This ninth-floor window is my view of this piece of the Ukraine.
I look out at rundown buildings that house those displaced by Chornobyl’s nuclear reactor disaster.
In the quadrangle, is what’s left of a children’s playground long neglected, reflecting the sadness felt and seen here. It is a playground for drinking parties now, and the occasional gathering of old ladies to gossip and catch up on the day's events. I watch from my high perch as their arms flail and gesture like animated robots to stress their points.
This is a sad place where my wife grew up. It was once a place where children played, oblivious to the economic concerns their parents had to shoulder. I would suspect that times are even harder now with people out of work, and prices continuing to rise.
As an American observing the economic situation on the ground level and not just as a tourist, I wonder how people can actually make ends meet and enjoy life at all. Shopping at local markets I was astonished to look at the prices of everyday necessities. Many things that we take for granted here in America are huge luxury items in Ukraine. The official currency of Ukraine is the Hryvnia. As a reference point, $1.00 (USD) can be converted into ₴8.00 (Ukrainian)
Can you imagine having to make ₴600.00 a month in retirement payments stretch in an economy where a can of coke is ₴5.00. I was amazed to see instant coffee locked up under the glass. I couldn’t understand why until I asked my wife. She said it is a big item that people steal. I would imagine there is a lot of theft here, but I would never think that coffee would be that high on the list.
This is also an alcoholics' dream world. Everywhere you turn, every street corner it seems is a kiosk where beer is available. It is difficult to ride public transportation with all the smells of alcohol and body odor that are so prevalent. You can see the hopelessness in the eyes of the people on the street as they pass by staring into empty space, and rushing to where ever it is they are going.
With all the negativity that hovers over this part of Ukraine like a grey cloudy day, you would think my time there was a waste of money and time. This was my first adventure into the world outside the United States. I am so glad I went to see firsthand a culture different from my own. It has certainly given me a different perspective on life in America, and in the world in general. So many things that I had taken for granted here, like people simply engaging with those around them in public places. Here in America when you hold a door for someone, nine times out of ten people will acknowledge the gesture with a nod of the head, a smile, or even a big fat thank you. Not in Ukraine, people will bowl you over to get where they want to go, and leave to hold the door for the throngs of people that file behind like lemmings.
Veronika’s family does not fit the mold of the people-at-large I have encountered. They are very warm people who welcomed me into their family with open arms. I really enjoyed being with them even though my Russian is as good as their English. In both cases, not very good I’m afraid. My poor wife worked harder than an interpreter at the United Nations to keep us all on the same page. I think she needs some time off just for herself after ten days of duty. It seems a bit ironic for such good and decent people to live amongst such hardship and hopelessness. It makes me wonder if more people in Ukraine have the same giving heart as they do, and are afraid to show any kind of character for fear of having it ripped away from them.
I look forward to future trips to visit my new family halfway around the world. They are in my heart now, as is this new country my wife is from. I will be back with my eyes wide open to learn what it is for me to learn about myself, my country, and those very different from me.
I said to Veronika many times on our visit that we may not be able to change a whole country, but we can certainly make a difference in one family. For now, we’ll start with ours, and then see where we will go from there. It’s exciting to see where life will take us. There is excitement in the unknown challenges that lie ahead for us in Ukraine and beyond.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Ukraine
This ninth-floor window is my view of this piece of the Ukraine.
I look out at rundown buildings that house those displaced by Chornobyl’s nuclear reactor disaster.
In the quadrangle, is what’s left of a children’s playground long neglected, reflecting the sadness felt and seen here. It is a playground for drinking parties now, and the occasional gathering of old ladies to gossip and catch up on the day's events. I watch from my high perch as their arms flail and gesture like animated robots to stress their points.
This is a sad place where my wife grew up. It was once a place where children played, oblivious to the economic concerns their parents had to shoulder. I would suspect that times are even harder now with people out of work, and prices continuing to rise.
As an American observing the economic situation on the ground level and not just as a tourist, I wonder how people can actually make ends meet and enjoy life at all. Shopping at local markets I was astonished to look at the prices of everyday necessities. Many things that we take for granted here in America are huge luxury items in Ukraine. The official currency of Ukraine is the Hryvnia. As a reference point, $1.00 (USD) can be converted into ₴8.00 (Ukrainian)
Can you imagine having to make ₴600.00 a month in retirement payments stretch in an economy where a can of coke is ₴5.00. I was amazed to see instant coffee locked up under the glass. I couldn’t understand why until I asked my wife. She said it is a big item that people steal. I would imagine there is a lot of theft here, but I would never think that coffee would be that high on the list.
This is also an alcoholics' dream world. Everywhere you turn, every street corner it seems is a kiosk where beer is available. It is difficult to ride public transportation with all the smells of alcohol and body odor that are so prevalent. You can see the hopelessness in the eyes of the people on the street as they pass by staring into empty space, and rushing to where ever it is they are going.
With all the negativity that hovers over this part of Ukraine like a grey cloudy day, you would think my time there was a waste of money and time. This was my first adventure into the world outside the United States. I am so glad I went to see firsthand a culture different from my own. It has certainly given me a different perspective on life in America, and in the world in general. So many things that I had taken for granted here, like people simply engaging with those around them in public places. Here in America when you hold a door for someone, nine times out of ten people will acknowledge the gesture with a nod of the head, a smile, or even a big fat thank you. Not in Ukraine, people will bowl you over to get where they want to go, and leave to hold the door for the throngs of people that file behind like lemmings.
Veronika’s family does not fit the mold of the people-at-large I have encountered. They are very warm people who welcomed me into their family with open arms. I really enjoyed being with them even though my Russian is as good as their English. In both cases, not very good I’m afraid. My poor wife worked harder than an interpreter at the United Nations to keep us all on the same page. I think she needs some time off just for herself after ten days of duty. It seems a bit ironic for such good and decent people to live amongst such hardship and hopelessness. It makes me wonder if more people in Ukraine have the same giving heart as they do, and are afraid to show any kind of character for fear of having it ripped away from them.
I look forward to future trips to visit my new family halfway around the world. They are in my heart now, as is this new country my wife is from. I will be back with my eyes wide open to learn what it is for me to learn about myself, my country, and those very different from me.
I said to Veronika many times on our visit that we may not be able to change a whole country, but we can certainly make a difference in one family. For now, we’ll start with ours, and then see where we will go from there. It’s exciting to see where life will take us. There is excitement in the unknown challenges that lie ahead for us in Ukraine and beyond.
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