Happy Holidays from Kyiv!

Well, I've missed Hannukah and "Roman" Christmas, but there's still New Year's and Orthodox Christmas, and then Old New Year! So Happy Holidays!
~L (and Mike and Belka!)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

This weekend my bro arrived in Kyiv! He got to see some of the sites (like the grocery store, and the mall...), but most importantly, we bought and decorated our (fake) Christmas tree!! Belka was a big help too (not). Actually, she seems disinterested in the tree thankfully and has not even tried to really sniff it yet!
Tomorrow it might even snow!
~L

More Belka!

So Belka is feeling mainly better. I think she was also just stressed, but now I think she's learning that even though I leave, I always come back. So that must be comforting. And she's started playing with some of her toys. Right now she's gnawing away on a tooth brush bone. (But not the green kind because someone told me those were bad.) She seems pretty content in our apartment. And we almost have a good routine down. Sadly, right now the routine involves me waking up at 3:30 am to take her out, but I think she's slowly working up to longer intervals. Tonight I'm hoping for an 11:30 walk and then sleep until 5:30! That would actually be perfect. Fingers crossed! She's been here for a week now. It seems already like she's been here forever, but we're still figuring things out about each other every day. I think she thinks I'm weird. She's a smart dog! :) I taught her that she can sit on the "icky" couch. But not the "nice" "gold" ones!
~L

Belka on the town

Today it didn't rain! Very exciting. Belka and I walked to the "weird" park and had a nice day. She is finally feeling mainly better which helps. Everyone thinks she's cute and they call her "собачка" (sobachka) which means little dog. I can't quite understand the rest of what they say, but I get that the gist is that she's cute! She even met some other dogs, although she didn't really seem to enjoy that much. But it was a great day to be a dog. Sadly, our morning and evening walks are always in the dark, and it's getting a little cold, but she doesn't seem to mind, and I have a warm coat and a hat! The funniest part is that I already feel like she's always been here. Although maybe that's just because I've been so sleep deprived that my sense of time is off... But I have high hopes for getting a full night's sleep tonight! well, from 11 to 5 at least! Maybe even 6 if i'm lucky...
~L

Raining cats and dogs! plus, a dog!

Winter in Kyiv is officially here, and it's honestly a little gloomy! Although not as dark as I feared, although we still have another month until the shortest day of the year. We had a little snow already, but I missed it because I was in DC celebrating "Thanks-o-ween" with the family! (well, and working). But I'm hoping we'll have some more soon. It rains almost everyday, which is both gloomy and bad for our construction. But despite my hesitations about the impending bad weather, I finally got a dog!!! One of our local employees helped me find Belka on a website for pets who needed new homes. I went to meet her and she was so sweet that I decided that she would be my first dog. She really is a sweety! I've been taking more pictures and videos that i'll post soon, but here's a first glimpse!
~L

All Work and No Play Makes Lisa a Dull Blog

Yikes! I haven't posted anything since July! I was hoping that I would become less busy as more of our project staff arrived (including my boss) but somehow the work just seems to keep increasing. I have had some small amounts of fun over the past few months, like discovering a big mall above my grocery store. And discovering more restaurants to eat in - although I still haven't made it to the Mexican restaurant. And just today we discovered a pretty good cappucino place! And I got to go to the beach in Italy! It was great, although very very hot. It made me miss my little room air conditioning units! But now that September is here in Kyiv, it's actually already starting to feel chilly. The nights are getting down to the 50s, but the daytime is still in the high 60s or 70s. So it's nice crisp weather. Well, more like October weather back in DC, but it's still nice. We'll see what I think of the weather here in a few months! And when it gets cold, I'll just have to try and remember how I also don't like the heat... Actually, the weather right now is perfect, so I'll do my best to enjoy it while it lasts.



The highlight of the Italy trip (besides seeing I.M. and finally going back to the Baths of Caracalla) was our trip to the "Grotte di Pastena". The signs promised us "emozione in piu" - emotions and more! But the sign also made it look as if the Grotto was a local attraction, perhaps in the next town if not the one we started in. Two hours later.... still no grotto!!! But there were still signs, just when each time we thought we were lost and would never find it. Luckily, we made it in time before it closed and got to go see it. It was pretty cool, but I don't know about "emozione in piu". We think the emotions referenced on the sign referred to the hopelessness and mild distress about driving through the middle of Italy in search for a grotto that may or may not actually exist... But it was neat. There were pipistrelli! (bats) And a few parts made me a little claustrophobic. Especially when they mentioned that we were 50 m underground! :( But we survived. And also realized where we were so that we could make it back to our campsite in just 1 hour instead of the 2 it took to get there. But I will say that the drive there was beautiful. So maybe that was the "emozione in piu". Isn't that saying that life is about the journey not the destination? That should be the Grotto di Pastena's motto also! Hee hee. The website sortof makes it look very dramatic!
~L

(outside the grotto - actually above it technically)

Home is Where You Make Your Bed

My stuff has arrived here in Ukraine! Actually, it's a little odd to have it here now. Until now my place sortof felt like a hotel, but now it's like my apartment in Alexandria with different furniture and in Kyiv! But it's nice to have it here also. I can watch movies on my TV instead of my computer! I haven't figured out the cable yet, but hopefully one day soon I can watch Ukrainian tv also! I found out that I "only" shipped 2000 pounds of stuff, so I'm allowed to purchase about 4000 more pounds of stuff here! (I don't plan on that!) The movers moved all of the boxes inside in about 30 minutes and then we opened everything and threw it on the beds and couches. They did assemble the bed for me which was nice. And convenient to put all of my clothes on. This way they could take all of the boxes away with them. But the end result was that my stuff was thrown everywhere and I had to go back to work because I had some deadlines. But slowly but surely I am getting things put away. I have finished the kitchen and the living room. Now I just have about 25% of my clothes left to put away and all of my sheets and towels and stuff. Oh, and all of my stuff in the den. That's sortof a mess and that room doesn't have a closet so I have to figure out where to put everything. Hopefully it will all fit in the desk and bookcase and the "main" closet too. But it's starting to shape up! I even am working on perfecting my "display" in my china cabinet. I'm not sure I'm happy with it yet but it looks nice! But the rest of my project team is showing up so I should finish soon so I can invite them all over some time!
~L

Things coming together...

I feel like I'm finally settling into a routine and that things are starting to really come together here in Kyiv! The rest of the project team is slowly but surely arriving. My car is now here sitting in the parking lot (waiting for a license plate!). I filled out some papers the other day because my "household effects" are soon entering the country. (Then I'll have some stuff to put in that china cabinet!) And I just finished weaving in all my ends on my "Rachel swing jacket" from Robyn's book! I am about to start on the sleeves. Then just the collar and buttons! So yeah, things are all coming together! Literally in the case of my crocheting... I think my housekeeper likes my crocheting because she always refolds it very nicely after she moves it around to clean or what not! I saw a woman knitting while working in one of the kiosks the other day. Although, I think the Ukrainian craft is more embroidery, but there is certainly some hand knit and crocheted things in the markets!
~L

TGI - П

I got a chance to walk around downtown today again, and decided to go to the TGI Fridays! Well, if it were in Ukrainian, the word for Friday starts with "P" instead of F, but I don't think they really understand the saying because they just translated it phoenetically so it still is TGI Fridays. But what's kindof neat is that it is pretty much like the ones at home! The waitresses have to wear "flair" although not too much. And they all seemed to speak English, which makes sense seeing as the only people that go there are probably British and Americans. I had a Barbeque Burger, but I should have had the quesadilla. Next time! Interestingly, across the street was a "Papa John's" pizza, although something tells me it's a different Papa John that started this one... Also across the street was another market or "Rynok". I also went shopping at some book stores, and I found Harry Potter books (Гарри Поттер), but I think they were in Ukrainian instead of Russian. Then I'll really never understand them! So I guess I'll wait a little bit until I know how to ask "Do you have this in Russian?" Actually, I think I do know how to say that, but I had to think about it for a while...

Tomorrow is Ukrainian Constitution day, so I don't have to work! (Although I will have to work July 4th! Our jobsite closes for Ukrainian holidays but not generally American ones.) I'm going to work on studying Russian!
~L

Пицца!

So, most nights, I have been doing a good job of cooking myself dinner. Nothing fancy, but basically a meat and a starch. Hopefully some veggies and fruits for dessert. But tonight, I was feeling lazy and decided to bring home a pizza! Luckily, the Ukrainian (and Russian) word is just pronounced like pizza with a Russian accent. But they even have ham and pineapple! (Although, they definitely follow the Italian model of one piece of each topping per slice!). But I just wanted everyone to know that I am definitely not starving here in Ukraine! In fact, probably the opposite! It's pretty good pizza! The name is "Pizza Papa".
~L

Success!

Well, that worked out superbly, I was about to give up on my video, and to appease the readers (i.e. because my dad asked) I was going to post some pictures of my place.  But now the video worked too!  The pictures are a little better because I have actually sortof unpacked.  Although, for the record the clothes are on the dresser because they're supposed to be hung up and I keep telling myself I'll go buy hangers one of these days...

~L

Андреевский спуск - St. Andrew's Descent - The Spusk!

The "spusk" is a street that snakes down from the top of "Kyiv Hill" (which I live on) down to the commercial "old town" of Podil.  Спуск or "Spusk" literally means descent in Russian.  (It's "uzviz" in Ukrainian but for it's mainly called the spusk.)  But what makes it cool is that artists and crafts people, and some people who look like they're having a garage sale, all set up stands and sell their goods.  It's closed off to cars so you can walk down the hill and shop!  Last weekend was Kyiv Days so there were extra artists in town.  It was really cool.  There are lots of paintings, ceramics, embroidery, wood carvings, and everything else!  I bought a glass vase so that I could buy flowers from one of the flower stands that are everywhere.  Ukrainians (and Russians I'm told) really love flowers!  Then, once you get to the bottom of the hill, you have to get back up.  I rode the funicular!  It's interesting, but a good way to get back up the hill!  At the top of the hill where the funicular takes you there is a nice park and you can walk either down to the Maidan or back home.  Pretty nice way to spend a Sunday!  

~L

Let's go build something!

So since I am actually here for work, I thought I'd share one work event as well.  We held our groundbreaking ceremony!  There were press and everything.  I didn't officially participate, but I got a chance to take a photo with one of the "golden" shovels.  We had a "guard dog" on site for a while, and she got a "golden" chain for the event!  Sadly, rules being rules, we had to evict the guard dog.  But at least she had her moment of fame!

~L

Welcome to Kyiv!

After the drama with my poor buns, my trip to Kyiv went pretty well.  I had waaaaay too much stuff, although now that I made it I'm glad I dragged it all with me.  Especially because the rest of my stuff won't get here until the end of July!  But man, talk about Christmas in July!  That will be a wonderful day!  Maybe this is where that expression came from!

I lived in a "temporary" apartment for a week or so before I moved into my "permanent" apartment.  Well, permanent for the next three years!  Both are located very near the down town areas of Kyiv (there are sortof 2) so I can easily walk around and explore on foot.  (Which is good because I don't have my car yet either!).  But this is a great time of year for walking!  We've had a few rainy days, but even then it's seemed to be the kind of rain that tires itself out after a while so you can sneak about in between showers.  Or I can ride the bus for 1.50 Gryvna's.  (Which is not very expensive at all!)

I was taken to a big grocery store and pleased to discover that everything is here!  Although, for some reason the toilet paper is scented.  And of course the labels are all in Ukrainian or Russian.  But they have lots of fruit, veggies, meat, and fish.  And juice!  Juice is my new favorite staple.

The first weekend I walked about I took some pictures and videos with my new camera (thanks Mike and Traci!)  :)  Enjoy this little glimpse!  More to come!

~L

Now, the time for "firsts"!

Hooray!  I managed to get myself internet at home, so now I can post about some of my doings here in Kyiv!  To be fair, it only took 3 days to get internet once I figured out how to do that (it required help!).  So I have a lot of "firsts" to report:  my first Kyiv walkabout, my first trip to the "Spoosk", my first ride on the funicular...  But first, I have one last "last" to write about it.  

I did not know at the time I left, but I think that I have seen my cute little bunnies for the last time.  :(  Due to various complications with international pet export / import rules, the airline computer system didn't understand that rabbits don't need rabies shots.  And sadly although people at work helped me look, I can only find immigration laws for rabbits that do not treat them as pets.  They did confirm that rabies vaccines are not required for rabbits, but I just didn't think I could get the airline to change their mind.  And I don't want them imported under the rules for rabbits for fur!

It took a little while, but the House Rabbit Society was able to find them a fosterer who is able to give poor Kevin his medicines.

So here are a few last picture of my cuties.  Then we can start with new firsts.

Kevin and Mikey's adoption photos

The time for "lasts"....

So of course in getting ready to move I do lots of things for the "last" time (although I'm sure I'll be back and doing the same things someday!).  Yesterday they took my car for shipping.  So that means I went to the gas station by my house for the "last" time, drove to work for the "last" time, and parked in my overpriced parking garage for the "last" time.  I debated if I should say bye to the parking attendants who are all very nice to me.  But I think that would have been weird.  Unfortunately this weekend I'll have to go to the DMV (hopefully for the "last" time!) to turn my plates in.  It's one of those procedures that should take 5 minutes but will somehow manage to take an hour.  :(  oh well.  So now the Focus has started its voyage overseas!  Here's a picture of the "last" time I parked in my spot.  And sadly I'm going to turn in my "AE LMW" Penn State plates!

~L

It's 80 degrees out and I'm cold!

No, not because I have a fever or anything, but I finally have a working air conditioning system!  And it works so well, it can actually make it cold in here!  My dad and I were doing some home improvements so it felt good before, but now we're done and it's downright chilly.  But I'm enjoying the fact that I have working AC so much that I'm going to leave it on and put on a sweatshirt!  Oh wait, in honor of impending Earth Day I'll just go turn up the setting on my cool new digital thermostat.  The coolest part?  It's a smart thermostat so that you can literally set it and forget it!  As in it's smart enough to automatically know whether it should be in heating or cooling mode.  And yes, I'm sure everyone else's AC has had that for years, but my old one didn't!  So it's new to me!  We also got to replace the drop ceiling which worked out mainly OK and in the process I got to replace the ugly ceiling light that was there with a more modern-ish fluorescent light.   It says the bulb can last for 9 years!!  That's good for Earth Day too!The system has the new freon too (puron maybe?), so that's good for Earth Day.   Gooooo green!  And gooooo new AC!

~L

Good Bunny News!

The vet thinks that Kevin is mainly better and should not have a problem going to the Ukraine!   Hooray!  Now everyone at my new work will get to meet my silly rabbits.  Of course, now I have to figure out the 15 details associated with getting them on the plane... And first I'm going to call and double check that they absolutely HAVE to travel as "checked baggage".  It just seems wrong.  The bunnies coming out of that conveyor belt thing...  (They won't really!).  So in the mean time, I have them confined right next to each other as the first stage of "re-bonding".  They don't seem to mind.  Although I think they are exhausted from all of the commotion that's been going on around here.  So I thought I would try to video tape what they do at night!  Turns out, pretty much the same things they do during the day.  Enjoy, the "Night of the Bunnies"!  (Don't worry it's less than 2 minutes long).

~L

Bunny Zen

I'm still not sure about little Kevin, and if he is going to feel up to a long journey to the Ukraine.  And then, if Mikey would want to come alone.  :(  I have asked for advice from the bunny lady experts, so we'll see what they say.  But in the mean time I thought I would use my cool new going away present from my bro and Traci to try and capture what I love about the buns.  Of course I love petting them and when they jump on my head.  Or rest their bum on my shoulder (like the song).  But what I really love about them is that they're so zen!  They sortof just relax.  But I can stare at them for hours, because they are rarely actually doing nothing.  So, no need for you to watch them for hours, but if you want to watch them for 12 minutes...  It's sort of like meditation.  Happy meditation because they're so cute!  And don't worry, one day my videos will be about Kyiv not the bunnies!  Although we'll have to see if they are about bunnies in Kyiv...

~L

The Importance of Being a Consumer Activist: North Shore Agency Collection Scam

I was literally shocked an appalled to receive a "debt collection notice" from a company called North Shore Agency.  Apparently it is some sort of scam to trick people into renewing magazines that they had tried to let subscriptions expire on.  I was even more upset because it was from Runner's World.  I sortof thought that my subscription had expired, and that was OK.  I had made the decision to not renew, and therefore had not sent in more money or gone online to sign up.  Apparently, their marketing practice is to renew my subscription anyway and then send a letter saying that they had hired a debt collection agency to collect my debt!  Only, the payment was still to be sent to Runner's World.  Of course I googled the company, and while it does have a fake website, the second most popular page described the multitude of scams that this company either runs, or who is used by another company to run the scam.  There is actually a class action law suit that I would have signed up for, but I read that John Grisham book about class action law suits and they still disgust me.  So to simplify things, Rodale press simply goes on my "never buy another magazine from again" list.  No more Runner's World, Women's Health, or anything about bicycling because they probably own that too.  And as I said in my letter to them, I'm extra disappointed because Rodale is from my home town and I thought that I was supporting a good local business.  I know times are tough, but it is never OK to scam or trick people, or intimidate them into renewing a magazine subscription to keep Dog the Bounty hunter from showing up at the door over $21.94.  Grr.  Things like this are what puts capitalism to shame.  Make money honestly people!  Runner's world is a good magazine!  If they had sent me a few more post cards and emails I probably would have caved in and decided to renew!  But now they have lost a customer for life.  And whoever else I can convince.

~L

my letter to them (to be followed up by a phone call tomorrow):

Dear Runners World, While I used to like your magazine, I am shocked and disappointed that you would resort to a "collection agency debt scam" to coerce readers into continuing their subscriptions. I did not renew my subscription with you, therefore there is no reason why I should owe you the $21.94 that this debt collection agency supposedly is going to collect. After searching for the company online, I found many other complaints that this is a scam and a ripoff. There is even a class action lawsuit being filed that I will promptly sign up for if this charge is not immediately removed or if anything appears on my credit report as an unpaid debt. This is a horrible way to trick people into your renewing your magazine and I highly recommend that you and Rodale disassociate yourselves from such heinous marketing tactics. While I had been considering a renewal with the weather getting warmer again, I certainly will never renew with your magazine or any magazine that Rodale publishes after this attempted scam. I am even more disappointed because I grew up in the Lehigh Valley and liked to think that I was helping a company from back home. With sincere regret, ~Lisa Walkup

Poor Kevin!

Well, the "big snow" never really came to DC.  We did get a 2 hour delay though.  Now we're on our way to spring time and all of the Cherry Blossoms are coming out!  But poor Kevin is sick and so probably not enjoying the spring time.  Although now he's home from the bunny hospital and at least relaxing a bit.  Still too soon to tell if he'll make a full recovery.  Right now he's munching on lettuce but won't eat his regular food.  So I have to give him medicines and liquid food.  And as much as he hates it, he's adorable when I bundle him up to give him the meds!  So I guess the silver lining is that even in his sickness he's sooooo cute!  Mikey is being nice to him again (he was mean when Kevin first came home) so I'm hoping by tomorrow that he'll be munching on more hay. 

Snow???

Uh oh... The DC area is scheduled to get 5" of snow!  I might not be able to leave my house for a week!  OK, we shouldn't be that bad, if the snow even shows up.  But I'm kindof hoping it does!!!!  The last big snowstorm we had was in 2002.  It could be time for another...  I'll post my old snow storm photo hoping it brings on a new one!

~L

And the oscar goes to...

Well, probably not me, but this is my first directing work!  I made a movie of the buns of course...  But the iMovie program is pretty cool!  enjoy!  I only wish I had gotten this computer sooner because I know my bunnies' godmother would have loved videos of them!  

~L

Cockles and Mussels, alive, alive-o

Well, I did not make it to the inaugeration, although I have a good excuse!  I had just gotten back from Ireland the night before!  Plus, it was really cold.  And crowds scare me!  I would have gotten accidentally pushed onto the metro track like that one lady (who luckily lived I think and had to hide under the platform as the train pulled in!).  But Ireland was fun!  We were only there for a little bit, so we stayed in Dublin again.  This time I saw Christ Church and Dublinia.  Dublinia was about the history of Ireland, mainly in the medieval times and the Viking times.  It was interesting.  Except it had full size humans standing about that were scary because I kept expecting them to move!  There was one room I couldn't even go in because there was a model / statue of a beggar guy right by the doorway and I was afraid he would move and not let me back out!  creepy.  Then again, maybe it was the lack of sleep.  But besides that it was a nice fun little musuem.  We were in the Temple Bar area again, so lots of pubs and restaurants to go to.  We even went back to the Irish singing and dancing show that we went to last year!  The band was not as good as the one last year, but they were still good.  They sang traditional Irish songs.  And then the dancers were the neat part.  It really is a crazy sort of dancing.  Lots of leaping about!  We wanted to find a cool Irish sweater, but did not!  But that will just hopefully motivate me to make the sweater with all of the Aran wool that my brother gave me!  

But it was a nice trip.  I'm afraid I won't get to take any more little mini-breaks until after I move!  But then again, I'll be a lot closer then to a lot more cool places to travel!  Like Prague... And Copenhagen... And Budapest... And Zagreb...  really quite a lot of places left to see!

~L

Musical Me!

(10 points to anyone who got the reference in my title*)

I am the official owner of a piano!  Well, not quite a real piano, but a pretty darn good electronic one!  Now I officially have too many hobbies to take to Ukraine (piano, knitting, wii, learning russian) but hopefully that means that I will never be bored!  There's also the whole work thing to do...  But the piano is pretty cool.  It took a little effort to get it together on the stand (bah! instructions that say two people required!) and in the house for that matter, but luckily, it's actually a lot lighter than one of the other ones I had been looking at.  And it was a little cheaper, yet has cool features like "beats" and "electric piano" sounds.  80's here I come!  Or at least that Night on Bald Mountain song... (with the pipe organ-not the 80s beats!) But for right now, I'm having fun flipping through the book of songs that came with it because it's like a walk down memory lane!  I'm going through and highlighting the songs that I played before.  So far, I can only currently play the one that I think I played in my 6th grade recital, but hey!  That's not too bad for picking it up after about 10 years!  It's funny though, my sight reading is not what it used to be!  I used to be able to get through entire choir practices accompanying them on songs I had never seen before...  (Don't tell the choir teacher!)  My goal is to work back up to my favorite recital piece of all time "Pathetique" by Beethoven.  And no, it's not pathetic.  It's really nice.  Hmm, maybe along with this rediscovery of piano, I should rediscover my classical music cds and get them onto my ipod!  Hooray!  Another hobby!  :)

~L

*Yes, I just re-watched the Harry Potter movies (and am reading them again in Italian to study for my Italian test) and it's a reference to Gilderoy Lockhart's book

(Why am I studying Italian to go to Ukraine?  I just have been refreshing my Italian all year and wanted to see what "score" I could get before I switch over to learning Russian and Ukrainian.)

2009! My Goal: Make Better Choices

The holidays in Indiana were lovely, and I got to meet my newest niece (technically my cousin once removed for the geneology purists out there).  She and her big sister were too cute!  It was also wonderful to see my grandma, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins - including the ones from Ohio who I haven't seen in a long time!

It also was a neat end of the year because three of my friends had daughters!!!  And another friend got engaged!  So, all in all, I must say that 2008 was a pretty fantastic year!  

On to 2009!!!

Last year I decided that laundry lists of new year's resolutions never really work out, so I went with a general goal.  I think it worked!  Well, a little bit at least.  I don't know that I met the goal, but I had a good year anyway.  You know what they say about new year's resolutions...  So this year my goal:  make better choices!  Pretty simple, but it really is the focus of what I'm trying to do with myself right now!  At the Wendy's drive through?  Get the small!  That's a better choice!  Cleaning up after the buns more often = better choice!  Working out more = better choice!  Then again, sometimes sleeping in because you're really tired = a better choice also.  I like how it's flexible.  Something tells me that moving half way around the world is going to require me to be flexible!  Eating more beets = perhaps a better choice???  Learning Russian = necessary choice.  

Things are slowly falling into place so that I can get my head around the move.  The current mystery:  How to provide documentation of a rabies vaccination for the buns when the vets won't give rabies vaccinations to buns....  Stay tuned for this and more fun mysteries involved in moving to a distant land!

~L