Monday, October 19, 1998

I have a horrible night’s sleep. It feels like I dreamed all night long. Maybe I am reacting to all the meds I don’t normally take at home. Edward wakes me at 6: 15 am, and I immediately start coughing up lots of stuff again. I pass on taking another bath this morning. I say good morning to Valentina, and sit down to a cheese dumpling, meat cutlet, and cabbage breakfast. The coffee tastes and feels good against my throbbing throat. I want to linger, but Edward says we must hurry. For a small town that should be laid back when compared to a busy American city, everyone here always seems to be in a hurry. We walk at double speed today, and I can barely keep up with Edward’s pace.

Rainy Day Causes Delay

The rain that chased us away from the picnic continued all night long, so the drying trend on the paths and sidewalks the past few days is gone. So it’s back to mud and puddles again. We dodge them as best we can, and arrive at his school. Edward wants me to teach his seventh grade class today for ten minutes. I decide to teach them the three physiographic regions of Arizona, and they enthusiastically enjoy it.

Then Galina arrives. I am to go with her to Gymnasium School #1. Because it is the advanced school, students must pass a test and show aptitude for special classes like academics, crafts, choreography of all kinds, and computer technology to enter. This is the only school in town with Internet.

Galina escorts me in a steady rain. I had forgotten my umbrella, so she decides to take me to her nearby flat to get one for me. She lives on floor 7, but the elevator only goes to floor 9, so we have to walk down two flights. We get the umbrella, and re-emerge in the downpour. She decides we better take the bus and not walk to School #1. However, when we get off, she realizes she made a mistake. We are at School #5, not #1. She is uncertain which way we should go, and needs to ask directions three times. We trek through muddy alleys, but finally arrive sweaty, wet, and muddy from our rain soaked forced march. This is certainly not helping my illness any, and I feel myself fading fast.

School #1 Concert

We are ten minutes late for their opening welcoming assembly for me, and we are somewhat embarrassed. The principal is not there – his mother-in-law had recently died – so the Asst. Principal rushes us to the assembly gathering. The gym is packed with children, standing room only. I am amazed. Many speeches are made, and I am placed dead center between two microphones on stage. Then it is my turn to speak. Galina has not translated for me before a large audience, and I try to go slow enough for her. But we have not worked together like I have with Edward, and she sometimes has a hard time getting across what I am saying. She feels frustrated. It is certainly not her fault, but she feels like she has let me down a little, I think. While I am trying to make her feel OK, all at once I am showered with ten large bouquets! I can’t possibly carry them all, and only take one with me for Edward’s mom, and give one to Galina.

I am told that the students are going on to their classes, and I am asked to quickly choose what class I would most like to visit. I pick a third grade geography class which actually turns out to be having an astronomy lesson today. I give the teacher a blow up globe as a thank-you present.

Then it is time for lunch already. I eat with Galina and a school representative. There is too much food as usual, and I do my best. Then before we are done eating, we are hurriedly taken to a concert. I am seated in the middle of the front row with Galina. Students from grades 2 -10 perform various folk and modern dances. They are quite entertaining! This country certainly values dance and costuming.

After the wonderful concert, we are taken to the principal’s office where I give out my silver coins, Arizona flag pins, and my Cartwright District #83 pens. They in turn present me with student work – a wooden frame, a Lesya Ukrainka Basque relief, an embroidered towel, a necklace, and a Ukrainian book about its history.

Then a university freshman from Kyiv, named Olena, wants to interview me for its student newspaper. The town’s news reporter also wants to interview me tomorrow around noon, and I give her a photo of Kathy for the article. I tell her that this request may be a schedule problem because Edward is supposed to take me to a nearby monastery. Then I spy a computer and ask if it has Internet connection. They say yes, and for the first time since I have been here, I am able to send Kathy and Claire a message! They must be worried I have not contacted them before now.

Galina’s Flat

The school wants me to stay for a high school scholastic competition, but Galina wants me to visit her flat, relax, and meet her husband after he gets off work. So we say our goodbyes around 2: 30 pm, and walk and bus our way to her apartment building near School #11. She lives in one of the new towers that was built in 1994 after Germany was reunited and troops were brought home. Because her husband is in the military, they own their flat. It is modern looking with new appliances, flooring, etc. She has it nicely furnished including rugs on the wall.

Her husband does not show up until very late, around 9: 00 pm and long after we eat, so in the meantime I visit with their daughter Olena who is six years old. She is still in kindergarten here – every grade is off by one year and age as compared to the United States. While Galina prepares dinner, I play “rock, paper, scissors” with Olena. It turns out they have the same game, but instead of rock, they use “needle.” I never do figure out what beats what. We laugh and enjoy the game together. I have seven younger brothers and sisters so I am comfortable engaging Olena in play.

Galina puts out a wonderful meal. She prepares some traditional dishes. We have cabbage, green borscht, tomatoes, sausage, cheese, potatoes, and lake fish her husband caught. We also toast vodka many times. I learn from her that in Ukraine 1^st toast is for “general good wishes, ” 2^nd toast is for “special wishes of the people toasting, ” 3^rd wish is for the Trinity (“God loves 3”), and 4^th toast is for the people again (2x2=4), and so on as the cycle repeats itself.

She shows me her personal family albums after dinner. She was in similar Soviet youth groups as Edward was. She went to the university in Zhytomyr, where she continued her school days relationship with her future husband. He decided to join the Soviet military as a career over seven years ago.

Their first tour of duty was remote Lake Baikal in central Siberia. She says she hated it there, which surprised me because geographically it is one of the world’s most unique places, and one place I have on my wish list to visit before I die! I find it very ironic that my narrative essay about Lake Baikal on my application helped me get selected to go to Russia in 1996 with the Geographic Alliance.

When she got pregnant with Olena, she insisted they return home, and they did. She states that the train ride on the Trans Siberian Railroad took five days! I get the feeling that she is tired of the military life and wants things to be less hectic.

Tanya’s Flat

About 6: 00 pm we go across the apartment complex to another tower to meet a woman named Tanya and her daughter Julia. Tanya is a friend of Galina and a lawyer. Her mother recently moved to Santa Barbara, California to live with her nephew. She will join them in 1 ½ years, so she asks me questions about California, Arizona, and the United States in general. She gives me a letter to take and mail to her mother when I get back to the States. She insists I take some pictures to also send to her mother. I promise I will.

Tanya also has a large feast displayed for us to eat. I try my best to be a good guest, but mostly pick at my food over the course of the two hour visit. She serves us a special Napoleon cake. All in all, it is a very special evening with two gracious hostesses and their daughters.

However, at one point before dessert, Julia accidently knocks over one of her mom’s wine glasses. She is mortified! She flees the room, and breaks down in huge sobs. She refuses to come back and be with us. Finally, I decide to go to her, hug her and tell her it is all right. She resists at first, relaxes, cries her heart out, then composes herself and returns. She sits smiling the rest of the evening. Later, Julia and Olena present me with an autographed oil painting, complete with my name misspelled. It is a typical student composed painting, but it will always have a special place in my memories of Ukraine.

A Misunderstanding

Finally, Galina’s husband arrives from work. We go back to their flat and visit for awhile. He is tired and the night is late, so the ladies decide it is time for me to go back to Edward’s place. They walk back with me because it is still raining heavily, dark outside on the walk, and I have my heavy gift bags, now made even heavier with all my new gifts from School #1. I greatly appreciate their help as my energy continues to weaken with my illness and lateness of the hour.

It turns out that Edward called Tanya around 8: 30 pm wondering where I was. Here I was being entertained, and Edward was not sure what had happened to me after leaving School #1. The ladies try to explain, but I can tell that Edward has been very worried what happened to me. I think he is somehow been left out of the loop tonight. I present the bouquet of flowers I saved for Valentina, and she acknowledges with a nod. I feel I am in trouble for unknowingly worrying them. I had thought the evening I had just spent with the ladies was pre-arranged. Guess I am mistaken, and I try to apologize to them for the misunderstanding. But it is an awkward moment for us all.

I go to my room to compose myself and to journal a little. I am feeling really achy. Then Edward comes to my room and asks, “Do you know where you money is? ” I answer yes, and verify that all my US money is there. Then he says, “What about your Ukrainian money? ” I finally realize what he is asking me. Earlier, I had asked Valentina to do a little laundry for me –two shirts, pajamas, a few pairs of socks, and my jeans. I realize now that I must have left my clip of Ukrainian money in my jeans, and she must have found it when she did the washing. Indeed, she shows me ironed bills on the window sill. I am appropriately contrite, apologize profusely for causing them both unnecessary concern today, and feelings smooth over. I hope that this is the worse situation that ever occurs while I am here, and head to bed with no bath tonight.

It is 10: 45 pm and the city has finally turned on the heat to the apartments. Yay! My room is definitely warming up – maybe around 55F now. I lie down, but cannot sleep. It seems like I toss and turn all night, or do I sleep and dream I am awake?