Learning More

Well...I wasn't too far wrong about going to Siberia!! I picked up the Marshriutka (according to Cody, I have been pronouncing it wrong!) where I left it at the park. Logic told me that it made a big circle and I just had to stay with it. BTW – logic doesn't always pan out! We turned left at the train station and headed east (toward Siberia). The existing passengers slowly exited, two or three at a time, until I was left. We were way out past the water slide, where the sand dunes start. The Driver asked me where I was headed ( I really couldn't tell...but what else was he going to say?) I told him pidiotset – tree pioneerska (53 pioneerska street) and he shook his head. I shrugged my shoulders – international sign that I am a dumb american and he laughed and smiled! He pulled into a parking lot with other smaller Marshriutka's and talked to the driver who nodded and I got on that bus, paid my 2 grivna and we headed west. After about 45 minutes, we stopped at pioneerska and I got out, stooped down and kissed the ground. The folks at the stop looked at me a little funny and then parted so I could walk down the sidewalk.

After I dropped my stuff at the apartment, I walked to the orphanage – Marshriutka #5 goes there and I didn't know where to catch it – who knows – I might have been gone a few days!! I told Cody about the experience and he laughed his butt off. We took a cab to the Hotel Berdyansk for lunch and then headed to the Del Mar Building on the promenade to shoot pool. The third floor has about twenty tables – most are huge by american standards – Oles said they are Russian regulation size. We chose one of the two american sized tables and I proceeded to teach Cody to play. He is a quick learner and he wasn't intimidated cause I am not all that good (I lost the first game cause I scratched on the 8 ball) and he was doing as well as I by the third game!

Then we headed back to the apartment. We walked the five blocks to the market and caught the #17 to go back to the apartment. It was the exact same driver and bus that I rode to the far end. It was packed and it was hot (like 85 degrees) so Cody and I squeezed in the back door. I paid the 4 grivna and hung on with one hand. There is no personal space concept in Ukraine – this is considered “pressing the flesh” Ukrainian style, according to Don Norton!

There was a babushka (grandma) sitting in the seat to my left and as we rounded the turn at the bottom of the hill by the bus station and hit a huge pothole I was thrown to the left and reached for the overhead pole to get my balance and I hit the babushka in the side of her head – not very hard – but I did get her attention! I said excuse me (esvenitcha) but and tried to look apologetic but I don't think it did any good. Thankfully the bus bounced all the way up the hill and kinda rearranged all the passengers that were standing and I ended up closer to the door with someone else between me and the babushka. We finally got to the apartment and we exited.

Cody and I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the last half of “Blind Side” then we took a cab and went to the Rio restaurant for supper. After supper we took a cab to the orphanage and I walked the mile to the apartment. It was an absolutely gorgeous night out – slight breeze and like 75 degrees.

This morning I took the Marshriutka (I am a slow learner) downtown to drop off some more laundry from Cody. My laundry wasn't supposed to be done till tomorrow but it was ready now so I picked it up and headed the two blocks to the hotel for breakfast – then I'm gonna have Oles call me a cab back to the apartment.

I had scrambled eggs with cheese and tomato and coffee americana – It was absolutely the best!! Guess where I'm going to breakfast from now on? The coffee had no grounds in it and they warm the milk so it doesn't cool the coffee down. I would be in heaven if they had International Delight French Vanilla creamers (le moo).

I am back at the apartment – but I didn't call Oles for the cab – I left my phone back at the apartment. I walked the two blocks to the bust stop and the first one was fairly empty so I sat down with my pile of clothes ans acted Ukrainian (No smile, confident, and mean looking). I was in a seat that faced the rear and I felt as though they were all looking at me knowing that I hit the babuska yesterday. Fear started to well up in me – I thought they might gang up on me on one of the backroads seein' as I had an armload of clean clothes. I decided that if they attacked, I would fling my underwear at them and run for cover!!!

None of my fears were realized and I got off at the stop out front and managed to not trip or stumble as I exited.