Summer 2008 Adventures

I was just thinking about this summer and the wide array of experiences I've had...

~running over the universal joint of a bus while traveling home from school
~substitute teaching
~traveling to Ukraine
~trying to learn Russian
~playing with kids and leading/helping with VBS's
~navigating Kiev's public transport system and the streets
~learning about trusting God: "It's okay, you can trust Me"
~hanging out in El Paso for a few extra days
~speaking Russian to 2 ladies at the Outlets! YES! (I didn't understand everything they said, though.
~babysitting Sarah, Hannah, and Dia
~spending 4 days in Chicago/Bourbonnais with my teammates from last summer
~taking a taxi at 11pm because we missed the last bus to the hotel by 5 hours
~seeing the Red Sox play at Camden Yards
~getting baptized
~having a yard sale (I made only $41.75, but hey, that's something)
~trying to speak Spanish to people that came to our yard sale, and trying to understand my neighbor's mother's Hungarian....when all the while my Russian was trying to fight its way out of me....I found myself speaking Spanish slower, and trying to use Russian to speak to the Hungarian lady. I did, however, recognize the word for school! YES!
~observing at my old high school

8 reasons why I am a failure at making Ukrainian dumplings

1. I am currently on the wrong side of the Prime Meridian, as my brother says.
2. I tried making vareneky for the first time, and I used too much dough.
3. I am not Ukrainian.
4. When I made said vareneky, I didn't have any sour cream to help with the taste.
5. When I made plemeny, the meat became embedded in the dough.
6. The dough is really sticky.
7. I need more practice.
8. Actually, I need to watch a Ukrainian do it first.

Let's hope that when I try to make borsch (soup), it turns out well. I don't think there's much I can do to botch the soup called borsch. :)