Our life in Ukraine...

Had I written about Ukraine before now…I’m afraid that the painting I would have created might have been dingy…dark…and gray. Having spent the last five days in Odessa…I may now throw splashes of color upon the canvas. Although the pictures that I previously posted are representative of a seemingly colorful city…and those places of beauty do exist…they are few…and far between. In this nomad’s opinion…Kyiv is many things: vibrant…is not one of them. I don’t say this to offend in any way…I only speak of what I feel. And…I gave the city a chance…it didn’t seem to give much back.

The people. I cannot figure out the people. I imagine having lived much of your life under the iron fist of soviet rule…would tend to blanket your existence in a fog of darkness. However…having lived the last 16+ years in a world of freedom…and independence…one would hope to believe that the fog had lifted…and the light had crept in. When I look into the faces of these people…I don‘t see illumination…there are still many shadows.

I ask questions…a lot. I am a tour guide’s worst nightmare. We don’t often have the ear of English speaking Ukrainians…but when we do…I fire away. The first question that I always ask is…“which do you prefer…communism…or democracy?” Surprisingly…the scales tend to lean more heavily on the dark side. Well…I call it dark. It always seemed so from my side of that iron curtain. The pictures that were painted in my school books were those of oppression…hunger…greed…the KGB. However…healthcare was free…education was free…and both much better than they are today. Kira…an older woman from St. Petersburg…said that today…if you go to the doctor…and he/she is a young man or woman…you turn and walk out the door. They do not believe that the education received today is enough to qualify you as a physician. It is my understanding that medical licenses here…are not recognized in our country. Nursing is much the same. Being qualified to practice in this region of the world…does not qualify you to practice in America. Here in Ukraine you may also go to law school straight out of high school. I guess that tells you all you need to know about that.

When communism collapsed on this side of the globe…many people that had been comfortable with good jobs…good pensions…lost it all. At their ages it was tough to find a new job…and retirement was not an option. I believe however…that those people fortunate enough to be secure with solid jobs…were very much the minority. We see many old women begging in the streets. We give to every one of them. They have nothing…and at their age…they have no way of getting anything. I was told that the government gives them around $75 a month. I am not certain of the true wisdom of the source…but from the looks of things here…it would tend to lean towards the side of truth.

The younger folks that we have met all enjoy the new Ukraine. They enjoy the freedom that they have to experience western culture. They love the hip-hop music that resonates from their mp3 players…the clothing trends they see on the pages of once forbidden fashion magazines… & McDonalds. Wow…do they love McDonalds. At any given time the lines back up to the door of the restaurant. The one I’m speaking of is on Deribasovska Street. Deribasovska is a cobblestone pedestrian thoroughfare that runs through the city center of Odessa. The road is lined on each side with cafes of diverse cuisines…and varying degrees of style and ambiance. Each establishment very unique and interesting in it‘s composition. We’ve tried a few…but tend to return more than not to the steakhouse that we visited our first day here. The atmosphere is warm and inviting…the food very good…and the prices quite reasonable. I’m not certain what the name of the place is…but it’s the one with the cow out front…in case you’re ever in the area.

While Kyiv left me feeling cold and uninterested…Odessa has more of a warm almost jovial feel in the air. I knew the minute my feet hit the ground here…that this place was different. They actually refer to it as the “humor capital” of the region. The biggest holiday here is April Fool’s day…which is celebrated with parades and comedic festivals. The people here smile. They even laugh. The energy is bright…colorful…positive. People from Odessa consider themselves Odessites first…then Ukrainian…or Russian second…if at all. While the contrast in the culture is hugely different from one city to the next…so is there a contrast in the cities themselves. Kyiv is a very large city. It is reasonably modern…with a sturdy infrastructure in place to support the 4 million residents within. There is no shortage of architectural styles from baroque…to Romanesque…gothic…to Byzantine…and more. While the city is full of beautiful colors on the sides of buildings and cathedrals…it is seemingly colorless. While there are many buildings in much need of repair…the city stands strong…solid…secure. It is a large world capital that has withstood the rise and fall of the Soviet Union…the Chernobyl nuclear disaster just 60 clicks away…and the Orange Revolution just 3 years back. Although a very old country…society…culture…it is still quite youthful in it’s policies and it’s direction. It’s future…is still uncertain.

We have been five nights in Odessa…and three different apartments. When we’re not concerning ourselves with where we’ll sleep next…we’re touring the city…sitting on the beach…or taking a ferry ride across the Black Sea. Not to worry…there are plenty of places to stay…they just all only seem to be available for two days. All is well. The light that Odessa has brought to our lives was a much needed one. While the energy here is more positive…brighter…more fun…the city itself seems in an incredible state of disrepair. There are many fine restaurants…yet the living situation for many seems relatively dire. There are fewer buildings appearing structurally safe than there are those seemingly ready to topple to the ground. If there is a city code for electrical wiring…then someone’s not doing their job. It’s everywhere…and exposed for all the world to see. It is a city in the process of rebuilding. Many buildings are being refurbished…yet the course will be a long one. I’m not an authority on real estate prices back home…but have a good idea of what it will run you per square foot in most areas. I am aghast at the prices of real estate in Odessa. I’m not certain what a square foot of property would run you on the island of Manhattan…but I’m thinking that it is quite comparable to the prices here in Odessa. We are presently staying in a 600 sq. ft. one bedroom apartment that is…well…the dumpiest we’ve seen so far. It is on the market for $300,000. Did I mention it’s a dump? Oh yeah…just a line back. We have no a/c…no internet access…and it would be difficult to cook a real meal in the very small and sparse kitchen. You can barely turn around in the bathroom…which doubles as a laundry room with the washing machine right in the middle. There are no clothes dryers here…you hang them out to dry. Actually…I have found in my recent travels all over Europe…that dryers are just not found in homes. In Italy I would wash my clothes…then carry them across town to a Laundromat to dry them. I have yet to see a Laundromat in Ukraine. So far…we mostly wash by hand…and hang to dry. We don’t much care for the apartment we’re in now…but it’s only for a few days. The place we had to leave before landing here…had digital cable…which meant English speaking tv channels…internet access…and a huge Jacuzzi tub. We each soaked daily…and laughed how we hadn’t felt that clean since we left the states. We are spoiled Americans. We can rough it with the best of them…we’ve had to…but we have come to the agreement that we do enjoy the amenities…and will hold out next time for the right place. Hopefully we will only move one more time while in Odessa.

Right around the corner is the Opera and Ballet House. It is utterly exquisite. It has been ranked in the same league as such masterpieces of European architecture as La Scala in Milan…and the Vienna Opera House. It is presently under repair…and has been for quite some time. It’s history is a dramatic one…not unlike the productions that have filled it’s halls for many centuries past. The original building was constructed in the early 19th century only to be completely destroyed by fire in 1873. However…new construction lead by the great Viennese architect team of Felner & Gelmer…lead to the opening in 1887 of a grander… more beautiful opera than it’s fateful predecessor. During German occupation in WWII…holes were drilled in the foundation and filled with dynamite to destroy the structure…however the Germans loved Odessa…believing the city would one day be their own…and chose to save as much of the beauty of the city as possible. The building was secured. Due to these holes as well as cracks in the foundation due to engineering errors…the structure has been sinking over the years and tends to lean a bit towards the sea. I am disappointed that we will not get the chance to experience a performance in this wondrous institution due to it’s being closed for repairs. Such is life.

We have met quite a few people here…namely a young man named Chris Royce. He is from Philadelphia but has resided here for the last 4 years. He is just about one of the most handsome men we’ve ever seen. As a matter of fact…he was a model in his younger days. He speaks Russian…and has become a wonderful host for us while we are here. Last evening we went out on the town…acted much like kids…staying out to all hours at a disco on the beach. Today…we feel very old. Tomorrow we will venture out to yet another beach for a little fun in the sun.

There is much more to the story…but I will save it for another day…another blog. Thank you all for your patience this past week…it’s been somewhat of a whirlwind. We have stayed busy as to keep our minds off of our surroundings…the situation…the waiting. As for the adoption process…well…you are still as well informed as we are. We have not heard a thing. Dede’s getting a bit antsy…and definitely frustrated…but as long as we keep moving…she’ll be fine. I have so many pics to post…but the internet on the corner is way too slow to upload. I will be in better touch this week…and try to get something new posted every few days. It may be a blog…or pics…but I’ve been working hard on both to try to get something new to you. We hope that all of you are well back home…and hope to be able to send you some good news real soon.

Thank you for stopping by….

Peace…

Your humble blogging nomad…