Hi everyone! We wanted to send an email with an update from Kharkiv! We would have done it already, but finding an Internet cafe proved to be a slightly greater challenge than we would have guessed. It's not like they aren't around, but we can't read Cyrillic and most people here can't speak English. That will do a dance on your comfort zone! ;-)
But actually things are cool. We're getting a lot of help from Kate's Dept Chair, Antonina, who is super kind and lives in our building 6 floors down (we're on the 10th). She has taken us under her wing and guided us around to find everything we need. She is even teaching us a bit of Russian along the way.
Many of you asked for details, so here are some excerpts from our Ukraine journal for your leisure reading!
WARM WELCOME
We finally arrived by train in Kharkiv at 7am after 56 hours on our trip. Antonina and her husband, Vladimir, were there to meet us with lovely bouquet of gladiolas. Antonina has been nothing but wonderful and helpful to us! Our first day here, she took us on a short walk around Pushkinskaya. It is the main drag within 200 feet of our flat. She helped us find markets within 1-2 blocks and cafйs, etc. She is helpful in orienting us to the area. She used to be a tour guide, so she mentions historical sites and places of cultural interest, like the Kharkiv Theater, the Opera, the Russian Drama Theater, Central Square, the fountains and the Puppet theater.
THE ORANGE VERSUS THE BLUE AND WHITE
Antonina is an avid Orange party member. She lived through the Soviet era and is very strongly against returning to the old ways. She detests the "blue and white" movement, which I gather leans toward the former Prime Minister who was ousted in the Orange Revolution two years ago. She told us twice that she confronts babushki (old grannies) at rallies when they are holding pro Stalin or communism signs. She asks them questions like, did you lose a family member during Stalin's reign or did one of them get shipped off by the communists to the "camps?" She said that they usually say yes. Then she asks them, how could you possibly support returning to that? She said that they stomp off in a huff. We're glad that she is a strong pro-capitalism, pro-democracy supporter and a vocal woman.
OUR COZY FLAT
Maddy is already calling our flat home. The apartment building itself looks really shabby, whitish grey, straight-edged, and sovietesque on the outside. Really, it looks like a strong wind could push it over; Even the entry hall ways with the cracked and flaking cement floors and walls don't tend to offer much confidence to the newcomer. The entry doors to the flats are like fortress fortifications. Once you are inside though, you could just be in any apartment in Western Europe. It is a very ornately decorated flat with cornices, crown moldings, capitals and chandeliers. It really isn't our taste, but the flat is cozy. We have 5 rooms: one kitchen with some small appliances, one bathroom, a rather large entry hall, a living room, and one bedroom with a king-sized bed with a rock-hard mattress. We also have a nice balcony with a view of old decrepit buildings and up and coming new buildings. We can see a small river and a bridge, some old Eastern Orthodox church spires and cranes. Kate thinks that the buildings are what you would find in Vietnam, Mexico, or poorer European countries.
We don't mean to sound like it is wholly uninspiring here. Actually, it is rather beautiful in many, many places. There are some old buildings that are gorgeous, but need some surface help. It makes us think of how the British saw Italy at the turn of the last century. One gets the feel that one could be in post-war France (in places that were not bombed, that is) or in a country getting on its feet and on the move. It is actually simultaneously attractive and exciting.
FIRST BORSCHT
Today (9/1/2007), we went to Antonina's, Vladmir's, and Vassilisa's (their 14 year old daughter) apartment for a traditional lunch of borscht, stuffed green peppers, salad, and watermelon. It was fresh, delicious and comforting. Oddly, it reminded me of the foods that my mom cooked for me as a kid. Afterward, we chatted, looked at our photos of family, friends, and EC, and had some excellent Turkish-style coffee.
After lunch, we went on a walk to the fountains and Central Square where a Lenin statue is and the Communist headquarters were. Even saw some carved hammer and sickles! It was a lovely walk in the sunshine with Antonina, Maddy and I. We saw thousands of people-groups of young friends, families, etc walking and playing. There were at least 5 wedding parties at the various fountains having their pictures taken. In the parks with the fountains that extend to Central Square, there are amusement park rides, pony rides, little motorized and non-motorized cars for children, balloon vendors, horse-drawn carriages, cafes and artists, and freak shows (we saw a live crocodile that was about 5 feet long from snout to tail tip). Maddy wanted to touch the croc, too! Kate was a bit afraid frankly since there are so few precautions to protect and support systems to help people here.
INTERESTING NEIGHBORS
Antonina told Kate about Vladimir's 2 brushes with death. When he was in the Soviet army at 19 years old (estimate=30 years ago), he was serving in Syria. The tank he was in was next to an Israeli mortar strike and he was left unconscious with shrapnel in his eye. Israeli doctors operated on his eye and saved his sight, but he had epileptic seizures for years following the spell of unconsciousness. Earlier, while visiting in their living room, Vladimir showed us a silver-dollar-sized bullet scar on his crest near his heart. He received it in Mozambique in '96 when he was there on business for an Italian tech firm. He didn't mention who did it, but did say that the intent was to kill him, because they called out his name and shot him point blank. He suspects that it was job related. Shitty job. The bullet went through his chest 2 centimeters from his heart. Antonina mentioned that no one communicated with her about it for weeks; she was beside herself.
THE MOB
Interestingly, we are waiting tonight to see if we'll have another fireworks demonstration for the 3rd night in a row. Antonina tells us that the young Mafioso celebrate at nice restaurants with private fireworks shows that are quite big and elaborate. 15 minutes of grand finale-type of explosions; you'd think the city is the sponsor. She said that it just pisses people off. Maddy, on the other hand, loves it. We have an excellent view of them from our balcony.
Speaking of the Mafia, their presence here is noticeable. Driving in a cab (a beat Soviet-era rusty tin can) with "Captain Brave" yesterday, several young men were on a street near a tabac smoking cigarettes. Innocuous? Not really. They had the tell tale signs: Armani suits, shirt collars pulled wide over their lapels, and greased back hair. Patrick made the point that the purpose of the clothing is to be identified and respected on the streets. There is absolutely no secret as to whom they are; the cops are afraid of them.
There are other clues to their presence. A gorgeous building is being erected on Pushkinskaya near our apartment. Guarding it are military-looking guys with walkie-talkies, berets, flack jackets, blue camouflage gear, and Kalashnikov machine guns. We have passed them almost everyday and assumed that they were guarding an important building like a bank or government offices. When Kate asked Antonina what the building was, she told her it is going to be a beauty salon. With a cynical half-laugh, she said it will just be a front business for the mob. It's just like in NYC, everyone knows who they are—you just tolerate their existence and avoid crossing their paths. Keep your head down and mouth shut. It's no stretch for Ukrainians either. They do the same thing. Avoid the mob, just like they avoid the cops or communists, etc. It's ingrained in their psyche to be wary of any power group or authority figure. We could be in 1930's Chicago for all of the similarities with the mob that we are seeing. We've personally never experienced this first hand, so it is kind of disconcerting.
ABOUT VODKA
Oh, we finally had our first taste of Vodka here. Patrick picked out a bottle from the hundreds on sale at the grocery store. It cost H63,00 ($11.50) for 700ml. That's on the high end, by the way. It's called Stoletov Ultra Premium and is made right here in Ukraine. It is pretty smooth and has a subtle flavor. The smell is just like rubbing alcohol though. It's served chilled and neat. We haven't ventured out to any bars or clubs yet, so we haven't been drunk under any tables or victimized by excessive shots meant to impede our ability to defend ourselves (just a little game the vultures play around here).
COMFORT ZONE
If that is a link to the US, we're finding lots of other links to the US, other European and Asian countries as well. For example, you must weigh your own fruit in the grocery and paste a sticker on it. You must also bring your own bags to the grocery. People shop daily. They walk a lot! They have tons of sculptures and statues everywhere, beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets and gorgeous cathedrals.
Some differences that we've noted are that they have EXCELLENT service at restaurants and cafes—wiping the table immediately when anything is on it, clearing plates quickly, etc. It is EXTREMELY quiet here. In the center of a 4 mil human city, it is quiet. People don't laugh or yell. They don't talk loudly. We are frequently the only people noticeably talking on the streets; And we're even trying to be really quiet. And they do not smile.
PEOPLE ARE THE SAME WHERE EVER YOU GO
The people here comprise a wide range of humanity. We have seen the young ones who are into avant-guard, haute couture fashion and dress to the nines every day. Chicks show a lot of skin! The guys appear to be the typical European guy with jeans or dress pants, button down shirts or hip new t-shirts. All of the young ones have cell phones and are ultra skinny. The middle aged folks look a lot like us: slightly pudgy, but generally wearing comfortable shoes and clothes. The old folks look like old Europe. The poorer babushki wear worn housecoat-type dresses with scarves on their heads; whereas the poorer old men wear loose trousers, dress shirts, and a cap. The more well-to-do, look like any older European with a blazer and dress slacks. Of course, there is the whole range of rich to poor and the corresponding change in quality of clothing and dental care. There are many expensive cars here: Mercedes Benz, Audis, and American SUVs, too—that was surprising to Pat and me. They do seem to have disposable cash. For example, Antonina and her husband are building a country home.
We are doing well and miss everyone. Thanks for all the emails! Please keep in touch.
Do svidaniya!
Kate, Patrick and Maddy
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