tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58361216272407571092024-03-13T04:46:29.825+02:00My Kiev JournalMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-53479214361610358052008-06-22T16:40:00.000+03:002008-06-22T16:58:43.593+03:00Health Care Options.Different people come to Kiev and to Ukraine for different reasons. And different people have different health care needs. If you are "legally" employed in Ukraine, you may be covered, although you also might not be. If you are not covered, an employer may make up for that lack of coverage.<br /><br />Since there are a number of conditions that must be met before you are covered under the universal healthcare given to Ukraine citizens, what are your options if you don't qualify? But before I continue, a disclaimer. I am speaking from personal experience and therefore may not be aware of many requirements and other options available. And I am not familiar with all the requirements of the law. That said, let's continue.<br /><br />To remain in the country legally, you are required at minimum to purchase what could best be described as catastrophic coverage. This will cover life threatening events only. But at a cost of around $100 USD, it is not a burden for most. But this will not cover more routine medical needs. So, where to go next?<br /><br />Although probably not an inclusive list, the options that most foreigners opt for come down to AMC - The American Medical Center, Boris, and a pay-as-you-go plan. Now, my main goal here is to let the reader know that there are options available. But I can't even begin to elaborate the similarities and differences between the various options, but here is a quick synopsis.<br /><br /><strong>AMC - Pros:</strong><br /><ul><li>Various insurance plans available.</li><li>English speaking Doctors, often foreign.</li></ul><strong>AMC - Cons:</strong><br /><ul><li>A policy buys you less overall coverage than other policies would. ($10,000 USD). Overall this is not as bad as one might imagine, since your healthcare dollars go a lot further here.</li><li>One location only.</li></ul><strong>Boris - Pros:</strong><br /><ul><li>Higher overall medical coverage available for a similar cost ($30,000 USD).</li><li>English speaking translators available.</li><li>Uses the best available local medical talent.</li></ul><strong>Boris - Cons:</strong><br /><ul><li>The English speaking translators may not be fluent in medical terminology.</li><li>Only two locations.</li></ul><strong>Pay-as-you-go - Pros:</strong><br /><ul><li>No expenses incurred until you need to see a doctor.</li><li>Good quality care possible at minimal cost.</li></ul><strong>Pay-as-you-go - Cons:</strong><br /><ul><li>Forget about any language other than Russian or Ukrainian.</li><li>You need an Ukrainian with insider knowledge of the system to guide you to the best doctors.</li></ul>So, what have I used up to now? I've had the catastrophic coverage the government requires, but have never needed that. Beyond that, I've had coverage through Boris, and the pay-as-you-go system. I will write more about my experiences there in upcoming posts. Since I recently gained residency, I now have the same universal healthcare available to me that the average Ukrainian receives. Which is not always a good thing, but it is better than nothing at all.<br /><br />More on my healthcare experiences in upcoming posts.<br /><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/health care" rel="tag">health care</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-7011134595354313702008-05-13T16:11:00.009+03:002008-05-13T16:52:39.684+03:00Victory Day - May 9th 2008May 9th is the day the people in East Europe celebrate their victory over fascism and Nazi Germany. Being from the states, I figured it would be more than just a Memorial Day or Veterans Day, but didn't quite know what to expect. Here then are a few of my photos of Victory Day, with a bit of commentary on the side.<br /><br />Larger versions of these photos will be posted over the next few days at my photoblog. <a href="http://mattsh.aminus3.com/">http://mattsh.aminus3.com/</a><br /><br />Arrival of Political Parties - I saw a number of the political parties arrive to pay their respects, but did not see representatives of the three largest parties. Not to say they were not there. They may have arrived and left before I got there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2314/2486524944_5923fd6f3f.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2314/2486524944_5923fd6f3f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An Officer and a Priest - The juxtaposition between the military and the clergy struck me, but then, there was enough suffering going around during WW2 for everybody to honor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2486525454_9b14a0205d.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2486525454_9b14a0205d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A Wall of Flowers - I have never seen so many flowers in one place in my life. By the end of the day, they were 4 feet high and 4 feet deep in some areas. There were at least several hundred thousand flowers left around town, if not a million or more.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2361/2485704273_db8bedc418.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2361/2485704273_db8bedc418.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A Female Veteran - The young man at the left of the picture was reading something to her from that slip of paper, but not being too terribly fluent in the language, I don't know what was said. I do know she started crying afterwards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2486535690_a567ae87d6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2486535690_a567ae87d6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A New Friend - My wife and I were going to check on our son, when this veteran stopped us and offered us a drink. My wife wanted to continue on, but I thought it was a good idea to stop and have a shot of cognac and some chocolate with him and a few friends. After a brief conversation, my wife found out that a relative of her late grandfather may be eligible for additional pension benefits. Lesson Learned. Don't waste an opportunity to have a drink and converse with a veteran. You might learn something valuable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/2485716817_4dc46ff139.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/2485716817_4dc46ff139.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />More pictures here... <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattsh/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattsh/</a><br /><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: left; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/History" rel="tag">History</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Photoblog" rel="tag">Photoblog</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Photos" rel="tag">Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Victory%20Day" rel="tag">Victory Day</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-86273400480921361722008-04-14T09:44:00.002+03:002008-04-14T09:45:27.635+03:00Working in Ukraine.Even though things in general still cost less here than in many parts of the world, unless one is independently wealthy (I wish!!), you will at some point have to deal with making some money. It's not <em>that</em> cheap here. Although there are any number of jobs available for people who know English, including the ever popular "English Teacher, Native Speaker", there are other options. But finding them can be a daunting task if you don't know where to start and you don't know the local language. So, here are a few places you can start. These websites, although mostly in the Ukrainian and/or Russian, have numerous job listings looking for people who know English, and so these jobs are often posted in English. <br /><br />So, here are a few places to begin. I just set up a search on each site to bring back all job listings that include the word "English". If you see <span style="font-family:sans-serif;">Киев </span>in the listing,<span style="font-family:sans-serif;"> </span>you are looking at a job in Kiev. <br /><br /><a href="http://rabota.ua/jobsearch/vacancy_list?rubricIds=0&regionId=1&keyWords=english&rememberState=False">Rabota.ua<br /></a><br /><a href="http://job.ukr.net/searchvac/result_vac.php?categ%5B%5D=0&ukrcity=8&keywords=english&zp=&currency=0&regim=1&exper=1&bydate=0&submit22=%C8%F1%EA%E0%F2%FC">JOB.ukr.net<br /><br /></a><a href="http://job.bigmir.net/search/?cat=2200&sub_cat=&country=&city=&wages=&mon_unit=1&oper_sched=&education=&experience=&words=english&logic=1&period=&r_type=1&subm=1&type=2">bigmir.net<br /></a><br /><a href="http://hh.ua/applicant/vacancySearch.do?keyword1=english&allFields=true&areaId=115&professionalAreaId=0&isFromAgency=10&isWithoutSalary=10&compensationCurrencyId=3&desireableCompensation=0&searchPeriod=30&orderBy=2&itemsOnPage=20&actionSearch=%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C">Headhunter.ua</a><br /><br />Now although there are numerous jobs posted in English, this does not mean that as a foreigner, you can get a job and start working, no questions asked. There often are legal issues involved, generally about whether there are Ukrainians qualified to do the job. There often will be. <br /><br />Happy Hunting!!<br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Working%20in%20Kiev" rel="tag">Working in Kiev</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-52750792754571681042008-03-13T12:28:00.005+02:002008-03-13T12:34:27.734+02:00No Regrets.As early as 2000, I had given some thought to going overseas to find a wife. The reasons for a decision like this is never easy, and certainly complicated. But it was a certainty that if I were going to find a wife in the states, it would have happened by then. One can spend one's life striking your head against the same wall over and over again, or one can choose to try a different approach. Even I though myself a bit crazy when I first travelled to Ukraine in 2004, but it was truly an adventure of a lifetime, and a chance for a new life. I would do it again in an instant.<br /><br />So no, I have no regrets.<br /><br />Is it right for everyone? In a word, No. But here are some statistics to think about if you've ever even though about it for a minute.<br /><br />But first a note. While the following article mentions Russian women, the same information applies to Ukraine. Why? Because, being next door to Russia, there are many Russian women here. Many consider themselves more Russian than Ukrainian. Including my wife.<br /><br />Now for the stats.....<br /><br /><blockquote><br />1. 79% of Russian women seeking to meet foreign men have never been married.<br /><br />2. 64% are younger than 30 years of age. Be very attentive with Russian women who are over thirty, and have never been married. These women have pragmatic minds. They have learned many lessons in life, and they may not be as simple as they might appear in the beginning.<br /><br />3. 90% of the women have higher educations, 12% even have two higher degrees. Many are professionals.<br /><br />4. 69% of the women have no children.<br /><br />5. Though almost all Russian women work (or are studying to acquire a profession), only 25% of them have jobs connected with their diplomas. It is so difficult for women to find a well-paying job. Therefore they have to take up any decent paying job to survive. This is a clear indication that Russian women are hard-working, resourceful and often have to rely on themselves in order to survive.<br /><br />6. Why are they interested in foreign men?<br /><br /><ul><li>49% claimed that they are fed up with Russian men.</li><li>58% believe that foreign men are more serious about their role in family than Russian men.</li><li>37% believe that international marriage will help them improve the quality of their lives and their future child's life.</li><li>93% will marry only when they know for sure they love the man.</li></ul><p style="text-indent: 20pt;">Most Russian women have had unpleasant experiences with Russian men. They believe that foreigners are kinder and more caring, more family-oriented and more organized and serious in their life decisions.</p>7. When describing the type of man they are looking for, they used the following words:<br /><br /><ul><li>86% of the women used the word "kind"</li><li>68% used the word "caring"</li><li>59% would like to find a man who is "family-oriented" and loves children</li><li>31% are looking for physically strong and fit men, who like sport</li><li>32% are seeking for "serious" men</li><li>6% would like to have "practically thinking" husbands</li><li>6% would like to meet handsome and charming men</li><li>0% mentioned the word "sexy"</li></ul></blockquote><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/new%20beginning" rel="tag">new beginning</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-85533410720357711442008-02-29T17:49:00.000+02:002008-02-29T18:57:24.796+02:00Seven House Calls in Eight Days.One concern that always arises when you choose to move from one place to another is the quality of health care at your new home. And you don't even have to change countries to have this concern!<br /><br />Whether your new health care is a pleasant surprise or a nightmare in waiting usually depends on your opinion of your current health care. The better it currently is, the more concerned you will be about health care in your new country.<br /><br />Health care in the USA is often viewed among Americans as the best there is. No surprise there, since the medical and political establishments heavily promotes it as the best, while never missing a trick to denigrate health care elsewhere. This, of course, assumes that you are among the lucky who actually qualify for the top level health care. If you are among those who get the lower tier care, or no care at all, you may think different, if you can get beyond the propaganda. And in ever increasing numbers, Americans are viewing the current health care system as being in critically ill condition. Me, through most of my adult life, received health care at a higher level than most. So, you'd think I'd be sorely disappointed with health care here in Ukraine... and you'd be wrong.<br /><br />During the recent flu epidemic, we had doctors visit our house seven times in eight days. Two times for me, two times for my wife, and three times for our son. The minimum time at our house each time was 1/2 hour. And our son, unfortunately, was also in the hospital for two days. My wife and son, being fully qualified for the national health care plan here, had minimal paperwork to hassle with. And even though their medications were generally not covered, they paid nowhere near what medications would cost in the states. The hospitals here, yes, are disappointing. Many date to the Soviet era and have had minimal expenditures or additional capital infusions since. They not only look old; they are old. And you have to supply your own housekeeping. Food? Bring your own. Blankets, sheets, towels? Bring your own again. But by bringing your own, it's a sure deal you'll pay a lot less than you would in a US medical center, where typical rooms and meals cost more than a five star hotel and restaurant. And for a child, one parent should expect to be there in attendance, since you will be doing things a paid hospital staff would be doing in the USA. But the medical care was good.<br /><br />Me, I'm covered differently here, since I don't yet qualify for the national plan. So, I am required to buy an emergency plan for the national health care, at around $100 a year. Yes, a year. But this only covers emergencies. I also have a supplemental plan, which covers more of the routine things the national emergency coverage doesn't. At around $100 a month, it's much less than I would expect to pay in the states on an individual plan, if I could even qualify. My only hope would be getting a job that offered the coverage. Until now, I've had good fortune in that regard. But that never last forever. <br /><br />More on health care in future posts....<br /><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/health care" rel="tag">health care</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-13859886454509574162008-02-21T19:25:00.001+02:002008-02-21T19:25:28.250+02:00Sorry for the lack of news.Wow, this is only my second entry this year. That was never my intent. <br /><br />I hope to pick up the pace again soon with news of and about Kiev. Stay tuned....<br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-57869343355821176082008-01-25T15:23:00.000+02:002008-01-25T15:51:31.468+02:00Ukrainian & Russian Orthodox Epiphany.Or, as I sometimes refer to it, Insanity as a Spectator Sport.<br /><br />My wife told me about this event two years ago, but I guess you really have to be there to believe it.<br /><br />While living in NJ, I remember many times seeing the "Polar Bears" taking an icy swim in the Atlantic on NYC TV. I seemed to remember that it was Russian emigrees who partook of this activity. But on TV, it always seem to be just a few "kooks" doing it. And for one reason or another, I don't remember any mention of a religious aspect to this activity. Maybe TV didn't like the idea of associating religion and swimming in icy weather. Might shed a negative light on religion, I guess. The religious event is the Russian Orthodox Epiphany (probably Ukrainian Orthodox too). The temperature Saturday, a disappointingly mild 26F. Two years ago it was -6F.<br /><br />I'm sure that in NYC it probably was a rather small happening. Not here...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2290/2208509029_4fca1c3401.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2290/2208509029_4fca1c3401.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/2208509137_9cf3eaf228.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/2208509137_9cf3eaf228.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/2208509137_9cf3eaf228.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Setting up the fireworks:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2042/2209306770_8aa806666c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 254px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2042/2209306770_8aa806666c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/2208509319_ea402328db.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 251px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/2208509319_ea402328db.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And the religious aspect:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2209306998_8c0ec9a59a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 379px; height: 251px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2209306998_8c0ec9a59a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Later, President Yushenko came and took a dip in the icy water himself. Don't have a picture of that, though. Anything to appeal to the religious voters...Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-44427580298651317722007-12-20T21:14:00.001+02:002007-12-20T21:14:33.626+02:0012 Days of Kiev.Ah, the holidays. No matter where you are, there always seems to be more things to do than one has time to do. And here, it's no different. This is true even though December 25th here is just an ordinary working day. <br /><br />In Kiev, and the whole of Ukraine, the big holiday is New Years Day, January 1st. In pre-Soviet times, January 7th was Orthodox Christmas and January 14th was Orthodox New Year, when compared to the celebrated dates in western Europe, North America, and elsewhere. Early during the Soviet era, the switch was made from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, dropping 14 days, and bringing the civil calendars into sync with most of the remainder of Europe. Later during the Soviet era, religious celebrations were discouraged or suppressed, and in some cases, replaced with a civil holiday instead. Because of the religious background of Christmas, official state celebrations were moved to January 1st, and continues to this day. <br /><br />So, January 1st, in western terms, is Christmas Day and New Years Day combined. December 25th is a normal working day for most people. Orthodox Christmas and Orthodox New Years are strictly religious holidays. (What a concept. Christmas as a religious holiday). <br /><br />All of this is just a long way to introduce my year end photo retrospective, the 12 days of Kiev. It's 12 of my best photos of the year from Kiev and elsewhere in Ukraine. Please visit it <a href="http://mattsh.aminus3.com/">here</a>. <br /><br />Have a happy holiday, whichever holiday it is that you celebrate, and I look forward to seeing you next year here at My Kiev Journal. <br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Christmas" rel="tag">Christmas</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-62220249591033904382007-12-07T19:48:00.001+02:002007-12-07T19:48:37.935+02:00Ukrainian Folk Remedy #1.It's common that societies and groups with a history going back many hundreds of years or more all have a fair share of folk remedies. And Ukraine is no exception. While there is certainly any number of "modern" remedies available in drugstores, other remedies are often readily available, and often worth a try. <br /><br />I first became familiar with folk remedies several decades ago while in South Korea. I was using some of the familiar western creams and gels for a particularly difficult rash, but with minimal results. A Korean friend suggested rubbing garlic on it. Ouch! That sounded painful, and it certainly stung for a while. But what do you know. It cleared up the rash much more quickly than the modern remedies did. Now, I'm not suggesting rubbing garlic indiscriminately on just any rash. There are some that will no doubt not react as well as my rash did. But the point is, there are other remedies, some more effective than the modern ones. <br /><br />So, what's the Ukrainian folk remedy? Cabbage for gout. Yes, I know it sound silly, but even after prior successes with folk remedies, I was skeptical of this one. What could cabbage possibly do? Here's how it works. Take a leaf or two off a head of cabbage, tenderize it with a meat hammer to break up the fibers and get the juices flowing, and wrap it around the affected area. Wrap a cloth around it to keep it in place, and put a sock on over it to keep it warm. (Assuming it's big toe gout, as it is a vast number of times). Then go to bed for the night. With a little luck, the next morning your gout will be less painful. You may need to do this several times over a period of days for greater relief. <br /><br />Now, I was taking one or more of the usual remedies at the same time, the allopurinol, or the indothemacin, and so some would argue that cabbage had nothing to do with the eventual relief. All I can say to you is "try it". It's known that some remedies that work for some people do not work for others. If it works for you, great. If it does not, don't close your mind to other folk remedies for other conditions. People have suffered pain throughout history; it's normal that people, over time, found remedies in the environment around them to make their existence more pleasurable. <br /><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/folk remedies" rel="tag">folk remedies</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-37303714426944325972007-12-03T15:17:00.001+02:002007-12-03T15:17:56.750+02:0015th Annual Christmas Charity Drive.Last Saturday, the International Women's Club of Kiev (IWCK) held it's 15th annual Christmas charity drive, raising (at last count) $75,000 USD for charities. But I'm not writing about the charity per se. It was at this event last year that I first recognized that as a foreigner in Ukraine, I'm often privy to information that the average Kievan never hears about. <br /><br />I first attended this event last year, having found out about it from friends in the international community. I had been in the country only 15 months at the time. My wife had been in the country well before the IWCK held their first event, and never during the first 13 years knew it existed. But I hear about it not long after my arrival. And, I'm sure that as a foreigner that I'm also equally uninformed about just about everything that goes on in this city. <br /><br />I guess it's normal after all. During my time in the states, I was equally clueless to numerous neighborhood and cultural events going on right under my nose. I paid attention to what interested me, and a little research turned up almost everything I needed or wanted. But yet, wouldn't it be nice to really know everything that's going on around you? If you just knew it was there, maybe you would find out after all that it does interest you, or that others are interested in the same obscure things that you are? Even if you are 5000 miles from where you called home most of your life. <br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Christmas" rel="tag">Christmas</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-89126317791887422632007-11-27T15:25:00.000+02:002007-11-28T20:23:51.759+02:00Minor Celebrities in our Own Right.Sometimes you try hard to get attention, but it just doesn't come. Other times, attention finds you without hardly trying. My wife and I find ourselves in the second situation.<br /><br />I've been here in Kiev a bit over two years. My wife, decades longer. And in my former life back in the states, I never had much attention come my way. But now it's coming, from places thats maybe not too surprising, and from places that make you wonder, huh? <br /><br />The first source of celebrity is of my own making. In 2005 and 2006, our family celebrated the US holiday Thanksgiving. And yes, it's a lot of work, since some typical Thanksgiving stuff is not readily available here. So this year, I suggested we might want to tone it down a bit; maybe invite a few less people than last year. But everyone who attended in the past most certainly wanted to attend again and we had to abandon the thought of scaling it back. <br /><br />The second source of our celebrity came about in a more unusual fashion. I submitted an ad to the Kyiv Post, the English language newspaper in Kiev via email, and at the bottom of the email I included links to my websites, something I include on most outgoing emails. Well, someone at the paper clicked through to my websites, and figured that I would work well for an informal email interview. So just last week, on Thanksgiving no less, there I was, featured in the Kyiv Post. <br /><br />The third source came quite unexpected, out of nowhere. We got several reports from my wife's family and friends, and her father's coworkers, that my wife and I were recently on TV. And not just a random stroll in the park picked up by a wandering TV crew. No, it was our wedding, on TV, 18 months after it happened. <br /><br />In the states, this just wouldn't happen. Participants would have to be tracked down and paperwork signed and lawyers consulted. No, it seems a major Kiev TV station wanted to do a report on foreigners getting married to locals in Kiev. And out likely hundreds they could have tracked down, the ended up with ours. How? Likely from the videographer who took video of our wedding. Neither the videographer nor the TV station felt the need to track us down, and why should they? Apparently they are not required to. Still, having only gotten second hand reports that our wedding was on TV, it's hard not to feel a little bit violated, since neither of us really know what was being said about us, or whether we were treated a bit like a circus sideshow. <br /><br />But that's how things often go in Ukraine, and elsewhere, no doubt. <br /><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-88908664898438679262007-11-21T17:12:00.001+02:002008-12-09T01:30:17.369+02:00The $20 Turkey and other Holiday Tales.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkDzYufO4A-xO1jaMMRIcTlUnZceHK1nUW0gxD7P6nWnT-q_R95RNZatkNrmCxbvTz_8lalcp1qv2riwxnyF8ANQahFU41uvNF9rTbCjKJCGmcfWTU97O5Kd5pW7nUioknx9fs3aqZ4Q/s1600-h/turkey.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkDzYufO4A-xO1jaMMRIcTlUnZceHK1nUW0gxD7P6nWnT-q_R95RNZatkNrmCxbvTz_8lalcp1qv2riwxnyF8ANQahFU41uvNF9rTbCjKJCGmcfWTU97O5Kd5pW7nUioknx9fs3aqZ4Q/s320/turkey.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135328701835412370" border="0" /></a>One way to lessen the transition from one culture to another is to continue to celebrate some of the important dates that were unique to your previous culture. One of the most American of holidays is Thanksgiving, and this will be our third year celebrating it here in Kiev.<br /><br />There are often challenges to celebrating a holiday from a prior culture in a different country. Since most celebrations involve food, you may find yourself looking for foods that are not common, or are out of season. The quintessential Thanksgiving food is turkey, but finding turkey in Kiev in November can be a challenge. We know now that the only real way to get one is to go to a supermarket a week in advance and have them obtain one for you. And expect to pay for the privilege.<br /><br />Another challenge, should you accept it, is a traditional Thanksgiving pie, whether pumpkin or apple or something else. I haven't yet found pies like Mom used to make in the stores, so we've tried the make it yourself way. My wife, being native to this part of the world, does not have a recipe, so we went to American websites to find one. That was the easy part. Finding some of the ingredients to make the pie is not so easy. The one we have yet to find is shortening. Yes, vegetable shortening, like Crisco. It's something that Americans take for granted, but unheard of in these parts. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you, with the likely connection between hydrogenated oils, like vegetable shortening and heart disease. There are strict limits on hydrogenated oils in many parts of Europe, and some countries have banned them outright. But it's just another challenge to overcome.<br /><br />Another is that while Thanksgiving and often the next day are days off in the US, both are normal working days in most other countries. If you intend to invite others over for your celebration, remember that Friday evening will be a lot more convenient for most guests. And maybe for you too.<br /><br />The challenge to maintaining traditions from your prior country of residence comes down to this: Plan early, be flexible, and accept that it may not be exactly what you've been accustomed to.<br /><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/old%20traditions" rel="tag">old traditions</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Ukraine" rel="tag">Ukraine</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-66320179412163456282007-11-19T13:44:00.001+02:002008-12-09T01:30:17.491+02:00First Snow, then a Second, and a ...Ah, a theme I can't resist revisiting on occasion. The weather.<br /><br />The bottom fell out on fall temperatures two weeks ago, leading to an early, and hopefully, temporary onslaught of winter. Yet, it has been two weeks now, so who knows?<br /><br />The first week bought some light flurries several days, followed by an early snow storm. In fact, this was the biggest one day snow since I've been here. This was followed by another day or two of light flurries, followed by a steadier and heavier snow last Friday.<br /><br />But there are positives to it. Just look at this picture I took last Friday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUCIF5JjE-xNS1DMUmOstp7LX6nPHrq1FfBL-SUgs6BdAUSDXNkQGR1-kKt52q0WEVQA6ScRYEq13p8Snqh5pfFn2l9588lPKPwQtdWZ-fvHIk3BxuXeD6msqUD0dcOnhLRUlEVSzm5c/s1600-h/IMG_1240.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUCIF5JjE-xNS1DMUmOstp7LX6nPHrq1FfBL-SUgs6BdAUSDXNkQGR1-kKt52q0WEVQA6ScRYEq13p8Snqh5pfFn2l9588lPKPwQtdWZ-fvHIk3BxuXeD6msqUD0dcOnhLRUlEVSzm5c/s400/IMG_1240.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134523740579064834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/winter" rel="tag">winter</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Photos" rel="tag">Kiev Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Weather" rel="tag">Kiev Weather</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-19195139788039299172007-11-14T19:56:00.000+02:002007-11-15T20:44:10.940+02:00Street Dogs.Two years ago it was a lot more common than it is now. Dogs living on the streets of Kiev. While it is sad, it is probably not unexpected that when a family hits hard times, the pet is the first to go. But dogs roaming the streets are always potential problems. They may step out in front of cars, scare children, and carry rabies. <br /><br />It was made clear to me a few weeks ago that while the Kiev authorities have come a long way with this problem, the problem is still here. A few weeks ago I was Khreshchaty Park, near the Ukraine and Russia Unification Statue, when four large dogs came rushing at me out of nowhere. From their behavior, they very much seemed to be acting as a pack. While even domesticated dogs are pack animals, where their human family comprises their pack, once set out on the streets, their normal behavior is to roam the streets by themselves, avoiding humans as much as possible. <br /><br />While I am no expert in canine behavior, it seems to me that after an extended period on the streets, dogs may revert to pack behavior with other dogs, more commonly if they mate and have offspring. My guess is that this process would happen over a year or more. So my question is: What are four dogs, clearly showing pack behavior, doing loose in one of the highly populated parks in Kiev, late on a Saturday afternoon, not far from areas where children congregate en masse? I might be able to understand it early in the morning, since there are numerous islands, minimally inhabited, in the Dnepr River, some of them connected to the main parts of the city via footbridges. They could have entered the populated city areas this way. But come on. Someone must have seen these dogs' behavior hours before I witnessed it; someone must have reported it to someone, someone should have been dispatched to look into the problem, but yet, here they were, late on a Saturday afternoon, acting in a very menacing manner, not to all people, but to certain people. <br /><br />Come on, Kiev authorities. I'm sure by now you've gotten these dogs. The question is, did someone fall asleep on the job this day? Are they still working for you? If so, why? <br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-66126523883526188212007-11-09T20:40:00.001+02:002007-11-09T20:44:22.844+02:00I'm Big. I'm Black. I'm Big and Black.No, I'm not talking of how physically large a person is, nor the color of their skin. I'm talking about how people apparently self-rate their importance on Kiev streets.<br /></p><br />In the US, whenever you saw the big vehicles drive by with only a driver, you always joked that the driver was trying to compensate for a shortcoming elsewhere. Unless the driver was a woman. She must be compensating for some other type of shortcoming. <br /></p><br />In Kiev, the top self-ranking goes to the "big and black". Everyone who owns a "big and black" definitely believes they are important. So, traffic rules can be ignored when the situation dictates. And they expect you to recognize their importance too. They will drive up the wrong side of the road if space permits, and sometimes if it doesn't. When they must merge back into traffic, they may sometimes signal their intention, but most often, they will just force their way over. If you just knew how important they are, you would immediately yield the right of way, or incur their anger. This also goes for making right turns from the left lane, or vice versa. Not surprisingly, they are just your common, ordinary road bullies, and will fume and sulk if they don't get their way. Out on the highway, they drive at a high rate of speed with their lights on, and when they come up behind you and blink their headlights two or three times, you just know they're important. <br /></p><br />I've heard people here have pity on people driving old Soviet Ladas or Zhigulis should they be in an accident with someone "important". But my experience is different. Nine out of ten accidents I've seen in this town involve only cars that are big, are black, or big and black. People driving old Soviet models are content to leave enough time for the trip and take their time. Only people too important to follow the rules are involved in accidents, or so it seems. <br /></p><br />Hey here's a thought. If you must be somewhere in an hour, leave an hour to get there. I'm really not all that impressed at you or your driver needs to compensate for your personal shortcomings. <br /></p><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20roads" rel="tag">Kiev roads</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Ukraine%20Traditions%20" rel="tag">Ukraine Traditions </a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-3491683333516968902007-11-07T11:02:00.000+02:002007-11-08T14:36:15.014+02:00Life at the End of the World - Photoblog.I've made several photo postings to My Kiev Journal in the past, but getting photos on to this site and positioned correctly is just a pain sometimes. Even then, they're usually too small for my liking, and surrounded by text and all the other stuff normally found on a blog. So, I've created a photoblog as a showcase for my photos. It's just a better way to post and show photos, in my opinion. There are shortcomings to the photoblog though. The biggest being that I can only post one photo per day. Oh well.<br /><br />"Life at the End of the World" is the name of my photoblog. Since "Ukraine" loosely means "borderland," I felt the name appropriate. And, in the context of the late "Cold War," Ukraine was quite literally "beyond the end of the world." At least for most Americans it was. <br /><p></p>If a photo is related to a post here on My Kiev Journal, then the photo will continue to be posted along with the post. However, if it's just photography for photography's sake, then these pictures will be posted to the photoblog.<br /><p></p>My photoblog will highlight my Kiev and Ukraine photography, but will also include photos taken long before I came to Kiev.<br /><p></p>Click <a href="http://mattsh.aminus3.com/">here</a> to visit, or click the link under "Must See Blogging" or the "My Photoblog" link on the top of the page.<br /><p></p><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Photos" rel="tag">Kiev Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Photos" rel="tag">Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Photoblog" rel="tag">Photoblog</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-18062363776164386712007-10-31T16:32:00.001+02:002007-10-31T16:43:30.404+02:00Sofia of Uman. A charmed life; a cursed life.Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend the day at Sofiyivsky Park in Uman. The park is listed as one of the seven wonders of Ukraine, and is considered to be an outstanding example of European landscape garden design. Here is the story of Sofia, who inspired it.<br /><br />Count Felix Pototsky began construction on what would later be known as Sofiyivka Park in 1798 as a gift to his new bride, the legendary beauty Sofia. Sofia had been born in Greece, then was sold into slavery by her parents while 12 years old. The Polish Ambassador to Turkey bought her as a gift for the Polish King Stanislaw August; however, while traveling back through Ukraine she met the son of the Polish army commander, Jozef Witte, who fell in love with the 15 year old and bought her from the ambassador. The newly married Madame Witte quickly became a celebrated society figure among the Polish gentry. She soon took up delivering diplomatic mail and was rumored to use the opportunity to spy for the Polish king as well as Catherine the Great.<br /><br />Sofia eventually left her husband and two children but was soon remarried to the Polish Count Pototsky in Uman. He adored Sofia and designed the park as a memorial to her beauty and incorporated in it the mythology of ancient Greece. The 400 acre park has it's own Isle of Lesbos, a terrace of the Muses, red poppy Elysian fields, a Cretan labyrinth, and an underground stream called Styx. Long before the park was finished, the Count uncovered an affair between his son from his first marriage and Sofia. Brokenhearted, he grew seriously ill. Sofia supposedly spent two days on her knees begging for his forgiveness, but the count died without forgiving her. She finished the park herself during a brief affair with the Russian Count Potemkin, then lived out her days in melancholy. The fact that a freak earthquake pushed her graveyard out of the Uman churchyard has the locals convinced that she was a witch.<br /><br />Please go to my photoblog "<a href="http://mattsh.aminus3.com/">Life at the Edge of the World</a>" for photos. There will be more photos on an ongoing basis.<br /><br /><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/autumn" rel="tag">autumn</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Photos" rel="tag">Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Ukraine" rel="tag">Ukraine</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Uman" rel="tag">Uman</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-69614780190451822732007-10-29T17:34:00.000+02:002007-10-29T18:53:09.363+02:00Water, water, everywhere. Now which one should I drink?<p>You arrive in Ukraine. After a long trip to get here, and maybe even some time going through immigration and customs, you're tired and you need something to drink. Something simple, like bottled water.<br /></p>But here in Kiev, bottled water isn't a simple matter. In the US, you just go down the aisle with the water, find a brand you like from a choice of three or four, and take it to the cashier to pay. Two problems here. First, except in some larger stores and supermarkets, you just can't walk down an aisle and pick up your purchase. You must tell the attendant what you want and she'll get it for you. That may be a problem if you are Russian and Ukrainian challenged. But let's say you know "voda" the Russian word for water. You ask for voda and she'll start asking you questions. This is because water is no simple matter here in Kiev. And here's the second problem. Your choices may consist of:<br /><ul><li>Plain water without gas.</li><li>Plain water with gas.</li><li>Mineral water without gas.</li><li>Mineral water with gas. </li></ul>Many small stores will have a selection of each. You may see a brand you recognize, like Bonaqua. But there are different Bonaquas too. What to do? Easy. Just point and hope for the best. If she picks the wrong one, just say "nyet" and motion with your hand. Elegant? No. But it will generally work. Just make sure you have some hrivens (the local currency) handy.<br /><p>So, is there something simpler? Maybe there'll be a vending machine around. Or maybe not. But if you don't have to have water, the simplest thing you could order would be Coca-Cola. The name's the same here, and there's less chance for misunderstanding. Order anything else and you may get it with a side order of confusion.<br /></p><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-42011899482768529752007-10-25T15:01:00.000+03:002007-10-26T15:05:26.823+03:00Memory Day, 2007The first time I did this, two years ago, it ranked up there as one of the most unusual customs I've run across. My wife calls it "Memory Day", though I 'm sure it's an imprecise translation. Here's how it works.<br /><p></p>October 25th is the anniversary of the death of her grandfather, on her mothers side. So every year on this day, family members take time to visit the cemetery site of the departed. First thing to do is to clean up the site, pull weeds, plant something new, even though it is the end of October. Then, we set the table at the site (most plots have their own table) and have a small meal and a cognac toast in their memory. And always the stories. And we'd always leave some cognac and food for the departed too. This is even more striking since her family is not particularly religious. <br /><p></p>Coming from the American tradition, or maybe it's more of a Catholic tradition, where many families would have trouble remembering the anniversary, knowing where their relatives are buried, or living hours away, this certainly surprised me the first time around. But after you do this once or twice, you begin to think "why not"?<br /><p></p>So I was preparing myself mentally again this year for "memory day" when I found out things would be different this year. While it seems this ceremony is often observed for the first ten anniversaries, this year is the 11th, and we would be remembering at a relatives house this year. It was actually a bit of a let-down for me.<br /><p></p>Another mystery for me about "memory day" is just who qualifies for such an honor. There hasn't been any mention of a "memory day" for her father's parents in the two years I've been here. And for my wife's mother, the ceremony day is more flexible, often done up to a week before or a week after the anniversary, depending on what's most convenient.<br /><p></p>I guess it's just another of those imponderables for me, an foreigner living in East Europe.<br /><p></p><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Ukraine%20Traditions%20" rel="tag">Ukraine Traditions </a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Memory%20Day" rel="tag">Memory Day</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-2782369257393944262007-10-24T16:07:00.000+03:002007-10-25T17:42:36.551+03:00Living in the Past.My wife and her father was recently had visitors from their past. Lazar and Luda were friends with my wife's family for many years, but not too long after the breakup of the Soviet Union and Ukraine independence, they chose to emigrate to the USA. As the Soviet Union disintegrated, so did the economies of many of these soon to be independent nations.<br /></p><br />Several times during the ensuing years, their USA friends would send "care" packages to friends who remained behind. But something wonderful happened in the ensuing years. As time went by, the economies of many of the newly independent countries, and Russia itself, improved vastly. In wasn't always easy, and it wasn't always smooth, and things were not always trending up, but time went by and things improved.<br /></p><br />The package was sent via boat shortly before they left the US, and arrived here in Kiev several weeks after our guests had left. While they were here, they seemed a bit awed by the mega-bazaars and the mega-stores that have blossomed here in recent years. It was no longer a time of Soviet shortages or post Soviet upheavals. But our package reflected the old times. Coats and shirts and pants and even underwear, all things in abundant supply these days. Even the styles of many items were straight out of the past.<br /></p><br />But we thank them nonetheless, because their hearts were certainly in the right place. Their memories though were of another time.<br /></p><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Life" rel="tag">Kiev Life</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/old%20friends" rel="tag">old friends</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-88594092947539277352007-10-19T16:04:00.001+03:002007-10-19T16:11:25.504+03:00(Don't) Question Authority.<p>I wonder sometimes just how they did it. How, almost three years ago, there were, at times, anywhere from 1-2 million people on the streets of Kiev. The world watched in awe. While most people around the world were content to complain about the way things are, here were people who actually took to the street in the Orange Revolution to change things. Inspiring, yes?<br /></p>Fast forward to September 2006. Our son returns to school. My wife and I had questioned our son's teacher competence to some degree the prior year, and here we were, questioning it again. (Here in Kiev, you have one teacher assigned to your child for his/her first four years in school. So, if you get a lemon of a teacher, you may be stuck with it for four years. The obvious problem of course, is that this teacher can do a lot of damage in four years. So, the obvious solution to this problem is to get the teacher removed. Or so you would think.<br /><p></p>It started innocently enough. Early on, we paid her some extra money to work with our son on his lessons after school ended, a quite normal practice here. But we quickly found out that these "lessons" were giving our son an assignment, after which she went and read a newspaper for forty minutes. That's not exactly what we were expecting, to say the least. But there were more troubling incidents too. Not explaining to the children what their homework assignment was. Openly blaming students when things went wrong in her class. At times expecting my wife to run errands for her. One day when my wife went to school to pick up our son, four of his classmates came up to my wife and told her our son was a problem in class. Now, I don't know about you, but when four of his classmates tell my wife the same thing, I suspect someone coached them about what to say.<br /><p></p>My wife and her father had several discussions with the school's director, and several times were led to believe the problem was solved. But it wouldn't be long before there would be another reason to openly question his teacher's qualifications. But except for one other boy's parents, there was no problem here. The teacher was just fine. But when we talked to the school director, he would often assure us that action would be taken. Then the director and teacher would talk, and the teacher would retaliate against our child.<br /><p></p>Three days before school was supposed to start again this fall, we got the news. This teacher, who was scheduled to be our son's teacher again this year, had asked to be reassigned closer to her home.<br /><p></p>On the first day of school, my wife and I attended the "Day of Learning" activities. (See earlier posting for information and photos). It's then that the other parents piped in. "They finally got rid of that crazy teacher" seemed to be the common thought of the day. But not one of them had lifted a finger to make it happen. How, if you think your son or daughter is stuck with a lemon of a teacher, can you sit back and deny that there's a problem?<br /><p></p>The lesson here is not that the schools are filled with problem teachers. No, they are as a whole very hard working and vastly underpaid. It takes real dedication here to be a teacher. The lesson should be that when you see a problem, take steps to resolve the problem. Do not permanently damage your child's future by letting them be stuck with the same bum teacher for four years.<br /><p></p><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev" rel="tag">Kiev</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Basics" rel="tag">Kiev Basics</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kyiv" rel="tag">Kyiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Schools" rel="tag">Kiev Schools</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-21740367156298106812007-10-17T14:14:00.001+03:002007-10-17T14:18:47.204+03:00The Lone Worker.Just wanted to put up one photo quickly from last weekend. There will be more to follow.<br /><p>Although my wife has lived down the street from this for many years, she doesn't know anything about it. In fact, she asked me "where did you find that"?<br /></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/1598015355_8ab889ba79.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/1598015355_8ab889ba79.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p></p><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/autumn" rel="tag">autumn</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Kiev%20Photos" rel="tag">Kiev Photos</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-58409964609716116692007-10-15T14:25:00.000+03:002007-10-17T13:41:28.567+03:00The Streets of Kiev.<p><br />You see them quite often here on the streets of Kiev. The 20 year old Ladas, Zhigulis and Volgas. Along with 20 and 30 year old trucks and tractors of late Soviet origin. And one thing they mostly all have in common is smoke coming out the tailpipe. Often, lots of it. But what has changed most in the last two years is an explosion of other cars on the streets. And I wish I could say it's often the smaller cars people most associate with European travel. But you see the worst of the American excesses here, in spades; the Cadillac Escalades, the Toyota Land Cruisers, Prado Edition, bigger and more polluting than the regular version, and yes, even the Hummer. Gads, how did Toyota get this reputation as environmentally friendly? <br /></p><br />I generally don't have a big problem with the people who own the old Soviet era cars. They are mostly owned by people who need some way to get around beyond mass transit, and can't afford a less polluting, more modern model. The government could implement programs to help them fix them up or replace them. But it hasn't. But the western and eastern imports of recent years are another problem. Everybody who buys one of these modern day monstrosities could certainly afford something less expensive and less polluting. And since each monstrosity takes up the same road and parking space as two Soviet era models, they are and will continue to be a driving force in bringing this city to a standstill. <br /><p></p><br />So here's the central problem. When an economy goes into a recession or depression, who has the money to fix pollution problems? Not the government, and industry will certainly claim not to have it either. But then the economy comes back to life, so now's the time to do something, anything, about pollution. Right? Wrong. The government worries that even moderate pollution controls will send the economy back into recession and industry fuels those fears. Industry also sees a chance to make outsized profits, and fights any attempt, reasonable or otherwise, to implement sensible sustainability. And since the national culture here in Ukraine is based on not questioning things, there is little citizen pressure to bring change. <br /><p></p><br />But soon, the city itself, not the politicians, may force a solution. This city was never designed for today's auto traffic, and gridlock may force people back to more sensitive alternatives. Or maybe, just maybe, people will become sick and tired of the noise and pollution and take back their city. <br /><p></p><br />One can hope, yes?? <br /><br /><p></p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-79096027328922426742007-10-11T15:47:00.001+03:002007-10-11T17:47:38.999+03:00Chernihiv trip photos, Part I.Ever since the summer, I've been looking for a chance to get to Chernihiv (Chernigov in Russian). Chernihiv was a major historical, cultural, and religious center for hundreds of years, at time competing with Kiev in prominence. Last Saturday, my wife and I had an opportunity to go on an excursion, and we jumped at the chance. After waking at 5:30 in the morning, getting ready and having breakfast, we hopped in her father's car for the trip to Public School #8 in the Obolon district of Kiev, the starting point for our trip.<br /><p><br />The trip was an organized excursion for the teachers of this school, in honor of Teachers Day on Friday. An excursion like this is not something the teachers of the school can afford on their own, since teachers here are near the bottom of the pay scale, along with doctors, the police, and any other public sector employee. But the word we heard was that this excursion was paid for by one of the most important politicians in the country, because one of the trip organizers had worked on this politician's recent election campaign.<br /></p><br />Although neither my wife nor I are employed by the school, my wife's father worked for said trip organizer on this politician's campaign. There were two busses, on for the teachers, and one for the VIP's. My wife and I got the VIP treatment.<br /><p></p><br />Around 7:30 AM, our trip took off, and we had the obligatory vodka toast, the first of many this day. Then, about 40 minutes out of Kiev, our bus turned off the road to Chernihiv for what I assumed would be a slight detour, but after an hour it was apparent we were going somewhere else. It seems our excursion was not to the city of Chernihiv; rather it was to lesser known destinations in the Chernihiv Oblast (administrative district). But being the adventurous sort, I made the best of the day. As you can see from the pictures, I hope you'll agree it was worth the detour.<br /><p></p><br />Later in the day, at our third and final stop for the day, we had the obligatory feast, with vodka, cognac, and wine for all (except the drivers, of course). Later we returned to Kiev, arriving home at 9:30 PM.<br /><p></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/1541985180_ea56a04c2f.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/1541985180_ea56a04c2f.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/1541126129_1ccf6776e7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/1541126129_1ccf6776e7.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/1541126387_08afdd7228.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/1541126387_08afdd7228.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/1541986006_db10f1d48e.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/1541986006_db10f1d48e.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2177/1541986176_35cb05fe48.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2177/1541986176_35cb05fe48.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2369/1541986520_9ed26567be.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2369/1541986520_9ed26567be.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2079/1541987548_1a2134fed4_o.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2079/1541987548_1a2134fed4_o.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2318/1541129283_059f3de60e.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2318/1541129283_059f3de60e.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2107/1541989152_9f66a9a532.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2107/1541989152_9f66a9a532.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/1541501929_ed9334ad29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/1541501929_ed9334ad29.jpg" alt="" border="5" /></a><br /><p></p><br /><!-- technorati tags start --><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 10px;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/autumn" rel="tag">autumn</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Chernihiv" rel="tag">Chernihiv</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Ukraine%20Photos" rel="tag">Ukraine Photos</a></p><!-- technorati tags end -->Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836121627240757109.post-32508711120101127992007-10-11T14:30:00.001+03:002007-10-11T17:48:13.279+03:00Chernigov trip photos, Part II.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/1541985348_07de5059c4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/1541985348_07de5059c4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 268px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2239/1541986868_c6afb4b06b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2305/1541987226_fb13fb0151.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 268px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2305/1541987226_fb13fb0151.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2145/1541988224_5880404347.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 268px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2145/1541988224_5880404347.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2322/1541988492_2cbd506d58.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 268px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2322/1541988492_2cbd506d58.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07218621154904599440noreply@blogger.com0