The fourth party was at some friends' apartment. We came with alcohol and chocolate, the standard requirement when making any sort of visit, and were promptly seated at another table covered with food and drink. Dad, mom and two daughters sat across from my host dad mom and brother. It was a joke filled evening, everything getting funnier or more serious as the horilka shots continued. Natalia is 18 and already in her third year of University. She's a year ahead and Ukrainian high school only has 11 grades. She is studying economics but unfortunately my vocabulary was too limited to figure out what slant she is getting on globalization, capitalism, market economies or federalism. And then I learned that her father, sitting across from me worked for the KGB for 22 years, and knew a lot about America , and worked in Peru for a number of years, so also knew some Spanish. All of my Latin America classes crept into my head and the less than perfect human rights record of both the USA and USSR as we made power plays to exploit strategic alliances and resources while disregarding all moral responsibility in order to gain the upper hand. The cold war was covered in warm blood in Chile, Peru , Argentina, Dominican Republic , Cuba and many others. I really want to talk with him more after some more language experience, and maybe when he's not 6 shots deep. Some of the evening did feel a bit like an interrogation, but that was probably my imagination. He is still a Russian national, and had a lot of trouble speaking pure Ukrainian for me. Then he showed me his expansive stamp collection, a bunch of old rubles, 1909-1950, and explained how before the various devaluations, 5 rubles could buy a few cows, but now they are only worth… He also had collections of Soviet badges and military medals, even giving me a running man pin he had won after winning the 1000m run in KGB training in 3:04 with combat boots, full pack and rifle. Now he works for the border patrol, and that's how he knows my host dad, who is the veterinarian for the german shepards dogs that also work the border. There is a system of guard towers, but no fence, and they explained that part of the requirements for entering the EU include being able to demonstrate orderly emigration/immigration controls and regulations. They said that from Ukraine is currently the easiest way for illegals to get into the EU. Here are some other interesting facts that arose during the evening. Only 20% of Natalia's classmates know how to drive, and even fewer older women, compared with 99% of men. Fondue has made it to Ukraine, chocolate so good. L'viv University's dormitories have segregated male or female halls.
And the celebrations continue. Last night I wend downtown with Andre, met up with his high school friends, and had a relaxing evening playing Durak (Fool) card game. Incredibly, I haven't been the fool yet. I still don't really understand what's going on, or what the strategy is, but I seem to be doing ok. V. Mosty has a center plaza with a Christmas tree and reminds me a lot of the Santa Fe plaza. There is also a good sized park a few blocks away which I am predicting will be nice when the grass comes back.
These are only the New Years celebrations. Christmas is yet to come. Teachers and administrators are working at school, but there is nothing that I can help with yet. I was initially semi-frustrated with no work to do, but now I've really settled down and have started to enjoy the holidays. I can't even remember how to teach at this point. This morning's run was the coldest yet, made my eyes water, and then the tears froze on my eyelashes, but it was nice sunshine sparkling on the snow which I'm convinced now will never melt. I don't remember the last day above freezing, and the snow has started squeaking loudly when walked or run on. Tights under my pants have become so normal that when I go around the house in just sweatpants, I feel rather naked. The wind here blows from the east fairly often, only somewhat interesting except that there is a major coal power plant 18Km to the east, and I doubt it has scrubbers of any sort. Today has a noticeable brown haze. It's so flat here, I can't quite figure out how the river decided which way to flow. The Ukrainian history teacher confirmed that the Synagogue was burned with close to 1000 Jews inside of it. I also read in PC literature that only 3% of the pre-war Ukrainian Jew population remained after WWII.
