Parents come to town.

My parents visited last week. It was kind of weird to have them in this country. I met them at the airport on Saturday afternoon. I got there early and they got in late. I wanted to make sure I was there and settled. And I like to watch people come through the doors. I did the same thing with Allison. I waited there for them to see them walking through. Our airport is small so it doesn't take too much time to exit after the plane lands. I was so happy to see them. It is funny, so much time has gone by but it felt like no time passed at all.

We leave the airport and catch one of the many buses that comes and goes to the airport from the train station. It is only 25 UAH. A cab costs 200 UAH. The only problem is you have to wait for the bus to fill up before it leaves but it usually only takes a little while. So many people use the bus to go back and forth. So it took about 20 minutes and we were off.

When we got to the train station we had to take a metro to the hostel where we were staying. Now I don't want to spoil the ending of this story but try to remember that my parents are in their 60s, my dad has had many surgeries and my mother has a heart condition. I certainly didn't remember all of that so maybe you will. I treated my parents like they were just other volunteers or friends that were my age. I had them taking buses, riding metros and sleeping in hostels. What was I thinking?

Anyway, we get to the train station and then get on the metro. Now my mom has had about enough walking. Not to mention the BAGS! Well yes we took the bags up and down steps and escalators. The few that exist in Ukraine. My father gets on the metro and before we have time to get settled the train takes off. Well I am familiar with the way the subways are in Kiev so I strategically place myself accordingly in the train meanwhile my mom and dad are just standing there as if they were not in a moving apparatus. We take off and my father damn near flies to the other end of the train car. He falls onto the man sitting down and my mother falls on him. The bags go everywhere and all I can do is laugh. My dad takes it like a champ and I am still laughing. People all around are looking at us and probably thinking I am an idiot for bringing not only my parents who have no business on a subway but also BAGS.

So then we get to Khreshatick which is about 3 stops on the metro. Now we head up the escalator to the street. Now we are in Independence Square. The main attraction in all of Kiev. The Times Square of Ukraine. We are about 8 city blocks from our hostel. My parents are walking up the street with their BAGS. Unfortunately, there is a lot going on in the center and we can't walk on the road so we have to go underground. We have to use the STAIRS. My parents want to kill me and I am pretty sure if we walked any slower we would be going backwards.

We get to the hostel and I assure them that there is an elevator. We've literally done planes, trains and automobiles and they are just DONE. We get there and we find the elevator. It is big enough for one person. Maybe two! I shove my parents in send them to the WRONG floor and then send up the bags. When I figure out the right floor I send them up again and then the bags.

We get to the hostel and we check in to the private room. There are many volunteers around. My parents are happy they are not walking anymore. They put their things down and then we decide we are hungry and we go to eat. I take them next door to the pizza place. They enjoy this. On our way back I decide to grab some groceries for later and for tomorrow morning so we can just relax. My mom comes with me but my dad wants to head back to the hostel. Halfway there my mom has to use the bathroom and I tried to send her home because in Ukraine it is very difficult to find public restrooms. (however for the record I did very well with finding them while my parents were in town - in fact I had no idea Ukraine had so many public toilets) So I hurry up with the groceries and get my mom back to the hostel where my dad is waiting. I come to find out later he almost didn't make it back because he got lost. What a day it was! We slapped in a DVD at the old hostel and then went to bed. My mom of course couldn't wait. She conked out before the movie was in the DVD player.

We didn't do much the rest of the week. I took them to see my host family in Chernigiv on Sunday. Monday we went back to my site. My mom came to my tutors house and had a nice visit. We had some tea and talked to my tutor and her husband. Well I talked and translated for my mom. My dad met my counterpart. I showed them my bazaar and where I buy food everyday. They slept on the awful divan that I sleep on every night. We cooked in my tiny little kitchen. They showered in my interesting looking bathroom and my sit down shower only tub. They experienced the sardine can marshrutka during rush hour. They ate Ukrainian food and met Ukrainian people. But most importantly they spent some time with their daughter.

The End!

Not just another day in the neighborhood...

Today is a day I haven't had in quite some time. Just when you think you have it all figured out or that you are done learning it's either Peace Corps, Ukraine or something else that reminds you that you don't! I started the day in a mood. In fact, the last three days I have been moody. I don't like to feel that way so I know exactly when it comes and goes. I mean you can't be happy all the time, right? Maybe you can and I missed that seminar. Either way the "mood" has settled back in. It has rained for the last three days as well so the weather and I "got the memo"! I worked out this morning and went to my office. My intention was to be productive and get some things done and that never actually happens the way you plan. I checked some emails and caught up with a few friends online and then found some interesting organizations in Kiev by research which was quite a surprise. I met with my Ukrainian friend who helped me with my Russian homework and then we left together. I was intending on paying my cable bill and buying some train tickets for my parents arrival into Kiev this weekend. But when I was at the cable company I realized I didn't have my wallet so I guess I am not paying my bill today...haha joke is on you. So I walk the rest of the way home because I have no money so bus is not an option. I get home and there is my wallet...YES! Saved by that bell. This is another reason why I try not to be moody because when you are in a bad mood sending out all of those bad vibes into the universe she comes back to bite you in the ass! So I just knew that my wallet missing was a reminder to snap out of it!!

So I decide that even though it is rainy and cold and I am finally home in my warm apartment and my wallet is safe that I should go back out and buy some train tickets. You never know if they will sell out so the sooner the better. Now going to the train station is an excursion. You never know how long you will be there, what events you might witness and how much money you will spend! Now another thing I have learned is if you ever go anywhere with me and there is a "line" involved you should get in the opposite one as me. I have a tendency to get in the wrong line each and everytime. In particular the line I was in today I was only one person behind when this woman comes over and tells me she was behind the girl in front of me but because she can't stand up in the line she was sitting down until it was her turn. Now you must know that "lines" in Ukraine are something special and there is always a story. So I let her go and I am thinking that she will be a few minutes. 25 minutes later she is still trying to get tickets to this city in Ukraine. I tried not to pay attention in the beginning of the conversation and now I was just irritated. Then another guy comes over and asks if he can go in front of me and ask a question....You should have seen my face. And if anyone knows me when I am irritated you want to stay away. Now people don't talk down to men in this country and I was like look dude if you want to get in front of me you better make it fast!

I decided after 25 minutes that I was going to try another line. 30 people had gone through the train station in the time that I stood behind this woman. So I changed lines and got taken care of faster. Even the man who told me he would be "fast" wasn't that fast. And he waited all that time behind that woman to ask a question? I mean really!

This place is so interesting sometimes. The funny thing about this is that it is not anything abnormal.  This shit happens every single day to someone. Whether it is a PCV or a Ukrainian. No different than what you go through in the USA or somewhere else in the world. It just so happens to get on my nerves today! And it was just a friendly reminder that I don't have it all figured out. Keeping me on my toes. It just made me look at things. I analyzed again my PC service and why things like this can be so challenging. I realize that everyday is challenging and that just getting through the days and their ridiculous turn of events is probably what keeps us going. I mean we like this stuff or we wouldn't do it. I don't think we (I) ever realized what kinds of things would be challenging. Everyday something reminds me that I don't have a damn clue. Somehow that is ok. I kind of like it being ok. It wasn't ok in my old life. Not sure what the difference is or if there is one. It might have just been me thinking I needed to know everything.

Last week I had a meeting with the disabled children's center in my town. I am thinking that my center needs help trying to figure out what to do with the kids when they come and how to figure out how to get the kids to come there. So I put together some ideas for these things and come in ready to present it to the staff and the kids parents. Meanwhile...I was there for ideas on "how to get money"! Should have known. Apparently, my center is equipped with all kinds of things and ideas on how to entertain children. I am not sure they care if more kids come to the center. I don't know what they want and I leave the meeting slightly defeated. There was some good that came of it. They did have their first round table discussion that included parents which was impressive. That was my idea! And they are interested in looking into volunteers for all of these awesome ideas they have. We will see how this evolves. I was super excited about it and I think I can find my mojo again. I was just defeated in the meeting. I was trying to get them to understand their wants and needs and the difference and think about how they can get what they need on their own. They just kept coming back to the idea of getting computers and they want me to find the money. I can't just do that and I need to figure out to make them understand this.

I think I had high hopes and expectations again this year. My last few months at site and I am trying to make an impact that I will be proud of. I want to have this BAM project happen and be remembered forever. I don't think that is how it works.