Out with the old...

...in with the new. So, it's the last day of 2015. What a year it's been.
     It's so cliche to do a "year in review" article/post/video/etc. News sites and blogs and Youtube have been full of the things. "Top 10" articles abound this time of year along with the video montages of highlights and stupidity. Yeah, it's good to reminise and recall the good times. But we also remember the all garbage spewed by society in the last 365 days.

"They say I'm lazy but it takes all my time..."

     And here I thought I'd go crazy from not having enough to do. I've got plenty to do. It's just a different sort of busy from what I was expecting. So, I guess I've got a lot of catch-up to play. It's been a few days since I last wrote something here and each of them has been busy. I'll just begin where I left off and go from there. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, this is a long post.

On the Eve

     For this two-pronged blog post, I want to talk about two things. My current view of the world and Christmas.

Walk of Life

     It doesn't happen often, but I sometimes have a sudden realization that I'm living in a foreign country. Yeah, shocking, right? I think I forget it sometimes. I don't know why. It's something that I never thought I'd be doing. It's mainly a I-never-thought-anything-would-change-and-now-it-has thing. After six years of sameness, everything is different. Living in a foreign culture/country/city brings in a huge batch of changes that I've talked about somewhat over the past 65 blog posts.

"Saturday Night's Alright... (Updated 12/22/15)

... for Fighting." Well, not really. I just needed a title that related to the day I'm writing this.

     This weekend post is brought to you with the sponsorship of..."Slow Saturdays, your source for getting thing done since the beginning of time," in partnership with "I'M GOING TO SEE STAR WARS TODAY SO I NEED TO DO THIS NOW!" Yep, the foggy weather has settled in and I need to get some things typed up before I forget about it all and bask in the glow of celluloid and inter-stellar swashbuckling.

     This post is partially a continuation of the Q&A post from a few days ago. I thought of a few more topics to write about but didn't get them finished in time before the post went live. So the next three are just topics I thought of that people might be interested in knowing about.

Q&A: The Second

     Alrighty ladies and gents, here it is, the second Q&A session for this blog. It's been long enough since the last one hasn't it? Over three months. I've answered a few questions here and there in the comments. But I like to have a bunch all together in one place for a big ball of informative-goodness.

The Long Run

     So the news is out. I mentioned in the last post that I want to stay longer. This is my post to expand on that statement. First though, a little history.

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

      As was pointed out to me yesterday by my dad, I haven't updated this in a while. So here it is. Thanks to not paying attention, and a whole lot of other things on my mind, the updates were lost in the pile of "to-dos."

A Case of the Mondays (Updated 12/1/15)

     I'm finally back in my apartment. It was a long ride from the airport. But my dad is now winging his way back to the US.  Gonna try and get a few more hours of sleep.
      For now, enjoy these pics of the snow.

First Snow (and other things)

     Well, I've got some catching up to do. The last three days have been jam-packed (but sadly, no jam was included). My dad and I had a lot of fun seeing Kiev and some of it's museums.

Turkey Day part duex

     So, did everyone have a good Thanksgiving Day? I know I did. There was lots of running around and some stress, but in the end, it was all worth it. MY DAD IS HERE!!! OK, I'm calm now. Lemme tell you about my day.
     I knew that Thursday was going to be busy. My list of tasks wasn't very long but there were a lot of details to get right. In the morning, I needed to do a load of laundry, some cleaning, and shopping. I'm used to only shopping for one person. I'll pick up other things for Bible study but that's not like shopping for a person who is staying for a couple of days. I needed to think about, basically, double the meals I eat in the same period of time. However, that all got done just in time. I was able to drop off and put away the groceries with a few minutes to spare.
     I was out the door again and off to the metro. If anyone wants to follow it on a map, I got on at Zhytomyrska metro station and then off at Vokzalna. Vokzalna is right next to the main train station in Kiev. It's a huge hub of activity even on a slow day. People rushing everywhere. It's a place to be careful too. I came up out of the metro and had to walk through the train station.
     Fun fact, I've been to the train station before. And not just on this trip. Back in 2003, this was where we left out of to go down to Mykolaiv. There is a church right outside of the station that I recognized. The inside of the station has had a lot of work done since then and I didn't recognize any of that.
     On the other side of the station from the metro exit are the local transportation options. Marshrutkas, taxis and buses are all lined up waiting for passengers. If you look like a foreigner, it's likely that people will ask you if you need a taxi. I found the bus I needed and after a little hesitation, got on board. It's actually really easy. But since I've never done it before, I wasn't exactly sure what I should do. All I had to do was get on the bus, find a seat, and pay the driver. It was only 60 grivna for a one-way trip. Not as fast but a whole lot less than a taxi.
     The bus is just a shuttle between the airport and the city. It follows the M03 highway. The trip takes a little less than an hour and we got dropped off right in front of the departures entrance at Boryspil Airport. I was about thirty minutes early so I had time for some lunch and to relax. My dad's plane was delayed about fifteen minutes but that wasn't a problem. I waited for him at the exit of the baggage area.
     When he walked out, he looked at me and then promptly kept looking around for me. I guess I really look Ukrainian now. My coat and haircut really sell the look. I just started walking along side him until he noticed me. From there, we found the bus back to Vokzalna and got on. It was another uneventful ride.
     Although, I should note something about taxi drivers. If you look like a foreigner or someone who doesn't know where they are going, they'll bug you about driving for you. One of them latched on so hard, we had to keep walking to get him to go away. "No" just wasn't a good enough answer. The upside is that at Vokzalna, they weren't nearly as insistent. A simple "нет" worked there.
     From there, it was a short ride down the metro to Nyvky station where we were picked up by David Pervis and taken to the Eides for dinner. Thus ended our traveling (mostly).
     Dinner was awesome. Wednesday I helped Jon dig out all the parts to the table and yesterday it was all put together. The table worked out really well. It held up to seventeen people and several huge dishes of food as well as the biggest turkey I've seen in a while. It was great to share that meal with everyone there.
     After dinner, we had a short worship service (still seated around the table). Jon asked some of the younger people there to read several passages from the Bible. We also sang several hymns. [Side note: I didn't realize until last night how much I miss hearing classic hymns. We don't sing them here very often.] Most of us shared some of the things we are thankful this year. After the service, I made a fire and some of us sat around it and sang songs. Some were from English club but we managed to find a few that we haven't sung before.

     I truly appreciate the invitation from the Eides for my dad and me to have dinner with them. I'm also thankful to my mom for letting my dad come visit me on one of the biggest holidays in America.
     Speaking of which, my dad and I got to use FaceTime to talk with my mom for a bit. It was good talking to her again "face-to-face." It looks like the weather there is still nicer than here.
     The weather here the last few days has been cold. Last week was rainy. After the weather finally dried out, it took the last of the warmth with it. I don't think it's gotten over freezing since Wednesday afternoon. I've seen several places with ice on the ground. I'm glad I have some warm clothes now. Speaking of which...

     Thank you to everyone who sent something along in the care package. I now have a cabinet full of goodies that will take me about a month to go through. I greatly appreciate the love and support shown with every cookie and piece of candy. The travel mug was a nice addition too. I've been wanting to get one (or have one of mine sent over) ever since the weather started turning cold. As my dad kept pulling stuff out of his luggage, I kept saying "wow!" And with every successive item, I felt a little more and more overwhelmed. Either I'll have to share some of it or I'm going to gain back all the weight I've lost in the last few months.
     We finally made it back to my place around 21:30. Despite being tired, my dad and I still talked for a while. Until about 23:00. He finally got to bed around then after a really long two days. He's still sleeping now and it's 10:30. I'll have to wake him up soon to get some breakfast and get ready. We've got a taxi coming at noon to take us to the State Aviation Museum. That's our only plan for the day. The big stuff comes tomorrow.

Turkey Day!

     Happy Thanksgiving! I just wanted to give a little update of what my day will be like. I'll give a better writeup about it later. Consider this a teaser.
     First off, as I'm writing this, my dad is flying across the pond to France and then on to Kiev. He'll be in town for a few days The plan is to do some sightseeing Friday and Saturday. Sunday we'll be at church in the morning and then he gets to see what English Club is like in the evening. Then we get to wake up at some unnatural hour on Monday morning to get him to the airport on time. Fortunately I don't have anything planned for Monday except English in the evening. I can sleep as much as I need before that.
     Second, I saw this article today in the Kiev Post. I already know where I'm celebrating Thanksgiving but it's interesting to see that they have an article about it. After my dad gets here, we'll be heading over to the Eide's house to join the crowd there. They have a group over every year for dinner and fellowship.
     Yesterday, I helped Jon dig out all the parts of the big dinner table. Every year he builds the table for everyone to sit at during dinner. I didn't get to help him build it because I left before it was finished. But I can show what it looks like as we take it apart tonight.
     Also, a little update on what's happening in the country. You may not have heard, with the war in Syria going on, but Crimea has fallen under a blackout. A group of people blew up the electric transmission lines going to the peninsula. That is starting to raise tensions again. The situation in the east is deteriorating again too. The rebels are acting up again and have killed several soldiers over the past few days. So please continue to keep the country in your prayers.
     Alright, I've got to keep moving. I've got cleaning and shopping to do before getting on a bus out to the airport to meet my dad.

The Thanksgiving Party

     Well, that was fun. I just got back from the Big City English Club Thanksgiving party. I mentioned it yesterday but here's the real post about it. I'm still processing all that happened so this may take me a while to write out.
     To start off, here are the highlights: I cooked 8 kilos of meat on the grill, we had about twenty-five students from the club plus staff there, I banged on a bongo drum and made some noise, and my coat smells like a cooking fire. Got that? Good. Here are the details.

Week-ender

    So, the weekend. Do you have anything planned? I know I do. Saturday evening will be a big event for me. As part of the continuing outreach to the students in Big City English Club, David will be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner at his house.
     Every year, Big City English has a Thanksgiving party. Since it's at David's house this year, they're trying to limit the numbers to keep from being overrun. We'll see how it turns out. I'm in charge of games for the evening. I have to be there at 3PM tomorrow to help set up. I'll let you know how it turns out.
     I forgot about these few pictures. I took these back when the trees were still green with leaves; September or so. File them under "OSHA-smosha."

     One quick programming note. The keen-eyed among you may have noticed the new addition on the right side of the screen. Sorry, it's desktop-only for now. I finally figured out how to get a feed from my gallery here. Clicking on any of the photos will take you to a larger version on my Ukraine album page. From there you can see some of the others I've taken.
     OK, that's all I have for now. Hopefully I can update soon to let you know how the party tomorrow goes. Have a good weekend.

Какой ваш родной язык?

     I was thinking Tuesday morning about my language lessons and decided that it would make a good post. This thing that's been giving me so much trouble would really help put into perspective, for some people, one of the things that missionaries face on a daily basis. I also realized that I never properly explained what all goes into my lessons and what I'm getting out of it. I've said many times to people that I'm done with complaining about it. That's not what this post it. I just wanted to show you a little of what I'm learning and going through. I promised myself that I wouldn't complain about it any more. Complaining doesn't make me understand it more. Studying and practice does.

Mittwoch

     I wanted to write today's update mostly about last night's meeting. It was a night of two firsts for me. It was the first time being at one of the Big City English evangelism team's sushi dinners. It was also the first night for my Bible English class.

Sunday's Activities

     Sunday was a special day for Big City Church. For two reasons. It was their 11th anniversary as well as the day to elect new elders.

Friday Update

     Alrighty folks, time for an update. I really like writing these but sometimes it's hard to find the time or inspiration to write. The first thing most experts tell aspiring writers is "write something every day." I'm not going for a career in writing but I do like it. Either way, it's good advice.

Good end to the day

Watching the sunset and then an evening of high-stakes Jenga. Knock it over and do exercise.

The wheels on the bus...

....go SCHRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH. Yeah, they really do. Several times a day I'll hear the sound of tortured metal echoing off the walls of this concrete jungle. It's the nails-on-the-chalkboard equivalent of brake pads well passed their useful life. And if you're lucky enough to be sitting over top of that axle as they make that lovely sound, check for loose fillings and potential hearing loss.

Three Months

     That's how long it's been since I stepped back onto Ukrainian soil in July. The beginning of this adventure. It seems like so long ago. Ninety-two days actually. I missed the last monthly milestones and wanted to get my thoughts onto the screen on time for this anniversary.

Back In the Saddle Again

     Well, you may have heard through the grapevine that finally I'm back in Ukraine. This week has been a confusing one. My body clock is all messed up from about 31 hours of riding on a bus. The sightseeing was amazing in Krakow. I'm not even sure what all I should say about the visa process other than it was annoying. That's an ordeal that I'd rather not go through again.
     As a review, I had to leave Ukraine for a few days to get my visa sorted out. Americans can stay for 90 days on a tourist visa but then I have to leave. I was able to come back on a 45-day visa and now I'll have to apply for permanent residence if I want to stay any longer.
     Poland was certainly the correct choice for a place to stay. I want to go back and spend more time there learning about the history and seeing the downtown. You saw some of my pictures from there. I could have walked around downtown for hours. At every corner I faced a difficult choice of where to go next. Each alley and side-street held something new and amazing to see. The only way it could have been better is if there were no cars. I wanted to see the architecture and design without the influence of modern steel and plastic blocking my view.
     I got back to Kiev yesterday in the afternoon. I had a few hours to get cleaned up and ready for Bible study. We had ten people, including me, crammed in here last night. I'm still learning about how to lead. Having a study guide is great. But it's also no substitute for listening to the attendees and responding with more questions. Opinions vary greatly among the people who attend. Last night we had two from Big City and two from Liberty camp, along with three from English club and one who was at English walking. Several are obviously Christians. But there are also some who are either agnostic or simply don't believe. So it's an interesting challenge balancing the questions with expectations.
     It seems that Autumn is in full swing now. The last two weeks have been getting progressively colder. Trees are showing their underlying colors before shedding their leaves for winter. It's also been rainy, both here and in Poland.
     That means it's definitely time to start thinking warm. The city turned on the heat this week. My building has radiators for heat. There is one in my bedroom and one in the living room. My landlord told me about a luxury I didn't know about until last week was hiding under my bathroom floor. The bathroom has a heated floor! I will absolutely be making good use of that as the temperatures drop even farther and the snow begins to fall. Speaking of which, that, according to my language teacher will probably happen in the coming month.
     That's all for now. I've got to get back to studying for Monday's language lesson. Unfortunately I didn't get much chance to do that while I was away and now need to play a little catch-up.

Quick Update

     I just wanted to update the readers on some of what's going on here in Krakow. I hit a snag with the visa stuff. Without getting too far into the weedy details, some papers weren't exactly correct. The consulate said I need to get the correct papers to them tomorrow (the 21st) for attempt number two. The 21st is also the day I was planning on being on a bus back to Kiev. They said if they get everything they need, they will issue the visa. I've got a team working on this with me and I'm confident they will do their best. So here's the request for all my readers. Please pray that the embassy receives the papers they need in time for them to issue the visa and that they accept those. I've been praying that it all gets worked out smoothly but I can't expect a cake-walk. I'm hoping this is the extent of the trouble.
     Other than the snag this morning and the bus ride, the trip has been fun. I want to come back here again, probable with someone, to enjoy the city more. It'll be good to be here without having to worry about visa stuff. Then I can focus on the truly amazing sights. I did get out again to walk around in the cold, dreary weather. Here are a few of the good photos I got.

     One other thing I wanted to share was my page views. When I started this blog, I never expected to reach such a wide-ranging audience. I was expecting just people from the US. I should have expected it to contain a sizable number from Ukraine too. But that list has expanded to 10 countries and nearly 2100 views.  This is the list I see when I check the page stats and audience list.

Entry	Pageviews
United States	1638
Ukraine	378
Germany	26
France	9
Romania	6
United Kingdom	5
Poland	2
Brazil	1
Chile	1
Ireland	1

I mean, I'm not even certain I know people in most of these countries. However, it's great and I thank you all for reading. I am encouraged that my writing is reaching so many people around the world. I hope it's encouraging and enlightening for you. Technology is an amazing thing. We can communicate almost instantly with people around the world, sending ideas and questions and pictures to places that would have taken months to reach only a century ago. It's great to be able to use that tool for ministry and spreading the Gospel.
      OK, that's all I have for now. I'll talk to you later with some (hopefully) good news.

Went for a trip...

...across the border to Poland. I'm in Krakow (or Krakov as it's pronounced here and in Ukraine) right now to get some visa stuff taken care of. Poland is a great country for sightseeing. My first impressions of it were dark and foggy. But now that it's later in the day, things have cleared up considerably. For those Americans who want to travel to Europe but want to be somewhere familiar, Krakow is great. I had a quesadilla from KFC for lunch in the biggest mall I've ever been to. Lots of people speak English too. If it weren't for the language, I'd think I'm in Anytown, USA. Of course, much of the architecture is old-world style. Trams still run on rails embedded in cobblestone streets. And there is a massive number of French cars everywhere. But for being the second country I've been to on my own, I can say I'm really enjoying it. For now. That all might change tomorrow and Wednesday.
     The visa stuff (which is the purpose of this trip) is a massive pain. Ukraine's rules for visas say that an American can't be in the country for more than 90 days in a 180-day period. By my count, I had three or four days left. But it was time well-spent. So I'm here cooling my heels in a neighboring, friendly country until Ukraine approves my application for a longer stay. They allow long-term stays for religious reasons (like what I'm doing). Missionaries with the various groups serving in Ukraine deal with this sort of thing all the time. But it requires invitations, approvals, and (usually) leaving the country to get it worked out.
     Speaking of leaving the country, that could be a post all to itself. But since I'm on a roll, it gets to grace the electrons of this post. Originally I had planned and been advised to fly into Katowice and then take a shuttle over to Krakow (where the Ukrainian consulate is). But that thought was put out to pasture. Maybe another time. The team that is helping me has more experience in this than I do. I deffered to their judgement and, so far, it's worked out well. Other than the bus ride, that is.
     I was expecting (HA! that'll teach me) a ride like the one I had in August to and from camp. Nope. I could have done without the SEVENTEEN hours on a bus in a cramped seat. I could have used more than the two or three hours of sleep I barely got. And I definitely could have done without the Ukrainian border guard choosing me out of everyone to take off the bus.
     I knew something was up when he looked at my passport and decided to start questioning the woman who had been sitting next to me for the previous nine hours. They had a little back and forth (of which I only understood конечно) before he finally moved on to get the remaining passenger's passports. On his way back to the front of the bus, he tapped my shoulder and motioned for me to follow. At this point, I started doing two things; asking what he could possibly want and praying. "God, please make this work out with no problems."
     He asked me a question something like this while we walked inside, "понимаете русский (you understand Russian)?"
     I immediately replied with "нет (no)," but amended that to "немного (a little)." That's mostly accurate. I do speak a little Russian but my comprehension of spoken Russian is very low. He had me stand in an office waiting (I presume) for a translator but one never came. I stood there for about 10 minutes contemplating the walls, printers, desks, and the quite conspicuous holding-cells not two meters from where he parked me. Another border guard sitting at the desk inside tried asking me another question but I didn't recognize until later what she had asked.
     The whole time, I wasn't really scared, just a little nervous. I probably should have been scared. I think I was just too tired to be scared.
     By comparison, the Polish border guards were friendly and welcoming. The said "good morning" to the people while they collected passports. This time, probably fifteen people had to get off the bus to go and talk with the guards inside. But no one was detained and we were on our way about an hour after getting to the border. The rest of the ride was uneventful but extremely boring. I managed to get some sleep. It didn't really do anything though. We stopped off at a rest stop for a few minutes. That's where I took these two pictures.

     Finally, after seventeen hours on the road, we made it to Krakow. I later realized it was only an hour behind schedule. But since my phone was still on Ukraine time, I thought it was two hours late. The rest of the day was very good.
     I dropped one of my bags at my hotel and went for some lunch. There is a huge (three floors) mall a block away from my hotel. They have a respectable foodcourt with three American choices (McDonald's, Subway, and KFC). There was even a Starbucks. Like I said earlier, if it wasn't for the different languages most people were speaking, I could have imagined this as being in any state of the USA. I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of people in Krakow are Americaphiles. The mall had it's own English bookstore.

     After a surprisingly tasty lunch (chicken quesadilla with BBQ sauce and fries on the side), I went for a loop of some of the other floors. Half-way though the second floor, I got distracted by the view out one of the doors and went to investigate. This was my best choice of the day. Outside, I got to see something I've never seen in America. Old-world architecture. Massive churches, city walls, Renaissance-era facades, and central squares large enough to hold military drills. I'll put the rest of the good pictures in the Ukraine pics folder. There are just too many to put here. Plus I'll be taking more over the next two or three days. The whole time I was out in the old city, I kept thinking this would be better if I could share it with someone. By that I mean having someone with me. It's great seeing all these sights but talking to someone about it would make it much more fun.

     I was actually an hour early for my check-in but the lady behind the counter, Klaudia, was very accommodating. I'll spare you the picture of the bathroom (quite nice actually) but the interesting part is the room itself. I could actually take a portrait picture and give a better sense of it's size that with a landscape picture. I'd call it cozy. But the bed on the left is very comfortable and I look forward to trying it out after trying out the shower.

     Well, that's all for now. I hear that Pastor Max is back in the US. Don't let him tell any crazy stories about me. :) And please pray that this visa process goes smoothly. I don't like dealing with bureaucracy so I'm hoping and praying that I won't get frustrated by all of it. I have the forms mostly completed. So all I need to do is get a good breakfast (free with the room!) tomorrow and be at the consulate before they open to get a good place in line. I'll let you know how it goes.
     Have a good week.

Long time

Wow, I didn't realize it's been so long since I wrote anything here. There has been a lot going on but I haven't thought about the blog. I'll update more of what's going on right now later. But for now, enjoy these two pictures. The first is a pair of Jehova's Witnesses outside of a metro station. The second is some construction equipment at a local police station. Not sure what they are drilling holes for. 

In the Territory of Wolves

     Quick programming note. I'm beginning to post photos to an album on my G+ page. The link is here if you are interested. It'll be mostly photos/videos I've taken that weren't deemed necessary to go on the blog. I've realized that there are so many things that have become common to me that would still be interesting to other people. So you now get to see them. And now on with our irregularly scheduled blog post.

Skype Followup

     First off, I want to thank everyone who showed up for the Skype chat on Sunday. It was good to see and speak with you all. It's very encouraging to see and talk with people from home. I wish every one of you could be here to see what I've been seeing and doing. But talking on Skype and writing in this blog is the next best thing. I wanted to write this post just to better answer some of the questions people had. Pictures, explanations, and some more thoughts.
     I got a question on Sunday about shopping and how I do it. While at the grocery store yesterday, I was thinking a little about it. So here are a few thoughts/observations about it. I can read Russian and Ukrainian. The two are actually very similar. The alphabets only have a few letters that are different. That makes figuring out what something is a little easier. I showed the juices on Sunday but I'll use a different example.

(pictured left to right; ketchup, tartar, Mexican, paprika)

     These are four kinds of sauces that people put on food. Ketchup is very popular. People will put it on almost anything. But back to the sauce (never thought I've ever say that). Shopping in modern grocery stores, no matter the country, is very easy. Pictures make it clear and obvious what is in the package. But when you need to know specifically what's in the package, the banners across the front are where you need to go. Russian and Ukrainian share a lot of words with English. They are called cognates. кофе sounds very similar to coffee because they are the same in Russian and English. All of the sauces pictured have cognate names. That's the case for a lot of the other sauces too.
     On a side note, the Mexican sauce is very good on omelets. I made a chicken and cheese omelet for dinner last night and spread the Mexican sauce over the top of it. It probably would have been better inside but it was still good. Also, the paprika sauce is good on rice.
     These sauces are just a few of the huge selection of sauces available at just the one store I normally go to. But how would you tell the difference between Mexican and Italian sauce just by the pictures? That's where being able to read the language comes in. That knowledge makes the shopping process easier. Of course that doesn't extend to everything. If you're going to read the packaging to find out the fat or sugar content, then you'll need to know the language in more detail than just letters.
     The plus side to shopping here is that a lot of products do have English writing on them. Since Europe is a multi-lingual place that includes England, many products carry a variety of languages. Wines and beers (neither of which I drink here), tea, and olive oils seem to be the most common products with English writing on them. But I also discovered curry seasonings yesterday that fall under that category.
     OK, time to switch trains of thought. Coming back from my language lesson yesterday, I was inspired for a little topic to write about. Transportation here, especially the public variety, is only vaguely like what I've seen in the states. The metro is just like any other subway system. Lots of people at rush hour. Some good, new trains and some older models. The buses and trolleys are also fairly standard. I haven't taken a taxi that often but they are pretty standard.
     The part I want to talk about are the Marshrutkas. I've mentioned them several times in the past but it's worth talking about in-depth now. Especially that I'm not as stressed about navigating the city by them as I used to be. Yesterday while going back to my apartment, I realized this was the perfect example of something (almost) uniquely Ukrainian that explains the culture. It's also the best example of why I needed to get over my cultural discomfort as soon as possible.
     I linked to an article a while back (here I think) and it's good looking at it for reference. But it really doesn't give the picture of actually riding in one. Imagine a marshrutka as a cross between a bus and a taxi. They have a certain route and but it is possible to hail them along the way between normal stops (if the driver is feeling willing). They are also cheap to ride; between 15 and 25 cents (in American dollars). And that is if you ride one stop or ten.
     The cheapness means they are popular. And like all popular transportation at rush-hour, they get crowded. Which finally brings me to my point. When I first got on, all but one seat was full so I decided to stand. By the time my stop came about 25 minutes later, I had to push through the wall of humanity to get to the exit. By nature I don't like situations like that. Too many people and I'll start looking for a quick exit. But in the time I've been here. I think I've gotten used to it. I still don't like it but it doesn't bother me as much as it used to. Which is weird considering how uncomfortable it feels to be standing back-to-back with a stranger.
     I had a question about big trucks and off-roading. I'm not sure how it went but the answer is yes. Yes, people do go four-wheeling here. I've seen a convoy of Jeep Grand Cherokees, a bunch of modified Toyota FJ Cruisers, and more than a few Lada Nivas. The latter are popular because they are common but also fairly decent at tackling the path less traveled. See picture for reference. This one is lifted with bigger tires and a snorkel. That kind of thing is standard for someone who wants to get muddy with one of these. If I wasn't a Jeep guy, after an FJ-40, I'd take a Niva. Hatchback and two solid axles. Win-win.

     I tried showing this picture on Sunday but it didn't work. This is an example of personalized vanity license plates here. It say "tornado" in Cyrillic letters.
    I also tried showing what the view off my balcony was like on Sunday but it was too dark. So I took these today. The building in the first one has been in-process since before I got here. It's been interesting watching it get worked on. The black stuff on the roof is (I think) rubber mat for waterproofing. I had to keep my windows closed while they were installing it. The workers painted tar on the roof before rolling out the mat. But to help the mats stick, they had to heat the tar with torches. They must have chosen the loudest torches possible.
     I'm not sure what will be going into the building when it's done. Probably offices or apartments. Although that won't be until at least next year with the pace they've been keeping.

     These last two pictures are examples of some of the improvements that are going on around the city. As I understand it, these are just two of the buildings that have received full murals. It was an interesting process, watching how they were put up. 

     The artists hung off the roof by climbing gear or window-washer platforms for almost a week. They attached styrofoam to the wall and plastered over it. Then they painted their designs. It's a very similar process to how they covered the building up above. Except the foam was used for insulation. A lot of buildings in the area have been getting the foam treatment.

Another Quick Note

For those of you who have been to Kiev, do you recognize where this was taken? It was taken at the top of the hill in front of St. Sophia's cathedral. However, the when is an interesting thing. 1984. I think I like it more than how it is now.

"A time to keep silence, and a time to speak."

     The beginning of this post was written about a month and a half ago. Keeping that in mind, I'll finish what I wrote here and add a little to show how far I've come in the time here and what I'm learning.
     Apparently I've been doing something all wrong. I'm supposed to be outgoing, pointedly inquisitive, and unafraid of being too personal. At least, that's what I should be like to make the next six months a success. Sort of. (editorial note; I had been watching a lot of Top Gear and the last paragraph, in my head, sounded like it was narrated by Jeremy Clarkson)
     Most people who've known me for any period of time will know that I only speak when I want to. Usually that's when I have something I feel is of great enough importance to add. (Hereon out is new material) For the last decade or so, I've tried to live by the mantra, "Better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt." That's lead to a silent streak beaten only by a monk with a vow of silence.  I've never been eloquent or quick with a rebuttal except at the helm of a keyboard. Snappy comebacks, yeah, I can do that. But that's a sense of humor more than anything else.
     The last two months, and yes it has been that long, have been a eye-opening experience. I was informed in the middle of August that I need to be outgoing, talkative, inquisitive, and friendly. In the past, I've been all of those things. But it was rarely all at the same time and never for an extended period. Being here has forced a metamorphosis toward that end.
     In my myopic view of what I thought I would be doing, my interactions with people here would be limited to church and English clubs. I quickly found out that wasn't going to be true. As an American, I have a pseudo celebrity status here. Among certain people, that's gone away. However, with English club, Walking English along with other activities, it still persists. As such, I need to not be the standard Hollywood trope of the withdrawn celebrity. As a side-note, I don't even think of myself as a celebrity. It's not something I've ever aspired to. All I've ever wanted to be was good at supporting roles.
     Now I find myself at the head of classes, a Bible study and even the sometimes center of attention. It's a very weird feeling to have people paying a lot of attention to me. I understand that I need to not only reciprocate but initiate that attention. So along with all the other things I've learned to do, I need to learn the art of the extrovert.
     I could probably write a big book on the concept of being an introvert in a strange land. A whole chapter would be devoted to just stepping outside my door. It would probably end with being driven outside by starvation. Be assured that such a conclusion would also be fictional. But that's not why I'm here.
     Personality has a huge impact on how successful a missionary is. It's probably why I'm still hearing stories about Kristen Lucas (now Clemmer) years after she left. She and I have very different personalities. The main difference is the introvert/extrovert dichotomy. I remember back in my youth group days (wow, saying that makes me feel old) that she was a huge influence on how much fun it was to be there. Her public personality, with a smile or laugh not far away, ensured fun during even the slow moments. What I need to learn and ultimately express is a similar kind of outgoing personality.
     Stretch your minds back to the early days of this blog. I said in the forth post (that only four people have read) that constancy is stagnation. Yeah, I'm not going to always be the outgoing type. Being that guy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is the quickest way to a nervous breakdown. But sitting in a corner and not talking to anyone isn't going to win any friends either.
     That leads to a question. If I've been here two months already, how have I changed? Self, thanks for asking that. I'm sure the lovely people reading this want to know too. I'm actually surprised at myself. The first night of Bible study went mostly well. I could see almost immediately where I need to improve. It was later pointed out to me also that I need to talk more. I thought I did but I know there were people even in a small group of thirteen that I missed saying more than 3 sentences to. I still struggle with initiating conversations. Small talk has never been my specialty. As host, it's my responsibility to do just that. For the people I did talk with, those conversations went well I think. I still bumble and fumble for the right words sometimes and I doubt that's going to change.
     But the real change I believe started happening almost a year ago. The missions team asked that I lead a Sunday school to gain experience. It was a great suggestion. Being a teacher for a week at English camp would never have prepared me for what I'm doing now. Teaching Sunday school gave me the confidence to lead even when I wasn't confident about what to say. Not everything that needs to be said has to come out of my head. I have an excellent study guide to teach from. Plus I have the best book of all to point them back to when I can't think of the right words to say.
     However, the best part of all this experience so far though is that I constantly see where I can improve. Ukrainians aren't shy either about giving compliments or constructive criticism either. Nothing can break your confidence or build it up faster than the directness of a Ukrainian. American's have to understand, Ukrainians are honest and direct. They act as if beating around the bush would get them jailed for chlorophyll abuse.
     So how does all that wrap up into a neat, little nugget of informative goodness? It's this. I'm being daily stretched, shaped, molded, prodded, formed and cajoled into a shape that I never thought I would be. And it's not some svelte or Arnold Schwarzenegger physique either. I still enjoy "me time." I still spend the majority of my time on my own or in my own head. But the time I do spend with others needs to be in an extrovert's shoes.

(Pictured above for reference: an introvert's shoes. Can you guess which one's they are?)

That time spent with others should be about them. Not about the photons beaming into my eyeballs from my smartphone or the intricate details of the dirt under my fingernails. This whole trip is predicated upon the idea that I'm here to spread the Gospel. I'm here to be light in the darkness. I'm here to share the Hope that I have with everyone who doesn't have it. I won't be able to do that if I don't make the first steps of breaking through my own warm, cozy, little world and go out and talk to someone.


     BONUS ROUND: I heard this back when I went to LeTourneau University. I make no claims to the levels of funny contained herewithin.
Q. What's the difference between an introverted engineer and an extroverted engineer?
A. Introverted engineers stare at their own shoes while extroverted engineers stare at other people's shoes.



     As a side and totally unrelated note, I wish I could write fiction as often and verbose as I write posts in this blog. I might be able to get all the stories in my head out for public consumption.

"At 7 PM a main hatchway caved in...

...He said, 'fellas it's been good to know ya!'" Well....that's not really what happened. On the ship or here for that matter.
     I actually got really lucky today. My language tutor had a teacher's meeting and we decided to postpone the lesson until tomorrow. It gave me some more time to study and also prepare for the study. I'm beginning to see why being a missionary is a full-time job. With all the studying, meetings, classes, and teaching, it's extra work just to find personal time. I can imagine it's even harder with a family and the duties that entails.
     The study went well, I think. There are a lot of little details that I can improve on as the weeks go by. I need to rephrase the questions to make them more simple. Many of the people from the study are not believers. I'll need to tailor some of the questions to make it easier for them to understand. Also, the food needs improving. We had enough this time (barely) but I learned a valuable lesson with that. God created women to be great logistical minds. They know a lot more about preparation and quantity than I do.
     I'm using a study guide created by Intervarsity Press. It has twelve chapters that each take a section of Ecclesiastes and focus on it. The first chapter focused on the first eleven verses of the book. It's a pretty bleak section to start off on. But it sets the tone for the rest of the book. The study guide is written for college-age Christians. So I have to cut and edit on the fly to help make some concepts and points clearer to a person who hasn't had the same background as me. But I just walked them through the questions, with Marina translating, and tried to get them to answer what they could. I'll have to start picking on them by name to get some of the quieter people to talk. Ultimately, I left them with a question to think about until next week. If there is nothing that brings meaning, what resources can you rely on to bring hope to your situation? I got some interesting answers like "hope" and "a positive attitude." But I'd like to see what they come up with over the next week.
      By the way, it wasn't 7PM that my "main hatchway" caved in. Nor did it cave it. But I was surprised at the number of people who showed up. I knew ahead of time that a few members of Big City would be there. Like normal, they are there to facilitate things (logistics, translation, etc). Marina was my translator for the night but Yuri and Dasha (from Walking English) were there as well. In total, we had thirteen people, including me. I was only expecting four or five. Two were people who I had not met before. The rest were veterans of Liberty camp either from 2014 or 2015. 
     That's about all I have for now. We'll be meeting again same time, same place one Thursday the 8th. And for those who are interested, here is the advertisement (badly translated by Google) that Pastor Max made for the first Bible study.

Hello, hello! Tomorrow at 19.00 we attack first apartment and the refrigerator and Brian at st. Lviv, 22, kv.53, 12th floor (see the map below and tell the concierge that you are in 53rd for an American to visit). In the program: Deep Dive Brian in Ukrainian reality - a flash mob to surprise Brian: Remember! !!! Everyone who comes immediately excitedly asks Brian "Where is your food?" He goes to the kitchen (not Razuvious) and looks in the refrigerator. Then indignantly says Brian: "Yeah, you got a mouse hanged. Well, go read Ecclesiastes!" Tea and sandwiches start at 19:00 - do not be late! Then we discuss the book of Ecclesiastes. - EDIT 10/2/15: "Razuvious should actually read "without taking off your shoes."

      And enjoy this photo I took. From left to right are Yuri, Olya, Alina, Dasha, Bogdona, and Zhenya. This was taken before we started.

Analogies and Other Things

      I've thought of two ways of explaining my thoughts on the language lessons. First, I feel like Hannibal Lector has cut open my head. But in a strange twist, he's been trying to cram information into my head instead of choosing the best bits for his dinner plate. The problem is, there just isn't room. Or the information keeps popping out.
     The other analogy is a pond. My mind is like a pond and the information is a rock skipped across the surface. It feels like it takes 15 or 20 times for the information to finally stop and sink in. But I don't want to keep complaining about it. So I'll just leave it there. Yeah, it's tough. That's not going to change. Time to buckle down and just study.
     Anyways, this past week has been mostly normal. I found out that I will have to do some interesting things for my visa requirements. Since I got here in July, I've been here on a tourist's visa. That is good for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. So in just under 30 days, I'd have to leave a not come back for another 90. The good part is that there is another option. I can be here on a religious visa. That means that since I'm interning with a church here, I can stay for a lot longer. The catch is that I need to leave the country to get it endorsed/completed. So I'm going to Poland. I don't yet know all the details. I'll let you know when I know more.
     Now on to other things. Saturday night I went for a walk to get some night photos of Kiev. I didn't get a lot. But Sasha Onishchenko pointed out that I have four more months. Plenty of time. Three other people tagged along. I announced it on the chat for Walking English.
     Sunday was rainy and cold here. That meant a relaxing afternoon before the evening's activities. Tonight was planned as the reunion party for Liberty Camp. We played games, saw photos and videos from camp. We also ate (like at any good event). But it was also the night for announcing the new Bible study.
     Starting this Thursday, I will be leading a Bible study for the students who were at the camp. I'll give more details after the first meeting. Basically, it's the last piece of the puzzle for my ministry here. I'll be using a study guide on Ecclesiastes from Intervarsity Press. I've heard several people voice interest but I'm not sure how many there will be. Hopefully it's a good number but not a huge crowd. 

     So for concluding, enjoy some photos from Saturday and the reunion party.

{Epic Title of Awesomeness® Goes Here}

     You've probably noticed that I'm not updating nearly as much as I did in the beginning. That's mainly because most things have become routine and I don't want to be writing about the same things over and over. Don't worry, I'll still keep updating. But it's not going to be a day-by-day update with endless details. I want to do it at least bi-weekly. As of this point, updates are mostly as I feel inspired. And because a lot of the time I get back to my apartment late, I don't want to be typing updates until 2 in the morning.
     Now, the actual update. This was a good weekend. Friday night, we had another Walking English group. It started out with just me and one of the guys from camp. He is a new believer and really loves being involved in the the English groups. He also started coming to church regularly.
     The plan for the night was to meet and go to an art gallery and then walk around a local art-park. I had looked up the website of the art gallery before hand. It was advertising a display of late Soviet-era Ukrainian artists and their works. Sounds interesting right? Probably some protest works and historical photos? Yeah, not really. There was one half of a wall with historical pictures from a political rally. That was good. There were also a few paintings that showed a lot of talent. However, almost all of the rest was confusing, eclectic, or unintelligible dribble requiring brain-bleach afterward. A little strong on the description? Not really. I don't really care much for modern "art." I'm more of a simple photography and painting guy. Scenery, history, portraits. Fortunately, we didn't spend a lot of time there.
     We met up with a few more people and went to have some dinner at a restaurant not too far from Maidan. The nightlife in the center of Kiev is an interesting sight. Musicians, performers, advertisers, sellers, and sightseers were everywhere. They made it hard to walk and talk at the same time. But some of the scenery was worth the trouble. St. Andrew's Church sits at the top of a hill overlooking the Dnipr River. At night it is lit up from all around and shines brightly for the whole city to see. We also saw a film production company working in part of the art-park we walked through. That night, I didn't end up getting back to my apartment until well after midnight.
     Saturday was a bit quieter. I went out to do some shopping and met up with one of the students from camp to help choose a pair of headphones. That was about it. The rest of the day, I basically studied and relaxed.
     Sunday was a bit more busy. After church, I went to watch some of the Ultimate Championship of Ukraine. It's the national championships for Ultimate Frisbee. Several people from Big City are in Frisbee teams and they were playing there. I got to watch one game before I had to leave. Watching the game instead of playing it myself is a little weird. Since it's a sport that I play, I liked seeing how different it is than in the States.
     David and his family were on vacation this weekend. So I had the task of leading the English club Sunday night. The night was planned to be shorter than normal because of plans for later. I got there early to set up and prepare. Overall, I think it went well. It's not really that hard doing what I had to. I basically welcomed them and gave them a rundown of what would be happening that night. The reunion party for the Big City Church retreat was going to start at 6:30 so we had to finish earlier than usual. My group (the intermediate to advanced) finished earlier than I had planned so I let them ask me questions until we had to finish. Jon Eide led the beginner to intermediate group in another room. Since we were working on a truncated schedule, there wasn't much extra for me to do other than introductions, announcements, and concluding remarks. David makes it look easy. But he's had a lot more experience than I have.
     The rest of the evening was a lot of fun. I don't exactly understand the reason for it, but the church decided to have a reunion party for the people who went to the retreat last month. It was mainly a time to see the photos and videos from the weekend that everyone else took. We also got to see the videos from the challenges. It was a good time to be with the group from the retreat again. Obviously not everyone could be there. But it was good to see some other views that I hadn't seen while I was there.
     So that brings us up to now. Today, I've been working on studying and homework from the Russian lesson yesterday. The lesson really wrung me out in the difficulty sector. I must not have been as ready as I thought because my brain shut down about half-way through. I still have a great deal of difficulty distinguishing individual words in spoken Russian. That means what little translating I can do, on the fly, is useless because I miss 80% of the words spoken when I finally hear a word I do know. And when my brain is dead from focusing so hard, I'm about as useful as sand in the desert.
     I know that learning the language is important. I want to be able to understand it and speak it. But when someone asks me a question in Russian, my mind goes blank while I try to figure out exactly what they said. I'd put my knowledge on par with a 2 year-old child. Probably less. Plus, my recall of vocabulary isn't the greatest. The good news is that I can understand a whole lot more than I could just a month ago. My vocabulary is probably four times what it was this summer and my comprehension of written Russian is constantly improving.
     The problem seems to be in figuring out exactly what someone has said. Native speakers of any language speak very fast. Not everyone realizes that they need to slow down when speaking to someone who hasn't grown up with the language. I'm guilty of this at times I keep reminding myself to slow down and enunciate every syllable. I'll just have to keep asking people to slow down and repeat what they said a lot.
     Alright, time for me to head out to English Club. Last week we had almost 45 people. Any guesses on attendance tonight?

Wednesday (Edited 11/15/15)

     After Sunday's post, I think I should update a little on what's going on. Things are going better now but I wasn't having a very good Sunday/Monday. On Thursday of last week, I got a huge language lesson that needed a lot of work and studying. There was about twice the normal amount of new material. With the activities from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I didn't have a lot of time left to study. So Monday I was having a hard time focusing and being motivated. I got about half-way done with the lesson and realized I should cancel that afternoon's lesson. I didn't want to waste the tutor's and my time.
     I felt a lot better after I canceled the lesson. I know I should have focused and studied more over the weekend but that's far in the past now. Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better now. I feel like I'm more ready for the lesson tomorrow. And I don't feel as tired, mentally or physically, either. Ultimately, I think I just need to learn when to say no. Or at least limit my time at each activity. That way I can give an appropriate amount of time to each thing that needs my attention.
     That's the lesson I learned over the weekend. I know which priorities are important. Being with people, ministering, and teaching are all important. But my studies are also important. I can shift the commitments and better allocate time that I spend on each activity.
     OK, now that that's out of the way, I can move on to the part I want to talk about today. Food and cars. Yeah, probably not what you were thinking of but there's a process to that psychosis.
     For the last six years living in Maryland, I got to be good at cooking things in the microwave. I only used the stove or oven when I felt the need to. And that wasn't too often. Everything else was leftovers or frozen food. But now that I'm here, that has changed. I'm slowly learning to cook real food. I've almost perfected my "gourmet" grilled-cheese sandwiches. Pasta and rice are also easy and good meals. However, it's time that I branch out though and experiment a little.
     Last week I tried making fried rice. I think, for a first attempt, it turned out well. It was a little dry and needed soy sauce but I liked it. I still need to find a store that sells soy sauce. Most of the grocery stores near me only sell more traditional Ukrainian foods. About the only international food they have are some imported fruit and Italian olive oil. That definitely will be something I'll revisit.
     So as part of my education in real cooking, I'd like to try some new recipes. It has to be cooked on a stove top because I don't have an oven. And the only other requirements are that it's easy and tastes good. If you've got some ideas you'd like to suggest, post it in the comments. I'm planning on eventually trying my hand at borscht but for now I'll stick with something familiar.
     Now switching tracks, cars. I'm a bit of a car nut. I can't tell you from memory who won the 1975 24 Hours of LeMans (it was Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell in a Mirage GR8) but I know the difference between a GT-40 and a Porsche 917. Jeeps tend to hold more sway for my interest but pretty much anything with wheels is interesting to me. That said, cars here are almost a totally different subject than back home.
     The variety is amazing, to say the least. Just ignore the USDM stuff for now. Since this is Europe, there is a large variety of BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, and Volvos along with a smattering of Porsche and Mercedes. Add in the Asian brands Mitsubishi, Subaru, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia to round out the familiarity. However, that's roughly where the similarity ends. Most of these manufacturers have models they only sell here. Until I got here, I had no idea that manufacturers had such a wide range of offerings.
     And since this is Europe, French manufacturers Renault, Fiat, Citroen, and Peugeot are common. Most examples I've seen are newer models (mid 2000's and on). There are also a large contingent of Skoda, Seat, and Opel cars. Daewoo, Datsun, Daihatsu round out the different brands. That is, except for one "brand" that I'm lumping under Soviet-era automotive wheels.
     AvtoVAZ vehicles are about as common as dirt. Lada is the colloquial name for a number of Soviet-era vehicles. Most are based on 1960's Fiat designs that were modified to handle the atrocious roads that were so prevalent throughout the Soviet Union. Other than rust issues, they will last for decades. Personally, I'm partial to the twin-headlight VAZ-2106 although I'm not certain I'd want to own one. I like the classic styling but 75hp isn't enough for me.
     The interesting part is that since this is Europe, they get all sorts of interesting cars we don't in the States. Some are simply renamed for the US market but the majority of the interesting stuff stays on this side of the pond. Yes, the sticklers among you might quibble that Datsun, Renault, and Daewoo were sold in the US. Many models of cars are marketed around the world under different names and brands. So what looks like a Chevy in the US might be a Daewoo here.
     (EDIT, 11/15/15) I found this article today and thought it might be interesting. I know it's from Russia and not Ukraine but bear with me. The markets in both countries were basically identical for cars up to about 1992. After, it didn't change much. So most of what you'll see there is very similar to here. Basically, reference the article for pictures of what cars are here. I don't want to walk around the city just taking pictures of cars.
     OK, let's pause for a minute. I'm starting to get too convoluted with my writing. This is what I mean to say. Since I grew up in the States, I have one set of cars that I've seen almost all of my life. In college I started watching the British TV show Top Gear. That introduced me European cars and led the way for learning more about the worldwide automotive market. Now that I'm somewhere that has a different population of cars, I get excited about seeing something different. It also keeps me wondering why we don't get more of these in the US.
     Speaking of the US, domestic products like Jeep Wranglers, have made it to this side of the Atlantic for years. I've also seen Hummers, Dodge Calibers, Mustangs, Camaros, and even a large contingent of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The muscle cars seem to be a more popular import. But I have even seen a Chrysler minivan and a police-spec Crown Victoria.
     So, do you see the reason I posted about food and cars? For my mind, it's a little creative redirection. After the last week and the weekend, I needed something to refocus my mind. Think of it like a vacation for my mind. Plus it gives me a chance to tell you a little bit more about what life is like here.
     OK, that's all for now. I've got to get back to studying. There's a lot that needs to be memorized before tomorrow. There is also a Liberty meeting tonight at 7:30 that I'll be at too. I'll talk to you later.