December 1, 2012

Ode to Kyiv (taken from My Fair Lady)

I’ve grown accustomed to her face. 

She almost makes the day begin.

I’ve grown accustomed to the tune

She whistles night and noon

Her smiles, her frowns, her ups and downs

Are second nature to me now

Like Breathing out and breathing in

I was serenely independent and content before we met

Surely I could always be that way again and yet

I’ve grown accustomed to her looks

Accustomed to her voice,

Accustomed to her face

She’s second nature to me now

Like breathing out and breathing in

I’m very grateful she’s a woman and so easy to forget

Rather like a habit one can always break and yet

I’ve grown accustomed to the trace of something in the air

Accustomed to her face.

After being here for eight months this song expresses our feelings about this wonderful city……… her people, her crazy transportation, her endless stairs to climb, her architecture, her cultural events, her meat markets, her babushkas, metro ladies, and cash controllers, and her street peddlers, musicians and beggars. There are few things not to love about this city but that is true with every city so we won’t get into that. 

There is a simplicity of life here that at the onset seems totally complex but it is all a matter of what you get used to. For instance, yesterday I had a few errands to run….dry cleaners, market, bankomat, ticket broker (to pick up the tickets for temple missionaries activities), pharmacy, cashier at the metro to buy new cards for the month and home.  Now, in the United States this would take maybe one hour. Of course at home I would have a car and since I know all the shortcuts in Pocatello it may have taken less time. But since I was going by shanks mare it became a three hour errand, and I took all the shortcuts here as well. But that is where the simplicity of life comes in. It happened to be a beautiful day. We only see the sun about once a week, if that, and this was the day. As I was walking along really enjoying the sunshine and I noticed everyone else around me doing the same thing.    It is one thing to be alone and another to be lonely. I was alone – but so fascinated with all about me I was definitely not lonely. That is when the song from My Fair Lady came to my mind. I have grown accustomed to Kyiv. Accustomed to everyone around me speaking Russian or Ukrainian and the signs all being in Ukrainian. Accustomed to the the normal traffic rules (?) for Kyiv………….driving and parking on sidewalks. Accustomed to people being extra kind to me because I don’t speak a lot of Russian and yet explaining everything to me in their fast Russian dialogue thinking I totally understand. It was just one of those days when you are glad to be alive. No one expects you to be anywhere at a certain time and you can just enjoy life to the fullest. 

Kiev on a beautiful day!

You will also be interested to know that it is holiday season here.  Christmas is not until January 7 but the lights are going up, the trees are decorated in the stores and there is kind of a gaity everywhere. (I guess this is really not too different than in America where the trees go up by Halloween.) Down at Independence Square they have begun erecting the Eco-Christmas Tree which will be 40 meters tall and weigh 50 tons. I happened into a little florist shop and almost thought I had walked into L.D.'s.  The trees and ornaments were exquisite.

Exquisite ornaments

Beginning of tree at Independence Square

Everywhere signs of the season!

And speaking of Christmas,  as an English speaker, learning Russian, I will be singing in the Ukrainian Choir for the Christmas Program for all of the church employees here.  I have three  things in my favor.  I know most of the melodies, I can read Ukrainian and the other people in the choir sing very robustly so it is kind of like singing next to some really strong altos.  (For those of you in the choir you will understand this one.)  I must say it will be a lot of fun.  

But before I run off to Christmas, I have to tell about last week, which was Thanksgiving.  We had a great Thanksgiving week.  The weather here is a bit like Seattle or Oregon but a lot colder.  It also gets dark by 4:00 in the afternoon.  We hadn't seen the sun for about two weeks and then Thanksgiving Day we had the most beautiful sunny day - cold but sunny.  It was like being home in Idaho.  The missionaries weren't available for dinner until 5:00 so we had all day to get ready and that is about what it took.  Since we needed to pick up some things at the market we walked   down to McDonald's (the oldest McDonald’s in Eastern Europe) for lunch.  Of course it wasn't Thanksgiving here so everyone was just working as usual and we saw a lot of things to make us doubly grateful for all that we have.  About 4:00 we loaded up the babushka cart and headed up the street to our friends the Barton's, who had graciously agreed to host our Thanksgiving dinner. They  have a beautiful apartment just a mile and a half up from our apartment and oh what a difference that mile and a half makes.  I have to say that their doorman and all the other people that were exiting in their Bentley's and BMW's  looked at us like we were a little weird but we just acted like we didn't notice.  The six hungry missionaries arrived right on time.  Our dinner was delicious and we had a truly wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Over the river and up the street...Karlene and her babushka cart!

Thanksgiving dinner

Saturday our International Branch had a baptism,  Ezioha Christopher Okechukwu from Nigeria. Gary, being the ward mission leader was in charge of everything so we spent Friday inviting everyone and getting the program and refreshments ready. ZeZe came to Ukraine to play soccer and is now a shoe salesman. We decided to do a session at the temple before the baptism at 11:00 so we took the 6:00 AM tram. It was freezing cold but gave us another chance to be grateful for all we have. Thirty five people from the branch came to the baptism so it was really a great day. 

Ezioha's baptism

Saturday night we went with our embassy friends to an organ concert.  (Jill is a professional organ player).  The House of Organ is in St. Nicholas Catholic Church and was built in  the late 1800 early 1900 ‘s.  It was taken over as  by the Soviets and at one time housed the KGB.  It was restored in 1979-80 and is now the National House of Organ and Chamber Music of Ukraine.  The Catholic church does hold mass there and is hoping to get possession returned to them.  (Good luck with that.)

  

St. Nicholas Cathedral

House of Organ

This week it was back to work as usual.  Gary is on tenterhooks waiting for a few projects to settle.  Working with people from Moscow in the temple is always a joy and then Thursday evening we went with President Galbraith and his wife, the Callisters and the Ricks to see Madame Butterfly.  And that just about takes us right back to errand day. 

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying all the preparations for Christmas. We think of you often.

One little explanation about the crabapple trees that line the sidewalk up to the temple. In Russian the trees are not crabapple trees but Paradise Apple Trees (much more romantic, don’t you think?). The little red apples cling tightly to the branches all winter long, through rain, snow and freezing conditions. Like the people that come here through all kinds of adverse conditions, the Paradise Apple Trees lead the way to the temple which is truly a paradise from the world. 

November 23, 2012

Quote for the Week:

“I testify that God is a happy Man. I know that because I am a happy man when I have his Spirit with me. You can keep a cheerful face when others around you are despondent.  When others appear sad and mad and bad, you can still be glad and peaceful because you know who you are and where you are going, and you have his Spirit with you.” ~Kelly Ogden

Kyiv Ukraine Temple taken on a foggy morning (11/28/2012)