Ready to leave

 After a busy week and a crazy day today when we got a notice that our Calgary to Winnipeg flight was cancelled and we needed to phone expedia to fix it (apparently sent while we were sleeping). Garry phoned twice, once at noon our time when we noticed the email (while he was getting ready to teach English) and again tonight because they couldn't fix it because the KLM office wasn't open in North America. He used up about 400 grivna on calling and waiting for them to figure out options, the toll free number does not work here. 

We now have the bags packed, we are entered into the ArriveCan app for covid requirements and will be ready to get into the hexaplex unit shortly before three am December first after landing in Winnipeg after midnight at 12:40. Our original flight had us landing at 6:30 in the evening, home before nine, after a very long day, since we leave Kyiv at 6 am (around ten pm Sunday in Manitoba time.) 

Monday we had student dinner- 

If you know our students, you'll see an familiar face is back. Andrey has been working in Dnepro for several years, but lost his job and came back last week. Vlad brought his fiancé, Lena to dinner. His brother Valera is still in hospital, but has opened his eyes, so maybe he could come out of the coma.

After sending the two guys away last week, I was surprised to find we have a new guy this week, Gregorie, or Gosha (sounds a lot like Losha). He arrived a couple days ago, and seems eager to work, the other students say he's better than the other boys. You can find him in this photo from Larissa's class. She plans to do her class twice a week now. 

Friday night we celebrated Thanksgiving with our American friend Jessica and she brought an American family of three working with MCC. Little Juliette was the star of the evening, and really enjoyed petting Needles. The rest of us enjoyed the food, Jessica made a delicious pumpkin pie.

 

Garry was busy getting lots of things done, Julia and Vika painted Yana's fence white, and leaves were raked and burned. A neighbor came and complained about the burning leaves. Everyone in the village seems to be burning them for weeks now. I thought all Ukrainians loved burning leaves, weeds... but not this guy. He said you should put them on the garden and they make the most toxic smoke. I guess he's never smelled burning plastic or tires... 

Here's Garry's new grass seeding. It won't look like this in January, I'm sure.

Well it's one am and we leave here at seven am, Victor will drive us to Kyiv. I have half a suitcase of stuff to send to his kids and grandkids in BC, and the other one is dominated by Steve and Jo's crokinole board, it just gets in an old suitcase. There's a few crocheted presents in there too.