"Tonight, public transportation's my private ride..."

     That's right folks, I'm writing today about public transportation. For the past week, I've been partaking of the other white mea...I mean, the other kind of wheels. Specifically I've been doing a lot more of it.

She was actually thrilled that I was there, despite the look on her face.

     OK, that got out of hand quickly. Let's start over. Since I've been taking care of the Eide's cat and dog, I needed to use the marshrutka and metro more than normal. Usually, I'll take the screeching, yellow, short bus two days a week to get to my language lessons. But this week with my temporary relocation, I needed a quick and convenient option and the marshrutka was it. It's shown me how comfortable my regular trips really are.
     I've written about public transportation in several posts in the past. I've said at various times it's uncomfortable (in terms of personal space) or it can be harrowing (driving like, what most Americans would consider, a maniac). And for the uninitiated or unfamiliar, it is those things. So I want, today, to talk about a few ideas about the ubiquitous little yellow (or red or orange) buses to remember on your next visit to Ukraine. Maybe in the future I'll talk about the metro or trams.

Have You Ever Seen the Rain... (UPDATED)

...'cause I have. Quite a lot of it actually. I can count on one hand the number of days in the past two weeks where we didn't have rain. Yesterday, thanks to the humidity, David and I were reliving memories of places we used to live; him in Georgia and me in Maryland. I'm looking forward to summer when things dry out. From what I remember of last year, it was a lot less humid once summer kicked in. Granted, that wasn't until almost August and we've got a little time before that.
     I wanted to do a little writing today so I wouldn't need to do such a big catch-up session on Friday. That and I've got time now and don't want to spend the whole day watching Youtube videos.

-- (UPDATED: Fixed photosphere link) --

Movin' Out

     Just temporarily, but I'm in some new digs, finding out what life is like in another part of the city. A family from church is on vacation and I'm taking care of their dog and cat. Basically, my cheese was moved.

Kyrie Eleison...

     ...down the road I must travel. And what a road it's been. I'll probably miss the 25th of this month again like I have most of the past nearly-ten months. So this is a little note on it before I move on to the meat of the post. I'VE BEEN HERE TEN MONTHS!?!! It really doesn't feel like it until I start thinking of how far I've come and how much I've grown (personally, not weight-wise). If the plan holds out, I'll be here for about another three months before returning home. Also, the blog recently had it's 6000th visitor! Very cool.  

Paradise City

     FRIDAY!!!! Actually, Friday now doesn't mean the same thing to me as it did a year ago. Since I don't currently work a regular 9-5 job, my concept of a weekend and day's off doesn't really mesh with my past experience. Instead, I tend to think about my "work week" as the time I spend in activities like English Club, church, and ministry-related events.

I'm Still Here

     It's been a while since I've done a regular "situation on the ground" update. There have been lots of things going on but I've either not had time or had more pressing posts (the Chernobyl tour) to write and publish. Scattered in among all the activity this past weekend was Orthodox Easter. I'm only now getting a chance to write about it.

Hello? Is There Anybody In There?

     As a warning, this will be a very long post. It's been a post three days in-the-making. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and relax. You'll be here for a while.

     So, I've had some time to digest the events of Saturday (April 30th) and I want to share my thoughts on the visit to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. I'll say now that it will not be what you expect. The trip wasn't what I expected. This was a trip of excitement, disappointment, disillusionment, and frustration. Expectations were tempered and broken. The upside is that I now have a more accurate idea of what has been happening in the Zone up to the current day. People change everything they touch. Chernobyl and Pripyat are no exception.

     First, a little background. If you read the post from April 26th, you'll have seen my reason for going. This place has fascinated me for years. The mystery and allure of a place, though, often overshadow reality. I wanted to see the Exclusion Zone for myself. To be able to stand on the same ground that saw so much drama and action. To see the hastily constructed sarcophagus with my own eyes. In some ways, it felt like standing on a battlefield years after the event. Much of the area is now a historical site. "Preserved" for future generations.