The trip was a hard to get experience for many reasons. One of them is that, since I was fortunate enough to go with a friend coming from there, I was able to experience those a regular tourist wouldn't be able to experience, taking public transportation, being briefed on the cultural highlight and historical events that are associated with the sites, and more particularly, meeting the friends and have my own true real personal contact with today's Ukrainians of my generation. The Ukrainians and the Chinese have so much in common in the past for my generation, but of course it takes such rare chances for us to meet, to communicate, and to get to see for ourselves the commonalities. And that is one of what I truly enjoyed the most of the entire trip.
The Ukraine and Ukrainians
Ukraine hasn't quite developed its tourism yet. When I arrived at Kiev International Airport, I was surprised to find that it was rather a very small airport. When entering the immigration, I found that the system there weren't even prepared for tourism. There were only 2 English words, "Ukrainians" and "diplomats". Knowing I was neither, I went to ask an officer where I should line up. But apparently we couldn't find a communicable language, she randomly pointed me to a line, where later she decided to pull me out from (only after I inched to the front of the line).
The residential neighborhood in Kiev reminds me so much my childhood home. Building styles in different eras match between the two countries in almost lockstep fashion. There are stores all around the neighborhoods, for food and daily supplies. What we did not have was the children's playgrounds attached.
I did not see any homeless on the street anywhere in Ukraine.
It is probably no surprise that there are beer stands every corner in Ukraine. In fact it doesn't need a corner to have a stand. What I thought was cool was "beer to go". They provide plastic bottles, like those coke bottles here, so that you could get draft beer on the tap to go. If only I knew this one a couple of decades earlier, I would surely have moved myself to Ukraine not U.S.
But a week in Ukraine, I did not see a single drunken waste on the street. Maybe I was just lucky. But I also did not see broken glasses or bottles on the street serving as evidence of alcohol as social problem.
Most men I saw on Kiev's streets wore polo shirt, slacks, and leather shoes. Jeans is less, but not uncommon, however. Females usually dress more elegantly than those in the U.S., I would say. More skirts. Not many in shorts with t-shirts in flipflops, men or women (much less possible for women, seems). Oh, I did not see a single butt crack, not on the street. Not that all butt cracks are gross, but not seeing them on the street may not be a bad thing.
It is common in U.S. that a gentleman opens doors for female. But I am sensing that it is getting out of style little by little here too. Don't remember seeing many door opening in Ukraine, but in the subway trains and buses, young males always give their seats to females and seniors. I also encountered once that a young dad with his toddler son passing by a senior lady on the stairs with her sizable bag slowly walking up, the man took over the bag, went to the top of the stairs with it, placed the bag there, nodded back to the lady and went on. Simple.
Maybe I was just too excited. I did not frown that entire week.
Friends
Sergei's friends opened to me a great window to get to know the real Ukrainians personally. I got to talk to them, make friends with them. Before hand, I was prepared to stay sidelined, and watch the reunion parties going, since I was not in the friend circles, and more of it, the language. But the kind friends did not get me to do that. They made sure I was entertained too. Through conversation with them, I get to know the great country and people better. So here is the tribute to the wonderful friends.
In the picture are Julia (on the right), Tanya (middle), and Tanya's daughter. Julia is Sergei's classmate from elementary (?, well, old timer for sure).
Tanya teaches in a university, chemistry (?). Her husband Alexey is Sergei's backpacking and hiking buddy. As for how far back into the history, my impression of it is from college time, but I can't remember for certain.
The young girl, I need to get her name again (forgot), is a sweet and quiet little girl. She was the only child of that night, aside from a 1 year old baby (Julia's). She managed to entertain herself, completely self sufficient.
There is Sveta on the right end of the picture, only half of her in. I just realize that I do not have a good shot of herself. She is pretty and shy. But that didn't stop her from making the effort talking to me. Everyone did.
From right, Lesh, Julia's husband, also Sergei's childhood classmate, a new parent. This is right in front of his home. Sergei grow up right here too. His building is right behind the one in the background.
Alexey, Tanya's husband, Sergei's backpacking buddy, a musician and web designer. As tall as Sergei, which would make him 6'4".
Then Sergey himself.
Lesh, and family. "Lesh" is a kind of fish. His real name is Alexey. Everyone here has a nickname. They don't call Sergei Sergei, but Motus. No idea what that means. But that is off the point a bit.
Friends, right to left, Boris, Sergei, Svieta, Lesh, Julia, and Alexey.
Boris is one that picked me up upon my arrival, with his wife Lena, and Sergei (of course).
This is from another evening. Here is Lena driving, Boris next to her, with their kids, Sonia and Ilya, in the back. Lena and Boris were the ones that picked Sergei up at the airport, then 8 hours later picked up me.
During our short stay, Boris is the one and only that didn't miss a single party.
This is Gulia's house. Gulia is a character, and a math wizard, Sergei told me. A house like this in Kiev isn't common. Gulia must be doing well. But you can't really find a guy more laid back than Gulia. He is the only pair of slippers I saw on the street in the entire Kiev. And as it looked to me, he is just always quiet and happy. It takes a lot of weeds for some people to get there. For him, it seems natural.
Gulia has a pond to his backyard.
From right to left, Sergei, Andrey, Lena.
Ivan and Katya, Andrey and Tanya's kids.
Sergei and Katya. Lena in the background.
Naked friendship. After a round of Sauna. From right to left, Olga, me, Gulia, Boris, Lena, Tanya.
As I learned, sauna is a very popular social event in the parties. New homes often have built sauna rooms, so does Gulia's. So it became a good friends' hang out place.
Not too long ago I read in the picture book "A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union" (apparently old), that it is common to slap veniki against
wet skin in sauna. And that is precisely what Lena gave me, a massage as she called it. Veniki is a bundle of birch twigs with leaves. The veniki needs to be pre-collected, sit dry for certain time (days??). Prior to use, they will be soaked for some while. If too dry, the leaves will fall off too soon.
Right to left, Olga (legs only in this one), Tanya, me, Gulia (back), Lena (front), and Boris.
