This visit to Ukraine is very different from my first visit when I was running all the time and traveling and establishing working relationships with people I wanted to collaborate with. I haven't had to run around so much. It's also been different in that with good internet connection at my apartment, it's been easier to keep in touch with home and keep up with what's going on at church. The apartment I'm in is centrally located; it's convenient: it's just the right size. It's nice to take all the walks that bring me anywhere I want to go within 25-30 minutes. I've spent a lot more time by myself and many days only talk to my waiter at Glossary. He has no idea how much he's done to brighten my world on some days. As I reread that last sentence, it sounds kind of sad, but it isn't really. I've always been a man who does well without a lot of daily human interaction and I'm generally not someone who feels lonely. I think I've had necessary time to think and reflect here to arrive at a plan for the next part of my life. So that part is good. Often we need to reach uncomfortable spots in our lives to do the necessary work.
I have a lunch meeting with Anna at 13:15. She will lend me her usb modem for my trip to Donetsk tomorrow. I hope it will work there. I hate to be without internet. I then have a later meeting to plan some workshops at the local gay alliance. It will be good to see my friends in Donetsk and I'm hoping that my friend from Mariupol can come on Saturday to spend some hours with me. He'll have to take a long bus ride to do that and I appreciate the effort. Whenever I think of Donetsk, I think of Andriy greeting my church on video, saying "hello, kirche in Amerika." It's really a funny clip.
When I come home, I'll never be able to see cabbage without thinking of Ukraine. For many reading this, that doesn't sound pleasant. For me it is very pleasant. Every single day, I have cabbage salad. This time of year it has so few ingredients, finely sliced cabbage, julienned cucumber, a small bit of green onion, fresh dillweed, lemon juice and oil. In spring, it also has julienned radish. At my restaurant, I have it every day. It stopped being on the menu but they make it for me anyway. I wonder if I have developed an addiction to it? Do I need a 12 Step program? We don't use a lot of dillweed in the States, and when we see fresh dill in the market, it usually is with a flower head used for pickling. That's not at all the same thing. Same plant but different time in the life cycle. I have had some wonderful soups this week. Cream of Spinach with the spinach so fresh that the soup is bright green. Buckwheat porridge which isn't porridge but buckwheat cooked like rice. It has a distinct flavor. I had it with chicken meatballs in a tomato sauce. Hearty and good. I even had dessert, Lazy Varenyky (fresh white cheese dumplings served with sour cream and honey). I spend between one and a half and two hours over my dining ritual each day. It's relaxing and I read and watch passers-by. It's probably healthier than scarfing down food!
It's hard to believe I have less than two weeks left here. The time, although not as busy, has gone too fast!
I have a lunch meeting with Anna at 13:15. She will lend me her usb modem for my trip to Donetsk tomorrow. I hope it will work there. I hate to be without internet. I then have a later meeting to plan some workshops at the local gay alliance. It will be good to see my friends in Donetsk and I'm hoping that my friend from Mariupol can come on Saturday to spend some hours with me. He'll have to take a long bus ride to do that and I appreciate the effort. Whenever I think of Donetsk, I think of Andriy greeting my church on video, saying "hello, kirche in Amerika." It's really a funny clip.
When I come home, I'll never be able to see cabbage without thinking of Ukraine. For many reading this, that doesn't sound pleasant. For me it is very pleasant. Every single day, I have cabbage salad. This time of year it has so few ingredients, finely sliced cabbage, julienned cucumber, a small bit of green onion, fresh dillweed, lemon juice and oil. In spring, it also has julienned radish. At my restaurant, I have it every day. It stopped being on the menu but they make it for me anyway. I wonder if I have developed an addiction to it? Do I need a 12 Step program? We don't use a lot of dillweed in the States, and when we see fresh dill in the market, it usually is with a flower head used for pickling. That's not at all the same thing. Same plant but different time in the life cycle. I have had some wonderful soups this week. Cream of Spinach with the spinach so fresh that the soup is bright green. Buckwheat porridge which isn't porridge but buckwheat cooked like rice. It has a distinct flavor. I had it with chicken meatballs in a tomato sauce. Hearty and good. I even had dessert, Lazy Varenyky (fresh white cheese dumplings served with sour cream and honey). I spend between one and a half and two hours over my dining ritual each day. It's relaxing and I read and watch passers-by. It's probably healthier than scarfing down food!
It's hard to believe I have less than two weeks left here. The time, although not as busy, has gone too fast!
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