Off to the Buffalo Ranch

Sunday I start my Buffalo Farm Workcamp experience and I couldn't be more excited. I'm headed down with my friend and fellow Volunteer, Jonathan, to work in the beautiful Carpathian mountains on a Buffalo Ranch. Not really sure what to expect, other than lots of Buffaloes, beautiful mountains, a few hours of  farm-handing, probably some horse riding, and making eating cheese from buffalo milk.

He seems like an alright fella!

Here's a little info about the camp from the website:

"The Saldobosch Arc and Rescue Station is an internationally operating, non-profit NGO (non-governmental organization), connecting scientific expertise with traditional land-use and agriculture systems to encourage local people to develop and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. Our aim is to preserve the unique ecosystems of the Carpathian Mountain Region, connecting ecological preservation with economical possibilities in projects like ecotourism and marketing of local products.

Our main focus is the support of rare livestock breeding, as a foundation of environmental conservation. Not only the animals gene ressources, but also ecosystems with high species diversity that depend on grazing can be preserved."

Check out more info here: Carpathian Buffalo Ranch!

I'll be sure to blog about my adventures and all the happenings with lots of pictures in 2 weeks! Back to Kolky on the 22nd!

Rocky Mountain High

Happy Colorado Day to all my friends and family in the Best State in the Union! 

Crack open a Coors and enjoy an ear of Olathe Sweet Corn for me!

It's the Most Wonderful (Cheapest) Time of the Year

Although the rain hasn't stopped for more than an hour at a time in the past week, it's still summer vacation here in Ukraine and that means life is good! I trudged swiftly walked through the mud and rain this morning and made the 15 minute trek to the bazaar. I was on a mission, and have been looking forward to the bazaar all week long. For me, the bazaar more than a place to be seen (although my students once compared seeing me at the bazaar to a celebrity sighting). Rather, it's a place to catch up briefly with my colleagues, run into my students, and of course meet their parents. I usually talk to their parents in Ukrainian, and then speak to the students in English so they can show off to their parents. Moms and Dads always get a kick out of their child speaking to an American in English. Their faces are priceless.

In Kolky, we only have our bazaar on Sunday mornings and it's where you can find the best deals of produce, meat, dairy products, cleaning supplies, toiletries, clothes...practically anything. We also have базарчик (bazaarchick) or little bazaar everyday on the street but that only consists of babucias selling milk and random seasonal produce, usually overpriced. I usually only go to the bazaar for produce and meat and the occasional box of laundry soap, but there are quite a few options of clothes, shoes, coats, underwear, etc. in case I ever feel like trying any or all of that behind a mesh curtain in the middle of the busy marketplace. I really wanted to take and post photos of my bazaar, but the rain stopped me. When it's beautiful and sunny you'll be the first to see.

Someone asked me recently how food prices compare in the States. Well, seeing how I haven't been in the States in almost a year, I don't quite know what you pay for milk and eggs these days so you'll have to do the comparing with my list below. Mind you these are summer prices for fruits and veggies, and they go a lot higher in the winter time, but for peak season, here's what I'm paying.

8 hryvnia (UAH) = 1 US Dollar (USD)
4 hryvnia (UAH) = 50 cents
--
Tomatoes: 1 kilo = 3 UAH ($0.38)
Onions: 1 kilo = 4 UAH  ($0.50)
Carrots: 1 kilo = 5 UAH ($0.63)
Peppers: 1 kilo = 4 UAH ($0.50)
Eggplant: 1 kilo = 4 UAH ($0.50)
Cucumbers: 3 kilo!!! = 5 UAH ($0.63)
Watermelon: 1 kilo = 10 UAH ($1.25)
Milk: 1.5 Liters = 6 UAH ($0.75)
Eggs: 10 eggs = 6 UAH ($0.75)
Bread: 1 loaf = 1-3 UAH ($0.13-38)
Cheese: 250 grams = 20 UAH ($2.50) - I splurge on cheese so this is actually a little expensive.
Coke: 1 Can = 4 UAH ($0.50)
Laundry Soap: 1 box/450 grams =12 UAH ($1.50)
Shaving Cream: 1 can = 40 UAH ($5)
Deodorant: 1 stick = 20 UAH ($2.50)

I think a big thing that I've learned this summer is to appreciate my fruits and vegetables, because in the winter they are either too expensive to buy or nonexistent. For about 3 weeks there were strawberries, and then they were gone because strawberry season was over. Then came random assortments of other berries, and then poof they were gone. I don't have the luxury or budget to eat these things year around and soon enough it will be back to root vegetables all over again. But for now, I will bask in the glory of fresh produce, and take cover from the rain by becoming a vegetarian for a while. Not because I'm now leading a meatless lifestyle, but rather I'm too full from my veggie omelet to even think about frying up some pork. 

Happy Summer to me! (This is before the BBQ Sauce!)

Can you say less than $5?!

Summer in the Fast Lane

I really is hard to believe that July is almost over. A wise man (my Peace Corps Peer Advisor) once said, "Winter in Ukraine is the down payment for the best Summer you'll ever have." This words have been ringing true ever since Final Bell.

I last left off setting sail for my Cruise of the Baltic Sea which was incredible. The Lindholms warmly welcomed me into their family for the week and together with their family friends (and friends from camp), The Balks, we enjoyed some time cruising together. I've been on a cruise before so I know what ship life is like, but I really wasn't expecting such reverse culture shock. The amount of food that I had been dreaming about in Kolky was all of the sudden at my fingertips and in abundance. The desire to be around supportive friends from home had become a reality and the wanderlust to travel and see new sites was actually happening...all at once. It was a little overwhelming, but in the best way possible. I'd have to say that Helsinki was my favorite city, even though our time there was brief and that I most want to return to Copenhagen because it seemed that we explored not even half of it. Photos can be found by clicking Cruisin' the Baltics - 2011. It will take you to an open Facebook album of all the photos from the cruise! Check it out and if you have any questions or the link doesn't work, e-mail me! (benjamin.hogue@gmail.com)

After I returned from the Cruise, I went to Ukrainian Language Refresher camp not far from Kolky in a old, but very nice Soviet style sanatorium, now retreat center. It was 4 days of Language and elective classes, playing frisbee and volleyball with friends, swimming in the lake, and just hanging out. The free food was nice, as was the refresher and brush up on this crazy language, but it really reminded me of being back in college, sitting with friends at every meal, hanging out in each others rooms, and attending the occasional class. I have some pretty awesome friends in Peace Corps, and I was glad to be in the same place with most of them, even if it was a quick four days.

The day after Language Refresher, Douglas Teschner, the Director of Peace Corps Ukraine, came to Kolky for a quick site visit. I gave him a tour of my school, my apartment, and a trip around my village, all of which he was very impressed with. I think he liked my kitchen/bathroom combo the best! It made me so proud to show off my life here, as well as show off the people I work with including my Counterpart and School Director. Hopefully Doug can come back when school is in session so I can show off my excellent students, too!

The next day I was headed to Greece to meet up with Stephanie and Wes Sullivan, dear friends from Cal Lu! It meant a lot that they wanted to meet me somewhere and travel together, and we really couldn't have chosen a better place. Simply put, Greece was amazing. The people, the food, the sites, the experiences, the beaches and on and on and on. We explored Athens, Rhodes, and Santorini together before I reluctantly headed home. I posted photos of that trip too, so check them out in My Greece Photo Album! Each of our destinations was so unique and I can wait to go hopping around the other islands sometime in the future. Wes and Steph are expert travelers and even better friends and I would have to say, thanks to them, Greece is going to be my favorite week of Summer 2011. Thanks again for an amazing trip!

Now a little bit of down time in Kolky, focusing on project planning and implementation. I've been setting aside time for goal setting and hopefully can meet with my Counterparts soon to discuss them. I leave for Buffalo Farm Camp on August 7 for two weeks and I'll be even more off the gird than before. I'll be sure to blog about happenings around Kolky and the adventures I find myself in before then though. Now I'm going to meditate to the rhythm of a nice summer afternoon shower and read President Obama words about how audacious hope can be.

I would love Summer Updates from all of you, if you find the time. It always means a lot to hear from friends and family, and I cannot thank all of you enough for the support I constantly receive.

Setting Sail!

Mr. Benjamin as Prince Roman from Kolky and
Lena, my Language Teacher in Training
who had a new group Swearing in!

Tonight I leave on the train to Kyiv and tomorrow I fly to Oslo to board my cruise on Saturday! I will sleep on a train tonight, at a Latvian airport tomorrow, and a bed on a boat on Saturday...what is my life!? I'm really excited to see Kirsten and the entire Lindholm clan, plus a few friends of theirs. And I guess I'm a little excited to spend some time at sea and exploring new places as well! I'm not exactly sure of when I'll be at the following locations, but here's a rough itinerary: Oslo, Norway --> St. Petersburg, Russia --> Helsinki, Finland --> Copenhagen, Denmark --> Oslo, Sweden. I'll return on the 4th of July and head straight to Ukrainian Language Refresher until the 10th. On the 14th I leave for Greece, but I'm not trying to get too ahead of myself just yet.                                                     

Life hasn't really slowed down since I got back from Kyiv. I've been playing football and Frisbee with student/friends, doing laundry like a mad man, giving my flat a deep clean, and packing. I think this is the most my life has been 'in-order' in a while, but I think it's just the calm before the storm. Here are a few photos from this week. Notice (the last three) what I woke up to this morning. Usually it's a rooster giving a holler, but not today...                                                                                                                          

Prayers would be apprecaited for safe travels. I'll post when I return!                                                                                                                                                      Peace be the journey.

A HUGE PC Birthday Cake! Happy 50th!

Celebrating:
1) Summer;
2) Not being the Newbies;
3) 1/3 of Service Completed! (9 months!?!?!

Grace, Asia, and Egle with their mojitos

Jon, Ashley, and Myself

Taras Shevchenko and his namesake park on a beautiful day.
"Борітеся - поборете,
Вам Бог помагає,
За вас слава, за вас правда
І воля святая!"
~Т.Г. Шевченко

 "Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions,
slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures."
-- John F. Kennedy

An interesting wake up call

Drive through window!

More carrots please!

Hello from Kyiv!

I arrived in Kyiv this morning a little after 6 and decided to use the free internet and enjoy the quite of the PC Office before it gets flooded with Volunteers who are also in town. I'm in town (or I guess I should say big, big city) for the Group 41 Swearing-In Ceremony. Usually, there isn't an open invitation for Volunteers to come to Swearing-In, but this also has the 50th Celebration tied into it. A few of us were asked by the Office to dress up as Ukrainian Cossacks for the celebration, so leave it up to my school to send me with the costume of the famous Cossack from Kolky, Prince Roman. I'll dedicate a post to him in the near future, but he's pretty cool and has quite the costume, along with some heavy boots.

Yesterday was a big day for my 9A Form (I'm a Co-Homeroom teacher for them). They had their National English Exam that all 9th Formers must take at the end of the year. We worked very hard the last couple of months, and I was able to show some of the English Teachers ways to not only "teach to the test", but how to incorporate the test into everyday teaching. Here's a photo of (most) the class after they were finished. They are required to wear full suits to National Exams, but some brought a change of clothes so they could go to the river right after!

Most of my 9A form
Anastacia, other English Teacher in pink
and Ludmilla, other Homeroom Teacher, sitting down

I'll post stories from Swearing-In this weekend, along with photos Mr. Benjamin as Cossack Prince Roman. Leaving for my Cruise of the Baltic Sea next week, so I'll be sure to post before then!

Summer Daze

Summer Camp at school is consuming most of my day, but to call what I'm doing work makes me laugh. I read with some of my "Little Learners", play Frisbee, English games and dance with some of the Middle Schoolers, and play American Football with some of the older kids. And when I'm not "busy" I'm enjoying books on my hammock. Hard life, I know...

Last Friday, my friends Jon, Val, and Lauren came into Kolky for a nice relaxing weekend by the river. I didn't take nearly enough photos, mainly because we just hung out and didn't do anything too exciting. I love having guests, especially when they don't need to be entertained. But, we found some things to do...

Look Out Below!

We Did It!

Dancing at the Village Disco...Why Not!?

Enjoying a beautiful evening in my front yard!

Taking a Field Trip with my 5th Form on Thursday so I'll be sure to write about that soon. Not sure where we're going, or what we're doing, but such is life.

And Happy Belated Birthday to my Dad! My internet wasn't available during the weekend, but I woke up at 5:30 to send him a late night text! Вітаємо і З Днем Народження, Дерек Генріовч, мій тато! (Congratulations and Happy Birthday, Derek Henryovitch, my Dad!)