·
Monday, 27 February 2006
E-Mail Extract Follows:
The plans for next weekend (4th of March) include taking the bus to Feodosia for a day of shopping, museum visits (a little culture) and a nice lunch out. With the snow gone and hopes the good weather will last through the next weekend, we hope to have a fine outing. Since my return, we have been busy settling in and then had two trips back-to-back trips to Kiev (24-hours each way - one trip was the Crimean Poultry War evacuation) followed by the holiday season and then that record-breaking cold spell. We also entertained a few house guests who enjoyed Mark's cooking and the hot showers we could offer. With all the activity we have not strayed too far from our Kerch home. (We did make it to Stary Krim for a holiday party for a group of Tartar children at the library there.)
The plan is to meet a couple PCVs there for lunch. We will rise early and bus over (about 2 hours) to visit the bazaar there. We will look at a few dishes and fabric (I want to have a couple skirts made) and then visit one of the museums there. There is a fine museum of art featuring the works of the artist our street is named after: Ivan Aivaznovsky, a prolific seascape painter. There is also the writer Alexander Grin's museum which is in his former studio which resembles a ship. There are several wonderful medieval towers and the remains of fortresses there too - we will pay a return visit during picnic weather to visit those. During summer months Feodosia is swarming with vacationers who come for the beaches and a break by the sea.
Mark is working on his International Women's Day (8 March) offerings. He is the lone male who works with about 23 women so he is at a real disadvantage! Usually men give co-workers a flower and a chocolate bar or other small gift. Mark, the resident computer geek, is ginning up a lovely bookmark (a computer generated, hand-colored, laminated piece of art). Since he works in a library a bookmark seems apropos. He will also give each woman a few hundred grams of chocolate in a small, red-tulle and ribbon bedecked package.
Last year on International Women's Day we were still in residence at our Host families' home. Mark cooked the evening meal and managed to have a cross-cultural incident! Part of his menu included a tomato and raw mushroom salad - yikes! No one in Ukraine eats raw mushrooms and our host family's home was within the Chernobyl zone so they were/are extremely sensitive to the potential for problems...mushroom and radiation... needless to say, our hosts were not too impressed - N, our host father, took one look, and walked out of the room!
International Women's Day is a big deal here. Never heard of it? Well, the women here have trained the local men to honor this holiday and the women in their lives. This event is bigger than Valentine's Day!
Someone gave Mark a Scrabble Squares puzzle for his birthday - sigh. I am addicted to trying to solve this puzzle. I am not a puzzle-person, but this one is deceptively simple. We encountered another one in the series a few years ago at sister-in-law Lynn's place where I wasted many hours of my Thanksgiving break swearing under my breath as I tried to solve this puzzle. Aye-aye-aye! Every night since we got this crazy puzzle I end up spending several hours re-arranging the nine tiles until my eye-balls bleed...
We watched "Brokeback Mountain" over the weekend. Apparently we are part of the Academy Awards reviewing committee because the disclaimer that occasionally scrolled across the bottom of the screen reminded viewers that this video is intended only for folks on the committee. We got a copy from a friend - we elected to watch in English rather than in Russian, though that was a choice. (The male voices on Russian dubbed films are always very macho, testosterone-rich and bass while the female voices are very feminine and musical and pitched either very high or in a resonant, cello-esque range.) The film is haunting for many reasons. I have so many questions about motivation and behind the scenes events. It is quite a topic - amazes me it made the Academy Awards Best Picture since we American's seem to prefer action films and avoid anything to controversial. The film captures so many things so well...I am left with questions though. I wish I could spend an evening of discussion with other viewers. I was interested to see writers Annie Prouloux and Larry McMurtry both worked on the story and screenplay...I would loooove to read the original story that inspired the film.
Well, more later,...I am heading off to the shower and then will read a few chapters in the latest novel: "When Summer's in the Meadow" by Niall Williams and Christine Breen...Manhattan couple abandon's city life to carve out a life in rural Ireland (cows, etc)...
Be sure to check out the additions to the web site: price comparisons, links, a tour of our flat…
Ginny
On the Eastern Tip of Crimea
PS
I solved the puzzle! 8-)
·
Saturday, 25 February 2006
Caleb J. Pulver, 1976-2002
·
Friday, 24 February 2006
It is not where you live, but how you live
that matters - not exactly
profound, but it is something I am keenly aware of as we live through this
Peace Corps experience in Ukraine. We are
more conscious of choices here. Making
conscious choices enriches daily life.
Pups are Out
Now that the snow
is gone and temperatures are so wonderfully spring like, White Dogs’ pups have
made their debut appearance. They are delightful. I must tear myself away from the window
because their antics hold me spellbound.
I have never
really been around puppies so their activities seem especially amusing to
me.
These four
spindly-legged creatures are so confident and exuberant. They must be about 6weeks old (where have
they been hiding?) and are so independent and curious. Mom and Dad Dog are not too attentive, but
seem to share the task of supervising their young ones. They all queue up occasionally and I laugh
aloud at all the tail-wagging and the constant motion.
Mom and Dad Dog
are regulars outside the store next door.
When people exit the shop, the dogs are at their heels, tails wagging
and noses thrust against the shopping bag swinging at the end of the human’s
arm. People often sneak a small treat to
them. So far, the pups keep their
distance and simply observe this panhandling technique.
Pups are curious
about the neighborhood cats. The
streetwise cats are large and threatening looking, larger than the pups, yet
they are wary of the small canines that are eager to sniff at them. So far no daggered claws have swiped any of
the pups, but soon some pup will overstep the bounds of polite society and get
a lesson from one of these fierce felines.
·
Thursday, 23 February 2006 – Grandson Cameron’s
Birthday!
My Current Project
Today my brain is
muddied by a project I am immersed in: translation work for the library’s web
page.
I am not, strictly
speaking, translating. I am using a
couple computer-based document translators to provide me with documents in
rudimentary English, which I am editing into something meaningful. It does not seem as if this would be too
difficult or time-consuming, but clearly anyone who believes that is naïve.
It is, in fact,
challenging and tedious. In addition to
language and grammar challenges, the material is dull and poorly
organized. I am inclined simply to
re-write it all - but, that is not my role.
Since the materials will appear in three languages, they should mirror
one another somewhat consistently.
There are puzzling
sentences that give me flashbacks to some of the instructions that come with
electronic devices imported from overseas.
You know those odd word choices that make it clear the technical writers
are not native English speakers.
Here is a random
sentence from the text:
“A department will
organize the use of single book fund of libraries in the conditions of
centralization, active popularization of him.”
This experience
makes me wonder how translators of literary work ever succeed; imagine the work
involved in making “War and Peace” fluent and meaningful and accurate in
English.
Today is Men’s Day (Formerly Army/Soldier’s
Day)
Yet another
obscure holiday! We talked a little
about this at English Club last night.
Today we are supposed to honor men, but this day is not highly
observed.
International
Women’s Day (8 March) is well supported in this country and God pity the man
who fails to bring chocolates and flowers to all the women in his life! Poor Mark – he works with has about 23 women
and has a female tutor too!
Men’s Day actually
started out as a day to recognize soldiers.
In recent years, it has morphed into Men’s Day. We noticed a gathering at the local Veteran’s
Club up the street last night. We caught
glimpses of men decked in all their medals lifting toasts of vodka to one
another as we walked past the open window.
Grandson’s Birthday!
Off in AZ our
grandson is becoming a teenager today!
What an occasion that must be!
I remember his
arrival with great joy. We gathered at
the hospital on the 22nd when our daughter disrupted her Brother
Caleb’s birthday party with the news she was in labor. We simply packed the party into the car and
re-grouped birthday banner and all, in the waiting room at the local hospital.
Cameron made his
appearance shortly after midnight, thus claiming his own birthday, rather than
sharing his special day with his Uncle Caleb or with former President of the
USA George Washington!
Now the red-headed
boy is almost a man himself!
·
Wednesday, 22 February 2006 - Caleb’s
Birthday (1976-2002)!
Caleb – at around 2 years old
·
Tuesday, 21 February 2006
Mark’s Birthday Party at the Library
Toting bags to the
library Monday morning was hard work! Mark
has about 23 co-workers and we are self-catering a Ukrainian-style birthday
party.
We stagger under
the weight of all the purchases necessary to do this properly. It is traditional to host your own birthday
party and shower friends with food and beverages and a chance to laugh and
relax and enjoy.
The library opens
to the public at 11AM so the party begins at 10. At 9AM, after some last minute shopping and
bag-toting, we are hard at work slicing. dicing, arranging and getting ready
for the guests.
Mark prepared a
wonderful seafood salad (“How can a salad have cold macaroni in it?” the local
ladies all ask?) and he used some marshmallows a friend recently sent from the
USA to make a traditional Midwestern Jell-O dessert (can’t have a gathering Iowa
without Jell-O either as a salad or for dessert!) . Our friend Art also sent some summer sausage
that we sliced up and shared with our Crimean friends who have often asked
about the American versions of kohlbasi.
White bread is becoming quite popular here so we spread some blueberry
jam on slices of bread and that was quite a novelty too. (People often serve jam and preserves as if
were fresh fruit and spoon it into their mouths rather than spreading it on
bread so this was a novelty.) There were
plates of Ukrainian cheese and bowls of tuna stuffed olives and several plates
of a spicy shredded carrot salad that is popular here and quite tasty too. In addition to the snacks, there were two
tortes and several bottles of champagne, some vodka for toasts and coffee and
tea.
Unlike in America
where we would have probably had a buffet line and paper plates, here everyone
gathers around a small table and squeezes together around a table laden with
small glass dishes. The food offerings
are heaped onto several small plates strategically placed around the middle of
table. Each person has a small plate to
eat from. Food is not passed. People reach and take what they wish. Occasionally they will ask for something that
is out of reach. People do not hesitate to reach for things nor do they seem
concerned about using their own cutlery to serve themselves with. The champagne and vodka bottles are
distributed at intervals for easy access and freshening glasses for toasting. People do not really drink them, but use them
to toast. There were many toasts.
Many of the ladies
stood and made short speeches or sang songs or recited poems. Many struggled to speak in English. They presented Mark with several bouquets
(the long-stemmed roses are astounding – soooo tall and sturdy and beautiful…a
breed apart from what we see in the USA) and many small gifts. There were computer-generated cards (Mark
taught them to use clip art on the computer and they make laminated cards). Photos are always taken so everyone squeezes
together to be captured in the viewfinder.
The library keeps
a stash of assorted glasses, cutlery, plates and tablecloths. They are
mismatched and well-used. These women
know how to set the table in such a pleasing way you do not notice these details.
People do not use
disposable products much here at all.
(When paper napkins are used, they are invariably very small and cut in
half prior to being distributed – this is true in cafes and bars too.) When it is time to clean up after the meal,
they boil hot water in electric hot pots and do the dishes in a small dishpan
right on the serving table. The
janitor/cleaning ladies handle this chore.
The mailbox at the
post office had several cards and a package from the USA. Mark’s cell phone chirped throughout the day
with birthday greetings from PCVs and locals.
Last night our e-mail held many nice greetings and served as a nice end
to a happy birthday for Mark.
The next two big
Ukrainian events are International Women’s Day on 8 March – this is a huge
event here and men are well-coached so no one is neglected! This holiday equates somewhat to our
Valentine’s Day but men honor their co-workers as well … The other event is the ten—day Butter
Festival! This is a pre-Lenten
blini-festival carried over from the old orthodox church and the ladies at the
library decided to do it up in true Russian fashion for our benefit! Yum!
·
Monday, 20 February 2006
Flooding & a Winter Thaw
Mark’s birthday
(Sunday) coincided with a significant change in the weather here. Saturday the temperatures went up well above
freezing for the first time in weeks and the rains came tumbling down in
earnest. The city streets became
impassable rivers as the gutters filled with chunks of massive ice. Friday pedestrians could barely navigate
along sidewalks and through streets due to the think layers of ice that had
melted and re-frozen numerous times, but during the rainfall on Saturday, it
was also a challenge for pedestrians to find ways to ford the streets and to
avoid being splashed by passing vehicles.
The canal that
cuts through town near the bazaar was deluged during Saturday’s rains so on
Sunday morning crowds of rubberneckers supervised a man using a large
construction vehicle to remove ice chunks lodged under the bridge between the
canal and the Black Sea. From the mud
and the murky-brown puddles of standing water, it was clear the area had been
flooded.
The flooding was
interesting, but the warm weather on Sunday was the topic that held most
people’s interest. It was balmy and
bright. We opened our windows and
listened as turtle doves cooed and the neighbor’s puppies made their debut
outdoors. The streets were crowded with
couples strolling arm-in-arm. The adults
wore jackets and some even appeared without headgear, despite the words of
wisdom thrust on them by concerned babushkas shaking their heads and predicting
dire outcomes for such people. Though
the adults were inspired to strip off a few layers of insulation, the children
waddled about in bulky snowsuits that make moving about cartoonish and
difficult. With their arms and legs
bulky with sweaters and snowsuits and so much padding, their tiny arms and legs
stick out and they resemble puffy little colorful stars.
Ahhhhhh yes, it
was a beautiful day; but I suspect there will be more winter ahead.
A Houseguest
We had a
houseguest this weekend, a PCV who lives in a Tartar village about two hours
from here. As on his other visits, we
stayed up until almost dawn discussing all the pressing concerns PCV have. Being able to relax and share thoughts with
another American is pleasant. There is
shorthand that emerges in the conversation.
So many things must be explained to someone when reaching across
cultures.
There is also
venting.
Our guest will be
visiting another site this week and it is likely he will move there. We will miss having him nearby.
Our site is far
from the other PCVs. Sometimes we feel
left out of the joys of interacting because of the isolation. On the other hand, our experience here is
enriched somewhat by the fact that we do not spend time visiting with other
PCVs.
We are an older
couple and consequently our sense of home seems different from most of the PCVs
we have interacted with. We have lived
overseas for many years in the past and long ago stopped feeling as though our
home was fixed somewhere in the USA. I
suspect many PCVs do feel tugs of homesickness and distance that we may escape
somewhat. We also have one another to
provide balance in our lives.
Being a couple
keeps us somewhat apart from the social life of other PCVs because we do not
actively seek out others. This is also
somewhat true in our experiences with local people too. Single POCVs are often taken under the wings
of their co-workers in ways that a supposedly self-sufficient older couple
would not expect.
I like our life
here. Our flat is our own turf and we go
forth and interact with enthusiasm and pleasure, but come home to our private
space to relax and recuperate and recharge.
·
Thursday, 16 February 2006
I am the Token American
I spent a
delightful day at a local secondary school watching teenagers using their
English skills. I also had the
opportunity to interact and be part of their events; they were celebrating
English Week and the activities today focused on life in America.
Most people here
have never met an American.
They know all
about America and can tell you the value of the American dollar within a tenth
of a point on any given day! Television
and movies have been a window into American culture – The Swan and The
Apprentice air nightly and portray our culture is such a representative way
(sigh…). Desperate Housewives is
debuting here soon.
OK television and
movies can do some serious damage by warping impressions, but they also have
some positive effects.
We have a friend
(and house-sitter) who has shared some thoughts on how the Cold War ended due
to the availability of music, movies and TV.
I think he is right.
When we first
lived in Franco-era Spain television programming was extremely limited within
the country. There was strong censorship
and not many American programs aired (Bonanza did!). Once the ban on media ended, it was amazing
to observe how the culture changed. There were moments when it appeared the
changes would ruin life there, but as it is with raising teenagers, it is with
counties coming out of paternalistic regimes.
Following the
day’s events at the school, I had coffee and pastry at the apartment of an
English Club member and one of the teachers.
Three News Stories to Share
1.
INDEPENDENT READER OFFER: 'THE CRIMEAN EXPRESS'
Travel through Russia, Belorus, Ukraine, Moldova
The Independent, London, United Kingdom, Wed, Feb 15, 2006
LONDON - Travelling for fourteen-days between 3 to 17 June 2006 and 2
to 15 June 2007, from St Petersburg during its 'white nights' period and
Moscow to Crimea, this is a journey to delight.
The "Crimean Express" will take you from the iconic splendour of St
Petersburg and Moscow, to Minsk and Brest in Belorus, Lvov (Ukraine)
and Kishinev (Moldova). Heading south you arrive at the Black Sea and
Odessa before continuing to the Crimean Peninsula to visit Yalta and the
Tsars summer palace at Livadia' the site of the 1945 Yalta conference, the
'Swallows Nest' (pictured) and much more.
In Balaclava from a hill overlooking the 'Valley of
Death' you will remember
the "Charge of the Light Brigade" before arriving in the Ukrainian
Capital
of Kiev.
The 'Crimean Express' is hauled by the Trans-Siberian Express train. The
Independent has arranged special prices, including flights, from pounds
2,995 travelling in Heritage class and pounds 5,995 in Gold Class.
Heritage class cabins feature two side-by-side beds, luggage storage and
are air-conditioned. Located at the end of each carriage are toilet facilities
and purpose built shower car is provided.
Gold class has twin or double beds, ultra modern furnishings, en-suite
facilities, power shower, DVD with plasma screen, air conditioning and
under-floor heating. Prices include return flights from London, taxes,
hotels and on-train accommodation, all meals including drinks, all
transfers, all off train excursions, and the services of an experienced tour
leader.
An English-speaking doctor will also travel on the train. Telephone: 0161
928 9410 or email independent@gwtravel.co.uk
This holiday is operated by GW Travel Ltd, Atol 3408, a company
independent of Independent News and Media Plc. For more information
write to The Independent Offer, GW Travel Ltd, Denzell House, Denzell
Gardens, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 4QF. -30-
2.
FINNISH-MADE PENDOLINO HIGH-SPEED TRAIN MAY START
OPERATING IN UKRAINE BY END OF 2006
Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, February 13, 2006
Kyiv - Ukrainian national rail company Ukrzaliznytsia is planning to launch
the first Finnish-made Pendolino high-speed train by the end of 2006,
Ukrzaliznytsia head Vasyl Hladkykh told journalists last week.
"An instruction has been issued that by the end of the year one Pendolino
train must be operating in Ukraine," he said. According to him,
Ukrzaliznytsia technicians will go to Finland to hold talks next Sunday.
Speaking about the route of the train, he said: "It makes sense for the
Pendolino train to operate on the southern railway network." He said the
purchase of another four similar trains is planned for 2007, one of which
may be built in Ukraine.
As head of Southern Railway Viktor Ostapchuk explained, Ukrzaliznytsia
plans to purchase one used Pendolino train, which will cost approximately
EUR 20-25 million. Pendolino trains can travel at up to 300 kilometers per
hour. -30-
3.
UN BIRD FLU CHIEF WARNS OF UKRAINE BIRD FLU THREAT
By Mara A. Bellaby, Associated Press (AP)
Kiev,Ukraine, Wednesday, February 15, 2006
KIEV - The United Nations' top official for bird flu warned Wednesday
that Ukraine is at high risk of further outbreaks of the disease and said it
must be ready to cope with human infections.
"The threat is still there," David Nabarro, the U.N. coordinator for
combatting bird flu, said during a visit to the Ukrainian capital. "Avian
influenza will continue to come to Ukraine ... health services must be ready
and prepared to deal with people who are infected with avian flu and to be
ready for the possible arrival of human-to-human transmission."
The lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu was recorded in Ukraine's Crimean
Peninsula in December. The virus has spread to 24 villages, and another 18
have recorded suspicious numbers of deaths among domestic fowl. H5N1
can be deadly to humans, but no human cases have been confirmed in
Ukraine. Officials fear the virus will spread in the spring when birds start to
migrate.
Gudjon Magnusson, a World Health Organization official, said Ukraine was
among five countries in or bordering Europe that have recorded large
outbreaks.
The others are Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania and Turkey. Magnusson said
those major outbreaks differed significantly in scope from the "sporadic
outbreaks in migratory birds" found in other European countries such as
Italy and Greece. "It is up to us to see that avian flu doesn't become an
epidemic in Europe," he said.
Ukraine has asked for more help to prepare its laboratories and other
diagnostic tools in the case of another major outbreak or the appearance of
human infections. President Viktor Yushchenko also offered the country's
assistance to other nations that are just starting to cope with bird flu.
Nabarro praised Ukraine's response, citing its speed
and the coordination
between different agencies. His words appeared aimed at critics who
complained that the appearance of dead birds in Crimea was initially kept
secret, and that the response was disorganized and chaotic.
Meanwhile, Christina Carlson, a U.N. specialist working in the former
Soviet
Union, said that experts had studied the capacities of hospitals in Crimea
to deal with cases of human infection and found "they have sufficient
capacity to handle such cases if they will come up." -30-
·
Wednesday, 15 February 2006
Roses, champagne and caviar - I may never
leave Ukraine!
I heard
acknowledgements of Valentine’s Day on radio and television and even purchased
a few of the tiny Valentine’s Day cards sold in the kiosks around town, but the
tradition of sharing cards and flowers and candy hearts is not really part of
the culture.
Here, the day is
always referred to as Saint Valentine’s Day and the Catholic church is always
mentioned. They are tied together. During the Soviet era, religion was forced
underground. Valentine’s Day did not develop
into the major event it is in the USA (but wait for 8 March – International
Women’s Day…more on that later!)
In the USA,
Valentine’s Day is about love (unless you are among those who believe it is
about cash - a “Hallmark Holiday” cultivated for purely commercial reasons).
Someone is missing
the boat here. There is a huge untapped
market; people who already routinely purchase chocolates, flowers and champagne
for small celebrations.
I cannot believe
that the huge garish, heart-shaped boxes of Valentine’s chocolates have not
edged their way onto the shelves here.
They are not available here in Kerch.
A walk down the always-packed chocolate aisle in two local “yuppie”
stores did not turn up a single heart-shaped box or any red satin, beribboned,
extravagant box of special Valentine’s Day sweets. No, it was business as usual here. Excellent chocolate in modest packages,
modestly priced and available everywhere; packaging is not an issue here.
Roses available
here are stunning. There are none of the
rather inferior (can any rose be considered inferior?), puny blooms we often
see in the USA – the ones I refer to as “grocery store bouquets”. Roses here have stems between 18-24 inches
long; stalks may be a more appropriate word.
The bloom itself is the size of a porcelain teacup and the colors are
extravagant, exotic, amazing. These
roses are not the exception. One does
not need or want a dozen of these exquisite blossoms; a single stem seems
lavish and charges the room with beauty.
Champagne
(Shampansky), is always in large supply and local and Russian brands cost only a
few dollars, so living on a champagne budget here is not the same as in the
USA! (FYI: On a sad note, Ukraine must
change the name of their sparkling wines from Champagne to sparkling wine if
they plan to become part of the European Economic Community – France is adamant
about this.)
Frankly, I like
the approach to life here. Chocolates,
flowers and champagne should be integrated into life and not simply set aside
for special occasions.
Buying Caviar
Another component
of lavish living that is available here in all the grocery stores is
caviar.
Mark decided to
add caviar and blini (thin, Russian-style buckwheat pancakes – like crepes) to
our menu for Valentine’s Day. He made a
trip to the market an consulted on caviar with the local expert behind the
counter. On the way to the store, he
practiced the Russian phrases required to make the purchase.
After spitting out
his request, the clerk smiled, tilted her head sidewise and asked, “Are you going to eat this caviar?”
She stood there
looking at Mark. A bit puzzled by her
question, my spouse carefully chose the words in Russian and attempted to
determine the gender and case, and then wrestled with pronunciation and stress
before finally spit out his reply, said, “Yes, that is my plan.”
“If you are giving
it friend, you buy this one,” she explained.
“Same product - pretty bottle.
You pay more. You eat caviar -
you buy this in can. Not so pretty, but
tastes good.”
Another employee,
attracted by the sounds of an American trying to speak Russian, moved closer
and offered her opinion too. “Da,” she
said, “Is good. You will like.”
Once the choice
was made, the clerk carried the can of caviar and escorted Mark to the
checkout. Caviar is a controlled
substance, like razor blades. The
customer can not be trusted to carry this purchase to the front of the
store. This small cat-food-size can of
rare roe cost about $7, which is a day’s wages for many of the Ukrainians we
know.
·
Monday, 13 February 2006
E-Mail Excerpt
…Last year at this time we were packing up for our departure to Peace Corps. We left on Caleb’s birthday and started training on the anniversary of his death. It seemed like a portent; a sign of good things to come…a phoenix rising from the ashes of a sad memory.
Despite the way things turned out, I am happy with the work I am doing here and the life we are leading. Struggling back from my surgery and the broken dreams last summer was hard work. I think I was more disappointed about losing my Peace Corps dream than I was about the cancer and mastectomy!
But, we are so happy with our lives here the honeymoon continues!
The weather, on the other hand, is not great! Have you followed the weather for Europe recently? I think I mailed the news story yesterday. Here in Ukraine they are having the worst winter since 1978 and since mid-January about 800 people have died of the cold. So far we have fared well, but the soviet-era infrastructure is in bad shape and several cities have a real dilemma dealing with bursting pipes.
… at English Club I shared pictures of some of my friends and family’s homes back in the USA. We had quite a discussion on houses and homes. People here generally live in flats (an apartment is bigger than a flat… people here correct me when I use the word apartment, though flat is not in my online Merriam Webster dictionary!) so the houses are interesting to them. They pay cash for their home (or flat) purchases none of those 30 year mortgages here! Amazing huh? Amazing and out of the question for most everybody!
One of the photos showed a friend in front of her open refrigerator door. That prompted a lot of conversation! They were all looking in the fridge, examining labels etc. We talked about how Americans grocery shop and stock up food and then complain cuz there is nothing to eat! Here people walk to and from market and shop almost daily. The refrigerators are small actually the newer ones are very narrow and quite tall. Since people live in flats rather than houses, space is limited so the refrigerators are getting taller.
… I have a couple crafty questions which you may be able to help me with since you are learning all about working with glass. Have you seen those flattened wine bottles people sell at craft fairs as cheese trays? I spoke to a couple people who made them years ago and they said you can make them in your own oven. I am curious about how to do it. I know you can do it with a kiln, but of course I do not have access to a kiln. It would be fun to flatten some local wine, champagne, and vodka bottles for gifts and souvenirs. (The EEU says they cannot call their sparkling white wine champagne (shampansky) anymore so they will be collectors items soon!) I would like instructions on how to do it…
I am also looking for some really basic knitting instructions for socks, mittens and simple sweaters. I have made lots of scarves and stocking caps and I think I am ready for more of a challenge. I am not, however, up to the challenge of deciphering instructions in Ukrainian or Russian! Maybe you know someone who can forward some simple patterns…
Well, time to get some work done my novel is tempting me too: I am reading Graham Green’s “The Quiet American”…I am engaged by the contrast between the older “veteran” and the innocent (and altruistic) young man. I also like the way the author deals with cynicism and cynics I see far too many young people who fall victim to this bad habit, though it is no more attractive or useful in older people either…
Ginny
From Cold, Cold, Cold Crimea by the Black Sea
·
Saturday, 11 February 2006
Try these words with a few blues chords:
Got
the Avian Flu scare blues,
Can’t
eat no eggs,
And
I ‘m chilled to the bone,
It’s
snowin’ again
And
I’m so far from home.
I
want a hot bath, but there’s no water, no gas!
My
Russian sucks: I can’t say a word,
Holidets? Molidets?
It all sounds the same
All
of these words just stick in my brain,
A
few more days and I’ll be insane
Time
to sip vodka or try some champagne
Cuz
I’ve got the mid-winter, mid-tour, Peace Corps Blues…
·
Friday, 10 February 2006
Pretty in Pink
The building that
houses our flat is pink. All the flats
and the store that comprise this side of the courtyard are pink. With a blanket of winter white spread all
around and a cat or two perched on windowsills, it looks especially charming.
When we approach
our building from the park side, it pleases me very much. I am reminded of a painting I saw at an art
show in Chicago many years ago. The
works of two French impressionists were displayed. Among the paintings was one of the big yellow
house they shared. Something about our
pink building makes me think of this painting whenever I cross this
street. I feel an affection for my pink
home and the yellow house somewhere in France.
The street we live
on is, in fact, named after artist Ivan Aivazovsky, a painter of
seascapes. His tomb and a gallery of his
work is in Feodosia. I do not know if he
ever lived in Kerch or painted here, but the association pleases me.
Mark observed
something the other day concerning the snowfall here. In most places we have lived, snow becomes
stained with the dirt of everyday living.
A few days after a snowfall, the slush along walkways and streets are
grimy grey. There are piles of graying
snow. Here in Kerch, there are few cars
and no snow removal equipment to disturb the snow and no fumes belching out
dirt to stain the pristine snow. The
snow retains its almost magical bright, clean quality. It remains, for the most part, undisturbed.
The street in
front of our living room window rarely has vehicle traffic. Several days after a snowfall, it remains
white. The street cleaners arrive each
morning and these women use brooms to sweep paths for pedestrians to navigate
through the snow and ice.
The large, open
town square in front of the post office that people transit enroute to various
locations in the central city remains fresh and white. The patches of pavement that peek through are
slippery and dangerous so people avoid them, walking instead on the snow. The hero’s monument with the griffin perched
atop is lovingly kept free of snow. The
statue of Lenin looks cold and lonely standing in this icy plaza.
Kerch is a
sprawling city of about 50,000. It
extends parallel to the sea for about the distance a marathon runner
travels. The landscape retains the white
of new fallen snow throughout.
The beauty of the
snow makes the inconveniences of winter more tolerable. I recall walking the miserable mile to the T
when we lived in Boston. Brookline was
beautiful immediately following a snowfall, but almost immediately, the grit
and grime of city life destroyed the charms of winter. Here in Kerch after the snowfall, there is a
feeling that time stands still. The
whiteness stays undisturbed for days and days.
The weather
forecast (or what we can decipher of it with our limited Russian skills)
indicates a thaw is coming. We may have
rain tomorrow. The snow will melt away
and become simply a memory as we begin to deal with mud and puddles again.
Underneath this
soon-to-disappear blanket of snow, my brave and hopeful daffodils are emerging,
looking for the sun.
·
Thursday, 9 February 2006
It’s a Cold World Out There…
Last night our
English Club members kept their coats on in the cold meeting room at the
library, but the frigid temperatures did not deter them from coming out for the
evening of conversation.
Following (see
below) are excerpts from a news service concerning recent weather conditions in
Ukraine. There are other stories that
detail what life is like in homeless shelters and orphanages during this
extreme winter weather, but I chose not to share them. News reports here do not “sanitize” stories
like they do in the USA so on television, if they speak of people dying, the
accompanying footage will show people dying.
The stories below
do not address heat the numbers of people going without heat. Steam pipes burst and cannot be repaired
leaving whole cities without heat. One
city put about 100 children on a train and sent them to a school in Crimea
where they would have heat. These
significant infrastructure and economic issues add fuel to political fires as
election time approaches next month.
The weather is not
the only news here. One of the teachers
said something about an outbreak of tuberculosis, but we did not hear the
details of this story because newcomers interrupted us.
We are grateful to
be well and happy.
___________________________
NEARLY 800 UKRAINIANS DIE FROM COLD
SINCE MID-JANUARY
Agence France Presse (AFP), Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, January 7, 2006
KIEV - A cold snap in Ukraine killed 21 people over the past day, bringing
the toll since mid-January to nearly 800. The 24-hour toll added to a
surging death rate since a first cold wave hit Ukraine on 16 January.
The Health Ministry said that most of the deaths occurred during a period
when temperature plunged to record-breaking lows. The ministry says
most of those who died were homeless or intoxicated.
The ministry said in a statement that a total of 7,800 people sought medical
treatment and 4,470 were hospitalized in the same period.
Temperatures in January fell to below minus 30 degrees Celsius. A new cold
wave set in on 5 February with temperatures of minus 31 degrees Celsius in
the northern Sumy Oblast. Forecasters expect the cold weather to last until
10 February in some parts. -30-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[The Action Ukraine Report (AUR) Monitoring Service]
========================================================
. UKRAINE: HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS 738
PERSONS HAVE DIED
DURING JAN 16-FEB 6 PERIOD BECAUSE OF COLD WEATHER
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, February 6, 2006
KYIV - According to the Health Ministry, 7,522 people throughout Ukraine
sought medical assistance in connection with cold-related injuries during
the January 16-February 6 period. Out of these, 4,464 were diagnosed with
hypothermia and frostbite while 738 died.
During this period, the highest numbers of deaths were registered in the
Donetsk region (117), the Kherson region (66), the Kharkiv region (64), the
Dnipropetrovsk region (45), and the Crimea (77).
Eight people have died and 99 hospitalized as of February 6 as a result of
hypothermia and frostbite suffered on Sunday, February 5. The press
service of the Health Ministry disclosed this to Ukrainian News.
According to the press service, two people in the Crimea, two in the Donetsk
region, one in the Dnipropetrovsk region, one in the Kirovohrad region, one
in the Zhytomyr region, and one in the Chernihiv region have died in the
past 24 hours as a result of hypothermia. In Kyiv, five people have sought
medical assistance in the past 24 hours in connection with hypothermia and
all five have been hospitalized.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Weather Center has warned of a
sharp fall in atmospheric temperatures during the February 5-8 period, with
temperatures falling as low as -27 degrees throughout Ukrainian territory
(excluding the south). Because of the current cold snap, the Health Ministry
has called on citizens to reduce the amount of time they spend in the cold
and not go outside unless it is necessary. -30-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[The Action Ukraine Report (AUR) Monitoring Service]
========================================================
·
Wednesday, 8 February 2006
Another Wednesday
and thoughts of English Club clamor for attention as I dispatch my morning
chores.
We neglected (or
forgot) to choose a conversation topic for this week so I must plan something
that will stimulate timid speakers to wrestle with their English and share
their thoughts, hopes, dreams, opinions.
I like it when they speak from the heart, with some urgency or
enthusiasm. They forget the rules of
grammar, but catch the rhythm of conversation that will give them confidence
and encourage them to try again.
I like this task
of drawing people out and facilitating a discussion. I can make it look easy and I make it fun,
but it is because I prepare. I consider
my crowd as any theater person or public speaker would. I consider their strengths and weaknesses,
using my business and management skills.
I prepare provocative or scintillating phrases to motivate them to speak
or at lest interact. I want them to
engage. I want them to return next
week. I want them to learn to speak
English, not just repeat their structured phrases honed in years of classroom
sessions with non-native-speakers.
English Club is
one of the unexpected pleasures that came with my life here.
I am mentally
exploring topics as I tap out this post.
Since participants will not have time to prepare and consider their
thoughts, the topic must be non-threatening; something that does not require
them to take a stance.
Perhaps we can
discuss home. What makes a house a
home? What kind of home would you like
to have?
Hmmm...there are many
directions to go with this topic. I can
easily prepare a list of questions which will expand the topic and keep the
conversation dynamic. I can bring in
some photos of houses and homes of friends and family in the USA. I have some e-mail humor that might prompt
some conversation – an oil baron’s middle-eastern mansion comes to mind
immediately. Yes, I think this topic may
well meet our needs.
Before I withdraw
to prepare my materials I feel compelled to share a few observations I have
about houses and homes. I have moved
often, sometimes out of necessity, and sometimes because I was glad to go. My associations with the Air Force and Peace
Corps have contributed to my gypsy life (I would love to actually own a gypsy
vardo, but that is another topic, for another day perhaps!). A consequence of all this moving is I have
opinions and standards for the houses I will call home. Of course I deviate from time to time: one does
fall in love and throw caution to the wind on occasion; but even giving in to
an impulse is better if you understand the rules of what make you happy.
So here, in no
particular order, are some things I routinely consider when I look at a
potential home.
I favor a small,
cozy home (with high ceilings and tall windows) over a large, grand house. There are advantages to both, but my life
centers on my home so I want it to be manageable and pleasant, not high
maintenance and intimidating. (I can
always entertain at a restaurant or a hall if more than a cozy crowd would
overwhelm my house.)
My rule of thumb
in considering the size of a home is this: Can I sweep all the floors
everyday?
(Of course, this
should not be construed to mean I am a fastidious housekeeper who actually
sweeps the floors everyday, but it is something that I strive to do and this
rule of thumb, like most rules of thumb serves as a guideline to keep me within
a practical tolerance!)
That is the short
version of my thoughts on size. I hate
vacuum cleaners and I find carpet under my bare feet distasteful and
dirty-feeing. I prefer to use a broom
and I like to live with hardwood or tile floors. I find some pleasure in sweeping the floor,
but if it becomes a chore, I do not want to deal with it. The optimal sized home allows me to do
routine maintenance joyfully – long enough to take pleasure and pride, but not
long enough for it to become work.
A second rule of
thumb concerns bathrooms: I want them
clean and I am the one who cleans them.
Multiple bathrooms do not impress me.
All I can think of is cleaning them.
I do have opinions
on the arrangements so I would focus on having a well appointed bath rather
than having several. Toilets are too
often adjacent to the tub which makes the joys of soaking in a bubble bath less
satisfactory.
Another aspect of
choosing a home has to do with light; Let there be light! I love to have a room that allows the sun to
spill in and brighten my day. I have a
catlike tendency to seek out sunny places.
I like to linger over coffee and start my day in the morning sun. Maybe this has something to do with the home
I was raised in: the eastern sun falling across the golden oak floors in the
dining room and living room of the big yellow house on 8th
Street. I can almost see the tiny specks
of silvery dust that dance in the morning sun in that warm womb of a room.
I also consider
this: Will I use this space. I find it
sad to have rooms that are seldom used; guest rooms that collect dust or formal
dining rooms used only a few times each year.
I want a lovingly lived-in home.
I like to use my rooms. I want to
enjoy them, take pleasure in them…so I may use a formal dining room as a study
too. I like rooms to serve multiple
purposes.
Where will the
Christmas tree go? When I tour a
potential home (or even visit someone else’s nest), I immediately start to
imagine finding spaces for my favorite things; that includes the Christmas
tree. One of the joys of moving is
seeing how my treasures take on a new life in a new domain. Sometimes they surprise me with how they are
enhanced in a new setting. Or perhaps I
am simply seeing them with new eyes. An
occasional move is wonderful for lighting a fire of inspiration and love. It renews the spirit!
Is there an
outdoor space? A yard means many
pleasures, but ultimately there is work and maintenance involved. I do not want to commit to it. I don’t want to be seduced into a commitment
to work. Public parks, botanical
gardens, and other people’s yards can fill any vicarious need for my own green
spaces as long as have a fine wide porch or terrace or even a small
courtyard. A place where a hammock might
hang or a comfortable chair is available for reading the Sunday paper or a
novel. A small table suited to a late
supper by candlelight or a leisurely breakfast among the potted plants.
And now I consider
this: Can I grow old here? Can I walk to
the store? Is there a park nearby? What can I see from the widows? Will I slip on the steep staircase? I want to be able to happily stay in one
place as I get older. I want to have a
neighborhood and old familiar turf as I begin to slow down and lose my
senses. I want to wallow in my memories
and my treasures. I do no want to be
uprooted from the place I have called home.
I want to be an old potted plant which finally gets to put down roots
somewhere and just allowed to grow and vine and cling to things…No pruning
please.
I want to live
happily in my home and not feel the need to clean and maintain all the
time. Maintenance and upkeep should be
just enough to bring pleasure, but no guilt.
This balance is difficult to achieve (it means having the courage to say
no at times). But, it is worth the
effort.
I do not speak of
a paired-down, Spartan life, but rather a life filled with those things that
matter most - a dynamic life where beautiful things and wonderful people come
and go and bless us all. A home, as Mary
Baker Eddy says, somewhere in the Science and Health, “…is the center, not the
circumference of being…”. My home is
where my life radiates from.
Does my current
home meet these criteria? For the most
part, yes. Mark chose well. The things that matter to me are here. I take pleasure in this humble space.
And yes, I have
danced with the broom as I swept all the floors today!
·
Tuesday, 7 February 2006
Outside, the World is Pristine
I expect an
ermine-clad snow-queen to sledge past in a troika pulled by strong draft horses
with the music of happy bells singing in the quiet morning hour. The birch trees in the park adjacent from our
window shimmer with fresh snow.
There is a special
stillness after a snowstorm and when the sky is brittle blue and the virgin
snow crunches underfoot, it is a fine thing.
Soon people, dogs,
cats will be about and the magic will recede.
Yesterday, fat
flakes of snow fell urgently, covering the brown mud and dead leaves again. It
was dark and grey, never feeling like daytime.
I felt isolated and comfortable in my cozy flat. I imagined life as a pioneer out in western
Montana and played out scenarios in my head.
The winds here in Crimea did not howl, but in Montana-in-my –mind it
did; it howled like a pack of wolves.
About 20
centimeters covers the ground today.
Swimming With the Sharks…
Inside I catch up
on a week’s worth of e-mail. (The library
uses the just-in-time method of payment for its Internet bill, but hasn’t yet
perfected the timing so most months they lose their service for the last
week.)
One e-mail
concerns the death of a Peace Corps Volunteer assigned to one of the tropical
places. She swore-in as a full-fledged
Volunteer only weeks ago. She died in a
shark attack.
I stop reading the
story and walk to my window. Opening it,
I lean out as far as I can. The cold air
washes over me as I catch glimpses of the Black Sea and here the sound of it
thrashing the seawall only two blocks away.
I try to imagine
palm trees, sand between the toes and burning sunshine on my shoulders. Instead, I breathe in the icy breath of winter
and watch a tear fall from my cheek and melt the snow on my windowsill.
Somewhere, a Peace
Corps Volunteer’s family is grieving.
·
Monday, 6 February 2006
·
Saturday, 4 February 2006
Something Aspiring PCVs
May Want to Add to Their “To Do” Lists
I
recommend aspiring Peace Corps Volunteers find time to get familiar with the
nuances of the English language. Study a good grammar book. Do this before you depart the USA.
“Why?”
you ask, as you think of a hundred other things you would rather do with your
precious time during your pre-service, countdown stage of life in the
USA. You continue, “It’s not like I will be teaching languages. I
am a business/agriculture/youth development/(insert your title here) volunteer,
not TEFL!”
Three
reasons really. First, you will be learning a new language and much of
your success at mastering a new language is based on your current knowledge of
your own. There will be references to transitive, intransitive and
reflexive verbs; questions concerning declensions and tense; exercises
involving cases; and more. It can be intimidating. It can be
overwhelming. You will be glad you refreshed your memory on basic grammar
before you jump into learning a language like, say, Russian or Ukrainian.
It will also help you ask better questions.
The
second reason to become familiar with English grammar is that you will be asked
questions about the English language on a regular basis. Co-workers and
total strangers will consult you on definitions or pronunciation or rules of
grammar. Often the questions will be quite detailed and even
challenging. These matters are complicated when British English has
influenced the local people. The English spoken in Great Britain is not
the same as that spoken in the USA. Sometimes you just won’t have a good
answer, but when you are forced to say “I don’t know,” you undermine your
credibility to some extent. If you “wing it” that comes back to haunt you
too.
Third
you probably will get a chance to teach a class in English or at least host
an English Club. You will be the native American speaker and therefore
the expert so people will come to YOU and expect correct answers from the
intelligent, good-looking American in the neighborhood.
OK,
that’s it. I have said my piece and I hope it helps make someone’s Peace
Corps experience more comfortable.
Back
to studying my Russian grammar lesson…sigh…HOW do these little Russian kids
make it look soooooooo easy????? 8-)
·
Friday, 3 February 2006
It’s Crowded in Here!
My head is filled
with so many thoughts this morning. An
inspiring article I read about integrity spins a silken web in the dusky-dark
corners of my brain. Simultaneously, in another area of my mind, I am conscious of
the fact that Peace Corps Week is coming (first week in March) and I want to
express my gratitude for this wonderful opportunity to serve in a letter to the
editor in a couple of publications.
Phrases form and I am eager to get them out of my head and into my
computer.
I push a few other
writing thoughts aside (tourist article about Kerch, my rather shapeless,
secret novel, etc) and find in another alcove in my busy brain - more thoughts
to wrestle with! Before I even opened my
eyes this morning, just coming out of dreamland, I found a clear map of
Colorado in front of me. The Colorado
Springs area had a large red circle around it.
Why this dream? Now I find a part
of me taking virtual trips there and sending back happy commentary that
distracts me (could that area be a place we could call home?).
Another part of my
brain fixates on a knitting project.
(“Come on, let’s just knit a few rows while you think a bit,” says a
little rebel in my head.
There is something
addictive about the way yarn takes on a new character as it is stitched up,
going from a solitary thread to a solid piece of fabric. The actual process of knitting draws me to it
more than the finished item though. It
is a comforting activity rather than a goal-oriented activity. Living in a world that seems to emphasize (deify?)
goal-directed activity, this nuance is not lost on me.
My thoughts also
dance with thoughts about Mark’s upcoming birthday and Valentine’s Day. There are letters to write, cards to send and
all the pleasurable activities associated with correspondence.
And of course
there are the daily pleasures that come with caring for a home and our
possessions.
All this mental
activity leaves me somewhat polarized!
Breakfast dishes in the sink, bed unmade and me in my nightshirt tapping
away in this journal.
My life is filled
with so many shining opportunities and simple joys.
Weather Update
Today the brace of
brown tiger-striped cats that own the courtyard blend in with the muddy
turf. It is as if they wear camouflage!
I noticed this
when they eagerly scampered up to Mark when he headed off to work this
morning. They heard the outside door
squeak pen and flew through the mud and puddles to greet him. As he bent over to scratch a few of our
feline friends he noticed a sign of spring: the daffodil bulbs we planted last
fall are beginning to poke their heads above the ground!
Someday, maybe
soon, I will see daffodils from my widow here in Kerch by the sea.
·
Thursday, 2 February 2006
No Groundhog Shadows here in Crimea
Groundhog’s Day is
not observed here. Perhaps because there
are no groundhogs, but I am not certain.
A discussion of groundhogs at English Club last night did not provide me
with a definitive answer concerning this creature, but did provide some
animated conversation about other small mammals.
The day is grey
and cloudy, so if a groundhog did pop out of his hole today, he would not be
frightened by his shadow and would probably stretch a bit and then explore the
area. After many days of cold weather,
he would probably be pretty happy to just go for a little stroll outside.
The snow is
mushy. Mark says walking through it is
like walking through sand at the beach.
It clings to the boots and is heavy.
People do not walk so much as slog.
Is Latitude an Attitude?
Kerch is at about the
same latitude as Marquette, Michigan, another peninsula far from here on the
shores of Lake Superior. We called that
area home for about seven years. The two
climates are much the same, and many things about the terrain are similar too,
though I think Marquette was actually colder and more wintry than our current
home here in the Crimea on the Kerch Strait.
In Upper Michigan
at this time of year, winter would just begin to flex her strength. We had hundreds of inches of snow annually
and always a major blizzard in mid-late April.
Here, I think we will have a long, wet spring; cold perhaps, but no
major snows.
Our house sitter
back in sunny SC said in a recent e-mail he has the doors open and the
temperatures are in the high 60s. Soon
the daffodils and forsythia will bloom.
I am grateful to
have running water and heat. I am
thankful to see the neighborhood cats at play and to see people out and about
on this Thursday in February.
·
Wednesday, 1 February 2006
Water-free Wednesday!
Day Two, no water.
In January we went
without water from late on the 19th through late on the 22nd.
It would be easier
to be without water if I had started out with clean hair. This time I was caught with dirty hair so now
I have that greasy feel that comes with unwashed hair.
I am adept using
soap, washcloth and a little water to keep my skin clean, but there is not much
hope for getting relief for my straggly, lank locks. Once the hair gets to a certain point it is
hard to tolerate the wait.
I remind myself
that not so many years ago people in the USA often went for a week without
shampooing. Or bathing.
Among younger
Americans though, a daily shower and shampoo is not considered a luxury.
We do have
heat. Since city heat is provided by
steam, it is possible that water issues could escalate and we could be without
both water and heat.
Following is the
English summary of a Ukrainian newspaper article regarding infrastructure.
problems. The national elections are in
March so news may be tainted by party affiliations of course.
From: EmKay Subject: [UTF] Heating Infrastructure Collapse not Gas Shortage Blamed for Ukraine Winter Woes |
Today (31 Jan 2006), president Yushchenko visited Alchevsk town in the Luhansk Oblast, to help and simultaneously deride the local municipal authorities in their plight of facing local residents go heatless in the -20 deg C weather. The post-Soviet central communal heating infrastructure is giving in to age and outdated system design when overstressed by extreme weather conditions.
Alchevsk is the third known community, these days in Ukraine, experiencing burst conduit pipes causing interruption in steam distribution, leaving locals freezing in their housing projects, as well as in public buildings, like schools, hospitals, and municipal offices.
President Yushchenko, acting like any western leader would, offer government assistance in the emergency, of technical and financial nature, while admonishing the city fathers to shape up before the onset of another crisis by practicing preventive management.
EmKay