Poppies.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

Usually during the days leading up to Memorial Day I buy a fake poppy flower from the veterans who sit outside the grocery store. Mum always gets one to remember her family and friends who defended our country in many wars. Now I buy them to remember my family and friends.

This Memorial Day was a little different … it came and went as most days do around here. I took a few moments early in the morning to think about what the day would hold for my family and friends back home, but I did not buy a poppy flower. I missed it.

Sometimes when I miss little things from home, I can turn a corner and come face to face with something that reminds me a little bit of that thing. Today was no different. I have enjoyed the thought of these poppies since I saw them this morning …

FYI.

I just wanted to shout at the top of my lungs to the whole world (this will just have to do) ... I HAVE HOT WATER!!

I heard that the hot water was back across town and so I checked at my flat. Sure enough, I have hot water too! It is about ten days early and I am so excited about it! If you can imagine ... I am doing a happy dance in my kitchen right now, haha. Do not get me wrong, I was going along just fine. I was toughening up and showering without any warm water, but I am excited about clothes washed in hot water and warm water to shave. Mostly, I am excited that doing the dishes will return to just doing the dishes rather than the monstrosity of a job they are without hot water.

Wow! What a great day!

On Wednesday?

Sunday flowers on Wednesday?! I am getting ahead - not falling behind. Haha. I have been unable to figure out (via conversation and the internet) what kind of flower this is. I thought they were unusual and kinda cool.

A Regular Day.

It is shaping up to be a regular day. Nothing crazy, nothing unique - but I love the days as they become routine for me. It is nice that not everything is a first (though there are still plenty). Life is shaping into normal here and I am enjoying that.

Last night we had a thunder storm (which is actually unusual around here) and it was fun to sit in my kitchen with my house mate ... first making dinner and studying Russian, then making cookies and studying Russian all while listening to it storm outside.

Sunday evening I was walking home from dinner and I realised it was still light outside at 845pm and it made me smile.

One the way home from an errand downtown a few days ago, I ran into the аптека (apteka) to grab some lotion, conditioner and a few other random things. As I was walking down the street with my bag, I smiled at how normal doing that felt.

I laughed at myself last week when I was on my way home from the seminary - I was thirsty and still had about a fifteen minute walk left before I got home, so I stopped and bought a juice box. Then I just walked along, drinking my orange juice, just like the nationals do! I think at that point I felt a little bit like I had arrived.

Maybe all the sunshine and warm temperatures are the reason for all of this - or maybe I am just finally seeing all of the blessings in my life.

Done.

Monday evening was my last English class for the semester. I am sad that the class is over because I really enjoyed getting to know these girls and to have a scheduled time each week to see them. I taught the Upper Intermediate class and ended up with just girls about two weeks in. I enjoyed just having the girls ... they are a funny bunch.

For our last lesson I did not plan a structured lesson, but instead made the girls give speeches and ask each other questions and then we shared tea and cookies. I also let them ask me questions. I told them they could ask me any question and I would answer it - I am not sure that was such a good idea! Haha.

They had a few questions about life in America, but we actually spent most of the time talking about our standards for future husbands?! Man, I thought I had high standards! I loved getting to hear about their ideas of what they wanted in some one to love, what they thought marriage should look like and what kind of respect they required from others. Sometimes I feel like life and people are so different here, then I have a conversation like this and realise that we are not so different after all.

They also asked about how I decided to come to Ukraine and I was able to share quite a bit of the back story with them. They seemed to be genuinely interested in my story and I am hoping that it will have an impact on them in some way. I have been able to do a few things with some of the girls outside of class time and I am hoping that this will continue. They are a neat group of women and I will miss them on Monday nights.

Parks And Recreation.

A, Me and A's friend U

I am quickly learning that the phrase "short excursion" when said by a Ukrainian friend means much more than a brief time out. I am excited that it is getting more popular with me - and a phrase I will gladly hear and accept often! I love to take excursions with my friends and it is always most fun to go places with nationals who love this city. My friend A is no exception.

I met A when she enrolled in my English class in March. Since then she and I have had a few adventures together, struggled to communicate and been able to enjoy one another's company. A is a break dancer, completely fashionable and totally классная (cool). The last time I went on a short excursion with A it turned into a five hour marathon walking tour of all the parks and overlooks around Kyiv. It was so much fun! Haha. Plus, I got meet her friend U. The pictures below are A's favourite views of the city - some of them are mine as well. I really loved looking over the harbour. She says for our next excursion we should go to the beach on the river ... haha.

Chicken.

I am such a chicken when it comes to doing things that I am not sure I can do perfectly. I hate failing at things. Yes, I understand this is a character flaw ... I am working on it.

I cannot decide if Russian brings out the worst of this in me or if in some deranged way it is helping to cure me. What I do know is that today I failed at overcoming.

I was sitting at lunch with a group of women I do not normally sit with; I knew that three of the five did not speak English at all and I was not sure about the other two. For a while, I was content to sit and eat lunch without saying a word. As lunch was winding down the table began to clear out ... I was left sitting with one girl. I had been introduced to her sometime ago, but of course I could not remember her name (as I type this I remember her name, geez ... a little late). We sat there finishing up lunch in complete silence. It was not that I did not want to talk to her - I just had no idea how to say "I am sorry, I know we have been introduced, but I cannot remember what your name is. I am Susanna, you are?" I knew how to tell her what my name was, but it takes a lot of extra hand gestures to go from me giving you unsolicited information about myself to you giving me information about yourself without speaking the same language. So I just sat there - eating. Eating and going over and over in my head how I would say things to her - you know - if I were brave enough to just try to talk to her. I then moved on to arguing with myself about actually talking to her. I could have asked if she spoke English, but I did not want her to assume that I was not willing to speak Russian or that I somehow thought English was better. I could have asked how she was, but then what would I do if she did not speak English? It is amazing how many justifications I can come up with for not talking to someone when all I really want is to talk to them.

In the end, she finished her lunch and I finished mine. We cleared our dishes to the kitchen and parted ways. I could not even bring myself to interject a "good-bye" because at that point I was simply ashamed at my lack of ability to speak Russian and my failure to even try.

Mmmm.

Because I know you are all interested ... tonight was the night. I ate a little bit (little being the operative word here) of home grown lettuce with dinner tonight. There was enough for each of us to put two pieces of lettuce on our tortillas(side note: we cannot get tortillas here so M made some fresh ones)! It was quite yummy - I also ate a piece by itself so I could taste it to see if it was actually good.
I promise to stop posting so much about food and get back to writing about the "real" things I do here ... but really, I like food. Haha. I just cannot end this post without showing the miniature cherry's I bought today. They are about the size of a pistachio nut and quite good.

Wowza!

The little lettuce garden is getting a little big! M and I are planning a salad eating party sometime in the next week - hopefully, it will taste as good as it looks. I think when we start the new seedlings we are actually going to try them in a pot and see how that goes. I guess lettuce in my room is a fixture I will be getting used to ... haha.

Too Many Lilacs?

Can you have to many pictures of flowers?! Specifically lilacs?! If anyone could, it would be me. If there were ever a place to facilitate such a thing it would be Kyiv Botanical Gardens during the last weeks of May. My housemate, J, is leaving Kyiv on Saturday to return to America and she really wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens to see the lilacs. On Tuesday night we all piled into the metro and headed out.

The Gardens were beautiful. I have been hearing for some time now ... "just wait till the botanical gardens are in bloom with the lilacs" ... they sure did not disappoint. I tried to narrow down the pictures ... so as not to bore you all with a hundred pictures of what looks like the same lilac tree!

The views across the river are looking from the left side of the Dnieper River to the right side (where I live). And of course, being such wonderful children that we all are - we took turns having someone take our obligatory "for Mum picture."

Cold Water.

They told me this day would come … except they said it would not come until August. I suppose the yearly pipe cleaners decided to clean early so they could go on holiday with everyone else in August. Makes sense, right?!

In Ukraine hot water is supplied to each flat, building and home in a communal manner - meaning that the water is heated at a big tank somewhere in the neighborhood and then pumped into each flat. The water distribution pipes are pretty archaic and are difficult to maintain (so I am told, not that I have a lot of experience with piping systems). Prior to arriving in Kyiv, I had been told the hot months of summer meant it was time for the annual профилактические меры по трубам (preventative measures on the pipes). For several weeks the hot water is shut off to a neighborhood and sometimes all the water is shut off so that the pipes can be “cleaned and maintained.” Whatever that exactly means. For the next thirty or so days, I will have no hot water and occasionally no water at all.

I took my first real cold shower last night and it was not so bad … once my lips turned blue and my skin was completely frozen! After a run this morning I took another shower and it is truly amazing how when cold air blows over wet skin, cold water seems warm. Haha. I did decide that it was not worth muscle tightening shivering to wash my hair without a little warm water so I took one pot of boiled water to the shower with me.

I should be glad that they have chosen to shut the water off in May rather than August – the weather is still cool and there is only moderate sweating done during a normal day. However, I can already tell a difference in body odor levels on the metro. I guess if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em! Haha. I can make accommodations for showers and hair washing and doing a little less of both (and giving up shaving completely) should save quite a bit of time during my morning.

So while you are enjoying a nice warm shower, think of me and ENJOY IT!

Just Cause.

I am not the greatest with computers and technology ... so I was pleased with myself when I finally figured a way to outsmart some of Ukraine's content issues on the internet. I can now listen to my favourite radio station from home! Yippee!
Now, if only I could figure out a way to unblock youtube and some American television shows, I would be making real progress! Given time, I might be ablet o figure it out.

In Bloom.

The lilacs are starting to bloom ... big time! They are beautiful and in so many shades of white, pink and purple. I have been told that the botanical gardens will be full of them in the next few weeks, but for now I enjoy passing bushes with bowing limbs full of fragrant blooms. Ahhhh.

The Neighborhood.

I decided that today was a good day to give a pictorial tour of my neighborhood. I have been waiting for a nice day - you know, the kind that includes sun and no snow. Actually, the winter weather has been gone for about a month and a half now, but in just about the last two weeks the trees have started to grow everything is green. As I was walking, being purposeful about taking pictures I really noticed how different things look with green trees, grass, flowers and sun. It is quite a contrast from the colourless winter.

I hope you enjoy seeing some of the sights I see daily.

This is right out the door of my building, standing on the stairs.

That is the address plate on my building. It says Street Vishnakivska in Ukrainian. In Russian it would be Vishnakovska. Seriously.

This is the corner market that I use alot. It is called ADC (which is actually ARS). Yep, I am not going to lie ... there are a lot of jokes around my flat with that one. It never fails if you say you are going to A-R-S, someone will giggle and say "you mean to arse?!" I always look for moments of humour in life and this place is a great source of laughter. The people who run it are nice and they generally have a good supply of juice, cheese and fruit. This is the view down the west side of the two mile circle around my neighborhood. The road here is pretty much a boarder between us and the treatment plant and lake(ish).
Same side of the neighborhood, looking across the road.
This is the entrance to my Metro stop: Kharkivska. I actually live right between two stops, but this is the one I usually use. Mostly because leaving from this stop gives me a better chance to get a seat on the ride into town.
Once again, the sign is in Ukrainian. In the Metro stations people sell things; some of them have actual booths or magazines (shops) and others just stake a claim to a spot along the way (like this lady) and sell whatever they have. They sell things from flowers to potatoes to pantyhose (and a million other things).
This lovely place is a recent addition outside the Metro. I will admit that every time I come and go from the Metro, I see this and smile. A little bit of home. Actually, there are quite a number of casinos and gambling halls here - the Imperia just happens to have a lovely picture of Las vegas on it.
This is one of the many Apteka's in the neighborhood. This is where I go to buy things like laundry detergent, lotion, soap, shampoo and conditioner, etc. Some of the things can be found in the supermarket (where you buy food) but most of the non-food products are at the apteka not the supermarket. Apteka's are also the only place to get pharmaceuticals.
You can see the green roofed building ... that is an Orthodox Church. I pass it every Sunday on my way to church.
Random torched Lada (Ukraine's national car, haha) that has been sitting there almost since I arrived.
Another street sign with my street name on it (the one on top).
This is the chicken shack. They sell rotiserie chicken here, which is actually quite good. The chickens are a little skinny and I have to peel and de-bone it, but it is still good. This is also the landmark meeting place for anyone coming to pick me up. It is about a three to four minute walk from my door to the chicken shack and it offers a quick place to hop in the car. My friend S lives in the building directly behind the building, so she is not to far from me.One of the many marshutka stops. I do not use this particular one very often as there is one right outside my front door (they all look the same). This one is at the intersection opposite the chicken shack.
And back to my front door. The lower portion of my building can be seen in the picture. My building is fourteen stories. I live on the seventh floor. My building has (at my best guess) about 168 flats. Each flat has two or three rooms. Generally multiple families live in one flat (meaning multiple generations/sibling combos). If you guess that there are about four to six people in each flat ... well, I will let you do the math.

And that is the neighborhood.

Flowers.

From home.

In case it was not obvious, home has been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe it is because I just realised I have been here three months or because B is moving or summer is here and I have begun to be aware of the weddings, graduations and family functions I will be missing. I suppose it could be a combination of all of these and several more.

Mum sends me pictures of the flowering plants in the yard and I had to laugh when these pictures came. How different desert flowers are from flowers here! They are certainly unique. I suppose this is true of me. I have always gotten comments about how much I talk to my family, how I should be able to get by without being constantly involved with them and wanting to fill them in on my life. Sometimes I wonder if these comments are right. Then I think to myself - "nawh, I am okay with it." Haha. I know what a blessing it is to be close to my family ... for them to be more than my family ... to be my friends. I am thankful for a time when I can instantly communicate with them any time (except for the little time difference, haha!). Even though I cannot hug them like I might want to, I can share in their lives and them in mine.

Just as there is unique beauty in desert flowers - there is unique beauty in the relationship I have with my family.

Today I ...

Miss these people.

What Better Way To Kick Off A Month.

Than with a new pair of shoes, of course!

You knew that it would not be long before I caved and bought some new shoes ... I found these at a shop in the рынок (renok, small market). I saw them in the morning when I was walking through on my own - I could not decide ... should I .... should I not? I did not straight away. I went back later in the afternoon with my shopping buddies because I needed a second opinion. After going back and forth with the shop owner trying to get the right size; there was a huge issues trying to figure out if she was asking about the shoes (referring to the ones on my feet) or the shoes (referring to the ones still on the shelf); I finally bought them ... even though they are a size 235!

That is another interesting thing about trying to shop here. I not only have to figure out how to communicate what I want, but I also have to figure out what size I need. That depends on where the item came from - all of the size scales are different depending on what country it came from. Oh the joys!

I guess I will just have to buy more shoes till I get it figured out ...