A Piano Lesson with Svetlana Petrovna
As you may have seen in photos of our flat, we have a piano and our landlady, Svetlana Petrovna, is a concert pianist. We have three portraits of her in the living room depicting her playing the piano.
She is a bit effusive and often said when picking up rent that she’d like to teach me to play the piano and that she wanted Christopher to teach her to speak English. I just thought it something she said, but last week she called and asked me to come to the “conservatroi” (said as if in French, despite that we were speaking Russian) for a lesson. I accepted, but must admit to feeling not entirely up for it, unsure how it would be. I enjoy her brief visits to the apartment, but was a little leery of spending quality time. Plus I’ve just started taking lessons again with a lovely woman named Luda, and felt like it might be too much.
However, we pay a fabulous price for this place, so I thought it in our best interest.
A couple of nights ago, she dropped by the apartment to pick up rent. We had a few friends over for dinner and she stayed, drank a glass of wine, then entertained us with three or four songs. She plays very well and is quite dramatic at the keyboard. It was lovely and doubly entertaining to have her playing live and with the paintings of her playing all around us.
Today, I found the National Academy of Music after some trial and error. I first went to what I thought was the academy, but saw it was the Federation for Russian Writers. I asked a man smoking outside if he knew where the Academy was and in broken English and some Russian, he explained where it was. He looked the part of disheveled writer, hair mussed and unwashed, and apologized in Russian that he hadn’t spoken English in ten years.
From there I found the academy. The “conservetroi” has a beautifully restored exterior and is on a street with many luxe shops and cafes. Inside it has a broad staircase and I climbed to the third floor and found Svetlana in studio 49, as promised.
She was with another woman and I told them I would wait until the finished. The woman turned out to be a vocalist and sang a few opera tunes as they rehearsed for an upcoming concert. I sat behind them watching the sunset over the buildings opposite us and listened as they quickly ran through three or four songs. Afterwards, Svetlana gave me some music to study and promised to return soon.
I wrote out the notes, as I’m still not very comfortable reading music and went through the song a bit. She returned and she showed me hand positions. The other woman returned and while they discussed some matters, I practiced more. Then they asked me to resolve a debate about whether the ribbon pin the other woman was wearing was for “Anti-AIDS” or something else. This is when I realized I don’t know “breast cancer” in Russian and had to pantomime something to that effect. Then they asked me which colors meant what, and I explained that at least in the U.S., pink is for breast cancer and red is for HIV/AIDS.
After that, Svetlana took me through two songs and with her accompanying me, the music sounded so beautiful and professional! It turns out she is a great teacher and we had a lot of fun. I’m excited to continue with her and I’ll keep studying with Luda also. It’s sort of like a double lesson, as neither speak English. The only problem is that they use “do ree me fa so la” instead of “c d e, etc.” for notes, but I’ll get it eventually. Well, that’s not the only problem, in that music theory vocabulary I don’t even know in English, but again, whatever. I came to be challenged and a little uncomfortable and so I will be!
30 September 2004
A couple of weeks after returning to Ukraine, we planned a reception. We invited close to 50 people, friends from our work, from Peace Corps, etc. I catered it myself and was lucky to have a couple of girlfriends help me cook and shop, as well as Christopher’s shopping, cleaning and arranging the apartment. The day of the reception, I came home at lunch to finish cooking, put the food out, etc.
About 40 or so people came throughout the evening. I was really honored that so many of the people I work with came. Even though we specified in the invite that we didn’t want presents, people of course brought them. A couple that were really highlights: several of my coworkers brought us a painted container of salt and an embroidered fabric. Ukrainians love to give long, elaborate speeches and toasts, as I’ve likely mentioned before. Lecia, a very sweet coworker, represented the salt-gifters and told us how salt is representative of many things in a marriage – seasoning, that life will not always be sweet, prosperity, etc.
The other gift, perhaps my favorite because of its creativity, is a flowering plant, the "Flower of Love" that Christopher’s student, Lena, gave us. As Stephanie quipped, I hope that I don’t kill that flower. No pressure!
Christopher set up the computer to show a slideshow of photos from our wedding and the trip home and he played the wedding mix music as well. Everyone looked at our photo album, beautiful images taken by our talented and generous friend, Stacy Moore.
About 40 or so people came throughout the evening. I was really honored that so many of the people I work with came. Even though we specified in the invite that we didn’t want presents, people of course brought them. A couple that were really highlights: several of my coworkers brought us a painted container of salt and an embroidered fabric. Ukrainians love to give long, elaborate speeches and toasts, as I’ve likely mentioned before. Lecia, a very sweet coworker, represented the salt-gifters and told us how salt is representative of many things in a marriage – seasoning, that life will not always be sweet, prosperity, etc.
The other gift, perhaps my favorite because of its creativity, is a flowering plant, the "Flower of Love" that Christopher’s student, Lena, gave us. As Stephanie quipped, I hope that I don’t kill that flower. No pressure!
Christopher set up the computer to show a slideshow of photos from our wedding and the trip home and he played the wedding mix music as well. Everyone looked at our photo album, beautiful images taken by our talented and generous friend, Stacy Moore.
It’s been a long time since I’ve written here. Christopher and I went home to the U.S. for a month in July/August and had our wedding. (See wedding photos) The wedding and time spent in CO, TX, NC, SC and NY with family was amazing, stressful, beautiful. Many emotions come to mind. Stephanie suggested that I write a screen play about the wedding and its preparation, fraught as it was with disparate, interesting characters (i.e. our families), juxtaposition of said characters as well as the situations that arose from these encounters. Maybe I will, but it likely won’t be a public document. Smile.
It was particularly difficult trying to see all the people that are important to us and unfortunately this proved quite impossible really. Being home in general was simply pretty relaxing, and I didn’t experience the reverse-culture shock I’d expected. We ate tons of good food and spent quality time being good consumers. I felt so hungry to stock up on shoes, books and toiletries, perhaps because everything is so plentiful and understandable at home, versus here.
Since returning, my work has become very busy. Towards the end of our visit, I began to look forward to returning to work, which I felt good about, not having known before going home how I’d feel about returning. Both of us were ready to come back to our “Little America” as we call our apartment and our work here.
Rather quickly after returning to work, I became embroiled in a political problem of sorts with an organization that works in the same field as the organization that I am working with, International Organization for Migration (IOM). I have been working on the communications for the Ukraine mission and part of my work has been a counter-trafficking information campaign. A component of this campaign are ads placed in employment sections of newspapers advertising hotlines that provide information about services for people who are considering working abroad, as a way to educate them about potential dangers of becoming trafficked. Traffickers sometimes advertise in these newspapers and with a large percentage of Ukrainians working abroad (estimated to perhaps be as much as 5-6 million of Ukraine’s 30 million population) people need information to protect themselves.
This is a very skeleton explanation of the problem. For more detailed information, look at IOM’s website at http://www.iom.int.
What came to pass was that the mission failed to inform the organizations that run the hotlines about these ads. It was an oversight that we corrected as soon as we realized it, but this organization took this opportunity to attack IOM, as it has done many times in the past. For some reason, this org began contacting international donors, organizations and embassies accusing an unknown source of placing ads that discredited the hotlines. Given the content of the ads, it seems a strange accusation to me. Nonetheless, we spent the better part of two weeks having meetings, drafting letters and other damage control acts trying to inform our partners about the situation and clear up misunderstandings and correct erroneous information. It culminated in a meeting with partner organizations and the deputy chief of mission of a European embassy who said something about me in this meeting. I didn’t really take it personally, although I felt sort of awkward sitting at the meeting and tried hard to sit impassively and not let shock show on my face.
Mainly, I took a lesson away from this meeting. When there are big budgets involved and some perception of power and territory, people do not always act in the best interest of their cause. I already knew this, but I needed to experience it firsthand to really learn it. It is important knowledge if I continue to work in the development world at this level.
I felt tremendous sadness about the above fact. At the same time that we were dealing with this, victims of trafficking were still coming through our offices, receiving reintegration assistance and other support and their harrowing stories of the atrocities committed upon them kept the utter political nature of “Advertising-Gate” in perspective. I am tremendously lucky to work with real activists who deeply believe in their work and work hard to help the people who have been trafficked as well as to try to improve legal recourse and social society to decreases the prevalence of trafficking.
That’s the first installment of Ukraine, Part Deux. I feel like it’s part two after having returned from being home again. More later, gentle readers.
It was particularly difficult trying to see all the people that are important to us and unfortunately this proved quite impossible really. Being home in general was simply pretty relaxing, and I didn’t experience the reverse-culture shock I’d expected. We ate tons of good food and spent quality time being good consumers. I felt so hungry to stock up on shoes, books and toiletries, perhaps because everything is so plentiful and understandable at home, versus here.
Since returning, my work has become very busy. Towards the end of our visit, I began to look forward to returning to work, which I felt good about, not having known before going home how I’d feel about returning. Both of us were ready to come back to our “Little America” as we call our apartment and our work here.
Rather quickly after returning to work, I became embroiled in a political problem of sorts with an organization that works in the same field as the organization that I am working with, International Organization for Migration (IOM). I have been working on the communications for the Ukraine mission and part of my work has been a counter-trafficking information campaign. A component of this campaign are ads placed in employment sections of newspapers advertising hotlines that provide information about services for people who are considering working abroad, as a way to educate them about potential dangers of becoming trafficked. Traffickers sometimes advertise in these newspapers and with a large percentage of Ukrainians working abroad (estimated to perhaps be as much as 5-6 million of Ukraine’s 30 million population) people need information to protect themselves.
This is a very skeleton explanation of the problem. For more detailed information, look at IOM’s website at http://www.iom.int.
What came to pass was that the mission failed to inform the organizations that run the hotlines about these ads. It was an oversight that we corrected as soon as we realized it, but this organization took this opportunity to attack IOM, as it has done many times in the past. For some reason, this org began contacting international donors, organizations and embassies accusing an unknown source of placing ads that discredited the hotlines. Given the content of the ads, it seems a strange accusation to me. Nonetheless, we spent the better part of two weeks having meetings, drafting letters and other damage control acts trying to inform our partners about the situation and clear up misunderstandings and correct erroneous information. It culminated in a meeting with partner organizations and the deputy chief of mission of a European embassy who said something about me in this meeting. I didn’t really take it personally, although I felt sort of awkward sitting at the meeting and tried hard to sit impassively and not let shock show on my face.
Mainly, I took a lesson away from this meeting. When there are big budgets involved and some perception of power and territory, people do not always act in the best interest of their cause. I already knew this, but I needed to experience it firsthand to really learn it. It is important knowledge if I continue to work in the development world at this level.
I felt tremendous sadness about the above fact. At the same time that we were dealing with this, victims of trafficking were still coming through our offices, receiving reintegration assistance and other support and their harrowing stories of the atrocities committed upon them kept the utter political nature of “Advertising-Gate” in perspective. I am tremendously lucky to work with real activists who deeply believe in their work and work hard to help the people who have been trafficked as well as to try to improve legal recourse and social society to decreases the prevalence of trafficking.
That’s the first installment of Ukraine, Part Deux. I feel like it’s part two after having returned from being home again. More later, gentle readers.
22 July 2004
A quick note to alert the media that there are new photos of my bridal shower!
We're leaving this weekend to return home and I'm trying to be patient as I finish up work, buy gifts, do all those things when leaving for an extended trip, PLUS there's the little matter of our wedding. :-) I'm just super excited and enjoying the time, in between necessary bouts of panic, tears, etc. C'est le mariage.
Back to attacking the word to-do list, followed by attacking the personal to-do list.
xo,
wendylu
We're leaving this weekend to return home and I'm trying to be patient as I finish up work, buy gifts, do all those things when leaving for an extended trip, PLUS there's the little matter of our wedding. :-) I'm just super excited and enjoying the time, in between necessary bouts of panic, tears, etc. C'est le mariage.
Back to attacking the word to-do list, followed by attacking the personal to-do list.
xo,
wendylu
29 June 2004
Good day, gentle reader. Christopher and I just returned from a relaxing weekend with our friends, Kristen and Jordan, at my piano teacher, Luda's, dacha. A dacha is a country home where people often grow vegetables for the winter and go to relax and breathe fresh air. Luda and Pavel, her husband, as well as their two sons, Anton and Andry, were wonderful hosts. Their dacha is in a small village in Poltava Oblast, on a clean river, the Vorskla. We swam in the river, walked in the forest and fields, picking and eating wild strawberries, then ate meals made of fresh vegetables from their and neighbor's gardens. We had shashlik, (shishkobabs) on Sunday - see photos that Jordan took from the weekend. We drank samohon, the homemade vodka, then were mercifully saved by the sons to go visit a fishing hole with some friends. 7 or 8 or us packed into a VW Jetta and swam in a dark watered pond, speaking Russian, Ukrainian, English, beer. :-)
Later that night, we went out again with the youngins', walking around the village, drinking the ubiquitous warm beer. There was to be a dance later at a community center and after some prodding, Jordan agreed to sing karaoke. He graced us with a strong rendition of "My Way."
I still marvel at people's willingness to open their homes to random foreigners, to share what they have without reserve and with joy.
Later that night, we went out again with the youngins', walking around the village, drinking the ubiquitous warm beer. There was to be a dance later at a community center and after some prodding, Jordan agreed to sing karaoke. He graced us with a strong rendition of "My Way."
I still marvel at people's willingness to open their homes to random foreigners, to share what they have without reserve and with joy.
03 June 2004
A couple of brief updates.
I’ve been working gangbusters and just completed preparing for and assisting deliver a counter-trafficking law enforcement practitioners conference. It was so interesting on so many levels, to meet law enforcement officers from Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, England, Australia, etc. etc.
There’s info about the conference, among many other things, in the newsletter I’m helping IOM produce. Email me if you’d like a copy.
Another note – remember the “photographers” I wrote about earlier, who take one’s picture, then mail it? I was feeling adventurous last week and stopped to talk to them. After verifying that my understanding was correct, I got my photo snapped, gave them my work address (which has changed and is updated on the Contact section of my website), and am still waiting for the photo. We’ll see if it’s a scam or not.
It’s summer here and the see-through white pants are back! I have seen at least 5 different specimens of thongs, up close and personal. Not to sound horrible, but at least Ukrainian women tend to have nice, trim bums, because one sees so much of them in warm weather.
I went to Uzhgorod last weekend with my fellow PCV, Susan. On the train, we met new PCV’s on their way to Uzhgorod, where they will live for the next two years. Boy, am I jealous! What a beautiful, relaxed, European city, full of diversity (i.e. not everyone is Slavic/white) and people speak lovely accented Ukrainian and Russian, in addition to Hungarian, Romanian, maybe some Slovakian. We visited a castle, beautiful outdoor museum, took photos of charming houses with beautiful exteriors, pretty façade details. We drank beer at outdoor cafes and Susan kicked my arse in checkers. Very relaxing.
That’s all for now. Hope to provide photos at some point soon.
I’ve been working gangbusters and just completed preparing for and assisting deliver a counter-trafficking law enforcement practitioners conference. It was so interesting on so many levels, to meet law enforcement officers from Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, England, Australia, etc. etc.
There’s info about the conference, among many other things, in the newsletter I’m helping IOM produce. Email me if you’d like a copy.
Another note – remember the “photographers” I wrote about earlier, who take one’s picture, then mail it? I was feeling adventurous last week and stopped to talk to them. After verifying that my understanding was correct, I got my photo snapped, gave them my work address (which has changed and is updated on the Contact section of my website), and am still waiting for the photo. We’ll see if it’s a scam or not.
It’s summer here and the see-through white pants are back! I have seen at least 5 different specimens of thongs, up close and personal. Not to sound horrible, but at least Ukrainian women tend to have nice, trim bums, because one sees so much of them in warm weather.
I went to Uzhgorod last weekend with my fellow PCV, Susan. On the train, we met new PCV’s on their way to Uzhgorod, where they will live for the next two years. Boy, am I jealous! What a beautiful, relaxed, European city, full of diversity (i.e. not everyone is Slavic/white) and people speak lovely accented Ukrainian and Russian, in addition to Hungarian, Romanian, maybe some Slovakian. We visited a castle, beautiful outdoor museum, took photos of charming houses with beautiful exteriors, pretty façade details. We drank beer at outdoor cafes and Susan kicked my arse in checkers. Very relaxing.
That’s all for now. Hope to provide photos at some point soon.
30 April 2004
A quick note that I decided against appearing on the TV show, b/c it seemed somehow just weird (duh, i know). I began to be afraid that it somehow would not be a good thing for a Peace Corps Volunteer to do, especially if the woman who is being proposed to doesn't want this. I sort of regret missing a potential adventure, but that just means I'll need to create my own adventure this weekend! :-)
New photos of our new flat are up on the site!
Happy May Day weekend,
wlu
xoxo
New photos of our new flat are up on the site!
Happy May Day weekend,
wlu
xoxo
29 April 2004
Hello world.
It’s a beautiful spring Thursday in Kyiv, before the first of three holiday weekends this May. Now that I’ve told my family, close friends and Peace Corps, I am happy to announce that Christopher, who moved to Ukraine last July to be with me, and I are engaged. We hope to marry this July in Colorado.
Christopher is teaching English at two private schools to adults and editing a daily e-newspaper. I’m so proud of the way he’s adapted and thrived here and that he would leave behind a good life in Colorado for the vagaries and uncertainty of life and work in Ukraine of all places, speaks to his great intelligence and spirit for adventure. Obviously, I’m a big fan.
If I can be indulged a moment, I’ll tell the story of the proposal. Under subterfuge, Christopher took me to Mariinsky Park, where we run some mornings, to a spot overlooking the Dnipro and Podil neighborhood, a pretty neighborhood that wasn’t bombed during WWII and therefore has older buildings intact. When we arrived to that spot, he bent down on one knee and produced a velvet box w/ a beautiful, emerald-cut, 2 carat garnet set in white gold ring. I said ok to his question.
Thanks for allowing me a mushy moment in this very public place. We’re in the process of getting his security clearance for Peace Corps to allow the marriage and otherwise enjoying our lives here as always.
One more story, a quirkier one. I have been asked to appear on a reality TV show called “Everything for You.” The premise of this show is for guys (occasionally girls) to set up an elaborate ruse by which to propose in a very public way to their beloved. Sometimes girls say no and it’s just awful to watch, but isn’t all reality TV? It’s a train wreck we can’t seem to turn away from.
The show’s representative, Lena, claims to have been recommended me by someone at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the government agency where all foreigners living here are required to be registered. I’m leaving Saturday to take a train to a Western Ukraine city to film the first installment and I will “play” a foreigner in need of a translator at a castle. The girl will be there because her friends are in on the gig. I hope to get a tape to show people at home.
I’ll write full details about the trip and the scenario after it airs, as I’d hate to somehow ruin the surprise before hand. I hope she wants to be proposed to!
Over and out,
wlu
xoxo
Hello world.
It’s a beautiful spring Thursday in Kyiv, before the first of three holiday weekends this May. Now that I’ve told my family, close friends and Peace Corps, I am happy to announce that Christopher, who moved to Ukraine last July to be with me, and I are engaged. We hope to marry this July in Colorado.
Christopher is teaching English at two private schools to adults and editing a daily e-newspaper. I’m so proud of the way he’s adapted and thrived here and that he would leave behind a good life in Colorado for the vagaries and uncertainty of life and work in Ukraine of all places, speaks to his great intelligence and spirit for adventure. Obviously, I’m a big fan.
If I can be indulged a moment, I’ll tell the story of the proposal. Under subterfuge, Christopher took me to Mariinsky Park, where we run some mornings, to a spot overlooking the Dnipro and Podil neighborhood, a pretty neighborhood that wasn’t bombed during WWII and therefore has older buildings intact. When we arrived to that spot, he bent down on one knee and produced a velvet box w/ a beautiful, emerald-cut, 2 carat garnet set in white gold ring. I said ok to his question.
Thanks for allowing me a mushy moment in this very public place. We’re in the process of getting his security clearance for Peace Corps to allow the marriage and otherwise enjoying our lives here as always.
One more story, a quirkier one. I have been asked to appear on a reality TV show called “Everything for You.” The premise of this show is for guys (occasionally girls) to set up an elaborate ruse by which to propose in a very public way to their beloved. Sometimes girls say no and it’s just awful to watch, but isn’t all reality TV? It’s a train wreck we can’t seem to turn away from.
The show’s representative, Lena, claims to have been recommended me by someone at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the government agency where all foreigners living here are required to be registered. I’m leaving Saturday to take a train to a Western Ukraine city to film the first installment and I will “play” a foreigner in need of a translator at a castle. The girl will be there because her friends are in on the gig. I hope to get a tape to show people at home.
I’ll write full details about the trip and the scenario after it airs, as I’d hate to somehow ruin the surprise before hand. I hope she wants to be proposed to!
Over and out,
wlu
xoxo
It’s a beautiful spring Thursday in Kyiv, before the first of three holiday weekends this May. Now that I’ve told my family, close friends and Peace Corps, I am happy to announce that Christopher, who moved to Ukraine last July to be with me, and I are engaged. We hope to marry this July in Colorado.
Christopher is teaching English at two private schools to adults and editing a daily e-newspaper. I’m so proud of the way he’s adapted and thrived here and that he would leave behind a good life in Colorado for the vagaries and uncertainty of life and work in Ukraine of all places, speaks to his great intelligence and spirit for adventure. Obviously, I’m a big fan.
If I can be indulged a moment, I’ll tell the story of the proposal. Under subterfuge, Christopher took me to Mariinsky Park, where we run some mornings, to a spot overlooking the Dnipro and Podil neighborhood, a pretty neighborhood that wasn’t bombed during WWII and therefore has older buildings intact. When we arrived to that spot, he bent down on one knee and produced a velvet box w/ a beautiful, emerald-cut, 2 carat garnet set in white gold ring. I said ok to his question.
Thanks for allowing me a mushy moment in this very public place. We’re in the process of getting his security clearance for Peace Corps to allow the marriage and otherwise enjoying our lives here as always.
One more story, a quirkier one. I have been asked to appear on a reality TV show called “Everything for You.” The premise of this show is for guys (occasionally girls) to set up an elaborate ruse by which to propose in a very public way to their beloved. Sometimes girls say no and it’s just awful to watch, but isn’t all reality TV? It’s a train wreck we can’t seem to turn away from.
The show’s representative, Lena, claims to have been recommended me by someone at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the government agency where all foreigners living here are required to be registered. I’m leaving Saturday to take a train to a Western Ukraine city to film the first installment and I will “play” a foreigner in need of a translator at a castle. The girl will be there because her friends are in on the gig. I hope to get a tape to show people at home.
I’ll write full details about the trip and the scenario after it airs, as I’d hate to somehow ruin the surprise before hand. I hope she wants to be proposed to!
Over and out,
wlu
xoxo
Hello world.
It’s a beautiful spring Thursday in Kyiv, before the first of three holiday weekends this May. Now that I’ve told my family, close friends and Peace Corps, I am happy to announce that Christopher, who moved to Ukraine last July to be with me, and I are engaged. We hope to marry this July in Colorado.
Christopher is teaching English at two private schools to adults and editing a daily e-newspaper. I’m so proud of the way he’s adapted and thrived here and that he would leave behind a good life in Colorado for the vagaries and uncertainty of life and work in Ukraine of all places, speaks to his great intelligence and spirit for adventure. Obviously, I’m a big fan.
If I can be indulged a moment, I’ll tell the story of the proposal. Under subterfuge, Christopher took me to Mariinsky Park, where we run some mornings, to a spot overlooking the Dnipro and Podil neighborhood, a pretty neighborhood that wasn’t bombed during WWII and therefore has older buildings intact. When we arrived to that spot, he bent down on one knee and produced a velvet box w/ a beautiful, emerald-cut, 2 carat garnet set in white gold ring. I said ok to his question.
Thanks for allowing me a mushy moment in this very public place. We’re in the process of getting his security clearance for Peace Corps to allow the marriage and otherwise enjoying our lives here as always.
One more story, a quirkier one. I have been asked to appear on a reality TV show called “Everything for You.” The premise of this show is for guys (occasionally girls) to set up an elaborate ruse by which to propose in a very public way to their beloved. Sometimes girls say no and it’s just awful to watch, but isn’t all reality TV? It’s a train wreck we can’t seem to turn away from.
The show’s representative, Lena, claims to have been recommended me by someone at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the government agency where all foreigners living here are required to be registered. I’m leaving Saturday to take a train to a Western Ukraine city to film the first installment and I will “play” a foreigner in need of a translator at a castle. The girl will be there because her friends are in on the gig. I hope to get a tape to show people at home.
I’ll write full details about the trip and the scenario after it airs, as I’d hate to somehow ruin the surprise before hand. I hope she wants to be proposed to!
Over and out,
wlu
xoxo
07 April 2004
Some days, I have a story to tell without much preamble or background.
Many days I walk during lunch along Kreshiatik Street, which is a wide boulevard and the main downtown thoroughfare. There are many stores along it and the only way to cross the street is via underground passageways, where people sell food, clothes, souvenirs.
Right before Maidan Nezoleznoshti (Independence Square), in front of the central Posht (Post Office), there are a group of young men who have an interesting entreprenuerial activity. They wield cameras and notepads, and approach people to take their picture, which they promise to mail later when it is developed. Almost everyday they approach me, "Deivushka, deivushka (girl - it's an acceptable form of address in Russian), let us take your picture." Sometimes I tell them I do not understand, which they then switch into pidgeon English, sometimes I just keep walking. I can gauge sometimes how I look that day by their interest, because I perceive them to be more likely to approach me when I'm lookin' good. :-)
In any case, it's a small business enterprise, if dubious, and it's better than the people who have monkeys, ponies or owls that one can take a photo with. Some friends and I decided that we ought to set up a business on such thoroughfares to charge people to take photos with a real, live American! We get stared at so much that we might as well make it pay.
That's it. It's a warm, spring day and I'm working on a press release, a newsletter, a website. This weekend is Orthodox Easter as well as "Catholic" Easter. Christopher and I will go to one of the churches to see the early morning service and enjoy the three day weekend.
Many days I walk during lunch along Kreshiatik Street, which is a wide boulevard and the main downtown thoroughfare. There are many stores along it and the only way to cross the street is via underground passageways, where people sell food, clothes, souvenirs.
Right before Maidan Nezoleznoshti (Independence Square), in front of the central Posht (Post Office), there are a group of young men who have an interesting entreprenuerial activity. They wield cameras and notepads, and approach people to take their picture, which they promise to mail later when it is developed. Almost everyday they approach me, "Deivushka, deivushka (girl - it's an acceptable form of address in Russian), let us take your picture." Sometimes I tell them I do not understand, which they then switch into pidgeon English, sometimes I just keep walking. I can gauge sometimes how I look that day by their interest, because I perceive them to be more likely to approach me when I'm lookin' good. :-)
In any case, it's a small business enterprise, if dubious, and it's better than the people who have monkeys, ponies or owls that one can take a photo with. Some friends and I decided that we ought to set up a business on such thoroughfares to charge people to take photos with a real, live American! We get stared at so much that we might as well make it pay.
That's it. It's a warm, spring day and I'm working on a press release, a newsletter, a website. This weekend is Orthodox Easter as well as "Catholic" Easter. Christopher and I will go to one of the churches to see the early morning service and enjoy the three day weekend.
18 March 2004
Tonight as I slowly walked up the escalator at Arsenalna metro at 20:30, returning home from tutoring and working, I realized that I wasn’t exhausted as I so often am by this time of night. I tried to remember the last time I thought to myself, I’m sooo tired, and felt it deep in my body and spirit and couldn’t remember!
I thought back through the winter, back to the previous spring when we’d just arrived and how tired I was during training, then a slight reprieve during the summer. I feel as if a fog has lifted. The weather has been warmer and the sun shines longer each day. I think maybe that in addition to having reached another level of acceptance and acculturation, just having the winter waning helps me. I have exercised through out the winter and tried to get the prescribed hour of natural light each day, but I think I may have been affected nonetheless by the season. And everyone says this was a mild winter!
Today as I walked outside in the 50F air, in the sunlight at 18:00, I remembered back to training in Brovary and how it seemed that every day I looked up another foot, literally looking up from watching the ground for the ubiquitous holes and mud puddles. How each time I looked up more, I saw something new, something I could read and understand, or a smiling child or even just a patch of blue sky. I remembered how much hope and comfort those small sights gave me. I thought of this because today in the light and warmth I felt myself looking up again.
I thought about how I’ve been wearing a brimmed hat all winter, a wonderful black velvet hat that Christopher’s Mom, Donna, sent me. It is a stylish and warm hat and keeps snow off my face. Now that the weather has freed me from that hat, and I’m no longer concentrating on the ice, I begin to see new things again. Today I noticed for the first time that the building where I meet my Russian tutor has a wonderful Soviet mural depicting people dancing, doing “labor” and sports. I saw new flowers in the underground passages where people set up tables selling goods. The babushkas have new produce. Even though the growing season hasn’t really started yet, there’s a hint of verdant things to come. It’s joyous, it’s the beginning of spring.
Sure, we may not yet be done with winter, but spring has shown itself and the end is in sight. We have made it! My first Ukrainian winter is writing its finale. Oh, thoughts of the market to come – berry season, the smell of strawberries hitting my nose as soon as I near the bazaar, then later watermelon. But I get ahead of myself. Today is just right. It’s this blessing I receive and I’m grateful.
love,
wendylu
I thought back through the winter, back to the previous spring when we’d just arrived and how tired I was during training, then a slight reprieve during the summer. I feel as if a fog has lifted. The weather has been warmer and the sun shines longer each day. I think maybe that in addition to having reached another level of acceptance and acculturation, just having the winter waning helps me. I have exercised through out the winter and tried to get the prescribed hour of natural light each day, but I think I may have been affected nonetheless by the season. And everyone says this was a mild winter!
Today as I walked outside in the 50F air, in the sunlight at 18:00, I remembered back to training in Brovary and how it seemed that every day I looked up another foot, literally looking up from watching the ground for the ubiquitous holes and mud puddles. How each time I looked up more, I saw something new, something I could read and understand, or a smiling child or even just a patch of blue sky. I remembered how much hope and comfort those small sights gave me. I thought of this because today in the light and warmth I felt myself looking up again.
I thought about how I’ve been wearing a brimmed hat all winter, a wonderful black velvet hat that Christopher’s Mom, Donna, sent me. It is a stylish and warm hat and keeps snow off my face. Now that the weather has freed me from that hat, and I’m no longer concentrating on the ice, I begin to see new things again. Today I noticed for the first time that the building where I meet my Russian tutor has a wonderful Soviet mural depicting people dancing, doing “labor” and sports. I saw new flowers in the underground passages where people set up tables selling goods. The babushkas have new produce. Even though the growing season hasn’t really started yet, there’s a hint of verdant things to come. It’s joyous, it’s the beginning of spring.
Sure, we may not yet be done with winter, but spring has shown itself and the end is in sight. We have made it! My first Ukrainian winter is writing its finale. Oh, thoughts of the market to come – berry season, the smell of strawberries hitting my nose as soon as I near the bazaar, then later watermelon. But I get ahead of myself. Today is just right. It’s this blessing I receive and I’m grateful.
love,
wendylu
05 March 2004
Here’s my day – I hope I it is interesting for you.
7:00 mobile phone alarm goes off, reset for 20 min. later. Think about my strange dream that involved the plane I was flying on being hit by a missile. Hawk was in it, which was nice.
7:20 get up, shuffle around
7:45 Christopher and I make it out the door to the cold, snowy morning, walk 4 blocks to the track at the Design and Technology University. Run for about 20 min. and decide we get extra points b/c of wind chill factor. Bird Man is there and it seems like he spends less time than usual in his speedos, pouring water over himself.
Return home, do stretches, pilates, drink coffee, shower, etc. Make it to the bus stop by 9:45, run to catch a trolley bus, then get off at Arsenalna metro stop, run to catch a marshrutka. Make it to IOM (http://www.iom.int) by 10:10, miraculously.
Since I’ve only been working there a little while, the guards at the door don’t know me yet, so I explain again that I work there. Upon arriving at the third floor (no lift), where I work, I see male co-workers running around with flowers – Monday is perhaps the second biggest holiday (first is New Years), “International” Woman’s Day (mainly celebrated in CIS). Since Monday is a national holiday and therefore a day off, the men are doing their duty on Friday. I’ve no sooner set down and said “hi” to my coworker Lisa-Jo, than Sergey, an attorney, presents me with three beautiful tulips. Flowers are presented in odd numbers on happy occasions, even numbers for funerals. Women’s day is observed by giving all women and girls in your life flowers, presents and chocolates. We also had an email from the “IOM Men” wishing us a happy woman’s day.
I worked from 10:00 until 14:00 at IOM, finishing up a proposal for ad agencies to bid on a big counter-trafficking information campaign on buses, trams, billboards as well as TV and radio PSA’s (public service announcements). Lisa-Jo, who is from South Africa, had a DVD that her brother produced from Christmas home movies and after watching that, I went to the bathroom for a cry, because I felt so homesick afterwards, even though it was someone else’s family in Africa.
After leaving IOM, I walked down Chreshiatik, the main street in Kyiv. IOM is located at one end of Chreshiatik, at Independence Square (Maidan Nezoleznoshti), and I walk to nearly the other end, to get to my other job, my original organization, CEUME. Not 15 seconds at my desk, and there’s Volodiya, our tech guy, who presents me with a cream colored rose and makes a short speech, wishing me love and happiness and success. Did I mention that one has to kiss the flower giver? Luckily Volodiya is nice, doesn’t smoke and isn’t lecherous.
I work for a couple of hours, testing our new website (nothing’s working, what is that programmer doing??), then find resources for the business English training that I’m teaching this evening on writing resumes and doing interviews. At 16:30 we have a staff meeting and after about 30 minutes of people reporting on work and upcoming events, our directors tell us that we’ll continue the meeting in the café downstairs. We go down to the restaurant which is in the next building and which has a black, pot-bellied pig as a mascot. It sleeps in the restaurant. This café is in a style very much in vogue in Kyiv, which I call “Early Village Fantasy.” It’s a kitschy rendition of what a “village” home would look like if a gay designer came in, cleaned up the 40 years of grime normally associated with rural life and put in little chachkies everywhere. There is more china on the wall than 5 families could use, lots of drawings of cows and robust women, gingham and lace adorn every edge. The salad bar is designed like a well – well, I could go on but I will spare you, gentle reader.
Anyway, Pavlito (of “vaginal American” fame) has a clipboard w/ a some writing scribbled on it and a big bucket of flowers waiting by our long table. The whole staff sits down, we’re brought a really nice Georgian red (I’m wishing at this point that I didn’t have to teach and could have more than sips). There’s a nice spread on the table of salads, meats, bread. After we have wine, Pavlo begins calling the ladies up one by one, and presenting us with a flower, and a brief poem about why each one is like her flower. They gave me carnations dyed red white and blue. I’ll let you figure that one out.
Then we ate and drank, and every so often a man would make a toast to the ladies. These toasts are lovely and ornate and I understand barely half, especially when in Ukrainian and not Russian. There was a funny discussion in Russian about the two words for “hot” – one is for things and one is for people. My coworker, Sveta, says that sometimes men can be “hot” using the word for things and it has the same meaning as in English. I say that sometimes men can also be delicious and by my colleague’s reactions, I think this might be dirtier than it is in English. Pavlito asks me if I understood the conversation if I knew what I’d said. I’ll have to ask my tutor is that was a faux paus. Apparently it was funny, because it was repeated several times around our table. Eventually I steal away to finish my prep work for the class and to go to the school.
I arrive at the school, greeted my other friend, Sveta, who runs and owns the English school. We make copies, I meet a teacher there who studied in Charlotte, NC for high school. The class goes well, they’re lively and we have a fun discussion, then I had them split into pairs to practice interviewing. They knew more than I thought they would about resumes and interviewing and it was interesting to hear about their experiences.
Afterwards, at 21:00, Sveta and I chatted for a while, and she gave me an enormous box of chocolates as a thank you for teaching the class. I told her she doesn’t have to give me chocolates every time I teach a class, but she just blinked enigmatically. I really must make hanging out w/ her a priority, because she is so cool. She’s someone I would like anywhere in the world, if that makes sense.
Now 22:30, I’m home, eating popcorn (thank you, Julie and Frieda!) and Christopher is reading his “graphic novel.” I’m so happy to be home and wearing my slippers and sipping a beer. I’m also so happy to have had the fortune to land in this country, to have found the work and people that I have. I’m not trying to pretty it up, I get tired and sometimes negative about this place, and I will mention without comment that the government shut down the Radio Free Europe station, sometimes I wish for the ease of America, but I always come back to being grateful. I guess when I stop that, if it happens, it’s time to book passage home.
love,
wlu
7:00 mobile phone alarm goes off, reset for 20 min. later. Think about my strange dream that involved the plane I was flying on being hit by a missile. Hawk was in it, which was nice.
7:20 get up, shuffle around
7:45 Christopher and I make it out the door to the cold, snowy morning, walk 4 blocks to the track at the Design and Technology University. Run for about 20 min. and decide we get extra points b/c of wind chill factor. Bird Man is there and it seems like he spends less time than usual in his speedos, pouring water over himself.
Return home, do stretches, pilates, drink coffee, shower, etc. Make it to the bus stop by 9:45, run to catch a trolley bus, then get off at Arsenalna metro stop, run to catch a marshrutka. Make it to IOM (http://www.iom.int) by 10:10, miraculously.
Since I’ve only been working there a little while, the guards at the door don’t know me yet, so I explain again that I work there. Upon arriving at the third floor (no lift), where I work, I see male co-workers running around with flowers – Monday is perhaps the second biggest holiday (first is New Years), “International” Woman’s Day (mainly celebrated in CIS). Since Monday is a national holiday and therefore a day off, the men are doing their duty on Friday. I’ve no sooner set down and said “hi” to my coworker Lisa-Jo, than Sergey, an attorney, presents me with three beautiful tulips. Flowers are presented in odd numbers on happy occasions, even numbers for funerals. Women’s day is observed by giving all women and girls in your life flowers, presents and chocolates. We also had an email from the “IOM Men” wishing us a happy woman’s day.
I worked from 10:00 until 14:00 at IOM, finishing up a proposal for ad agencies to bid on a big counter-trafficking information campaign on buses, trams, billboards as well as TV and radio PSA’s (public service announcements). Lisa-Jo, who is from South Africa, had a DVD that her brother produced from Christmas home movies and after watching that, I went to the bathroom for a cry, because I felt so homesick afterwards, even though it was someone else’s family in Africa.
After leaving IOM, I walked down Chreshiatik, the main street in Kyiv. IOM is located at one end of Chreshiatik, at Independence Square (Maidan Nezoleznoshti), and I walk to nearly the other end, to get to my other job, my original organization, CEUME. Not 15 seconds at my desk, and there’s Volodiya, our tech guy, who presents me with a cream colored rose and makes a short speech, wishing me love and happiness and success. Did I mention that one has to kiss the flower giver? Luckily Volodiya is nice, doesn’t smoke and isn’t lecherous.
I work for a couple of hours, testing our new website (nothing’s working, what is that programmer doing??), then find resources for the business English training that I’m teaching this evening on writing resumes and doing interviews. At 16:30 we have a staff meeting and after about 30 minutes of people reporting on work and upcoming events, our directors tell us that we’ll continue the meeting in the café downstairs. We go down to the restaurant which is in the next building and which has a black, pot-bellied pig as a mascot. It sleeps in the restaurant. This café is in a style very much in vogue in Kyiv, which I call “Early Village Fantasy.” It’s a kitschy rendition of what a “village” home would look like if a gay designer came in, cleaned up the 40 years of grime normally associated with rural life and put in little chachkies everywhere. There is more china on the wall than 5 families could use, lots of drawings of cows and robust women, gingham and lace adorn every edge. The salad bar is designed like a well – well, I could go on but I will spare you, gentle reader.
Anyway, Pavlito (of “vaginal American” fame) has a clipboard w/ a some writing scribbled on it and a big bucket of flowers waiting by our long table. The whole staff sits down, we’re brought a really nice Georgian red (I’m wishing at this point that I didn’t have to teach and could have more than sips). There’s a nice spread on the table of salads, meats, bread. After we have wine, Pavlo begins calling the ladies up one by one, and presenting us with a flower, and a brief poem about why each one is like her flower. They gave me carnations dyed red white and blue. I’ll let you figure that one out.
Then we ate and drank, and every so often a man would make a toast to the ladies. These toasts are lovely and ornate and I understand barely half, especially when in Ukrainian and not Russian. There was a funny discussion in Russian about the two words for “hot” – one is for things and one is for people. My coworker, Sveta, says that sometimes men can be “hot” using the word for things and it has the same meaning as in English. I say that sometimes men can also be delicious and by my colleague’s reactions, I think this might be dirtier than it is in English. Pavlito asks me if I understood the conversation if I knew what I’d said. I’ll have to ask my tutor is that was a faux paus. Apparently it was funny, because it was repeated several times around our table. Eventually I steal away to finish my prep work for the class and to go to the school.
I arrive at the school, greeted my other friend, Sveta, who runs and owns the English school. We make copies, I meet a teacher there who studied in Charlotte, NC for high school. The class goes well, they’re lively and we have a fun discussion, then I had them split into pairs to practice interviewing. They knew more than I thought they would about resumes and interviewing and it was interesting to hear about their experiences.
Afterwards, at 21:00, Sveta and I chatted for a while, and she gave me an enormous box of chocolates as a thank you for teaching the class. I told her she doesn’t have to give me chocolates every time I teach a class, but she just blinked enigmatically. I really must make hanging out w/ her a priority, because she is so cool. She’s someone I would like anywhere in the world, if that makes sense.
Now 22:30, I’m home, eating popcorn (thank you, Julie and Frieda!) and Christopher is reading his “graphic novel.” I’m so happy to be home and wearing my slippers and sipping a beer. I’m also so happy to have had the fortune to land in this country, to have found the work and people that I have. I’m not trying to pretty it up, I get tired and sometimes negative about this place, and I will mention without comment that the government shut down the Radio Free Europe station, sometimes I wish for the ease of America, but I always come back to being grateful. I guess when I stop that, if it happens, it’s time to book passage home.
love,
wlu
26 January 2004
A quick check in on this frosty Monday. Lately the weather has been gray, snowy each day. The trees are pretty and covered in ice and children look healthy with red cheeks and brightly colored hats. It is slowly getting lighter a little longer each day, but still it is difficult for me to get up at 7am when it is pretty much pitch black.
Today I ran at my local track and some of the "Soviet calistenics" folks were there, including a guy Christopher and I dubbed "the Bird Man" due to his penchant for standing in the middle of the soccer field surrounded by pidgeons, wearing only his speedo and holding a 6 liter jug of water.
Anyway, there he was today, wearing only his speedos and a smile! Barefoot!! I laughed out loud - crazy Slavs! His birds, however, are smarter and are lately to be found huddled over warm manhole covers.
I promise to write about my holiday travels soon! In the meantime, keep warm and don't forget to vote in your primaries, then get ready for Nov. 2! And, read www.michaelmoore.com for an eloquent essay that explains why I'll be voting for Wes Clark on that date. Remember, Regime Change Begins at Home!
xo,
wlu
Today I ran at my local track and some of the "Soviet calistenics" folks were there, including a guy Christopher and I dubbed "the Bird Man" due to his penchant for standing in the middle of the soccer field surrounded by pidgeons, wearing only his speedo and holding a 6 liter jug of water.
Anyway, there he was today, wearing only his speedos and a smile! Barefoot!! I laughed out loud - crazy Slavs! His birds, however, are smarter and are lately to be found huddled over warm manhole covers.
I promise to write about my holiday travels soon! In the meantime, keep warm and don't forget to vote in your primaries, then get ready for Nov. 2! And, read www.michaelmoore.com for an eloquent essay that explains why I'll be voting for Wes Clark on that date. Remember, Regime Change Begins at Home!
xo,
wlu
20 January 2004
A quick note to let any of you still holding on and reading my occasional postings that I have several exciting episodes coming up! I have to tell you about Thanksgiving in Prague (super duper!), Christmas in Krakow (amazing!), New Year's in the Carpathians (spectacular!) and a few other ditties. Right now, I'm in a language refresher conference with Peace Corps and am getting in touch with my inner language geek. I heart studying this darned language.
Hope you all are enjoying the New Year and Happy Year of the Monkey in advance! Wish you all could come to my Chinese New Year party on Fri. - see www.evite.com and search using my email for details if you're curious!
xo,
wlu
Hope you all are enjoying the New Year and Happy Year of the Monkey in advance! Wish you all could come to my Chinese New Year party on Fri. - see www.evite.com and search using my email for details if you're curious!
xo,
wlu
