yellowbluetibia

today was an interesting day. my host sister (dasha) walked me to the school, and we met up with some other people to drive us to the other school to meet up with the rest of the group. then we did a whole bunch of pointless talking and training for HOURS. and then we were all starving our faces off so we went to the city center, which is BEAUTIFUL and walked around there and they gave us a mini tour of the center and talked about the buildings...which was very interesting. but it was FREEZING and snowing. and i got all stressed out that someone was going to steal my backpack, so we went to a restaurant, kind of like chuck-a-rama. but i got...the most delicious food in the whole wide world. i got potatoes with onions and cheese and chicken and tomatoes. i wanted to die of happiness, it was the yummiest thing ever made. the bread and cheese here is so  amazing, i cant stop eating it. i know i'm going to get fat here, i just know it.

so after we ate, my friend (who i leave "close" to) had her host sister come and pick us up and take us home. i feel like such a baby because i cannot do anything on my own. i am scared to even go outside by myself haha. i cant even look at someone without getting embarrassed. maybe it's the coat i wear around. everyone laughs at me. but i dont even care, it is the warmest marshmallow i've ever had on my body. and i love it. but all the women here wear very nice clothes, and heels. and NOBODY leaves the house without some sort of fur accessory. so i need to get me a fur coat or something so i can stop embarrassing myself. seriously though, it's embarrassing. but i'm pretty sure the fact that i'm an american that walks around following an 8 year old girl is more embarrassing than not having a fur coat or fury boots....oh well.

okay so after when we rode the subway, i met my family at a stop and we rode the subway together to go to my host mom's brothers house for his birthday celebration. and let me tell you, ukrainians know how to CELEBRATE.
i met a lot of very nice, very interesting people there. there was a boy about my age who was studying international relations in the university here, so he speaks english, which was SO nice. so i talked with him...and he was very sweet, kinda shy. but i made him translate everything for me. and then i sat next to this other guy and girl who spoke english pretty well, and they asked me a lot about salt lake (they all know it because of the olympics) and about my family, and my school, and why i decided to come here..and then they tried to teach me russian (i dont remember a thing) and then they tried to teach me ukrainian (which is actually a very pretty language)
so everyone was very nice. we ate dinner, and had cake and then we played poker. i was so tired though, but i was having a lot of fun talking with them. then my host parents sent me home with their brother because i was tired, and my sister came with me, and so we came home and he dropped us off...and then they stayed. who knows if they'll ever come home.

tomorrow we are going to attempt to go to church, which is a two hour excursion...so i have to wake up at 7 to get ready, and then at 8 my host sister is going to take me to the bus, and then show me the metro stop that i meet my friend at. and then we are going to take the subway all the way to the church (for an hour) and then we have to take a 30 minute bus ride from there to the church...

so wish me luck
this is the first time i will be riding the public transportation...and i have to do it alone! but i have my russian phrase book, and a  cell phone..so i think i will be okay...let's hope! hahaha...

eek. i kinda just have to take everything as an adventure, and i have been, and i am loving it! the snow is wild. walking in the snow is even worse. and the fact that my feet dont fit into any of my shoes because i wear so many layers of socks is outta control, but i wouldnt want it any other way...except for maybe if i was on a beach...
and if everyone spoke english...

but that would be in a perfect world. and i like my imperfect one a lot better. it's more hilarious.

except, i start teaching on monday. i still have no idea what i'm teaching...so that will be interesting. i guess we'll find out on monday! i am not worried though. all you have to do is be super animated and talk a lot..that cant be too hard, right?

bahh!

anyways, here's some pictures so you understand what's going on here :)

p.s. i learned how to say "i love you" in russian. and it's "yellowbluetibia" so feast yourselves on that masterpiece! :) 

the eagle has landed.

руддщк акщь еру дфтв ща глкфшту!

i wish i could pretend like i knew what that said, or if that said anything. but what i would like it to say is...
hello from the land of ukraine!


:)

is that weird to think about for you guys? that i'm actually here..because it is for me. but anyways. here is my take on everything right now.


-dont sleep for 4 days before you go on long flights. you wont get too bad of jet lag, and you'll sleep like a baby on every flight you go on.

- study up on a language before you go somewhere. it might help you.

- people in ukraine never stop feeding you. ever.

- when they say it's snowy in ukraine. it's SNOWING. hard. and winding in your face. and painfully cold.  (winding= fierce winds. that blow snow in your face so you cant see)

- listen to them when they tell you it's cold outside. because if a ukrainian says it's cold, IT'S COLD.

- "close" to them means at least 30 minutes..either walking, subway, or with the metro. so when they say something is far, dont even think about going there.


- for some strange reason, my lips were swollen when i woke up this morning. and they were painfully dry. i wanted to cry they hurt so bad. and i have been piling on the chapstick, but it makes it burn. SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THIS IS HAPPENING.

- they pull their kids around on sleds. why did i never think about this? best.idea.ever.

okay, so i guess you wanna know about my host family, and everything else well, here you go.

i live with the cutest family ever, and the very sweetest. there is a mom, a dad, and two kids: dasha and igor. dasha is 8 and igor is 4. to tell you the honest truth, i'm not sure if these are their names. but that's what i've picked up from our broken and extremely painfully awkward conversations.

the dad speaks the most english, and it's very hard to communicate. i tried asking if i could get a key to the apartment just in case i came home and nobody was here. yeah, he didnt understand. it was awkward trying to explain it for 10 minutes and then just saying nevermind. yesterday he took me to the market, which is just a small version of a grocery store here. it was fun! i mean, it was nothing really new here. except he asked me what i wanted to eat and i told him sandwich stuff, and he laughed and told me to go to mcdonalds for that...it was awkward.

ukranians are very blunt and straightforward. kinda sometimes it makes me feel stupid, but whatever. i'm used to it.

the mom is very nice. she tries very hard to speak english to me and asks me a lot of questions. both the parents work..she is advertising for a publishing company..and he is a sea captian..or something. i dont really know. it's hard to communicate..i'm not going to lie.

what else, the kids are cute. i think they're scared of me. they just run away and dont look at me.

i'm not going to lie. this whole set up is kinda awkaward. but i am lucky and have my own room. and internet. and today after meeting with my group we shared horror stories, and i am most def one of the luckier ones.

the boy in our group lives with one boy. he's 25...and only has one leg. he wasnt given a blanket to sleep with, and has to share a room with him. he says it's awful. and his "host brother" said he was going to sell him for prostitution. awkward.

also, there were other horror stories, but i am just happy i dont have to be apart of that..for the most part.

i do have a pet mouse in my room. i dont know it's name, but i call it fluffy. it's grey, and super...fluffy. and cute :) except for the cancerous tumor on it's face, i dont know what that's all about. but it's weird and gross. so i dont touch it. only poke it with a pencil.

what else, umm...today i made pretty good friends with everyone in my group. i like them all a lot. me and this one girl totally bonded today, well me and everyone kinda did. but me and her just couldnt stop laughing about this whole situation called "we're in ukraine and it's really scary and awakrd here"

so lets talk about teaching. i am scared out of my mind. but excited. i think (actually, i know) it will take a while to get used to. but i am excited. i start on monday morning (which is sunday night for ya'll) so make sure you pray for me.

okay, pray for me about everything, not just teaching. this place is really scary, and cold, and confusing, and the city is HUGE. so just..pray. a lot. i would appreciate it. i dont think i've prayed this much in my entire life.

i cant rembember what i've told you. umm...yesterday we picked up the little boy from daycare and they have a room dedicated for your winter cloths in every building. you have a change of clothes there so you dont have to wear your winter clothes. and i guess you're supposed to bring slip on shoes or slippers to wear when you get to a place (like school, or houses, or museums)

um. this might gross you out, but the amount of boogers my nose is producing is ridiculous. i feel stupid because i have to pick my nose sometimes because you know when it starts to hurt? and you jsut have to get them out. yeah, i had to do that. and i got awkward looks. but i dont care because i had to...and i dont know anyone here.

i kinda feel invisable here. like nobody can see me, and i'm just in some sort of interactive movie where i'm not really here...just pretending. like a dream! haha.

when people talk to me i just smile, and they look at me funny. i found out smiling is socially unacceptable. who woulda thought! but i dont know waht else to do! i cant reply! so i will continue doing my own thing...pretending like i belong here.

my dad told me before i came that there will be baby steps that help me become like i fit in here. step one is to buy your first thing. i have yet to do that. i dont even step foot outside my house unless i HAVE to. this will come. i think step two will be to find out where the subway station is, and to have the guts to get on. luckily they gave us all cell phones so we can call eachother or our host families and get help if we are lost. that makes me feel a looot better.

hmm waht else. everyone that speaks russian sounds so angry! i love it! it's actually a very beautiful language. i am trying to catch on to some key phrases.

all i've picked up is da da da. which i feel like means "yeah"...but that's just what i'm thinking. i honestly have no idea. pretty much 99% of the time i have no idea waht's going on, and i just trust that someone does. it's quite the adventure, that's for sure!

i could never be happier to be somewhere, even though it's the scariest thing i've ever done, i know this will be the adventure and experience of a lifetime! :) i cant wait!
please please dont forget about me! :( and say many prayers on my behalf. i need them!

pictures will come soon...once i can get my own computer hooked up to the internet.

фвшщы ьн акшутыю ьфн еру ащксу иу цшер нщг
adios my friends. may the force be with you :)

panic and denial

hi. i dont know if you forgot about me, but i still exist. and i am still doing that really crazy thing called moving to the ukraine for 5 months. except, wanna know the funny part?
i leave on wednesday. yeah, like...this upcoming one.
as in...i have 4.5 days on this planet i like to call america.

and i'm living in denial.
i dont like to think about the fact that i havent even started packing.
or the fact that i can barely say hello in russian.
or the face that i am moving to the frozen tundra.
or that i'm leaving everything i know to be alone in this scary place doing something really scary that i have no idea how to do.
or the fact that i'm going to miss my older sister coming home...whom i havent seen in a year and a half.
or the fact that i'm missing easter...valentines day..presidents day..ryan's birthday...memorial day..st patricks day..and all the other days.
there's a lot of facts that i'm stressing hardcore about. and i just wanna cry.

is it bad that i already feel alone...and i havent even left yet?

:(

the worst part is. everyone's encouraging words make it WORSE. stop telling me i'm going to be okay. i know i will. just let me stress out because i'm doing something really scary!
we all know how much i hate the unknown. and literally...this whole thing is the unknown. i found out yesterday that i'm leaving wednesday. i dont know who i'll be living with...what to expect...NOTHING.
literally.

my eyeballs are going to fall out from crying so much. all i want are a million hugs. no words. just hugs.

:(


in other news.....

 :))))))))))))))))))))))))

 my birthday dinner :) 

 he's back! :) whaat!

i also cut my own hair. i wouldnt recommend it to anyone. 

i dont know what i was thinking...it was a good idea at the time. i was practicing! i didnt wanna trust a crazy eastern european to cut my hair, so i thought i would just do it myself. 

bad idea. 

i trust them over myself any day. 

love this. it will be my life for the next 6 months. :) 

also, this was pretty legit. it's not making me feel any better though. i'm still freaking out. 

mehhhhhhh. 

The Kiev Live - Timelapse from Oleg Finger on Vimeo.

the big announcement

HELLO TO EVERYONE THAT IS OUT THERE IN THE WORLD.

and since i am so popular and everyone reads my blog, i decided that i was going to exclaim my wonderful news to the world of my blog! :)

I, Mallory Denison, am moving the the Ukraine for 6 months to teach English to the cutest freaking children you will ever see.

yeah, i'm not kidding. i'm being totes serious. and i am leaving in ONE FREAKING MONTH! this is the most exciting thing that i have ever even said in my entire life. this has been my dream, and the opportunity has finally arose! i didnt sign up for school, i didnt want to be at my job any more. and i didnt know what i was going to do with myself. not even kidding i was having a panic attack.

so anyways. in one day my life plans for january decided to change all in one day. my mom found the program, i applied, had my interview, and got accepted all within one day.

so...this is my plea to you. visit this website:
 http://www.gofundme.com/az7wo 
and donate money to the children. literally, all i need is $600. and this will change not only my life, but it will give these kids something that they will benefit from for their entire life. so even $5 will help.

so i'm sure you wanna know the low down on this program, and what i'll be doing, and how long i'll be there and all that jazz. so let me answer all your questions.
i will be teaching English to elementary aged children. I will be in Kiev, Ukraine. living with a host family. i leave in january and come back in june. i will be teaching (...no i'm not getting paid for this) monday-friday and loving every second of it. i plan all my own lessons, and all the lessons are very interactive and fun for the kids (and mostly me because we know how much i love to play)

so anyways. if you want to know more about the program, visit http://www.ilp.org/ and you will learn all the things that will want you to help these adorable children.

now watch this awesome video and see the wonderful land of ukraine that i will be living in! :) I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME!

stopppp!

i think people are mean. and i think it needs to stop.

i dont know why it's bugging me so bad that people are ragging on the "occupy wall street protesters" but i would like to see it stop. like now.

guess what? they have opinions.
guess what? they want change.
at least they are doing something about it.

all the rest of you that see a problem and think there is nothing you can do about it, or you dont care enough to try to make changes are the worst of them all.
change is slow. and it's hard. and nothing will ever be perfect. but shouldnt we all be striving towards a better world? shouldnt we all want to make our mark on the world for the better, and say that we tried. who cares if protesting doesnt work. or if  they're being crazies. it's something they're passionate about. and they want change.

nobody thought women should have the right to vote. people threw rocks at them. had them put in prison. told them they were fighting for a pointless cause and they should accept the fact that life is the way that it is, and to just accept it.
but guess what? they didnt stop. they fought until the end..and made their voice heard. because it was something they were passionate about. and guess what's even cooler? IT WORKED.
it was a looonnngg time coming, but it did. and i wish that i show the same determination and passion about the current issues (which, coincidentally we still have womans equality issues..what the heck)
but anyways. i dont get peoples problems and why they have to be so mean.

if you dont agree...then do what you want to change it. but you dont have to be rude to people for what they care about. because i think this is exactly what this country needs.
since when did everyone stop caring, and think they dont have a say in anything that happens to them?
guess what. you can change it. just look at the threethousandmillion examples of it in freaking history. YEAH THAT'S RIGHT.


now stand up. and make your picket sign. and head to washington dc. becasue we gunna make a change.

and while we're at it. and we stop world hunger, poverty, and make peace with everyone?
mkay thanks.

oh, and also give me thirteen million dollars :)

i have a problem...

you guys. i dont mean to rain on everyones parade buuttt...

i.dont.get.it.

what is the deal with everyone's OBSESSION with mustaches?!

1. they're not cool. or funny. they never were. so stop trying to make them cool OR funny. IT'S NOT!
2. they are creepy. they creep me out. i think you're going to rape me if you have one. and i automatically dont feel like talking to you because you bug me.
3.STOP trying to be hipster. you're not.

but i'm not even going to lie. the thing that bugs me the most is EVERYTHING on pinterest that is a mustache thing. oh hi. let me paint mustaches on my fingernails.
oh, what? you need a bandaid? well i have a mustache one.
oh dont worry about it. my coffee mug has a mustache on it because i'm just that cool.

i see mustache combs, mustache pillows, mustache rings. literally. you name it, and there is probably a mustache thing of it.

so anyways. boo on them, they can just go be creepy and drive around in their creepy van and take candy to little kids. and be creepy. and annoy the living daylights out of me.

BUT. dont think i will be nice to anyone that tries to talk to me while having one of those things on their face. not.going.to.happen.

in other news.

a woman found jesus on a cliff in ireland. silly goose. what was he doing all the way over there!?

that's the picture. i feel like i'm playing a weird game of eye spy or connect the dots when i try and see it.

i wish i could find jesus in something.
oh my gosh. i just had the greatest idea ever made by my brain. i'm going to make a huge pile of clothes in my room and make it look like a manger and then like sculpt the inside to make it look like baby jesus.
then i'm going to sell it for twelve million dollars and be super rich and famous.

yesssssss.

anyways. wanna read the article of this gem of a lady? GO HERE NOW! you'll be sure to not regret the time wasted while reading that.

confusion

okay. i guess i'm going to get a little serious here, because i feel like it.

but let  me say somethings before i do that:

today i am getting my hair cut. it's about time. i'm not going to lie, i have a full on mullet. on purpose, of course, but it's getting gross. mostly disgusting. but anyways, that's besides the point. today i was depressed because i wanted a pony tail for once. it's been 14 months since i've had one! or even since i've had a part in my hair. weird weird weird. so anyways, i got excited because today was the last day in a long time i could even attempt that.

so guess what!? I DID IT. I GOT MY HAIR INTO A PONY TAIL! :)

it's quite a sad attempt at a pony tail, but i got it done nonetheless.

okay. i think that's all the important things i have to say. now onto my regular topic.

LIFE IS STUPID AND CONFUSING.

i dont know who made this rule, but college is the time you have to make every single life decision you'll ever make and it's really stupid i think. and i just kinda wish someone will tell me what to do. i'm stressing hard. about everything. school. work. life in general. its weird how fast things change i decided. i thought i had everything mapped out. i would go to school. be there for 3 years. be a teacher. have a direct career path. blah blah blah. but then that changed into me doing business. and becoming an event planner and being really awesome. but then that changed into I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANT TO DO AND I WANNA HIDE IN THE CLOSET AND CRY.

but anyways. i'm over it. mostly what's going on now is..i applied to the U.
i'm looking for a new job up in the slc. (if you know of anyone hiring...let me know!?)
i...think that's all. i'm going to LAS VEGAS this weekend with some wonderful friends i work with. and the boyf :) and i'm exciteeeddd. it will be w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l. and warm..hopefully. i'm already sick and tired of the cold. and having frost on my car errymorning. BOO ON SNOW.

anyways. i hope everyone is happy and bright :) anndd full of good advice for me.