The Adventure Continues

Hello Everyone,

The long awaited and highly anticipated blog update has finally come (or long forgotten ;-)  ).  It is hard to believe that it has been a month and a half since my last post.  I write this from my office in the Palace of Culture in the center of my little Eastern Ukrainian town - it is 1:30 pm and there is a huge rain & thunder storm outside.  Kind-of a surreal setting with all the Soviet buildings in the background.  Anywho, where to begin?  Since I last posted, my parents visited Ukraine and I showed them around, I went to a Океан Ельзи concert with some Ukrainian friends, went on a bicycle tour of Holland, attended a few Peace Corps parties, and  a few other things I have probably forgotten.  I should probably post more often.  I had my parents write a blog entry of their impressions of Ukraine which I will add to the end of this blog - this will be a long one.  

After my last post, I went to the Океан Ельзи concert in Donetsk.  It was great fun.  We got tickets for the standing only area right in front of the stage.  It was a great concert and I was very impressed with the quality of the music.  This time I decided to listen to the music ahead of time so that I would be familiar with some of their songs which made me enjoy the concert even more.  There was quite a bit of Ukrainian in the lyrics and as you know I have been studying Russian so I did not understand all of the lyrics but I understood enough.  I went with a group of about 8 Ukrainian friends and we met in Donetsk a little early so that we could eat dinner together and have a drink before the concert.  Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera but I will try to get some of my friends photos to post on the ole blog.  

Two days after the concert I caught an overnight train to Kiev to pick my parents up at the Airport.  I was a bit nervous and extremely excited to see them after being apart for over 15 months.  I met them just outside their gate and after a warm greeting, our adventure began.  As we made our way into Kiev by public bus, I was trying to anticipate what their impressions would be of Ukraine.  When I first got off the plane in Kiev (now 16 months ago), my first impressions where a bit buried under the stress of a new life, the unknowns - who my host family would be, would I learn Ukrainian or Russian, what will I be doing, where will I be living, and why did I accidentally take my Dad's pants instead of mine?  lol  (when I was packing for Ukraine I accidentally grabbed the wrong pants)   Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived and I imagine my parents were probably wondering what Ukraine had in store for them but probably at a lesser degree than I did when I first arrived.  (I should probably note that I decided to write this entry before I read my parents entries)  Anywho, we met a fellow foreigner on the bus into Kiev and chatted a bit about Ukraine and some of the challenges Ukraine faces and after 40 min or so we arrived at the central train station in Kiev.  Kiev has a European feel to it and one can find may western amenities here so it does not really give an accurate picture of Ukraine ie. TGI Fridays.  My parents were troopers and took everything in stride such as the overcrowded metro, different (but good) food, and the miles and miles of walking we did  (people walk a lot here - what can I say?).  Many of the little nuances that I have not thought about since I arrived were suddenly very apparent.  I suppose I have adapted to life here a lot more than I originally thought.  I really enjoyed walking around Kiev with them, showing them some of the sights, catching up, and watching my Dad's face as he tried a variety of Ukrainian dishes.  lol  I have grown to really like Ukrainian food but my Dad is not exactly known for trying new things and probably has not tried a new dish in years.  lol  (slight exaggeration ;-)   I have to hand it to him though because by the end of the trip he did enjoy eating Ukrainian Borsch, Shashleek, Kutletka, and (of course) chocolate. My Mom was, of course, more than happy to try all the new dishes - I am the same way. I must have gotten it from her.  We walked all around Kiev, saw all the big churches & monuments, went to the War museum, ate at a few cafes, and stayed at a little comfy hostel close to the center.  The hostel was a good experience, we rented a private room instead of staying where I normally do in the big "dorm room" that has around 8 beds in one communal room. I think they were a bit nervous about the hostel because their friend in the States was shocked and appalled that they were going to stay in a hostel.  lol  After exploring Kiev for a few days, we made our way via the metro to the train station to catch our overnight train to Donetsk.  I was excited for them to experience train travel in Ukraine because it is such a unique experience.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) I was shocked to find that our seats were located on a brand new train car!  It was luxury compared to how it normally is.  The train car was air-conditioned, almost nothing was broken (minus the bathroom), and it was very comfortable.  Lol We had an enjoyable ride - we had a drink and ate some chocolate in our booth while we watched the scenery out the window and chatted about life while the sun slowly set over seemingly endless Ukrainian farmland.  

We arrived in Donetsk early the next day (Sunday).  Unfortunately, my parents were not used to train travel and were probably still jet-lagged so they were a bit tired.  We caught a trolley bus into the center of Donetsk and started walking to the south bus station.  Because it was early Sunday morning, there was almost nobody in the street.  On the way to the bus station, we stopped by a small market where people were selling old Soviet trinkets.  When we finally got to the bus station and purchased some tickets to an imaginary bus that did not exist thus having to exchange the tickets twice in order to finally get on a bus that actually existed (this is not entirely uncommon  lol ) – we were finally on the way to my site an hour away.  When we finally arrived, I introduced them to my favorite dish Okroshka which is a cold milky soup with cucumbers, egg, chicken, and dill.  Deeeeelish.  We then checked into the hotel that my parents will be staying at and rested for a bit before seeing my apartment, office, and the town.  It was very interesting to listen to what they had to say about everything - especially my apartment. I had forgotten how unique Soviet housing can be if you are not used to it. 

Probably one of the highlights of their visit was the dinner with my Ukrainian friends at a local restaurant.  I don’t think anyone knew what to expect from the evening because my parents don’t speak any Russian and the culture is very different but everyone had a great time.  The Ukrainian friends that I invited spoke some English and everyone helped each other out so we were able to communicate without any problems.  My parents sampled a variety of Ukrainian dishes and, of course, participated in the “old Russian tradition” of toasting to a number of vodka shots.  I made sure to teach them beforehand that it is not necessary to take the entire shot of vodka for each toast and that you can take the smallest sip if you want to and nobody will be offended.  The night was full of stories, anecdotes, good food, and a fun mix of Russian & English.  By the end of the night it was like everyone was long lost friends.  Great times were had by all. 

We made our way via overnight train back to Kiev where we caught our flight to Amsterdam without too much trouble.  I had no idea how big of a shock it would be to be back in a “western style” country.  It was incredible.  When we arrived at the airport in Amsterdam I saw an old friend of mine and a tear nearly rolled down my face (small exaggeration).  It is weird the thing you miss when you are traveling.  The old friend I am referring to is none other than Mr. Starbucks.  While my Dad was trying to figure out the ATM situation, I quickly made my way over to Mr. Starbucks and was looking at all the pastries and different coffees for a good 5 min before I realized that I had a childish grin on my face and the employees were looking at me like I was slightly crazy.  Lol I felt the need to explain the situation and that I had been drinking instant coffee for the last 15 months to which they quickly gave me a hot cup of bold coffee “pikes place” with a dash of sugar and some whole milk.  Awesome.  For an evil corporation they make a damn good cup of coffee.  If you are still reading, you probably agree with the Starbucks employees that I am a bit crazy so I will move on though I could easily elaborate for a few more paragraphs.  Lol 

Sooooo, we spent the next two days in Haarlem – just exploring the city, talking about life, and eating good food.  The unique architecture, clean streets, and friendly people made it very enjoyable to simply walk around for hours.  At one point I got lost among a maze of canals and winding roads so I ducked into a very small locals bar for a quick beer.  One of the only negative things I have to say about Holland is that all beverages (beer included) come in tiny itty bitty little glasses – literally 8 oz. glasses.  The people at the bar were very friendly and a bit older.  They gave the impression that this bar was their home away from home as everyone seemed to know each other very well.  One man even brought his dog to the bar and the dog even had his own bar stool where he sat proudly with what looked like a smile on his face.  I was impressed that even the older generation spoke pretty good English.  I found it to be a bit strange in Holland because it was so easy to communicate with everyone and it was nice not to have to worry about conjugating Russian verbs or putting the right stress on the correct letter. 

After Harlem, we caught a comfortable, efficient, friendly, and carefree train back to Amsterdam ;-)  to start our “bike and barge” trip.  The bike trip was fantastic.  Good people, good weather, beautiful scenery, and a comfortable barge to sleep on.  We cycled around 50 km per day to a new city every day and spent the evening exploring and talking.  We started in Amsterdam then to Kudelstaart, Leiden, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Purmerend, Edam, and many other smaller towns and villages.  It was really nice to be able to spend time with my parents again.  The guide on the tour was really cool as well (Femke) – not to mention that she was the only other person my age on the trip.  I found the Dutch people to be very open minded, well educated, and friendly.  Holland would be a great place to live.  Femke and I went out on the town most evenings for a beer and to chat.  It was really nice getting to know her a little bit.  We talked about everything – life, philosophy, happiness, friends, family, everything.  It was really nice and I found it quite helpful personally to get some of my priorities straight.  Sometimes you meet people that have an impact on your life even if it was a brief encounter – this was one of those times.  They bicycle tour was unforgettable and the time passed way too quickly.  Before we knew it, we were back in Haarlem enjoying the last couple of days together.  It was nice to be able to spend a couple days alone with my parents before they headed back to Utah.  We chatted, ate some amazing Thai food (only a bit spicy ;-) and before we knew it, a rather abrupt bus arrived and my parents headed for the airport.  After my parents left, I headed back to Amsterdam for a few days and went to a couple photography museums and the Rijksmuseum.  At nights, after the museums, I would wander the city, enjoy some outdoor concerts, and mingle with some of the locals. Very pleasant though Amsterdam is way too expensive - I stayed at a “cheap” hostel next to Vondel Park in a dormitory with maybe 10 other beds in the same room and it cost over 40 Euros per night.  Ouch.  After Amsterdam, I caught a train to Utrecht where I spent a couple days visiting the De Haar Castle, climbing the tallest tower in Holland, and exploring the city.  I have tons of amazing photos from the trip.  I also met up with Femke and her boyfriend in Utrecht for a beer one night at a very colorful bar in the center of town.  It was a fun evening.  We also met up for lunch at their apartment one day before I had to head back to good ole Ukraine. 

Well, this post is already too long so I am going to stop there.  I hope all is well back in the States.  I probably won’t post again until after I get back from my trip to Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria (Aug 18).  I will post my Parents impressions after the “Noteables” and will try and post pics later.  

Conor's Noteworthy Noteables:

1.  I had an amazing time with my Parents - both in Ukraine and in Holland.

2.  My beautiful Niece Madi turns 1 year old soon.  I was really nice to skype with my Sister and see my Niece and Nephew a couple days ago.   

3.  I personally made Tacos for 10 people!    Thanks again Mom, Dad, and Aunt Kelly for sending the care packages.  :-)  They were a big hit. 

4.  I have been researching career paths with the Foreign Service.  I will be taking the next Foreign Service exam in Kiev probably in October.  I need to refresh my memory on US and World history as well as the constitution and amendments.  

5.  I met a few of the new volunteers in the area.  Good people.    

6.  I met someone in my town that actually lived in Utah for a year via a high school exchange program funded by the department of state.  wow.  what are the odds?

7.  I am heading to Kiev for a week.  My train leaves this evening.  I will be attending a variety of Russian language lessons.  Should be good. 

Now without further delay, I give you my parents’ impressions.  :-)

Mom’s Impressions:

Ukraine

We had a very nice visit with Conor in Ukraine. This was my first time in an Eastern

European country and Conor asked us to write our impressions. We spent two nights in

a hostel in Kiev and visited an old monastery and the military museum. Everything was

in Russian or Ukrainian so we couldn’t read about what we were seeing. Nevertheless, it

was interesting and enjoyable. The hostel, Really Central, was nice and clean. Actually

Kiev reminded me of other large European cities except that it was harder to get around

because signs were all in Cyrillic and most people don’t speak English. Fortunately,

Conor’s Russian is good so he could ask directions and he has also spent a lot of time

there so he knew his way around.

We took the night train to Donetsk, which was the first time I’ve ever slept on a train or,

for that matter, taken a trip on a train. We had a four person compartment and it was still

crowded. Sharing that small space with strangers would definitely feel uncomfortable.

There were two toilets on the car and one was broken when we got on. The other one

quit functioning about halfway through the trip. No one could use the toilet when the

train was approaching a station or stopped so the need for a toilet could become quite

pressing. I thought I would sleep good because of the rocking of the train but actually I

didn’t sleep good at all. I think I was stressed about the thought of needing a toilet and

one not being available.

The train arrived in Donetsk Sunday morning and we had to walk to the bus station

across town to take a bus to Khartsizsk, where Conor lives. Our walk through Donetsk

was nice, but long, and it appeared to be a nice middle-sized city. I wish we could have

had more time there.

Fortunately Conor knew how to get to the bus station because I’m sure we never would

have been able to find it on our own. It was another hour ride in a rather hot bus but

we finally made it to Khartsizsk. Conor’s apartment is in a Soviet era block apartment

building, which doesn’t appear to have had much maintenance since it was built. You

walk into a staircase with one bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and go up three

flights of stairs to Conor’s apartment. He has a small kitchen, a closet with a toilet, and

another room (I don’t know whether to call it a room or a closet) with a bathtub and sink.

Another small room is the sleeping/living room with a small balcony. It was pretty bare

bones living with running water six hours a day. Again, the availability of a functioning

toilet became a concern.

Frank and I stayed at the Hotel Domino and had a deluxe suite for $35 a night. It had

a bedroom with a TV, a sitting room with a TV, and a bathroom. Everything was clean

and nice. Under the hotel was a car wash and a small café was on one end of the hotel,

although it never appeared to be open.

It seems that most people in Khartsizsk live in the old Soviet era apartment buildings,

which basically all look the same except some have more floors than others. Some

appeared to be abandoned buildings except there were curtains hanging in the windows

and they were lived in. Some windows had broken glass that had not been repaired, or

plywood was hammered over the window. The infrastructure, i.e. sidewalks, curbs, and

streets, has not been maintained. There was an open market, or bazaar, across the street

from Conor’s apartment which sold all the necessities, i.e. fruit, veggies, clothes, shoes,

etc. but absolutely no “luxury” items such as crafts which a tourist might want to buy.

Clearly, they do not get many tourists.

We had a nice dinner at the Salina Restaurant with Conor’s friends and business

acquaintances. The food was good and I even tried a couple bites of pig fat on bread.

Actually it looked like uncooked bacon with a very small strip of pork. It tasted like

bacon and was good on bread. The meal was very good and the people were nice and fun

to talk with. I was pleasantly surprised to find that shots of vodka could be sipped and it

wasn’t necessary to drink the whole shot. The sip was followed by a chaser of juice so

it was kind of like drinking a mixed drink. It was a fun evening. We walked back to the

hotel from the restaurant.

We also visited a small museum in Khartsizsk with a personal guide who turned the

lights on as we went from room to room. She was a very nice woman who was obviously

proud of the museum. Some of the antique furniture and photos were very much like

what you might see in the States.

The young women in Ukraine are strikingly beautiful with high heels, short skirts and

lots of cleavage! Most people on the street returned my smile and greeting. The parks

are pleasant with large trees although there was quite a bit of trash lying around. The

park in Khartsizsk was well used and Conor encountered a couple boys from his English

class. They were very polite and friendly. We spent a lot of time walking around

Ukraine and it felt very safe, even at night. There are many things that are different

from what we are used to but there are similarities too, i.e. people who are proud of their

country and are curious about foreigners. Thank you Conor and Ukraine. It was a great

experience.

Dad’s Impressions:

Visiting Conor in Ukraine was the highlight of our 2011 vacation. Seeing where he lives,

how he lives, who he works with, how he travels, and how he handles the challenges of

living in Ukraine was very interesting, and gave me a direct feel for the life of a Peace

Corps Volunteer.

Thankfully, Conor met us at the airport in Kiev. There is no way we could have navigated

public transportation to his site, Khartsizsk. Kiev was a lively, modern city with

much to do. The National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War was very

interesting, as was the nearby Orthodox Church complex. Long walks, and I do mean

Conor-long, gave us a good feel for the city. The “Really Central” Hostel provided nice

accommodations.

It took almost as long to travel from Kiev to Khartsizsk as it took to fly from Salt Lake

City to Kiev. First a 10-minute metro ride to the Kiev train station, followed by a 12-

hour overnight train ride to Donetsk, followed by a 15-minute bus ride to the bus station,

followed by a 1-hour bus ride to Khartsizsk. The 2nd class train accommodations were

quite comfortable. Since PCVs usually travel 3rd class, Conor was spoiling his elderly

parents. Our brief glimpse of Donetsk revealed a modern city with many beautiful

parks. Khartsizsk is a town of about 60,000 with a base of heavy industry (pipeline

manufacturing for one) and mining. As with much of Ukraine, soviet era box-shaped

apartment structures dominated the landscape. Conor’s one-room apartment in one of

these buildings was fairly austere, with a very small kitchen and bathroom, and water

limited to about 6 hours each day. Maintenance and landscaping don’t seem to have

much priority in Ukraine. We stayed at the Domino Hotel, which was very nice.

We enjoyed a lively dinner with some of the people Conor works with and some of his

friends. Beer and vodka livened up the conversation. It was surprising to learn that there

is more animosity among Ukrainians towards Americans as a result of the Cold War than

there is towards the Germans as a result of WWII. This provides a good incentive for

the Peace Corps to educate people and dispel myths/propaganda. A small local museum

provided a fascinating glimpse into the history of the region. We also visited a local

grammar school and chatted with its director.

This experience made me very proud of what Conor is doing, and made me better

understand the good work that the Peace Corps does in promoting good will and

understanding around the world, thus making the world a better place for everybody.

PCVs rock!

In keeping with Conor’s tradition of noteworthy notables, I share the following:

Ø Once you have met, Ukrainians are very friendly.

Ø Public transport is inexpensive and goes everywhere.

Ø Russian is a tough language to learn.

Ø Vodka does more than just keep you warm in winter.

Ø Young Ukrainian women are very beautiful and dress well.

Ø Sales of lawn mowers and household paint are not booming.

Ø Dogs get little respect.

Ø Ukraine has had a tough history.

Kiev

WWII museum Kiev

Dinner with my friends in Khartsizsk

Khartsizsk Museum

Train Station in Haarlem

Cafe in Haarlem

Me and Femke

Zandvoort beach (spelling?)

Vondel Park (Amsterdam)

Bell Tower in Utrecht

De Haar Castle

View from Bell Tower

Bicycle tour group