Finally, the Update

I really need to blog, but I haven't blogged in so long that I don't even know where to begin. A lot has happened in the last month: my parents came to Ukraine, Roma dropped a boiling tea kettle on his naked foot, Jennifer came back to Bar for a visit, we celebrated the fourth of July with fireworks and hamburgers, and Roma and I got engaged.

I'll work backwards.

Roma asked me to marry him and I said yes. We'd spent a really great day at the river with our friends. In the evening, we returned to Bar and were all sitting around a table at the park drinking beer, eating dried fish, and watching our friends' children play when he leaned over and whispered in my ear:

"I love you. I want you to be my wife and the mother of my children. Will you marry me?" It was a bit of a surprise, I'll have you know. Not a total shock, but a surprise.

Anyhow, to me, it was romantic, and sweet, and I'm smitten, so what else could I say but yes?

***

Perhaps because he will soon be a resident of the USA, Roma took to celebrating the fourth of July with vigor. He insisted we make hamburgers for our friends and drink beer because "that's what Americans always do in the movies" and Roma wanted to celebrate like "true Americans." And so, in the spirit of being "true Americans", after we ate, we went across the street to the stadium and played baseball. Unfortunately, the weather was against us and the game was called short on account of rain.

My old site-mate Jennifer and her sister Stephanie are in town visiting. In the evening, they came over with a homemade apple pie and we all waited out the rain. It finally subsided around 11:00, and we went back across the street to the stadium and set off fireworks. It was fun.

***

I've been really busy since my parents visit and since I got back from Budapest. While I was away with my parents, Roma dropped a boiling tea kettle on his foot and burned the top of it badly. He's fine now. His foot has scabbed and he's back at work; but for about a week and a half he was housebound and in pain and in my charge.

In that period of time, he discovered peanut butter. I don't know how many peanut butter and honey sandwiches I made for him, but I'm certain the figure was in the double digits. He'd never tried it before, and after he tried it, he immediately got on the phone to Sasha and Alona and said, "You guys have to come over and try this stuff!"

***

My parents' visit was great. We had a wonderful time. I was worried that it would be awkward for them, but it ended up just being fun. They really liked Roma and Roma really liked them. It was while my parents were here, and with their blessing, that Roma and my engagement became official.

Of course, their visit wasn't without its share of drama. Within two hours of being in Kiev, my dad was pick pocketed on the metro. He didn't lose much cash, and we were able to cancel all his cards immediately, so it was okay.

Our adventures included a trip to the sauna, a trip to the forest, an "excursion" around Bar, and yes, a meeting with Katia "the crazy lady" who was my host mom my first three months in Bar.

Katia's third question to my parents: "When do Yulia and I get to go to America?"
followed by: "Where's Jason?" and "What does he do?" and "How much money does he make?" and "Isn't my Yulia pretty, doesn't Jason want a girlfriend?"

You get the picture.

More later on my parents visit, the engagement, and Roma and my plans for the future. For now, my apologizes for taking so long to blog and a renewed vow to be better at keeping in touch.