Around the Bend

Yesterday we were driving in Kyiv, not far from the US Embassy when the road was suddenly closed ahead.  My GPS led me around another way.  One thing about living abroad, you never know what's around the next bend!  This is Kyiv, folks!

A Case of Ineffeciency

School was out.  For a change, I was the one making a quick jaunt to the grocery store.  Elizabeth asked how long it would take for us to get there and I replied, “Just two minutes.”  In actuality, it took about an hour and half or maybe even two.

Traffic was heavy on the ring road and there was the usual confusion of who belongs where on a 4-lane road without lines, parked cars on the right, and commuter busses pulling out into traffic.   A jam was forming around the entrance to the big grocery store, Auchan.  The taxi in front of me stopped but I didn’t.  I bumped his bumper.  We were hardly moving, which was a good thing, but it was enough for my license plate to touch up against his bumper.  And so there we stopped.  And there we stayed – blocking traffic and just adding to the chaos.

The red van is parked. We blocked the next lane being used as a turn lane into the grocery store.

The taxi driver got out for a look and started calling someone.  I got out for a look and started calling George.  Next, the taxi no longer had a taxi light on top of the car.  Even after 16 years in Ukraine, I still didn’t assume anything odd about that.  I attributed it to the fact he was no longer available to take customers.  A friend later revealed it was more likely he was driving a taxi without a license and wanted to hide any evidence from the police.  Just goes to show, my upbringing of “innocent until proven guilty” is firmly implanted.

Okay, so we both take some pictures and George sends our friend, Pasha, to come help me since he’s out in another village a good 45 minutes away.  The taxi driver asks me if we’re going to sit there until morning.  I said I had no idea.  He wanted me to pay him some money.  Without moving his car forward even an inch, there was no way to tell if there was a mark on his bumper or not.  We have insurance so I thought we might as well let this thing play itself out.  The taxi driver called the police.  About 45 minutes since the accident occurred, Pasha and a police car arrive on the scene at about the same time.  Pasha took over communicating with the police officers who primarily sat in their patrol car and wrote up paperwork. 

Pasha took a look at the dashcam I have to see what happened.  That’s when he got the suspicion that the other driver wasn’t really a taxi driver.  Pasha wrote up my testimony and I scribbled on a line that stated it was my testimony.  The police confiscated my driver’s license and gave me a temporary one.  After the police had taken some pictures and measured distances, we were allowed to move our cars off the road.  A little bit later, signatures here and there, and we were good to go.

 

It's hard to see the damage because we're not sure there is any.

There may some scratches but it's hard to tell if it's just the dirt.

I waited for a week before the text message came from the court telling me when to appear before the judge.   The appointment was slated for one week later at 8:25am.  Thankfully, George was available to go with me.

It was a stressful morning as the typical 20-minute or less drive into town took an hour and we were late for the appointment.  I telephoned but no one answered. We found a parking place right outside the courthouse and passed through the unattended security booth.  A cleaning lady gave us directions on where to go.  Up two flights of stairs, a small group of people lined the hallway.  We found the door with the judge’s name on it and found out from those in line that we would be admitted according to our appointment time and they were running about 20 minutes behind.  [Sigh of relief.]  When my turn came, we went into the first room with the secretaries and then through another door to the judge’s office which looked identical to every government office I’ve ever been in.  Two desks pushed against each other with one chair at the end for the guest.  The windows opened onto a major Kyiv city street, muffling the judge’s voice.  I leaned in to understand better.  She asked if I spoke Ukrainian and I said Russian was better.  After a couple of sentences, it was clear that she was more comfortable in Ukrainian and she turned to George, hoping he’d be able to understand and translate.  He offered to help.  The judge confirmed my identity and then asked me if the police had told me my rights and the charge.  Both of which I had not been informed of.  She briefly summarized with a cursory glance at a law book.  The charge: I failed to keep a safe distance between cars.  Did I accept the charge?  Yes, I did.  She said I’d need to return a week later to pick up the court decision and bring back proof that I paid the $15 fine at a bank.  She scribbled the address of the police station where I could pick up my driver’s license after receiving the court decision.

 

The courthouse

A picture of the courthouse from Google - obviously the building's been painted and is looking better now.

When we returned for the court decision, we didn’t know where to go.  The judge’s office was locked shut.  George asked in a few other offices where to go and we found our way to the back end of the courthouse and up an old flight of stairs to room #17.  Broken and unwanted cabinets stood outside the door at the top.  Cardboard covered a hole in the landing.  We asked the lone man sitting in the tan vinyl chair if there was a line.  He wasn’t sure how the system worked so George inquired inside and we were told to wait until the lady at the far end was finished with her patron.  When he left, we entered.  Surprisingly, she was very helpful, made two copies of our bank receipt, and directed us to return to the judge’s office for the decision.  When we told her it was locked, she went herself to take a look.  Another worker on the second floor confirmed that no one was there.  The lady from room #17 was a bit disturbed that the judge’s secretary wasn’t there and told us to return the next day.  Even though it wasn’t a receiving day, the judge’s secretary should be there and would give us the paper we needed. 

 

The landing before room #17

Stacks of papers and an old cabinet before the door of room #17

You can see the covered hole in the landing. 

The staircase to room #17

Some of the unwanted cabinets outside room #17

The next day we passed through the security booth after giving a picture ID and went up to the judge’s office.  The secretary immediately looked through a pile of papers and pulled out mine, had me sign it, and then took it back downstairs to the other end of the courthouse, down another hallway.  We lost track of him and returned to the foyer to wait.  It appeared he was doing this step on his own.  He found us and tried using a bit of English to tell us we could take this paper to the police station and receive my license back.  We’d need to come back a week later to get the final court decision after the appeal period was over.  Who was going to appeal a guilty plea?  I guess that didn’t matter. 

A week later we returned to the courthouse.  Again the judge’s office was locked so we went to room #17 to see if the final decision was available there.  After waiting a while, George inquired inside whom to ask for the final decision and we were directed to the man in the back, next to the lady we hand spoken to the week before.  He found my paperwork in a tied bundle of other cases on the shelves, had me sign my name on a slip of paper, and gave me a copy of the decision.  The next instructions were to go to room #20 for the stamp.  THE STAMP!  Nothing in Ukraine is official without THE STAMP!  Deeper into the bowels of the courthouse we went to room #20.  The lady inside said the one and only person with the stamp was not there.  We would need to wait.  We waited for quite some time until the man came back.  I brought my paper to him and asked for a stamp.  With great authority, he stamped the decision. 

Off we went to the insurance company to turn in a copy of the court decision.  They made a photocopy and said that’s all we needed to do.   It was finished! 

Two trips to the insurance office, four trips to the courthouse, one trip to bank, one trip to the police station.  A lot of time spent waiting.  Hopefully there’s never a next time, but if there is, we’ll know how much time it’ll take to deal with the official channels.  Considering how inefficient the court is, maybe it’ll be worth it to just give some money to the other driver?

Houses of Ukraine

Friday was perfect weather for our excursion (I love how ELL word choices influence my own use of English) to the National Museum of Ukrainian Architecture and Culture.  We enjoyed the opportunity to visit so many regions of Ukraine all in the span of a few hours.  Remarkably, the houses are from the 1960s and 70s.  They seemed much older to us but knowing this was the Soviet Union at that time puts it in perspective.  Unfortunately, not all the houses were open for inside tours.  We'll have to go back again!

George used such a wood-heated shower during his year internship in Nagydobrony.

The furniture is so familiar!

I love the wood-stove and electric vent above it.

Cossack farm - there was even a baby sleeping on a hay bed in one of the outbuildings. :) This farm was prior to the 1960s.

George was impressed how the wood panels were each one long piece.

Optimism by Candlelight

Optimism by Candlelight

Christmas vacation now greets me at last

May grading and teaching be a thing of the past

My alarm clock is off; I’m ready to rest

Will this Christmas twist be all for the best?

Twelve o’clock, eight o’clock here once again

The winter-time black-outs are set to begin

The house turns all quiet; the candles are lit

There’s nothing to do but sit still for a bit.

Laundry and dishes, computer and Wii

All are turned off to conserve energy

What do we do? This disrupts all our plans

We’re not so accustomed to giving up our demands.

So let’s try something different and pull out a book

Who knows what we’ll discover if we just take a look

Come gather ‘round, let’s play a new game

The lights are now out; we’ll have fun all the same.

Living in a Country at War

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Ukraine at war.  Ukrainians are a peaceful people.  In fact, one of my greatest frustrations over the years has actually been their passivity.  Coming from a culture of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps", I couldn't understand why the Ukrainian people seemed content to be the doormat of corrupt officials in every realm of life.  Talk about dysfunction!  I wondered what it would take for Ukrainians to stand up for themselves.

Then it happened, the "Revolution of Dignity," and I was dumbfounded.  They actually had had enough and were not going to take it anymore.  I couldn't have been prouder of Ukrainians than I was back in February.   Knowing that it took huge courage and a defiance of hundreds of years of culturally-ingrained passivity, what the Ukrainians accomplished on Maidan is a testimony to their strength, unity, and deep-rooted desire to live in a country that values transparency, justice, and the opportunity to pursue a better life.

Ukrainians want to live peacefully with one another and with their neighbors.  They don't go looking for trouble.  That's why what happened on Maidan is not what is happening in the East.  Countless evidence proves that the war raging in the regions of Dontesk and Lughansk is due to the direct influence of Russians.  There are multiple theories and explanations as to why Putin does not want to see Ukraine prosper under European-values.  It's complicated and I'm not about to get into that.

So, here we are.  A successful revolution behind us and a war before us.  Reports are becoming, once again, increasingly alarming with rumors (or more than rumors) of an "invasion" by Russian forces, perhaps under the guise of a "peace-keeping mission".  What does it mean for us living in Kyiv?

Up to now we haven't been impacted by the unrest in the east.  Our lives have settled back into normal.  Our evacuation box has been unpacked.  I haven't been obsessed with reading the news or trying to guess Putin's next moves. I started feeling comfortable with planning for the foreseeable future. Concern that school would close its doors or that we would be forced to live somewhere else has ceased. I am tired of those scenarios.  I'm tired of uncertainty.

But the future of Ukraine is far from certain.  Destruction and death have already devastated much of the eastern part of Ukraine.  Tens of thousands of people have fled.  How far will it spread? When will it end?  How can peace be restored? Will this war soon effect us personally?

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; 

do not fret when people succeed in their ways, 

when they carry out their wicked schemes....

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; 

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.  

The LORD helps them and delivers them; 

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, 

because they take refuge in him." 

- Psalm 37:7,39-40

Holding Our Breath

Four weeks from today,  May 25, is the day everyone is waiting for.  We hold our breath hoping and praying that the country will make it one more month.  In 28 days Ukraine will hold it's post-revolution presidential elections since Yanukovych's corrupt presidency was toppled back in February.  This election holds potential for putting the country on a transparent and democratic track.  This election "may be the most important election in Ukrainian history" according to Vice President Biden.  The 100-plus citizens killed on Maidan paid the highest price so that Ukraine could forge a future free of corruption.  This election marks the beginning of that price not being in vain.

This is the future that Putin does not want to happen.  The insurgency in the east is a direct result of his interference.  He seems to be lapping at the chance to invade under the guise of a "peace-keeping" mission.

Next weekend is the first of two major holidays in May.  May Day is celebrated on May 1 and 2 and Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of World War II, is celebrated by the Soviet victors on May 9.  These holidays are expected to be greeted by an increase in insurgent-provoked violence.  Putin's goal is make the eastern and probably southern regions as unstable as possible so that the elections cannot be held there or at least be deemed illegitimate.  There is a fear he may even invade in order to accomplish the same goal.

So, it sounds like life in the capital city of Kyiv would be in turmoil.  With all that is going on - historic presidential elections, insurgency, threat of invasion, impending war - you'd think we would be stressed.  However, life goes on as normal.  School is open.  The scenario of a month ago, when the school received daily updates from the US embassy on the safety of holding school and we had evacuation constantly in the back of our mind, is not today's scenario.  With three and a half weeks left of school, I actually think we might finish this school year!  I don't know why I'm not stressed or alarmed by the news headlines I read.  It seems people in the west are more concerned than I am.  Maybe the headlines are more sensational to read there.  Yes, it's true things in the country are not good, but here in Kyiv everything is calm.  I don't think I would be saying that if I lived in the east, but in the center of the country life goes on as normal. 

We just hold our breath and pray "normal" carries on for another month.

Whirlwind

Events are happening SO FAST in Ukraine that I feel we're living in a whirlwind.  The teeter-totter of my previous post has now been caught up in a tornado.  If I were to try and list all the events of the past ten days it would take pages.  You can read it all in the news - especially now that the West is finally reporting it.  What you won't read is how it effects us.

Fires set to hinder police from shooting. Photo: Ильи Варламова, zyalt.livejournal.com.

Since late-November, we have become avid readers of Ukrainian news.  Hardly an hour went by that we weren't checking the news.  During the most violent and troublesome days we never walked away from it.  George even had three TV sources running simultaneously.  (Not one of them was CNN and if you know George, that means something.)  I would often wake up at night and check the news on my cell phone to see if the protest camps had been stormed yet.  It was hard to fall into a deep sleep.

A common goodbye greeting became, "Stay safe."

Priest mediates as Special Forces take aim. Photo: Segei Supinski/Getty Images

We were hesitant to plan for the future.  I have been wanting to take my 5th graders to the World War II museum in downtown Kyiv, but keep putting it off until "things are calmer."  I would like to make plans for our summer vacation, but I can't say with any certainty where we would be departing from.  Lesson planning has turned into a dual-scenario plan - one for if the school doors are open and one for if they are closed.  All materials need to be scanned so that students can study from their homes or other evacuation locations. 

Shields do little against sniper-fire. Photo: Reuters/Stringer

We were shocked and appalled to watch on live TV the wounding and killing of nearly 100 unarmed people just a few miles from our home.  We shielded the children as much as possible and on Friday evening, when the funerals began on the TV, we tucked the kids into bed, sat on the couch and wept. 

The spectrum of our emotions felt like they had been garbled in a blender.  We cried at the death of so many.  We rejoiced at the positive changes in political powers.  We laughed at the absurdity of the former-president's statements.  We cringed at the opulence of the president's mansion.  We hoped for a better future for Ukraine.  We feared the wrath of Russia. 

Independence Square, "The Maidan". Photo: AP Photo | Efrem Lukatsky

Although we have never felt in imminent danger, there is a constant underlying uncertainty.  It is this uncertainty and the subsequential need to stay on top of the developments so that we know if our uncertainty has turned into danger or not, that led us to take a few days in Budapest, Hungary to "depressurize".  School was closed February 19-26 with "online" schooling in operation so we visited our friends, Dick and Carolyn Otterness, in Budapest for 3 days.  It was a much needed change of environment! 

On our way out of Ukraine we encountered a civilian patrol checking passports before the entrance of the airport.  They were checking for corrupt politicians trying to flee the country. In Budapest our plane was checked for explosives by dogs and mirrors.  Our airport shuttle-bus got a police escort to the terminal and we had an extra passport control before we could even enter the building. We've flown many times but never had this kind of attention before!

Now, here we are 10 days after police started shooting at unarmed protestors.  The world's attention is on Crimea and Ukraine's provinces to the east.  Russia has already invaded the southern peninsula of Crimea and I don't think anyone will stop it.  My fear is mostly for the eastern cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv.  Will the world watch as Putin invades further into Ukraine?  How far will he go?

I guess we can't unpack that evacuation box after all.  The whirlwind is still spinning.

Teeter-Totter

Surreal. Paradox. Uncertain. These are words that I've heard the past few days to describe what it's like living a political crisis.  February 17 seems to be the day that could tip the uneasy balance.  But in some sense every day holds just as much potential.  Tensions are so high and the stakes are even higher.  One Ukrainian told me yesterday, "Whoever loses goes to prison.  There's nothing left to lose so I don't see a way out without conflict."  All along I've wondered what would be the peaceful resolution.  Does such an option exist?

So, what is it like to live as a normal person in Kyiv today?  Well, nothing really changes.  Our kids arrange sleep-overs.  We do Saturday morning chores.  George writes a sermon for tomorrow.  And then again, life is different.  We often check news sources for signs of any change.  We keep our car's tanks above half full.  We have prepared an evacuation plan and have a box of important documents ready to go. 

At school kids were given a day off (two for high school) so that teachers could prepare "Directed Independent Learning" in the event school has to close.  We planned two weeks of such lessons and are supposed to be ready from the first day school closes. 

Will the tensions dissolve away?  Will conflict start?  I have no idea.  One moment it looks like one scenario could become a reality.  The next moment the other.  I'm grateful for the "normalcy" of this present moment, but it is uneasy not knowing what the next hour, day, week, or month may hold. 

Ukrainian History in the Making

Day 46 of Ukrainian protests.  Today I experienced "EuroMaidan" in person.  With our friends from Mukachevo, we went downtown and parked at the end of barricaded Kreshchatyk Street. There were a cluster of police questioning a man by the entrance to the first barricade.  They drew the presence of additional opposition security forces (young men with wooden sticks).  We took a quick picture of the barricade and entered the barricaded area, not wanting to linger too long.

Outside the first barricade

Directly inside the barricaded area is a mock tribunal of President Yanukovych.

Yanukovych is seated on a golden toilet, which apparently he has one of in his presidential mansion.

The street is lined with tents put up by people from different regions of Ukraine.  We took a picture of the tent from Zakarpatya, our former region of 15 years.

Tent from Zakarpatya Region of Ukraine

There are very interesting people to see, such as Cossacks, and people warming themselves by fires.  In fact, the whole center smells of burning wood.

And who are those strange people?

Before the second barricade

After passing through a second barricade you enter the true "Maidan".  Here a stage is set up with a constant flow of speakers and singers.  The now famous "Christmas tree" stands in the square.  This metal frame was the reason the government gave for the first police raid, stating the city needed the square cleared of the peaceful protestors so it could set up the Christmas tree.  Now it's covered with political banners and flags from around the world.

Yogi, what are you doing here?

Independence Square now known simply as "Maidan", which is "square" in Ukrainian

The stage

A prayer tent set up behind the stage.  Apparently, every day is started with prayer from the stage and the tent has a constant flow of people who come to pray for Ukraine.

The prayer tent

There is a wall of kindle labeled with places from which people have come.  The kids took a picture beside the piece labeled Mukachevo.

No one knows what the future holds for Ukraine, but this is certainly a point in time that will go down in Ukrainian history books.  And we can say "We were there."

Experiencing a Revolution

Well, this is certainly a first for me.  The last revolution in Ukraine, the Orange Revolution, happened in 2004 while we were in the States on home service.  This time around things are different.  We are not only in Ukraine but living on the outskirts of Kyiv, the center of all the action. 

Today was the first day that we have been personally effected since the protests started on November 21.  Today our school was canceled. 

Events are changing rapidly and we have no idea what can happen.  I am impressed, however, at the stamina of the Ukrainian people to face freezing temperatures, snow, threats of reprisal, and brutal police attacks.  If ever there was a chance for change in Ukraine, now is it. 

Useful links with information explaining the current events in Ukraine:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/12/09/this-one-map-helps-explain-ukraines-protests/

LIVE UPDATES: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/euromaidan-rallies-in-ukraine-live-updates-333360.html 

This video gives a brief synopsis of the reasons behind the protests.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/world/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-ukrainian-protests/2013/12/05/ca25dd6c-5dbf-11e3-95c2-13623eb2b0e1_video.html 

On Call

After a day (or make it a week) like this I begin to think I chose the wrong profession.  I should really have an M.D. or R.N. after my name. 

Most Ukrainians I know rush to the doctor at the first sign of a cold.  Pharmacies are on nearly every street corner and practically any drug you want can be purchased without a prescription.  Nevertheless most people admit that many doctors have bought their degrees and many of the medicines in the pharmacies are fakes or ineffective because of improper handling.  That's where I come in.  I have a book on my shelf, Where There Is No Doctor, (which I've fondly renamed Where There Are No Good Doctors).  I also have access to information in English on the internet and a sister who does have a few of those letters after her name (and she actually studied for those credentials).  This is what makes me "qualified" to answer all sorts of questions.

Sunday a mom at church tells me about her two year who was very sick during the night with a high fever, rapid breathing, cough, and what sounds like retracting.  They didn't take her to the hospital because I guess they're afraid that with it being a weekend there are no doctors in and they'll just be sent home (they tell me it's happened before). I promise to come over with some of the medicine I have for Matthew's asthma.  When I arrive I count her shallow breaths at 40 a minute.  She no longer has a fever and her cough has calmed down.  I use my nebulizer but the albuterol is 10 months expired and doesn't have much effect.  I think she could have bronchitis.  I leave them with some albuterol and a baby spacer and teach them how to administer it.  I also give them a steroid suppository to use in an emergency.  Before leaving, I write down the medicines she's taking in order to check the ingredients and dosage on the internet.  It turns out that the one medicine has a concoction of antibiotic, expectorant and something else I could never figure out what.  The amount of antibiotic was 12 times less than what a minimum dose should be - but just right for building up a resistance to antibiotics and creating "superbugs". 

The next morning I call to check on her.  She's better but still breathing fast.  I had talked to my sister for 40 minutes that morning and together we had come up with a plan.  My sister told me how to listen to her lungs with a stethoscope, what sounds might indicate what illness, and what antibiotic and dosage she should be on if antibiotics are needed at all.  I decide to leave the kids with some school work to do on their own and walk on over.  I listen to her lungs and can hear a wheeze. I bring with me a different albuterol inhaler and spacer and give her that.  It makes a marked improvement in her breathing.  Since she's definitely improving and walking in sub-freezing temperatures isn't the best thing for her, I recommend that she use the inhaler every 4 hours.  The mom agrees.  By the next morning she's completely fine.  She probably has a bit of asthma since this a repeated problem but now they have a spacer and inhaler to treat it with.  I'm quite positive the doctor would have prescribed antibiotics which wouldn't have helped at all.

Today was a busy day of being "on call".  An acquaintance called asking me about her sister-in-law's baby who is 2 1/2 weeks old and not gaining weight.  Another friend called asking if I knew what to do for her 7 year old son who stuck his tongue to a frozen pipe and now it's white and swollen.  Another friend discussed with me her 2 year old's symptoms which sound like a urine infection.  Yesterday we gave advice about how to treat gout.

It really would be useful if I was trained to answer such questions.  It's sad that all too often I know more (or can at least find out) than the doctors who really do have those letters after their names.