"One monkey please!" That will be 150 hryvnia. "Doh!"

It's been awhile since I have written and a lot has happened! I've found myself just getting lazy to write and enjoying myself too much over here :) That's a good thing though. haha
To start off, I'll say that I have successfully completed my first week of actual teaching! It was pretty good-- getting easier each day. The kids are great. I just hope that I am able to teach them some English and not just lose my own in the process.
Wednesday we decided to have a slumber party, me and a few of the other teachers. I had stayed at the school all day, planning my lessons and then we all left. One teacher, Tamarah, walked with me to my house to grab my things. So the system here at the apartments--There is a "Babushka" or old lady/grandma who sits in her little room, waiting for people that live in the apartment complex to come and she will open the door for them. My first day here, my host sister told the babushka that I was living with them. So the first half of the week I had no problem. But this night, which just happened to be super cold, the babushka did not know me. I think she was a new one. So she would not open the door for us. But not just that, she was glaring through her little window at us! She tried telling me something, but obviously we don't speak Russian. So I called my host mom to see if she was home and could come help. She wasn't but was able to send someone to come let us in. It was just so funny that this whole time, the lady was still sitting in her room inside, watching us. She never once looked away... Five minutes we were out in the cold, freezing. Haha well she knows me now, but still wont smile at me.
Saturday, we had our first little excursion! It was pretty close to us. The night before, all 10 of us teachers came to one of the schools and had a slumber party! haha it was fun finally getting to really know some of the other teachers. We stayed up late and slept in. I don't feel nearly as bad about sleeping in over here. Waking up at 9:30, 10ish is pretty normal here! It's fantastic. If only it was that way back home.
We met "Big Tania" who would be our tour guide throughout the day. We took the metro and then a bus and after walked to the motherland monument. Along the way, there were so many beautiful buildings! Just walking along, snapping photos of everything, trying not to slip on the ice. We got to the monument and right beneath it is a WW2 museum. It was like a $0.20 entrance fee... Don't know how I can afford that. haha
It was incredible walking through there! Tania was telling us some stories of the war and helping me get a better understanding of what it was like. There was a room about concentration camps that nearly broke my heart. Seeing different items and pictures. It was hard. And then there was another room where Tania explained that all the Jews and Gypsies in Ukraine were told to meet somewhere with all of their personal belongings, or else they would be killed. They basically walked to their death... There was a video playing that was so hard to watch. I'm going to be a wreck when we go to Auschwitz!
After the museum, we went up and took a picture in front of the "Big Mama". It is huge! Oh and of course when we walked out of the museum, it was a blizzard outside! It was heavily snowing and was the one day I chose not to wear my heavy snow boots. Bad choice on my part.
We hoped on another bus that took us a little ways down, passing amazing buildings again on our way. We went to Maidan, or the central square in Kyiv. In 2014 there was a huge "dispute" and central square was up in flames. A boy at camp was telling me all about it. They all know so much history about their country as well as all of Europe. Anyway, we went to a restaurant for lunch which was kinda a cafeteria style. You go through, pick whatever you want, and then pay. It wasn't the best food I have ever had but I don't think I got the right things.
As we were walking out, 3 people with monkeys were standing on the sidewalk! We all were so excited! We walked up to them and they told us it is free to hold the monkey! So some of us went up and took the monkey, others had monkeys thrown at them. Of course, we start taking pictures but little did we know it was 50 hryvnia for photos, which is only about $2. That would be worth it for me, if I got a really good picture, but the lady grabbed my camera from the teacher I wanted to take my picture and took a terrible picture of me. Just one. Who takes just one photo!? haha anyway, after paying them, we started to leave. But they came up to Haley and said she held 2 monkeys so she owed 50 more. She didn't even want to hold 2 but they just put them in her hands and took a picture of her! So she payed the 50 and we again tried to leave. But no, the third monkey lady stopped us and Haley had also taken a photo with her monkey... Oh gosh, that's getting expensive now. But we ended up just walking away and saying we had already payed enough. It was ridiculous. But the monkeys were pretty cute :)
That night I came back so exhausted! But so excited for the next day--Sunday!! While being here, I have not been able to go to church. So after 3 weeks of not going, I was so ready to go to church! We all met, those of us here in Pozniaky, and walked only about 20 minutes to church. It was such a wonderful sight seeing it ahead as we walked. We walked in and see 4 missionaries, 2 elders and 2 sisters. The sisters offered to sit behind us and translate for us! What a wonderful experience. She did amazing too; I was so impressed at how well she knew the language. She seemed fluent and had been out for 9 months. So it was great knowing what they were saying and still having that experience of a Ukrainian ward. We exchanged numbers with them and let them know we would be willing to go on splits anytime :) It was a great, relaxing Sunday.

Girls on the metro

They like to do funny stretches

An awesome building on our walk to school

Big mama

These are pictures of all the heroes that died in Ukraine during WW2

Vodka glasses that family/friends would drink for those who died.

My cute head teacher, Kathryn

Me and Tamarah

Cool stuffed animal tree :) 

Love these girls!

Central school girls

Haley and the monkeys! haha

Yay for church!!

Especially church with these lovelies :)

So tonight, Kate and I decided to go to a restaurant and see what it was like. We literally just opened the menu and pointed to something. We wanted food, but accidentally bought dessert. At least it was delicious! And quite the experience... haha

This silly girl was spitting her tongue out the whole time I was trying to take pictures of her. So I joined her in the madness.