Wednesday, October 14, 1998

The Art of Bathing

I wake up from a nightmare! I dream I am in our old Claremont Ave home and a babysitter girl attacks my family with a dart gun, the police come, but our flooring is ruined because she allows toxic wastes to spew out of containers she has there to harm my four children! As dreams go, none of this makes any sense, other than I must be missing my family. Maybe I reacted to the pill I took last night.

As usual, Edward wakes me by turning on the light at 7: 10 am when he leaves for school. This gives me an hour to get ready without hurrying so much to go with him. This new routine is Edward’s suggestion, and I welcome it.

I’m getting better at using my pot of hot water for my bath. I fill a small pitcher half full of hot water from the stove, fill it to the top with cold tap water, and wet my body with this lukewarm combination. Then I lather up, repeat the half-and-half method and rinse off. I repeat the cycle for washing my hair. I have just enough hot water left to shave and rinse. It is still very cold standing there naked, but it is better than bathing in only cold water like I had to do when I visited Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1996. Edward tells me he started cold water bathing four years earlier – he claims it’s healthier for him.

Valentina gets me breakfast while I dress. Today there is coffee, a thin pork cutlet, two egg-potato rolls, and garbanzo beans and carrots. I am starting to think that the beans and carrot dish is my least favorite, and use the fruit water and bread to help. The cutlet is the best today, and I savor it.

First Sunny Day

I am running out of shirt ideas with a tie, so today I decide to wear my checked collarless shirt and my dark pull over sweater. I also ask Valentina if she can do some laundry for me. Today, I meet 150 Advanced English students in grades 7-11, so a more casual look might do well anyway.

Valentina wants to walk with me to the small market near the main road today, so we leave together. No one stares at me today, maybe partly because I am with Valentina and maybe because I took off all my airline luggage tags. I do carry my map tube, though, and that gets some looks. We soon part company.

The morning weather is signaling a possible sunny day – clouds are breaking after the passing of the cold front. I think it will turn out to be a cloudless, crisp, sunny day. Unfortunately, I will be inside all day and will miss the first nice day since I have been here. Then the sun breaks through for the first time and bathes the landscape in a golden light.

I pass many military youths, looking to be all Russians, near the post cleaning the streets and sidewalks of leaves and litter. They are raking the leaves into piles and then throwing them over the long white wall of their compound. Always a superior older man stands watching each one, one on one. It seems like a waste of time and manpower, but with the weak economy and a diminished military presence, there is probably little else for them to do.

Autograph Craze!

I finally reach school at 8: 40 am, a little late today. I am drenched as usual under my coat. It’s weird for a desert rat to experience – so cold on the outside, so sweaty underneath from the high humidity. I put my damp coat away in the workroom, and head to Edward’s room. He is just nearing the end of first period, and at the end, one of his students asks me to sign his daily planner. I do – and this starts a craze among the students which lasts all week, much to the dismay of Edward and others who attempt to maintain a more proper learning environment.

I follow Galina to her seventh grade middle group English class. I observe her lesson, and I am allowed fifteen minutes to speak with them. I give a brief introduction, answer their usual questions (“What do I teach? Do I have a wife, children, pets, hobbies? Favorite music? ” etc.)

Near the end I use my Arizona bag like a Santa Claus bag, and give away hats, pens, a globe, and so on, if they can answer questions about my life and job. They all have fun. The bell rings, and as I start to leave, I am mobbed for my autograph! I have never experienced anything like it in my life! I feel like a famous Hollywood movie star or Major League ball player.

Assistant Principal Natalia arrives, understands the situation, lets me finish with the last student, and then takes me to her math class upstairs. Her class is studying multiplying fractions and simple algebra equations. It is a review class and hands are flying to answer the questions. It turns into a contest on the board that ends between two girls. Seat work is based on tiny textbooks which accounts for much of their grade.

At the end of class, I am mobbed again for autographs. It is becoming embarrassing. She is patient once again, and lets me finish with the students. I am next escorted to the music room. Here, students do warm up exercises in four part harmony while seated at their desks. The instructor plays the accordion for some traditional Ukrainian folk songs. I am given an English translation for a song about Mother Ukraine, the beauty of which brings tears to my eyes.

Then she moves to a review of classical composers – Beethoven, Bach – on scratchy records, and ends with Presley and the Beatles – for my benefit it appears. We all have fun with the songs, and it is an enjoyable class. Once again I am besieged for my autograph.

Galina returns and takes me to her eleventh grade physics class. They act as mature upper classmen, and stand for my entrance. Today’s class is a review about transistors, and they draw a transistor to scale in their work journals by studying a slide diagram.

While they draw, I take the time to craft a new plan how to address the intense pressure for my autograph by students who should be going on to their next class. I realize I have three packs of post-it notes, and write “Michael Ostapuk, USA 1998” on each one. It works! No mob and all seem happy with getting a post-it so quickly.

Auditorium QA

By now it is time for lunch with Lyudmila. Today we get to sit next to a sunny window in the cafeteria and watch an ROTC-type class outside learn how to salute. They have no uniforms, so I am not sure what is going on.

Lunch is the ever-present borscht and coleslaw, bread, fried potatoes, and two miniature omelet egg squares. Everything tastes good. As we finish with tea and chocolate wafer cake, two people walk in. I understand the conversation enough to realize that they are a local reporter from one of the two major papers in town, and a photographer. It turns out they are here to record my meeting with 150 students in the auditorium after lunch. I am taken by surprise with this news, but it seems that surprise is part of my visit in Ukraine each day.

We all go to the auditorium together. Edward greets me and we go in. Everyone is there, waiting - Kamila, teachers, the other reporter, and a room full of students who applaud my entrance. On stage there is a table with two microphones and our two small national flags. Edward silences the crowd and explains I will give a five minute introduction, and then open it up to questions from the audience.

The questions start out with ones I have answered many times before, but there are some new ones too. One student asks what I think about the President Clinton and the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, and I tell her it is a national embarrassment that will have political impact. Another asks if I have gifted students. I explain ALL students have at least one special talent to discover and use to better the world, that some of us are more blessed than others, and therefore, should be challenged more to help the world. I tell them about my gifted program at my Estrella Middle School. The students act surprised when I tell them how many different subjects my students have and how many hours a week they go to school.

A student asks if I think if Ukraine will ever be a strong country like the United States. I tell them to use history as a lesson. US had similar problems and challenges 225 years ago as an infant country. But that through hard work about solutions instead of complaining about problems, the US kept forging ahead, and eventually became a world power. I tell them that Ukraine is blessed with a proud history, many natural resources, and people who have determination in their eyes. I state firmly, “Ukraine will make it someday too! ”

It ends with a loaded question from one of the students. “Do your students have uniforms? ” It turns out that most of the students are opposed to this idea, but that Kamila is considering it. I tell them that my school will pilot uniforms next year after having an 80% approval of parents and students to give it a try. The audience groans a little hearing this news.

The Concert and Yulia

All in all, the exchange goes well, but Edward cuts it off around 3: 00 pm so the concert can begin. It is a small repetition of the Sunday concert, but with some new performances. Irina is the director of this spectacular student production. A nervous eighth grade girl starts out and sings two solos. A Cossack-style dance follows with four boys in black and one girl in red. This is followed by a modern dance ensemble with a darling ten year old girl in a stunning yellow outfit. Another solo, and then the finale – the three Generation dance from Sunday! Once again the moving performance of the girl and boy falling in love over time causes a long tear down my right cheek, as I sit in the front row center seat of honor.

Ten year old Yulia is the hit of the show! What a young star with great stage presence! I am taken to meet her after the performance, take her picture, and get her autograph. I tell her she will go places with her natural dancing talent. I also greet a wonderful boy dancer, Ivan Ostapchuk, and tell him how great he danced, and how similar his surname is to mine. Their choreographer instructor at the school beams in appreciation.

A Meaningful Reception

Before the other students can mob me, Edward and Kamila escort me to Edward’s room for a small reception. The two reporters arrive with their camera man, as do the student videographer who filmed the faculty meeting, and Yulia and Ivan. I take pictures with Yulia and Ivan and give them pens.

The student videographer puts on the tape of yesterday’s faculty meeting, and I watch in fascination. Edward graciously tells me he will make a copy for me to take home or send to me. Eventually, the video volume gets turned down and the reporters press questions on me, Edward, and Kamila. Edward helps me understand what one reporter wants to ask me. “How are Americans and Ukrainians different human beings? ” I tell her that we are more alike than dissimilar. Both cultures have proud traditions of unique cultures of songs, dances, books, music, food, clothes, history, etc, but we also value hard work, families, and what’s best for the future or our children.

I keep elaborating, and soon tears well up in her eyes. She tells me that after today she will have a different attitude of America and Americans. Before meeting me, she states, she thought Americans only cared about money and themselves, but now she is beginning to see that Americans like me, are like them too. She states that there is much to be hopeful for and that we can learn to learn from each other. I impulsively extend a big American hug, to her great surprise, and she cries even more. Later, Edward tells me that in Ukraine it is considered impolite to shake a woman’s hand or initiate a hug, but I guess this time it makes a difference in foreign public relations.

The reporters spy my family albums and ask to see my family photos. The friendly meeting ends with me giving them some old photos of me and my family, and I help Edward put away coffee cups, swirl chocolates, and sweet rolls, and we leave school around 5: 15 pm.

Sunset Walk

What a day! We join two women teachers for the long walk home. They live in the general vicinity of Edward’s flat. It is a gorgeously clear late afternoon, my first, and I take pictures of two children and some goats along the way. We part from the women, and Edward suggests we take a sunset walk along the Sluch River. I agree wholeheartedly!

By the time we reach the river, the sun is too low for any good photos, but I take a chance anyway by shooting the bunker, the bridge, the rapids, the power plant, the woods, and the river valley itself. As sunset begins we walk perhaps two miles along the river in the direction of the Holy Spirit Church. It is on the opposite bank of the river and looms large in the dusky twilight and smoky haze of a nearby fire.

The grasses of Ukraine steppe land are remarkable. Much of the grassy areas look like our best manicured lawns back home. It is easy to understand why Asian nomadic hordes and the Cossacks themselves cherished the once extensive grasslands, and why this Chenozem soil is famous. The black sandy loamy soil in Edward’s garden plot is undoubtedly fertile soil formerly deposited by historic floods of the Sluch. I also see the small tributary that joins near the church and think how all creeks and rivers have helped make this landscape.

Family Home Builders

We swing back through town to a part I had not seen before. We follow poorly paved city roads past individually owned free-standing homes. Edwards tells me that these used to be owned by Communist Party members or military families who enjoyed special favors and salaries. Now they are open to be owned by private citizens. He tells me an average house goes for $10, 000-$15, 000 US, or even less depending on condition. “New Ukrainians” are building their own houses by themselves (there are no builders as yet in smaller towns), but he says it takes about $5000-$10, 000 US in savings for families and relatives to build one - and about three years!

We stop and visit a fellow math teacher who is building his own home. It is about half done and the family is living in what will be a small guest house in the back of the two-story home. This type of family-built home, however, is not tied into the common water supply or electricity. These cost extra. Some home owners even have to drill their own private well. So all in all, Edward explains that it is expensive to build your own home, but for many, it is better than the alternative. For example, Edward relates that he almost had enough money to buy his own flat for $7000, but with the recent devaluation, it now will cost him double, so he will continue to live with his mom for the foreseeable future.

We pass the neighborhood well. There was a long line of people with various kinds of containers. Edward surmises that the water must have been cut off earlier in the evening. Turns out, Edward is correct. There is pipeline construction near the street, but water comes back on line before bedtime.

We finally get back to the apartment around 7: 00 pm. For dinner Valentina has prepared borscht, bread, cheese and flour rolls, and pear soda. I tell Edward and his mom that I am not very hungry, so my portions are more manageable for me tonight. I am beginning to think that maybe I am having a loss of appetite due to my progressing illness. I exercise a lot by walking, but seem to be sweating too much, and have some tenderness in my right ear.

After dinner, Edward shows me old slides of trips he made in the 1980s to Bulgaria, Lithuania, and the ancient former Polish capital city of Lviv, now most famous for its Ukrainian chocolate. He visited these places when he had military friends from his time in the Soviet army. We have a good discussion about what it was like in Soviet times, Independence times, and times since. Finally, tired, I head to the bedroom and journal, and lay my head down around 10: 45 pm. Another jam-packed and memorable day has come to an end!