Day One in Kiev

I began my day with two challenges to overcome: to buy food and find my package from Hope at the post office with no tracking number.

Since all the menus at the restaurants and cafes are in Russian (with no pictures), I thought it would be best to find a grocery store. I stopped several different women to ask them but no one spoke English so I had to resort to charades. You have no idea how humbling it is to try to act out finding food on a shelf, buying it, and then eating it. The first lady had no idea what I was trying to say and just walked away and the second lady understood but then gave me directions in Russian which I didn't understand. So I decided to wander around to see if I might have any luck. Two minutes into my wandering, I found a place with various food vendors inside. Challenge number one accomplished.

I went to the central post office and no one spoke English but after I motioned to them that I didn't want to send a package but receive one, I was given another address. Luckily, I found a guy who spoke some English and he was able to tell me what metro stop to get off on. When I arrived there was no package and I was told to call the next day (though I have no idea how because they don't speak English and I don't speak Russian). When I arrived at my place, I had a package slip stuck in the door. I returned to the central post office, where it had been the whole time. Challenge number two accomplished.

Some interesting observations. PDA is completely okay here...and a bit disturbing. The underground crossways are a great place for couples to find some time for a little intimacy before they go on their way. However, nothing prepared me to witness some young teenagers "attempting" to have sex in one of the dark corners. I thought it would be a great picture for my blog, but I refrained from capturing the moment. Another interesting observation was an outside cafe that gave their customers blankets. You would think that people would choose to sit inside instead of sharing their romantic dinner with their loved one in an outside courtyard wrapped in a blanket.

My Arrival in Kiev

I was picked up by the "driver" of the company that organized my housing. He was a tall lanky young guy, who seemed a bit nervous or just a bit socially awkward. He had been waiting a while for me because I was helping Mai get through passport control. So with a big smile, he took one of my bags and off we went to his VW van. I practically had to run to keep up with him. He kept trying to make conversation and told me about his trips to Germany...he was a bit discouraged that I didn't speak German and confessed his love for big German vehicles. So far I'm fascinated by the city and I'm looking forward to exploring tomorrow. However, tonight, a good night's rest is calling my name.

I Have No Idea What You Are Saying

This is what I kept repeating over and over today as I had a TEN HOUR layover in Moscow. First of all, I'm usually pretty good about details so how did I fail to notice that I would have a ten hour layover? Anyway, I landed in Moscow at 7am. I couldn't leave the airport because I didn't have a visa and I was dressed for the hot humid weather in Hanoi. It was going to be a long 10 hours in the airport.

So I get off the plane and follow the signs to transfer/transit. When I arrive, it is crowded with people with just a few airport staff present. Everyone is standing around without being processed in order to move out of the foyer into passport control. I went up to one of the ladies behind the counter to ask her where exactly I was supposed to be and she kept telling me things in Russian, which I obviously couldn't understand. When I tried to explain in English and motion to her that I had no idea what she was saying. She rolled her eyes and motioned me to sit over on the side. So, I waited another two hours, going up to different people and all of them telling me things in Russian and motioning me to sit in the waiting area. I felt like people didn't like me very much and I didn't do anything!

I happened to see a girl who looked as lost as I was. She was Vietnamese; I recognized her from my flight. I asked her in Vietnamese where she was going and she told me she was on her way to see her mother in Kiev. She was also having trouble understanding how we were to get from the transit lounge to the terminal. She didn't speak Russian or English, so I tried my best to find out answers for the both of us and trying to translate it back into Vietnamese. Finally at about 10 am (3 hours later), I happened to find someone who spoke English and she was able to issue the tickets we needed to enter the terminal area.

So for 10 hours, Mai and I, tried to pass the time away. It was good for my Vietnamese language practice and it made the time go by quicker. Mai is 21 and I was so surprised that she was traveling alone. She was a little nervous traveling by herself so it was good that we bumped into one another so that we could go through the whole process together.

She was on a flight that left an hour and a half earlier than mine so we said our goodbyes in Moscow. However, when I arrived in Kiev I found Mai with tears in her eyes stuck at passport control. She explained that they had taken her passport and she had no idea what was happening. The poor girl. She had no idea what was going on but only that they wouldn't let her out of the airport and she had no way to contact her mother. I tried to find someone to explain what the problem was and finally figured out that they feared that she wouldn't return to Vietnam because she had an open ended return. However, we were able to get a hold of her mother and things were worked out. I waited with her until they finally processed all her paperwork and thank God, finally let her go through.

Jose

Sportin' New Wheels

I'm hoping that my bad motorized vehicular karma has seen its end and that I might be able to keep this one for a while.

A French Rock Concert

The interesting things that I find myself doing while living in Hanoi.

Meeting the Future In-Laws

I went to Vinh, a city about 5 and half hours south of Hanoi, to meet the future in-laws. Fortunately, they weren’t mine. My good friend, Ngan, asked me to be there with her for the moral support as she traveled to meet the family of her boyfriend. This visit is part of the engagement process of every Vietnamese couple. This meeting determines whether the parents will allow the relationship to continue or force it to stop so there is a lot of pressure.

As we entered the house, I became the main attraction…like a special freak show. While the mom and granny caressed my body to see whether or not it felt the same as theirs, Ngan charmed the rest of the family. She was great and they would be insane not to have been impressed by her. I was glad that I could be there for such an important event in my friend’s life and now we have another special memory to reminisce on later in life.