Mrs. Zinchuk's Adventures

Changes

2010-02-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

I love this little blog, but I don't really know what to do with it anymore. My life is consumed with school and the business and I don't have much time to just think, philosophize, and write. Not to mention that my 'public' persona as photographer/educator prevents me from using this as a place to vent.

So I'm going to be making some changes. I think I might be going underground, a bit. As in deleting names and too-revealing details. I want to change the appearance of this puppy and let it work for me once again as a public diary. I refuse to give up on the interesting component of my life and give in to boredom. I am SURE that more adventures are to follow :)

So bear with me as I find the time to make the above-mentioned changes and make this blog better-than-ever!

LOL

2010-01-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yay for the holidays! We finally have a nice apartment that we can actually enjoy and we finally have essential things like a dining table/chairs so that we can have people over. Decorating is. . . slowly happening. I have a photo wall of family/memories that I'm slowly growing so not every wall is bare.

My true joy of this season is FINALLY having a for-real, adult Christmas tree. I've had a mini-tree since childhood and a tree each Christmas, but Sasha and I haven't yet had a regular family tree. I really wanted to get a live tree, but when I realized that it would be up from Thanksgiving to mid-January (old New Year) and the thought of needles (not to mention getting rid of a tree in an apartment complex), I re-considered. So my one outing on Black Friday was to Target to get a tree for $25. Sure, it isn't the fanciest artificial tree, but it sure is cute in our living room. You caught glimpses of it in the cans for comments post and my family photo from yesterday, but it was only yesterday (two days after Christmas that the decorating was completed.

The best part? I can finally use all my ornaments!! I have been collecting beautiful glass ornaments since my first Christmas in Ukraine. Some I bought in Ukraine, some in Prague, some in the US. But they are all beautiful and I LOVE them!

The first two are Santas: one from Ukraine and one silly Santa I got at Target today. The next row are also from Eastern Europe: a hippo from Prague and a monkey from Ukraine (the first ornament for my future tree that I bought--to ring in the year of the monkey). The last row has a cute snowman and a beautiful seal that my mom bought us this year.

The other great part? Our tree will be up to enjoy for at least 2 more weeks. Trees only go up around now in Ukraine and they stay up for New Year's (they're called New Year's Trees) and through Orthodox Christmas on January 7. So my little lighted joy will stay lit for a while more.

I'll try to post a bit about how we celebrate the next holidays. We're still in the process of building family traditions since it is only Sasha and I celebrating. It is kind of exciting to be able to do that and not be restricted by what has always been done ;)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T14:56:00.001-08:00

We had a great week with my family--mom, dad, and Mike drove out to spend the holidays here with us. We ate a lot, shopped a lot, and watched a lot of movies :) It was good time spent with the family.

.

Now they're on their way home and we're re-grouping. It is a little crazy to have guests for the week but worth it. We have a fridge full of food, new ideas (Sasha was really inspired after watching Avatar in IMAX 3D). Today Sasha's editing, I'm working on photos and cleaning. And visiting Target for after-Christmas sales. ;)

This is only the beginning of the holiday season for us: we now have New Year's and Orthodox Christmas (to be spent quietly at home). It is my goal to find some new traditions for us--previous Orthodox Christmases have been spent at home sleeping. Maybe I'll fix a new fun traditional food. . .or something.

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas and I wish everyone a successful and happy new year!!

A Long Quarter

2009-12-13T00:57:00.000-08:00

Autumn 2009 is over! Sure, I still have finals and portfolios to grade and a final paper to write BUT I have no more scheduled responsibilities 'till the New Year. It has been a long quarter--feels like the longest yet--and I'm so glad to be done. Teaching was fine (3rd time teaching Writing4), but I didn't really like my classes. Pedagogical grammar was just that--a lot of grammar, and my other class didn't have a clear focus. But that lack-of-focus allows me to write about pretty much whatever I want (like language and nationalism in Ukraine), so that's a good thing. Yay for writing a political paper about nationalism in Ukraine in an English class. Love it.

I think this quarter has been particularly tough because I've been really juggling a lot of responsibilities. I'm trying to be a good teacher and student AND make our business successful. I edit photos, arrange advertising, blog what we're up to, and keep a public face all while trying to teach useful lessons, understand course material, get homework done, and suck-up just enough to keep my future options open. I will finish my course requirements in March, but I'm funded 'till June so my future is open. Will I go teach (in the tough Seattle TESOL market)? I'm not sure. Will I find another job? Will I apply for the PhD program? Not sure. It is scary (and maybe a little exciting?) to not know--at all--what I'll be doing in a year.

But I love the bits and pieces of what I do. I enjoy being in front of a class (still not sure how I feel about teaching English in particular, but that's neither here nor there). I enjoy being a student. I enjoy being a photographer. I enjoy owning my own business. The little things overwhelm me at times, but overall, I love it.

One other aspect of blog-life that is unclear is how this blog fits into it all. Between my teaching face and my Photo/video face, there's little space left for my adventures. Maybe it is because I feel adventure-less or because I worry about who might read this blog (not that I'm hiding anything ;) ), but it is harder to randomly post.

So forgive my absence.
Enjoy a photo of my kitty, who sat in this box for hours today. :)
Happy Holidays!

Thankful

2009-11-27T00:44:00.000-08:00

A quick note: I originally posted this on our business blog, but you guys might appreciate it as well :) Sasha tends to go by 'Alex' for business stuff, because it's easier (though very weird to me)!

Thanksgiving break couldn't have come at a better time. I have been running for the last few weeks; trying to keep up with photo editing, school work, teaching, and planning. I've hardly had time to think. Putting the breaks on for just a couple days is such a blessing! Since I got home at 6pm last night, I've done nothing but relax. We slept 'till almost 1pm today and now I'm cooking and cleaning. Turning down the pressure for just a few hours has already given me some clarity and peace. And for that, I'm VERY thankful.

We are both so thankful for our supportive families: mine in Montana and Alex's in Ukraine. Since Alex's family is so far away and my family is coming out to the Seattle area for Christmas, we're spending Thanksgiving as just the two of us. Rather than preparing a big fat turkey for just the two of us, we decided to start our own traditions and make turkey meatballs. You see, we've got Turkey and the meatballs are almost like Ukrainian kutlety. For dessert, Alex was inspired by one of those chef shows on TV and decided to make raspberry souffle in an apple--awesome!

A quick video of our dinner preparations:

Thanksgiving Dinner from Zinchuk Studios on Vimeo.

Our feast! And can I just say that that burning log is made from coffee? Not sure how it works, but it burned fore-ever!

We are thankful for our health, our business, and all our opportunities. Alex has so many ideas to improve both the quality and ease of our cinematography business. I am thankful for each day spent in a warm home full of love with a roof over our heads.

To our couples and our friends & family: thank you for inspiring us and supporting us! It means so much!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Flu Hits Ukraine

2009-11-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

I've heard rumors and panic for days, but the headlines finally hit BBC (my gauge for whether the news we hear out of Ukraine is legit): there is most definitely

"Panic in Ukraine over swine flu"

Schools are closed for 3 weeks in a mandatory quarantine. Movie theatres and other public gathering places are closed. Public events are severely limited. 60 people have died in the past few weeks from an 'unknown' respiratory infection. There are no more flu meds or face masks in the pharmacies.. .

My sense is that everyone is in a tizzy because of lack of information. The fact that people are dying of a 'mystery illness' is scary. Politicians have a great opportunity to react and blame and stir the pot of uncertainty in election season (Ukraine's first presidential election since the Orange Revolution in October '04 will occur in January). Sasha's family is fine and they say they're not worried. Sasha's nephew Max is home from his university classes in Crimea for the 3 week quarantine. But life goes on as usual in Pervomaisk. I just hope it stays that way.

Too much going on!

2009-10-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy day (and yet despite that, I'm updating. . .). We're 90% moved out, but we had some things to take care of urgently this morning. I should have been preparing for a presentation I have at a conference tomorrow, but instead we were running an old mattress set to the landfill. It was a great accomplishment to learn where the landfill (well, transfer station) is located and to effectively dump our garbage, but it was not what I should have been doing today.

Despite distractions (like fielding calls for our business), I did manage to plan an ok lesson for class today (in the computer lab, they'll be intertained) and I think I'm ready for the conference tomorrow. I'm presenting on using blogs in the ESL writing classroom, so it is a perfect fit that I'm venting here ;). I go through how to get on blogger, why to use it, and show them examples of my class blog (interested? it's at http://writing4zinchuk.blogspot.com).

What is on the agenda for tonight: take the bus back home (direct bus--yay), hit WalMart for a couple things, and unpack. Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight before the spotlight is on me tomorrow!

Moved!

2009-10-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

We have (mostly) moved! HOORAY! Finally we've (almost) gotten rid of our tiny one-bedroom in Seattle (facing onto an alley, full of garbage bins and potholes). We're now in a peaceful 2-bedroom in Federal Way--complete with duck pond, washer & dryer, dishwasher. . .ah! civilization!!

Moving was rough--after traveling back from Ukraine, Sasha got sick with something. His only symptoms were a fever (101-ish), headache, and runny nose. He probably had that fever for 5 days, including the days we packed, loaded, and moved. Thank god we hired movers for the unloading process. Best money ever spent: for $150 two young nice trained guys moved all our furniture/boxes in about 45 minutes! If anyone needs a mover in the Seattle area, here's the link to their site: www.ecomoversmoving.com

Using movers actually put us in a better mood than we were before. It was so quick and easy--I wish unpacking was that easy! Since I'm commuting to Seattle, Sasha's been recovering, and I'm doing school/teaching, it has been hard to find time to unpack. Sasha has already learned how to use the washer/dryer, so that's a good thing :)

I guess I should do a post on Ukraine. I hesitated to post while Sasha was gone because I didn't want to openly and constantly announce to the world that Sasha was out of town.. for safety reasons, I guess. To sum it up, Sasha was in Ukraine for 3 1/2 weeks and hated most of it. It was hard to be apart (yes, we're one of those couples, who can't bear to be apart), he had a hard time with culture shock, and he was bored. He did film his friend/neighbor's wedding, so here are a couple photos:

One last thing: I promised my mom a recipe, so here it is:

Yummy Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine sugar and oil. Add eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with water. Add nuts. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Happy October!

Natural Disasters

2009-10-03T00:50:00.000-07:00

Last week I got an email from the Red Cross (I'm in the Seattle Language Bank as a Russian interpreter/translator). They were looking for volunteers with language abilities to volunteer in their emergency shelters as "there is supposed to be massive flooding this year due to faulty dams along the Green River, and it is predicted that thousands of residents will be displaced".

I hadn't heard anything (I only periodically watch the news), but it turns out that an earthen dam on the Green River is leaking and engineers are unsure/unable to completely repair it. The county has already declared a state of emergency and the Army Corps of Engineers has taken temporary measures, but predictions are that when the rains come, they will need to release a lot of water to take pressure off the dam. And so Auburn, Kent, Tukwila and Renton are likely to flood.
Eek!

More info here:
City of Auburn Green River Flooding Information

MyNorthwest.com

So, I have been doing shelter training at the Red Cross. 6 hours down, 8 left plus 6-ish hours of Adult CPR/First Aid. A lot of training, which has been pretty boring. But I guess the boredom is better than bored at home. I've edited all photos, done all my homework, classes are ready to go. I'm stir crazy, Simon our cat is stir crazy. Sasha needs to come back!

Week 0, down!

2009-09-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

At UW the weeks of each quarter are counted. It pays to keep track of each week since there's usually only 10 weeks in a quarter and it flies by. Last week was most of 0 week--we start classes Wednesday, so technically Week 1 starts then, but I'll be so busy I may as well be starting tomorrow.

This weekend I had a photo shoot (actually 2, the fabulous Nataliya and her too cute niece Kristina). If you're interested, find it on our blog: zinchukvideo.com/blog. I also went through most of TA orientation, again. Every year there are a couple 2-year TAs, and I was one of them. We are asked to come to orientation in our 2nd year in order to give our advice to the new TAs and get updated. I tried to balance giving advice and being annoying, but I fear that I didn't keep the right balance. It is a relief that it is over.

I bought books. I bought Sasha a birthday present. I bought some new shoes. I'm good and ready to begin, I hope. Tomorrow I have a full day of lesson planning and registration duties. It will be busy, but it is good to get started. I will be teaching Writing 4 for the 3rd time--I will soon be the writing expert. I'm actually going to present a seminar on blogging at a state-wide TESOL conference in October, which will be a fun way to gain professional experience :)

And I sleep. I go to bed very early (like 7pm last night), get up early, and I'm busy busy. It is good and refreshing. I'm glad autumn is here!!

Moving :)

2009-09-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

So I'm under the covers, bowl of clam chowder in my belly, and purring kitty warming my feet. It's cold and rainy outside but I am happy and content. I've spent the last few days (re-)reading (Harry Potter 5-7), setting my own schedule, and taking care of things. Like, Goodbye, WellsFargo, hello sweet new credit union. Goodbye, crappy Seattle apartment, Hello Federal Way!

I found an awesome apartment in Federal Way that's 2-bedroom, washer/dryer, dishwasher, fireplace, vaulted ceilings, balcony overlooking the duck pond. A little bit of heaven and so much cheaper than now! We're set to move the weekend of Oct 17, so 1 month to go!

I really should take before/after photos of our miserable life in Seattle vs spacious and nice new apartment. Right now we are so crowded both in the apartment and in our location, that the openness of the new place is breathtaking. Yeah, the commute by bus will suck, but it is much better to have a nice life and crappy commute than crappy life with a short bus ride, don't you think :)

It gives me peace to know that I'm saving bucks (this has been a tough year) and saving sanity. Animals and nature bring us joy, so this apartment couldn't be a better fit :)

Hard At Work

2009-08-28T23:26:00.000-07:00

10,000 years

2009-08-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

It feels like it has been 10,000 years since I updated this blog. All my energy has been going into our business blog.

Last Friday I finally finished teaching Summer Quarter. We're also beginning to wrap up our wedding season. And, I'm on VACATION FOR A MONTH! Yes, you heard me correctly. The next time I have to be anywhere is September 23rd!

That's why it's time to get caught up!
So, in July I went to my 10-year high school reunion.

old friends

Then, I went to my friend Phil's wedding. He was my first 'love'--we dated in 7th grade but I dumped him when somebody found out. Then we dated again in high school. He is now a good friend who also lives in Seattle yet I never see. His new wife Emily went to college with me, but we never knew each other. They compliment each other perfectly and I am so happy for them!!

Aside from that, it has been work-work-work, wedding-wedding-wedding! I hope to update more often during September, so keep coming back!!

3 years!

2009-08-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary and all I've got to say is this:

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what does this say?

Hottest Day in History

2009-07-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

You have probably heard the complaints of my fellow Seattlites echoing around the globe--yesterday was the hottest day in Seattle history. Let it be known that it is not all rain and fog around here. . . we have had one HOT summer.

Last night's sun (shot from my phone) even looks hot!

We couldn't handle the idea of being in our hot apartment all night, so we went to a rooftop BBQ in Freemont. A-Mazing! There was a cool breeze coming off the water, fresh air, and a perfect view of the heat lightening. The best part? Meeting new people--the BBQ was a group of photographers. We ran into some acquaintances and made new friends. It was painful to come back to our oven-apartment last night!

Today has been better--my classrooms on T/Th have air conditioning, I have renewed energy after being social last night, and I don't work tomorrow!! Hip-hip-hooray!

So, I'm back to 'work' editing photos in the dark, avoiding cooking, and drinking lots of cold drinks. I just hope it cools down before our Saturday wedding!!

Bird Through the Window

2009-07-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

Last night Simon found a small bird in a tree. Poor thing was so hot & panting. Sasha pushed Simon away and called me out to look. We thought it might be a hummingbird. We tried to put some cool sugar water near the bird, and she flew right into our living room (since our windows were wide open to try and cool the place off).

She made herself right at home--flying from lamps to cupboards and back. She couldn't seem to figure out how to get back out the window. . .so we had to 'trap' her in our cat carrier and carry her outside. Even then, she just flew back to the tree for a rest. Poor, cute thing!!

Any ideas about what kind of bird she is?

Also, we had a great weekend in MT for my 10th high school reunion. As soon as I have a chance, I'll post photos here. . .it was a pretty wild trip!!

Busy

2009-07-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

I told you, we are busy :)

Headin' to MT soon--pictures guaranteed when we get back!!

Obsessed

2009-07-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting recently because I have been really, really busy. Teaching keeps me busy during the day, and whenever I'm not thinking about my students or creating lessons (or teaching them), I'm working/thinking/obsessed with our business.

This has been a year of phenomenal growth for us. We transitioned from standard definition cameras set on tripods to high definition cameras on a steadicam. I have an amazing photo camera that has added amazing video to our video clips, not to mention makes my photos look pretty good. We have invested a lot of money, but more than that, we have invested our time and our souls into making our business work.

And we are obsessed. We keep making travel plans over my breaks from school, but when the vacation comes our business goals seem more pressing. We haven't made any social events for some time because we have film shoots every weekend and often on weeknights. Even when my parents were here, we had a film shoot one evening. It is great that we are growing, but it is tiring at the same time.

Worst of all is the psychological obsession--it is like dating someone your really like. I check twitter, facebook, my email, google reader, etc 10x an hour for news, emails, and most importantly, affirmation. Yesterday was a good day--we got several new comments on our newest video {found here}. It feels good to have people appreciate what you do when you invest so much into it. And you obsess when you don't hear anything at all :)

The personal side of life is taking a toll because this business is so extremely personal. It is a large part of Sasha's American identity--instead of being a respected police officer in his community, he wants to be the best wedding cinematographer in Seattle. A goal that he, really we, is working hard to achieve. So if you really want to know what we are up to, visit facebook (where I have hijacked my profile to give business updates, don't hate me), visit our studio blog, visit The Wedding Chicks where I guest blog, or give us a call. I can't guarantee that we'll call back soon, but we'll appreciate it none the less ;)

Amazing!

2009-07-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

This is worth the 8 minutes to watch from start to end. Sasha says the timeframe is from just before WWII to 1946 (noted at the end). A very emotional video.

Weekend Safari

2009-06-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

My family came to visit for a few days, so we decided to take them on a safari :) Didn't know a Safari was possible near Seattle? Well, wildlife fun is avaliable just a few hours away at the Olympic Game Farm

It was a great idea to get out of traffic and have some fun. We got to feed llamas, yaks, bears, deer, elk, and many others. We did the driving loop 2 times, it was so fun. Now for some pictures:

I guess the story behind these guys is that they are former animal actors or the children of animal actors. They sure knew how to beg! We brought a loaf of whole wheat bread (the only kind allowed in the park) and the animals were so much fun that we bought another loaf :)

Zoo!

2009-06-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

I love zoos! I've been to many of them throughout the world. Today, Sasha and I decided to spend the afternoon at the Woodland Park Zoo here in Seattle. According to my parents, I was there when I was very young, but I have no recollection. But today was so nice--and the animals so cool--we'll remember it forever.
Here are some of our favorites:

Hungry Hungry Hippo

Monkeys

Mama and baby gorilla

(note that the baby's nursing)

Penguins

And flamingoes

mating!

Yes, This Woman is a Mail-Order Bride

2009-06-12T15:38:00.001-07:00

Fascinating article I came across today from glamour.com:

Yes, This Woman is a "Mail-Order Bride"

Doctor's Orders

2009-06-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 4-week follow-up for my broken foot. I went into the office, feeling good. I chatted with the doctor and she felt my foot and said that things seem to be healing well. I guess my fracture is probably an avulsion fracture.

She sent me down for a follow-up X-ray and it confirmed what I have felt: it is healing nicely! As the doctor said "I'm an awesome healer". Usually foot fractures have a 6-8 week healing time, but mine is looking good after 4 weeks! So doctor's orders are now: if it hurts, don't do it. That means, I wear the cast when it is sore, but I can wear good shoes if it feels fine. Yay!!

Interesting note, the 2nd X-ray showed my break much better than the first. A month ago, I thought the break was a little 3mm crack. In fact, the whole bone was cracked along the side/bottom (a good inch or so), with only 3mm showing at the top. No wonder it hurt so bad!

Flashback to High School. . .

2009-06-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Inspired by
a) awkward family portraits
b) my upcoming 10-year class reunion
-and-
c) free time

I decided to hit the photo archives for some high school fun.

I was somewhat socially awkward in high school, but I was confident and had a consistent group of friends (hi guys!). I loved school dances. And with my confidence, I thought I looked soo good for those dances with *boys*.

How wrong was I. . .

First real dance, Sophomore Winter Formal. I loved that ice-blue dress with its matching dyeable shoes.

Cute enough. However, I apparently didn't get the memo that hair claws are for lounge time, not school dances:

But apparently that's what it takes to tame my mane.

Sophomore Prom was much better (I guess some schools don't let youngsters into their proms, but at my HS, all students--frosh to senior--were usually allowed).

Aww. ..

Junior year Winter Formal was lots of fun--complete with dance party in somebody's basement after the dance:

But, back to the same 'ol fashion choices:

Whhyyyyyyy!

I like to think I did well with picking out dresses. . but oh, my hair! My long, curly mane of hair has always been a problem.

But not all dances were a fashion flop:
For junior prom we went vintage:

And in general, senior year was much better!

1989: the Effect on Ukraine

2009-06-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

I read a really interesting article on the BBC today. It seems that they've been doing a series on 1989 and the fall of communism (in honor of the 20th anniversary of that year of change). Today, the editors profiled the impact of the 1989 events on Ukraine.

"How 1989 fanned flames in Ukraine"

Some of the most interesting comments:
"Gorbachev decided to let a little bit of genie out of the bottle. But you cannot let out just a little bit"
Poet Ivan Drach

"I envied the Poles. I thought they were 10 years ahead of us. But then things in Ukraine took off really quickly."
Writer Andrei Kurkov

"The degree of lies, secrecy and disregard for people's lives after Chernobyl critically undermined whatever was left of trust in the authorities."

Read more here.

Inspiration!

2009-06-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

I was blog-surfing again tonight, and came across new photo inspiration here.

It is a collection of the most awkward photos EVER! Love it!

Dude, next time I need to refresh my list of "poses" I'm totally lookin' here!

Edited to add this gem:

Ha! They thought they could embarrass me!

B-Day CAKE!

2009-06-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Dad and Mike! My dad's birthday was yesterday and little baby brother turned 20 today. I guess he's not such a baby anymore. I've been craving white cake for days (unexplainable), so I baked a cake in their honor, since they're in Montana and I'm not.

Awwww, so cute!

Peace Corps Changed My Life

2009-06-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this video and by a recent conversation with my dad, I figured I'd mention a bit about the role Peace Corps has played in my life here. I started this blog after I finished my Peace Corps service, but my time spent as an English teacher in Ukraine is threaded through my life today. While in the Peace Corps, I met my husband. While in the Peace Corps I found a profession that fulfilled my desire to teach, to always be 'doing,' and to be involved in the world.

My 27 months in Ukraine were hard, were rewarding, and were frustrating. I learned how to be an adult in Ukraine: I paid bills, I lived alone, I held a job. . .It was an amazing experience that has shaped my future.

I am always thrilled when people I know email asking for more information. Peace Corps isn't for everyone: it is a 2-year contract with the US government. The bureaucratic rules make some crazy. Some people don't like the 2-year committment. But it is a wonderful opportunity to go abroad and really do something in the world, it is a good way for the US government to spend its money to 'increase understanding.'

More videos here

Almost Done!

2009-06-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with my first year of my MA TESOL program. In fact, I technically only have 2 quarters left. It is nice to know that I have a lot of work and teaching experience under my belt, and also nice to know that I'll be employed this summer. All I have left is a presentation, a short paper, and grading portfolios for the class I teach. Then a week or so of freedom! before I begin teaching for the summer.

This summer we have 9 weddings, I believe. I will be teaching 3 classes. We will go to Montana 2 times, Oregon once. It will be busy, but fun. We will make some money (finally) and get out of debt (I hope). I am looking forward to this summer!

Thursday I go to the doctor for my 4-wk follow-up for my broken foot. I think/hope that she'll tell me to leave the cast on for just 2 more weeks. It is feeling quite healed. Today, Sasha's been sick (throwing up all night, feverish today) so I needed to do a sprite/jell-o run today. I decided to drive and to wear shoes, not the cast. My ankle gets a little sore without the cast because I think it's gotten a little weak, but I could put on shoes and walk without problems. Of course, I'm not going to 'push it' 'till the Doctor says I'm better, but it is nice to know that it's healing.

Yesterday was a fun day--the Jai Ho crew performed for the End-of-Quarter ceremony for the students we teach. I dragged Sasha along so he could see his video on the big screen--they played the film and then danced. The students loved it and our program director even had Sasha stand up so everyone could applaud him. It was a great moment. :)

Hopefully we'll be in Montana by next weekend and we'll have more *adventures* to tell.

Jai Ho!

2009-05-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

Jai Ho from Zinchuk Studios on Vimeo.

The 2009 MATESOL (that's Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, i.e. what I'm studying) grads wanted to do something memorable on the way out. One soon-to-be grad had the great idea to learn the Jai Ho dance from Slumdog Millionaire. I couldn't participate with a broken foot, but I offered to film it with Sasha. Thursday evening, the eager almost Grads gathered to do the dance. We had a ton of fun and this will be one film not to forget. :)

A couple pics:

Permanent Resident

2009-05-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Sasha's application to lift the conditions* on his temporary green card was approved today: he is now a Permanent Resident of the US. Yay!

*since we were married for less than 2 years when Sasha applied to immigrate to the US, he only received conditional permanent residence.

Lessons from a broken foot

2009-05-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

So this crack in my 5th metatarsal is pretty small, but having a broken bone is kind of a big deal. My mom reminds me daily to take care of myself and let things heal. In fact, this has been quite a lesson for me--here are a few things I've learned:

1) Slow down. If I had slowed down, maybe I wouldn't have fallen and broken my foot. But more importantly, a few days aren't so important in the grand scheme of things. If I need time to heal, I need to take that time. I broke my foot on Tuesday evening, and the best thing I did was take several days off to just heal.

2) It is ok to be a baby sometimes. My break isn't that bad, and it didn't hurt to much (after the initial half hour or so of tears). But now that it has been 2 weeks and it is getting better, it feels so much better! Which means I should have babied myself when I needed it, and even now I need to take care not to hurt it again (side note, I kinda tripped while teaching today and oh! did that hurt. Caught myself right on my break. Oy!).

3) Crutches suck. For so many reasons. My arms hurt, I got tired, I was clumsy, I hated the symbol of being broken. I ditched 'em as soon as I could.

4) Appreciate yourself. I'm in the best health I've been in in years. Appreciate what health you have and take care of yourself when you're ailing. A silly little foot bone has laid up many plans. I hope it heals quickly and accurately so I can move on, but I need to take care so that it doesn't happen again.

That's it for now, but my sweaty, heavy, awkward air cast is a consistent reminder to take care of myself.

Hello!

2009-05-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that I've been getting a lot of hits recently, so all my new visitors, "Hi!"

I see, through my sleuthing, that many of you are coming from Peace Corps Journals. Leave a comment to say 'Hello' and I'd love to visit your blogs. If you have questions about Peace Corps, let me know. I started this blog after my Peace Corps adventure (just after my wedding to a Ukrainian who I met during Peace Corps).

So, new friends, Hello!! Stop by again!

We're not going anywhere

2009-05-18T20:44:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I alluded to some decisions that we've been trying to make around here. To stay, to go, to work, to play. Sometimes, the scariest decision is to stay, but that's what we've done this time.

I was awarded a fellowship to teach next year in Poland. But with our expanding business, my maybe-desire to continue on to the PhD program at UW, and the definite-desire to stay firmly rooted in one bit of soil for more than a few years, we made the big decision to turn down the fellowship.

Scary! Could it have been the opportunity of a lifetime? Sure! But I am all about making every opportunity the opportunity of a lifetime!

So that's it. 3 posts in one day. 3 updates. And now you know, we're not going anywhere :)

Monday

2009-05-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a week since I broke my foot, and it isn't hurting much anymore. I actually had a lot of time to rest it over the past several days--Wednesday I stayed home from teaching and classes because I was overwhelmed by the idea of trekking across a huge campus on crutches. It was actually good that I stayed in bed all day and elevated my foot. It only turned slightly green and swollen over the weekend--probably because of ice packs and elevation.

Thursday Sasha again complained of tooth pain up where he has 1 rotten wisdom tooth. He was supposed to get it pulled in March but he was terrified (needles make him green/almost pass out) so he put it off. I insisted that he go in for at least the consultation on Thursday, so we did that at 3:30 Thursday afternoon. Again, I avoided classes and teaching, kept my weight off my foot and then we drove to the Oral Surgeon. They took a look and decided to pull the tooth (along with another molar he's know for a while needs to go) ASAP. So, 7:45 am Friday we were there, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Usually wisdom teeth are pulled with general anesthesia, but considering the fact that Sasha hates needles/I can't drive due to my broken foot/aircast; he did just local. Apparently, the molar was just fine but the wisdom tooth hurt really badly! Poor guy. But he dealt with it and by 8:30 we were on the road back home.

I didn't do so well getting around on crutches. I don't know if it was something related to getting tired, but I almost fainted in Safeway. So it really was a good thing that we laid low all weekend.

Since I wasn't sick in bed, but 'broken' in bed, I almost died of boredom. Thank god for live streaming of the Eurovision song contest (Yay, Norway!). It kept me entertained for all of Saturday and we got the Mp3s to listen to in the car. We drove around on Saturday for a bit so that we didn't get completely stir crazy. You see, we're pretty active people. We go for walks several times a week. We're always running somewhere, doing something. With a broken foot, I have lost a lot of independence. I am supposed to wear the cast for 2 months, which means 2 months without driving. Yeah, Sasha and I spend a lot of our time together and yeah, he drives me around a lot anyways, but now I can't run errands or do stuff when I need to.

Now it is Monday and I made it back to campus. UW has a 'dial a ride' bus that helps 'disabled' students get around. It was quick and easy to use--they'll soon be my new friends. I taught this afternoon and my students seem to have missed me. I'm tired, but I did all right. Tomorrow: class and teaching--we'll see how I do for a full day.

Broken

2009-05-13T12:34:00.001-07:00

I broke my foot yesterday. :( It was stupid--I fell a couple steps after getting off the bus. Apparently, the pull I felt when I put my foot down on uneven concrete (which caused the fall) actually pulled my bone apart. It's a fracture of my 5th metatarsal. Maybe I'll even show ya'll my x-ray.

So now I have an air cast, crutches, and I must stay off it. My poor foot is turning a nice shade of green.

I feel stupid and incapacitated--I can't stand, walk, get dressed normally. Who knew feet were so important ;) I'm chillin in my bed today to get ahold of myself. Tomorrow is a new day, and so is the next. But the reality is, I must spend several weeks on crutches, a couple months in this cast, and I need to heal so I don't need surgery.

Yes, it is a small dumb fracture, but it is in a tricky place. It may or may not heal. If not, surgery. Let's hope it heals nice and fast. I don't have time in my busy lifestyle for that, too. Between school, teaching, the business, etc, this adds another layer of craziness. That's why I'm staying home, at least for today

EuroVision Time!

2009-05-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

I love Eurovision. With entries like last year's Ukrainian (2nd place winning) entry, how can you not love it:

Ukraine's entry this year:

Yeah, I know it kinda sucks, but entertaining!

Azerbaijan's entry--some girl and Arash. I loooove Arash (although, actually, all his songs sound the same)

What does Russia have to offer? Oh, wait, a song written by a Ukrainian and sung by a Ukrainian. Sweet.
From the Eurovision website:
Anastasia Prikhodko
Mamo | lyrics Composer(s) Konstantin Meladzé
Lyrics writer(s) Konstantin Meladzé, Diana Golde

Biography
Anastasia Prihodko was born on 21st of April 1987 in Kyiv, Ukraine. She was educated in the National University of Fine Arts in Kiev.

A kind, smart and friendly girl from Kiev, Anastasia has an interesting and rarely low deep voice like that of an opera’s diva. She has graduated from a music academy, the department of folk vocal.She sings quite unordinary minor songs and folk songs in both the Russian and Ukranian languages.

Kinda boring, and the end totally sucks. ..but she's singing in both Ukrainian and Russian (although I don't clearly hear one or the other, just a blend).

With 42 countries participating, there's some fun entries, and since it's being held in Moscow this year, I'm sure there'll be plenty of scandal ;)

Spring-Crazy

2009-04-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have been quiet on the blog recently because this spring is like every other: i get stir crazy and seem to make big changes around this time. Last year, it was quitting my job and going back to school. The year before, immigration. The previous year, getting married and going to grad school (the first time around).

What's up this year? Well, deciding whether or not to leave the country for a year. Making some decisions about our business. Figuring out my plans for grad school next year. . ..nothing has been decided so there's nothing to say.

We are busy finishing up our last '08 wedding details, doing engagement shots/love stories/etc for our '09 couples. Teaching is going well (I think), I'm getting by in my classes, and altogether doing ok.

So, it may remain quiet here for a bit. . as we decide what's next for us. Brides keep us busy, school is just another thing to juggle. So to everyone out there, stay healthy and I'll write more pretty soon :)

Well, that was easy

2009-04-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

We went to do Sasha's 'biometrics' for his permanent residence card (permanent green card) today, and the whole process was so easy! I've learned that anything involving the US government (or any government for that matter) is complicated. But, we drove down to Tukwila, got in line, and about 40 minutes later, things were done. Now I just hope he gets his green card in the mail, no questions asked.

A fairly quiet weekend ahead--DVDs to burn, labels to print, and Sunday morning an engagement photo shoot. I have homework, readings to get caught up on, and well, rest. Spring is here, which is a season of change. I get a little stir crazy this time of year. . .and I just don't know what kind of adventures are next. Half of my brain craves stability and a nice life. The other half treats stability like a nightmare. I think Sasha's the same--if he's bored, he's crazy, but he's also skeptical of crazy adventures.

I hope this mood will pass, having made the right step forward. Whether it is another adveture or stabilty, I just want peace :)

Христос Воскрес!

2009-04-18T18:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Orthodox Easter! We've had a busy weekend and I still have much to do, so I'll be quick here.

Friday we filmed a wedding. I'm so happy with my camera that I could cry. Our video also turned out awesome. I'll post our newest video clip soon--here's a couple photos to hold you over :)

Saturday we slept. Seriously. I had to get up at 9 to return a lens and a 2nd HD video camera by 10am so I groggily got up, took some ibuprofin (you get so sore filming weddings!), and drove to downtown Seattle. Then I went home and went back to bed. We got up sometime around 12:30, took a walk, and decided to celebrate Easter by the Ukrainian clock. We made our Easter feast and then Sasha called home.

Today, I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I've been editing photos for most of the day (thanks to my mom who made me realize that I can install our expensive editing software on 2 computers so Sasha could work all day and so could I). I have some homework that I must do right about now. I made banana bread. I've done laundry. Sometimes a good day of rest can really help give you energy to do all the things you've been neglecting.

Spring is really in the air. It is warm, flowers are blooming, wedding season has begun. It was a good weekend, but I wish I could linger a bit more. . .

2 Years!!

2009-04-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

We moved from Ukraine to the United States 2 years ago today. It is really amazing to think about how quick 2 years can pass. It feels so long when its in front of you, but so short when you look back. I am proud of what we've accomplished in the past 2 years, and I can't wait to see what's ahead of us!

From our first days in the US

1) I found a job that wasn't too bad, worked for just over a year and then started my masters program.

2) Our Business, started in May 07
Since starting on standard cameras, we've expanded to HD and photography

3) We've expanded our family with our kitty kitty Simon.

(side comment: today we went for a walk, to a store about 15 blocks away. Simon, like usual, decided to follow--like a dog. We got about halfway and he was still following! And crying with loud, sad, cries. When he tried to cross a busy street we had to turn around and shut him in our apartment so that he didn't get hurt!)

4) We've been back to Ukraine 2 times. Not bad for 2 years away from your entire family (for Sasha). It is amusing when you talk to other Russians/Ukrainians who haven't been back for 10/15 years and they still have close family there.

5) I don't know what I expected 2 years ago when we first arrived. In some ways, we have achieved more than I ever dreamed. It has been hard (last night I almost slept on the couch in frustration with some technical aspects of our business--we kept fighting and fighting in frustration with the computer). Every day we try to improve ourselves and our lives. It is amazing to live with Sasha in my home country and really be working towards 'The American Dream'.

Here's a link back to our first post from the US:
Our arrival in the US

Happy Easter--kinda

2009-04-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to most of the Christian world! Except not us--Orthodox Easter is next weekend. I'm not going to continue with my usual theme of feeling odd on the holidays (since we're not celebrating anything today, but stores are closed, everyone's feasting, children are gleefully searching for eggs. . .).

Instead I'm going to leave you with this photo from Seattle wedding planning website Seattle Style.

It's a PEEP WEDDING!

Settling In

2009-04-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

I have officially made it through week 1 of Spring quarter--and I feel good. Classes are managable and interesting. Teaching is going really well so far! This weekend we have 2 engagement photo shoots/love story video sessions. . .it is Spring and I feel forward motion.

The one frustration of the week is our computer. As we transition to high definition video, we need a computer that can handle it. Our computer is a dell, which is reliable but frustrating to upgrade. I have spent more time on the phone with them than I'd like, and I've spent more money than I should, upgrading, returning, buying, returning, and ordering online. But we will soon have a new processor and graphics card, and our computer should be running well for much cheaper than a new computer.

I also have a new photo-camera baby in my hands. Well, it is a rental of the camera I intend to buy very soon. It is amazing--the photos are incredible, it is easy to operate, etc. BUT it doesn't go with the software I have on my computer. It does work on Sasha's soon to be upgraded desktop, but I love laying in bed, cozy and warm, to edit photos. SO that may be another investment.

So, things are looking up. The daffodils are in full bloom. It is supposed to be in the 50s, 60s all weekend, and I think classes are going fine. Not a bad way to go through spring :)

Museum of Flight

2009-03-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the Museum of Flight a few days ago and it was so fun! I never knew that Boeing created the lunar rover, that a copy of Sputnik is in Seattle, and that Boeing created the American lab on the Space Station. Sasha loved all the military planes--especially those from WWII.

I practiced taking photos on different manual settings. Some photos turned out well, others, so-so. But I tried out pretty much all the settings my camera has in an attempt to take photos without a flash in low light. It's tricky :)

Spring Break - continued

2009-03-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

We're still not doin' much around here--burning/printing DVDs/cases for a bunch of weddings. But it is nice to get caught up :)

Tuesday we trekked down to Tacoma to run some errands and brought a big beginning-to-mold loaf of bread along. We went to Pt Defiance to feed the ducks/seagulls. Even a little squirrel made her way out of the bushes to beg for bread. It was such a load of fun!!!

It was so pleasant to hang out in Tacoma that we've decided to move back there (from big, bad Seattle) as soon as our lease is up this fall.

Spring Break!

2009-03-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

I had my first/last final on Monday, so I basically have 2 weeks of spring break. Today was a typical day--this is what we did:

1) slept 'till 11 (after going to sleep at 2am watching Science channel on demand because we got cable TV installed yesterday)

2) Sasha finished doing another wedding's edits. We're getting caught up on our back-log!

3) I called a local camera/video store, and got our application for store credit approved.

4) I made little business-card thing-ys for Sunday's wedding. They say that i took some photos and they'll be online soon and pre-register to get some free prints (in order to promote our business and hopefully get people to buy photos which is cash in my pocket).

5) We got a flat tire. Sasha tried to pump it (we've known for about 10 days that there's a hole, today it was flat), but we decided to just put on the spare and go to the tire store.

6) We dropped off the wheel and tire and drove to downtown Seattle on our funny-looking spare.

7) In downtown Seattle we picked up a rental HD camera and awesome photo camera to use for this weekend's wedding.(Didn't spend a penny. . until we pay for the rentals later).

8) We picked up our tire and found out that we need a new set pretty soon. But we didn't spend a penny!

9) Got a frozen pizza, salad,and a brownie mix. An evening of carbs and history channel!!

I-751

2009-03-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

We filed Sasha's petition to lift conditions to his green card this week. (If you apply to immigrate to the US but you've been married for less than 2 years, you receive a conditional green card and then file to lift the conditions within 90 days of the 2nd anniversary of immigrating). It was an expensive ($545) stack of papers, but actually pretty mild to fill out compared to his immigration paperwork. 2 pages of application, a list of all our US addresses, a copy of his green card, and 'evidence of our relationship.' I hope that it is processed quickly and no questions are asked so that we don't have to think about these things for 10 years (unless he decides to become a citizen).

April 12 marks 2 years in the US!

Edited to add:
The documents made it to CA wicked fast--by Friday our check was cashed and by Monday, Sasha had already recieved a reply letter in the mail. Now he has a 1-year extension (just for filing) of his conditional green card, and will soon get another letter telling him what to do next. . .

What's for Dinner?

2009-03-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Simon brought us yummy dinner tonight--a big, fat, brown RAT. Right outside our door--free delivery!

A post of sarcastic adjectives

2009-03-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

Great.
We move to Seattle and this is what we get:
"Tacoma 14th best city in the US"
And #2 for medium-sized cities
thanks to the UPS Politics and Government blog for the lead

Super.
Putin is like the worst of the Communists.
"Gorbachev Criticizes Putin's Party"
Did I ever mentions that Sasha (and others who lived during Gorbachaev's time in power) always mention how the big birthmark on his forehead looks like South America.

A Do-Over

2009-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

I just got my teaching assignment for next quarter, and I couldn't be more pleased. I get to teach the same writing class that I had fall quarter. I left that class feeling like I had no focus, no point to my teaching. And it was reflected in my evaluations, which were fine--but only that. I'm currently in a teaching methods class, and my project is on teaching writing thru blogging. I think the perfect way to give my Writing 4:Society and Culture class a focus is to have my students publish their writing to the internet. So, Yay! I am glad that I can teach this class over again, and make all my bad feelings, frustrations go right.

I think next quarter will be a different world. This quarter has felt rushed, stressed, hard. I haven't really enjoyed much of it. But spring quarter is Spring! The days are longer, flowers bloom (cherry trees on the quad!), and my schedule isn't as tight. Sure, MW I'll go to class 10:30-12:30 and teach at 3:30 leaving me big gaps, but I'll make them useful. Sure, I teach 3:30-4:20 and have a Wed class at 4:30, but I can rush away one day a week. This schedule will be far more flexible, and I hope, fun :)

News Day

2009-02-25T23:40:00.000-08:00

Today I came across two interesting articles from the Slavic world. The first, of course, caught my attention--and made Sasha pretty mad when I told him about it:
"Russia: Famine that Killed Millions Not Genocide"
To the historians in the archives, Sasha asks "and did people in Moscow lie dying in the street? Did Russians eat their children to survive?" The stories that are told in villages of the "holodomor" are horrifying. The rationale I have always read about, have heard about is not that there was simply a famine because Stalin wanted to sell grain abroad. Rather, it is my understanding that grain rotted in grain silos in every village while the villagers starved because Stalin wanted to collectivize farms and resisting villages were not fed. The Soviet govermnent wanted to make a point. Most of that resistance was found in Ukraine.

The second article is also quite fascinating:
"Romania Shrugs off Reminder of its Past"
If you're interested in Art, Communism, Romaina, etc. . it is an interesting read from the NY Times.

Cake Wrecks

2009-02-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

So I was late-night blog surfing the other night and came across this blog:
Cake Wrecks and it had me laughing so hard I cried. But I thought I may have just been tired. . . so I hit the blog again tonight, and with tears in my eyes, I must recommend it to all of you. Visit--but warn your friends and family that you might be shrieking with laughter if you do.

*or, this site is only hilarious to me. that could also be the case. . .

tooth fun

2009-02-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

So today was a pretty crazy day--Sasha's had a couple days of tooth pain, and today the toothache was bad. . .so we found a dentist (Russian) and got him in for an appointment. And it turns out that . . . Sasha needs his WISDOM TEETH OUT! Well, actually one tooth is infected so he needs to take antibiotics (and vicodin) and then we'll schedule some fun time with the oral surgeon.

Sasha hates dentists, so he's not excited. But I kinda want to giggle--he missed out on the pre-college fun of getting his wisdome teeth out, so he gets to experience it now. So I will hold his hand and bring him milkshakes while he heals.

Heaven

2009-02-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I had had it with our apartment. Everything seemed like it wasn't working, wasn't up to par. The hot water tank holds about 5 minutes of hot water, so I hadn't had a bath since we were in Canada for New Year's (and I do love my baths. . soaking, relaxing), I probably hand't shaved my legs in as long. .. half the outlets in the place are loose (fire risk), we get woken up in the morning by the garbage/recycling (when it comes) and well, the place is tiny. And expensive. And with utility bills coming (or not coming) left and right. (Did I mention that we've been living here since October and we still haven't gotten an electricity bill? That'll be a whopper when it comes!).

I wrote a frustrated letter to my apartment manager, and today a plumber came and turned up our hot water to 150 degrees (I think). And I am in heaven. I took a long shower this evening and when I turned off the tap, there was still hot water left. I bought a robe hook and screwed it onto the back of the door, I bought a coat rack and screwed it onto the wall. Bit by bit, I'm making this place less-cluttered and more-livable, and it feels good.

It is hard when home doesn't feel very home-y, but day by day, month by month, we're getting settled. . .until October when our lease is up ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T23:42:00.000-08:00

It has been a weird day--we got stuck in baaaad traffic on our way to Costco (who doesn't love to got to Costco on a Saturday?), we cooked borsht, and Sasha did this weird thing that Slavs do. . .they'll randomly invite their neighbors to drink. At about 10:30 he got a wild hair when he saw our neighbor standing outside his door--he grabbed vodka and decided to get to know him. And actually, it is working out--they've now been hanging out for almost 1 1/2 hours and Sasha's getting English practice. I'm staying away--this is his thing. That, and I'm sort of mortified by the idea of randomly knocking on your neighbor's door and inviting him/her to drink. It was alternately really random and cool or a little freaky when people invited me to drink while I lived in Ukraine.

Which reminds me of a story. One time I was in Pervomaisk and going for a nice walk along the river. As I was walking along, I noticed some older men (40s-60s) sitting near the bank of the river in their underwear. They noticed me as I walked by. And somehow, we got to talking and they invited me to join in their feast of pickled tomatoes, burned potatoes and homemade vodka. And I threw caution to the wind and I joined them, and it was really fun to drink a bit, talk to the old Ukrainian men and share in a cultural moment.

F&$@in' Groundhog!

2009-02-11T23:32:00.000-08:00

That stupid rodent saw his shadow, winter continues. Yesterday it snowed again. In Seattle. Today was warm (at a toasty 45 degrees) and I know that mother nature is playing with us.

Happy Groundhog's Day (a week late ;) )

Barack Obama Spoof :)

2009-02-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

I recently came across this spoof:

(on CNN, the news, ET, etc just like probably everyone else out there. . .) and I found it hysterical--and catchy. I thought Beyonce's version was annoying, but now that I've heard this version, every time I hear "Single Ladies (put a ring on it)" now on the radio, I turn it up and picture fake-Barack's dance moves and smile :)

I Feel Good

2009-02-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

I found this on YouTube today and it made me smile--Sasha and I spent a lazy week in August 2005 watching this festival on TV and this song made quite the impression. Tina Karol is one of my favorite Ukrainian singers :)

Thinking about the future (part 2)

2009-02-04T16:55:00.002-08:00

As if filing taxes wasn't enough, I went to the bank yesterday and spent almost 2 hours opening business banking accounts. This year, we're separating all our finaces into business banking and personal banking. It will take time to separate our assets, but will be MUCH better in the long run.

Yay for adulthood :)

Thinking about the future

2009-02-03T00:17:00.000-08:00

Nothing makes you feel more adult than spending an evening surrounded by papers and filing taxes. Every year it gets more complicated--first the 1040 EZ, then the years I didn't even have to file, I made so little money. Now, I use tur.bo tax and spent probably 4 or 5 hours itemizing deductions, counting profits, noting expenses. Our business was in the black this year--they say that you don't usually make a profit the first couple years. It is scary to consider that we might have to start paying taxes if I actually have a real income one year and our business makes a ton. This fear, and the solidity of our business has caused me to start a new 'to do' list:

1. form an LLC

2. register anything and everything in every legal way through every office in the State of Washington. Laws are fuzzy about sole proprietorships operating under your legal name. . . but I want to remove business liability and expenses from personal expenses and clean up our finances.

3. consider moving our credit around so that there is business credit and minimize our personal credit. Can I even do that? I think I'm going to talk to my friends at Wel.ls Far.go to see what they advise.

4.We're shifting our advertising from Russian to American. We've done well with cheap advertising in some Russian publications, but Russian weddings are a lot of work with a fair amout of hassle. American weddings are much easier, especially for me. They tend to be shorter (6-8 hours) and I can speak clearly and efficiently with potential clients in English. Things get muddled in Russian. We still have two Russian clients who haven't paid up. That is in part our novice mistakes, but also that 'flexibility' you get when within an ethnic community. We don't get paid, they don't get their wedding--at least we have that to hold over them.

5. I want to start a retirement fund. I had a TIAA/CREF fund from when I worked in admissions--i got all of 1 1/2 months paid into it. BUT when I get back to working in education after i complete my degree, I should be able to pump money into that again. We need to think about our business and Sasha's future--probably some kind of IRA needs to be opened for him, too.

Wow. That is a lot of adulthood in one post. Being on your own is scary, even if you're married and working and living far away from your mommy and daddy. I just want to be able to make the right, responsible decisions now.

2009-01-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I did no homework. I have a lot of assignments due this week, but I decided not to think about school. Rather, I did a lot of work-work . . . Saturday we did a video shoot that was awesome. I'll post photos/links to video when its ready. Today I edited photos, found a photo hosting/purchasing site (Pictage) and began playing around. I've been completely, well, possessed over the past 2 days with helping our business grow.

I think it is good, I hope, to do school frantically all week and business stuff frantically all weekend. It doesn't give me time to rest, but teaching/studying is dramatically different from photography/videography and business stuff. I think this winter quarter will be full of adrenaline and not so much sleep--but it will pay off if we can book weddings for this summer and if I can get thru year 1 of my Masters program.

A Visit to the Beach

2009-01-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

Looking for a new place for a video shoot and wanting to get outta the house to enjoy the Seattle sun, we headed down to Dash Point State Park in Federal Way this afternoon. It will be GREAT for the shots we're thinking of. . . and we enjoyed a walk on the beach.

Ocean treasure

I love my new bright green jacket :)

A Time for Change

2009-01-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big Obama inauguration. I'm excited but feel so removed from it. I know many people going to the inaguration, going to balls, walking in the flag (even holding the Ukrainian flag for Peace Corps in the parade :( ). The worst part is, if I wanted to, I could probably locate tickets to go to something. But I live on the opposite side of the country and have my own obligations here.

So CNN it is. I think I might skip Russian tomorrow to watch events on my computer.

The Russia-Ukraine gas dispute has been resolved. Prime Ministers Tymoshenko and Putin were the big heroes, meeting in Moscow to solve the problem and apparently signed a 10-year gas contract. Hip-Hip Hooray! Thank God for Tymoshenko and Putin! [Note my complete and total sarcasm and cynicism with Slavic politics. They created the problem, let it simmer, let the poor babushkas suffer, and then swept in like heroes to solve it. The irony.].

Seattle skies are blue and I am thankful for this 3-day weekend. Change is in the air and I am content.

Russia/Ukraine gas dispute

2009-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a very interesting article about the recent gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine affecting most of Europe.

Putin: Europe Supporting Ukraine in Gas Dispute.

I think this best says my feelings on the issue "Putin's tour reflected Russia's determination to cast western-leaing Ukraine as an unreliable partner and establish international controls over gas transits across Ukrainian territory."

It is all politics.

I'm having a hard time getting a read on what's going on in Ukraine with the financial crisis, now this gas crisis. Sasha's parents have gas, they have food to put on the table, but they were also really glad to receive the $100 we gave them over the holidays.

This BBC article interviews a lot of people in Eastern Europe:
"Europeans Growing Angry over Gas"

busy, busy

2009-01-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

I've survived my first week back at school. . . and I'm only moderately overwhelmed. I have a lingusitics class that is quite technical and a lot of work. I've gotten my teaching in order and have had some pretty good lessons already. We celebrated Orthodox Christmas and we've done a lot of work for the business. But I'm glad it is weekend.

My classes should be fine. I'm going to be a busy bunny all quarter with a constant stream of homework. But I will make it through. Sasha and I actually have a good routine where he watches Russian TV on the computer at night and I do homework.

Teaching is quite fun--a different crowd this quarter. Last quarter I had 16 students--7 from Japan, 7 from S Korea, one from Taiwan and one from Saudi Arabia. This quarter I have students from Taiwan, Japan, S Korea, Thailand, Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Libya and Saudi Arabia. . and maybe more. They're a very professional group--doctors and dentists and engineers and teachers. . .plus, I really like teaching listening and speaking.

We're filming a wedding tomorrow that should be nice and fancy. It is a Russian wedding, but it is at a yacht club and has a smaller crowd (80 guests or so). Sasha's really excited because he got a (very expensive) camera stabilizer this week and will put it to use tomorrow. I'm excited/nervous because it is offically my first booking for photography. I haven't yet gotten a new fancy camera, but I did get a new fancy flash, so my shots on my sorta fancy camera should be great.

I'll post some pics/updates tomorrow after the wedding.

As for Orthodox Christmas, that's for another post. We didn't do much, but there's something to be said about even that.

100 in '08

2009-01-04T17:43:00.000-08:00

How cute is that? I just noticed that I posted exactly 100 times in 2008 :)

Back to Work

2009-01-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

Vacation is over, tomorrow Winter Quarter begins. . . I am completely unprepared to go back to school/teaching, and to top it off I'm sick. I'm not sure what I have--a mild cold or something worse, but today I've spent the whole day in bed. I did manage to get out and go to the store to buy a couple notebooks so that I can pretend to be ready when I show up for classes tomorrow.

Did I mention that I'll be teaching, too? I have the textbook, somewhere. . .and we do give a pre-test on day 1. But I've got a lot to do to get ready. I'm thankful that I'll be home for Orthodox Christmas (January 7) to rest and regroup.

So, back to bus-riding, backpack-toting life. And did I mention that it is snowing again?

New Year's in Victoria, BC

2009-01-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009!

We decided to spend this New Year's Eve/Day in Canada. It was Sasha's first New Year's holiday in the states, and we left :) After a fun Christmas with friends and family in Montana, we decided to "get away" by ourselves for a little mini-adventure. It was a quick trip--the morning of the 31st we got on the catamaran ferry to Victoria. The water was actually quite choppy, so the usual 2 1/2 hour trip became 4 hours--we actually ended up going through all the islands (the mainland side of Whidbey Island, San Juans. . ) to get calmer water. Made for beautiful views.

While in Victoria, we did a lot of walking. The highlights: lunch which just happened to fall over midnight in Ukraine. I ordered a shot of vodka for Sasha, and when the host brought it to Sasha, he brought a shot for himself, too. So the two of them drank to Ukraine :)

I bought lush soap. Love the stuff, but it is expensive. I bought it buy 1 get 2 free. Even Sasha is hooked.

For midnight in the Pacific time zone, we didn't do anything, at all. We spent the entire evening hanging out in our nice hotel room watching discovery channel on TV and drinking grey goose vodka. We really, truly relaxed, and it was a great way to ring in the new year.

The final big highlight:
Harbour Seals! We saw about 18 playing on New Year's Day--the big mommy seals were teaching their young how to fish in the harbor. They were so fun to watch!

We had a great time exploring Victoria--it was a quick and easy adventure for the New Year!!

Cooking

2008-12-29T19:19:00.000-08:00

So I'm using all my free time these days (and all the great recipies I pulled out of my mom's Good Housekeeping mag) to cook. I've made some EASY, GOOD food.

Recent dishes:
Portabello mushroom burgers (nice, light lunch)
Pan-fried salmon with mango-cucumber salsa (soooo good)
Chile steak with corn salsa (need to get a better cut of meat--75% of the time the meat turns out really tough)
Jerk-seasoned pork loin cutlets (mmm, pig meat)

I am just trying to eat better--more veggies, less carbs. I'm trying to cook things from scratch so that I know what is in them. Less perservatives, more organic. I need to slim down, Sasha needs to bulk up, but in a healthy way. I hope that I can use my free time to test recipies I know that I like, that are easy and can be made without thought.

What's on the menu for tomorrow? Easy lasagne-toss (it's what you actually eat when you have lasagne--the mushed, broken, tasty pile of meat and noodles, without actually having to make the dainty layered dish in the first place) or ginger salmon and cole-slaw. All I can say is that I'm having fun!!

The Best Christmas Ever!

2008-12-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

We had one fun Christmas--I'm sure the mulled wine helped, but we had a great time with friends and family.

Christmas Eve-day we met up with some old friends, and met some new ones :)

Phil and Emily, who got engaged Christmas day--Congratulations!!

Courtney and her boyfriend Rob, who is one cool guy.

That evening we had our usual clam chowder (with spicy wings on the side) and opened presents.

We laughed a lot, mostly because of the new rule (that I made up) that you must wear any clothing you receive :)

Simon enjoys a warm fire and his new cat bed

Christmas day was quiet--we had a big ham for dinner, went to a movie (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). Overall, it was a snowy, yet warm, Montana Christmas. I'm so glad we made the trip!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Yellowstone!

2008-12-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

We went to Yellowstone National Park for a pre-Christmas adventure with my family. We spent one day in the park on a snow coach, the next day Sasha, Mike and I went cross-country skiing (for the first time ever!). It was great fun--enjoy some photos!

White Christmas

2008-12-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

It looks like this Christmas is going to be very white. Which is great, and I was initially excited by the snow in Seattle. But now that we need to drive to Montana in two days. . .I'm getting more and more worried. I'm stir crazy, Sasha's going crazy, and I know that there's lots and lots of terrible weather in front of us.

I wish that there was some kind of transporter that would just pick us and our car up and take us to Montana. No travel time required, no risk. Just 1, 2, there! Wouldn't that be fun?!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2008-12-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night in Seattle, and the snow stuck. Sasha took some photos (I didn't want to leave our warm apartment). It is so pretty. And as of right now (12:30 pm the next day) there's still 2-3 inches standing.

Winter Wonderland!

Poor Spider!

Poor Scion!

I'm guessing right now that the doors are frozen shut. Sasha said there's a layer of ice under all the snow. All I know is that I'm not going anywhere today--we're going to enjoy our winter wonderland from inside :)

Crisis hits Ukraine - hard

2008-12-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

This hit my yahoo news ticker today:
"Panic as Ukraine's currency plummets"

When we were in Ukraine in August, we got less than 500 hv for $100--now Sasha's mom can draw money (we occasionally deposit money into an account for which his mom has an ATM card) at 7.5:1! It is crazy how the hryvna has fallen in contrast to the dollar, and people are worried. One friend worries about how to pay for his car, bought by credit in dollars. Many people are selling off their fancy cars for whatever they can get so they can pay back the bank. And people are beginning to lose jobs as industrial plants close.

I don't think Sasha's family has any debts at the moment, thank God. We try to help when we can. I am worried for Ukrainian politics. . with this kind of crisis and an election coming, I can't imagine how bad things might become. . .

I'm Done

2008-12-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday I finished my last project . . . I'm done with my first quarter as a MA TESOL students. I actually did a lot this quarter--both school related and life-related.

We moved from Tacoma to Seattle.
We filmed 5 weddings and a 50th Anniversary.
I wrote one big paper and 2 small papers (in English), and several essays in Russian.
I did a whole lot of translating (which still makes my brain hurt).
I taught a class of 16 students; approximately half from Korea, half from Japan and one student each from Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. It was fun!
I've made some friends :) We went out for happy hour last night.

I think I have found a way to combine my interest in the world and in politics with the practicality of teaching. I really like this program, we'll see how I feel about the topics next quarter when I'm in methods and linguistics (intro to phonetics/phonology). It has been a good quarter (can I mention how wierd it is to be on quarters? I'm very used to the nice semester system at most other schools. It is odd to start in late September and finish at the beginning of December. . .but I'm not complaining!).

What will I do with my month off?
Today: clean, unpack boxes I still haven't dealt with after moving, maybe do laundry.
Maybe put up some Christmas decorations.
Go to Montana: visit Yellowstone in winter with the fam. Open presents/celebrate Chrstmas with the fam. Go to a movie. Come back to Seattle.
For New Year's go to Victoria, BC.

It is nothing thrilling, but it is nice to have mini-escapes. I'm super excited to go to Yellowstone and see it in winter. I've been there 3-4 times, but always during summer. It is such a cool place. . I can't wait to see how it changes into a winter wonderland.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II Dies

2008-12-05T18:16:00.001-08:00

Interesting.

I don't actually have anything to say about this, although we are Russian Orthodox. When I get into the politics of Orthodoxy, I'm usually frustrated. Questions of faith are a whole new conversation.

The BBC gives the history behind the man:
Russian Orthodox Church head dies

While this is an interesting article about the relations between Russian Orthodoxy and the Vatican.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II Dies

This is Rad

2008-12-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't really said anything about US politics recently. Like my disgust with Prop 8 or Hillary's appointment as Sec of State (awesome). But this is a funny, smart video and you should watch it.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Updating

2008-12-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm doing a lot of updating these days . . I updated the look of my blog (you like?), I updated our website to have a new color scheme (zinchukvideo.com)... That was another step in the Zinchuk Video Studio style update I've been doing since August. I designed and bought new business cards. . . We're hopefully getting new equipment over this holiday break--i.e.a new photo camera! I'm excited to be officially getting into Photography. Wedding videography and photography go hand-in-hand and we've decided to go for both. I've been reading and reading more about cameras to get the best quality I can with every click.

All of this to avoid writing my final paper :) Tomorrow is my last day of fall quarter. I've survived! I'm tired of Russian at 9:30 am, I do still have a paper to write and a project to do, but I feel done. I gave my final exam yesterday for the class I teach (still to be graded). I just feel done. I'm not worried about finals or grades or anything, just looking forward to a couple weeks of relaxation.

We're going to Montana for Christmas, and we're going to spend a couple days with the fam' in Yellowstone! I'm so excited to see Yellowstone in winter, AND to practice more taking beautiful photos. Another winter adventure for the Zinchuk family :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

I/we have spent recent Thanksgivings in unusual places: last year in Tacoma with friends, the year before I was in Budapest finishing papers and tying up loose ends with grad school there.

Three years ago I had bronchitis and was kept at the Peace Corps medical office in Kyiv, Ukraine, but enjoyed a fabulous turkey dinner with Peace Corps volunteers and admin.

In 2004 (before Sasha and I even met!!) I cooked a full Thanksgiving spread from scratch. I cooked for my colleagues in Pervomaisk, Ukraine. My mom sent me a can of green beans (for the casserole) and a can of pumpkin (for the pie), everything else I figured out on my own (like frying the onions for the green bean casserole).

Thanksgiving 2004

This year is easy. I cooked a turkey breast for myself and Sasha. I made the traditional version of the green bean casserole (can of beans, cream of mushroom soup, french onions. mix. bake). I've bought a pumpkin pie. Low-key is the rule today (I slept 'till almost noon). We have a wedding this weekend and I'm tired from school.

Christmas will be with friends and family. I think there may also be an adventure in Montana. Although Thanksgiving is now one of my favorite holidays, this year it will be spent just the two of us.

Bunny!

2008-11-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to come home for lunch after Russian, and as I was walking from the bus and almost at my front door, I noticed a cute fluffy bunny running towards me.

He was clearly somebody's bunny, but his owner was nowhere to be found. So I took him inside, called the humane society to see if anyone was missing their cute little bunny, and tried to figure out what to do.

The shelter was to open in an hour, but I didn't want to take him all the way to Ballard if he came from here. So I walked around my apartment complex and looked for a sad child or frantic adult looking for something. After a few trips around, I found a sad little boy peeking into the bushes. I asked him "are you looking for your bunny" and he nodded "yes." His grandma/caretaker turned around and was sooo thankful that I found their bunny! Luckily, I got out a few photos before we got this little bunny (Tony) back to his owner.

On Standby

2008-11-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

I am busy these days. I've been getting up at 8, going to classes all day, asleep by 10-ish. We have 4 weddings this month (2 down, 2 to go!), weddings to finish and give final copies to happy newlyweds. I have to teach every day, write papers, observe lessons, and generally do this grad school thing. I am surviving, I am thriving (I hope!), but I don't have time for the outside world.

As busy as I am, Sasha and I are doing well. Sure, I don't cook or clean (we've actually had microwavable dinners for the second night in a row now. . . I did clean the toilet today, though) but he doesn't seem to mind. I think the busy-ness helps the days go by quickly and the nights sleepy.

Point is, I'm doing school to the best of my ability. I'm juggling a wedding business with a TA-ship. And somehow "home" is less exciting than "out there" so I'm blogging less. I promise to pick back up on our "adventures" once school is out (December 8th for anyone who is counting). We're going to Montana for Christmas and Canada for New Year's! I don't regret for a moment my decision to go for Grad School part deux, and I'm finding that I love my discipline (I get to talk about imagined communities, identity, and language learning all in one paper) and I am content.

2008-11-12T22:38:00.000-08:00

It is not a good sign when at 10:30 pm the night before a big draft of a 15-page paper, I start to talk to the paper and expect it to talk back. On page 4. And I'm not drunk. Nor exhausted. I've brought writer's block to the next level: I'm having conversations with my paper, on paper.

(now I just have to remember to delete them before I hand in this draft tomorrow morning. . .)

Sigh. Maybe I'm not meant for grad school. . .

:)

2008-11-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

"Suddenly, it may be cool to be an American again"

We are cool.

2008-11-01T23:03:00.001-07:00

We did another wedding today. I just put some new cool photos on our blog. Check them out here if you're interested:
zinchukvideo.wordpress.com

Happy Birthday/Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

It is tempting to let this photo speak for itself:

We celebrated Sasha's birthday on Wednesday, and I couldn't help but get him this awesome spider cake. We knew that we weren't able to actually celebrate Halloween (long wedding today), so we "killed two birds with one stone." It was a chill brithday: chinese food, cake, vodka, and movies.

Happy Birthday, Sasha!!

Global financial crisis hits . . home

2008-10-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

After a day of being truly lazy (and eating far too many key-lime frosted sugar cookies) I swung by the BBC to get some world news. This headline caught my eye:
"IMF aid for Ukraine and Hungary"

I've been following the Ukraine bit for a few days, after this article from the Kyiv Post caught my attention: "CRISIS"

We've been hearing about Iceland in the headlines--a tiny country bankrupt. They got $2 billion from the IMF. Ukraine is getting $16.5 billion. And our call home this weekend indicated that things are getting tough. We sent a hundred bucks hoping to help a bit. . .

But Hungary, too? And Pakistan and Belarus are asking to join the IMF-loan club. This "crisis" is global, even if I haven't necessarily felt it yet. Sure, things at the grocery store are getting more expensive, but gas prices are falling and both Sasha and I are busy working. I just hope that none of the nightmares come true, for us or for Sasha's family across the world.

Crazy Busy

2008-10-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

As I have alluded to in previous posts (and as you may have noticed) I am super busy these days. I don't have enough time to blog, let alone unpack, bathe, or take 5 minutes to hear myself think. Last night I brought on exhausted tears when I couldn't get hot water to run and all I wanted was a bath.

I do want to post photos of our new Seattle apartment, etc. . . but I don't even know where my camera is. I'll get there. But I hope everyone out there is enjoying autumn!

We're moving!

2008-10-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

I actually have a few minutes of "downtime" this afternoon, and I can't seem to understand it. I have spent the last couple weeks so frantic, get up, get on bus, go to class, go to class, eat something, prepare a lesson, teach, get on bus, go home. . . That I haven't had a moment to myself.

Significant notes from the past couple weeks:
*I'm taking Russian 401 in addition to my MA TESOL classes. It is my favorite, but apparently I'm a bad translator. So that makes me sad.
*I got a cold that lasted this past week. Yuk.
*Because I lose approximately 3 hours a day (that could be used for sleep/homework), I found an apartment in Seattle. We're going to sign the lease tonight and move over the weekend.
*It is almost midterms!? Quarters are wierd.
*I've met a lot of cool people and Sasha likes them. So we might make some friends--yay!
*We filmed a Seattle wedding, and I think we're up to our 4th wedding booked for November!

That's what stands out. I'll try and blog a little more often now :)

Mike's new haircut

2008-10-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

My brother sent me some pictures of his new haircut today:

I guess some girl he knows, an art student, gave him the "trim." Much better than when my dad cut his hair.

My brother is one cool kid, huh?

It's been a while :)

2008-10-06T21:46:00.001-07:00

I keep meaning to post, but I just haven't. I have all kinds of witty posts prepred (in my head) for your enjoyment, but homework and "the business" take priority. For example, we spent our Saturday a couple weeks ago doing this

What else have I done in the last couple weeks?
I added Russian to my classes. It is great. I'll tell ya'll about it soon.

I'm turning in my first round of a ton of homework tomorrow. Yay!

I've now taught for a week and a half, and I've already been filmed. I'll be observed soon, too.

I'm still taking the bus. It's fun. I did Russian homework this morning, slept on the way home.

That's it for now. I'll get a real post soon :)

First Days

2008-09-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

I made it through my first days as a grad student (again). I have now taught 3 days of my writing class, and I already love my students. They are all in their 20s-30s and are from either Korea, Japan, or Taiwan. Many are undergrad students, some have their PhDs. All of them need English for future academic work or jobs.

It is going to take some adjusting to get back into teaching. I had these great-looking and great-sounding lesson plans, but actually doing what I wanted in the 50-minute block, with students coming late, a couple new students, etc makes time management difficult. Plus, I'm used to working with 5th graders thru 9th graders. .that's different than adults. So my lessons don't feel very good. I don't know that the students' perspective is.. . but I don't feel like I have time to actually teach them anything. . .the compass is off.

For my practicum class (which the 1st-year TAs take together) I decided to get part of my work earlier rather than later. . .so Wednesday I'm going to film a lesson and show it to the class on Friday. So I've got to figure out this teaching thing by Wednesday. . . eek!

UW is HUGE and has TONS of students. That was a great, fun, conclusion I made with the start of classes. Red Square had vendors with free food every day. There is great energy coming from undergrads and clubs and organizations. BUT it takes a good 10-15 minutes to get everywhere and I ache every evening. The bus is always close to full now. The park-and-ride is dangerously full. I think I'm going to have Sasha drop me off every day, so that I don't risk not getting a spot and missing my bus.

Even though UW is HUGE, I still run into people I know. Students from classes, fellow TAs, and people connected to my life in different ways. It is kinda cool that amidst over 35,000 people, it is still a small world.

I am making new friends, which I hope will turn into new real friends for Sasha and me. I have started to speak with Sasha in English on the phone and at home, so we're going to ease out of Russian in our lives. I have asked him to film my class, so may be we'll turn that into a fun day of hanging out with new people.

Tonight we film an anniversary party for a Russian couple. It should be a fun change of pace (and some much needed $$--the transition from working adult to grad student has been a very, very, rough one).

This weekend will be full of lesson planning and cleaning and taking care of the chaos in my life. I am dedicating my energy to being a successful student/teacher. . so successful wife is falling behind a bit. Luckily Sasha doesn't mind :)

Living like a college student, again

2008-09-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I came to the realization that I have approximately $20 to get me thru to . . . the day that my grad school loans come through. We have a freezer full of meat and other odd products, but nothing normal like spaghetti sauce that could make a meal. So I set out to the grocery store to find products that might hold us over until supposedly Monday (but since I'm now going to a big public institution, I don't really trust that if they say Monday, that my money will actually be here Monday--even though the money has been disbursed). I was surprised what one can purchase for pennies.

I hit the spaghetti sauce isle--did you know that buying it in a can makes it dollars cheaper? Store-brand Rice-a-roni will make a tasty side dish. Actually buying fresh veggies is cheaper (and better for you) than the freezer. Anything with meat or dairy, or pre-made (like bread) will cost over $1.00, but most other staples can actually be bought for under $1.00. Even salad. I know that the typical college student jokes about living on ramen. I don't even have to do that!

I was excited by my find. We've been so excited to be in the United States that we buy what looks tasty. By opening my eyes a little wider, I think I can cut our food budget in half, and that would be a very good thing. . . I'd like to shed some of our debt and maybe come out of grad school with only student loans. I can dream, right?

Thoughts on Week 1

2008-09-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

I have not appreciated a Saturday so much in a long time. I finished my first week of TA orientations exhausted. I was ready for bed at 7pm yesterday, I ached, I was cranky, and I was overloaded with information. In my first week, I have:

1) figured out how to do my commute. It is easy but long. I drive from home to the T-dome Park and Ride. Find a spot--that can be complicated, depending on the time I arrive. Hop on the U-district express and listen to my i-pod for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is hart to anticipate how long the trip will be--some days I'm 30 minutes early, on others I run a bit late. I'm going to have to find good places to hang out around campus to fill this dead time. It is really nice to not have to fight traffic, to have time to myself to listen to music, sleep, whatever I want. Once I'm teaching/in school, during that time I can review my readings, look over lesson plans, or defragment. The main drawback? 2 hours of dead time each day. Will I use it well?

2) figured out how to be a TA at UW. Our general TA orientation was pretty generic and only partially useful, but a good way to ease into the academic community.

3) started to figure out how to be an English teacher again. It has been a while since I've taught anything. . .and I'm a little rusty. I think my Peace Corps experience has given me a lot of really good tools--I'm an awesome lesson planner, and in a folder buried somewhere on my hard drive I have a lot of great activities. I will be working with a very different group of students than in PC--there, I had low level learners that were school-aged, all spoke Russian/Ukrainian. At UW I will have college-level students whose English is quite good. They will come from many different countries and have many different native languages. I am confident about my abilities to teach, but intimidated by the fact that I'll be leading a classroom, by myself, on Wednesday.

4) met some cool people. Many of the TAs in my program (I haven't met the other 1st year MA TESOL students yet) are married, often with foreign spouses. It is an international, cosmopolitan group and I think I/we (me and Sasha) will get along with them well.

5) figured out that I will have a lot to balance, and a lot of wonderful opportunities. There are moments when I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into :) but I'm very excited to have a profession, continue my own language study, and be in such a great community.

Today, I slept in late, took a long shower, and only now am I looking at this week's emails. I'll cook something to eat slowly, I'll watch some movies, and by sometime tomorrow, I'll be ready to think about my upcoming week--2 more days of orientation and then teaching (and studying for my own classes) begins!

Now, if only my student loans would come through, I'd be in paradise :)

Grad School: Round 2

2008-09-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

I started this blog in August 2006 just after my wedding, and in anticipation of going to grad school. I was enrolled in the MA in Political Science program at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. I wanted to go back to school in order to understand what I saw during my Peace Corps experience in Ukraine. I wanted to continue my education in order to show Sasha and his family and many people in the US that despite my marriage to a Ukrainian police officer, I was still the independent girl I was before I started my Peace Corps adventure.

I loved my program--I excelled at what I was doing, I love Budapest, I had a cute little apartment and a routine that I still think fondly of. BUT, I was a newlywed 2 hours by plane, many more by train, from my husband. WE had to decide how we wanted to live as a new family and our situation in autumn 2006 was not one that we wanted to choose. So, we made the difficult choice to completely change our life. For me to quit school, move back to Ukraine and begin the immigration process for Sasha. Sasha quit his job of 10 years with the local police department and began a career in film. It was a HUGE risk, and yet not even two years later, we are living the life of our dreams.

I promised Sasha that I would work when we got to the United States in a job that would pay rent, carry benefits, and feed us until he figured out what to do. Luckily, our wedding videography business has taken off (with over 15 weddings this summer and more coming!) and I was accepted into a new graduate program with a full-ride. In many ways we're back where we started, Sasha hard at work and I back in school, but in an entirely better situation.

Married life has its ups and downs, and this transition hasn't been easy. We have had fights, struggles, and not just one bank overdraft. BUT we have risked and I feel every day that we have won. Sasha is so much happier being an artist, being his own boss. I'm excited to have a career. I love politics, but I didn't really want to work in DC. A degree in international education will allow me to follow my passion in politics as I constantly interact with the world, but also be a teacher--a role in which I have always felt at home.

Tomorrow is my first day--I have TA orientation tomorrow and Wednesday, then the English Language Program TA orientation. Next Wednesday, classes begin. This truly is an adventure--I'm starting classes at a huge university (in a very small program). I'll be commuting everyday on the bus. I will be in the classroom as a student and as an instructor. I am excited, a little worried, and ready to begin grad school, round 2!

new wedding video :)

2008-09-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you who enjoy watching what we do in our little business, we posted a new video on our website. It is from an August wedding (Valik and Sveta) and quite cool--and the bride and groom LOVED it :)

Check it out here: zinchukvideo.com. When the flash page pops up, select video and it should auto play.

Leave comments and let us know what you think :)

Hmm . . .

2008-09-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I'm a hard core liberal, once Hillary voter, now Barack Obama supporter. I've kept mum on the recent twists and turns of the election, but this article from the BBC was quite interesting.

I have strong feelings on McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as a VP candidate. Actually, the feelings aren't much about his choice (I could care less who he runs with, I'm voting for Obama), but the problem is much more with her. Read this article and see what you think:

"Sarah Palin: Ten Things We've Learnt"

Under a rock

2008-09-09T10:58:00.001-07:00

Hello from under my rock--I feel like I'm hiding in seclusion. I do have things to say, I just can't get the energy to write. I am enjoying my "vacation" before school starts--one week to go--but my days are filled with sleep, business stuff, boredom. . .and blogging doesn't seem so useful.

Yesterday we broke the pattern of Sasha working and I reading gossip sites on the internet and went to the Puyallup Fair. We got lost like six times despite the GPS (you have to pay attention to it for it to actually give you directions), but once we got there we had a great time! We looked at cows and sheep and fancy pigeons and bunnies. We saw the cannonball man shoot himself 160 or so feet. We ate hamburgers and hawaiian ice and looked at all the tacky souviners. I wanted to take Sasha on the wooden rollercoaster, but we kinda forgot. We saw giant pumpkins and bought seeds for Sasha to send home so that his dad can grow the largest pumpkin in Ukraine. It was a day with many little adventures and we had a lot of fun :)

Edited to add photos :)

Right now is one of those odd months in between things. I should be using my time more wisely, but it is nice not to think. We've spent the last week eating pizza and buffalo wings (from Little Caesar's--its cheap and Sasha loves them). . but I'm slowly getting my groove back. Today it is chicken curry made from scratch. We're booking weddings left and right (especially in November) so we should have a busy fall (and money too?). I'm looking forward to going back to school!

Goodbye Work, Hello School :)

2008-09-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

This blog could have been written at the beginning of August when I finally left my job, but we immediately left for Ukraine. But now that it is September, Labor Day, and really sinking in that I no longer work and am really a student, I'll put some words down on paper.

I could say a lot about my *previous* job. It was at my alma mater, I enjoyed working in higher education, and my year gave me enough perspective to help me realize that I need to be teaching. Working in Admission was partially a desk job, partially on the road, and partially "counseling." I enjoyed the human interaction, I enjoyed the desk part less. It was great to be part of a team, but by the end it was time for me to move on.

Now I'm going to school at a big state school. The University of Washington is a great school, but drastically different than a small liberal arts instituion. A lot bigger than Central European University where I began grad school. I will be in a small program (25 people) and I will be both studying AND working (teaching intensive English) so I think that I can shrink it down into a little manageable world.

Friday I went up there to get my student ID and sign my TA documents. Parking was expensive and I got a workout tromping across campus to run all my errands. Starting September 16 I will take the bus from Tacoma (UW express) and be there all day (from 8-4, that means get a bus at 6:30 or 7am! Yikes!). Sometime this week or next I plan to try it out--time my bus route and just see how it rides and where I end up.

I feel like the plan to commute is better than the alternative--move up to an apartment in Seattle for double the price, starve, and still ride the bus for 30 minutes every day. Get used to new stores, new restaurants, new people. The only disadvantage to living in T-town is that we hope to meet lots of new people and make new friends in my grad program. It will be difficult to "hang out" if we're living an hour away. But I plan to invite people to ride the bus down with me as often as possible, and Sasha can drive up to meet me/us for evening events if they occur.

I love the beginning of a new school year. My internal calendar has always been on an academic schedule--Fall is new beginnings for me. I have learned to love the oreintation sessions, to take advantage of the openness of those first few days when everybody is opening up and making new friends. This is a great chance for us (me and Sasha) to really, finally, settle into our American lives. Wish me luck!

Summer in Ukraine

2008-08-25T10:09:00.001-07:00

Ukraine makes me tired. It has taken me this full week to recover from the trip--both travel (jet lag, stress) AND simply being there. As a Peace Corps Volunteer I wanted an adventure, I embraced challenges, I grew stronger. But as I've moved on to a more "adult" stage of life, where home is comfortable and Pervomaisk, Ukraine is like a second home, I'm always shocked by how completely un-comfortable it is to be there.

In Peace Corps training we talked about the different levels of stress a person can handle. A "green light" is home, where a person feels completely safe. A "yellow light" is when a person is somewhere new and unexpected. It may be exciting, but a person is always alert to his/her surroundings. It is fun, but taxing for a person to remain at yellow for a long period of time. It reminds me of much of my international travel--re-learning in Great Britain how to look both ways when crossing the street (since cars drive on the opposite side). Language differences when travelling from country-to-country. You shed your instincts and live in the "now."

A "red light" is imminent danger. A stranger following you in the street. A car approaching for a direct collision. A person cannot remain at red for a long period of time.

Both Sasha and I percieve Ukraine as home--green light. We're always in for a great surprise when everything is difficult there. The drivers are crazy, the roads terrible, the language different (more and more Ukrainian every time I go), different cultural norms, stomach pain (getting used to the different foods). We alternate between yellow-light/red-light as we go from bad roads to avoiding collisions and other such situations. Ukraine makes both of us different, both of us cranky. And coming home, as I said in January, is vacation.

But enough psychology, philosophy. We did have some adventures while we were there.

To begin, we arrived just before our 2nd Wedding Anniversary!

We didn't do much to celebrate--dinner with Sasha's family--but it is pretty amazing to reflect upon our two years together. Moving to the United States. Going to, and leaving grad school. Being accepted to another grad school. Starting our own business. . . I hope that our next 2, 10, 20, 50 years are as fortunate. The above photo is next to a birch tree in the park in Pervomaisk. On our wedding day we tied the two (very dirty) ribbons to the birch tree. They are still there :)

We went to Crimea almost immediately. It was alright--it is our 3rd time there and kind of the same 'ol thing. We're used to new and exciting--I doubt we'll go back. The roads were BAD. I've actually never seen roads in the uniquely poor condition we exprienced there. The asphalt was melted into peaks along the sides of the road. If a driver isn't careful, he/she could fly off the road or blow out a tire by hitting one. I can only guess that the big Kamaz trucks molded the road when it was soft from the 100+ heat.

The first day at our favorite beach (Kazachya), there were pretty rough waves. Our favorite spot isn't typically beachy--it is actually nestled into the limestone cliffs. So rough waves makes it pretty dangerous.

This is right before an almost-tragedy. The waves flipped Sasha over the rock he's standing on. He made it out with only a few scrapes on his leg.

We decided to escape to Yalta for the afternoon. I'd never actually been to Yalta--I've seen the Lividia Palace (where the Yalta Conference at the end of WWII was held) but not to the city center. It was cute, but just for a few hours.

We also hit up the Diorama again, actually watching the film, not just looking at the tanks. Sasha bought himself a little cap, in the style the military wore under Lenin.

Dissapointed by Crimea, we headed back home. We had several dinner parties with friends. We drank a lot of alcohol (beer mostly), ate a lot of meat, and roasted. It was hot in Ukraine, and I was mostly miserable with a sunburn that I picked up on the beach. But I did take time from my misery to eat cake with Sasha's sister, Ruslana.

Sasha's family keeps asking him/us if/when we'll move back. They have schemes to make it work out for us to live there, but after getting used to our independent, adult, adventurous life in America, there's just no going back. Right now, I don't even want to think about the next trip to Ukraine to visit. It is just too stressful.

The trip back, of course, was not easy. We were late getting into New York and JFK mixed up luggage between our flight from Kyiv and a flight from Athens and it took hours to get our bag. We missed our flight to Seattle and were rather cranky about it. But then they sent us business class and it made it all ok :)

That's our trip in a nutshell. I'm sure I've left a thousand things out.