Category: Countries

  • Kharkiv, Ukraine: Easter Horses

    Ukraine is a devoutly Christian country, mostly Orthodox but Catholic as well. Depending on your faith, you can attend any number of church services. Now, I’m not a very church-going guy on most occasions but, as curiosity would strike me, I wanted to see what a Ukrainian Easter service looked and felt like. There was…

  • Symska Women and Ukrainian Dating Agencies: The Student Who Wouldn’t Speak

    Symska Women and Ukrainian Dating Agencies: The Student Who Wouldn’t Speak

    After a couple of months teaching English in Ukraine, I learned a bit more about the country and its people. In general, teachers can tell within a few classes who their strong students are and those who need a little more encouragement. Well, in one class I had three Natashas, three Katerinas (often spelt Yekaterina),…

  • Kharkiv, Ukraine: An Introduction

    Kharkiv, Ukraine: An Introduction

    Kharkiv, an unpronounceable city just like Poland’s Rzeszów. Depending on your Cyrillic abilities, you’ll have trouble pronouncing this city’s name. KARkov, KHHHHHARkov, or, if you’re listening to a Ukrainian speaker (not Russian), KARkeev or KKHHAAARkeeev. The “kh” is a gutteral throat sound and the best way to get the pronunciation right is to take a…

  • Ukraine: Second Impressions

    Ukraine: Second Impressions

    After a couple of months in Ukraine I began to slowly accept the country as it is, for better and worse. I got used to some things, especially after living in Kharkiv for a few months, and yet just couldn’t understand some other aspects of the country and its culture. What follows are my second…

  • Kyiv, Ukraine: The Divided Country and… Has Dave Lombardo Heard Me Play Drums?

    Kyiv, Ukraine: The Divided Country and… Has Dave Lombardo Heard Me Play Drums?

    If there’s one city where you can see the change of the Ukrainian West-East dichotomy, it’s Kyiv (Київ, pronounced K-yeev in Ukrainian, or Key-ev in Russian). Kyiv is modernity mixed with tradition: narrow, cobblestone streets like those found in L’viv intersect modern, paved streets. The huge roadways hum with traffic while the sidewalks are lined…

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