Foot Punches to the Face*

Well, this just keeps happening--the end of the month shows up and I haven't updated my blog! All the pour souls just waiting at the edge of their seats to hear about the next in-school celebration and dance-a-thon, or the blonde vs. brunette Ukrainian beauty contest, or the time I didn't leave my apartment for 24 hours on the most beautiful day just because...I'll spare you from all the details of what I've been doing this month and just give you some highlights that are affecting my current mood on the last day of April which is slightly frustrated but hopeful. Is there a smiley for that?

1- I watched Edward Scissorhands (Едвард Руки Ножницы) in Russian and it still made me cry (and not because Russian is still giving me a foot punch to the face).

2- I have been studying Russian and whenever I feel OK about my progress, I leave the apartment and realize that I have a long way to go before I get there. But, I'll get there. Wherever there is. Maybe Brighton Beach?

3- I really like my new Ukrainian friends in Melitopol. They are so bright and funny and fun to be around and it makes me happy--especially on summery evenings conversing about Ukraine and all the uses of the word/expression "daayyyyumn" in the "English" language.

*Awesome quote from an awesome Ukrainian in response to, "Oh, she kicked him?":
"No, it was like a foot-punch to the face."

I have titled this blog Foot Punches to the Face so I never forget this phrase and to remind me to keep studying Russian!