Smiling for Kolychivka (Oct 10)

(the main bus stop)

One of the things I remember from the mini Ukrainian study session Victor organized for those left behind in D.C. was that “Ukrainians don’t smile”. If we walk down the street and smile politely to the people passing by as a courteous “hello”, they will look at us strange and know we’re foreigners. But how can you hide a smile? I may be good at forcing a smile but not hiding it, especially when the emotions within me are trying to find its way out.

So as I walk back home from Andy’s house, all I could do was just smile. Smiling at how beautiful the day looked, the sun shining on my cold face. For some reason I am extra happy today and I can’t explain why. Never have I smiled so much to myself as I did this day, walking down the dirt road of Kolychivka. I started thinking of how free I felt being so far from home (wherever that is anymore) and on my own… literally. I know most people get frightened at the thought of being away from family/loved ones. Not to say I don’t miss them, because I truly do. But there’s something here that I can’t explain… something that brings me joy even though there are tough days of irritation and frustration.

(my lovely house)

Perhaps it’s the idea of helping a community that otherwise would go unseen. Kolychivka is such a small village. It’s definitely smaller than CSULB, a bit bigger than Calvary Chapel South Bay, and about the same size as Christian Academy of Guatemala. There’s no internet, no restaurant (forcing us to eat at the school’s cafeteria almost every week day), 2 bus stops, lots of cows, and a few mini markets. I can see why not many people would pay attention to such a place. But I love it out here.

(the post office)

Seeing the sunrise and sunset is priceless, hearing the cows moo their way home around 5:30pm makes me giggle, cramming in a “marshrutka” to go to the nearest city is adventurous, and most importantly, seeing the somewhat blank look on the faces of my 7th graders is challenging. They may not understand me now, but hopefully with time they will remember me (and the rest of my cluster) as the ones who cared enough to stay here till the end.
(the school i work at)

Screw Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s reality show “the simple life”… THIS, right here, is the simple life and there’s nothing I want more than to keep smiling for Kolychivka.