Ukrainian Language School

This summer, we spent two weeks in Lviv studying Ukrainian at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

When we first moved to Ukraine, almost 5 years ago, Mike had wanted to do language study at this university. We kept putting it off that first year- it just seemed too difficult with a little baby.

Fast forward 4 years, with an almost 5 year old, 2 year old and a 4 month old: we realized it was never going to happen unless we just did it. So, we decided to do it!

It worked out really well! We stayed on campus in the newly built dormitory, had classes in the building next to the dorms (literally right next to it) and ate most of our meals in the cafeteria. 

I had my lesson in the mornings and Mike had his lessons in the afternoon. After the kids went to sleep for the night, we both did our homework for the next day.

We had the same teacher. She was a wonderful teacher! This was my first time studying Ukrainian and she gave me a great foundation to build on. 

Mike was at the advanced level- which did not surprise me. He has worked so hard to learn Ukrainian. He studied for almost 3 years in the US with a tutor and has had private lessons weekly since we moved here. He rarely gives himself a break from learning the language in one form or another. 

I studied at the beginner level. I had studied Russian prior to this- 2 years in the US and private lessons off and on since we moved here. I hear Mike speak Ukrainian everyday, so I have a lot of that vocabulary embedded in my brain. 

It was challenging to go from Russian to Ukrainian: the languages are similar, but also very different. Same alphabet, but some of the letters are pronounced differently. 

My goal is to continue studying both languages. Russian- with a private tutor. Ukrainian- with the materials from the university and Mike to correct my work.

We are hoping to go back next summer!

Our view from our first dorm room: a Greek Catholic church under construction.

This amazing park that was next to the campus: Striyskiy Park. Beautiful. We took the kids for walks there almost everyday.

Mike and his study partners.

Our view from our second dorm room (we had to switch rooms halfway through our stay). I love soviet-era looking buildings. We especially loved this partly finished dome-shaped structure.

A fountain in the park. It is from the Ukrainian fairytale, Ivasik Telesik, in which a small boy is rescued from a dragon by a goose who carried him home.

Every evening, we would take the kids out and do something fun with them. They were definitely tired. We had some late nights!

We had a lot of fun exploring the city center.

Our Life in a Series of Pictures: November 2015 to March 2016

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2015 and the making of pumpkin pies! We celebrated with Mike's Advanced English class at our apartment.

Christmas 2015 and the decorating of the tree. Celebrations begin in December and go through the end of January and include: St Nicholas Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Ukrainian Christmas Eve, Ukrainian Christmas Day, Old New Year's and Old Christmas Day and maybe I forgot a couple here and there- but, it is quite fun to have so many celebrations.

Mike resuming preparations for his classes mid-January. We had a drafty apartment...

Solomiya and Fedya and Chicken Pox. That was not fun.

Fedya learning to drive Rudolf's van post-Chicken Pox.

Solomiya in her pre-school class. Contrary to what you may think, based on this picture (yes, Solomiya is in the green dress and looks like she is sleeping), she LOVES school. Sometime in 2015 spring (my memory is a bit fuzzy), we moved Solomiya from the government kindergarten to a private kindergarten. Did I mention she LOVES this school and absolutely LOVES her teacher?
This school has been great for her. The differences include: smaller class size, Montessori style of teaching, shorter day.
The school is actually held at our church and the head teacher is our Pastor's wife, Lilia (pictured above). The lessons are taught in Russian, so now Solomiya is becoming trilingual (English, Ukrainian, Russian) and soon will become my personal translator.

In March 2016, we moved out of our apartment and into this house! We are still renting, but the cool thing is that the rent is the same as our apartment. Yes, thank you. What a blessing from God!
 

This is what the garden area looked like in spring. Now, late summer, it looks a bit like a jungle.

Three weeks after we move, Misha is born! Phew, that was close.

     This house has been such a huge blessing! There is a lot of room for the kids to play, we can all sit at the same table to eat, we can easily go outside without cramming 2 adults, 2 kids a baby and stroller into an elevator.
     We also have extra bedrooms and have been able to host friends from New York, friends from Poland, a teacher from Sweden and a pastor and wife from England.
Please come and visit!

Our Trip to the US: 2015

Last September, my brother traveled to Ukraine, stayed with us for a few days, explored Uzhhorod and then helped me travel to the USA with the kiddos. Mike traveled two weeks later.
Here we are at a monument on the border of Ukraine and Slovakia.

We had a great time hanging out with him and really appreciated his help while traveling. We appreciate his sacrifice, as he had to leave his own little girl and wife, for the trip.

Besides spending time with family and friends, we got to do a lot of crazy things that we could never do in Uzhhorod: like buying taco shells and...

... going to amazing bookstores where they let kids play with toys!

     It was a good trip. We had a lot of fun reconnecting with our church family and sharing about what we are up to in Ukraine. It was fun to eat food that we normally cannot find in Uzhhorod and go to places where our kids could run around without falling onto broken glass or garbage. It was a nice change. It was a busy, and somewhat stressful trip; but good.

 

     It's very strange being a visitor in the place where you were born and grew up. It's strange being shocked by what once was normal:

- people wearing their pajamas to go shopping

- no fences and gates around private homes

- so many huge and expensive cars and SUVs

- waitresses asking repeatedly if the food is good, if they can get you something and bringing the check without you asking for it

- the lady at the post office acting super nice, like she really wants to help me

 

    And then, being shocked by what I once thought was strange about Ukrainian culture, but now seems perfectly normal and correct: and the shock of people in the US doing these things:

- ice in every drink (this does not happen in Ukraine because cold drinks could lead to a cold or sore throat)

- grass in every yard; no fruit trees or gardens (every inch of earth is usually cultivated)

- keeping the air conditioning/or fans on around small children (because of the draft and the draft leading to sickness)

- babies and small children not wearing hats to protect against the sun's heat or the chilly wind (because they MUST be protected from every type of weather)

- when waiting in line, leaving at least 1 foot between you and the other people in front and behind (personal space while waiting in line does not exist in Ukraine)

 

It is very interesting to live in another part of the world and to travel. The world does not seem as big as I once thought it was.

 

 

 

 

How life has changed since our last post...

This little guy was born March 23, 2016 at 5:00am in room 2 at the Birth House in Uzhhorod, Ukraine (Fedya was also born at 5:00am, but in room 1- interesting...).
Mykhailo Hallenback
We call him Misha.
 

He just turned 5 months old!
 

Fedya has been teaching Misha many things. As you can see, he is a fast learner.

Misha adores his big sister (even though he does look a bit concerned in this picture)!