Misled

We realized today that we were misled in believing that this was a father and daughter we are staying with. It is in fact a couple with a great many years between them. We started to wonder when we noticed them being a bit more snuggly than most father and daughters . . .morning kisses and the clincher . . . they share a room :) Our translator told us they were father and daughter, but maybe he just assumed. She told us today that she is 20 years old and her mother and sister live here in this village, but her father drives a bus for a living in Moscow. We asked her how long she has lived here at this house and she told us 5 years . . . hmmmm, that would mean she was 15 when she moved in with him - don't know if they are married or not. At least it all makes a bit more sense now :) We were starting to feel a bit creeped out by the arrangement! Anyway, Olga took us to the center today and helped us buy some Christmas gifts - we couldn't have managed to buy what we wanted without her! Thank you Olga!! Then we bought a few more groceries to hold us over for the rest of the time we are here. We figured out what to buy them as a gift for their hospitality . . . a FASTER modem! It won't cost hardly anything here, and it will make a HUGE difference for them. Tomorrow we go back to Kharkov with Marina to get her passport done and we will have our driver take us somewhere to buy it then. Marina can be our translator :)

Well, after last night I decided I have had my fill of turning blue from the sheets and I found clean sheets and changed the bed. Then, feeling good about that, I went to take a shower . . . flushed the toilet (as needed to get the water pressure up enough to run the shower), got in took my shower and noticed Olga had put clean towels in the bathroom for us :) How nice of her! . . . They too are new and wouldn't absorb the water!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAArrrrrrrGggg! So after ultimately drip drying, I got dressed and we were on with our day :) Should I make due with the non-absorbant towel for another couple days or tell her they need to be washed/request a different towel. I think she would be mortified if I told her the problem. She gets very embarrassed if things are not perfect for us.

Last night after dinner we were in our room and we had the nicest conversation! I can't remember the last time I heard so many words come out of James mouth!! He talked my ear off! Eventually my eyes began to roll back in my head as I struggled to stay awake and keep listening (hahshahha), but eventually he realized I was fading fast and let me go to sleep :) It was nice to be able to have a conversation though without being interrupted every 2 minutes by someone yelling "mama!" I'm starting to miss that though. Grass is always greener on the other side, eh?

Oh yeah, Greg, James told me to tell you that Marina is NOT your sister :) (People at Citi will appreciate this comment) Hahhahahaha!!!!!!

Today when we went to center we were comfortable in our sweaters/fleece jackets, but by the time we finished shopping our hands were freezing and even James was contemplating buying a new winter coat! It had to have dropped 15+ degrees in just a couple hours! I need to check the forcast, but I think new coats are in our future!

Well, more later.