Kiev, Ukraine

I arrived in Kiev, Ukraine on Saturday after a 10 hour bus ride from Moldova. When I got here I soon realized that I had jumped into fall. The weather was perfect and the heat was gone. I spent an hour and a half waiting at the bus stop because my bus had arrived early. After a chilly morning of waiting with two suitcases, I got settled in for a week of new sites and transition to a new country.

Saturday: A team of Americans went to buy souvenirs at Andriyivsky Uzviz. We looked around for a bit, but then Meredith and I decided our money would be better spent on coffee. After a quick stop at St. Andrew's Church, we proceeded to a place called Кофе Хауз (Coffee House in Cyrillic). Afterwards it started raining so we retreated to a cheap Ukrainian cafeteria and caught a quick glance at Kiev's Golden Gate. Later that day we got to see the World War 2 monument accompanied by the Motherland Monument. The Motherland Monument is on top of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Motherland stands 204 feet tall and is said to weigh 530 tons. She still holds a large shield with the Coat of Arms of the Soviet Union – a blast from the past to say the least.

Sunday: Meredith and I started the day off going to Hillsong Ukraine which is the Kiev-based offshoot of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. It was crazy going to a mega church in a post-soviet country, especially after being in Moldova where 98% of the population is Orthodox. I also took my first subway ever. It was a bit hard with the Cyrillic lettering, but relatively easy. Later we met the guy we would be staying with for the week. He is here in Kiev working for US Aid. He showed us around downtown Kiev. We walked down the famous Khreschatyk Street. The street is blocked off on weekends and holidays for pedestrians to walk around downtown. We walked past the Taras Shevchenko National Opera Theatre and ended up at Independence Square. This is the destination of Kiev's Orange Revolution in 2004. Ukrainians wore orange and flocked to the center part of town to protest against a corrupt government election. After about a month in subzero temperatures, a revote was allowed and the election was deemed fair. This left Ukraine as more politically aware and fighting for a better democracy.

Monday: We stopped by HOPE Ukraine's administrative office. We met a few of the people that worked there and then set up a time to meet with my new boss on Tuesday. One of the guys in the office needed to go downtown so we followed him and his wife there. They showed us around a huge underground shopping mall. Later Mer and I went to the Park Misky Sad. There we saw the Rainbow Arch which is part of the Friendship of Nations Monument with a beautiful view overlooking the Dnipro River. We took a path along the lock bridge where newly married couples will come and put a lock which symbolizes their lasting relationship. We took a walking break and sat outside the beautiful Puppet Theater. People watching was a must at this stop. Also it was my brother's birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEVE!

Tuesday: I met with a man that would be my boss for the next 3 months. He gave me small hints into what I would be doing once I arrived in Zaporizhzhya. We decided that I would pick out my own apartment once I arrived. He also helped me get my bus ticket for the 8 hour trip on Saturday. We worked on some questions for a focus group I'll be orchestrating soon in Zaporizhzhya. After that the day was pretty relaxed until Mer and I got lost trying to find a local coffee shop. Five bus stops later with the help of a really nice elderly Ukrainian women, we finally found the metro to take us downtown. It was a long day, but it ended with a great conversation over coffee. To finish off the night we went to a lookout that looked down on Independence Square beautifully lit up.

Wednesday: I would call this the "Day of Sights". We went to St. Sophia's Cathedral which is the oldest standing church in Kiev which has Byzantine architecture dating back to 1037. We then went to the kievo-Pecherska Lavra. 123 mummified monks' bodies sit in caves in the "lower lavra". Visitors are only allowed into one small, dark section. Orthodox believers pilgrimage to Kiev just to kiss the glass cases that surround the bodies of the monks, because the bodies are believed to have healing powers. Head scarves and skirts for females are a must. I think this was probably one of the most powerfully cultural experiences thus far. We then proceeded to walk around the campus of the Lavra before leaving. Taking my first tram ever, we went back to the apartment and got ready for the upcoming "football" game. We met some of our host's friends and went to a soccer game that started at 9pm where Ukraine lost badly to Turkey. Let's just the goalie was having an off-day.

Thursday: Mer and I left the apartment at 9am. We got picked up by the "company car" and road to a town 40 minutes away called Bilacerkov. The local market was host to 2,000 small businesses and 40 of these businesses are HOPE loan clients. We interviewed 5 clients and asked them questions regarding the history of their business, their future goals, how the loan had helped them, and any social involvement within the community. We will soon be choosing a few of these clients to write stories about in order to send the stories back to HOPE in Pennsylvania. Once these get written up, I will post one or two of them on my next blog so you can get a better idea of the type of clients HOPE Ukraine is helping. The rest of night was relaxing. We made supper and dessert at the apartment and enjoyed good company and fun conversations.

Friday: That's today, my last full day in Kiev.
Saturday: I leave at 2:35pm and will haul all my stuff by bus to Zaporizhzhya where I will live for the next 3 months. I'll be staying with a family for a few days until I find an apartment.

Life-State: Monday I will start my new job in a new town. A lot of people have asked me if this makes me nervous/scared. So here's my most current answer... I guess I'm really at peace with the transition. I'm moving because, well, I had to. I'm excited to see a different type of microfinance and to see the community developement side of thing that HOPE Ukraine's Tomorrow Clubs fight for. These clubs help teach kids English while telling them about Jesus. The work/job part of the internship will be really great. There are a few things I am worried about. I'm worried about not being at Northwestern this semester. It will be hard for me to know that all my friends are back at college without me, that most of the SOSers are back, and that I won't be involved in RUSH, RA, or other campus events. But I know I'm here for a reason and once I get settled in things will be fine. So there's my current life-state. Feel free to leave comments or amusing happenings about your life. I miss you all!
~Bob

Pictures: http://bobbielydick.shutterfly.com/