Remember/Reflect

There are many things that we like about Ukraine. As we start our next chapter in our journey today, we reflect and document to remember some of the things we think are cool. Here are some of those thoughts, gathered randomly while we listen to Атмaсфера on CD - fun music.

1. Passion and love of life are important here - being honest with oneself and others is also very important.
2. Family is important as is church.
3. Ukraine is somewhat divided still in terms of the west (Pro-Ukraine and many followers of Стефана Бандеры (Stefan Bandera)) and east (still pro-Russia), so mentalities and expectations of how the economy should operate and what the role of government is differs across the nation.

 4. plastic protector under the dishrack is a good idea. A set of 4 dishes is a lot of dishes for the typical family here. People have maybe 5% on a good day of the amount of stuff Americans have. Being here reminds us how over stuff-i-cized we are.

 5. pot that boils water instantly - nice. (Here they operate on 220, not on 110 like in the States)

 6. Clothes drying rack.

 7. Hot Water pipe in bathroom used as a towel rack so towels are warm when you shower (use hot water).

These are common in Germany and in other eastern European countries.

 8. Washing machine with extractor. Takes up about 2 feet by 2.5 feet of space and is about 3 feet tall.

A full load fits in and it is practically dry when it comes out. Very efficient. Ask for instructions on how to use these. We looked up instructions online (http://www.indesit.co.uk/_pdf/booklets/02/40/19507883500_UK.pdf) but the issue was that the water needed to be turned on! They are not intuitive, or lets say, they do not have the same buttons and knobs as US machines.

 9. Magnetic knife holder in the kitchen

10. Food is typically organically (no chemicals) grown by independent farmers.
11. Insides matter more than outsides many times. Do not judge by the exterior. For example, our apt. that we are not in doesn't look so impressive based on US standards from the outside, but the insides of where we are is quite impressive.
12. Philosophy and literature are important. Many faces printed on the currency (The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna; sign: ₴, code: (UAH), has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996) are not just national leaders (like the US Presidents on our bills) but people of great literary contributions. UAH even has a women on a bill. Most countries do, except the US (sad).
13. Roads are not like "glass" as they are in the US (so smooth). Thus, driving is much different here. Driving is similar to the way it is in China and Mexico. Actually, it is much calmer than it is in China because one does not dodge pigs and bicycles, etc. while driving here.
14. Pack a swiss army knife in your suitcase (for the knife and scissors).
15. Pack less, and stuff that dries quickly.
16. Pack like 6 small "hotel" bars of soap.
17. Dark clothing not jeans that can handle dirt. Wool is preferable to cotton. Hat and scarf have been very valuable. Also, bring slippers - people take their shoes off at the door of the apts.
18. Pack layers that you can wear again and again without concern.
19. Don't forget the power adaptor (shown in previous blog).
20. Baby wipes or hand sanitizer for train trips.
21. Sweetner for coffee, little camping salt and pepper shakers, plastic coffee press/tea bags, empty ziploc bags for just-in-case stuff.
23. 2 identical pairs of slacks can get you through the whole trip. Plus, one dress shirt, one sport coat, and casual shirts.
24. Mini umbrella and fold up rain poncho.
25. If you are allergic to feathers and/or wool, bring your own pillow and blanket or a work-around.

26. baskets in the sink are god for drying dishes. Nice use of space!

And, last but not least by far - patience and tolerance for your spouse! A curiosity to learn about others and a respect for various ways of life. A desire to learn to read Russian, if even rudimentary (like just learning the alphabet so you can sound out words), and a desire not to be in control. We try to leave places better than they were when we came (Girl Scout rule) or at least not worse off.

OK - on to our final leg of the trip! Time to gather the day's items together and smile big for our first family reunion! Yippie! We just got our call - it is 11:30AM here - time to go! Horray!

Day 10 of 10

We're home to familiar Mariupol! We have a different apartment this time, but very, very nice. It is not downtown, so we cannot walk to the coffee shop or small market but we are safe, warm, in a very pretty home, have internet and nice beds and a cool kitchen. We have been very well taken care of by our agency, we have to say. We will go with the flow tomorrow, something we are good at doing, and see what the day brings. The best thing it will bring is Karina!! Just think - this is her last night at the Tsentr Opiky. What do you think she is saying to her friends tonight? Tomorrow, we doubt if she will go to school - Friday was probably her last day at school. Wow - is she excited? Is she scared? What is going through her mind? We have her clothes and shoes ready for her. Tomorrow is our first day as a threesome! Stuart is way ready to come home. His patience is on the fringe right now. The thought of 2 more weeks, potentially is driving him a bit nuts. On a positive note, he drank the best beer he has had in 6 months last night at dinner! He is all about that beer. Too bad he can't have one tonight - he could use it after the 25 hour bumpty-bump-bump train ride. Oh well - it's all about perspective. And being grateful for all the goodness we have, which are magnificent. This apartment, for example, is very pretty and clean and the light fixture in the living room is awesome! Karina will love it - totally sparkly! Even the wall paper is sparkly! And, we are able to wash clothes. We wear the same clothes everyday, and they don't really get as dirty as they do in America. It is interesting, but I see a similarity to dog food. That is, once we fed our dogs canned dog food from Sam's club/Walmart for about 6 months in a row. I know... it was about 8 years ago. Then, Ann switched them to a raw food/homemade diet, where they only got natural foods. Suddenly, like within a week, all of the dogs smelled better, their breath was better and their coats looked better. Well, here we do not eat foods with preservatives and lots of chemicals (like canned dog food has in it). I think we are healthier and that is why it is not the end of the world if you don't wash as often. Just a thought....

Day 9 of 10

Almost there - "there" being to pick up Karina on Monday. This is a long trip. We still do not know when our flight home will be. Passport timing changes (takes lot a longer now), birth certificate regulations also changed for the worst in terms of time required, holidays (Easter - closed Monday the 25th, then Labor Days here closed the first week of May basically) all equals high uncertainty for us in terms of how much time remains to finish our business here and settle back at home with our new family. More as we know more. (sigh). International adoption is not for the impatient, for sure.

On a positive note, which we are staying, we awoke to the "IKC фактор" outdoors in Lviv's city center brought in by the StarWagon, UA. This equates to American Idol in Ukraine. Yes, we walked over this morning and watched performers and outdoor crowds cheering, clapping, singing and waving flags! The translation is eeeeeks fact-tur! That would be X-Factor in English. We practice our Russian alphabet everyday so we can actually read many words that are similar to English words once you sound them out. Letters just require a bit of thought sometimes. Like, P is R, and B is V, and C is S, ф is F, etc. The crowds are yelling as I type in the hotel room - eeeks fact-tur! eeeks fact-tur! And performers are doing their gigs.

Today, we will board the train later this evening for the 25 hour ride back to Mariupol arriving Sunday night. Then, sometime on Monday the 18th we will be able to pick Karina up from the Children's Home where she has lived for the past 7 years taking her from the best life she has known and start our life as a threesome. We have been in Ukraine for so long sometimes things feel a bit out of context and also like "wow - really? she is our daughter to stay with us now? can it be true? finally!" We will post when we have a chance but it may not be for a while after today given that one never knows what the train may offer.

Here are some more miscellaneous photos from the past week (again). Right now, the "Idols" are singing the words "We will rock you" (Stuart says it sounds like Smurfs are singing it) - hilarious! We look forward to a terrific day ahead. Bright smiles and happiness abound as the sun is shining, people are singing outside, and there is much to be grateful about - lots and lots of gratefulness. Staying positive.

Memorial to war heroes in a rural Carpathian town, paid for by the local residents, not by the government.

 

 Petting stray dogs at the market.

 Atmasfera band playing.

  Trying on pretty hats.

Carpathian Resort town - the neighborhood where we stayed.

More from Lviv

Here are a few more photos from Lviv today.

Used books are sold at the feet of the most famous book publisher in Ukraine.

Outside of the coffee shop (of course!) next to our hotel.

 Downtown Lviv.

 Goddess Diana and dogs.

 St. Andrews Church above and a chapel from the 1500s below.

Concert Hall.

A Ukrainian HotDog 

(Polish sausage, wonderful bread roll, pickled carrots, onions, corn, chives, and mayonaise)

Back to the Carpathians

Here are a few more photos from earlier in the week, when we were in the Carpathian region of Ukraine.

Nafania

People take artificial flowers (because they last a long time) to the graves of loved ones at Easter.

Cemetaries are very decorated this time of year.

Houses are painted pretty colors. Yellow is also a popular color.

Day 8 of 10

In Lviv today - perfect weather! A little chilly, but sunny and dry. We had a fun tour of the town today with Liliya. Lviv is her hometown. For a wonderful time touring Ukraine, with rich history, fun places to see, and happy stories - contact Liliya Valihun. She is the perfect person to tour with! These are some photos from today - Enjoy! More forthcoming when we have a chance.

Liliya and our Lviv tour guide.

Ann & tour guide.

Some Highlights

Wow - The western half of Ukraine is beautiful! This website covers the area perfectly!: http://www.travelwestukraine.net/ The Carpathian mountains have a rich, rich history and a rural lifestyle of farming, pottery, wool crafts, wood carving, pasanka (egg painting), embroidery and tradition. It is full of stories, folk music and natural mineral springs. We ate LOTS of authentic Ukrainian food as well! Yum! Here is where we were (see area shaded in green):

On Monday of this week, we were at the Centre of Europe! In 1887, geographers from the Austro-Hungarian Empire set up a historical marker and a large stone in what is today a part of Ukraine, believed to mark the geographic centre of Europe. The monument at the center is below.

We cruised the lovely countryside and rural farms. We went to a popular ski resort to ride the lift and get a high-view of the mountains. It was cold and beautiful!

We got water from natural springs and took it home to drink.We learned lots about history - the Hutsuls, Ivan Franko (whose painting was above the piano in the parrot room at the Children's Home), and culture of the area. We toured Franko's home - now a museum. And saw many lovely churches, some as old as the 16th century!

On Tuesday, we went to a ski jump built in 1929 after eating a fabulous breakfast, then to an old church, then to hear a native Hutsul musician (Roman Kumlyk from the Verkhovyna) play many native instruments, sing and tell fun stories (where he let Miss_A play a Hurdy-Gurdy!), stopped at a beautiful private roadside chapel (they are everywhere) and lite candles and said prayers, saw many traditional mountain homes, tasted more natural spring water, had a terrific Ukrainian meal, and went to the Ukrainian Pasanka Museum (the only egg-shaped museum in the world!). (Sorry, we can't figure out how to get the pics taken with the iphone to align right, even after saving them post-rotation).

On Wednesday, there was a horse ride through the woods on Dasha (Ann's horse) and Yura (Liliya's horse).

Who took us to a waterfall called girl's tears.

And, a glimpse at Carpathian Deer and Boars (who gave us a little "pig porn" show - oops!)

(Hope this doesn't offend folks - it is nature). We laughed - it made for a fun story as you may imagine the puns, etc.!

We also shopped at the market and purchased Karina's Easter decorations - Ukrainian eggs as our new family tradition. We ate more good food, told good stories, and got to know some terrific people!

Tonight, in Lviv (also known as L'viv, Lvov, Lwow) we had an awesome evening! Fantasic! We heard a fabulous band play tonight called Atmasfera and wish we could follow them.We loved their music and bought two of their CDs. Little Chix would be all about it. They are a really fun band!

If you have a chance to go to Lviv, do so. We look forward to seeing more of the city tomorrow. So far, it is our all-time favorite city in Ukraine!