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Dobray Vacher,
The conference and vacation in Bavaria was just what I needed to come
back to Ukraine refreshed and renewed! I flew out on Tuesday and reached
Munich about 9:30 pm. Although Oktoberfest was over, there were still
plenty of young people with backpacks, guitars, etc, from all over the
world who were willing and able to help me get a ticket on the train
from the airport to the center. The hostel in which I stayed was right
out of the 60s. Clean, spartan and staffed by what looked like daughters
of the love generation. The hostel was right across the street from the
central train station. So, the next morning I went into the DB--the
train reservation center where the cashier switched flawlessly to
English, printed me out a detailed ticket to get to Sonthofen.
I spent the next two hours on a smooth rail, in a clean car looking at
beautiful, precise farm fields, gingerbread houses, picture perfect
household gardens, clear running rivers and woods full of autumn colors.
I was unprepared for the beauty of Sonthofen snuggled against the Alps.
It reminded me a lot of Sun Valley (without the opulence) and a little
of McCall. My ticket included a bus from the Sonthofen train station to
the hotel. I had missed the bus by one minute (my fault, not the
schedule-precise to the minute!). I asked the driver of a bus about the
next one. He did not speak English but I understood that I was to wait
right where I was until 11:33.
At 11:33 the same bus arrived and the driver helped me into the bus and
put my back pack on. When we reached the drive to the hotel, I wanted to
thank him and said in English, "Thank you," and then threw in
the Russian for the same. I was bowled over when he answered me in
Russian. We spoke for a little while in Russian. He is Russian and lives
in Germany now! Great experience.
The hotel--what can I say beautiful, luxurious, mountain setting,
exquisite cuisine, bend-over-backwards service. I will get pictures up
as fast as I can. I spent many moments drinking in the beauty of the
flowers, the trees, the mountains and the mountain river flowing past.
They had not had a freeze yet as the weather was very mild. The
conference--outstanding. Over 200 counselors, most from Germany, but
some from Portugal, Italy, Turkey and the US. Saw people I knew; met
many new friends. The sessions were extremely professional and I learned
so much!
On Saturday new friends, Fidan from Turkey, and Dean, from Kentucky and
I took the train back into Munich. We stayed at the Airport Sheraton
since we were all flying out Sunday morning--me at 6:30 which meant
getting up at 4. In the afternoon we rode the Bahn (train) back into the
center. We watched the Glockenspeil--the 18th century clock that has
dancers, knights jousting, etc when the hour strikes. We visited the
bombed shell of the magnificent Ratskeller (City Hall) and ate in the
original Ratskeller Restaurant-um! Visited St Peter's Church and walked
all around the Marienplatz. I did not have time to go to the art
museums, so really want to go back. I did view an exhibit of Jan Steen
in Schippel Airport in Amsterdam. Wonderful!
After I arrived Sunday night, Asha fixed dinner for me; we talked.
They had of course taken care of Rah Rah; washed a load of clothes for
me, and Yura had fixed my toilet--all the pipes were corroded; and he
fixed my plugs that were hanging out of the wall. What a family! I
worked today so Therese had me over for dinner tonight so tomorrow I
will go to bazaar and pick up a little food. I had it in my head that I
was leaving for India on Wednesday. I'm not! I don't leave until next
Monday. Don't know if it was senility or stress that made me mix up
dates. Surely glad I have more time.
It looks like Yakonovich, the president's man, won the election. There
may be a run off in 3 weeks if he didn't get a clear majority, but the
outcome will probably be the same. My coordinator and most of my
Ukrainian friends were really disappointed, but the buying of votes with
bread and circuses seems to work still.
Will get my pictures up as quickly as I can and will definitely write
next Sunday. Love to all.
Good
morning everyone,
I
know it is the middle of the night for you right now but here it is
almost time for lunch which I am looking forward to. Asha gave me a huge
piece of her wonderful chocolate cake and of course I have to eat
everything in my refrigerator because tomorrow we leave for India at
2:15 and will arrive in Delhi at 10:30 pm. Amit and his cousin Himmat
have arranged everything from driver to hotels to sights. I and the rest
of the gals will basically be along for the ride. There are 5 young
women of our group who are going too.
I
have spent the morning getting everything out to pack and then packing
most of it. I have to do a little more ironing of what I am going to
wear tomorrow. In India it is spring, but I have to get to the airport
and back on our return without
freezing. I borrowed Therese's bigger backpack and it is just half
filled so I will have plenty of room for souvenirs. Started taking my
malaria pills last evening. Have to take them through the entire trip
and then 4 weeks after I return. Peace Corps medical was great making
sure we got any shots we needed (I was all caught up) and providing a
small kit of medicines and the preventive malaria treatment for all of
us.
It's
been a quiet week here. I caught up on paperwork at the office and at
home. Yesterday, Natasha's 9th form English class was here for a
movie--Blue Butterfly. I don't know if I mentioned that 2 Wednesdays a
week I show videos to anyone who wants to come to improve their English.
Before showing it I go over vocabulary, characters and give them a
couple of questions that they have to answer after the movie. Natasha
teaches on Saturday and since her girls can't come on Wednesday, we do
it on Saturday just for them. Pupils really enjoy and they are getting
good exposure to native speakers and of course learning about history,
other cultures, etc.
Even
though the first round of elections is over here, and the pundits are
predicting that Yanokovich will win the second round too, things are
still tense and sometimes awfully silly. Rather glad I will be gone
again for the runoff.
Weather
here is still very mild, staying in the mid 40s during the day and
rarely dropping to freezing at night. We do have heat. I think I told
you that. So many things have changed for the better here in Korostyshiv
in the almost two years since I came: The water is rarely turned off; it
has almost no rust in it and the pressure is so strong since about 3
weeks ago that I can actually mix hot and cold water together without
blowing up my kalunka. Lots of construction is almost completed and it
is not the shoddy, crappy stuff of
soviet times.
Reading
a great book now called Lenin's Tomb by David Remnick, correspondent to
Moscow for the Washington Post from 1985 through the mid 90's. His
interviews and writing are like reading a novel. It is a wonderful
insight into the people that brought the Politboro to its knees and the
dissolution of the union. I don't know if I would have understood or
enjoyed it as much if I hadn't been here but I highly recommend it for
anyone who lived through the cold war and wants to understand what
happened in that very secretive society of the Soviet Union.
I
will write as soon as I get back (23rd).
Take care.
It's Thanksgiving
evening here and by my clock you all are just getting everything ready.
We PCVs are still in a locked down state--we can't travel any distance
and those in Kyiv can't go out at all. There have been no incidents of
aggression towards Americans, but tensions are high especially in Kyiv
where the rallies still go on over the elections. A lot of PCVS were
planning on Thanksgiving dinners on Saturday. Since Therese and I can't
go to Cherkassy, we have invited 2 volunteers from Zhytomyr to come over
here and we are going to cook.
I am emailing you a site to read about what is going on here just in
case you don't know. I haven't written up about my trip to India yet but
I will try to tomorrow. Today I stayed home from work as Zhanna was
gone. Got my flat vacuumed and packed up souvenirs and summer clothes
that I am taking back to America with me. Then I slept like the dead for
2 hours. I had no idea I was so tired. Therese cooked dinner for us and
I am still trying to catch up on emails, etc.
Hope you all have a wonderful day. I am going to snuggle up with Rah
Rah, a book, and a cup of hot chocolate in a few minutes. It was only 14
degrees today and it is dropping again tonight. About 6 inches of snow
and a full moon so a beautiful night. Thank goodness it was sunny today!
My flat was toasty warm.
Priviet!
Since we couldn't travel any distances and especially not through Kyiv,
Therese and I had two fellow PCVs from Zhytomyr for dinner on Saturday.
Therese baked and stuffed a chicked and sauted carrots; I baked a cherry
pie, made mashed potatoes and gravy. Steve and Mary brought wine (Bear's
Blood), cheese and crackers. We ate and ate and talked. Then we played
Euchre until 1 am. Haven't stayed up that late except on an all night
bus ride in I don't know when. Mary stayed with me and Steve stayed at
Therese's. Then Sunday morning we had breakfast, looked at my India
pictures and talked some more. They headed home about 4. Therese and I
made a light supper of left overs and then I collapsed. She went home to
do lesson plans.
It warmed up yesterday and the snow is melting. BUT some spots are
slicker than "owl shit on a doorknob" Who ever came up with
that expression! I think Russ just made it up out of his head! Anyway it
does describe conditions and how afraid I am of falling. Supposed to get
yak tracks for our shoes from PC but haven't seen hide nor hair of them
yet.
Most things are on hold because of protests etc. Today will be a whole
new ball game. On Saturday, more than a thousand people passed by my
window going to a rally for Yushenko and I couldn't see how many came
from the other way. Moms, dads, kids, students wearing orange or
carrying orange balloons. I was so thrilled and wanted to go out on the
balcony and shout "Hurrah for you." But I am being quiet as we
all are because this is a Ukrainian fight for true democracy.
Have a thought I would like to share with you. The idea was Joyce's and
I think it is a good one. I want to start and educational fund for Masha--not
here but in the States. I don't need anything for Christmas. I am coming
home very soon and have too much to bring or ship back anyway sooooo.
Instead of buying me presents and then spending so much to mail it to
me: Set aside some money for the fund. Maybe Ken and Jim can figure out
the best way to set it up. That would be a great present for me and for
her.
Almost time for work so I shall end this.
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