Saturday May 2nd.

Yesterday was our last class with Kayta for the next three weeks. It is PC policy to rotate instructors to insure our language acquisition is as good as possible. May 1st is an important holidy here in Ukraine. It is a day where they honor the workers and the veterns.

Today we were invited guests for a concert for Veterns at the Hope School (one of the NPOs that wants to do a project with us). Hope School is a program that helps students with phyiscal and mental disabilities. The honored guests were the 5 Ukrainain/ Soviet Union veterns. 2 were from World war 2 and I think the other three were from Iraq and Afganistan, the current campign I think. Students from School number 9 and Hope school sang, played instruments and read poems to honor the veterns. At the end they each were given a boquete of tulips. Each PCT was also given either an invidual or 3 flowers. Giving flowers in even numbers is bad luck in Ukraine.

After that we had tech training and met our 2nd adopt a cluster speaker. She seems super nice and helped reassure those of us who were worried about the language test at the end of training.

Monday May 4th,

Today was our first lesson with our new instructor, Olya. Her teaching style is very different than our previous instructor. She spoke a lot more Russian and focused more on grammatical structure as opposed to Vocab. Our Mock PI (language competency test) was today and was a bit stressful but I think mine went ok. It was a little difficult getting used to the new instructor's accent.

During lunch at the Pizza place there was an American with his Ukrainian wife eating a couple tables away. When I asked them where they were from they mistakenly thought I was from Poland and not the Unites States. I find this to be interesting.

Yesterday I helped my host family stack firewood, volunteering at Camp Courageous seemed to have provided some valuable life experience. I also helped my host brother move a large pile of dirt from next to the garage to behind the fence by the river.

After the yard work I meet up with other PCT volunteers and hung out in the forest. It was fun to chill out and enjoy the nice weather. We played catch with an American football and Frisbee. It was interesting to see two brothers interacting. One brother climbed a tree and the other brother attempted to get him down by poking him with a stick and later started a piece of paper on fire that soon lit the tree on fire in an attempt to smoke him out. The family quickly rushed to put the fire out.

Well I should end this so I can get back to preparing my lesson plan on Communication and Conflict for the 6th form.

Yesterday my cluster went to Kyiv. This is important not only because it was an exciting trip, but now we are allowed to visit the city whenever we want assuming we don't miss any scheduled PC events, there isn't a travel hold, and don't stay over night. The city was awesome. We saw a couple churches walked all over the city, experienced the metro, bazaars. I took lots of pictures and I will need to look at them so I can remember all the stuff we did other than walk around. The day was very nice too It was between 27 and 30 degrees C. One thing i know we did was go the PC main office. We got to talk with volunteers who were in town for COS interviews. (closure of service). They provided us with useful infomation they had aquired during thier two years of service.

My battery is about to run out of juice so I'll write a more informative post later. I can't believe I've been in Ukraine for nearly a month.

This was written a few days ago so sorry about any repetition.

Saturday April 18, 2009

The past week has been very eventful week, though I can’t really tell you what happened. Russian language has been very intensive and it still alternates between making sense and frustrating me.

I did meet some interesting individuals my own age this week. Kevin, the PCT who was living with the same host family invited me to meet his new host family. His new host brother is 20 years old and serving in the Ukrainian National Army. He was very out going and seemed to be a good guy. The brother invited his English-speaking friend Dimity over. Dimity is a 21 year old who works as a photograph editor in Kyiv. We chatted for a while and they walked me to the bus station, and when it turned out we missed the bus the walked the 30 minutes to my house with me. On the way we talked about movies, Ukraine, and the United States mostly in English with a few Russian and Ukrainian phrases sprinkled in.

Thursday we had our medical day. They went over the various Peace Corps policies on Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll. Mostly the first two. Also covered during the medical day was the contents of our medical kit, when and how to contact the medical office, what water we should drink and what food we should eat. Stating the trainee’s health is both the responsibility of the medical office and the volunteer could sum up the day. Also almost all medical procedures during or as a result of Peace Corps service will be covered by our health care plan, this is pretty exciting.

One new aspect of my Peace Corps experience that has occupied my thoughts and time is preparing my lesson plan for the class on healthy life styles I’ll be teaching on Tuesday. The topic that Kevin and I choose was smoking. The students have already received a lesson on this topic and we are hoping they will understand the English and Russian we speak during our lesson. The current plan is to have the True/False questions, our simple instructions and introductions in Russian. The rest of the 40-minute lesson will likely be in English. I am quite thankful that their Ukrainian instructor will be in the classroom to help insure order is maintained.

Tomorrow is Easter and I am still not quite sure of what the family plans on doing. Some families go to church around 2 or 3 in the morning and stay until the Sun rises. During this process they have their food blessed and after sunrise they go home eat the blessed food and than go to bed. Friday through Tuesday are considered holidays. We were told that everything will be closed on Monday but despite what our host families may believe we are still going to have PC language training.

If you wish to call me, please email me and I’ll send you my phone number. Thanks to everyone who has written or called I appreciate the gesture. Speaking of my phone, it has games on it. Snake has been occupying more of my daily commute than I’d like to admit.

Also the free internet at the Palace of Culture has returned so Updates may be more frequent.

I am updating my blog from an internet cafe. My internet source is no longer free so right now I am using the computer at the cafe. I'll post the longer entry when I am able to figure out how to pay for wireless. I taught my first lesson in Russian today. It went ok, our teamwork and prep could have been improved but other than that it went well. The topic of the lesson was smoking.

Sunday was Easter and it was a very fun experiance. I ate lots of food, played a game where you take a hard boiled egg and knock it against someone else's. The point is to have the last egg without a crack. I am currently 0-3 at the game. For Easter I visted my host mothers childhood home. It was about 100K south of Festiv. I spent time with my host brother and his cousins playing monopoly ( I won), Bridge ( I lost) and Fool ( I lost even worse).

I hope everything is going well in the United States!

Davidson Wissing

So all is well here in Ukraine. I am currently in Festiv which is a 30,000 person city fairly close to Ukraine. I've been spending lots of time working on my Russian language and trying to understand the culture differences between Ukraine and the United States. Just yesterday my housing situation was finally cleared up and I am living with my permanent host family for the 3 month training session.

I didn't realize how much Spanish I knew until I started learning Russian. All these Spanish words keep popping up when I am trying to recall Russian. Hopefully this problem will go away soon. My host family is super nice and the house is really cool. The design is really modern and upstairs next to my room I have my own bathroom that has a bidet. The shower situation took a little while to get used to. They don't have shower curtains, but the shower head is detachable so that helps prevent making too big of a mess.

I am enjoying the process for the most part. I am getting used to the hard work load but I am excited to see how well I will be able to communicate in a couple of weeks.

The food has been really good. I was a little surprised about some foods that would be considered dinner food is considered breakfast here. For example we have bread cheese and suasage with every meal. Also today as a part of breakfast there was a salad that contained something similar to sourkraut.

Also it is PC policy that we put up passwords on our blogs so in the near future I'll be putting the city I was born in as my password to the blog.

So I am leaving in One week. Here is some experts from today's PC email...

Ukraine – the “Borderland” – presents foreigners with its complex history, colorful traditions, sociable people and beautiful landscapes. At first glance Ukraine may seem familiar, but don’t be fooled. It will take considerable time, courage and patience to gain an understanding of this place that is so very different than much of today’s “global world”. Along the way you will work hard to study a new language, develop insights into the local culture and societal norms, and gain skills needed for functioning in a community and working environment unlike any of you have known before. Throughout the process, Peace Corps Ukraine training staff will be there to support you in your efforts to succeed in the toughest job you will ever love.

ARRIVAL IN UKRAINE

Baggage & Tags

Commercial airlines have decreased their baggage allowances to a maximum of two checked pieces weighing 50 pounds per bag. Consequently, Peace Corps has reduced its baggage allowance for cold weather countries from 102lbs. to 100lbs. to be consistent with the amount of weight that is allowed by the carriers.

We suggest that you pack one smaller bag with the items you will need during the first 2 days in country. Make sure that this second bag is a carry-on. 0

Suggested Dress

First impressions are formed instantly and often last a lifetime. Not only do you represent yourself, you now represent the Peace Corps. As a large group traveling together, you will be conspicuous and the people you meet along the way will have a lasting image of Peace Corps Volunteers based largely on how you present yourself. It is a long series of flights from the U.S., with a layover in Munich. Dress coolly and comfortably but neatly.

There will be Peace Corps staff meeting helping you load the trucks with your luggage. Next you will board the bus to the Pre-Service Training (PST) Venue, located in a wooded area outside Kyiv. This will be your home and school while Peace Corps briefs you on how to stay healthy and safe in Ukraine.

Staff will accompany you on the bus, where you will be given a light snack, bottled water, and pocket money for the initial days of PST. We know you will be tired and a bit overwhelmed; so we’ll try not to add to this you while you catch your first glimpses of Ukraine.

ORIENTATION

Accommodations

For the first two days in country you will be staying at the PST Venue for your Arrival Retreat. During this two-day orientation you will be sharing a room with one or two other trainees. The venue has a centralized heating system without individual room controls, which means that it might be either too cold or too hot in the room.

On April 3rd you will be transported to your training communities (small towns and villages in the Kyiv and Chernihiv Regions). There you will be met by your host families in whose homes you will stay for the next 11 weeks.

Ukrainian families accept Volunteers into their homes because they too are interested in a cross-cultural experience. Be sure to bring lots of photos of your hometown and friends and families in the US. These will serve as icebreakers in your initial conversations with your host families and many other people in Ukraine.

A souvenir from your hometown or state would be an appreciated gift to your host family.

Please note that we cannot guarantee that you will be placed with a non-smoking family or a family without pets.

Communication

We understand that your family and friends will be anxious to know you arrived safely. However, in this case, the old adage “no news is good news” most definitely applies. There is no Internet access available at the PST Venue, and you may not be able to make international calls as well. Be prepared for this limited communication and prepare your family for the fact that you probably won’t be able to call or email them for the first few days in Ukraine. Once you’ve settled into your training communities, you will have access to public phones. It’s possible to make collect calls to the US from local pay phones (MCI, Sprint, AT&T). Internet access is available in most communities. In the event of an emergency, your family and friends should contact the Office of Special Services at 800-424-8580 ext. 1470 at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, DC.

Mail

Family and friends will not be able to mail packages to your attention for the duration of PST. Peace Corps/Ukraine cannot be responsible for property mailed to Trainees; delivery of boxes and packages sent to this address will be declined! In the event of an emergency, we will accept letters mailed to your attention to the address below (intended solely for the mailing of crucial documents - flat envelopes only). After PST, once settled in your permanent work site, you will identify the mailing address where you will be able to receive regular mail and packages and communicate this to family and loved ones.

Peace Corps Ukraine

P.O. Box 204

01032, Kyiv

Ukraine

Local Currency/Money Matters

After your initial introductions, you will have a briefing by our Administrative staff during which you will receive your first installment of “walk-around” allowance. This is a small amount of cash in the local currency called “Hryvnya” (1 US$ = approximately 8.00 UAH). Thereafter you will receive a fixed amount bi-weekly in Hryvnyas to cover incidentals and personal hygiene items during the pre-service training period. Please note that if you bring any cash or valuables with you, Peace Corps/Ukraine cannot keep it in the safe under its custody in the office in Kyiv, therefore it will be your responsibility to take care of all your valuables and belongings.

Local Conditions

Weather conditions in Ukraine can be unpredictable, especially in the fall and spring seasons. Plan for cold temperatures; warm clothes will be very useful. You will be arriving at the very beginning of spring, when the weather might be still cold and snowy. It would be a good idea to have several layers of clothes, including a warm winter coat, a hat, winter boots and a pair of gloves.

You should be aware that your service in Ukraine entails certain safety risks resulting first of all from the fact that you will be living and traveling in an unfamiliar environment. Especially at the initial stage you will have a very limited understanding of the local language and culture. The fact that you may taken for an American immediately might put you at risk as well, as you might be perceived as wealthy and a target for mugging or pick pocketing.

Further Information about the Orientation (Arrival Retreat)

The two-day orientation is designed to provide you with an overview of Peace Corps Ukraine and our Training Program. Be prepared to take in a lot of information.

You will be also be assigned to a language program (Ukrainian or Russian). You will have a chance to get to know your cluster-mates (the other Trainees who will live in the same training community (cluster) and learn in the same language group with you). You will also meet your Language and Cross-Cultural Facilitator who will be your teacher in the cluster as well as other people who will teach you and guide your training during the pre-service training period.

Finally you will receive a PST Manual which has detailed information about the training program and which will guide you through the process.

Pre-Service Training

Clusters

Your training communities (clusters) are located in small towns and villages of the Kyiv and Chernihiv Regions within a three-hour bus ride from Kyiv. You will have access to public transportation (trains, buses, and minibuses), public pay phones, post office and banking services. Most of the communities have dial-up Internet access though slow and unreliable.

Training Schedule Overview

You will live with your host family for approximately 10 weeks. Four to five other Trainees will also live in the same cluster with different families. Peace Corps Language and Cross-Cultural Facilitators and Technical and Cross-Cultural Facilitators will be living in the training communities and helping you learn the language and get adjusted to the local culture and working environment. You will be visiting local schools or higher educational institutions, youth centers, orphanages, NGOs, local government administrations to participate in on-going internship activities similar to what you will do at your sites.

You will have daily language classes (3-5 hours per day Monday through Friday), which will include small group classes, individual tutoring, field trips, self-directed learning activities and technical language. Your technical training will include training sessions, workshops, teaching internship, practical assignments and community activities.

During PST you will have regular opportunities to meet with another cluster (other clusters) of your track and share your experiences. However, most of your time you will be spending in your training communities, which gives you a possibility to benefit from the community-based training and enhance your community integration skills.

Throughout your pre-service training current Volunteers in Ukraine will be participating in the “Adopt a Cluster” Program. They will communicate with you informally and share their experiences with you in person and via phone and email.

The Peace Corps Country Director, Programming and Training Officer, TEFL Lead Specialists, Training Manager, Medical Officers, and Safety/ Security Coordinator will be traveling to your clusters at different times throughout the pre-service training to meet with you, assess how the program is going and address any specific needs or issues you might have.

Basic PST Methodology and Assessment Criteria

Peace Corps/Ukraine uses the Community Based Training model. This is a decentralized training model that utilizes local community resources as a basis for experiential learning. Most training activities take place in the community where you will be living during training. This type of immersion has been found to be more successful in preparing new Volunteers for the realities of service. This model has proved to be particularly effective in accelerating language learning and cultural adaptation.

Much of the training is competency based, and you will be regularly evaluated on your ability to acquire and demonstrate the language, technical, cultural, and personal health and safety skills needed to be a Volunteer.

Training Components

Following your arrival in Ukraine, you will spend the next 10 weeks going through an intensive program that includes training in Ukrainian or Russian language, Ukrainian Culture, Cross-cultural Communication, Personal Health and Safety, and Technical topics related to your work in the area of youth development and community development. In the “Pre-service Training Manual” that you receive when you arrive, you will find a Calendar of Training Events that indicates the actual course plan of your sessions covering these areas.

Sample Daily Schedule

You will attend language classes Monday through Friday at the home of your Language/Cross-Cultural Facilitator (LCF), carry out your internships at local educational institutions and organizations (depending on your track), participate in cross-cultural activities and field trips, and explore the learning opportunities that your host community environment provides. On Saturday you will get together with another cluster to share your cross-cultural experiences and work on technical assignments and community projects.

Most days will be very busy, but you will still have time to interact informally with your host family and other people in the community. This informal interaction will be an important part of your adaptation to life in Ukraine. Often new Volunteers find that elderly people and children have then most time to communicate with them, and you should be aware of this possibility when seeking Ukrainians with whom you can practice language.

Your Swearing-In

At the end of PST, if you have successfully completed the training requirements, you will get your permanent site assignment and will be sworn-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine.

The US Ambassador to Ukraine will lead the swearing-in, and Ukrainian Government officials will welcome you as colleagues and community change agents. Following the ceremony a small reception will follow. For that day and several days thereafter pictures of you and the other new Volunteers will appear in the national news media. Your counterpart from your permanent site will be present at the ceremony and officially welcomed into the Peace Corps family.

Following the ceremony, you and your Counterpart will take the road to the village or town where for the next 2 years you will live and work while having a multitude of experiences that will affect the rest of your life.

Volunteer Life after Training

During PST you will be introduced to the challenges and rewards that await you in the communities where you will serve as Volunteers for the following two years. There are important aspects worth mentioning that relate to

your ability to function effectively in your community. Your host family stay, for instance, may extend beyond PST and last throughout the duration of your two-year assignment. Independent housing is scarce and not guaranteed. Acceptable standards for independent housing can include college dormitories with communal bathrooms and/or kitchens, or one- to two-room apartments equipped with the most basic and modest of appliances and furnishings. Hot water is a luxury in many towns (in these cases Volunteers typically heat water on the stove for use in bucket baths). Additionally, Volunteers cannot be placed in sites according to their religious beliefs.

IN CLOSING…

Blogs

Visiting a search engine and typing the words “infamous Peace Corps postcard” yields a timeless case study of the importance of Volunteers’ adherence to discretion when expressing their impressions and opinions about their lives as Volunteers, and when reporting on the conditions of the countries where they have been invited to serve. A modern version of that 40-year old postcard, the blog, is universal in reach and easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Computer use is widespread in Ukraine and, more probable than not, any offensive content that is posted on a blog can be accessed by your host country colleagues, friends, and general public. Therefore, in addition to ensuring that the content is appropriate and not perceived by locals as being detrimental to the image of their country, Volunteers are urged to place password protection on their blogs in order to guarantee that the blog is accessed only by the specific audience intended by the Volunteer. Additional information about blogs will be given during PST.

Vegetarians

Please let us know if you are a vegetarian as soon as you arrive. While it may be possible to maintain the diet you have, you will likely have to make some adjustments. The availability of certain foods is much more dependent on the seasons than in the United States. The Ukrainian diet in general relies heavily on meat (pork, beef and chicken), potatoes, beets, onions, and cabbage in winter. A wide range of vegetables and fruits is available throughout the spring and summer.

Emergency Contact Info

PC Safety and Security Officer 38 050 312 79 03

PC Duty Officer, Kyiv 38 050 331 86 25

PC Duty Medical Officer, Kyiv 38 050 330 21 22

PC Training Manager 38 050 353 69 30

LAST MINUTE REMINDERS

Key items not to forget:

• Your no-fee passport with Ukrainian visa, which will be given to you at Staging;

• Your WHO card or record of immunizations if applicable;

• Important contact addresses and telephone numbers;

• Cash in multiple denominations. The bills should be new and unwrinkled as most money exchanges will refuse to accept such bills;

• Three-month supply of any required prescription medication;

• Any other important papers or documents;

• A change of clothing in case your checked baggage takes longer to arrive than planned;

• The stamped portion of your immigration card (given to you during the flight); and

• Your sense of humor, flair for adventure, patience, and open-mindedness.

The Peace Corps staff looks forward to working with all of you throughout the training process and beyond. On behalf of all Peace Corps Ukraine, we would like to wish you a safe and comfortable journey…Shchaslyvoyi Dorohy!

It has been a while since I have updated my zero readers on my PC preparations. On Monday I called the PC Travel Agency and booked my flight from Sioux Falls to Philadelphia which has made this adventure seem very real and very soon. I'll be departing Sioux Falls at 6 in the morning on March 30th. I'll be orientated in The city of brotherly love and than departing for NYC at 7 in the morning via bus and leaving JFK airport at 4pm.

I have been working on my language lessons while driving my car and I feel like my ability to say their canned phrases has improved. It is almost to the point where a practice packing run can be made. This will insure that my baggage weighs less than the 100 pound maximum.

March 14th I am planning on having a little get together consisting of dinner and socializing. I have yet to set the location in stone, but the likely location will be Sweet Fannies on 4th street.

This will be my blog detailing my Peace Corps Experience. All of the views listed on this blog are mine and mine alone and do not represent the United States Government nor The Peace Corps.

My placement is for Youth Development in Ukraine. I'll be leaving March 31st. My current goal is to learn more about the history and culture of Ukraine, also I am working on learning the survival Ukrainian lessons that the PC provided.

When I have more information more will be provided