Mail 14 - June 11th
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Mail 14 - June 11th |
June 11
We survived the doctor yesterday. Nelly was very nervous; she is afraid of doctors, dentists, policemen, anyone in an official capacity or anyone in a uniform. I am sure she has good reason. It was very quick and perfunctory. They took her blood pressure, height and weight. They asked her a few questions, took my $100 bill and said, "She is well to travel". I must admit, they had the best coffee at that office that I have had in 3 weeks - super strong, with heavy cream and lots of sugar. Mmm...I buzzed for hours! People here are very kind. Now that we are at the end of our stretch, I am really enjoying my time in Ukraine. It is very different from Russia, which I mentioned before, but still find surprising. The people in Russia were wonderful to us; elegant, gracious and thoughtful. They were however, quite reserved, even stern, until you got to know them. They were quiet and self contained on the streets, and kept their conversations private. Her people are much more exuberant. They call to one another across streets and parks, hug, yell, pat, grimace and gesture. I never saw any gestures other than "thumbs up" in Russia; here they have tons. On is a forefinger and thumb flick to the neck that has something to do with drinking too much, one is a crooked finger in a half circle movement against the cheek that means something like "crazy", a forefinger slap to the back of the ear lobe is something really rude...there are many more that I don't understand. There are also tons of facial gestures, eye movements, and other movements that make watching these people, especially the women, really interesting. They are very warm and generous to our kids. Every time we go to the park, the kids are offered a few M&Ms, a sip of juice, a bite of cheese or other treat by either the Mamas or the children. Other than the Soviet issued grey and beige buildings, things are very brightly colored in the cities and towns. Especially things for children are painted in rainbows of color - blue, pink, purple, yellow and red. You can see a playground for blocks! The flower arrangements are also very large and bright, usually blue and yellow or orange and purple combos with huge blossoms and lots of greenery. People dress brightly, too, and wear many combinations of patterns and colors. There are lots of casinos, bars, nightclubs and restaurants, all with Vegas-like lights. At night, Kiev is striking and really quite safe for a large city. We have jammed one camera and got sand in the advancer of the other, so are relying on picture postcards to share the images with you.
I miss you all, and can hardly wait to get home to my loved ones.
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Bella