A DAY IN KIEV

While we wait (as patiently as possible) to travel on Sunday to the orphanage, we're enjoying our time here in Kiev.

Today, we went to the Chernobyl museum. It was saddening, to say the least, the see the countless photos of people - especially children - who lost their lives because of the accident. It's hard to believe it happened over 20 years ago.

We then went to a buffet-style place for lunch, you know the kind where you go through a line and eventually pay for everything you chose. We had potato dumplings, chicken Kiev (duh!!), real sausage, and some wonderful salads. The sausage was definitely authentic, with big hunks of meat, bits of grissle, and even some small bone parts. Stephen was much more enthusiastic about eating it than Pam.

We shopped a great deal of the afternoon, with Pam leading the charge up that hill. She bought some outfits for a small girl and even some hangers for us grown-ups.

We're getting used to our apartment. We have a washer that's really been wonderful, with the exception of one problem. It was installed in the very small bathroom, so you have about 6 inches between the front of the toilet and the washer. To sit, you have to take your pants completely off and lift your leg over the toilet as if getting on a horse. If you don't like that option, then you just sit sideways on it, which feels awkward but works just fine.

We have a couple of grocery stores nearby and Stephen never passes on the opportunity to visit them. Every evening, we stop at one and buy for breakfast the next day... juice, pastries, and perhaps a couple of pieces of fruit. Stephen originally planned to do some cooking, but it turned out to be too big of a hassle here in Kiev. We can get freshly made deli sandwiches at the grocery store for $3. Some street prices are even cheaper.

Calls back to the U.S. are easy to make and cost less than 20 cents per minute. We really enjoy calling the boys everyday (we miss you 2 guys so much, you too Nana, Popeye, and Zippy). Internet access costs about the same and we found a place that has both and is open 24 hours per day.

Some miscellaneous things...
1. There are many, many small casinos here, some with only 10 to 15 one-armed bandits and no other games.
2. People drive and park on the sidewalks, so walking on a sidewalk is an adventure
3. It usually costs money to use a public toilet
4. Most toilets are flush (no pun intended) to the floor (women - stand and aim or squat)
5. Stewed rabbit and black olives is quite good
6. Soccer in Ukrainian on TV is just as boring as soccer in English on TV