Highlights from the Journey Home
I left my home in N-- around 1pm along with the couple heading to Odessa. It was nice to have company for the less than 3 hour journey as the wife and I chatted a lot about family, life, and all sorts of things. We also got some time to shut our eyes and get a few winks of sleep. I also chowed down on the only food I brought, a loaf of bread.
We arrived in Odessa and had a pretty tasty lunch that would keep me full for the entire rest of the day. They left around 5pm and I was basically left hanging around the train station for about 2 and a half hours because I didn't want to risk getting lost to wander around Odessa, no matter how beautiful she is.
On the train everything was basically okay until some folks arrived to keep me up. As soon as these young men found out that I was a foreigner it was all over. It was already midnight, I was riding platzkarte, so I didn't want the rest of the wagon to know my business, so I told the one dude that I'd go watch him smoke and we could talk some. I thought that this would also help them to watch my stuff which was located under the "bed" of his friend. I did this and then went to bed. Not sure if that was exactly what he wanted, as his friends made comments about me, basically regarding the language I used (Russian). I wanted to tell them that I understood Ukrainian (in Ukrainian) but then if I had to actually say or hold a conversation in Ukrainian, they'd quickly realize that I was lying.
Before my company arrived on the train, I did get to read some interesting graffitti on the way out of Odessa and had to look up some words in my dictionary. I was mostly intrigued because it was about Americans and Yushchenko. "You American puppet" they proclaimed, the "they" being a ground calling themselves the "Russian league." Awesome.
So we arrived in the morning to Kyiv and I found myself a taxi even before I left the building. They told me that it would cost 50 more grvs then I was given the cost of from other volunteers, and I told them that I would only pay 100. One dude then went around asking who would do it for that cost while his partner asked me where I was from. America, I responded, and then he told me that he has relatives in Philadelphia. I told him that this was my city. When his partner returned, this man put his arm around me and said that I was his American sister. This was very nice, but he still didn't knock down the price. I did end up going with the other man's brother and we had a nice and easy ride to the airport.
At the airport in Kyiv, I waited around for what seemed like hours (well, actually it was hours) because they would not check my bags until about 50 minutes before the flight. This annoyed me to no end as it is a pain in the neck to roll around a huge piece of luggage, even if it is basically empty. I found out the reason why we checked our bags so late though: there were only 4 of us on the flight. It was absolutely awesome. A huge plane and we could pick where we wanted to seat (except we weren't allowed in business class, what is that about Ukrainian Air?) but we got excellent service and the food was actually pretty good.
We arrived in Milan and I parted ways with my new friends to get to my transfer flight. I got myself some gellatto and enjoyed being someplace different again. Actually the gellatto was absolutely heavenly and it wasn't until hours later that I realized that I paid as much for it as I would have a big meal at a nice restaurant in N--. I felt a little awkward after that. I looked around the stores realizing how expensive everything is, but also how beautiful. The surge of capitalism was taking me over, but I ended up just taking a seat and waiting to be boarded on the plane.
This plane also ended up not being full, so I was able to stretch out on two seats and attempt to sleep in an awkward sort of fashion. It worked for about 15 minutes at a time. It was also hard to sleep because it was daytime the entire time of our flight, so everything had a sort of artificialness about it.
Eventually though, we made it home and I was so excited at the baggage claim, jumping up and down trying to get my legs working again. A woman took notice and asked if I was happy to be home. I told her my situation and she offered me to use her cell phone so that I could call my mom and tell her were I was. I was struck at just how friendly we Americans are. We talk to strangers all the time. We did not have to wait long before being reunited and headed home. On the way we picked up the promised pizza which I enhaled at home while watching "Lost" even though I feel asleep during the last 10 minutes of it.
Actually, I've been falling asleep regularly before 9pm here, which is why I have been an awful friend and not calling anyone. I am trying to wait till the rates go down, but I end up clonking out and then getting back up at 3am, which is 10am Ukrainian time. I have decided to give up the battle of trying to stay up later than 9pm, because a week is just not long enough to really do that to my body. I am also realizing that coming home for only 6 days is just not a feasible endeavor either and I will probably not do that again (come home that is) unless it's for 2 weeks or more. I am still hoping that I'll get a chance to see my friends who are in the area, and will try to give them a call tonight, but beyond that, I'm just going to relax relax relax and eat.
Anyway, they finally got to sleep, which allowed me to also sleep some.
We arrived in Odessa and had a pretty tasty lunch that would keep me full for the entire rest of the day. They left around 5pm and I was basically left hanging around the train station for about 2 and a half hours because I didn't want to risk getting lost to wander around Odessa, no matter how beautiful she is.
On the train everything was basically okay until some folks arrived to keep me up. As soon as these young men found out that I was a foreigner it was all over. It was already midnight, I was riding platzkarte, so I didn't want the rest of the wagon to know my business, so I told the one dude that I'd go watch him smoke and we could talk some. I thought that this would also help them to watch my stuff which was located under the "bed" of his friend. I did this and then went to bed. Not sure if that was exactly what he wanted, as his friends made comments about me, basically regarding the language I used (Russian). I wanted to tell them that I understood Ukrainian (in Ukrainian) but then if I had to actually say or hold a conversation in Ukrainian, they'd quickly realize that I was lying.
Before my company arrived on the train, I did get to read some interesting graffitti on the way out of Odessa and had to look up some words in my dictionary. I was mostly intrigued because it was about Americans and Yushchenko. "You American puppet" they proclaimed, the "they" being a ground calling themselves the "Russian league." Awesome.
So we arrived in the morning to Kyiv and I found myself a taxi even before I left the building. They told me that it would cost 50 more grvs then I was given the cost of from other volunteers, and I told them that I would only pay 100. One dude then went around asking who would do it for that cost while his partner asked me where I was from. America, I responded, and then he told me that he has relatives in Philadelphia. I told him that this was my city. When his partner returned, this man put his arm around me and said that I was his American sister. This was very nice, but he still didn't knock down the price. I did end up going with the other man's brother and we had a nice and easy ride to the airport.
At the airport in Kyiv, I waited around for what seemed like hours (well, actually it was hours) because they would not check my bags until about 50 minutes before the flight. This annoyed me to no end as it is a pain in the neck to roll around a huge piece of luggage, even if it is basically empty. I found out the reason why we checked our bags so late though: there were only 4 of us on the flight. It was absolutely awesome. A huge plane and we could pick where we wanted to seat (except we weren't allowed in business class, what is that about Ukrainian Air?) but we got excellent service and the food was actually pretty good.
We arrived in Milan and I parted ways with my new friends to get to my transfer flight. I got myself some gellatto and enjoyed being someplace different again. Actually the gellatto was absolutely heavenly and it wasn't until hours later that I realized that I paid as much for it as I would have a big meal at a nice restaurant in N--. I felt a little awkward after that. I looked around the stores realizing how expensive everything is, but also how beautiful. The surge of capitalism was taking me over, but I ended up just taking a seat and waiting to be boarded on the plane.
This plane also ended up not being full, so I was able to stretch out on two seats and attempt to sleep in an awkward sort of fashion. It worked for about 15 minutes at a time. It was also hard to sleep because it was daytime the entire time of our flight, so everything had a sort of artificialness about it.
Eventually though, we made it home and I was so excited at the baggage claim, jumping up and down trying to get my legs working again. A woman took notice and asked if I was happy to be home. I told her my situation and she offered me to use her cell phone so that I could call my mom and tell her were I was. I was struck at just how friendly we Americans are. We talk to strangers all the time. We did not have to wait long before being reunited and headed home. On the way we picked up the promised pizza which I enhaled at home while watching "Lost" even though I feel asleep during the last 10 minutes of it.
Actually, I've been falling asleep regularly before 9pm here, which is why I have been an awful friend and not calling anyone. I am trying to wait till the rates go down, but I end up clonking out and then getting back up at 3am, which is 10am Ukrainian time. I have decided to give up the battle of trying to stay up later than 9pm, because a week is just not long enough to really do that to my body. I am also realizing that coming home for only 6 days is just not a feasible endeavor either and I will probably not do that again (come home that is) unless it's for 2 weeks or more. I am still hoping that I'll get a chance to see my friends who are in the area, and will try to give them a call tonight, but beyond that, I'm just going to relax relax relax and eat.
Anyway, they finally got to sleep, which allowed me to also sleep some.
posted by Molly | 7:06 AM
1 Comments:
Americans ARE friendly. I tried to tell everybody that, but all they could point out were the exceptions that prove the rule. Most of them had never experienced England either. I love America. I wish I was there now.
Glad to hear you got back OK, and are eating your fill of decadent capitalist food. Buy some blue jeans while you are at it. Buy a few pairs in fact, and scalp them when you get back to Uk.
Enjoy yourself.
On a sadder note, saw an article about far right activity being on the rise and out of control in Russia. Is this the same in Uk? The first thing I noticed when I got off the bus in Croatia was the huge amount of far right grafitti everywhere. Not the most reassuring of welcomes to a new place.
-e
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