After my failed post office attempt yesterday, I decided to stop by the "Burger Club" that recently opened near my apartment. I thought that would make me feel better.
I ordered my meal: a cheeseburger and a coke. I had already pulled out my wallet and was waiting for the total when I heard something that totally confused me. I PROMISE that I know my numbers in Russian. I may not speak a lot of Russian or particularly well, but I learned my numbers right off the bat when I got here. However, the number that the Burger Club gal gave me made no sense. She gave me a series of about 6 numbers, several of them being "zero." I asked her, "How much?" and she responded with "How much?"
This just confused me further. She was looking at me like I had blue hair, and I'm sure my face looked equally confused. She rattled off the numbers again, and I listened closer. Yep. I had heard her correctly. She'd said "zero-three-zero-four-zero-five." There were, in fact, three zeroes in that list of numbers. I thought that maybe she assumed I was really ignorant and needed her to spell it out for me (i.e. $8.50 becoming eight-five-zero). That didn't make sense, though. I asked "How much?" one more time, fully expecting to be yelled at or thrown out of the building. She followed my question with her own "how much," and the confusion continued to mount.
She gestured for me to move down to the other end of the counter. When we got down there (next to the Coke machine), I realized what she'd been asking me. She'd been asking me what size Coke I wanted: 0.3 liter, 0.4 liter, or 0.5 liter.
I felt really ridiculous.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
За Двумя Зайцами
Thankfully, in the midst of this national "quarantine," my friend Nastia is still brave enough to venture out-of-doors and visit. Earlier this week, Nastia and our friend, Lena, came over to watch an American movie (Return to Me), and the next day, Nastia came over to watch an old Soviet-made movie: За Двумя Зайцами (For Two Rabbits).
I was quite happy with myself, because I understood waaaay more of the movie than I thought I would. Don't get me wrong- Nastia still did a bit of translating, but I had warm fuzzies, knowing that I understood a chunk.
She explained to me that the name, "For Two Rabbits", comes from a Russian proverb meaning you can't chase after two opposing goals and win. You'll lose both if you divide your loyalties. The story is set in Kiev, pre-Bolshevik Revolution, and is about Свирид Петрович Голохвастов (our main character), who is greatly in debt and needs funds. He creates a scheme to woo Проню Прокоповну, whose family has quite a bit of money. Now, Проню Прокоповну is rich but certainly not classy, so our hero woos her but falls in love with another gal, Галю. In the process, his scheme is unearthed, and he ends up ruble-less and lady friend-less.
I started thinking about how this is true in my life. Here are some scenarios I came up with:
1. Efficiency AND Task Accomplishment
I cannot create and execute an efficient plan in Ukraine. Example: post office. Today, I was going to mail something to our central office in Kiev. I got up and headed to the post office, planning the timing so that it wouldn't be at a busy time of day. I got there in good time and had mentally prepared what I needed to say. I walked in and...Surprise! The entire post office is covered in tarps and scaffolding. Totally closed. Wasted trip into town.
2. Being American AND Being Ukrainian
I cannot remain my completely American self and assimilate into Ukrainian culture. Sometimes, I just can't sit on the bench. Why? Because Ukrainians believe that if women sit on cold surfaces, that will reduce fertility. If I sit down, I will either offend them or they will yell at me. Sometimes, I have to force down the multiple cups of scalding, not-sweet-enough tea. Or wear a hat when I'm not cold. Or eat another helping when I'm already full to capacity. All in an effort to mold myself into my new culture.
3. Pride AND Servanthood
I can't truly be a servant if I'm always focused on coming out looking good. Motive counts.
I think I'm turning into a philosopher during Flu Season...
I was quite happy with myself, because I understood waaaay more of the movie than I thought I would. Don't get me wrong- Nastia still did a bit of translating, but I had warm fuzzies, knowing that I understood a chunk.
She explained to me that the name, "For Two Rabbits", comes from a Russian proverb meaning you can't chase after two opposing goals and win. You'll lose both if you divide your loyalties. The story is set in Kiev, pre-Bolshevik Revolution, and is about Свирид Петрович Голохвастов (our main character), who is greatly in debt and needs funds. He creates a scheme to woo Проню Прокоповну, whose family has quite a bit of money. Now, Проню Прокоповну is rich but certainly not classy, so our hero woos her but falls in love with another gal, Галю. In the process, his scheme is unearthed, and he ends up ruble-less and lady friend-less.
I started thinking about how this is true in my life. Here are some scenarios I came up with:
1. Efficiency AND Task Accomplishment
I cannot create and execute an efficient plan in Ukraine. Example: post office. Today, I was going to mail something to our central office in Kiev. I got up and headed to the post office, planning the timing so that it wouldn't be at a busy time of day. I got there in good time and had mentally prepared what I needed to say. I walked in and...Surprise! The entire post office is covered in tarps and scaffolding. Totally closed. Wasted trip into town.
2. Being American AND Being Ukrainian
I cannot remain my completely American self and assimilate into Ukrainian culture. Sometimes, I just can't sit on the bench. Why? Because Ukrainians believe that if women sit on cold surfaces, that will reduce fertility. If I sit down, I will either offend them or they will yell at me. Sometimes, I have to force down the multiple cups of scalding, not-sweet-enough tea. Or wear a hat when I'm not cold. Or eat another helping when I'm already full to capacity. All in an effort to mold myself into my new culture.
3. Pride AND Servanthood
I can't truly be a servant if I'm always focused on coming out looking good. Motive counts.
I think I'm turning into a philosopher during Flu Season...
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Snow thank you
It's no secret: I don't care for snow. I like looking at snow, I like having snow days, I like wearing scarves...but I don't like snow. Being from Alabama, my exposure to snow has been limited. Last year- my first winter in Ukraine- was my initiation.
Now, before you judge me too harshly for being no fun, please take these reasons into account:
1. In Ukraine, the snow is around for about 4-5 months.
2. Snow turns brown/black very quickly, and it's gross.
3. I don't have a car. I take public transportation, which means that a) there is no heater b) I wait at bus stops- in the ice, snow, and wind- for periods of time, waiting for the bus and c) when I arrive at my destination, I usually have to walk for a ways to get to my actual destination. By the time I get to where I'm going, my pants are soaked/frozen, and my face is chapped by the wind.
4. Many buildings here are not heated.
5. Ice. It's often difficult to remain vertical.
6. During the snow months, the sun almost never comes out. Living in grayness is difficult.
7. Ukrainians don't take snow days!
It's very daunting to know that you'll be trekking around in the ice and snow for at least half an hour, riding on unheated and overcrowded buses, and potentially spending several hours after that in an unheated building. What about that is appealing?
As much as I love scarves, winter-wear is a bit exhausting to deal with, as well. A typical outfit for venturing forth looks something like this:
1. tights
2. long johns
3. 1-2 pairs of socks
4. tank top over long john top
5. long-sleeve shirt
6. sweater
7. coat
8. gloves
9. boots
10. scarf
11. hat
AND, after all of this, I usually get corrected by Ukrainians I may or may not know on not wearing enough/ warm enough clothing. Sigh...what's a girl to do?
In spite of how inconvenient I find snow, it is very pretty in the beginning. Here are some shots from last year:
On the way to church.
On the 20-minute trek from the bus stop to Ira's and Tanya's house.
Same place as the picture above.
Now, before you judge me too harshly for being no fun, please take these reasons into account:
1. In Ukraine, the snow is around for about 4-5 months.
2. Snow turns brown/black very quickly, and it's gross.
3. I don't have a car. I take public transportation, which means that a) there is no heater b) I wait at bus stops- in the ice, snow, and wind- for periods of time, waiting for the bus and c) when I arrive at my destination, I usually have to walk for a ways to get to my actual destination. By the time I get to where I'm going, my pants are soaked/frozen, and my face is chapped by the wind.
4. Many buildings here are not heated.
5. Ice. It's often difficult to remain vertical.
6. During the snow months, the sun almost never comes out. Living in grayness is difficult.
7. Ukrainians don't take snow days!
It's very daunting to know that you'll be trekking around in the ice and snow for at least half an hour, riding on unheated and overcrowded buses, and potentially spending several hours after that in an unheated building. What about that is appealing?
As much as I love scarves, winter-wear is a bit exhausting to deal with, as well. A typical outfit for venturing forth looks something like this:
1. tights
2. long johns
3. 1-2 pairs of socks
4. tank top over long john top
5. long-sleeve shirt
6. sweater
7. coat
8. gloves
9. boots
10. scarf
11. hat
AND, after all of this, I usually get corrected by Ukrainians I may or may not know on not wearing enough/ warm enough clothing. Sigh...what's a girl to do?
In spite of how inconvenient I find snow, it is very pretty in the beginning. Here are some shots from last year:
On the way to church.
On the 20-minute trek from the bus stop to Ira's and Tanya's house.
Same place as the picture above.Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Twiddling thumbs...
I promised to update. However, there's not much to report.
I've tried to set up visiting/hang out time with three different girls over the past 2 days and have gotten the response of "Ukraine is quarantined, so we're not going anywhere" from each, meaning that they are choosing not to venture too far from their apartments.
It's going to be a very long 3 weeks. I'll let you know if anyone shows up for English club tomorrow night. I know y'all are holding your collective breath...
I've tried to set up visiting/hang out time with three different girls over the past 2 days and have gotten the response of "Ukraine is quarantined, so we're not going anywhere" from each, meaning that they are choosing not to venture too far from their apartments.
It's going to be a very long 3 weeks. I'll let you know if anyone shows up for English club tomorrow night. I know y'all are holding your collective breath...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Ukrainians are serious about Public Health
Ukraine is being very intentional about preventing a swine flu epidemic.
Seriously.
Swine flu reached Ukraine a few months ago, but it's mostly been a problem in the western part of the country (I live in east central Ukraine). There have been several deaths, and now it's spreading to other parts of the country. SO, in an attempt to slow down the progression, the Ukrainian government decided to suspend all schools- public or private- for three (3) weeks. Three weeks! Not only that, they are also restricting "unnecessary" travel within Ukraine (I'm thinking I won't be scampering too far away from the ranch for the next few weeks). For more info, check out this.
Now, I am not yet sick of any kind. I won't be in the schools (clearly) for the next few weeks, but I will still be leading evening English clubs. I'm not sure what else the next few weeks hold, but I'm hoping it means I'll get to see more of my friends, since they won't have class. You know, as long as they're not sick. I'm bundling up like it's going out of style (including a hat), taking lots of Vitamin C, and avoiding going very many places that require me to get on a bus.
The weather is not very nice, though. It's extremely cold- even if the thermometer doesn't reflect that (although, when I woke up this morning, the thermometer was saying 27 F). The WIND is very bitter and mean-spirited. I think I got some wind burn on my face today, which did not make me very happy. Jack Frost...whoever decided he was a friendly guy? He's not.
I'll keep you posted on what happens when all of Poltava is out of school- and stuck in town.
To be continued...
Seriously.
Swine flu reached Ukraine a few months ago, but it's mostly been a problem in the western part of the country (I live in east central Ukraine). There have been several deaths, and now it's spreading to other parts of the country. SO, in an attempt to slow down the progression, the Ukrainian government decided to suspend all schools- public or private- for three (3) weeks. Three weeks! Not only that, they are also restricting "unnecessary" travel within Ukraine (I'm thinking I won't be scampering too far away from the ranch for the next few weeks). For more info, check out this.
Now, I am not yet sick of any kind. I won't be in the schools (clearly) for the next few weeks, but I will still be leading evening English clubs. I'm not sure what else the next few weeks hold, but I'm hoping it means I'll get to see more of my friends, since they won't have class. You know, as long as they're not sick. I'm bundling up like it's going out of style (including a hat), taking lots of Vitamin C, and avoiding going very many places that require me to get on a bus.
The weather is not very nice, though. It's extremely cold- even if the thermometer doesn't reflect that (although, when I woke up this morning, the thermometer was saying 27 F). The WIND is very bitter and mean-spirited. I think I got some wind burn on my face today, which did not make me very happy. Jack Frost...whoever decided he was a friendly guy? He's not.
I'll keep you posted on what happens when all of Poltava is out of school- and stuck in town.
To be continued...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
An Erin by any other (nick)name...
Some of you might remember a post I did in February about names (and more names). I'm totally fascinated by Slavic names and am ALWAYS asking questions about them. I'll probably do more posts about names before my time here is finished, but I just wanted to fill you in on all the different names I've accumulated whilst living here.
I'm not a super nick-namey kind of girl. I basically have two: one that my sister has been calling me since she could speak, and "Brass" or "Brassy" (coming from my last name), which came into being once I went to college. Other than that, I don't really have nicknames. I mean, you don't really do much to the name Erin. It's rather short. If you assimilate into Ukrainian culture, however, the nickname result is something like this:
1. Erinochka
2. Erinichka
3. Erinka
4. Erukha
5. Irka
6. Irichka
7. Irka Americanka
8. Solnichka
9. Irka Ukrainka (if I've done something particularly Ukrainian that warms the hearts of my Ukrainian audience...this one is rare, but I'll claim it)
In addition to these modifications to my name, Slavic-style, you get the "unusual" pronunciations and spellings of my name:
1. Pronounced: "Eh-REEN"
2. Pronounced: "Ay-REEN"
3. Pronounced: "I-rehn"
4. Spelled: Irene
5. Spelled: Iren
6. In one case, spelled: Erril
As far as I know, there aren't separate personalities that match up with the names. I do feel like I'll be nicknaming everyone when I return to the States. Be forewarned: I might be adding an -ichka to your name, friend.
I'm not a super nick-namey kind of girl. I basically have two: one that my sister has been calling me since she could speak, and "Brass" or "Brassy" (coming from my last name), which came into being once I went to college. Other than that, I don't really have nicknames. I mean, you don't really do much to the name Erin. It's rather short. If you assimilate into Ukrainian culture, however, the nickname result is something like this:
1. Erinochka
2. Erinichka
3. Erinka
4. Erukha
5. Irka
6. Irichka
7. Irka Americanka
8. Solnichka
9. Irka Ukrainka (if I've done something particularly Ukrainian that warms the hearts of my Ukrainian audience...this one is rare, but I'll claim it)
In addition to these modifications to my name, Slavic-style, you get the "unusual" pronunciations and spellings of my name:
1. Pronounced: "Eh-REEN"
2. Pronounced: "Ay-REEN"
3. Pronounced: "I-rehn"
4. Spelled: Irene
5. Spelled: Iren
6. In one case, spelled: Erril
As far as I know, there aren't separate personalities that match up with the names. I do feel like I'll be nicknaming everyone when I return to the States. Be forewarned: I might be adding an -ichka to your name, friend.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A Year in Review
This past Saturday was my official one-year-in-Ukraine mark. In honor of this anniversary, I thought I'd include some pictures of the special people and moments from this last year. Enjoy!
View of my neighborhood.
First friends: Tanya and Ira
Sweet Saturday Bible story-ers.
Hands-On 2009: Rachel and Hannah
Ukrainian winter. I like to call it Narnia.
Students.
Students.
Ukrainian past time: tea.
Relationship building with professors.
Time spent in Dnepropetrovsk with the Rays.
Friends.
Adventures with friends around Poltava.
24th birthday (and please let me remind you- this was a TINY fraction of the crew that was crammed into my house for the "surprise" part of the party! Oh man...)
Friend.
Quality time.
Sweet Nastia.
Time with friends in Greece.
Please compare this shot with the Narnia pictures above. They're really different...
Friend. The American kind.
Friend. The Ukrainian kind.
Summer friends.
Sister.
New life.
It's been a great year. Thanks for joining me for the adventure!
View of my neighborhood.
First friends: Tanya and Ira
Sweet Saturday Bible story-ers.
Hands-On 2009: Rachel and Hannah
Ukrainian winter. I like to call it Narnia.
Students.
Students.
Ukrainian past time: tea.
Relationship building with professors.
Time spent in Dnepropetrovsk with the Rays.
Friends.
Adventures with friends around Poltava.
24th birthday (and please let me remind you- this was a TINY fraction of the crew that was crammed into my house for the "surprise" part of the party! Oh man...)
Friend.
Quality time.
Sweet Nastia.
Time with friends in Greece.
Please compare this shot with the Narnia pictures above. They're really different...
Friend. The American kind.
Friend. The Ukrainian kind.
Summer friends.
Sister.
New life.It's been a great year. Thanks for joining me for the adventure!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Erin: 1, Russian: 0
That's right. Today, I took on Russian and dominated.
This doesn't happen very often, by the way. The Russian language is terribly intimidating to me, and I blunder through it on a daily basis. I hate to blunder anything; I really like to be on top of anything that I undertake, so this has been a huge struggle for me. I was definitely challenged last week at my conference to be more intentional with my language learning and usage. So, today, I decided to use my Russian, even if the situation didn't necessarily call for it.
For instance...
Today, was Rent Payment Day. My landlord called yesterday to tell me he was coming.
Pause right here.
I REALLY need to give you a visual/mental image of my landlord:
His name is Emil, which, by the way, is a really weird name for Ukrainians. He is probably late 60's and is very Soviet. He has a summer outfit and a winter outfit, and he heavily relies on the idea that garlic will ward off any potential illness. He wears a HUGE fur hat in the winter that looks just like you would imagine a hard-core Slavic man's hat would. He frequently critiques my cleaning job around here and feels that it is his duty to admonish my usage of electricity and water. He has also given me talkings-to about not wearing socks when he thinks I should. He's a character.
On Rent Payment Days, he comes over, checks all the meters (water and electricty), tallies up all the numbers on a gigantic calculator, and shows me all of my charges. He requires me to pay the actual rent in dollars and then utilities in grieven. When I hand him the dollar bills, he examines them super carefully, looking for any stray marks or stamps. Here's a task for your week: check out all of the cash you have in your wallet (if you have any) and see how marked up our bills are. I never noticed until I got here! They won't accept bills unless they are brand-spanking new. It's annoying.
Over the past couple months, Emil has decided to learn to write the names of the months in English. It's really cute how painstakingly he writes out the month at the top of the bill. I thought that his efforts to use my language deserved a stronger effort on my part to use his. Unfortunately, I have to work extra hard because he's hard-of-hearing. Usually, if I'm not 100% sure of the pronunciation of a word, I can mumble it and people will figure it out. Not so with Emil. It has to be super clear. That adds to my stress level.
Today, ladies and gentlemen, I not only answered his questions, but initiated a few questions of my own about his family. I also made an effort to answer his questions with 3 or 4 sentences, rather than 1. He was very happy with my effort and didn't even critique my grammar. That is a victory.
This doesn't happen very often, by the way. The Russian language is terribly intimidating to me, and I blunder through it on a daily basis. I hate to blunder anything; I really like to be on top of anything that I undertake, so this has been a huge struggle for me. I was definitely challenged last week at my conference to be more intentional with my language learning and usage. So, today, I decided to use my Russian, even if the situation didn't necessarily call for it.
For instance...
Today, was Rent Payment Day. My landlord called yesterday to tell me he was coming.
Pause right here.
I REALLY need to give you a visual/mental image of my landlord:
His name is Emil, which, by the way, is a really weird name for Ukrainians. He is probably late 60's and is very Soviet. He has a summer outfit and a winter outfit, and he heavily relies on the idea that garlic will ward off any potential illness. He wears a HUGE fur hat in the winter that looks just like you would imagine a hard-core Slavic man's hat would. He frequently critiques my cleaning job around here and feels that it is his duty to admonish my usage of electricity and water. He has also given me talkings-to about not wearing socks when he thinks I should. He's a character.
On Rent Payment Days, he comes over, checks all the meters (water and electricty), tallies up all the numbers on a gigantic calculator, and shows me all of my charges. He requires me to pay the actual rent in dollars and then utilities in grieven. When I hand him the dollar bills, he examines them super carefully, looking for any stray marks or stamps. Here's a task for your week: check out all of the cash you have in your wallet (if you have any) and see how marked up our bills are. I never noticed until I got here! They won't accept bills unless they are brand-spanking new. It's annoying.
Over the past couple months, Emil has decided to learn to write the names of the months in English. It's really cute how painstakingly he writes out the month at the top of the bill. I thought that his efforts to use my language deserved a stronger effort on my part to use his. Unfortunately, I have to work extra hard because he's hard-of-hearing. Usually, if I'm not 100% sure of the pronunciation of a word, I can mumble it and people will figure it out. Not so with Emil. It has to be super clear. That adds to my stress level.
Today, ladies and gentlemen, I not only answered his questions, but initiated a few questions of my own about his family. I also made an effort to answer his questions with 3 or 4 sentences, rather than 1. He was very happy with my effort and didn't even critique my grammar. That is a victory.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Long trip home
My time in Germany was wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that I decided to visit it twice. In one day.
How does that work, you might ask.
Here's the story:
I left the conference center around 7:00 am on Friday morning. A very kind and compassionate carful of people gave me a ride to the airport, seeing as how I needed to get there before the shuttle was going to be going. I arrived at the airport at 8:40ish and got all checked in for my flight to Budapest, where I would have a 45 minute layover before continuing to Kiev. I was supposed to arrive in Kiev at 3:25 pm and catch a bus to Poltava at 5:30. If you'll notice, this travel description includes a lot of planned travel stops.
"Planned" being the key word.
The weather in Frankfurt was awful. Remember the plague of darkness? Yes, well substitute "fog" for "darkness" and you have a pretty accurate description of the weather. So, my flight was delayed by almost 2 hours. Obviously, by the time I arrived in Budapest, my flight to Kiev had left. I was given a voucher for lunch and was told I was being rerouted. To Munich.
Back to Germany. Good thing I like it.
I had a 4 hour layover in Budapest before heading to Munich. In Munich, my flight to Kiev was delayed by an hour and a half. By the time I arrived in Kiev, I was BEYOND ready to be done traveling. Oh...wait...one more surprise: no luggage.
I had the distinct privilege of filling out 4 different forms to register that my luggage was MIA. Through God's providence, 3 of my colleagues came to retrieve me, and we finally left the airport around 1 am. I stayed with my friend, Elizabeth, and was able to retrieve my luggage Saturday morning. I then caught a bus to Poltava at 3:45 and FINALLY got home at 9:15 pm Saturday night.
Now- before I dwell too long on the frustrations of all the traveling, please allow me to include a list of blessings. It's long:
1. My Friday morning ride to the airport was full of encouraging, exhorting conversation with a godly colleague from Western Europe, who also very kindly gave me one of her leisure-reading books because she heard me mention that my English reading supply is limited.
2. I sat by a man from Kosovo on the flight to Budapest who I was able to share with. At first, he didn't want to hear what I was saying, so I stopped for a while and just prayed silently for him. Lo and behold, he began asking me questions after a little while.
3. I was able to eat lunch in Budapest (a good one, too). With my original itinerary, I wasn't going to get a lunch.
4. Through a breakdown in communication, I ended up with a friend in Kiev to stay with, rather than chilling in the Kiev airport all night.
5. I was able to get my luggage the very next morning, rather than having to wait for a long time- or not receive it at all.
6. I got to sit next to a Ukrainian girl on the bus home. She was my age and spoke fluent English. We chatted the whole way to Poltava, I shared with her, she gave me her contact info, and I was invited to visit her in her city.
God is so faithful. I had such an adventure, but it wasn't a dreadful experience. It was such an encouragement to see Him at work in my life!
How does that work, you might ask.
Here's the story:
I left the conference center around 7:00 am on Friday morning. A very kind and compassionate carful of people gave me a ride to the airport, seeing as how I needed to get there before the shuttle was going to be going. I arrived at the airport at 8:40ish and got all checked in for my flight to Budapest, where I would have a 45 minute layover before continuing to Kiev. I was supposed to arrive in Kiev at 3:25 pm and catch a bus to Poltava at 5:30. If you'll notice, this travel description includes a lot of planned travel stops.
"Planned" being the key word.
The weather in Frankfurt was awful. Remember the plague of darkness? Yes, well substitute "fog" for "darkness" and you have a pretty accurate description of the weather. So, my flight was delayed by almost 2 hours. Obviously, by the time I arrived in Budapest, my flight to Kiev had left. I was given a voucher for lunch and was told I was being rerouted. To Munich.
Back to Germany. Good thing I like it.
I had a 4 hour layover in Budapest before heading to Munich. In Munich, my flight to Kiev was delayed by an hour and a half. By the time I arrived in Kiev, I was BEYOND ready to be done traveling. Oh...wait...one more surprise: no luggage.
I had the distinct privilege of filling out 4 different forms to register that my luggage was MIA. Through God's providence, 3 of my colleagues came to retrieve me, and we finally left the airport around 1 am. I stayed with my friend, Elizabeth, and was able to retrieve my luggage Saturday morning. I then caught a bus to Poltava at 3:45 and FINALLY got home at 9:15 pm Saturday night.
Now- before I dwell too long on the frustrations of all the traveling, please allow me to include a list of blessings. It's long:
1. My Friday morning ride to the airport was full of encouraging, exhorting conversation with a godly colleague from Western Europe, who also very kindly gave me one of her leisure-reading books because she heard me mention that my English reading supply is limited.
2. I sat by a man from Kosovo on the flight to Budapest who I was able to share with. At first, he didn't want to hear what I was saying, so I stopped for a while and just prayed silently for him. Lo and behold, he began asking me questions after a little while.
3. I was able to eat lunch in Budapest (a good one, too). With my original itinerary, I wasn't going to get a lunch.
4. Through a breakdown in communication, I ended up with a friend in Kiev to stay with, rather than chilling in the Kiev airport all night.
5. I was able to get my luggage the very next morning, rather than having to wait for a long time- or not receive it at all.
6. I got to sit next to a Ukrainian girl on the bus home. She was my age and spoke fluent English. We chatted the whole way to Poltava, I shared with her, she gave me her contact info, and I was invited to visit her in her city.
God is so faithful. I had such an adventure, but it wasn't a dreadful experience. It was such an encouragement to see Him at work in my life!
Germany
I realize that I've been remiss in my blogging duties for the past week. I have a good reason, though: I was at a conference in Germany! Yes, I have been scampering around Europe for two weeks.
My company held a conference for workers in our area who have been working for around a year. It was a REALLY wonderful week of training and encouragement. God is good to provide exactly what we need when we need it...even if we don't realize that we need it.
As usual, my picture-taking antenna wasn't fully functioning this week, so the pictures are random. I will add them anyway:
I found this and began a search for moose! I didn't find any...
Castle on a hill in the village. Just hanging out.
Street shot. So cute.
Sweet friend.
Must have a lamp post picture. Here it is.
I just liked this building. And, it's built crookedly. Please notice. Thank you.
This picture is for Karen. Apfelschorle. Just wanted to document it for you.
My company held a conference for workers in our area who have been working for around a year. It was a REALLY wonderful week of training and encouragement. God is good to provide exactly what we need when we need it...even if we don't realize that we need it.
As usual, my picture-taking antenna wasn't fully functioning this week, so the pictures are random. I will add them anyway:
I found this and began a search for moose! I didn't find any...
Castle on a hill in the village. Just hanging out.
Street shot. So cute.
Sweet friend.
Must have a lamp post picture. Here it is.
I just liked this building. And, it's built crookedly. Please notice. Thank you.
This picture is for Karen. Apfelschorle. Just wanted to document it for you.
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