A Good Day to Blog Hard...Pt. 1: Everything you ever need to know about Ukraine

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon in Kiev.  I’m running a low grade fever and struggling to get through a persistent case of jet lag.  I’m also counting down my final weeks in Ukraine, so it’s a good opportunity to reflect and share some thoughts and photos.  Enjoy the first of three blog entries on this good day to blog hard.

I’ve been living in Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine for about 4 months and will be here for another 3 weeks.  So I think the time is now to open my vault of Ukrainian insights, knowledge, and wisdom.  Gems like these are too precious to keep to myself (and will likely fade from memory soon after my departure from these ‘borderlands’):

·        Ukrainian men love the Man Purse

Sleek leather pouches strapped over the shoulder are a common accessory for the Ukrainian businessman, merchant, and blue collar worker alike.  The other day I saw two men doing light construction on a building with their man purses securely strapped diagonally across their torsos.  It seemed to be the kind of work for which you would remove your purse…but not in Ukraine! 

The Man Purse--I have to admit it's not bad looking...

 ·        If I owned a hair salon here I would call it “Bang-bang Ukraine”

Ukrainian men have their man purses—the women have their bangs flowing generously over their foreheads.  In addition to bangs, they rarely shy away from opportunities to wear high heels and tight fitting clothing.  As the weather warms, some women sacrifice what I would consider common decency for…what?  Fashion?  Comfort?  I’m not sure, but then again I’m not a young Eastern European woman.  And all done up, it's not uncommon to see women striking elaborate 'glamor shots' poses in the parks as their friends click away with expensive cameras.

 

·        BEER HERE!!

Baseball fans sitting in the stands enjoying a ball game can relate to boisterous vendors announcing the opportunity to purchase cold, frosty beverages.  If Ukrainian beer vendors would employ a similar strategy their cacophony would drown out all other sounds. Simply said, beer is sold at every turn—sidewalk kiosks, gas stations, grocery stores, corner markets, etc.  And although public consumption is technically illegal, draft beer is sold and consumed at public parks, at metro stations, and on the sidewalk.

Walking to work? Getting on a train? Just hanging out? You can grab a beer at every turn

         Look both ways before crossing the sidewalk!

Pedestrians benefit from crosswalks that most drivers respect—when you begin to cross the street, traffic generally slows or stops so you can cross the street safely.  The real danger for pedestrians is on the wide sidewalks, where cars are likely to drive and park.

·        PDA? OK.

Perhaps because my tenure in Ukraine has coincided mainly with the spring season, there has been an abundance of young Ukrainian couples expressing their affection.  My afternoon walk home takes me through a botanical garden where any number of young couples enjoy the pleasant weather and the opportunity to share a kiss under the flowering trees. 

Perhaps it’s the allure of a strapping young man with his shiny leather man purse who is attracted to the flowing bangs and glamorous style of his mate…add a cold beer to the mix…and the thrill of dodging sidewalk traffic…and I can understand how the gravitational pull of two young lovers is irresistible.