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.