Second day in bed

I've missed the last two days' visits, sleeping until about noon and spending most the rest of the day dozing except when it's time to eat. On the bright side, I'll soon surely feel much better. Here's the view from our hotel window (including snowflakes).


I'm starting to get the impression that a lot of people here don't know Russian or at least won't speak it. I thought they did, because they seem to be understanding me OK, but I was frustrated at how little I was understanding. However, now that I am starting to learn more Ukrainian words, I am realizing that everyone is replying to me in Ukrainian. I guess I shouldn't feel too bad; Val's mother tongue is Ukrainian, and he says that he has heard Transcarpathians talking to each other and not even realized that they were speaking Ukrainian until later.

Today Julie got to see the two youngest girls in a dance class and then cut out paper dolls with all three of them as well as doing some of our standard activities. To get me some fresh air, Julie and I did go out to get a hot drink at the tea house down the street this afternoon when she got back. It has an African carving decor theme, and lots of kinds of tea and coffee for sale in addition to what they serve. It's actually no smoking, which is an amazing difference, but they don't serve food. It is next door to a more typical cafe that has very sophisticated decor and a page and a half of crepes; that is going to be our default breakfast spot when we want more than we can fix in our room. So far it's worked great to have fruit, bread, cheese, yoghurt, and cookies in our room, though, for quick meals.