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!
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