Hello and welcome.
We haven't had many exciting things to talk about lately but there are a few so I will keep this brief.
First of all we would like to thank everyone for the birthday cards and wishes. They mean a lot so THANK YOU (from Shannon and I).
On that note, we have some Ukrainian friends and we had a little dinner for Shannon's birthday the weekend after her birthday and one this weekend for my birthday. Both weekend were fun and wonderful but this weekend was a bit more interesting because we made burritos and the "tortilla" bread you can get here has no strength. So we had to teach them how to roll a burrito (they'd never eaten Mexican food) and then the bread tore (it ALWAYS tears unless you're Shannon) so they were laughing and confused as to how they could safely eat this strange food. They ended up either using forks or just picking at the pile. They all said they liked the taste and would try to make it again.
I got Alex and Sveta to try Sriracha Hot Sauce which is the greatest food, yes food, on Earth. However, I believe it is bottled directly from a hose tapped into the molten center of the Earth's core. It will burn a hole in the floor so when a Ukrainian, who never ever eats hot things, tries it, they kind of sputter a bit. Alex did...Sveta didn't but she lived in Germany for a year or two so she's gastronomically experienced.
Then we played SPOONS which is a card game involving one less spoon than there are players. If there are five players then there are four spoon in the middle of the table. The dealer deals four cards to everyone then begins picking up one card and discarding to his/her left, keeping only four cards in hand. The cards move around the table from person to person and when one person gets four of one kind of card (i.e. 4 jacks, 2's, 10's etc) then they grab a spoon. Then, basically, everyone else tries to kill each other grabbing the remaining spoon. The person who does not get a spoon is out and everything is reset minus one more spoon. It's played until there is only one person left. So, it's kind of like a mix between poker, slap jack and musical chairs. We had a lot of fun.
I think Shannon mentioned this in her manifesto-sized post but the great white whale has been harpooned and I am typing this from the comfort of my couch. We also have a wireless modem so, if I want or if I'm a liar, I might be typing this from my kitchen, balcony, or bathroom (try to get that image out of your head).
Anyway, now that we have home internet, we can afford to post video. However, Blogspot in its infinite wisdom has seen it fit to not allow videos to be posted to our blog. It just sits and works but never finishes like Nike's Chinese workforce. But, hey, they both work for free so I'm not complaining. The point is that since we cannot post here on Blogger, we created our own YouTube channel. So, go to Youtube.com and search for dannyshannonukraine. We have some videos up and we'll be adding more soon. Or click this link: Our Youtube Channel
Before I go on, I think it's time for our Russian lesson. So, today's Russian lesson will focus on the seasons.
Лето (Lyetoe)- Summer
Весна (Vesna)- Spring
Зима (Zeema) - Winter
Осень (Ohsen) - Fall
So, segueing right along here, Spring is here in Ukraine. Spring here is only slightly warmer than winter with rain instead of snow. Today, so far, it looks like we might actually not have rain which will be a first this week. In the sky, I see this strange, blue color instead of the gray wet things that usually hang there. Maybe today we'll have a comfortable day. Anyway, there are lots of little flower buds popping up and people have been working in their gardens around the apartment so soon there will be lots of really cheap, really fresh vegetables and fruit at the market and lots of colorful flowers around the city. Some of the trees have even started to show signs of budding so when things warm up a bit more, we'll get green. I think the average daytime temperature here has been 10 Celsius so...50F. Not miserable, but it warmed up gradually which made you get excited and then plateaued at 50F which is cruel.
Lastly, the road in front of our house, the main street in Izium had these huge potholes in it due to winter and ice and what not. There was one that, no kidding, was as big as a small car and about a foot deep so the road crews are out every weekday morning under our window with paving equipment, jackhammers, that nasty blacktop which smells wonderful and what sounds like a marching band (percussion only). Luckily, on most days, we have to get up early anyway so we have a clangy bangy soundtrack while we eat breakfast. But, I remind myself that the reason they're doing it is because soon it will be warm. And that means soon we will be able to so swim. And that means yours truly in a Star-Spangled Speedo (try to get that image out of your head).
Until next time, we love you and miss you! Thanks for reading.
Danny and Shannon
