Only boring people are bored

There’s never a dull moment in Zap city. False! There are so many dull moments but there are also incredible experiences all the time to break them up.

На пример

Waiting for the Marshrutka = Pretty dull

Hand washing clothes = Mind numbing

Studying Russian = Interesting but still tedious

Waiting for water to boil = Yes this is a very large portion of my day and also very lackluster

Always being at least a little sweaty = Although not necessarily dull, I thought it deserved mentioning

Playing a full out two hour soccer game with some Ukrainians who have been playing their whole lives, now that’ll get your heart pumping.

Speaking Russian in front of a group of thirty local business people. I’m so glad I love public speaking and I owe so much to certain professors who pushed me to find comfort in the uncomfortable (Shout out to Steve, Ed, and Mrs. Grambling. Thanks guys!). If I hadn’t developed that skill then I would be on my sixth bottle of something good by now.

Taking a nice hour and a half walk down to the beach when a massive thunderstorm rolls in. What else to do but hunker down next to the local street food stand and enjoy 75 cent beers for the duration. After half an hour of speaking english in Ukraine you are bound to be noticed by the locals and spoken to in learned English phrases and really fast Russian. I love these encounters and it's actually when I feel most comfortable using my language. This entire two year experience will succeed or fail based on the interactions I have with the locals and the ability to integrate.

Going out to visit the local Ukrainian football team on a hunch and then volunteering to help out once a week. I’m as shocked as anyone but these kids have ordered pads and balls off eBay and taught themselves how to play the sport that has given me so much.

The Zaporozhye Cossacks

Meeting fellow PCV’s in the area is always a mind erasing good time.

Walking around the market every couple days to buy fresh produce and see what oddities are on display. So far this is one of my favorite things about living here. The bazar is a focal part of life and everyone in the country knows that big box supermarkets can’t match the price or quality of local farmers. Produce is just stupid cheap right now so I will list a few of the items I buy pretty regularly. UAH is the Ukrainian currency but I will also list it in USD. Also, Ukraine is on the metric system so everything is sold by the kilo, gram or liter.

$1 = ≈ 8 UAH

1 kilo = 2.2 pounds       

100 grams = 3.53 ounces

Tomatoes          6-7 UAH per kilo                 $0.36 per pound

Cucumbers        2.50 UAH per kilo                $0.14 per pound

Zucchini            1.75 UAH per kilo                $0.10 per pound

Watermelon       1.50 UAH per kilo                $0.09 per pound

Potatoes            4-5 UAH per kilo                 $0.25 per pound

Apricots            4 UAH per kilo                     $0.23 per pound

Raspberries       13 UAH per kilo                   $0.74 per pound

Carrots              4-5 UAH per kilo                 $0.26 per pound

Pinto beans       26 UAH per kilo                   $1.48 per pound

Beer (store)       7 UAH per liter                     $0.43 per pint

Beer (bar)          10 UAH per ½ liter               $1.25 per pint

Vodka               30 UAH per ½ liter               $3.75 per bottle

Needless to say I have been cooking up a storm. I can’t afford to go out to restaurants very often so I don’t have a choice but it is wonderful that I have all the fresh produce available right now.

MUSIC

Music is what keeps me sane. I listen to it all day, everyday. I’ve always had really broad taste in music but I find something I like and rarely put effort into finding new stuff. Since moving to Zap my speaker is being put to the test. I am always playing something in the background so I am burning through my music pretty quick. Lately I have been looking into artists and genres that are new to me and I am delightfully surprised with some of the stuff I have come across. I think my favorite genre right now is blues inspired rock but I’m sure I will be on something new by the time my next update comes out.

Please send me suggestions on bands worth listening to as well as some of your favorite stuff from them.

Recently discovered bands/artists that have made it onto my playlists

Alabama Shakes

The Strokes

Kid Cudi

Cream

Bon Iver

Cage the Elephant

Океан Ельзи

Jack White

Modest Mouse

The Shouting Matches

Wilco

Care Package

I now have a shipping address so my first care package from my parents is in the mail. Over the past couple months a few people have mentioned wanting to send something.

Just so it’s clear nobody is under any obligations to send me stuff, ever. However I do always love stuff from America so if you would like to support me then please email/facebook me and I will send you my address and what kinds of stuff I am in need of. It’s usually some form of hot sauce, seasoning packets, peanut butter or anything else fun that is only sold stateside.

Peace Corps Volunteers are treated similar to active military so the Post Office gives special rates. I think it only costs about a dollar a pound to ship to Ukraine.

That’s it for now so as always here are my pictures. 

We took an excursion out to the legendary Cossack island and spent the day walking around and seeing the sites.

 My working partner (Vika) with her husband and daughter.

Zap City

I’m back on the grid (somewhat),

It has been an action packed two weeks and I now have a reliable internet source in my office. I’m pretty much settled into my apartment in Zaporozhye and have started exploring the city. Zap is the 6^th largest city in Ukraine and a key industrial center. There is a huge river, the Dnieper, which flows through the center of town. On one side of the hydro electric Dam there is deep water and on the other side lies the Historic Cossack island. The city has over 800,000 people and I would guess more than a million if you include the surrounding suburbs.

It has been a hectic transition but I feel like I finally have my feet under me again. I work in an office with about 8 other people and my main counterpart is a truly awesome Ukrainian woman named Vika. I am still not exactly sure about all of my organizations activities but we deal largely with young adults who want to have a positive impact on the city of Zaporozhye. We are also partners with a business development NGO that works to improve small-medium size business opportunities in the area.

Everyone in my office speaks primarily Russian but they are kind enough to throw in some English when I give them my bewildered face. I thought I spoke decent Russian coming out of training but I quickly realized how much I have to learn. It is going to be a trying two years if I want to speak somewhat intelligibly in this incredibly difficult language. I have a good foundation and have the survival part under control. When it comes to operating in less straightforward conversations I am missing a ton in translation. Russian is an extremely precise language, so although I can somewhat communicate I know I am speaking incorrectly most of the time. To give an example, in English we say I will go ____ or I'm going ____, not so in Russian. First you need to know if you are in process or it is something that has or will be completed. Next is whether it is on foot or through some means of transportation. Is this a habitual trip or one time? Are you going to meet someone? Will you return? All these scenarios have different corresponding verbs of motion that I do not feel the tiniest bit comfortable in using. Luckily I have the best opportunity in the world to learn so I am thankful and plan on studying as much as possible. When else do you have the chance to learn a language surrounded by 50 million native speakers? 

Whenever I have free time I try to walk around and get a sense of where I am. So far I have been lost much more than I have been found. The city is truly stunning and I love that every time I step outside of my house it is a new adventure. Nothing here is easy and every day is a challenge. To be this far out of my comfort zone is something I can feel myself resisting but it gets better every day. I am really excited for what’s to come.

So given that I don’t have internet at my house I am going to switch my update schedule and post new stuff whenever I feel like it which will hopefully be about twice a month. Thanks to everyone who has supported me thus far and I have been so touched by all the people from my life who have reached out. Enjoy the pictures and I will see you later.

 Океан Ельзи concert, Ukrainian band I got to see in Chernihiv, I am officially a fan now

Shaktar/Шахтар is the futbol team from the Oblast to the East of me, Donetsk. I met these guys and they were really excited about how tall I am.

Last day in Chernihiv with the host family. I love being outdoors and this was the perfect way to end training.

I swam in that pond, I think that officially qualifies me as a Peace Corps volunteer.

It's a pretty common tradition here to put a lock on the bridge whenever you get married.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

So that's PST (Pre Service Training). Very interesting, still not sure exactly how I feel about it. I loved living in Chernigov and I learned an incredible amount in such a short time. I had a phenomenal host family that has taken me in and made me feel like I have a home even though I am 6,500 miles away from anything I have ever known. I will miss all the people I have grown close to and this great city. On the flip side I could not be more pumped about starting this next phase.

I had my language test on Wednesday and I performed up to my abilities. Of course I was nervous but I love pressure and I did just about as well as I could of hoped. I think my language level will be Intermediate-Mid but I may eek out the high classification, wait and see. Basically my language is at a point where I can talk about myself and introduce others. I can ask a variety of questions. I can handle simple transactions at the bank/post office/store/etc... If it is a straight forward give and take interaction I can handle it. I am still getting lost when people talk to me and string more than a few sentences together. I can usually gather a lot from context but as soon as I miss more then three words in a row my brain kind of shuts off. luckily I have two years to work on it with an entire country full of native speakers. Also, Peace Corps is kind enough to help pay for a tutor the entire time I'm in country.

Ok, So I know where I will live and work for the next two years. Drum roll please.................................

The beautiful and historic city of Zaporozhye. It is the Oblast center and 6th largest city in Ukraine. population of 750,000+. I haven't had much time to research but everyone I ask says it is a great place to spend the next two years. It is located in Southeast Ukraine on the banks of the Dnieper river. Map is provided below.

I also know a little bit about the organization I will work with. It is called Vidkrytyi Svit (Open World) Charitable Foundation. I am not exactly sure what they do but they were kind enough to give me an idea of the type of projects they would like me to work on.

• Trainings/Seminars on various topics including (Small business entrepreneurship, business planning, strategic planning, marketing, computer skills, and leadership)
• Assisting with organizational development (Strategic/Business planning, motivation, etc...)
• Volunteerism promotion
• Participation in summer camps for youth
• Business English for staff

I am freaking bouncing off the walls. I don't want to put the wagon before the horse but this seems like a wonderful fit for me. I think PC did an excellent job matching my skills to an organization's needs, while still keeping in mind my personal aspirations. That's all I will say about the org because I really don't know much else and I don't want to make assumptions.

I will travel to Kiev on Sunday for swearing in and then on Wednesday I board a train to Zaporozhye and begin the next chapter of my life. My org has an apartment set up for me but I don't know much else about my living situation. I am going to try to continue posting once a week but I need to figure out what day fits my schedule best. Wish me luck and I will start posting once I get settled and my head stops reeling. 

It's going to be really hard to sleep for the next week

                      

The city is located right on the river bank and it looks like I could travel to the Sea of Azov whenever I feel a little froggy. Zaporozhye is an important industrial center so there is a lot of transport to and from the area. 

Eastern Ukraine gets much less snowfall than North and West so that should make winters a little more bearable.  

Job description, I pulled out the key points in the paragraph above but I figured I would include it. This is pretty much the extent of my knowledge except for a few tid bits my regional manager gave to me at Site Placement.

Oh the Places You'll Go

The last week of PST is now upon me. I received a phone call from my director and now I know that I will live in either the Donets'k or Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ukraine is divided into 24 Oblasts and the two I just mentioned are located in the absolute South Eastern corner of the state. I checked them out and Donets'k is the industrial center of the country and Zaporizhzhia was the home of the Cossacks and is supposed to have a very rich history. I will be happy wherever I go.

I have my LPI on Tuesday and then I am more or less done with training until Sunday. I plan on walking around Chernigov and exploring a few places. I will keep this short because I am beat up and it's late here. I have a meeting on Wednesday and then I should know the city I will live in and a little more about my Org. I will update on Wednesday/Thursday with all the new info.

For some reason the names didn't show up but I will live in one the two Oblasts in the bottom right corner of the map.

 What a difference two months can make.       Top: March 30th              Bottom: June 1st

Graffiti we spotted in Kiev

It's not that I'm lazy Bob, it's that I don't care. If I bust my ass and learn a few new verbs I don't see another dime. So tell me, Where's the motivation?

First futbol match since being in Europe. 

Fellow PCV and good friend Brian's birthday party.

Man does not live on xлеб alone

Wow, I can't believe that another week's gone. PST (Pre Service Training) is absolutely flying by. I had my site placement interview in Kiev on Wednesday and I feel I represented myself very well. I was upfront with my aspirations as well as in which areas I felt I could be flexible. My director placed all of the CD volunteers and they know where we will be living for the next two years. From my interview as well as speaking with current volunteers, I think I will most likely be placed in the Eastern region of Ukraine working for a small NGO. Southern Ukraine is another possibility so I will just have to wait and see what happens. 

Swearing in is two weeks away and it's almost time to start packing and saying goodbye to my wonderful host family. I'll outline the basic timeline but PC really doesn't tell me much so excuse any gaping holes in the plot. 

1. LPI(Language Proficiency Interview) - June 4th
2. Find out where I am moving to 
3. Pack my whole life up again
4. Say goodbye to Host Family and Chernihiv
5. Travel to Kiev - June 12th ish
6. Meet counterpart who will be my first point of contact in host community
7. Swearing in at US Embassy
8. Travel with counterpart to my Site
9. Continue on with this crazy thing called life

So with all this on my mind I haven't had a chance to take many pictures. Fear not my dear friends, I have been withholding most of my food pictures. Everyone asks me what Ukrainian food is like. Let me just say that my host mom is a phenomenal cook and I have gained around 5 pounds. In general the food is delicious and hearty. There is a heavy emphasis on potatoes, bread, seasonal fruits/vegetables, and cabbage. Meat is incorporated in almost every meal but in my experience it is used mostly for flavor and texture. This is a highly biased viewpoint as I can only speak for how my host family eats and what is served in the less expensive restaurants. I have friends out here who are fed straight up man food at every meal and feel like they are bursting at the seams. Think sausage, lot's of dairy, tons of mayonaise, and salo.

I have one funny quote from a fellow PCV about what she typically comes across when she tells Ukrainians that she is a vegetarian.

"You're a vegetarian, very interesting. So you still eat chicken right?" 

Bars here usually serve beer by the half liter, liter, and two liter. The other thing is Каса and it is like an adult version of string cheese. Каса is quite salty actually but goes great with a cold one.

Homemade Квас, also called child's beer. It is lightly carbonated with just a touch of tanginess.

Our house hold bird staring down my bowl of Борщ 

Голубци с Сметаной (Meat and rice stuffed cabbage rolls served in a tomato sauce with a side of sour cream)

Broke down and had to try it while I was here. Tastes EXACTLY like in the US. Kind of scary actually but man it is nice to get a taste of home every once in a while. Just to confirm what I was hoping, It actually was called a Royal w/ Cheese. Gotta love that metric system.

So please take note of McFoxy's that is literally attached to McDonald's. It was pretty crazy to see but not surprising that the line at McDonald's was about ten times longer.

 Making Вареники is a group affair (Dumplings stuffed with potatoes, cheese, or sour cherries)

Easter bread and colored eggs

 Homemade pickles = Delicious

Beet Horseradish

 Now that's what I call a meal (Rolls stuffed with various meats and vegetables)

I am falling in love with all things Шашлик

Matt and I trying our first Ukrainian street food. Doner Kabobs were a huge success and I would absolutely eat them again. It was kind of like a burrito with gyro filling.

A Day at the Дача

Здравствуйте,

Another week in the books and the end of PST is looming. I had my progress assessment this week and so far so good. I have a great cluster with two other guys and thankfully we all click well and are motivated to learn the language. Classes are so much different then during my first month here. We started off just trying to figure out how to read a foreign alphabet and now we are given situations and we role play for 5-10 minutes. The great thing is that even if the exercise starts getting boring we can just start talking about whatever comes to mind. If we are speaking in Russian then it is still practice and generally not frowned upon. PC language training is short and intense. They throw a ton at you and see what sticks. The basic goal of PST language is to paint a broad outline of the language and to give you a foundation to build on. 

I have my Site Placement Interview on Wednesday. Scary stuff, in less than a week PC will know where I will live for the next two years. I feel like I have a good idea of what I want to do here but a lot of that will depend on my living situation. I could be placed in a small village with ~500 people or I could be in a large city of +300,000. Only time will tell and since I am placed based on community needs I am fairly certain my fate has already been determined. 

So now to explain the Дача (pronounced: Da-CHA). A Дача is a small plot of land that can most broadly be defined as a garden. It is very common for families here to own one and to grow a substantial portion of their food there. On our plot of land there are 6-7 fruit trees (apple, cherry, apricot, pear, peach), several berry bushes(red/black currant, raspberry) that I'm told produce quite well, so much garlic growing everywhere, and finally there are flowers all over to help spruce the place up. In addition to what is planted there is a good bit of free land that isn't being cultivated presently due to time constraints. To get to our Дача we took a bus to the end of the line and then walked another 5 kilometres. Besides serving as a garden these places work as excellant venues for BBQ and to get in some peaceful time in nature.

Necessity is the mother of invention

Absolutely gorgeous day to be outside 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 

Our beautiful Дача

My lizard friend

Beer bottles are often used as garden liners

Шашлик (Shish-kabobs)