The Ukraine

Our video is up!

The girls of Kiev 2 are looking to ENERGIZE their lessons and have a group meeting.

ONE STEP CLOSER

A couple days ago, I had a breakthrough in the case of my "mystery smell"!!
I had smelt it the other day during opening while I was teaching for Mindy! Surprised as ever, I started to follow my nose. I smelled one kid--Alex. Nope. He smelled like sweaty boy, like little boys usually smell. I smelled Zhenia. Nope, wasn't her. And then I smelt Dima....AND THAT WAS IT! Dima was wearing my hot man smell! I got really excited.
This was a serious breakthrough.
When I taught Dima's class I made a special effort to have him sit by me. Boy, did he smell good!
After classes, I asked one of our coordinators to ask the parents what he was wearing. She did...
Unfortunately, the father was picking him up and he didn't know what it was, but said that he would ask his wife.
I am very excited to find out what the smell is.

Dima (The Quiet Hero) is in the middle.

Update to come---cross your fingers that the mom will tell us what it is!

Love,
Ameri

Self Portrait

This week we had open class.  I get nervous just teaching by myself, add parents watching and I'm a mess! Side effects of this dreadful week are usually, but not limited to, anxiety, panic, stress, no appetite, no sleep etc.  After having 2 days of this I got home tonight and I was pretty tired and hoping to get to bed early to catch up on my sleep... my plans did not work out. I was hoping i would be able to sneak into my room and my bed.  My room is right across from the kitchen so this is highly unlikely.  So as I was sneaking toward my bedroom of course my host mom stopped me and asked her favorite question, "Mindy, are you hungry?" I always feel really bad when I say no, and tonight we had company over so of course I said yes thinking I would hurry and eat then slip out to my room.  Well I started eating and was about to slip away when my host mom asked me to play Titanic for them.  I love to play the piano but I get really nervous when I have to play in front of people.  I was able to make it almost all the way through the song then my mind went blank... this always seems to happen in the same spot in this song and its super frustrating.  I of course went bright red and said sorry I couldn't remember it, they just laughed and smiled and said "mindy its ok!" By this time I realized I actually was not too tired so I decided to hang out for a little. Little did I know that while I was sipping my tea Misha, Jennii's host brother, was drawing a portrait of me.  He comes over to me with his big drawing pad points to the picture he has drawn then points to me, meaning "this is a drawing of you."  I try and be nice and tell him it looks just like me because I don't want to criticize him for trying.  He then continues to show the rest of the guests his drawing and they all BURST out laughing! Here is the portrait of me, see the resemblance =) 

And here is the artist holding up his masterpiece of me =)

All in all it was a pretty good night! 

<3 Mindy

Spring is in the air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My host sister just licked my face!!!!!!!!

*One or both of these photos may have been staged but it doesn't change the fact that she full on licked me before the pictures were taken as proof.

peace and blessings.
Natalie