Village --> Pavlograd --> Dnipropetrovsk --> Kyiv --> Lviv --> Kamianka Buzka --> Lutsk --> Prolisok --> Ukrainian Language Camp! --> now reverse it
In other news, I guess I've hit the culturally appropriate level of high-heeled-make-up-ed-ness as many people at my school have felt the need to tell me they approve of how I look these days.
To my dad: Indeed, my haircut is very Ukrainian. Multiple kids today told me it looked good.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Quote of the Day
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
-Frederick Douglass
From the NYT article A Poverty Solution That Starts With a Hug.
-Frederick Douglass
From the NYT article A Poverty Solution That Starts With a Hug.
The Travel Breakdown
To America:
2 buses --> overnight train --> bus --> (delayed) 2 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany --> missed connecting flight, bus to hotel, overnight stay in Frankfurt --> 9 hour flight to Washington, D.C. --> 1.5 hour flight to Cleveland!
To Ukraine:
~1 hour flight to Toronto --> 4 hour layover that turns into an 8 hour layover due to a flight delay --> 8 hour flight to Frankfurt --> missed connecting flight, layover of 11 hours --> overbooked flight, bus to hotel --> early morning flight to Vienna --> flight to Kyiv --> bus --> 7 hour train --> 6 hour layover --> 2 buses --> back to site
The main point of this being that this trip, in theory, was supposed to take about 36 hours. The first leg extended to about 48 hours, but with a good night's sleep in Germany and some sleep on the overnight train.
The second leg extended to about 72 hours, but the only sleep I managed was a couple hours on a bench and about three hours in the hotel in Germany, and a couple hours on the train to Dnipro (it was not an overnight train). It was rough.
I can't believe I have to go to school tomorrow.
On an unrelated note, I traveled from Germany with another PCV and a Brazilian boy who was doing an internship in Ukraine. When we first arrived, the Brazilian boy commented how absolutely gray everything was and that "It's freezing!" The other PCV and I laughed and told him we thought it felt pretty tropical for Ukraine in January (it was about 40F). I think our jadedness scared him but at least he'll get to see lots of snow, which he said he'd never seen before.
2 buses --> overnight train --> bus --> (delayed) 2 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany --> missed connecting flight, bus to hotel, overnight stay in Frankfurt --> 9 hour flight to Washington, D.C. --> 1.5 hour flight to Cleveland!
To Ukraine:
~1 hour flight to Toronto --> 4 hour layover that turns into an 8 hour layover due to a flight delay --> 8 hour flight to Frankfurt --> missed connecting flight, layover of 11 hours --> overbooked flight, bus to hotel --> early morning flight to Vienna --> flight to Kyiv --> bus --> 7 hour train --> 6 hour layover --> 2 buses --> back to site
The main point of this being that this trip, in theory, was supposed to take about 36 hours. The first leg extended to about 48 hours, but with a good night's sleep in Germany and some sleep on the overnight train.
The second leg extended to about 72 hours, but the only sleep I managed was a couple hours on a bench and about three hours in the hotel in Germany, and a couple hours on the train to Dnipro (it was not an overnight train). It was rough.
I can't believe I have to go to school tomorrow.
On an unrelated note, I traveled from Germany with another PCV and a Brazilian boy who was doing an internship in Ukraine. When we first arrived, the Brazilian boy commented how absolutely gray everything was and that "It's freezing!" The other PCV and I laughed and told him we thought it felt pretty tropical for Ukraine in January (it was about 40F). I think our jadedness scared him but at least he'll get to see lots of snow, which he said he'd never seen before.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Happy 101st Post
Happy one year anniversary to my village and me! This has felt like the longest and shortest year of my life.
I've been thinking about my PC service in the same way I thought of the half-marathon I ran: just make it to the halfway point, and once you hit that, you'll be on the down swing of things. The problem with that logic is that when you get to the midway point, your brain goes, "Yay!" and then it realizes, "Oh hey, I have to do all that I just did, again." And at this point, you're getting a little tired.
Overall, it's a good feeling though. I've already started comparing how things are now versus last winter when I first came to Mezhyrich. I remember driving down the main street, trying to remember where the shops and school were as we passed and there was already a few inches of snow and ice on the ground. Now I know where to go to buy what things and how late the shops are open, and there's only been one day where we had flurries but no actual snow yet. It's bound to be an interesting year, for sure.
And to celebrate my 101st post, enjoy these pictures of Levitzka!
I've been thinking about my PC service in the same way I thought of the half-marathon I ran: just make it to the halfway point, and once you hit that, you'll be on the down swing of things. The problem with that logic is that when you get to the midway point, your brain goes, "Yay!" and then it realizes, "Oh hey, I have to do all that I just did, again." And at this point, you're getting a little tired.
Overall, it's a good feeling though. I've already started comparing how things are now versus last winter when I first came to Mezhyrich. I remember driving down the main street, trying to remember where the shops and school were as we passed and there was already a few inches of snow and ice on the ground. Now I know where to go to buy what things and how late the shops are open, and there's only been one day where we had flurries but no actual snow yet. It's bound to be an interesting year, for sure.
And to celebrate my 101st post, enjoy these pictures of Levitzka!
Looking adorable
Rolling around/sleeping in a pile of origami cranes
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
When Words Fail
Usually when I'm stressed, I spill my guts into my journal and then my brain and heart feel much better. Unfortunately, I had so many complaints flying around in my head about the impending seminar at my school that every time I tried to sit down and write, I ended up too agitated to get it out.
So instead I drew this lovely bubble brainstorm-y thing. And I have to say, I felt a lot better after and actually got work done.
So instead I drew this lovely bubble brainstorm-y thing. And I have to say, I felt a lot better after and actually got work done.
And it's pretty and colorful!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Nerding Out
I have no concept of how much this is being covered in the US, but there's been a lot of voting drama next door in Russia. I've been spending the day reading some articles from The Economist.
This is my favorite: The Long Life of Homo Sovieticus
There's a nice chart and this quote, "The statistics are staggering: one in six businessmen in Russia has been prosecuted for an alleged economic crime over the past decade. Most of the cases have no plaintiff and the number of acquittals is close to zero, according to studies by Russia's Centre of Legal and Economic Research. This means that the vast number of Russian businessmen in jail are victims of corrupt prosecutors, police and courts, which can expropriate a business with impunity."
This is a good one: Russia's Election: Losing Their Grip
And this too: The Cracks Appear
About the North Caucasus region: The Land that Russia Would Like to Forget
This is my favorite: The Long Life of Homo Sovieticus
There's a nice chart and this quote, "The statistics are staggering: one in six businessmen in Russia has been prosecuted for an alleged economic crime over the past decade. Most of the cases have no plaintiff and the number of acquittals is close to zero, according to studies by Russia's Centre of Legal and Economic Research. This means that the vast number of Russian businessmen in jail are victims of corrupt prosecutors, police and courts, which can expropriate a business with impunity."
This is a good one: Russia's Election: Losing Their Grip
And this too: The Cracks Appear
About the North Caucasus region: The Land that Russia Would Like to Forget
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
2 Weeks and Change
I just want the next two and a half weeks to be done. At that point, my dreaded school seminar will be over, first semester will have finished, I'll have a full year of teaching under my belt, this school year will be half over, I'll be in America, I'll have hit the one year mark of living in my village (which feels more significant than the one year mark of being in-country), and I'll be over halfway done with my service.
This has nothing to do with anything. In case you're curious about what Levitzka the kitten (little lioness in Ukrainian) looks like these days, she basically looks like this but smaller and fluffier.
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