a new source of Internet

At the Y house, checking my email. (Victor's comment: "Now we have a computer with Internet. You can be the teacher, and the entire Y family will be students!") I've spent the evening writing everyone's name in chalk on the cement outside, teaching the kids to play Duck Duck Goose (very popular), and playing the piano.

I made a new friend yesterday! Sunday night when I was at the Kotlars' church, I was talking to a couple of the women, and one of them mentioned that she had a son who was learning English. I assumed he was a student, but he's 27, married, and goes to the Protestant church in the center, which has about 200 people. Anyhow, Andrey (that's his name)invited me over for dinner yesterday to get acquainted. He's a neat guy...works at the railway station and is teaching himself English, partly because he wants to work in England at some point and partly because he likes the language. I'm the first native speaker of English he's ever met...his English definitely needs a lot of work, but he tries hard, and we had a good conversation in a mixture of English, Russian, and Ukrainian. After my Germany trip, I'm planning to have him and his wife Ira (who's studying to be an agronomist) over for dinner sometime. It would be good to have Christian friends who are also in their 20s. (Not that I don't love all the Y kids!)

My chocolate kabachi cake was a success, and I managed to give half of it away. Planning on making one for the Ys as well.

That's all, really, right now.