Oh boy!
A few weeks ago, I moved into my new apartment. It is in a wonderful location, and I am making it a bit more home-y. Here are some of the highlights...
"Oh boy" sounds like Russian for wallpaper, which after I got over an illness the first week I was in my new one room apartment, is what I did with my weekend. I think it looks good and I was quite proud of myself.
A Kolonka is what makes hot water, with an open gas flame; you never run out of hot water, as long as you just don't run out of water. It didn't work too well at the beginning, but now it works great as long as there is enough water pressure to get more than just the pilot light on.
Speaking of water, I wanted to live in the center because water is supposed to run there during the whole day (most of the city only has it from 5-10 in the morning and evening), but my landlady who lives two doors down, and assured me that I had it the whole day (they even have a word in Ukrainian that means a 24 hour period) must have never noticed that it goes off between midnight and 5am.
My bed is a divan, very ingenious in how it folds into a bed, but a bit annoying when you do it everyday.
Those speckles in the pattern on my kitchen floor came up with a little elbow grease. At first, I thought 'what low quality flooring' but then I realized that they aren't part of the pattern at all. EWW!
And, one of my biggest requests along with the water, was to be able to throw toilet paper in the toilet. Well, I forgot to ask in this apartment (probably because I was so awestruck with its superiority over the others), and the answer is no. I forget sometimes, but no problems yet, knock on wood, and it isn't so bad as I thought.
Naked Introductions
I went to the gym the other day. I was feeling a bit under the weather emotionally and physically after Sando left on the 4th; plus, I have been the guest to 10 holiday parties since he left (at least 3 of which I could not POSSIBLY have had anything else to eat or drink, much to the disappointment of my hosts), so I thought some exercise would do me well. This was my first trip to this gym. Although the owner has invited me several times, my schedule and the weather have kept me away. It is a nice gym, and the owner felt compelled to have one of his buddies set up a routine for me. This wasn�t exactly what I had in mind, but the guy was nice and he did a good job, so I followed him around.
Well, he finished his routine before we had finished mine, so he told me the last few steps and then headed off to the sauna after inviting me to follow. The sauna is a much more normal way, than a gym, for Ukrainians to deal with stress and health, but I was unaware that this facility had both. I have not been to the sauna yet, because frankly, I am scared. Maybe intimidated would be a better word. I have heard many stories of extreme sweating in sweltering rooms, followed by jumping in ice water or snow, and then beating each other with birch saplings � all in your birthday suit (all true, or at least corroborated by many American reliable sources). None of this really sounds like much fun to me so I have avoided the experience. But Ukrainians hold these things almost sacred. I was a bit unprepared for the invitation at the gym.
I dawdled with my last few exercises trying to decide what to do. I had mostly come to the decision to just sneak out and feign misunderstanding when I saw my new acquaintance the next time (this is all too often not a feint), but he came out to check on me (clad in a towel) because I was taking so long and thought I might have misunderstood. He said just knock on the door when I was ready. Well I finished up, leaving 2other guys in the workout room, they had been the only others I had seen the whole time. I knocked and prepared to make some excuse when a different man answered the door. I was quickly ushered in and the bolt was thrown behind me. Locks are rather uncommon inside buildings in Ukraine (like on bathrooms) and I am still not sure why this door had one. There I stood... with 2 new, genial, stark-naked strangers... my new friend no where in sight. I know I had a total deer-in-headlights look as they introduced themselves (again a rather peculiar event, to introduce yourself. And besides, where did they come from?!) I am sure it was the first time that I have made the acquaintance of a naked person. I was trying to do the whole eye-level, urinal conversation protocol, but this is very difficult when you must shake someone�s hand.
I was pointed to where I should hang my clothes, which I actually contemplated doing for a moment, but then as I pondered where to put my glasses and what I was supposed to do without shower shoes (a very usual and useful item here), the whole disrobing in front of strangers to do something I was not interested in, overwhelmed me. I panicked. I retied my shoes; said in my best Ukrainian, �I�ll be right back;� and quickly went into the other room, put on my coat, and left. Not quite knowing proper sauna etiquette, I am not sure how odd my behavior was, nor do I know what I will say to any of these men when I meet them again (which is virtually inevitable), but I am curious if the other two men still working out saw my emphatic expression and gesture to myself as I crossed the room...
I hate lying.
The Festive Season
Having survived Christmas eve (January 6th, in the Orthodox calendar), which has striking similarities to our Halloween, I was then faced with two HUGE and delicious meals on Christmas. I ate so much that I had difficulty sleeping that night, much as when I have drunk too much, but this for once, was not the case. We then celebrated St. Maria's on the 8th and St. Stephan's on the 9th. Having friends and relatives with all these names means all the more the drinking and celebrating. By this fourth day, they finally got me good and drunk (I actually tried drunk-dialing several of you this night, which I think is my first parlay into that activity. I was afraid to lie down because I thought the room would start spinning).
It took them 4 days, but Stephan is no slouch when it comes to hospitality. Not to mention I thought this was going to be a casual bar-b-cue as we started with a beer in the backyard as we grilled; then we toasted at the beginning of the meal with champagne, and the food kept coming; it is amazing how fast the bubbles accelerate the effects of all (frequent and) subsequent vodka shots.
The following Monday, I actually got to work, and it was such a relief. Then was Old New Year (by the old Slavic calendar, on the 14th). I had forgot that I had accepted an invitation weeks before. Otherwise I had thought of going to spend the day and night at the orphanage in a neighboring town where I sometimes visit. I think I would have been there for the wrong reasons though.
I did turn down on Old New Year's Eve with a church organization. What do you say when the priest's wife says, "come to our party; you can go to your friends after! We won't be out late. We will start at 8pm and should be done by 2."
SANDO'S POST
And today we have a visiting lecturer. Jason Sando is fresh back to the United States after 10 days in Ukraine.
My time in Ukraine was a fun and interesting experience. (As most travels turn out to be when you have a good friend with you.) Ukraine is not like the United States. (Which is good because if it were, visiting would be boring.) What I am trying to say is that it is exactly all of these differences that made everyday a battle for little-ol�-American-me. To sum it up, I would say this, "Everything in the Ukraine works, just not at all the way I thought it would." Now, I am not a sissy, in fact I consider myself quite tough, but by the end of every day I was worn out. From all the learning, and walking, and bumping, and trudging, and drinking, and drinking, and drinking and eating and drinking more and trying to translate and not understanding�it can take a toll on a fellow�but for Mr. John Sheetz it seems it is a walk in the snow covered park. (Where there happens to be squirrels with very hairy ears.) So, if I was that worn out after a mere ten days, can you imagine doing it for over 2 years! Probably not. (And if you say you can imagine it then you are either a delusional liar who lies to one�s self and probably others, or you are made of the same sturdy moral fabric as John, and for that I commend you, though until you go to Ukraine as a volunteer I will still think you are a little bit of a liar.) Now, I would like to tell anyone reading this that all of the above was not written to tell about my trip in Ukraine, it was written to put into perspective just exactly how demanding of a situation John is in and how selfless and good of a person John is. When I asked John about why he was doing it, he basically said that he wanted to make a difference. And John really does try to make a difference; he works very hard informing and educating the youth of Ukraine, I mean he already speaks the language for crying out loud. A new language in less than 10 months is no easy task. Now, as if traveling halfway around the world to volunteer to help kids in a world where almost everything is foreign to you isn�t enough, John one day informs me that he is worried that he won�t make a difference, or he isn�t doing enough. He says to me that he hopes he isn�t like some of those other volunteers who only come to the Peace Corp for a free chance to live overseas. In fact, I think when he wasn�t working he felt guilty, as if he should be doing more! (After he informed me of his uncertainties I debated telling him the whole story about the pebble in the lake and all those ripples where caused by one little pebble�blah..blah..blah, or just hitting him upside his doubtful head, instead I drank more vodka.) So I think the point I am trying to make is that John wants to make a difference in the world, and for the next couple of years almost every action he has will be done for the good of others. That is something to think about because most people don�t know someone who is truly selfless, so selfless that he would continually doubt himself and ask if he can give more of himself away. So I don� know what any ready should take away from this, but just remember what John is doing and be proud to know him, I know I am.
Holiday Season
Well, the holiday season is rolling along nicely. Sando came in, without complications on Christmas. We took the fast train to Poltava, and had a wonderful time with our host, Erin Green. Then we tramped from East to West across Ukraine, celebrating all along the way with our newly adopted countrymen... especially on New Year's.
New Year's is celebrated in much the same way as most other Ukrainian holidays, big tables with LOTS of food and drink. Sando's favorite is Vodka with peppers and honey. Then at midnight, the President makes an address after which everyone runs outside to set off an astrononmical amount of personal firework displays. The amount of fire power purchaseable at the bazaar would definitely not be legal at home. Many times in the last few days, we have been walking around and heard things that sound more powerful than handguns. Much fun was had by all that night, and Jason and I kept our heads covered for the biggest, brightest (and clostest) funs.
Today, I have seen him off, На жаль (unfortunately), but perhaps he will come again, and you too, Rella. Everyone reading is always welcome; just get yourself here, I will take care of the rest, and there are plenty of holidays to go around. In just this season, we still have the Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th, and then Old New Year's on the 14th. So come on over and enjoy the hospitality...
And сандо, I have looked forward to your coming for months, and it was so much more fun than I even imagined. You are a great friend, and it means so much to me that you came. Thank you and happy trails.
