Corps is—here or back home. In Ukraine, people I meet either think that I'm a secret agent (our language-training classes now include the phrase "I am not a spy") or that I was forced to

Well, I've finally been able to catch my breath from traveling. Last night, I was riding train number 696 (the Kyiv to Odessa train) and my scheduled time to arrive was 11:15pm. At 11:30pm, I woke up and wondered if we were running late because the providnik (1 person per boxcar who wakes you up when your stop is approaching) hadn't jolted me out of my sleep. I quickly walked to his sleeping

WARNING: This is the longest blog I have ever posted. Please be warned, it could take you an hour to make your way through all the pictures, videos, and senseless ramblings that I've posted here. You can't say you weren't warned... :)Before I launch into an account of my traveling adventures, I want to give you a housing update. I met with two teachers from school the day after I returned to

After traveling from Poland for 21 hours, which included rides on one airplane, two buses, one taxi, two marshrutkas (15 passenger van), and one subway, I unloaded my heavy suitcase and backpack from the marshrutka this morning at 9am. My thought as I was walking to my front door: "Good to be home!" However, these thoughts of happiness quickly dispersed when I walked in to find all of my

Really? Only five days until Mom and Dad pick me up at PDX? Even though I'm nervous about coming home, my packed suitcase is next to the door. Yeah, you might say I'm excited to see everyone I love...But before I'm swept up into my three week trip outside of Ukraine, I wanted to share my summer schedule and a few pictures.Summer in Ukraine is fabulous! I look forward to shopping at the market to

On Friday, May 29, the official last day of school, we had a concert at the Palace of Culture. I was prepared this time and dressed appropriately for the occasion (PHEW!). When I arrived at the Palace of Culture, Vika (far left, the music teacher), Lena, and I snapped some photos before heading into the concert hall.Ivana, my Ukrainian tutor's daughter, sat next to me at the concert. Isn't she

Last week, I attended Dima's 8th birthday party! I searched my town for a gift and ended up deciding on a set of Superman Walkie-Talkies, which were definitely a hit!Here are some of the kids that were at the party (from left to right) Petya, Bogdan (Dima's brother), Nastia, Tolya, and Sasha.Here are Dima's godparents, Olya and Kolya.Viala (a neighbor) and Oksana (Dima's mom)Dima's parents, Volva

Last Wednesday, as soon as I reached school, I was surprised to find students and teachers in their "Sunday best" clothes for the awards ceremony at the Palace of Culture. I was embarrassed because I was in jeans, a nice shirt, and my favorite blue flats. Lena, my counterpart, told me I was fine and I hoped to hide once we sat down.Before the awards ceremony began, I took some photos of my

Thought you would enjoy this video of some students performing parkour stunts...(see previous post for some background information about parkour).These are all local students, including three of my students, and it was filmed in Novoukrainka.Hope all is well!Love,Nat

After traveling for a week to Kirovograd and Kyiv, I was feeling anti-social and didn't want to leave my apartment on my first day back. However, I received a phone call from a student who asked, "Natalie, where are you? We are playing football at the stadium, come play with us." Ok, ok, I forced myself to brush my hair and headed out the door.After a soccer game in the rain and a discussion with

Happy Birthday to You!Happy Birthday to You!Happy Birthday dear Dad!Happy Birthday to You!Just wanted to send my dad some love on his birthday and share a few updates...Right now, I'm in the Peace Corps office in Kyiv trying to tie up some loose ends of a presentation I will conduct tomorrow. I will attempt to lead a discussion with new Peace Corps volunteers, who are currently in training, about

Spending time with students has been a lifesaver for me. Now, with the weather finally warming up, everyone is spending more time outside, including me. Here are some pictures of my downtime in Novoukrainka:Here are some pictures from April Fool's Day. We had a competition at school, which included each class acting out funny skits and wearing silly costumes.Picture of me with boys from my 10th

We caught a bus at 8am on Wednesday, March 25 to Essaouira, Morocco. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, these days were definitely relaxing and a time for me to reflect and indulge (think: lots of seafood and the spa!).

When compared to Marrakech, people here seemed much more relaxed. Molly bargained with some stall workers to get a good deal on the seafood. We actually saw the fishermen walk right up from the docks and bring their day's catch to the stalls. We ended up feasting on red snapper fish, sardines, calamari, prawns, salad, fresh baked bread, and french fries. It was delicious!

Downtown Essaouira:

Grace in the pool at our hotel:

On Thursday, I walked to the beach in the morning and just enjoyed the waves crashing on the shore (reminded me of home). Then, in the afternoon, I went to a spa and treated myself to a facial, massage, and body scrub - it was the perfect end to my spring break! After Essaouira, we headed back to Marrakech for one evening, then caught our plane back to London. I was able to buy some new clothes and shoes in London and eat some delicious Thai food before boarding the plane to Kyiv. What a great Spring Break! The next plane I'll be on will be headed for Portland on Saturday, June 27. Looking forward to seeing everyone! Take care,Nat

Imlil, Morocco - at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains...this was my favorite part of the trip. It felt like home and the mountains were gorgeous. People were friendly and it was nice to meet a Peace Corps Volunteer currently serving in Morocco.

Monday, March 23: Molly, Grace, and I were picked up from our Riad in Marrakech to start the 1-hour drive to Imlil. We stopped along the way to get some pictures of a Berbere village - you can see, in the picture below, the snow-capped mountains...our destination.

When we reached Imlil, we met up with our guide, Mohamed, to begin our day hike. He owns the company with his father, Brahim. Here is the website: http://www.trekkinginmorocco.com/. I would highly recommend this company for trekking tours in Morocco.

We passed some baby goats along the way...

Just breath-taking views of the mountains from these villages...

Here's a picture of Grace and Mohamed (while I stopped to catch my breath and take a pic).

This is one of my favorite pictures along the way.

Grace and Molly at Mohamed's house. We stopped here for lunch.

Oh, now me and Molly...

Grace and Molly relaxing and getting ready for lunch.

Yum...the bowl in the middle was a chicken tagine (traditional Moroccan dish)...very tender chicken and delicious veggies. We also had a fresh vegetable salad (to the left), noodles (to the right), and fresh baked bread. For dessert, we had sweet oranges with cinnamon sprinkled on top...

After lunch, we walked back to the center of town and caught a pick-up soccer game. I wanted to join...

Molly, Grace, and I walked around town a little more and then decided to have some water at this little cafe. What a view from our table! and such gorgeous weather!

After lunch, we walked to find Mohamed and ran into Alex, a current Peace Corps volunteer serving in Morocco. We had briefly spoken with him when the town "sheriff" approached and asked Alex to bring us to his office. Of course, we obliged and he just wanted to ask some questions. As soon as he found out that we were Peace Corps volunteers from Ukraine, he welcomed us to Imlil. It was great to see Alex speak Berbere (the local language) and Molly, Grace, and I just kept smiling to convince the "sheriff" that he didn't need to worry about us!Shortly after, Grace and Molly headed back to Marrakech. I stayed in Imlil (as was planned) to go mountain biking the following day. Alex and I went to a cafe and talked about our Peace Corps experiences. It sounds like he is accomplishing some amazing things in his community - which is always great to hear from other volunteers! Then, on the way to the cabin I would be staying at, what should have been a 10 minute walk turned into a 1-hour walk! Alex was stopped by the community members along the way, some speaking English and some speaking Berbere. People also wanted to shake my hand and some introduced themselves. This is much different from Ukraine. As a result of Ukraine's history, people are much more reserved with people they don't know. In my community in Ukraine, for example, I usually only speak with people I know. If I was to try to smile at someone I didn't know, they would most likely ignore me and wonder what I wanted. This is definitely a cultural difference that I struggle with every day. However, I understand the reasoning behind it, and, once I'm formally introduced to a person, I am usually welcomed with open arms and generous hospitality (again and again!). Just one difference I have noticed along the way... I had a wonderful dinner with Mohamed and Brahim, filled with interesting conversation. I went to my room about 9:30pm, read, and then quickly fell asleep. (Here's a picture of my room)

Alex came over for breakfast and, shortly after, we began our descent in the High Atlas Mountains with our guide, Jamal. (I don't think Alex and I had any idea what was in store for us...)The ride started out sunny... We continued uphill for at least two hours. At times, the headwind would be so strong that we couldn't ride...but, the scenery certainly made it worth it.

Here's Alex and I: obviously, I don't know how to wave for a picture. When Mal saw this picture, she said I was answering the question, "Natalie, how old are you?" Smartass...

You can see the valley with the villages in this picture...that's where we started this mountain biking adventure. Way down there at the foot of the mountain...

Just another view of the same spot.

Oh, I guess I needed one more close-up of the village...

Here's a picture of the rocky road we were riding up. You can see the switchbacks to the left.

There's our destination: the village in the middle of this picture. The mountains were gorgeous! I think this is also where we stopped for lunch. We had pita sandwiches with tuna, cheese, and tomatoes, another sweet orange, and a chocolate bar. For our picnic, we were sitting on a rock along the mountain water run-off...I dangled my feet in the water (yes, it was freezing).

When I asked our guide, Jamal, what that flat part of ground was, he was surprised I didn't know. I was shocked when he told me it was a soccer field! You can't tell from the picture, but on the other side is a steep, rocky cliff. Jamal said there are children designated as "ball runners" who wait for the ball to go down the cliff, then they run after it. I don't think I would want that job...

So, we started the mountain biking at 9am and I think we finally finished at 4pm! It was a great ride, but both Alex and I were definitely tuckered out! Thankfully, it wasn't just me and Jamal because I would have felt bad if he had to continually wait for only me. But, Alex was there to share that burden! Thanks, Alex, I owe you one! Once we reached the town where we would be picked up, Mohamed joined us and we sat down for some tea (and to catch our breath). Then, I left my new friends and headed back to the chaos of Marrakech (it's really a wonderful city, just a completely different feel compared to Imlil). Grace and Molly told me about their day...they actually met someone from Portland, OR. Not only that, but she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 2003-2005. We met up with her at dinner and reflected on our experiences so far. She was visiting Morocco as a tourist and to see some old friends from her service in Morocco. What a great way to wrap up the evening! Then, back to the Riad to pack (once again) and head to Essaouira, Morocco the following morning! Atlantic Ocean, here we come!

My Highlights in Marrakech: FOOD and weather (hmmm...I'm sensing a pattern...)

As soon as we arrived in Marrakech in the early afternoon on Sunday, March 22, we had to barter to get a taxi (nice work, Molly!). We finally arrived at our Riad after trying to navigate our way through the tiny streets filled with market vendors. It was hectic...but we finally found our way to this cute little place. Here's a picture of the doors to our room (looking down from the terrace):

View from the terrace...

Here's the terrace:

Then, out and about in the medina. So many stalls and the shop keepers were extremely persistent about trying to get us to just "look" in their shops - they were sure they had something we needed to buy.

Here's a mosque in the medina square with a carpet stall next door...

And, here's where we decided to eat lunch on our first day. We shared a couple different traditional moroccan dishes - yum, it was so delicious! also, nice to sit on the balcony overlooking the medina square.

Another busy street in Marrakech.

The Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech...

It was interesting to hear the call to prayer throughout the day...

Yum, the fruit in Marrakech was delicious! Here are some fruit stands - they would make fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice right on the spot. Delicious oranges in Morocco!

Later in the afternoon, we walked to the Jardin Majorelle Gardens. This was such a peaceful place, we stayed here for hours (you can tell by how many pictures I've taken). The information below is directly from the website (http://www.jardinmajorelle.com/en/) about the history of the gardens. "Jacques Majorelle is born in 1886 in Nancy (France). In 1919 he settled in Marrakech to continue his career of painter, where he acquires a ground which was going to become the Majorelle garden. Since 1947 he opens his garden's doors to the public. Following a car accident, he returns to france, where he dies in 1962. in 1980 Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent repurchase the garden and restore it.

Contrasts, the colors, the light games seem go out of one of the pictures of Jacques Majorelle. It was one of the more important collectors of plants of his era, and this is in this spirit than enlarges itself from day to day the flore of the garden. Plants of the five continents are exposed in an enchanting framework. This that was the workshop of Jacques Majorelle, inspiration place and of contemplation, shelters today the magnificent art collection Islamic of Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent. The originality of these places lies in the combination of a luxurious végétation and architectural elements allying sobriété and traditional aesthetic Moroccan. The power of the blue Majorelle participates in the freshness impression and of quiétude."

Molly and Grace posing for a picture...

My shoes matched the gardens - so I had to take a picture!

After walking back to our Riad, we had a quick rest and then went to eat at one of the stalls. The cooks were entertaining and we discovered this delicious drink - Hawaii, which we continued to drink throughout our stay.

When we returned to our Riad, there was a minor water "explosion" - water was dumping out of the pipes and we could smell gas. We quickly gathered our belongings and left with the other group of travelers that were also staying in the Riad. After a discussion (and the Riad's unwillingness to recognize the strong smell of gas), we decided to contact our booking agency. So, at 10:30pm, we waited in the medina to be picked up and taken to another Riad. We ended up at this new place:

Here's our breakfast table:

...the hallway in front of our room...

the courtyard...

...and where we usually ate breakfast...

Here's the ceiling of the room pictured above...

On Monday, eating breakfast before our hike in Imlil...

Well, I spent two days and one night in Imlil, but Molly and Grace went on the hike and then went back to Marrakech Monday afternoon. Next, I'll show you Imlil's charm (it was my favorite part of the trip!)...but, I think I'm going to wait to post that tomorrow. It's nearly morning and I need to get some sleep! See you tomorrow! Love Nat

My Highlights in London: FOOD and weather (and yeah, I guess the sights, too)

Friday dinner: Indian Food - I had prawn biryani with vegetable curry

Saturday breakfast: carrots with hummus and cheesebread (while watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace)

Saturday lunch: fish and chips in Trafalgar Square

Saturday dinner: calamari and a spinach salad with avocado

After a long day of traveling to Kyiv, I finally boarded a plane headed to London at 6:30pm on Friday, March 20. We arrived in London at about 8:30pm and headed straight to our hotel. Here's a picture of Grace in our cute little hotel room. Ahhh, the bed was so comfortable...

Here are some pictures from the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. This ceremony occurs everyday at 11am. Really enjoyed the sunshine while we watched...

I also enjoyed people watching...

Here come the guards...

Going into the palace gates...

Molly, me, and Grace sitting on the ledge and enjoying the sunshine (ok, and the ceremony, too)...

Now, we're leaving Buckingham Palace and headed to Big Ben!

Oh, we were waiting to cross the street and the guards were leaving - had to get a quick picture!

You can see London's Eye and Big Ben in the background as we walked through the park...

We made it!

Big Ben and Westminster Abbey (love the cars, too!)

Now, walking across the Westminster Bridge...it was such a beautful day!

Made it across the bridge...

We walked along the Thames River and stopped in at the Tate Modern: International Modern and Contemporary Art (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/). It was an amazing gallery...I really enjoyed reading about the sociological influence for the pieces. Not allowed to take photos in the gallery.

I thought this was an interesting monument dedicated to those who volunteered to fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

Looking at Charing Cross Station...

Building a sand dragon along the Thames River (I actually don't know what it is, but doesn't it look like a dragon?)

St. Paul's Cathedral...

Later that evening, Grace and Molly decided to go to a concert, but I wanted to walk around London some more. So, here I am in Picadilly Circus (yes, I also did some shopping and bought some cute blue flats and sunglasses for Morocco).

The National Gallery and St. Martin in the Fields Church in the background...

Sidewalk art in front of the National Gallery.

Oh, what a busy couple of days! We had to wake up early to catch our flight to Marrakech, Morocco on Sunday, March 22. Here we go!

It's Monday evening and I have all my clothes laid out for London and Morocco! I am so excited to see new places...here is my itinerary:

Thursday, March 19: after lessons, I will catch a Marshutka (shuttle bus) to Kirovograd. I am planning to have dinner with other volunteers in my oblast at a traditional Ukrainian restaurant.

Friday, March 20: I'll catch a bus from Kirovograd to Kyiv at 7am and I should arrive in Kyiv before 2pm. I'll swap some books at the Peace Corps office and meet up with Molly and Grace.

We'll head to the airport about 4pm to catch our 6:30pm flight to London. It's only about a two hour flight, so we'll quickly find our hotel and find some good food (I'm hoping for Thai!).

Saturday, March 21: Spend the day in London

Sunday, March 22: We'll catch our flight to Marrakech, Morocco. We'll arrive in Marrakech fairly early, so it will be nice to have the day to explore.

Monday, March 23: Molly, Grace, and I will be picked up at 8:30am for hiking in the High Atlas Mountains. This will be a day trip for Molly and Grace, but I will spend the night in the mountains (at the company's cabin in the mountains).

Tuesday, March 24: At 9am, I will explore the High Atlas Mountains on a mountain bike (with a guide). Should be a fun day...and this company even provides all my meals. Hopefully, I'll capture lots of great pictures...we'll see.

Wednesday, March 25-Thursday, March 26: Days of RELAXATION! We will head to Essaouira, a popular tourist city that sits on the Atlantic Ocean. We will be staying at a hotel right on the ocean...and it even has a pool - Whoo Hoo!

We'll make our way back to Marrakech on Thursday and catch our flight back to London on Friday, March 27. Spend one night in London and then back home to Ukraine!

But before I start blogging about my travels outside of Ukraine, I wanted to introduce you to some people I have met along the way (so far).

Here's a picture of Lacey and I at the swearing-in conference (December 9). Lacey is actually from Yakima and we talk fairly often on the phone.

Jessica is my official dancing partner...here we are on the dance floor at a club in Kirovograd. (I made this picture black and white because our faces were sweaty from dancing...ooops!)

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, March 8: I think it should be widely celebrated in the U.S...Here's a flower my 5th form gave me for this holiday (I also received way more chocolate than I need, an angel figurine, a glowing flower ...ooohhhh, I can hear you saying it..., and roses).

We only have two male teachers at our school, but here they are presenting a toast to the women! Yuri (the physical education teacher) is on the left and Sasha (foreign literature teacher and my Russian language tutor) is on the right.

The students also hosted a concert for the teachers! Ania and Dasha, the two girls singing, are in my 7th grade class. Max and Roma, the two boys standing in the back, MC's of the concert and best friends, are in my 9th grade class. Max took the third place prize in the oblast English Olympiads. These boys have a great sense of humor and make me laugh every lesson with their wit. Love their sense of humor!

Here is Sasha (Alexander is his real name) playing the guitar at the Women's Day concert. He is a student in my 8th grade class. He's also a great dancer!

Oh, Max and Roma again...(probably thinking about what kind of trouble they can cause). There is also a girl from the primary school singing (I don't know her).

Here I am with some of my 9th form students before the concert. I am standing next to Nastia (the student who took the first place prize in the English Olympiads and is going to nationals on Saturday) and Diana is to the left, both of them are competitive dancers.

Olena, my counterpart, is being funny with some students and Sasha's guitar before our school concert...

Here are some pictures of the community concert, held at the Palace of Culture...

One of my 8th form students, Dasha, is very active with the karate team in town. Here she is taking on a few guys (of course she takes them out because it's Women's Day)...

Marina, one of my 10th grade students, was the host of the community-wide concert for Women's Day. She is also involved in the Comedy Club in Novoukrainka and they took first prize in the oblast competition, so she has been preparing to go to nationals with her team.

I don't know any of these boys, but they were just too cute (so small, singing in their suits)...

Some more dancing at the community concert. Sasha, my ex-landlord's daughter, is dancing on the left.

I now have a family that has adopted me. They live on my street and invite me over every weekend. The husband (Volva, pictured below) likes to show me music on his cell phone, the wife (Oksana, picture coming soon) enjoys trying to domesticate me by teaching me how to cook traditional Ukrainian dishes, and the two sons (Bogdan and Dima) try to beat me at cards...but, usually they are not successful (insert evil laugh here). Volva was proud to show me this huge turkey, so I had to get a picture.

These are some pictures I took at the end of January during my counterpart's 50th birthday party. Here is Olena with the director of our school.

Many people presented Olena with presents, songs, artwork, and flowers.

Here are the English teachers reading a poem to Olena. Tania is the woman in the middle with the striped shirt, she is my Ukrainian language tutor. Then, directly to the right is Aloyna (she won first place in the Oblast English Teacher's competition and just returned from nationals this week. I think she's happy that it is finally over because it requires so much preparation and time away from home.). Then, Olena, in the white shirt is next...I don't see her very often because she has a light teaching load to spend time with her young daughter. Directly to the left of Tania is Olya, who is a wonderful woman and has invited me to her home many times (and fed me, which is an added bonus!). The last woman is Natasha, who mostly teachers German.

Well, there you have it...an introduction to the people in my world! This was a long blog entry, so if you made it this far, I'm impressed! Take care. With love,Nat

Since moving to Novoukrainka, I have constantly been trying to make a mind map of the town layout. Each day, I discover something new about town (today, it was the hair salon). Here's a little walking tour of Lenina Street and the places I frequently visit (beginning the farthest away from my house):

Here is the bus stop in front of the market. Last weekend, I was thankful to buy lightbulbs to replace the burned out ones (made it difficult to read). I was looking at nail polish and the stand keeper offered me to test the colors on her nails, so I had to buy some new nail polish from her - after testing it, of course!

Here's a picture of one of the churches in our town (we only have two). I need to go to a service to check it out, but I haven't yet.

Just behind the church is our stadium! We have a large track with a football field and then there is also a caged-in soccer field...reminds me of indoor! I'm so excited to use this as the weather starts to warm up.

Right across the street from the church is the sports club, where I attend aerobics twice a week. In our aerobics classes, we run through a choreographed dance routine, lift weights, and have a belly-dancing class...interesting, I know...

A couple blocks down is the music school. I went to Sasha's piano concert yesterday (it was my first time actually in this building).

Our administration building...

Here's the large sidewalk in front of the music school and administration building. Love this walkway because it's never muddy!

The Palace of Culture, which is where many community events are held. I went to a concert here today in honor of "Women's Day" (an extremely popular holiday on March 8). In fact, many of my lessons were cancelled today because students were having parties. Tomorrow, we will have a school party and we will have Monday off for this holiday. Whoo-hoo! Lots of celebrations for women, sounds like a marvelous idea to me!

My lovely post office, where, I must admit, has the most gracious and helpful postal workers I've ever encountered...believe it or not!

Here is my school! Gymnasium #7!

Right next door to the school is the Internet store, with the blue sign (where they know me personally because...hmmmm, I'm always buying Internet!). The green sign is the local pharmacy...haven't had to use that, thankfully.

Here's my ATM machine (yeah, I put it on my blog)...

Right across the street from the ATM is the courthouse...not planning to ever be in there.

Right next door to the courthouse is the unemployment office. This office is one block from my house and each morning there is usually a line out front. (It's closed in this picture.)

Ok, we just walked past my house... Then, here is the primary school. Love the colorful playground...

Here's the end of Lenina Street. Neighborhoods and a river...

Some friends of mine live right on the river. They have promised that we will take their boat out in the summer (they showed me their boat and it's a blow-up raft)...looking forward to the adventures...

I've seen some pictures of Novoukrainka in the spring and it looks absolutely beautiful. I will put some more pictures up as the seasons change, but here is good 'ol winter for you! Cheers,Natalie

Goodbye Pictures from top to bottom:1. Dad and Grandma2. Kelsey, Bola, and Kristin competing in a competitive badminton game (they won!)3. Me with Meghan (friends since 3rd grade) and Jason (their children: Aiden and Owen), and John4. Race for the Cure 2008 - with Cindy, Duran, and Holly5. Soccer Team says "Goodbye" - Go Lexi's All-Stars!6. Last "Goodbye" with Helen, Cindy, and Jessica7. Goodbye hug with Tim, Jodie, and Holly8. Aunts and Second Cousins - I Love You! Oh my goodness - I can't believe my plane to Philadelphia is taking off in less than eight hours! It has been a whirlwind of a weekend (and I thought I would have so much time to pack, donate my extra stuff, purchase any last minute items...sorry Mom and Dad!).

Well, the storage bags that suck out the air and shrink your clothes, you know, the ones on the infomercials...those have been a lifesaver (thank you, Jessica S.)! I had a difficult time choosing professional clothes, including winter coats, under 100 pounds, while still leaving room for necessary items, such as a short-wave radio (to listen to BBC), gifts for my host family, teaching supplies that I have been collecting, a sleeping bag, and warm blankets. Oh my...how to fit all of it within my strict luggage guidelines? Oh well, I'll manage!

I have had wonderful times shared with friends and family before my departure! I have posted some pictures from this last week of saying my goodbyes above. I'm going to write a new post so I can get some more pictures up!

I sincerely appreciate the support I have received!

Take care,

Nat-B

Hello,

This is my first time blogging. I'm trying it out to see what I can do. Here are some pictures of Mallory and me. We sure had a fun time taking these pictures - and we think they turned out great!

I've been packing for my move to Ukraine to serve in the Peace Corps. Here is my schedule:

September 24, 2008 at 8:45am: Leave PDX for Philadelphia for stagingThursday, September 25-Friday, September 26: Staging in Philadelphia (learn policies, procedures, reflect on aspirations, and meet other PCVs)Saturday, September 27: begin flight to Ukraine (total of 10 hours)

I'm excited and nervous for this new opportunity! Thanks for reading my blog!

Nat-B