Yes, it’s true. Holly has finally returned to actually posting a blog after several months of procrastination. I apologize to my fan base all over the world, but hey, I’ve compensated for my absence by making a true hum-dinger for your eyes to feast upon…enjoy some adventures of Ukraine!
As most of you know, I had the opportunity to visit Amanda in Ukraine in October. It was such an amazing trip for me, and I hardly know where to begin. After the initial guilt and angst of leaving Matt behind in Korea, I had a very pleasant (but long) trip to Frankfurt, Germany. From my window seat I could see that Frankfurt was extremely forested, and looks very beautiful. Unfortunately for me I was trapped in the airport terminal during my lay-over, unable to get through customs, and therefore could not actually venture out into the great beyond. Fact: Smoking is permitted in airports in Germany. Fact: Everyone in Germany smokes copious amounts of very long, skinny cigarettes. Not unlike their Korean counterparts who also prefer the succulent flavors of a long, skinny cigarette. So, I twiddled my thumbs in a far off corner of the airport where the loud construction scared away virtually all smokers. Eventually I went to my gate and played a guessing game with myself. For now (until I patent it), I call it 'spot the Ukrainian'. As passengers approached the gate I tried to guess whether they were German's, Ukrainian's/Russian's or others. I had a nearly 90% success rate. I find it amazing how stereotypes prevail. Nearly 22 hours after leaving Korea I had reached the Kiev airport. It was more than slightly disheveled compared to the Seoul and Frankfurt counterparts I had been in earlier. I think my bag was the last one to leave the plane, and I quickly snatched it and took off to find Amanda. It was so great to finally see her and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did a bit of both. She looks great and completely happy to me. She fits into her Ukrainian life with so much ease and confidence; she would make our ancestors proud. Amanda quickly got us a ride from (what appeared to me), some random dude on the street corner with his regular car. Apparently taxi drivers are just that. Random guys with cars. We made it safely to Amanda’s apartment which is small, cozy and very quiet. Her room mates are all very friendly and kind people. Since arriving Amanda has taken me all over the city and we have seen a great deal. The city is big, beautiful, old and completely refreshing from Korea’s city dynamics. There is much to say about the detail and architecture along every street. The city also has tones of gorgeous trees that line most streets, which reminds me of home at times. My feet are throbbing from pounding the pavement (literally) all day, but my mind is bedazzled with the new sites, sounds, and smells. I’m amazed at how many people I see that look exactly like someone from home! It’s not hard to see how we (as Canadians) have not diverted far from our roots in the way we look. I see the Ukrainian connection between many Ukrainian-Canadians at home, and the Ukrainians here. This Saturday we are heading to the mountains for several days which will be fantastic. I’m thoroughly enjoying my time with Amanda, and it's so great to come back together without missing a beat. I’ve also gotten to watch Amanda at dancing while being here. She is so strong and confident in the studio, which really makes her stand out. You can tell she works very hard compared to most of the other girls, and she is very focused and disciplined. I actually have to get going to meet up with her right away.
My favorite part of the trip was when Amanda and I went to the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine. The landscape is so beautiful there, especially now that all the trees are changing color. We traveled by small buses ("marshutkas") throughout many small villages and towns. It was incredible to see all these little country homes with their big gardens, carefully placed wood piles, clothes hung to dry and hardworking men and women in the yard. This picture was a true reflection of my memories of Saskatchewan farming near Baba and Gido's place. I could actually see how those traditions were brought over from Ukraine, and literally transplanted into our own prairie landscape. I certainly felt at home (in a strange way) in those villages. Many parallels can be drawn between the two places. But our trip didn't consist entirely of pretty landscapes, and moment on great insight. No, the last two days were on the alternative end of the spectrum. Amanda and I had decided to make our way to Mount Horverla, the tallest peak in Ukraine. Before catching the bus out there, we loaded up on a small jar of pickles, and an even smaller jar of beans. Not much of a lunch, but we were sure to pick up more food at the hotel at the base of the mountain. The bus dropped us off at some kind of logging road, and we started walking, thinking we'd catch a ride with someone. An hour and a half later a lonely little taxi came barreling down the gravel road. The taxi driver informed us that we'd never make it to the hotel on foot, as it was still at least 12 km up the road. So fine, we catch a ride to the dilapidated hotel where the three staff members on sight have strange limps, and I can't decide if it's more like "The Shining", or "Deliverance". The woman with metallic red hair informs us that it will take at least four hours to hike to the top of Horverla, and there is no restaurant, grocery store, or cafe of any kind to buy food. So were literally trapped (the taxi driver took off and would return for us the next day at 4:00pm), with tea/coffee drinks, one banana, half a chocolate bar, some mustard and a small block of cheese to carry us through till the next day. Thankfully the lady gave us a couple small crab apples and two packets of ichiban. So it's about 3:30 in the afternoon, were both starving and we still have to hike a mountain the next day! Amanda declares that if we just drink tea and coffee drinks all night, we can save the food for the hike tomorrow (aside from the ichiban...our supper). Great, Amanda, thanks for the memories of life in Ukraine. The lady limps her way up to the third floor of the hotel where she shows us our room. The room is fairly typical for hotels in Ukraine, with a sink, small TV, and some slightly outdated furniture which acts as a bed. I think it's quite cozy, except for the fact that the bathroom is on the first floor, in the janitor's closet (no shower, just a dirty toilet). She also gives us this ancient "plug in" device used to heat up water (which we had no idea how to use). We are soon settled into our room, laughing hysterically at the circumstances. Through the trial and error process we discover how NOT to use the water heater, as it ends up exploding in Amanda's hand. So now we have to pay for the broken water heater, were eating lukewarm ichiban, and our tea and coffee plan just went out the window. Later that night we see the limping women walking around with a pot full of potatoes, and hope they throw us one or two...but no. In the end we go to bed in a slightly unfulfilled state, and hope that we don't have to make the journey downstairs to the bathroom in the middle of the night (yah know, with all the limp walkers roaming around). After chowing down on half a banana and one square of chocolate each, we left for the hike at about 8:00 am to give ourselves lots of time to make it to the top. The hike was very beautiful, and it was so nice to be outside in nature. We were literally the only people on the trail, and everything was so quiet and peaceful (except for Amanda's stomach which was grumbling the whole way up). It only took us 2 hour to make it to the top, although we were traveling at speeds something far less than the notorious "Kalyn hiking speed". We stopped many times to admire the beautiful scenery and contemplate what we would do for a plate of food at that moment. About three-quarters of the way up it started getting very cold and windy, so we threw our packs to the side of the trail, and continued without them. Since we were the only people on the mountain we figured they were safe. The summit was beautiful, and it was a true push to the top! Our bodies were exhausted, and all we could think of was that little block of cheese waiting for us in the packs. My camera battery had died on me the night before, so I only managed to get this one shot (above). Just to prove that this story is legitimate. The cheese never tasted so good! We slathered it with mustard, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I found the hike down harder than the hike up however! I stopped many times to pick up garbage that people had left behind. It was sad to see so much garbage, especially in a 'national park'. Amanda was horrified as we got to the bottom (me with several full plastic bags draped over a stick) and started passing people on the trail. She said that the Ukrainian's wouldn't understand, and they would likely think I was crazy. I guess the stares confirmed that. It reminded me a little bit of Korea. At 12 noon we get back to the hotel and realize we still have to wait 4 hours for our taxi driver to come back! The red headed lady helps us out and calls the taxi driver to come in early since she knows all the taxi divers who go out there (THANK GOD)! Coincidentally, she and her limping friend are also going into town that day. By this time Amanda and I have resorted to eating the little purple flowers that I know horses love to eat. They tasted so good, and I think were slightly hysterical at this moment. The taxi eventually comes, and takes the (now) four of us to the nearest small town where we can catch a bus to the train station. One lady leaves the cab early, and the other one pretends she doesn't know us when it's time to pay the taxi driver for the trip. Nice…real nice. We gladly foot the bill as were so happy to be near a grocery store again. So we barrel into the grocery store and buy all sorts of junk. The bus pulls up just in time for us to run out of the store and onto the bus. We sit at the back of the bus and start devouring all our food like two little pigs. It was so hilarious to think of the two of us eating like 13 year old boys at a sleepover. Chocolate bars, cokes, chips...you name it, we ate it. We also stopped for dinner at a great restaurant for fresh borsch, salad, and BBQ chicken. Delicious! The story doesn't end there, but I have to run. Hopefully I'll get a chance to send the rest soon and explain some of these pictures! Hope you get a feel for what our trip was like!
As most of you know, I had the opportunity to visit Amanda in Ukraine in October. It was such an amazing trip for me, and I hardly know where to begin. After the initial guilt and angst of leaving Matt behind in Korea, I had a very pleasant (but long) trip to Frankfurt, Germany. From my window seat I could see that Frankfurt was extremely forested, and looks very beautiful. Unfortunately for me I was trapped in the airport terminal during my lay-over, unable to get through customs, and therefore could not actually venture out into the great beyond. Fact: Smoking is permitted in airports in Germany. Fact: Everyone in Germany smokes copious amounts of very long, skinny cigarettes. Not unlike their Korean counterparts who also prefer the succulent flavors of a long, skinny cigarette. So, I twiddled my thumbs in a far off corner of the airport where the loud construction scared away virtually all smokers. Eventually I went to my gate and played a guessing game with myself. For now (until I patent it), I call it 'spot the Ukrainian'. As passengers approached the gate I tried to guess whether they were German's, Ukrainian's/Russian's or others. I had a nearly 90% success rate. I find it amazing how stereotypes prevail. Nearly 22 hours after leaving Korea I had reached the Kiev airport. It was more than slightly disheveled compared to the Seoul and Frankfurt counterparts I had been in earlier. I think my bag was the last one to leave the plane, and I quickly snatched it and took off to find Amanda. It was so great to finally see her and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did a bit of both. She looks great and completely happy to me. She fits into her Ukrainian life with so much ease and confidence; she would make our ancestors proud. Amanda quickly got us a ride from (what appeared to me), some random dude on the street corner with his regular car. Apparently taxi drivers are just that. Random guys with cars. We made it safely to Amanda’s apartment which is small, cozy and very quiet. Her room mates are all very friendly and kind people. Since arriving Amanda has taken me all over the city and we have seen a great deal. The city is big, beautiful, old and completely refreshing from Korea’s city dynamics. There is much to say about the detail and architecture along every street. The city also has tones of gorgeous trees that line most streets, which reminds me of home at times. My feet are throbbing from pounding the pavement (literally) all day, but my mind is bedazzled with the new sites, sounds, and smells. I’m amazed at how many people I see that look exactly like someone from home! It’s not hard to see how we (as Canadians) have not diverted far from our roots in the way we look. I see the Ukrainian connection between many Ukrainian-Canadians at home, and the Ukrainians here. This Saturday we are heading to the mountains for several days which will be fantastic. I’m thoroughly enjoying my time with Amanda, and it's so great to come back together without missing a beat. I’ve also gotten to watch Amanda at dancing while being here. She is so strong and confident in the studio, which really makes her stand out. You can tell she works very hard compared to most of the other girls, and she is very focused and disciplined. I actually have to get going to meet up with her right away.
My favorite part of the trip was when Amanda and I went to the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine. The landscape is so beautiful there, especially now that all the trees are changing color. We traveled by small buses ("marshutkas") throughout many small villages and towns. It was incredible to see all these little country homes with their big gardens, carefully placed wood piles, clothes hung to dry and hardworking men and women in the yard. This picture was a true reflection of my memories of Saskatchewan farming near Baba and Gido's place. I could actually see how those traditions were brought over from Ukraine, and literally transplanted into our own prairie landscape. I certainly felt at home (in a strange way) in those villages. Many parallels can be drawn between the two places. But our trip didn't consist entirely of pretty landscapes, and moment on great insight. No, the last two days were on the alternative end of the spectrum. Amanda and I had decided to make our way to Mount Horverla, the tallest peak in Ukraine. Before catching the bus out there, we loaded up on a small jar of pickles, and an even smaller jar of beans. Not much of a lunch, but we were sure to pick up more food at the hotel at the base of the mountain. The bus dropped us off at some kind of logging road, and we started walking, thinking we'd catch a ride with someone. An hour and a half later a lonely little taxi came barreling down the gravel road. The taxi driver informed us that we'd never make it to the hotel on foot, as it was still at least 12 km up the road. So fine, we catch a ride to the dilapidated hotel where the three staff members on sight have strange limps, and I can't decide if it's more like "The Shining", or "Deliverance". The woman with metallic red hair informs us that it will take at least four hours to hike to the top of Horverla, and there is no restaurant, grocery store, or cafe of any kind to buy food. So were literally trapped (the taxi driver took off and would return for us the next day at 4:00pm), with tea/coffee drinks, one banana, half a chocolate bar, some mustard and a small block of cheese to carry us through till the next day. Thankfully the lady gave us a couple small crab apples and two packets of ichiban. So it's about 3:30 in the afternoon, were both starving and we still have to hike a mountain the next day! Amanda declares that if we just drink tea and coffee drinks all night, we can save the food for the hike tomorrow (aside from the ichiban...our supper). Great, Amanda, thanks for the memories of life in Ukraine. The lady limps her way up to the third floor of the hotel where she shows us our room. The room is fairly typical for hotels in Ukraine, with a sink, small TV, and some slightly outdated furniture which acts as a bed. I think it's quite cozy, except for the fact that the bathroom is on the first floor, in the janitor's closet (no shower, just a dirty toilet). She also gives us this ancient "plug in" device used to heat up water (which we had no idea how to use). We are soon settled into our room, laughing hysterically at the circumstances. Through the trial and error process we discover how NOT to use the water heater, as it ends up exploding in Amanda's hand. So now we have to pay for the broken water heater, were eating lukewarm ichiban, and our tea and coffee plan just went out the window. Later that night we see the limping women walking around with a pot full of potatoes, and hope they throw us one or two...but no. In the end we go to bed in a slightly unfulfilled state, and hope that we don't have to make the journey downstairs to the bathroom in the middle of the night (yah know, with all the limp walkers roaming around). After chowing down on half a banana and one square of chocolate each, we left for the hike at about 8:00 am to give ourselves lots of time to make it to the top. The hike was very beautiful, and it was so nice to be outside in nature. We were literally the only people on the trail, and everything was so quiet and peaceful (except for Amanda's stomach which was grumbling the whole way up). It only took us 2 hour to make it to the top, although we were traveling at speeds something far less than the notorious "Kalyn hiking speed". We stopped many times to admire the beautiful scenery and contemplate what we would do for a plate of food at that moment. About three-quarters of the way up it started getting very cold and windy, so we threw our packs to the side of the trail, and continued without them. Since we were the only people on the mountain we figured they were safe. The summit was beautiful, and it was a true push to the top! Our bodies were exhausted, and all we could think of was that little block of cheese waiting for us in the packs. My camera battery had died on me the night before, so I only managed to get this one shot (above). Just to prove that this story is legitimate. The cheese never tasted so good! We slathered it with mustard, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I found the hike down harder than the hike up however! I stopped many times to pick up garbage that people had left behind. It was sad to see so much garbage, especially in a 'national park'. Amanda was horrified as we got to the bottom (me with several full plastic bags draped over a stick) and started passing people on the trail. She said that the Ukrainian's wouldn't understand, and they would likely think I was crazy. I guess the stares confirmed that. It reminded me a little bit of Korea. At 12 noon we get back to the hotel and realize we still have to wait 4 hours for our taxi driver to come back! The red headed lady helps us out and calls the taxi driver to come in early since she knows all the taxi divers who go out there (THANK GOD)! Coincidentally, she and her limping friend are also going into town that day. By this time Amanda and I have resorted to eating the little purple flowers that I know horses love to eat. They tasted so good, and I think were slightly hysterical at this moment. The taxi eventually comes, and takes the (now) four of us to the nearest small town where we can catch a bus to the train station. One lady leaves the cab early, and the other one pretends she doesn't know us when it's time to pay the taxi driver for the trip. Nice…real nice. We gladly foot the bill as were so happy to be near a grocery store again. So we barrel into the grocery store and buy all sorts of junk. The bus pulls up just in time for us to run out of the store and onto the bus. We sit at the back of the bus and start devouring all our food like two little pigs. It was so hilarious to think of the two of us eating like 13 year old boys at a sleepover. Chocolate bars, cokes, chips...you name it, we ate it. We also stopped for dinner at a great restaurant for fresh borsch, salad, and BBQ chicken. Delicious! The story doesn't end there, but I have to run. Hopefully I'll get a chance to send the rest soon and explain some of these pictures! Hope you get a feel for what our trip was like!
