Saturday May 26, 2007

Saturday May 26, 2007

 

You are reading this later because of lack of internet connectivity in beautiful Slvansk—sorry.

 

Man, it's HOT---I mean really hot. In the mid 90s with a dry dust and "Fuzzy" filled breeze. "Fuzzys"? Yes, "Fuzzys". It seems the Soviets thought that by planting poplar trees they could reduce smog as poplar's are great O2 producers (I do not know if that is sound botany, but it's what we were told). We Do know that they are also great "Fuzzy" producers and for a month each year the air and ground are filled with the cottony puffballs. They stick everywhere--- up your nose, in your eyes, cover your hair... You can't brush them off—they smear and stick. "Fuzzy" accumulation is about an inch and a half on the orphanage grounds.. very pretty—but not much fun when you inhale a bunch of them and cough for a few hours trying to hack them up. (sorry to be graphic).—back to the heat. We were very smart to take the room with AC for an extra $10 a night. The poor folks in the non air-conditioned rooms look miserable (they all keep the doors open to try to cool off a bit). The hotel is a wonderful oasis for us.  

 

Outside we see lots of people wearing shorts (in a culture that really does not believe in them) Everyone is in sandals and it is a nation of baseball hats. (we don't look that out of place after all). Mornings and evenings are wonderful—the heat of the day is not!

 

We were up this morning at 8 and headed to the Rynok to get some groceries. (The Rynok   is a giant open air market where you can buy everything from shoes, to bread to coloring books—much like a SuperWal-mart without the roof (and the meat and dairy departments have no refrigeration)). We got some shampoo, hand lotion, bananas for the kids at the orphanage, cheese and a wonderful 40 cent snack-- it was an 8 inch across flat deep fried dough pocket with a filling similar to a pot sticker. YUMMY! I think they have other fillings too—we will try that tomorrow.

 

At 10, we got our cab and headed to the orphanage. They had Daniil ready to go when we arrived and we headed right outside. We are trying to get into a routine. First we sit and visit—then play and climb in the playground. We then look at pictures of his new home and family and practice English. A small snack, a video and back to the playground and our two hours are up… We were worried that we would have trouble filling the time. That has not been the case. Daniil still feels a bit warm to us and has that "sick smell" He was also a bit more tired today. He is happy to hold our hands and walk around, but he knows when it is getting to be time for us to leave and really wants to be carried—so far my back is holding up fine!!

 

We got the cab back to the hotel and stopped off at the supermarket – we needed some stuff that they did not have at the rynok (or we did not feel good about buying there i.e. the non refrigerated milk and meat). We got the goods into the fridge and left straight away to the internet café. It is nice. It is one of a network of such facilities partially funded by an American NGO. It's housed in the public library and has air-conditioning (NICE!!). The place is located right by the town square and the statue of Lenin. The wind had knocked down the memorial wreath of flowers placed there. I wanted to set them up, but Mary would not let me. Poor Mr Lenin.

 

Got back to the hotel watched a soccer match and power napped.

 

Up at 3:45 and back to the orphanage for our afternoon visit. Same schedule except paper airplane making took the place of the video. We called the kids back home and let them talk to Daniil--- he seemed to have fun as we pointed to the picture of each of the kids as he was talking to them.

 

We are now back in the hotel getting caught up on the journal and doing a bit of laundry in the sink. I think we will go out to a café tonight for a small meal—

 

***************Ice cream Update****************

 

Every small store has several items: soft drinks, Pivo (beer), water, cookies, old meat and cheese in a deli case that no one buys and ICE CREAM! Tonight we were very excited to find CCCP Ice Cream (see the photo on the photo page—it is photographed atop the Paul Kengor Ronald Regan Biography The Crusader which deals with Regans role in the demise of the Soviet Union—Wonder how "Dutch" would feel about CCCP Ice Cream--- I bet he'd like it!—We did too—YUMMY!

 

Sorry to be so verbose---just want to paint a picture of life for us here in Slvansk!

 

 

PEACE!

 

Jim and Mary