Saturday, March 26, 2011

Well, daylight saving time comes to Kiev at 3:00 AM Sunday (few hours 'til midnight). That means this is the 2nd hour of sleep we lose this year ;-D

Snowing again today...a little harder but nothing really stuck. It did brighten up the cloudy day and was fun to walk in on the way to the Metro (subway).  We have "the drill" from our apartment down well now.  I made a wrong turn yesterday, though, as we headed underground and followed the walkway that leads to the 3 story (underground) shopping mall - imagine Jeanne's delight and surprise.....

Suprisingly, to us, the subway was packed for a mid-morning on a Saturday.  So was the bus...we were pressed together like rush hour on Friday night. There are 100's of these buses carrying 1000's of passengers everyday. 

The money handling for bus fare is amazing to watch. There's a big carpeted berm next to the driver that people throw their bus fare money on. When the buses get crowded people pass the money up and down an aisle of standing passengers. It's kind of like buying a bag of peanuts at a Twins game when you're seated dead center in a row.  It's quite an honor system.  Sometimes the driver has an assistant riding shotgun to help take money. Quite simple but it works. Also, young children, like Lucas are encouraged to sit on the berm to save space, I believe. 

Opening the gate to Orphanage's fenced in play ground, Lucas was greeted with hugs, by Jessie, our lovable dog friend.  When we got in the building we were suprised to see Igor there today.  He greeted us and explained the people in his office were his spouse and 2 sets of visiting friends.  He introduced us to his lovely wife Anna.  She had a great smile and warmly greeted us.  There was also a woman there considering the adoption of a child.

We found all the kids in the commons area...some watchin' the "new" TV, others playing checkers, some doing puzzles, playing games on handhelds and reading as well as plain socializing.  The other family was there too. We enjoy their company and recognize the bond that experiences like this brings.

Soon it was lunchtime.  Everyone (all children + both visiting families) got in 3 lines and were led in prayer by one of the workers. The children all "steepled" their hands and bowed there heads. It was very cool.

No goin' outside.  Sergei (driver and weekend caretaker) didn't want any children out in the snow...didn't want them sick I interpreted from our "charade-type" of exchange.  So we read, did puzzle books and played indoor soccer. The other dad and his son went to the local bike store to get equipment to repair two bicycles.  Sasha, sometimes the gymnast, walked around for awhile:

The oldest boy in the orphanage, Vladic, is a great kid, well-mannered, very bright.  He hung out with us in the afternoon doing sudoku or helping repair bikes while younger ones napped. I sure hope he and is sister Natasha and younger brother, Nicholai get adopted or at least hosted.  All 3 are wonderful kids.  The family that gets them will be blessed. Lucas has been begging to bring them with us...especially Vladic.

Tea time: Anna, a very sweet worker, made tea for us all with cookies and candies.  Shortly afterwards, we decided to call it a day. We went to the bus stop and Sergei let Sasha and Vladic escort - with Jessie of course.  The bus stops are a culture unto themselves.  Each one has kiosk-type tea/food vendors, markets, pop, beer and other goods.  The larger the bus stop the more vendors and kiosks. Some shots from the bus stop close to the orphanage:

At the apartment we made the last of the pasta and sauce we brought from the U.S. Later we made time for movie night by watching 'Marmaduke' on the laptop enjoying Popsecret microwaved hot and buttery!