Bo-ta What?!

The "bo (long o)-ta-neech-nie sod" are the Botanical Gardens, and we're not far from them. We needed to get out today, and someone in the office told Mr. YH some flowers were blooming. So, off we went, and because I had help, I was able to take the camera along a la tourist.

Someone you know might live in that big round building.

An older version of Soviet apartments near
the previous apartment building.

A modern version of apartment buildings.
How about the wavy roof?

So we hopped on a trolley bus.
Very exciting stuff for the Little YHs.

This is a mar-shroot-ka.
We'll talk about this exciting
form of taking your life in your own hands
transportation later on.

Prices have gone up in 4.5 years. We had to pay $2.50 total for our entrance fee. But then we had to pay nearly $3 to walk around the hall of dead bugs and butterflies that was advertised as a "Butterfly Exhibition." So, to get my money's worth, you're going on a bit of the tour whether you like it or not!

Aren't these pretty?!

And how about these? They looked like something Ballards would make into a print and sell. Very soft yellows and blues- I'd buy something like that!

I had no idea bugs like these existed.
Some of them were actually rather lovely,
if that can be said about a bug.

Not about these, though.
Eww.

Just for reference.

Here are the blooming flowers.
Silly me- I thought they'd actually be outside.
It was in a greenhouse.

Well, there's hope...spring will be coming on the outside soon, too.

Little Luxuries

Cameras are luxuries. I like my camera a lot. I really wish I could figure out how to use it better. I've read the instruction book, but I'm leaning towards, "Tara, take a class." That's my excuse for the quality of these pictures v.s. the quality of my camera. I'm just struggling with lighting issues.


But, moving right along.

I thought I'd share some of the little luxuries that came along with our apartment:

Luxury #1 is behind this door:

It's the stairwell at the end of the hall on our floor.
This is where we put our trash.
And some little elf comes and picks it up
when we're not looking!
{The green trash bags with drawstring
handles are mine- another luxury.}

Luxury #2:
The Video Doorbell Phone

This is really quite handy. I can look and see who
is at the door and don't have to answer.
Or I can pick the phone up and say,
"I'll unlock the door, honey, but I'm not opening the door
because I'm in a towel
since I just got out of the shower!!!"
Not that something like that would ever happen.

Luxury #3:
The Water Filter

This is a fantastic machine.
It sits in my kitchen and I have fresh water at the touch of a button:
cold, hot, or extra hot.
(We shower, wash dishes, and brush teeth with water from the tap,
but we don't drink it. Soviet pipes- need I say more?)

{Jen, honey, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel better, I did not have this provided for me the last time; I rented a "pum-pa" and ordered 40L of water to be delivered each time I called (and he didn't follow me home with his buggy).}

Luxury #4:
The Toaster
I mentioned several posts ago that the embassy
had a hospitality pack they gifted us with when we arrived.
Maybe we'll buy that English toast bread more often!

Luxury #5:
If you watched Crocodile Dundee in the 80's
or are a French connoisseur, then you
probably know what is next to the master potty.

Still wondering?
It's a bidet, or as The Boy likes to call it:
the b*tt washer.
And because I know someone will ask-
yes, it's been tested.
The towel hanging next to it
is for decorative purposes only for this photo shoot.

However, if you plan on using such a luxury
on a regular basis in your own home, may I respectfully suggest these?

(click image for link)

Presents from the Pouch

Hooray! Look what showed up in the pouch!

I had two very excited little students this morning!
They couldn't finish breakfast fast enough
in order to start working!
{One would think we've had a 2.5 month break or something.}

Too bad that third box of school books hasn't shown up yet;
it has all of my lesson plans!

Yellow Hat Socialites

One of the best things about this move is that we already had friends waiting for us on this end. {We're tired of moving. It's getting old. It seems like once we break into the locals' circle and begin building relationships, it's time to up and move again and start the process all over. I can honestly tell you that it can be quite lonely at times....throw a deployment in there, too, and it's rough.}

But, back on a happy note, not only has it been great to already know people here, they want to spend time with us! Our friends the G's moved to Kyiv as missionaries the same month we did back in 2003 (they're with the International Mission Board as missionaries to the military and police). They're simply amazing. We love getting their weekly updates as they share what they've been doing ministry-wise, but really, we enjoy the personal notes the most. We've learned a lot from the way they parent and disciple their own two boys. We were thrilled to host them in our home a couple of years ago when they were back in the States for a few months. Mr. YH gave them a tour of a C-130, the Mighty Hercules of the AF .



H texted me last week with an invitation for dinner on Friday night. We were happy to accept and thoroughly enjoyed her tasty cooking and the fellowship.

Look how N has grown up!!!!

The kids were wild over the toys they got to play with and totally enjoyed N and A. These boys are amazing, too- they attend a Ukrainian school and spend hours with a tutor each night who is a native speaker and can help them with their homework. They speak fluent Russian and are learning Ukrainian (and German, too, I think). My favorite thing about them, though, is that they have a heart for ministry and look for opportunities to witness to their schoolmates and teachers.

I think Mr. R could almost persuade Baby Girl
to be a Vol fan with this comfy seat!

Can I take a minute and encourage you to adopt a missionary? Take your church's support a step further and write letters, pay for a magazine subscription to be sent to them (we've had Answers in Genesis sent before- it can be read by the family but also shared with those who want to learn English), make a care package, etc. And absolutely, if you can take a short-term trip, jump all over that opportunity!

On Saturday morning, Big Girl and I set out for the grocery store. It's a lot easier to take her than all 3, but we have gotten better at that, too. I'm so thankful this little supermarket is down the street and between runs to Mega Market, this will keep us fed at the least! {Yesterday they had a different group of people working and they smiled, talked to us, and one lady totally went out of her way to help us!}

That afternoon, we were invited out to Brovary where Yuri and Sveta live. We took the metro to the end of the line that direction and Yuri picked us up. It took about an hour and a half I think to make that trip. Later that night when they brought us back, it was much less time- just depends on the mode of transport, weather, and time of day.

Anyway, Yuri and Sveta have a pretty big piece of property. There were two houses on it the last time we were. They lived in one and the other was a guest home for Christians to use as a retreat location, a place to stay while adopting, or an inexpensive place to stay coming or going from the airport (which is fairly nearby). During the past 4.5 years, they've added a large conference center to one of the homes to make it larger for groups to come stay in. They also have a missionary, Jamie, staying with them. She had been in Russia for years, but that government is becoming increasingly intolerant of foreign missionaries and not renewing their visas. She is waiting to see what her organization has in mind for her. {I have relatively few photos because I got so involved in conversation that I forgot to take any!}

Dinner in the guest house-
Sveta dishing out the world's best bortsch

Looking at photos
over tea and sweets

We went to another church on Sunday; we've been to New Life before. It's a pretty large church and has several services. We went to the Ukrainian service at 11 a.m., but it was in Russian because the pastor was sick. We will not be attending this church because it's quite a haul for us to get there and the time just doesn't work for us. The children usually eat between 11:30 and 12 and nap around 12:30/1 p.m. So, a 2 hour service was a bit rough for them to sit through and then to not get home until 2 and eat? Crabby-wabbies.

And after we took naps, ate, and put everyone back to bed, Mr. YH and I had a date with the IRS doing our taxes. That little romantic date idea to infuse your marriage with new passion is free of charge. You're welcome.

Afternoon Diversion

My friend Jen gifted me with the Beautiful Blogger Award.

I think she knows that I'm a firstborn overachiever and enjoy an accolade every now and again. So digressing from the "what I'm doing in Kyiv" posts for today, I'm sharing 7 interesting (or not) things about myself.

1. I got my first and only F on a 4th grade written P.E. test. (Who gives written tests in PE?!?) I had just moved to this WI town and still had to take the test. It was on the Green Bay Packers: how they huddle, positions, players, etc. I've never been a fan. EVER. And I laugh when I see Brett playing in purple. So there Mr. S- take that!

2. I got my first and only C on a report card my freshman year in college. It was traumatic. Dr. C did give me a hug and he is one of my favorite professors to this day.

3. Due to aforementioned C and a few other less than perfect marks, I never got a 4.0 mug in chapel during college. That used to really bother me.

4. It does not bother me anymore because it turns out I do not like having random mugs in my house, and I would have had to give it to Goodwill. Yep- I'm a matchy-matchy kind of girl.

5. I missed having a 4.0 overall in my masters program because I got an A- (in orchestra of all things) because I was late to a rehearsal. Can anyone say Atlanta traffic at an inopportune time of day?!

6. Oftentimes I wonder what life might have been like had I learned much earlier on that making mistakes is really not the end of the world.

7. I do not like chain letters or forwarding cute sayings or e-mails asking me to be part of the recipe club, etc.; therefore, I am breaking the BB award rules and am not naming any other beautiful bloggers. Instead, leave me a comment (because, again, I thrive on comments!!!) and tell me something interesting that has happened to you this week (or any other time in your life).

Totally Random

• My language is so rusty. I'm forgetting endings, and it's frustrating. It's not so bad, though, that I can't understand most everything in Ukrainian. And I was able to call for a taxi on Friday night. The dispatcher spoke in Russian. Finally, I told her I was so sorry, but I'm an American and could she not just speak in Ukrainian? "Do you understand Ukrainian?" Yes, I do. And, oh! Here the angels sing!! She switched (many times they'll just hang up). My little red taxi showed up right on time. The kids and I hopped in. It did not have a smoke smell, but, as usual, there were no seatbelts. Don't think less of me because I ride around the city with my children not belted in. We do weigh the risks. And we pray every time we walk out the door. Anyway, I was able to still call a taxi. Now, if I can order a pizza for delivery and get what I want, I'll know I haven't lost it totally!
  
• Yet, I've put off calling the ballet instructor. Why? I don't know. Rats! Totally should have had Sveta call while she was here.
• Moving is a pain. We've never had a door-to-door move so I always have to give away my cleaning supplies and extra groceries and then show up at my new place and buy them all over again. Doing anything in this country is a process. I did get out today to buy cleaning supplies. Sveta watched the kids. So there I stood in D-Tsay trying to figure out what I wanted- some is in German, some Russian, some Ukrainian, some in other languages. {Sigh} BUT, the guard and the cashier like me. They smiled, they answered my questions, and Tetiana the cashier even gave me a "car-to'-chka" so I can get discounts when I buy things there. I'm so baking them cookies when my stuff comes.
• I forgot that the bags of Tide don't always have a scooper. It's like winning the lottery if it does. If anyone sends a care package, I'll take a laundry detergent scoop, please.
• Not one of the 11 boxes that I know have been sent to us has arrived.
• I also hate having my picture taken for IDs. My embassy ID looks super dorky.
• The toilets here annoy me. They're shaped such that if one deposits something other than liquid, it does not fall down a slanted side and the water doesn't wash everything. It's gross.
• I paid 50 kopecks to use a squatty potty at church yesterday and they didn't even provide that nasty brown school papertowel-ish toilet paper (which I would not have used anyway because I always have my soft kleenex pack with me- but it's the principle! I paid 50 kopecks- about a whole 1/2 cent!).
• Speaking of those squatty potties- I am not looking forward to potty training and baby girl having to use those. Please, dear Lord, let it be in the summer time and not the winter when we have snowpants!!!
• We did our taxes last night and the government owes us. What a nice feeling.
• We forwarded our mail to my parents' house this time, and the USPS still messed up my in-laws mail.
• I thought I found the Japanese diapers my friend raved about when she was stationed in Japan. Alas, they only have Japanese technology (!?!?)- they're Dutch. Obviously, I have nothing against the Dutch, but was a bit disappointed.
  
• Pampers are sub-par here.
• I'm afraid the honeymoon of things to do without our household goods will wear off for my kids. Oh, I hope those boxes come soon!
• I'm in need of more comments. This is my social life, people (not completely). Have mercy!
  

A. for Heather's Q.

In reference to a previous post, Heather asked: "Question: How come the military won't allow more of the kids things to go with them? I am curious as to how it all works!"

It's not that the military doesn't allow it, it's just that because we were flying on commercial airlines (paid for by the gov't) that we were limited to the number of bags at a max 70 lbs. apiece. In the past, we've had our orders read so that we were allowed excess baggage/weight. However, along with Baby Girl being left off the orders that were cut just one week before we departed (I am certainly not irritated all over again!), we did not have excess baggage allowance (to my knowledge- Mr. YH was working on that and perhaps something changed after the e-mail trail I read, but I don't think so). Therefore, warm clothing and shoes and gear took priority over a lot of toys.

{I told Brandi that I had thought about sending more over via USPS but Mr. YH said not to worry about doing that and let the kids use their imaginations and experience a little hardship. They've been doing a great job and you'd be amazed at how many games they've invented with those hula hoops and balloons! I did pull 9 weeks worth of school materials and had a friend ship those boxes to me so we can get off this insanely long break (we did complete a semester before moving); those should be arriving any day.}

Remember, too, that we had 2 pack days in January. Half of our stuff is in storage in CA for 2 years (the dining set, china, office furniture, garage stuff, appliances, etc.). The other 6,000 lbs or so- which includes ALL of the toys {and my comfy bed} is hopefully on a ship sailing the high {on second thought-no! hoping calm albeit cold!} seas. That shipment was not called forward until the end of January. SO, Sasha told me that he guess-timates that it'll arrive at the end of March (and by the look on his face, I understood that I should not hold him to that). Trust, me you'll hear our happy squeals all the way back there in the States when our shipment arrives!

I can't remember when we've had as busy of a social calendar as we've had this weekend! I'll try to recap in the next few days. One exciting piece of news: Sveta is going to come work for us again! HOORAY! She begins on Monday and will come twice a week. More on that later.

Sveta making bortsch in the kitchen of
our apartment we had last time-
she sent some home with me tonight:
Y.U.M.M.Y.!!!!!!

Just 10 Questions (with answers)

Last Saturday, we called our friends Lubomyr and Natasha (see group photo in linked post), and let them know we were now in town and ready to come to church with them (we've had e-mail contact the past 4.5 years). {I'll write more about them later as we've been invited over- it'll be better to introduce them with photos.} Anyway, Lubomyr is now the pastor of this little church and we were thrilled to attend on Sunday morning. When he introduced us to the congregation, he told them that we were Americans with a Ukrainian heart.

I hope that during the next 2 years you can get a glimpse of this nation in a way you would not have otherwise. If I write something that you want to know more about, please ask away! I totally welcome your curiosity. Please understand that I may not be able to answer everything, or I may answer with few details. During our security briefing last week, we were reminded that Ukraine is #146 on the list of nations "most corrupted." The higher the number, the worse it is (there are 195 countries in the world; and FYI, the USA is not #1). Anyway, because we are now attached to the embassy, there are certain things I just don't need to discuss that others can view.

With that said, Sarah took me up on the invitation to ask questions and here is her list:

1) Is your apt. on the first floor? No, we're not on the 1st and neither are we very high up. The housing office won't put anyone too high because (I've heard) the firetrucks have ladders that only reach so far. Vehicles for public safety are still Soviet-era for the most part. First floors are our second floors anyway.

2) Have you met/heard any of your neighbors? I've heard them. I hear a lady walking in heels upstairs every morning which is a bit annoying. I think they might be doing renovations upstairs, too. Other than that, I've only greeted the dajourneys (concierge) downstairs- they're all ladies.

3) Are the kids sleeping OK in the new place (and are Mrs & Mr YH too?) The kids did better than we did with the jet lag. 10 hours is a big leap to make. They also slept on the plane whereas we got very little rest. And we have what I like to call "the bed of pain." Sleep is better than what it was. We're looking forward to our own beds, though. We've decided to put the kids all in one room to sleep while we're here. When I give a tour of the apartment, that'll make more sense.

4) What, other than the jet leg, has been the biggest challenge so far? The weather has been an obstacle- as I've mentioned, the ice on the sidewalks is awful. There have been so many broken bones this winter. I feel so sorry for the elderly...I saw a man out the other day when we were going shopping/to McD's and I teared up. Hopefully, the weather will stay warm enough to melt more of that down and people will clean it off so that it doesn't freeze again. Not being able to get out was frustrating. As was a lack of internet for over a week. Talk about isolating! I guess the hardest thing, however, is that we're back in a "real" job. Monterey spoiled us- we had our daddy home for 2 if not 3 meals a day. I am hoping things settle back down after a big conference this week, but we'll see. He did run home for lunch today (and had stopped by the store for me), so that was a treat.

5) How far is Mr YH from work and how does he get there without a vehicle? We live across the street from his office, so he only has a 10 minute walk. Street here meaning a busy one with 3 lanes going each way. We're shipping our van and have an underground parking spot assigned to us, but I can assure you that I am not getting behind the wheel for 2 years.

6) How far away are you from your friends? That's a tough one. As the crow flies (or even doesn't), not far. But there's traffic. Soviet streets weren't made to handle all of the cars that are present nowadays. Traffic is awful. People do not know how to drive and everyone thinks they deserve to be the exception, so there are lots of needless clogs that take forever to get through. All that to say, they're all over the city and it depends if they're near public transport and what time of day we're going over.

7) Where are you in the city compared to last time (i.e., do you kinda know your way around?) Yes, I can find my way around- it's coming back I should say. I still need to look at maps to get oriented, but I remembered a lot (like, there's a great bakery by the opera or this store is located over here). We're farther from the center of the city this time.

8) Have you seen any Babuskas (sp?) yet and what wisdom have they had to bestow on you? Sarah is referring to the grannies (babushkas) who race to tell us what bad parents we are when we're out with the kids. Just kidding- sort of! Well, I learned my lesson last time to have the kids bundled up in such a way as to avoid too much skin showing. Also, we haven't been out too much, so I haven't been able to give them a chance to fuss at me! Baby Girl was promptly taken off my hands at church on Sunday. It was like deja-vue with Big Girl! She was given an orange, lots of cookies, fussed over, held, coddled, etc. She was handed back 3 hours later! ha! I am sure we'll have up close and personal encounters to report!

9) Will you be able to go to a church at some point? I guess I have answered that. Once we had some things clarified in our security briefing, we were able to put attendance in a Ukrainian church on our list. We're still discussing options. I think if we do go to one, we'll go to the one we were at on Sunday. I think that we'll have to hold Sunday School on our own at home regardless.

10) What funny (or not) things have BG and TB (and even bg) had to say about their travel/new surroundings? Big Girl gets wildly excited about just going out- it's all an adventure to her and she has a great attitude. She is trying to use the language a little as she learns words (her first word ever was Ukrainian way back when!) and I was really proud of both her and The Boy for wanting to go to their own Sunday School classes at church (there was a musical group there, though, so they didn't have them)- nobody would've spoken English, so it was a bit intimidating. The Boy tries to mask his joy- he acts like a patootie but has fun in spite of himself. He was pretty excited to ride the metro the other day. He asked, "Mama, where are the bullet trains?" I told him in Germany and he wants to know when we can go ride them- because these are still the old Soviet model and aren't very bullet-ish at all. ☺ They're getting used to the cuisine and are beginning to learn how to function in public where personal space is non-existent.

When I was looking up the post with the Matviyiv's picture, I noticed I had already written about how we got here the first time. If you do a search for Monday's Memories, you'll see it along with other odds and ends about our life here from 2003-2005.

And can I just say I'm really bad at conclusions! I have no creative way to wrap this post up.

Ya Tsey Lyblyu ("I'm Lovin' It")

click image for credits

Because inquiring minds (Julie and Brandi) wanted to know...

"Does the food at McDonald's taste the same?"

Mostly. But then, I might not be an expert- I try to avoid the place in general. We ordered cheeseburgers, fries, and chicken nuggets. I even special-ordered those burgers. {And, bonus! I ordered in Ukrainian and the cashier didn't even try to break into English with me.} But back to the taste- the buns were very soft and fluffy, but kind of flaked apart if handled too long; it was a bit upsetting to The Boy. Other than that, it seemed pretty much the same fare! Possibly, it may seem to taste different because every McDonald's I have been to in Kyiv is kept in pristine condition... you know, it's missing that greasy atmosphere. They do not have salmon on the menu- sorry, Julie! I seem to recall from a few years ago that there were a few culinary delights that are local, but I didn't spend too much time studying the menu this time. I am sure we'll go again since it's 2 blocks down the street, so I'll report back.

"How do the prices compare with those in the States?"

Well, I spent 56.50. That is, 56 hryvnia and 50 kopecks. The exchange rate is about 8 UAH to the dollar right now, so quick math says that is about $7.

Here's the break down:

2 "standard" sprites (they were pretty large): 8 UAH/$1 each
3 cheeseburgers, ketchup only: 5.50 UAH/69 cents each
1 6-pc nuggets: 13.50 UAH/$1.69
1 "standard" fries (which looked more like a U.S. large): 10.50 UAH/$1.31
+ 20% sales tax which was around $1

Toss in free balloons, smiles, and the first blue sky in over a week and I can certainly say

я це люблю!

{I sure hope the Cyrillic comes through on this post!)

Now, if I can only convince Bubba and Dan to get Chick-fil-A over here!