On the way to the Kozachuks

Steady!

"9B" - We've arrived!

Every Sunday, we pack our bags and make the treck out to the Sleeping-District, where the Kozachuk family lives. There we spend time eating home-cooked delights with these wonderful folk. Here is what we see on our way there (in reverse order):

pictures of the hill and one little garden

Spring Garlic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the Rebel House, somewhere on the hill

the top of our jogging hill

Me and Mary on the Hill

a few thoughts

Hi guys!

What better way to avoid planning my class than add a post? I'm at the wee Canadian studies centre, waiting for Mary to return from 'Aerobik'. Work here is interesting enough - on top of my regular class, I get the chance to lecture in French to senior language students. Its fun, who knew that I would enjoy talking about my own interests so much!

Outside of the work, I've been doing a lot of jogging. There is quite a huge hill (maybe 800 metres high?)located right in the middle of city that, apart from a park at the very top, has been left wild. There are small paths that switch-back up and down and around the side of the hill. A fast moving creek meanders around the base of one side of the hill. An incredible array of birds make there home here - so much so, that I often have to avoid stepping on them! The south side of the hill is now covered in small purple and yellow flowers. From there, I can make out most of the south-west of the city and beyond.

I've noticed that sound carries in unusual ways - while jogging high up in the hill, I will hear the occasional lada (russian-made vehicles, I love these cars) roaring by down below, roosters (yes roosters! if they have any space at all, urban homeowners will rear animals in addition to their huge gardens), dogs (tons and tons of stray dogs here!), and snippets of conversation.

Anyways, Mary has returned and we are off to make some borscht. If the good weather holds, we are planning to head out into the Carpathians this friday. Fingers crossed.

Yours,

Eric

Eric's ladies and the mysteries of Ukraine

Eric and his Ladies

A Soviet block

Ohhh, and how could we forget to show you pictures of Eric and his Ladies. Every Wednesday, he meets with his class of 15 beautiful young Ukrainians (perhaps Canadian Studies does not interest any beautiful young Ukrainian males…?), passes around the chocolate and begins to reveal to them the intricacies of Canadian politics. And with them sending Eric text messages saying, "May your and Mary’s day be filled with the light of beautiful harmony", we can’t help but have an ever-growing soft spot for these sensitive and kind super-beauties.

But everything is double-edged here. Slowly we catch tidbits hinting at the exodus of Ukrainian women to (mainly) western countries. Nobody outright mentions "human trafficking" or "sex trade", but they leave us to fill in the blanks. Its heartbreaking…almost everyone, these students included, will receive a monthly cheque from an absent parent. The villages are empty, and the Chernivtsi economy is fueled by euros sent in from abroad. It has been a slow process understanding the complexities of this place…the politics of language, the mysteries of their economy, the evolution of nationalism despite countless changes of empires. We are far from understanding, but with our grasp of Ukrainian (and Russian) getting stronger, all sorts of contradictions are slowly being explained.

Just a brief glimpse into our muddled-up view of this place: we arrive thinking Ukrainian is spoken in Ukraine…an unreasonable assumption? One would think not. BUT…oh my lord, what a hot topic this language business is! Russian is spoken in the streets and homes of most common folk – an obvious remnant of the years of Soviet rule; the youth learn Ukrainian in school, speak (usually) Russian at home, cannot read or write Russian as well as Ukrainian, and understand that language is a significant symbol in preserving an independent Ukraine (a country formed a mere 15 years ago). If we travel west to Lviv, Ukrainian is the language of the streets. But travel east to Odessa, and our shaky Ukrainian words will be met with blank stares and a Russian response. Nationalists see Russian as the language of the empire that is no longer, and Ukrainian as the language that needs to rise up from the dust of Soviet rule. But how easily can you change the language of the people? Ahh, it is so complex, and even these words are bound to infuriate some. All I can say is that Chernivtsi is the city in the grey area – and as a result, our heads are filled with some mixed-up form of both.

So that is mystery #1 shared with you guys. There are many, many more, and we’ll slowly let you all in, as we ourselves, pick up on them.

misc.

Mary realizing 500 millilitres of beer only costs 50 cents

nuts and bolts and the sunday market

our basement kitchen

sunday market.

Mary's favorite anchorman (minus the evil-beard)...look deep into his eyes.

spring!!!

Eric and intricate facade

we were treated to Bach via pipe-organ in the old Armenian church (as an aside, apparently, a priest once threw himself off the top balcony)

Slowly getting this place organized

Varenykyy (aka - PEROGIES!)

at the Kozachuk house

Igor the excitable pool shark

Masha, with Yulia taking the shot

So here's more of a peek into the lives of Eric and Mary...besides our strolling through the streets in search of bazaars and borscht. The Kozachuk family. Beautiful Masha and her intense brother Oleh are always ringing us up to remind us of our weekly Sunday meals at their family's apartment, or insisting we join them for a game of (impossibly difficult) Russian billiards. Igor is the childhood friend who is so full of piss and vinegar, you can't keep him from bouncing off the walls or flailing his arms wildly with every word. He speaks only Russian, so communication in the traditional sense is pretty limited - we get by. Did I mention he's a pool shark? So its a fine balance between avoiding spending the entire afternoon walking the streets with Oleh, Igor and 1$ bottles of beer, getting something "productive" done, and enjoying the companionship of the Kozachuks & Co.

Hey friends and family!

I can finally help Mary with blog! Proposal complete and application submitted! It's sunny and warm today. Mary and I are off to the Kozachuk's for a home-cooked meal. I'm so happy to be back in touch!

Love to you all!

Eric

At the beginning of a looooong walk one sunny afternoon
A bit of a "doctored" version of one Soviet-era blocks

A balancing act

Some kind of blocked-off entrance way. Why so intricate...I do not know

ERIC!!!

"Fresh Meat"

Fish exchange

Mid-day convention of Chernivtsian men

Hello hello hello!! Spring has sprung, and we just got back from a beeeeeautiful jog through the hills! Its a real obstacle course trying to find our footing over the uneven cobblestones whilst dodging the stray dogs, speeding Mercedes and curious glances. We're a real odd-ball couple here doing our "sport" in the streets...but heck, maybe we're a bit weird anywhere we go! Eric is sitting at the next computer at this moment sending THE PROPOSAL. No more needs to be said - this is the culmination of months of arduous grinding of gears in his head and furrowed, concentrated brows. Yupee!

Yaieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I am alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

just a few of my favorites...

It being now only 5 minutes after posting the bazaar pictures, I am still suffering a terrible writer's block and once again will only post pictures, no words. I'll manage to click the proper icons on this here computer, and then float aimlessly down some street with my head (still) in the clouds. These pictures are of an iron fence on some side street that caught my attention.

Sunny day at the bazaar

Yummm...honey treats!

Just a quick posting of some recent snaps (I am a bit braindead today...for no apparent reason, just one of those cloudy-day / cloudy-head connections). Hope you like them!