Stardate: 3/28/2008 Please don't make me go and other ideas...

Neither Pat or I want to leave Ukraine and return to the U.S. When we say this to people here, they are incredulous. They question us as to why. I suppose the reasons are more complex than they care to hear, but I will try to share some with you, Anonymous Readers.

1) We like the pace of life here that is not break-neck speed, like in the U.S. People work hard and many hold 2-3 jobs, but each job doesn't expect 110%. They have tea to rest often at work. They talk to each other. They look at magazines at work. At UWEC, I'm lucky if I can choke down a crappy sandwich before rushing off to class. I have just WAY TOO MUCH WORK and PRESSURE TO CONSTANTLY DO MORE there. I have crazy panicked dreams about returning to work in the US. I have become accustomed to the pace of life here. I love sabbatical.

2) We have made some great friends here, some of whom have become like family to us. We don't want to leave them, because who knows when we will have the chance to see them again. Email with residents here is not as easy as with others who are plugged in...

3) Walking! I love taking long walks and living in a "walking" city. I love the exercise.

4) I see something new or learn something every day here. It is always interesting. Today, I learned the Russian word for carrot (marakova- the spelling could be wrong).

5) I have enjoyed talking pictures of things I see and writing about the experiences. I enjoy observing life and people here. Today, we were going in the cab to pick up our laundry (yes, our washing machine still doesn't work), in passing I observed a middle aged man genuflecting to the church as he approached it. He did it like they do typically here. He bent halfway over and rose back up, then made the sign of the cross; it wasn't in the Catholic way in which you make this little cross from your forehead to sternum, then shoulder to shoulder. It was forehead to navel, then shoulder to shoulder. They do this repeatedly while praying.

6) I like that people here are so appreciative of any help that I give. Unlike folks I work with back home that sort of expect it.

7) Students are more respectful and less "entitled."

8) Most of all, I'm glad to be away from the insane religious right and away from the anger and frustration I feel about the political situation in the U.S. (although, Obama has given me some hope). G. W. Bush is visiting Kyiv on Monday, unfortunately. I can't seem to get far enough away from this whack job. There are protests in Kyiv and I'm going to try to join them since I will be there on Monday in transit to NYC for the TESOL Conference. One of the Peace Corps kids here was super excited about his visit; I have been trying to influence her away from the dark side, but she is young, privileged, selfish and inexperienced. Another Peace Corps member, an older retired lady, was requested to meet with the president. She dislikes him completely, but felt that she couldn't decline. I just hope she uses her access to give him a dose of reality, not that that will help.

9) I'm also sick of food at every function. Why do Americans have to have food present in order to entice people to come? Why do we have to eat so much? Why don't we dance at more functions?

10) I'm tired of the way Americans handle public parks. Why aren't we allowed in public parks in the midwest after dark? Why can't there be beer vendors in public parks?

11) It's great that Pat has a job and is happy in his work. I've detested his unemployment for the last several years. One can only understand it if one goes through it. He is proud and more confident since he has been working.

Of course, there are things that I love and am proud of about the U.S. For example, I love that we have a Green movement. I love that we recycle. I love that washing machines can be fixed, that we have rights as tenets that can be exercised. I love that we can write to our representatives and they actually care about what we say. I love receiving an annual telephone book for free. My love list about the U.S. could go on and on, but we have a lot we need to still do there.