Ready for Greece!!
So I'm enjoying my last aftenoon in Kiev. I'm sitting in Freedom Square enjoying a Ukrainian beer and the warm weather. That's right!! Its warming up just as I'm about to leave. No worries - I'm heading to the Greek Isles to hang with Natasha.
UNDISCOVERED JEWEL
This is a fantastic city. Downtown is as European as any other city I've been to. The cafes are quaint; the people are welcoming; and the prices are dirt cheap. If I pay more than $.80 for a beer, I'm being ripped off.
I also got the scoop about Kreshatik - the main street downtown. Kreshatic is where all the shopping is; it is also the center of activity. On weekends they close the street to vehicle traffic, and it fills up with pedestrians. Locals stream down it with friends and family. Its pretty nice.
AMERICAN IDOL EUROPEAN STYLE
Of course I came at a weird time. Not only was the May 9 WWII parade at the beginning of the week, but the EU put on a little carnival yesterday to maket to Ukrainians the benefits of joining. Then to top it off, within a few days the Europeans have their own little singing contest - ie American Idol - with a twist. Singers represent their country, and the winning country gets to host the next years contest. Kiev won last year, and right now I am surrounded by delegations from all the different countries who are competing. Not to mention all the tv crews et al.
NORMAL WEEK
Except for all the commotion, I've had a pretty regular week here. I went dancing nearly every night, and stroll around each day. English speakers are hard to find, but sometimes I meet a ukrainian or two who wants to try a mix of English and Russian. It can be funny.
APARTMENT PHOTOS
I promised you a few photos of where I am living. Well here is my little Kvartera. It is really big by Ukrainian standards. I have a big bedroom. The bed is really about an inch of foam over rock or wood or something. But I have a great view!!
The living room is pretty cool. They gave me a stereo and TV. But there's a problem with the TV - it only gets Russian or Ukrainian programming. I could throw a pretty big party here, huh?
The kitchen is ok, but there is this really strange stench coming from under the sink. I think a rat died or something. I dunno.
The same thing goes for the toilet - something really weird is coming from that room. I keep the door closed AT ALL TIMES.
And here is the lovely bathroom. Check out the cool shower/tub hardware. Standard fare in former Soviet republics. I'm also lucky because this unit has a washer.
DISAPPEARING ACT
Tomorrow Rostov will be collecting me at 12:00 to take me to the airport. I expect to be in Athens by 5pm. Last year my phone did not work in Greece very well. If I am not the most responsive, do not worry. I will try to keep in touch, but it is hard to say how easy it will be. Soon I will be in a bathing suit on some island with a tropical drink. ;)
2 Comments:
Adam,
I check in here every few days and it looks like you are having a great time and what's more, doing an excellent job chronicling your travels. Looking forward to getting together and hearing about your adventures in person.
Uncle Nick
Sounds like a great week. Wish I could have joined you, even if it would have only been for a few days. Our request for interview date was lost / never received. So we have to make another request. The Embassy is slow to respond to request, and then only by Email, no phone calls please. Oh, by the way that's a bathing suit, a tropical drink WITH MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND NATASHA!!! Rememeber she is probably reading these postings, too.
RuskieDave
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