Life in Kiev definitely moves at a different pace than in a Moldovan village! I’ve been so busy, I’ve hardly had time to write.
At work, we 3 new UNV’s still really aren’t “working” yet. Our project director, Pavlo, asked us to read a lot of reports and documentation about the program during the next week or so, and then we will have a staff retreat to plan for the coming year and how we 3 fit into the team and the work. Aside from this, our work days have been consumed with the various minutiae of getting settled here – forms, forms, forms for everything from getting an email address to receiving our stipends. I think I’ve signed my name more times in the last 2 weeks than in the entire previous year.
My favorite part of the work day so far is lunch, which everyone takes at 1pm. We’ve gone to a few different restaurants and cafes, but once we were introduced to a cafeteria for policemen just across the street, it is, hands down, our absolute favorite lunch spot. Why? It’s CHEAP! I ate lunch one day last week for 50 cents! The food is simple, but tasty, and the portions are hearty. The most expensive meal any of us has had there came to a grand total of $1.50. Fabulous!
And since Lori made a special request for posts about food, here is a description of my lunch today: one serving of grechka (a delicious buckwheat grain), one serving of beet salad (diced beets with a dollop of sour cream), one serving of tvorog (a sweet, creamy cheese kind of like ricotta), a poppyseed roll, and a glass of juice. (The grand total, by the way, was about 75 cents.) The cafeteria usually serves 2-3 kinds of salads (cabbage, beet, cucumber/tomato, or pickles), 1-2 kinds of soup, 2 kinds of meat (chicken, pork or beef cutlets), fish, 1-2 side dishes like mashed potatoes, pasta, or grechka, and something sweet, like tvorog and sweet rolls. So far, I’ve been very content with my salads and side dishes. Oh, and they serve fresh brewed espresso, too – 20 cents a cup!
The evenings have been filled with shopping, household organizing, and social activities. There seems to be an invitation to something every night! October 23 was the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, and although we missed the big, official gala event that day (since we arrived on the 24th), there have been, and will continue to be, various other parties and events in honor of the anniversary. There was also a Photo Exhibition and Reception organized by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) about their HIV/AIDS program in southern Ukraine. Add to these the casual parties and get-togethers, and one’s social calendar can quickly and easily be filled.
The ex-pat community is relatively small, I am told, although I can say they are quite active. So far, I’ve met people from Spain, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Great Britain, Nepal, Italy, India, Canada, France, Ireland and Poland. The interesting thing is that I have not yet met another American. In general, I am very happy with my new circle of international friends, and in fact I love the diversity of the group. I wouldn’t have thought of myself as one who “needs” to be around Americans. But thinking about Thanksgiving made me realize that I really DO want to meet some Americans here. I suddenly felt very isolated when I realized no one I know right now will celebrate this holiday. So, this week I hope to visit the Peace Corps office and the American Embassy, both for business purposes as well as for personal networking. I am hopeful that PC/Ukraine has a Thanksgiving event for the PCVs, as we did in Moldova, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to swing an invitation.
In other news, both Mietek and Alessandra found apartments today (at last!). We decided it was a lucky day, as November 7 is the anniversary of the Soviet Revolution. 🙂 Whatever fates or guardian angels intervened, we are all overjoyed and relieved that this huge hurdle has been passed. By the end of the week they will be in their new homes, and life can really begin to settle down.
Anka in Kyiv 