SDA Appointment and Fun Tourist Stuff

Today we started out with our SDA appointment at 10 am. It went great. It was a piece of cake. We should have our referral to get Karina by tomorrow. Then it's off to Kirovograd and a new surrounding. Just in the nick of time because we are kind of getting over the city of Kiev. I am guessing it's normal as far as cities go but, well....we are definitely not city people.

After our appointment, we managed to get in a visit the number one tourist spot in Kiev, Kievo-Pechersky Lavra. It is an enormous ensemble of white church halls with green and gold rooftops. It supposedly represents the spiritual heart of the country and symbolizes Kiev's survival throughout a millennium of adversity. It's basically a shrine. Girls have to cover their heads in respect to the Orthodox Church. It was fun but HOT. The kiddo's got tired of the heat and walking quite quickly. Grumpy heads.

Then back to the apartment to have some lunch, walk to the grocery store to get some snacks for our train ride to Kirovograd. EXCITING!!! We can't wait to leave tomorrow evening after we get our referral letter. We will officially meet Karina on Friday. Yeah!

-Deb

First to start-jet lag stinks. It hit me last night. We sleep with the windows wide open as that is the air conditioning. Therefore, between the heat, noise (remember the clank clank of the manhole cover-i swear I will find a welder and weld that thing down) and the jet lag, I did not sleep til about 4am and woke up at 8am. Very grumpy. Looking forward to leaving the city. SDA appointment today at 10am. Picked up by the facilitator and her husband. On the ride I am remembered why it was recommended I not rent a car and drive in this city. Most intersections have no traffic lights and it seems every man, woman, and child for themselves. That includes pedestrians. If you cross the street you had better be sure the car coming at you sees you otherwise you may become the fresh new Ukrainian hood ornament. That is no joke. The people of the city are very proud but very aggressive. And I thought New Yorkers are rude and obnoxious. I am sure it is normal for them but not what i am used to. For example, when I go to pay for an item at a cashier and she finds that I do not speak Russian/Ukrainian there is an obvious disgust and eye-roll. The type of eye-roll that if my kids did I would jerk their leashes quickly. Oh well. When in Rome...... Never the less, I am ready to leave the city. Even though I grew up in New York, I was never one for the city. So maybe the country and smaller towns will be more my speed.

Oh, Taxis. Not like home where they are strictly regulated. When they know you are a foreigner, they may try to screw you. There are no meters in the cabs. Just a negotiated price. Thats right, "lets make a deal." We needed a ride from the church monastery place back to the apartment across town. Taxi driver said 100 hrivna (pronounced grivna). I said 50. He said no. I said good Nyat (no) and walked away. He said how much and I said 50. He said "nyat-traffic". He said 100 and I said no. Finally, after repeating this process a few times with other cabbies, I found someone to take us for 80 hrivna. Good enough. The traffic does stink and is better than the greatest roller coaster you could ride.

Money. Lets talk about that. Hrivna is their monetary denomination. Looks like monopoly money. At least that is the joke. $1 US equals approximately 8 hrivna. So that taxi ride was 80 hrivna or $10 US. So when you shop for groceries and the bill for a few items comes to 233 hrivna, don't freak. Just devide by 8 to figure US amount in dollars. they also give fractions of hrivna in little coins called "kopecs". Which, I think are useless as you need alot of them to equal 1 hrivna which is 1/8th of $1 US.

Time to stop typing. Have a great day. Til tomarrow, maybe. If the WiFi works.

-Mark

Kids and Mark outside of SDA appointment.