Ha!

Aromatic buns! Enough said.

House Guest

We have a house guest this week. We would love to get a dog, but it's hard to have one with as much traveling/moving as we do. We'll just have to get by with some pet-sitting sessions.

The Spusk!

There's a wonderful street in Kyiv. It's called Andrevyski Spusk. It connects upper Kyiv to lower Kyiv. It's full of tourist spots, artists, restaurants and buskers. It's a cultural center for Kyiv and it was revitalized for the Euro Cup. This is "the spusk," (as the locals call it). St. Andrew's Cathedral is the in background in this picture. It's such a picturesque place to walk. Last weekend, they held a concert/festival where lots of groups played traditional and pop music. It's a little bit of a longer walk to work, but sometimes I take advantage of the atmosphere. It's pretty quiet in the morning when I head in to the office. Work life doesn't really perk up until 9 or 9:30.

Happy Graffiti

Kyiv is full of it -- happy graffiti. I love the art that lives in the city. It's everywhere.

The Intercontinental

We haven't been to the rooftop bar yet, but it's one of the nicer hotels in Kyiv. One day soon....

French Fry Fest

Maxim, our friendly waiter, didn't mention that our chicken sandwiches already came with fries. Oh my!

Oh Huggies, that's so wrong!

We walked by a new billboard on our way home last night -- highly disturbing. Will this really sell diapers? What kind of parents would want to see their kid looking even slightly like this? 

My walk home

Dress salons

My friend went with me yesterday for my first foray into wedding dress shopping. We wanted to check out what the local market had to offer. We found an underground mall with some dresses on display, but were directed to their other shop nearby that had more of a selection. Lots of stores in Ukraine are hidden away -- behind locked doors and broken elevators. It's an adventure just finding the right place.

We went to two shops and I had to strip in both of them in front of my friend and the sales ladies. I had to stand in front of a full-length mirror with my hands over my head while the clerks tried to fit a size 10 dress over my frame. I was skeptical from the beginning, but they didn't heed my protests. After a few attempts, it became clear that approach wasn't going to work. I think finding a tailor might be the better approach.

The Streets are Safe

There's a lifegaurt on duty.

World Cup!

We went to the England vs. Sweden game of the World Cup last night in Kyiv. It was a great game with England pulling off a victory 3-2. We caught the end of the Ukraine vs. France game -- which was played in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine -- before heading to the stadium. Sadly, Ukraine lost 2-0, but they had pulled off a victory over Sweden last week. The stadium was really nice and the fans were (generally) under control. The Sweden section was HUGE (the yellow and blue wash of people in these pictures) and the England section sizable as well (red and white). Security had to keep the English section from spilling onto the section behind the goal posts near the end where we were sitting.

There are 'fan zones' around town where fans can watch the games on big screen TVs, buy souvenirs, drink beer and eat snacks, and generally enjoy the tournament. The vibe in the city has been fun and lots of people are here to enjoy the games. The security has been high and all the volunteers have been cheerful and happy to use some English with the foreigners.

There was a lot of skepticism about whether Ukraine could pull off the event, and there's been an open discussion about racism recently (as related to football and in the country in general) in light of a documentary on racist fans in Ukraine and unfortunate comments by some of the Ukrainian team and management in response. However, after having been to a game and through one of the fan zones, I think Ukraine can be really proud of their job hosting the games. People are very welcoming; there were anti-discrimination messages at the stadium (although this doesn't negate the seriousness of the problem, but they are taking note); security has been professional; and lots of families have been out enjoying the event.

Light Nights

This is a first for me. I've never lived in a place where the nights were so short. These are shots from our apartment tonight at 9:15. Darkness really sets in around somewhere between 10 or 10:30 and the sun starts coming up around 3:30 or 4 in the morning. Tom keeps telling me we're close to the summer solstice, so the days will start getting shorter. We've got an automated metal gate that we can close over our bedroom window to keep the light out. I've been using it a bit more lately because of the short nights, but if it's closed all the way, I sleep too much.

Taking a Bow

We were able to welcome a new colleague to Kyiv this weekend. She and her husband have two adorable little ones. We took them on a walk of their new neighborhood. Their daughter did many ballet spins and courtesies on top of pot hole covers. When we stopped in font of the National Opera House, she took a bow. She's a natural!

That's How Ukraine Rolls

Whatever. We have a big, decorated egg in our park. No biggie.

Newlywed Bridge

On our long weekend walk, we also found the 'Newlywed Bridge' of Kyiv. Newly married couples come here on their wedding day to attach a lock. They then throw the key over the bridge which ensures a lifetime of marital bliss. There is a similar bridge in Odessa, which makes me wonder how many newlywed bridges are in Ukraine.

Dance Contest

We happened on this dance contest in a park not far from our house. We watched a handful of pairs and solo performances. This guy, with the long hair, was my personal favorite. He seemed to partner with a much younger girl. There is something very Dracula-esque about him.

Karaoke!

This is the first personalized license plate I have seen here. It reads: Karaoke! I love it. This person is my Ukrainian soul mate.

Shots from Odessa!