Musings of an Ukraine Traveler

Dear everyone,

 Spring is pushing at the gate. Mild day today although you needed a jacket. Lots of people in the plaza and park today enjoying the sun and their day off. I enjoyed the day too although I only got outside to go the bazaar. Bought most of my stuff yesterday morning, but my chicken lady was so busy then that I decided to go back today. Much better. She has the best pieces--not freezer burned, not hacked to little pieces. 

Today I cleaned the walls in the kitchen--the wall paper part and the tile. I have to really use elbow grease and lots of baking soda on the tile to remove all the built up grease. I would kill for a bottle of Murphy's because they don't sell anything like it here nor do they sell ammonia and those are the best. I will bring back a bottle of Murphy's on my return trip. Now that my kalunka works I have really hot water.  Ukrainians wash in cold water so grease build up on dishes and walls is pretty bad. Later this week I will tackle the refrigerator( not too bad) and eventually the stove--very, very gross. 

I really, really like this apartment. I have such nice comfortable furniture, lots of beds, lots of storage room. I unpacked the last box last Wednesday and now all my stuff is where I want it. Therese and I went to Zhytomyr and I bought a few bathroom things. Still waiting for Tolya to take out his washer. Thought I would tell him if he doesn't get it soon, I am going to start using it. I laughed this evening when Natasha after our lesson asked me if washers were really convenient and helpful. It didn't take much selling on my part. We got out my ruler and measured it. I know her. She will start saving for that now. I think I told you that they saved the money for completely remodeling their kitchen and then for new living room furniture. Yura does all the labor.

  I wish I could just buy them a washer, but that would never be accepted. Just giving Asca half of the tavorug (cottage cheese) I buy every week is a struggle. She always ends up bringing me varrenaki and blinis stuffed with it and big dollops of smetana (sour cream).

 Everyone is cleaning up garbage, trash, in streets and yards in preparation for Easter. They also whitewash curbs and the bottom part of all the trees. Everything looks so nice. Of course I want to shout, "It could look that nice all the time if you just didn't litter everywhere!" Well that's part of my job. This town is a lot better than others.

 Wini, Alice and I are going to Kosiv this weekend. Will go to the bazaar to pick up more Huzul crafts and stay in that nice hotel. Easter Monday is a day off so I hope to spend it walking in the park if it is as sunny as today and hopefully warmer.

 It's getting late here so will send this on so you will have it today. Sometimes it really seems strange when I think that your day is just beginning and mine is ending. Thank goodness for email. 

Dear Family and Friends, 

It started warming up during the day on Friday and the chestnut buds popped today. Three green leaves unfurled and the flower spike is sticking out. When they open fully, I will be sure and send you a picture. I have been taking some pictures of the apartment based on "Rah's New Digs"  Should be able to put it together this coming week if I get me a new mouse so I can move images more easily around the keyboard. I'm still doing a little cleaning and buying a few extras for the flat, but it has been fun. Therese (the new PCV in our town--teaches at the pedagogical college) just moved out of her host family and has her own new apartment. She lives in the next block of apartments (#5). She has shown me some stores in town that I didn't know about.

 It was a busy weekend. I gave a presentation Friday on the LEAP program to the ecologists in group 26 at their coordinators conference in Kyiv. It was hard to believe that it was last year that I was exactly where they were in time getting ready to go out and visit my site and meet my coordinator for the first time. I didn't get home until about 5 and Wini and Alice were here as they came up to help me with the poster contest on Saturday. The poster contest is part of my project and a part of the SPA grant we received. On Friday I was scared to death no kids would come as other PCVS and Ukrainians kept saying that it was the day to visit the cemeteries and leave food etc. I was ticked off that my coordinator nor Natasha had said it was a bad day and they were the ones one picked the date.

 We were to meet Zhanna at 11:00, the streets were quiet and I saw no activity. We were just walking away from the office about 11:15 when Zhanna comes up and tells us to go ahead to the Cultural Center. There were about 10 kids already waiting and by the time noon came we had 44! It turned out wonderfully. I talked to them about littering and pollution a little and Alice, who is an art therapist and artist, talked to them about how to design a  poster. They started and it was unbelievable what they did! The beauty of their work, the insight, the creativity. Alice had to go home, but Therese and Wini judged them in the afternoon. It was very, very difficult.

 Next Monday afternoon we will have all the posters displayed at the cultural center and a big ceremony giving prizes and honoring the participants. Plus, we have some great posters to laminate (when our grant money comes) and to put up around the town for our "Clean Up Korostyshiv" Project.

 This week at the office will be pretty quiet as Zhanna will be gone to a conference, but I will have time to get prizes; compose speeches, etc, and of course meet with classes. Met with two classes last week and showed the movie October Sky. Had to take my TV and my VCR to the school as my VCR wasn't compatible with the one old TV they had. My TV is small and very light, but I really had my heart in my mouth when student carried down the street )about a block). Of course people were stopping and staring. The students really liked the movie and could understand the action even if they couldn't understand the words. For smaller classes I am going to have them here in the flat. 

Hope you are all well and enjoying spring.

Dear Family and friends,

 Well it's Sunday morning and you are all still tucked safely in bed. I am looking out at all those trees that were just budding last week and they are in full leaf right now so that I can not see into the square. The chestnuts may be in full bloom by next week. 

It has been a full week. Monday, I was invited to the Druhalchuks for dinner--and what a dinner it was. Asya had prepared chicken, two kinds of fish, salads, cabbage rolls, verrenaki, potatoes, and the topper was a honey and coconut tort (cake) that was just as good as her chocolate one. We had port to drink and I drank two small glasses and spilled one. Ukrainians like very sweet wine! At the end of the dinner I find out it is Asya's birthday. She had followed the custom of preparing her own birthday dinner and party. They didn't tell me because they didn't want me to buy a gift. This is a birthday month for them and it is very unique, I think. Asya's birthday is the 19th; Masha's the 25th, (today), Yura's is May 2nd and Natasha's is May 8th. In other words, their birthdays are exactly one week apart! I bought Masha a present and am going to buy the family a big gift--no matter what they don't want!

 I finished showing October Sky to the 8th form; I went to Kyiv Friday to help with emotional/mental health training for group 26 and will go again Tuesday morning through Thursday evening. Will also get my mid term medical done while there. Therese and I went to Zhytomer yesterday and I finished buying prizes for contest. We also bought things for our apartments. I bought a set of wine glasses (6), real crystal for 20 griven. That is about $6. In the states each glass would have been at least that!  

I got a new mouse, but have not worked on the web pages yet. Maybe tonight. I am really turning Ukrainian aren't I? I don't know if I told you that Rah Rah doesn't climb to the balcony railing--he just jumps. I have given up worrying about it. I just let him walk around, get up, get down and try not to think about his falling. He needs to be outside and I want the balcony door open so if he falls, I hope at least one of his nine lives kicks in. He is a cat and he has good balance sooooo. 

There is a new American movie channel here and I watched Bruce Almighty and What Women Want last night. It was a real orgy for me. Got to be careful though as I need to be listening as much as possible to Russian. Did I tell you that the original Star Trek is on every evening in Russian. I watch it most afternoons before dinner. 

Well, a few more things to do so will wrap this up.