Wednesday (Edited 11/15/15)

     After Sunday's post, I think I should update a little on what's going on. Things are going better now but I wasn't having a very good Sunday/Monday. On Thursday of last week, I got a huge language lesson that needed a lot of work and studying. There was about twice the normal amount of new material. With the activities from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I didn't have a lot of time left to study. So Monday I was having a hard time focusing and being motivated. I got about half-way done with the lesson and realized I should cancel that afternoon's lesson. I didn't want to waste the tutor's and my time.
     I felt a lot better after I canceled the lesson. I know I should have focused and studied more over the weekend but that's far in the past now. Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better now. I feel like I'm more ready for the lesson tomorrow. And I don't feel as tired, mentally or physically, either. Ultimately, I think I just need to learn when to say no. Or at least limit my time at each activity. That way I can give an appropriate amount of time to each thing that needs my attention.
     That's the lesson I learned over the weekend. I know which priorities are important. Being with people, ministering, and teaching are all important. But my studies are also important. I can shift the commitments and better allocate time that I spend on each activity.
     OK, now that that's out of the way, I can move on to the part I want to talk about today. Food and cars. Yeah, probably not what you were thinking of but there's a process to that psychosis.
     For the last six years living in Maryland, I got to be good at cooking things in the microwave. I only used the stove or oven when I felt the need to. And that wasn't too often. Everything else was leftovers or frozen food. But now that I'm here, that has changed. I'm slowly learning to cook real food. I've almost perfected my "gourmet" grilled-cheese sandwiches. Pasta and rice are also easy and good meals. However, it's time that I branch out though and experiment a little.
     Last week I tried making fried rice. I think, for a first attempt, it turned out well. It was a little dry and needed soy sauce but I liked it. I still need to find a store that sells soy sauce. Most of the grocery stores near me only sell more traditional Ukrainian foods. About the only international food they have are some imported fruit and Italian olive oil. That definitely will be something I'll revisit.
     So as part of my education in real cooking, I'd like to try some new recipes. It has to be cooked on a stove top because I don't have an oven. And the only other requirements are that it's easy and tastes good. If you've got some ideas you'd like to suggest, post it in the comments. I'm planning on eventually trying my hand at borscht but for now I'll stick with something familiar.
     Now switching tracks, cars. I'm a bit of a car nut. I can't tell you from memory who won the 1975 24 Hours of LeMans (it was Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell in a Mirage GR8) but I know the difference between a GT-40 and a Porsche 917. Jeeps tend to hold more sway for my interest but pretty much anything with wheels is interesting to me. That said, cars here are almost a totally different subject than back home.
     The variety is amazing, to say the least. Just ignore the USDM stuff for now. Since this is Europe, there is a large variety of BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, and Volvos along with a smattering of Porsche and Mercedes. Add in the Asian brands Mitsubishi, Subaru, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia to round out the familiarity. However, that's roughly where the similarity ends. Most of these manufacturers have models they only sell here. Until I got here, I had no idea that manufacturers had such a wide range of offerings.
     And since this is Europe, French manufacturers Renault, Fiat, Citroen, and Peugeot are common. Most examples I've seen are newer models (mid 2000's and on). There are also a large contingent of Skoda, Seat, and Opel cars. Daewoo, Datsun, Daihatsu round out the different brands. That is, except for one "brand" that I'm lumping under Soviet-era automotive wheels.
     AvtoVAZ vehicles are about as common as dirt. Lada is the colloquial name for a number of Soviet-era vehicles. Most are based on 1960's Fiat designs that were modified to handle the atrocious roads that were so prevalent throughout the Soviet Union. Other than rust issues, they will last for decades. Personally, I'm partial to the twin-headlight VAZ-2106 although I'm not certain I'd want to own one. I like the classic styling but 75hp isn't enough for me.
     The interesting part is that since this is Europe, they get all sorts of interesting cars we don't in the States. Some are simply renamed for the US market but the majority of the interesting stuff stays on this side of the pond. Yes, the sticklers among you might quibble that Datsun, Renault, and Daewoo were sold in the US. Many models of cars are marketed around the world under different names and brands. So what looks like a Chevy in the US might be a Daewoo here.
     (EDIT, 11/15/15) I found this article today and thought it might be interesting. I know it's from Russia and not Ukraine but bear with me. The markets in both countries were basically identical for cars up to about 1992. After, it didn't change much. So most of what you'll see there is very similar to here. Basically, reference the article for pictures of what cars are here. I don't want to walk around the city just taking pictures of cars.
     OK, let's pause for a minute. I'm starting to get too convoluted with my writing. This is what I mean to say. Since I grew up in the States, I have one set of cars that I've seen almost all of my life. In college I started watching the British TV show Top Gear. That introduced me European cars and led the way for learning more about the worldwide automotive market. Now that I'm somewhere that has a different population of cars, I get excited about seeing something different. It also keeps me wondering why we don't get more of these in the US.
     Speaking of the US, domestic products like Jeep Wranglers, have made it to this side of the Atlantic for years. I've also seen Hummers, Dodge Calibers, Mustangs, Camaros, and even a large contingent of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The muscle cars seem to be a more popular import. But I have even seen a Chrysler minivan and a police-spec Crown Victoria.
     So, do you see the reason I posted about food and cars? For my mind, it's a little creative redirection. After the last week and the weekend, I needed something to refocus my mind. Think of it like a vacation for my mind. Plus it gives me a chance to tell you a little bit more about what life is like here.
     OK, that's all for now. I've got to get back to studying. There's a lot that needs to be memorized before tomorrow. There is also a Liberty meeting tonight at 7:30 that I'll be at too. I'll talk to you later.