I have been meaning to write a blog to this switch-to-spring effect, but right after I got the idea, it got cold again! So I postponed. But the fields are starting to look furry with green leaves and yellow flowers, and the grass is overtaking the sidewalks, and there are red tulips EVERYWHERE. Cold or not, wearing two pairs of sweats, two sweatshirts and socks or not, I will write this blog!
Overnight, spring arrived. I'd say it was about 2-3 weeks ago. We went from barren, muddy desolation to green shoots and buds all over the trees. In my own backyard, one filled with fruit trees and a newly cultivated garden, I was treated to a white snowfall of apricot blossoms. The green shoots quickly revealed their true intent: daffodils and tulips. It seems that life just wants to grow, in every corner of earth it can find. Even my dog, normally happy to stay within the compound of my tall stone wall, has been eager and even ninja-like to leap out of the gate every morning to go off exploring this new world. And it is certainly beautiful!
For all their utilitarianism, I was surprised that Ukrainians plant so many flowers simply for beauty's sake. Seriously, this is a culture where if a corrugated steel sheet can serve as a wall to a shed, then it will be used. So many families cannot afford anything else, and so they simply make do. But flowers. They will plant red tulips, rose bushes, daffodils, these pretty yellow/orange flowers and lilacs just for the beauty of them. That patch of rich soil could easily provide a week's worth of potatoes, but instead, it will add a different kind of sustenance. And this is a new and delightful observation for me.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
We stood. We ate. We slept.
And that sums up my first Ukrainian Easter. The Orthodox Christian church is very big here, and as my counterpart and her family are members and regularly attend church, I’ve been able to jump in on this important part of the culture. Easter is the largest and most important church holiday to Ukrainians and, accordingly, they pull out all the stops. Starting with the church service.
I went over to my counterpart’s around 4:30 on Saturday to help with dinner preparations. I was still thinly slicing chicken gizzards, onions, grating eggs, and chopping onions by 6:30. We ate a simple supper of potatoes and bread and then “rested.” About 10:30 (PM of course) we piled into the car and drove off to church, looking our finest.
The extravagant finery of the décor in Orthodox churches is something I have definitely become accustomed to. Everything is painted in elaborate and realistic detail...I sometimes get the feeling that someone decided that the gilt look was the most happenin' for Jesus. People light candles which gives the whole ceremony a supernatural glow and is very pretty. They are beeswax candles, so they're also pleasantly fragranced.
Ukrainians have Easter baskets, too, but these aren't for Peter Cotton Tail. Instead of chocolates, candies and fake plastic grass, they fill theirs with all the things they couldn't eat during their pre-Easter fast, like cheese, meats, eggs and butter. Easter bread is very popular here, and is also in the baskets though they can eat bread during the fast. The front of the church began to fill up with these baskets as people arrived, kissing icons, crossing themselves almost constantly and bowing accordingly.
We started up with the singing, chanting and liturgy shortly after 11:00. Just before midnight, we all filed outside and the bells began ringing wildly, to which the people responded with "Kristos Vaskressya!" "Christ is risen!" We all walked around the church following the priest and the altarboy carrying the heavy crucifix. Then, back inside!
The next few hours are really more of a haze for me, but a beautiful one. Perhaps I might even call it dreamy. Incense added its perfume to the candles', the choir sang an almost constant litany of songs both joyful and melancholy. I had to pay attention to hear the "Kristos Vaskressya" to be on top of the response, "Vellissmoo Vaskressya." I may have missed one or two of those.
Just before 4:00, we filed outside again, but this time with our Easter baskets in hand. Pretty much every person in the whole town brought their baskets, though not all attended the service. They were placed all over the grounds, and soon the priest walked around with a rather decent showing of a horse's-tail-like brush, which he dipped into holy water and flung at people. He seemed to enjoy getting people as wet as he could, and was laughing as he carried on. This was also the time when he blessed the baskets and the food they contained (which wasn't necessarily only food...I saw a basket with beer and salty dried fish!).
My two favorite parts of the service involved going outside. The first favorite was when we returned to the sanctuary after midnight. Everyone was SO happy...it's really hard to describe. See, usually Ukrainians have quite the "game" face. They don't smile as readily as Americans, either for photos or in real life. So to see an entire church filled with smiling, happy, hugging and kissing Ukrainians was truly wonderful for me. The other favorite was my babushka's face when she felt the sprinkle of the holy water. She's so short that she couldn't see when the priest was coming, so she grabbed my arm and told me to tell her when he would be coming by. As soon as she felt those first drops of water, she turned her face up and such peace and contentment washed over it; the years and hard work melted away and she was a child, standing in the presence of her father. It was beautiful.
After church, we returned home to feast on a post-fast meal. It wasn't nearly as major as the next day, however, at which we had over 15 dishes. Really, I counted. And then I also understood the need for all the chopped gizzards and mayonnaise. It was a great meal, though we were working from 10-2 on the finishing preparations. I was so glad to feel so incorporated into the family, though, and was glad to be bossed around. Even if the holadetz (meat jelly) or salo (basically pig fat) threatened to ruin my gastronmic capacity. Besides, there is this sweet, baked cheese souffle/casserole that is AMAZING to restore any stomach upset I might encounter. I probably ate half my body weight in that stuff. YUM!
So my first Ukrainian Easter settled to a close as most evenings here. I was happy and home. And I am happy and home.
I went over to my counterpart’s around 4:30 on Saturday to help with dinner preparations. I was still thinly slicing chicken gizzards, onions, grating eggs, and chopping onions by 6:30. We ate a simple supper of potatoes and bread and then “rested.” About 10:30 (PM of course) we piled into the car and drove off to church, looking our finest.
The extravagant finery of the décor in Orthodox churches is something I have definitely become accustomed to. Everything is painted in elaborate and realistic detail...I sometimes get the feeling that someone decided that the gilt look was the most happenin' for Jesus. People light candles which gives the whole ceremony a supernatural glow and is very pretty. They are beeswax candles, so they're also pleasantly fragranced.
Ukrainians have Easter baskets, too, but these aren't for Peter Cotton Tail. Instead of chocolates, candies and fake plastic grass, they fill theirs with all the things they couldn't eat during their pre-Easter fast, like cheese, meats, eggs and butter. Easter bread is very popular here, and is also in the baskets though they can eat bread during the fast. The front of the church began to fill up with these baskets as people arrived, kissing icons, crossing themselves almost constantly and bowing accordingly.
We started up with the singing, chanting and liturgy shortly after 11:00. Just before midnight, we all filed outside and the bells began ringing wildly, to which the people responded with "Kristos Vaskressya!" "Christ is risen!" We all walked around the church following the priest and the altarboy carrying the heavy crucifix. Then, back inside!
The next few hours are really more of a haze for me, but a beautiful one. Perhaps I might even call it dreamy. Incense added its perfume to the candles', the choir sang an almost constant litany of songs both joyful and melancholy. I had to pay attention to hear the "Kristos Vaskressya" to be on top of the response, "Vellissmoo Vaskressya." I may have missed one or two of those.
Just before 4:00, we filed outside again, but this time with our Easter baskets in hand. Pretty much every person in the whole town brought their baskets, though not all attended the service. They were placed all over the grounds, and soon the priest walked around with a rather decent showing of a horse's-tail-like brush, which he dipped into holy water and flung at people. He seemed to enjoy getting people as wet as he could, and was laughing as he carried on. This was also the time when he blessed the baskets and the food they contained (which wasn't necessarily only food...I saw a basket with beer and salty dried fish!).
My two favorite parts of the service involved going outside. The first favorite was when we returned to the sanctuary after midnight. Everyone was SO happy...it's really hard to describe. See, usually Ukrainians have quite the "game" face. They don't smile as readily as Americans, either for photos or in real life. So to see an entire church filled with smiling, happy, hugging and kissing Ukrainians was truly wonderful for me. The other favorite was my babushka's face when she felt the sprinkle of the holy water. She's so short that she couldn't see when the priest was coming, so she grabbed my arm and told me to tell her when he would be coming by. As soon as she felt those first drops of water, she turned her face up and such peace and contentment washed over it; the years and hard work melted away and she was a child, standing in the presence of her father. It was beautiful.
After church, we returned home to feast on a post-fast meal. It wasn't nearly as major as the next day, however, at which we had over 15 dishes. Really, I counted. And then I also understood the need for all the chopped gizzards and mayonnaise. It was a great meal, though we were working from 10-2 on the finishing preparations. I was so glad to feel so incorporated into the family, though, and was glad to be bossed around. Even if the holadetz (meat jelly) or salo (basically pig fat) threatened to ruin my gastronmic capacity. Besides, there is this sweet, baked cheese souffle/casserole that is AMAZING to restore any stomach upset I might encounter. I probably ate half my body weight in that stuff. YUM!
So my first Ukrainian Easter settled to a close as most evenings here. I was happy and home. And I am happy and home.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Miss-worthies
Aside from my fabulous family and friends, I miss:
1. Good Eats with Alton Brown and Project Runway
2. In-N-Out animal-style fries, well-done, easy on the thousand island
3. Lettuce
4. Avocado
5. Cookie dough ice cream, preferably Ben and Jerry's
6. Coffee dates (with REAL coffee, not this instant crap)
7. Driving
8. Free nights and weekends
9. The dollar theatre in Irvine
10. 2nd Street and the Orange Circle
11. Margaritas
12. Summer
Things I already know I will miss about Ukraine:
1. Juice
2. Chocolates/candies/cookies
3. Babushkas
4. The bazar
5. Overnight trains
6. The "organic" fanaticism of just about every Ukrainian
7. Flowers
8. My students and Ukra family
9. Homemade wine
10. Slippers
11. Compote
12. Canned (but in jars) veggies and fruits
It's good to know what's worth missing, present or future.
1. Good Eats with Alton Brown and Project Runway
2. In-N-Out animal-style fries, well-done, easy on the thousand island
3. Lettuce
4. Avocado
5. Cookie dough ice cream, preferably Ben and Jerry's
6. Coffee dates (with REAL coffee, not this instant crap)
7. Driving
8. Free nights and weekends
9. The dollar theatre in Irvine
10. 2nd Street and the Orange Circle
11. Margaritas
12. Summer
Things I already know I will miss about Ukraine:
1. Juice
2. Chocolates/candies/cookies
3. Babushkas
4. The bazar
5. Overnight trains
6. The "organic" fanaticism of just about every Ukrainian
7. Flowers
8. My students and Ukra family
9. Homemade wine
10. Slippers
11. Compote
12. Canned (but in jars) veggies and fruits
It's good to know what's worth missing, present or future.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
I stand corrected by a GIANT water truck.
So remember how I thought I drank rainwater? I don't. My rainwater cistern is used for watering the garden. I discovered this when a rather large truck pulled into my driveway and proceeded to give me 15 grivenas' worth of water (that's like, $2). Just when I thought I knew what was up....
;)
;)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Hello and welcome to 'Cafe Splendida'
I thought I was being pretty clever when I brought in plates, a table cloth, glasses, napkins and a candle for my 9th form's "restaurant dialogues" presentations, but these kids took it above and beyond. Their task was simply to "make a dialogue in which the customer orders 5 things." And I've never been so impressed or had as much fun than at this lesson! Here are some highlights:
*During their dialogue, one girl waited til the "waitress" was out of sight, reached into her pocket and shook out some small stones onto her plate. Then, "Waitress! There's glass in my food!" The waitress promptly comped the bill, of course. Who said customer service is dead here?
*A pair of boys staged it so that one boy was a tourist. He walked around the room taking photos of the walls on his camera phone, and then tried to pay for his bill in his home currency. He was pulling change from EVERY pocket! It was hilarious.
*A group of girls started their dialogue with excellent planning techniques...they staged calling the restaurant ahead of time and making a reservation on their cell phones.
*A boy asked for the smoking section, and then proceeded to use a white-out pen as a "cigarette." It was too funny for me to launch into the "now let's think about your health here" routine...
*One "waiter" stood by with his hand out while the "customer" was walking away, and got another tip!
*The PROPS! Almost every group brought in a towel that the "waiter" would drape over his arm while he served. Almost every group made a "menu" and a "bill," and some groups brought in wine glasses, plastic food, dishes, flowers in an actual vase, and juice and cookies.
I love that the assignment was so simple and could have been made simply, but that these kids took it to their own level. Their imaginations and willingness to try amaze me. And it amuses, too! They had fun, I had a belly laugh, and it was a good day. :)
*During their dialogue, one girl waited til the "waitress" was out of sight, reached into her pocket and shook out some small stones onto her plate. Then, "Waitress! There's glass in my food!" The waitress promptly comped the bill, of course. Who said customer service is dead here?
*A pair of boys staged it so that one boy was a tourist. He walked around the room taking photos of the walls on his camera phone, and then tried to pay for his bill in his home currency. He was pulling change from EVERY pocket! It was hilarious.
*A group of girls started their dialogue with excellent planning techniques...they staged calling the restaurant ahead of time and making a reservation on their cell phones.
*A boy asked for the smoking section, and then proceeded to use a white-out pen as a "cigarette." It was too funny for me to launch into the "now let's think about your health here" routine...
*One "waiter" stood by with his hand out while the "customer" was walking away, and got another tip!
*The PROPS! Almost every group brought in a towel that the "waiter" would drape over his arm while he served. Almost every group made a "menu" and a "bill," and some groups brought in wine glasses, plastic food, dishes, flowers in an actual vase, and juice and cookies.
I love that the assignment was so simple and could have been made simply, but that these kids took it to their own level. Their imaginations and willingness to try amaze me. And it amuses, too! They had fun, I had a belly laugh, and it was a good day. :)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
My favorite time of day
Like most grade-schoolers, my favorite time of day is lunch time. 12:00 in the canteen (cafeteria) at school. But I take a more passive role in this treasured moment, as this is the time when the 1st form comes in with their teacher. They burst through the doors in a chatty pack and without real regard for their surroundings, go about preparing themselves for lunch. The form teacher carries a bottle of liquid soap and a towel, which she distributes to each child after they've hung up their coat and puts on the table, respectively. The kids wash their hands in the sinks, then dry them, then find a seat at one of the tables already laid with food by the canteen ladies (whom I also love). Lunch is always home-made in the kitchen, and is usually soup, a kind of porridge, sometimes meat/cheese/hardboiled egg, bread, and tea or hot chocolate or compote. Continuously oblivious, the kids eat and talk and swing their legs on the stools just too high for their feet to touch. By 12:10, I have to leave for my next class, but I always leave with a smile from this little scene.
One thing I've treasured about Ukrainian people is how organic they are, how much they'll act like one contiguous family, even when they're not related. That form teacher no doubt buys the soap with her own money, and the towel, too. The canteen ladies are at school well before anyone else to get the sweet buns in the oven, to get the potatoes peeled and the soup started. We eat off real dishes with real forks, which another canteen lady washes, after sorting the scraps for the compost heap. It's a different world for sure, and one I'm delighted to be learning from.
One thing I've treasured about Ukrainian people is how organic they are, how much they'll act like one contiguous family, even when they're not related. That form teacher no doubt buys the soap with her own money, and the towel, too. The canteen ladies are at school well before anyone else to get the sweet buns in the oven, to get the potatoes peeled and the soup started. We eat off real dishes with real forks, which another canteen lady washes, after sorting the scraps for the compost heap. It's a different world for sure, and one I'm delighted to be learning from.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Gettin by with a little help from my friends
One of the things I've always LOVED about the Ukrainian culture and people I've met is their generosity and enthusiasm to be there for me. I've had recurring problems with my water pump not working for weeks at a time. One of my neighbors (a part-time French teacher at school) has been awesome in letting me use her outdoor spigot any time I want to fill up my water jugs. Last week, she came outside with an apple and two oranges for me to take home!
When something needs to be fixed, the Ukrainian way is to (A) Do it yourself, or (B) Call a friend who has a friend who's brother has a son who knows how to do it. In most things, I am definitely NOT A. In fact, I'd assert that most Americans are not A. We call a super or a repair guy when something breaks, he comes, fixes it, and charges us money. Learning to be B has been a challenge for me, especially with my hyper-independence which is part character-based and part my role here in the Peace Corps. I'm appreciating these lessons I'm learning, even if they're at a hard price sometimes...the cost of my pride or an exhausting conversation in Russian. But I've found that when I get over it, the relief my neighbors find in being able to help me or that the daughter of the mother's friend speaks a little English is worth far more than my strict independence, as it allows for vulnerability, which allows for the true expression of the self. And the Ukrainian self is well worth my vulnerability.
When something needs to be fixed, the Ukrainian way is to (A) Do it yourself, or (B) Call a friend who has a friend who's brother has a son who knows how to do it. In most things, I am definitely NOT A. In fact, I'd assert that most Americans are not A. We call a super or a repair guy when something breaks, he comes, fixes it, and charges us money. Learning to be B has been a challenge for me, especially with my hyper-independence which is part character-based and part my role here in the Peace Corps. I'm appreciating these lessons I'm learning, even if they're at a hard price sometimes...the cost of my pride or an exhausting conversation in Russian. But I've found that when I get over it, the relief my neighbors find in being able to help me or that the daughter of the mother's friend speaks a little English is worth far more than my strict independence, as it allows for vulnerability, which allows for the true expression of the self. And the Ukrainian self is well worth my vulnerability.
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