Last Day

Our last trip to the Vodavoz, the water truck:

Standing in line

Filling the bottles from the truck

Only 5 bottles this time.
We usually get the honor of carrying 4 six litre bottles each...
across the parking lot and up to our fourth floor walk-up. 

We've about packed ourselves out. But not completely. We've still got all of those last minute items, like toothbrushes, deployed for use. We're still washing clothes- although mostly just items we've worn to Crossfit M4 or stuff for the plane.

Okay- maybe we need to pack our shoes
As per the custom, we kick them off by the door.
Hopefully, we won't forget them.

I went to the dentist earlier this week and had my teeth cleaned. Jason was afraid that I would get hepatitis, but I persisted, looking up Ukrainian dentistry online and discovering that Ukraine is one of those countries that has "dental tourism"- you can come here and get your root canal on the cheap. So, I stopped to speak to the woman handing out flyers on the corner. She took us to the office. We met the dentist, saw the equipment and room, and Jason's fears were abated. It was a pretty reasonable looking dental office- leaning chair, tubes, dental implements... They were prepared to clean my teeth right away, but I deferred until the next day.

The cleaning went fine. The dentist insisted upon doing it herself. Oh- and she thought Jason and I were brother and sister AND that we were Germans (all westerners look the same...). In any case, she sand-blasted my teeth with some kind of high pressure soda and salt mixture (my gums are still recuperating). I had to wear a hair net and safety goggles (really.) and was occasionally told to rinse and spit with something medicinal. Then, she put vaseline over my lips, which were pretty darn chapped by the end. She polished. I also got a strawberry flavored fluoride treatment- they turned on a tv in the room and let me watch music videos until it had finished (let's go with...) setting.

It cost more than we expected- 400 UAH (about 45 USD), maybe because I was also polished and fluoridated. Oh- and they gave me an aspirin to take at the end, so I'd have no pain afterwards and "wouldn't get sick".

When I wrote this, Jason was secreted behind this door for more stamping and signing.
I might've taken the photo on the sly...

I wrote a great deal of this note in the police station. Jason has been un-registering. It has required three trips to the cops, various stamps and signatures, a note from the school stating he was no longer teaching... yeah. It's bureaucracy like this that makes ours look efficient.

My favorite part was the woman in room 105 saying, "come with me." We walked into the hall. She went into an office that was busy, turned around and went back to her desk without a word of explanation, leaving Jason and I standing in the hall. She'd apparently used up her allotment of words for the day. So, we hung out in the hall for two hours. We weren't alone, though. There were stacks of others, leaning, propping, and generally cooling their heels, waiting for a sign of movement. An African guy came by and spoke to us in English. A couple of central asian students were surly in the corner. Ukrainians in all shapes and sizes lined both sides and sat in the window sills. They shuffled us out at 6 pm, when they were trying to close for the night. Basically, they told Jason to come back today. We think the stamping and signing may be at an end...

OMG! and Jason just reminded me- his $12 sunglasses broke! My $2 ac/dc shades are still going strong...

All Ukraine Bike Day

Jason woke me up this morning. I am sure it was because he could hardly wait to get up and get going- it is  Velo D'en' ! We ate our breakfast smoothie and cruised out to Ploshad Svobody (Freedom Square) to see what was what. The closer we got, the more bikes were plying the street... we ended up in quite a mass, cycling up the cobbles on Sumskaya Street to the square (which gave us an inkling of the Paris-Roubaix race, let me tell you!). We picked up a couple of t-shirts and biked around the square, past Lenin, past the constructivist Derzhprom, past the uni. We circled a few times, ran into someone from Crossfit, and circled some more until they started trying to get us to sort ourselves. We were supposed to follow the guy with the flag from our region of the city: Kievskaya. I gotta say, though, I was sorely tempted to sort into one of the more interesting sounding regions like: Komsomolskaya and Kominterskaya!

...and just in case:

Komsomol definition
Komintern definition


It was kind of a critical mass event, but I am not sure to what end. They closed two streets to traffic and we "paraded" (their term, not ours) over the two mile route up Lenin Boulevard and back.

Once.

Then they blocked off the street to further cycling. Yeehaw. I was sorely tempted to storm the barricades. I figured there were more of us than blockadists.

Well, I shouldn't complain. Although they did say the streets would be open until 12:30... and it was 11:30. Instead, we left for Pushkinskaya and biked up and down it to the tune of another 14 miles (straight up from the river...straight down to the river...straight up...well, you get the idea).

We had fun, though. As we rode there'd be these great waves of hollers and bell ringing that stole up and down the crowd, as if we were trying to alert Kharkov to our presence and the presence of cyclists in general. There were lots of people in costumes and lots of rhetoric around the need for better cycling infrastructure. The start was a bit harry- lots of inexperienced cyclists AND kids wobbling and crashing into one another. I was really glad I wasn't clipped onto my road bike...

Oh! and I won't keep you in suspense any longer! To see the winner of Eurovision, go to this BBC article and video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22585225

More Melting, Gooey Fromage

We watched the second night of Eurovision semifinals this afternoon. We'd spent the day pounding the pavement in search of souvenirs with mixed results (uh...some of you may get stuff from Georgia), so we collapsed on the sofa and flipped on Russia's Kanal Odin (channel one).

This was a much tougher set for us to judge- fewer throwaway sopranos. It did give us some laughs (the Albanian metal band, shooting sparks out of its guitars), some genuinely okay tunes, and some eye-raisers.

Let's get the eye-raiser over with: Romania sent a contra tenor (think Communards), who sang a dance hit. He had an amazing voice and spectacular range...still, your eyebrows will reach for the ceiling on this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV3xp5ZXSYA&feature=player_embedded

I think there were women in the contest who couldn't reach those notes!

Macedonia sent a well-known gypsy queen to sing a duet- I loved it! (Unfortunately, it did not make the finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi1VYsOUCsY

I am happy to report that Greece did. They had one of those traditional meets punk bands (referred to in the press as "Balkan Ska") fronted by a guy in his (lets go with) 50s. The young men wore traditional pleated skirts. We were pretty sure they'd make it to the finals, though, with a title and chorus of: Alcohol is Free!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocFhFNxu5Jg&feature=player_embedded

What else should I report? the blond Viking-in-a-suit from Iceland had a nice voice (made it). The Bulgarians were fun- they were professional percussionists, so it was pretty high energy (didn't make it). Hungary had a nice, quiet pop tune (made it).

(ASIDE: I told Jason that when I think of Hungary that I think of (besides paprika) everyone being good looking. It's one of those societies where you stand out if you're not... So, unsurprisingly, despite the lead singers efforts to hide behind a hipster disguise, you could tell he was good looking. Even the less handsome guitar player was still handsome. I guess my advice is, don't go there unless you are really secure. Well, I haven't been there in 20 years, so maybe all the good looking people are old and grey now... we can hope they didn't win the genetic jackpot and age well, too.)

Let me end with my surprise choice to take the top prize: Malta. It is such a catchy pop hit- quiet and not too over the top, and the lead singer is a pediatrician by profession. So, I'm going with the guy who wasn't groomed and packaged for public consumption by his country of origin :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoBNfVgZdo4&feature=player_embedded

Well, that's enough of Eurovision! We'll watch the finals and let you know who wins :o) If this hasn't been enough cheese for you, there is an official Eurovision website with information about all of the acts: http://www.eurovision.tv/page/timeline

Eurovision: Le Gran Fromage

So, Jason and I had completely forgotten about this bit of European culture until mention began popping up on Ranok, our Ukrainian morning show: The Eurovision Song Contest is under way!

We watched the first night semi-finals as a replay from Russian channel one. It came on here in Ukraine at 11pm the night before, and, let's face it, we're not such great fans that we wanted to stay up past midnight for it. So, the re-broadcast won hands down.

As expected, it was a series of sopranos singing ballads, so anything not in a ball gown with background dancers waiving jazz hands got our notice. I had to walk away from a couple. The woman from Cyprus sounded like me up there- granted I can and have sung some in the far reaching past, but my comment was that in all of Cyprus they should be able to find someone better. The Russian woman sang a song so derivative of "Imagine" that I wish she'd just sang the original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3dT2QpteWI

The most interesting (to us) were the Croats who sent a group of men, who sang a catchy piece of popera (with two tenors at the fore):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdESBf3UFQI

The guys from Montenegro won our vote (or, would have, had it been live). They marched out in space suits and did a nice rap song that would've made the Beastie Boys proud. It was kind-of awesome and by far the most industrial, post-modern piece in the mix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_iXcj3YE3k

The only female that stood out (let's go with: for a good reason) was the young woman from Denmark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et4nd8XFTgo

Oh! Oh! and before I forget- Ireland made it into the finals. They've apparently won more than any other country. In any case, their young man came out and started singing his dance tune, when Jason turned to me and said, "It must be hard to be gay in Ireland." Let's just say there were a lot of well built, clean shaven, shirtless men in leather pants with celtic symbols painted on their bodies beating bodhrans around the guy, who himself was clad in snug fitting black leather. No stereotypes there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QezVpfDibw

Printer and Haircut

I completely forgot about the printer. It was no conspiracy, but the crisis had passed and we moved on. As a consequence the story, such as it is, got a bit lost.

So, Jason was in a bit of a panic last week. He was trying to use a certificate template to create the certificates for his students. The problem was that all of our templates were laying out certifs that were 8.5 x 11 and our paper was A4. hoorah- there is a 2 inch blank spot on the right hand side of the page! After a certain degree of internet searches and teeth gnashing, I grabbed the computer and set out to create a certificate for his students. Thank you, Pages for the Mac. The job was tedious, but several hours later we ended up with something that was really quite reasonable.

The problem was printing. Jason began printing docs on some decent stock we bought, but quickly ran out of ink.  No problem, right? just a trip to the local Office Depot-Max... oh wait. Ukraine. Yeah. After several failed attempts, we ended up with yet another definition of the second world:

Instructions in Chinese, Russian and Hindi

Why would anyone pay for a fancy ink cartridge, when you can just buy ink, perform a simple operation, and refill the cartridges yourself? I would applaud the element of recycling, but in truth I would rather have a friggin' cartridge to cram in the machine. Instead, no cartridges are to be found (at 100 grivna a pop), but the above kits can be (colors + black for a mere 25 grivna).  

Although Jason did successfully re-load the cartridges, the print quality went down (Streaky). We ended up taking a pdf of the certifs to a print shop downtown and had them done on a fancy laser printer. They'll be deployed on Friday during the "closing ceremony".

We went back to Kleopatra to get hair cuts yesterday, assuming they'd be cheaper here than any of the other countries we'll visit going forward. We thought we'd get the same young woman (Yulia), but we got a very nervous young man instead. I think his name was Denis, but he didn't introduce himself or talk much at all. He did a fine enough job, although he seemed to want to leave Jason a comb over and wanted to add body to mine (you can stop laughing now- he seemed quite stunned with the resulting bouffant-ish lion's mane. I think it will calm down after washing...) I did not have him do my eyebrows. Sexist of me, but it just felt weird. 

Great morning after shots, I know. Hopefully you get the idea. 

I'm debating on a trip to the dentist. A cleaning costs $23 or so (199 grivna per the flyer I keep getting handed). I'm just not sure what it will involve or if they can do any damage... stay tuned!

V-E Day

Okay- I admit to getting pretty excited, thinking about the parade today. I figured there would be veterans, tanks, and plenty of goose-stepping to keep me entertained. Maybe some martial music to boot. What we got was something very different indeed.

We arrived at ye ole Ploshad Svobody (Freedom Square) to crowds wearing orange and black ribbons, red and green flags, and a central bandstand decorated with Soviet stars and hammers and sickles. People had flowers to give old men, wearing uniforms and metals that had been dusted off for the ocassion. My thoughts immediately ran to Jack; I wondered what he would've thought of it all.

Crowd and Couple wearing black and orange ribbon.

WWII Veteran

Spot on at 10am (or, as close as you can get in Ukraine), the show began. Freedom Square became a parade ground. They began by playing the ITAR-TASS radio announcement from May 9, 1945, declaring the war over.

Bandstand and Soldiers

...then came the dancers. I was disappointed that no full-on "glopak" was performed, but there were some leaps and plenty of heel-to-toe balancing. Jason asked how I would've fared dancing in heels on the cobbles.

...then came the parade of Soviet era uniforms and vehicles.

Infantry wearing WWII uniforms carrying red flags...I kept thinking they must be hot

Various WWII vehicles

...Then the generals riding jeeps up and down the parade grounds, stopping by each regiment present and wishing them "S Praznikom" (Happy Holiday). They would respond in unison with various "oorahs!" and "Slava" (glory). 

Generals with jeeps and microphones

...Then a bunch of officials came out and spoke (in Russian) about the importance of the day and ended with a half-hearted "Slava Ukraina!" (Glory to Ukraine!).

...Then they national anthem was played. This was curious indeed. People did not stand with silent reverence or sing the words along with the troops. They stood around and talked- to each other, on their phones- and generally ignored the proceedings. I was astounded. I saw one guy in the crowd mouthing the words. I pointed it out to Jason who said, "Well, it's new." But I couldn't help but wonder about the east-west divide severing Ukraine. How many times had people said to me that they were "essentially" Russian?

...then, the troops filed past the grand stand. They goose-stepped, but not as high or as sole-slamming as I had hoped to witness.

The show ended with a gun salute, and typical parade maneuvers involving rifles spinning and flying through the air and swords being brandished about. 

We did not stay to the end, though. We left about 15 minutes early to beat the crowd. And it was a massive crowd. 6 people thick lining Freedom Square and more on the sidewalk around it, vying for a bit of height and a better view. Lenin was completely coated with spectators. So, we skedaddled.

Crowds surrounding Lenin at the end of the square.

Before I close, I would like to remind you that Kharkov was decimated in the war. The city was flattened; it lay on the Eastern front of the European theatre. The city was also on the road to Stalingrad. So troops, both Nazi and Soviet, fought backwards and forwards over the city. Very few Jews remain. Their are major kill sites dotting the city. In one case, Drobitsky Yar, over 15,000 (yes, thousand) were shot on and left in a ravine on the edge of town. Just north of the city lies Kursk, which saw the largest tank battles the world has ever fought- twice. 

It is estimated that the Soviet Union lost 26 million in WWII, compared to the US 400 thousand. 

Festivities continue tonight with a concert and fireworks. 

A Tale of Two Sunglasses

 

First of all: Happy Easter! Christ is Risen (I'm listening for your traditional Orthodox response, He is Truly Risen!). We did not go to service. In truth, we did not think about it until 9pm on Saturday and, as the services start at midnight... well, we couldn't even find a church with a service. The "Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist" (really.) down the road in that park that was once a cemetery, has a website, but it did not list any Easter festivities. We wished we had thought of it earlier in the day so we could've made appropriate plans. In any case, we wish you all the blessings of the season. Enjoy your "pasha", frosted cake with raisins, and egg "knocking". 

It has been unrelentingly sunny and warm here (no complaints, mind you). We have had one day of rain since our return from Germany in March; In fact, this region is in a drought. As a consequence, whenever I wore my contacts, I was blinded by that yellow ball in the sky (me, stumbling, looking for shade, trees and obstacles all at once). Coming out of the metro at the Barabashov Market (largest in Europe, bu the way) we found a young woman selling sunglasses for 20 grivna (US 2.50). So, I picked up my stunning AC/DC brand shades. 

Jason started humming and hawing about his, so we stopped by metro-girl again. No luck. However, coming back to the market from Crossfit one afternoon the trolleybus dropped us off in front of an entire hallway of sunglass sellers. We stopped at the first booth run by a burly African. Jason found some sunglasses he liked, so the negotiations began. First in Russian, then in English, and finishing in French. They involved a group of three other Africans sitting on the sidelines nearby. In the end, Jason paid 100 grivna for his (US 12.50). I'm thinking they should not have gone through English between Russian and French. 

Oh! and the instant we paid, another man swooped in and took the 100 note. No idea what that was about, but I'm not going to dwell (protection? coop?... sigh, me not dwelling).

As some of you may not have heard, my parents "last trip to Europe" a few years back was not actually their last trip. They are going to join us in Paris and sherpa luggage for us on the Loire Valley bike tour (with Elizabeth) from Orleans to the coast. No panniers for us- hoorah! 

May Day

We got out relatively early, hoping to get some cycling in before the streets got crowded. Our cycle rental agent, Masha, had told us that there were popular paths north of Gorky Park, and we had seen hints (e.g.- people on bikes) heading back and forth on the Belgorodsky Shosse (Hwy). So, we headed out in that direction to explore- hopefully, without any major traffic incidents.

We found this official-looking path 

Which ran out about fifteen feet on either side of the mark. The dirt path before and after, however, stretched for several miles in each direction. 

We got out to the edge of town. The sign behind Jason points the way to Moscow. 

City Marker

Kill site marker along the path- in Polish, Ukrainian and English.

When we got back into town, I asked Jason if he wanted to head down to "Ploshad Svobody" (Freedom Square) to catch the communist demonstrations, but he was hungry. So, we came home, ate, and then headed out there, hoping to catch the final act. We found something very different indeed:

Note the color of the flags- Black, not red. The anarchists were out. 

Some of them were wearing balaclavas and bandanas to cover their faces

We ended our day on Ploshad Svobody, paying homage to Uncle Lenin. Many had left flowers.