Tchaikovsky

Lavra, add that to the now overflowing list of places we cannot see in Ukraine. One of the oldest and most historic churches in Kiev is now off limits, the reason being, it’s Russian orthodox and is unfriendly to Americans and Ukrainians a like. They support Russia and are upset that Ukraine wants to be part of the European Union. I find it sad that churches are now starting to participate in this bickering between the two sides. Churches are supposed to be helpful in times like this but yet they are picking sides. I don’t think it’s right. It’s sad really.

For the most part things are starting to turn back to normal where I am at right now. People go to work and carry about their normal life even though there is a war threating to break out in the midst of all of  this. We are able to go on adventures before classes again and enjoy being outside. However we still can’t be out at night and we can’t visit anything in the center of town (were there is protesting still happening). Sadly the center has the most history out of any of the other parts of town. I really hope to see the center soon. if not I might have to get 'lost' and go myself. I think I would be ok.  

On an adventure we took yesterday we stumbled upon a museum of the most famous composer in Ukraine’s history. The tour was free and it was in ENGLISH! It was broken English but I was just greatful they put in the time to tell us about the composer and his life. At the first floor there was information about where he grow up and his family. The second floor was his house and there were all original furniture and items that belonged to him. We were able to look as long as we liked and take at many photos as we liked. It was amazing! There also was a piano in almost every room. I got to play one in his sitting room. To fit the mood I played Yann Tiersen’s Comptine d'un autre été. After I played the song the tour guide said that this piano was played by tchaikovsky himself! Amazing! knock that off my bucket list! We also got a CD of his music for free and a post card, for free! The guides were so kind and I would easily go back and pay money to go there again. It had to be one of the best adventures so far! just think, we stumbled on this all by mistake as well. it makes me want to get out and get lost more other because you don't know what kind of amazing things you might find. 

on most nights after dinner my family likes to watch films with me. I enjoy this most of the time but sometimes I almost fall asleep during them because we put them on late sometimes. I force myself to stay up though because I don't want to seem like they bore me, I just get really tired. Most of the time they pick out the films but sometimes they ask me what I like. So last night we watched the movie the hunger games. I told my host dad about this book a couple weeks ago and said that I really liked it and the film was good as well so last night he wanted to watch the film. Not a good choice. The government is rich and powerful and makes it’s people work to the grave, the president is evil and has loads of money and it’s about the people overthrowing the government. it sounds so much like a Ukrainian's life right now. I didn't even think about it until half way through the film. 

Normally after the film we talk a little more, sometimes about the film, sometimes about other things, no matter how tired I am or they are. I could be practically falling asleep on the couch but they will still be talking to me. They are so funny.  but anyhow last night  after the film all they said was that it was good and then we all went to bed. I’ll chalk that up to being one of my opps moments. I don't think they liked the film to much.

the piano it's self was beautiful.

peace corps

Even though they are changing the government, parliament, and at some point even the president,  you would think this would solve a lot of the problems that needed to be fixed. You would be surprised to find out that even though the protesters are getting almost everything they want everything is not ok, it's still not safe here. Because of these resent changes it has put friends against friends, kin against kin, and east against west. I just got an email from the US embassy saying that all Peace Corps people have been sent out of the country. I have a gut feeling that we will be soon to leave as well. I really don't want to leave. I have made great friends and memories but if this is what I need to do I will.

Because I could go outside yesterday (freedom! YES) I went by myself to some underground markets and got some hats for a great price of only about $10. I plan on doing so more shopping soon but I'm just enjoying not being under house arrest. I plan on going out early today as well and just walking around even though the weather is kind of dismal and cold.

Being here has given a new meaning to, live life to the fullest because you don't know how long you have. I feel like this in Kiev, live, try new things, don't regret because you don't know when we'll have to go.

Next update will be soon

Darla

off house arrest!!!

After a long 5 days of house arrest I am glad to say it has been lifted and we are going to teach again today. Hopefully things will go back to normal soon but my head teacher has reason to believe we could be placed back under house arrest... that will be a day.

There were times when I thought I was going to go home. I guess that is still a possibility that we could still leave but it got to the point where I was making back up plans. I was talking to my friends in England and my friends in France also putting in job applications in Italy. If I had to leave the country I was going to try my hardest to stay in Europe for as long as possible.

On Friday the house arrest was kind of lifted. it was more like temporarily lifted. I was allowed to go with my host family to the park as long as I was back before dark. I then was able to go across town by car to another coordinators house witch we had dinner out altogether. it felt great to be out again and be with friends face to face! Sadly the house arrest was put back on when we got back to her place so me and Marilee where stuck on the other side of town with no way back for the night and another day. so needless to say we spent the whole weekend over there. It was fun but I was glad when I was able to go back to my host family. 

The president is out of office! There are photos of his house that is going around online. It just makes me sick to see all the money he stole from his people to make himself and his family rich. He had no right being president and I am happy to say that he is gone. Ukraine has the right for the pursuit of happiness and the freedom we enjoy. I hope that someday soon they will have all of this.  

Out of this whole weekend I learned patients, and how to deal with problems calmly. I also learned to rely on the Lord and understand what ever happened, it was all part of his plan and I should comply with it instead of being my stubborn self.

            Things have gotten better; however things are not completely well. There are still protests going on in the center. Not many people can say that they were in a middle of a revolution in a foreign country for their internship. This is one of a kind and I will never forget this moment in my life. It has changed my outlook on a lot of things. I have already learned so much. I would never change this experience for anything.

 Till next time,

Darla

update status

Things have not gotten any better here. At first today we were going to teach and I thought it could be improving but I was sorely mistaken as the early morning faded into mid morning. In fact they have gotten much worse then things that had happened yesterday. It has all gone south. All the teachers have been placed under “house arrest” again but this time I’ve been talking to friends and family to make time past faster. Thank goodness for Skype! but I have been in my room talking on the computer and watching shows.

Some of the things that I have heard that has happened during the day today. There was a drive by shooting that happened just 20 minutes away from where I live. Some unknown people burnt down a building where injured protesters were (a make shift hospital of sorts). Young men called Tatushiks walk around doing small crimes because the police are not doing anything. The metro is still shut down. people are under the belief that they are transporting weapons through the underground.  as if this was not enough, now they have blocked off all roads across the river and have started to shut down roads around the town as well. I am officially locked into the city. I can't leave even if I wanted to.  

My host family has been clearly upset by this whole thing as well. My host brother, Colia, the 3 year old, has been acting odd since last night, throwing tantrums and crying fits without a reason. I believe he knows what’s happening as well and shows his fear in a different way then all of us.

For weeks I have said to my friends and family, “I feel safe”. However within the past couple days I have not been able to say this with much confidence.

 It’s really sad for them because here I am a foreigner in this area and I can go home whenever I want to. My home is safe. This however is their home and the government is crumbling right under their feet.  It’s scary to see them for the first time, not know what tomorrow will look like.

One thing is for sure, there is no bright light out of this tunnel anytime soon.

house arrest

Conditions in Kiev.

The conditions in kiev have gotten worse over the past day. Now over 30 people have died and they have started to burn buildings in the center. In Lviv it is even worse. All the government over there has been dissolved and now the opposition is running the government.  On the eastern side the opposition does not have a powerful hold on the government but I believe it’s only time until it becomes as bad as it is here.

All these facts seem to be out of a movie or something that you would hear about from a faraway land. However I am in the middle of it and it is real. We have been placed in what I would like to call “house arrest” for today and I think it might last longer then just today. We are not supposed to leave our houses for anything, we can’t even go to the supermarket for food. 

then there is social unrest, it brings out the best and worst in people. The cops won't respond or help because there are bigger issues to worry about, petty criminals know this and are starting to use the chaos to their advantage.

I wanted to know what happen for it to get this bad. My host family broke it down really well and it shined some light in my eyes. I hope it does the same for you guys back in America.

It all started last year in November. Ukraine was about the sign an agreement that made them part of the European union but we all know that on the day of the signing, Ukraine backed out. Because of this back out about 100 university students went to the town center to protest and they got beaten badly for it. When that came on to the news that night the public people were angry. The next day even more people came to protest, not just university students but people of all ages. The reason for the protest, to punish the people that gave the commands to beat the kids. They wanted justice for what the government did. 

However the president didn’t listen to his people, in fact, he took a holiday to Russia for two weeks during this time. When he came back there where more people protesting, not only for a punishment but now they wanted the president to step down from his possession, and also to join the European union. Instead of listening once again he left witch caused more people to come and protest, their demands remained the same plus one more, for the government to be dissolved completely and everyone to be reelected.

Now we are here. People are protesting to change so many things in the government. they demand change and change is coming. we see it now, it's changing so fast it's almost hard to keep up with it all.

This all started with 100 brave kids, no older than me and my friends  that are here. Who ever said kids can’t change their future is wrong because it’s happening now.

castle city

This past weekend me and all the other teachers made a trek across the country by train to a small town called Kamianets-Podilskyi. It was a 7 hour train ride over night. Sadly because it was only 7 hours we didn’t get a sleeper car. So for 7 hours I slept off and on in an uncomfortable chair against Camden the whole night. It was surely an adventure but it was totally worth it because the town that we got to was amazing.

Since I never remember what the town is actually called I just call it castle city because it had two castles within about 15 miles of each other. The town it’s self was built around 13^th century. It was absolutely beautiful and full of history with its intercut building designs and its weathered roads. The two castles themselves are not in working order and because of that we had free range to go and explore where ever we wanted in the castles. Of course there were some places blocked off in both of these places (more in the second one then the first one) but we walked all over the place in both of the castles.  

I loved the first on the best because it felt like no one had ever seen this castle before and it had been lost for years and we were the first people to find it again. No one was there beside us. I think mainly because it was still really cold outside but I loved it, I loved being on of the only people there. It’s walls were crumbling and there were remnants of other structures that must have attached to the castle at some point but now they did not. but all of this was so beautiful. We exploded the grounds and walked around the deserted hallways of the castle itself. I personally could have spent all day here walking around and enjoying the scenery.

The second one was cool as well, but in its own way. This had more visitors but it still wasn’t may people there because it’s still kind of in winter. This one had more hall ways and passages but it had barely any grounds at all. It also over looked the town and gave amazing views of it.

us standing on some old remnants from the first castle we saw

Camden and I at the first castle. this was my favorite and you can see why! the grounds where enormous!

inside the second castle!

the view of the second castle from the city it was connected too

the city was full of these kind of buildings!

 

 

Over all the weather was great, 45F and sunny the whole day! I couldn’t believe it. It was so nice to get into the country again and feel the clean and clear air hit your face as you walked down a cobblestone road. it was something like a fairy tale.

ballet and bazaars

Over the course of the last couple days I have been on quite a few adventures. On Wednesday a teacher in our group had a birthday. We all went to her host family's house played games and had dinner. Because of the protesting that is still going on, me and Marilee spent the night and left the next morning to go teach.  I am starting to become really good friends with the other teachers here.

                We went on a small adventure on Saturday and when I say small I mean huge. I left at 11 and didn’t get back home till 11 and night. We went to this bazaar kind of place on the out skirts of town and also went to a metro stop on an island in the middle of the river called hydropark. Because this is more of a summer place to hang out and swim, our group was pretty much the only people there, except this naked man that jumped into the frozen river. That was interesting.

                On Sunday I got a chance to see the ballet swan lake at the opera house. It was absolutely amazing. The dancers dance with such precision and the music was perfect. This is something I want to do again. The building itself took me back and I couldn’t stop thinking about the whole time I was there. I dreamt of doing stuff like this and now I can’t believe that I am living my dream.   It truly shows that you should reach for the stars because you can really accomplish anything you have your heart set too.

                I am getting better and following maps. (Mom would be proud) and I am glad to say that I have not been lost since my first week here. I have gotten to the point there sometimes if I have free time I ride the bus or tram one extra stop to see where it goes or get off at the right stop but go another direction. I have found some really cool things doing this but most of the time I don't find much. I just really like walking around and seeing new things. I do a lot of this stuff on my own but I don't mind it. sometimes Marilee comes with me or even Camden but I am fine on my own as well.

most of the group at Hydropark. it was a ghost town and freezing cold!

the end of the red line!