Greetings from Kyiv

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

My Sun Lamp

Today for my official post for National Blog Posting Month, I will share with you a little tip for living in a country with very little sun for about four months a year. (NaBloPoMo kind of forces me to share more information about my life than you may be interested in because I have to post on something everyday, so here is the exciting subject for today folks!)

The sun lamp. I truly wonderful invention! And as of this month, I now officially own one!

I have been wanting a sun lamp for several years. The winter time in Ukraine is long and dark, by late January or February, one is truly feeling like they have lost all conception of what sunshine really is. Especially if one is formerly from southern California!

I had no idea what they looked like or even if one could be purchased in Ukraine. I have not heard of anyone here even using them, but one day a few weeks ago, when I was walking through what sort of is an underground mall, I happened to glance in a kiosk and see these lamps with big orange bulbs. On further examination, I realized that this was actually a sun lamp and since the price was decent, I went back to purchase it. (The kiosk of course was closed at that time.)

I now sit under this lamp a couple of times a day. It really does feel like the sun is shining on me and I am interested to know if it will really help come the end of winter.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Flu Epidemic In Ukraine, Day 11

I predict (and hope) that in the next couple of weeks, the flu quarantine/panic/epidemic that has been haunting Kyiv will "poop" out and taper off into the sunset of faded Ukrainian memories.

In the dark days of early winter without much sun, one can only keep up the energy needed to feed on this story for so long before collapsing of exhaustion. I hope we are almost there now. I can't take much more of the saliva sodden, constant nose and mouth touching, home made gauze masks falling halfway off people's faces, here, let me pull it off one more time for one last drag on my cigarette before I serve you coffee, can I pick my nose through this thing, let me try, mask etiquette that's going on around me . Isn't the constant touching and adjusting of the masks causing more germs to be spread then just staying clear of these areas to begin with?

But I digress......

Some sanity has surfaced........Ukrainian Dr. Komarovskyy began to write about the panic on his blog and shared some common sense statistics about what is really happening with Ukraine's flu epidemic this year. While the flu is serious this year and people are dying from it, he offers some sense of perspective to the statistics and information that is flying around the country. Global Voices does a great job of sharing his experiences and translating some of what he wrote. Click HERE to read.

There is also an article at Global Voices on the current internet round up of talk regarding the flu epidemic in Ukraine. (Apparently Belarus is also under the grip of flu panic as well.) To read the article, click HERE.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Where Where You?

Image by gavinandrewstewart via Flickr

Twenty years ago the Berlin Wall came tumbling down!

Where were you and what were your thoughts when it happened?

I was in Las Vegas with a group of friends. I remember looking out of the taxi window and seeing newspapers that had the headline with a large photo on the front page of people tearing the wall down. It was a moment I won't forget.

It was really hard to conceive that the Iron Curtain was crumbling apart. It would have been even more amazing if I could have looked forward in my life to know that I would eventually be living in a place that was behind the iron curtain and making friends with people who lived there! I'm so glad that wall fell or I would have never gotten to know my Ukrainian friends!

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Babushki (Grandmas)

I wanted to this photo to be more of a dark silhouette of the two babushki (grandmas) but unfortunately my point and shoot decided to use the flash!

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Evening In Kyiv

These shots were taken before the quarantine imposed by Swine Flu.

While there is still heavy traffic at rush hour times, it is now not as busy as usual.

This photo is proof that mashrutki (auto buses) are slower than cars!

Friday, November 06, 2009

Thoughts On Fear

Fear is something that touches all of us who are living on this earth at some time or another.

In this day and age with countries all over the world suffering from terrorism, infectious diseases, cancer, bad economies, unemployment and lack of trust in political leaders in one way or another, it seems as if everyone has legitimate things happening around them to make them feel fearful. Turn on the news and watch or listen to it for fifteen minutes and you will have fifteen more things to be worried and fearful about that you had never even considered before. Once you start feeling the grip of fear about one thing, then it seems to start growing inside until it can sometimes feel literally overwhelming or claustrophobic.

God did not give us the instinct of fear to make us unhappy or feel out of control. He gave it to us to help us be aware of things around us that could hurt us so we could seek protection from dangerous situations. He did not create fear so that it would rule over our lives or have authority over us. The only thing that should be ruling over our lives is God.

Are your feelings of fear ruling over your life?

Do you know this verse from the Bible? "For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and love and a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

Give your fears to God and give him authority over them. He will give you strength, love and an healthy attitude towards dealing with your problems and fears.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Ukraine Flu Epidemic Day 6

We were told that due to the quarantine that food markets would be closed. I saw my local market open on the news the other night so I went there today to buy some eggplants. Can you count the people wearing masks? Can you count the people with the masks hanging under their chins? You might need a magnifying glass!

In Kyiv I saw less people wearing masks on the streets today. The atmosphere felt less tense. Drug stores had signs hanging on the door telling people what medical supplies/medicines they did not have in stock.

While public meetings have been banned, that didn't stop the Dynamo football club from playing last night! There were a few masked fans in the crowds but it looked like most were more interested in the game than in being frightened of the flu. Fans that were interviewed before the game by the TV news said they were not worried because the sub zero temperatures would most likely kill any germs.

The death toll from flu in Ukraine climbed to 95 today.

Doctors who are interviewed about the epidemic on news programs are still encouraging people to wear masks, but medical masks are still in short supply. A doctor interviewed in Western Ukraine said that in his hospital, people were making their own masks out of cloth. These could be washed and worn repeatedly. Another doctor mentioned that they did not have enough medicine and were recommending home remedies to those suffering from the flu.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

World Health Organization Report on Ukraine Flu epidemic

Today is day 5 of the Ukrainian flu epidemic and the atmosphere in Kyiv is still somewhat tense. While I noticed less masks on the streets today, I did notice that nearly everyone who is working directly with the public, restaurants workers, stores workers, policemen etc, are wearing masks. Some are sporting homemade masks made out of gauze. There is constant floor moping going on in restaurants and at metro stations.

The World Health Organization arrived last night and today issued their first report on the flu epidemic. The blog "What's Up Ukraine" shares the report verbatim. The most gripping part is the line, "it can be assumed that most cases of influenza in Ukraine are caused by the H1N1 virus."

So from this official report, it would appear that Ukraine is definitely dealing with the Swine Flu virus.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Flu, Flu, And More Flu, Day 4

Image via Wikipedia

Flu is all anyone is talking about in Ukraine right now. You hear the word on the street by people who are brave enough to be out on it as they hold conversations with each other behind masked mouths. Friends are calling each other to try and figure out what is going on. People are watching breaking news on the epidemic with every kind of attitude from genuine concern, to sarcasm, and to complete panic.

The Ukrainian TV news programs talk of nothing but the flu. Statistics, documentaries, talk shows, news updates. Videos of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko dramatically meeting an airplane at Borispol Airport which unloaded boxes and boxes of Tamiflu. Ukraine has reportedly paid 50 million UAH for the medicine. We have everything we need here for a science fiction movie. As I sit in my flat writing this without any of the normal sounds of life outside my apartment building, I definitely feel a bit like I'm in one.

What might be a bit of a relief to everyone is that the World Health Organization has arrived in Ukraine and is going to be studying the virus that's causing this epidemic. While they are here, they might want to share some statistics on the problem of TB and other infectious diseases which plague Ukrainians prisoners. In the country's panic to have everyone wearing a mask, Tymoshenko has ordered two million face masks to be made by Ukrainian prisons.

The best news is that we have an ending date to the epidemic given by politician Volodymyr Lytvyn. He says the epidemic will end after the Presidential elections in January.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Flu Panic, Day 3

It's Day 3 of the Ukrainian Flu Panic.

Today the streets continue to be quiet. People only seem to be out if they absolutely have to get somewhere.

Mashrutki (auto buses) are running but I noticed that there are only a few people sitting in the seats compared to their usual over stuffed capacity loads.

I only saw one young child on the street. She was held tightly by her mother's hand. Her mother, of course, was wearing a mask.

President Yushenko has called the flu epidemic "A national security threat" and has requested that other countries help Ukraine by sending medicines, supplies and equipment to help combat the problem.

Blogger Moldov Ann related the story on her blog of her neighbor who called the paramedics when his temperature soared and was then told that they wouldn't come because they had no medicine for him anyway.

What is a huge concern to everyone I talk to now, is that markets have been ordered closed. The closures will start tomorrow. These markets are where most people get their fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. Who knows how this will affect an already bad economy. My friend in Western Ukraine mentioned that the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables there had been severely increased over the weekend.

So, the chaos continues.