Christmas in Munich...

It was lovely.

Not only was the city beautiful and clean, but there was just something old-fashioned and wonderful about it. I loved it.

I'll not bore you with every detail of the trip but I will bore you with my hundreds of pictures (most of which I stole from my sister because her camera rocks). We went to so many places and saw so many things, so here are just a few of my favorite things..... from Munich:

Marienplatz - the town square where they had a fabulous Christmas market with so many beautiful (mostly hand-crafted) things and so many wonderful smells. If it didn't smell like grilled sausages, it smelled like candied apples and spiced nuts. Yum. Also, there was the most beautiful building - the Town Hall - that had a working glockenspiel in it. Super fabulous.

The Alps - They are beautiful and yep, I rode a toboggan down them. David, Traci, Calvin, and Henry rode a chair lift up to the top and rode their toboggans down a 3 mile run (an hour round trip) but I opted out (I'm a wimp) and Charlie and I stuck to the bunny hill. But we had a fabulous time walking the toboggan up the hill and riding down several times. I couldn't have had more fun with any other person than Charlie - he giggled uncontrollably the whole way down the hill every time we went. It was so cute. We talked Henry into coming with us once and he reluctantly accepted (he wasn't a big fan of the fast 3 mile long ride), and we ended up in a heap at the bottom of the hill. But they were so cute and we had a good time. The next best thing to that was having schnitzel and a warm cup of "kinder punch" (wassail) in the little restaurant when we were done.

The Residenz - It served as the seat of government and residence for the Bavarian dukes from the early 1500's to the early 1900's. It was really really beautiful. One of those places that I wish I could have seen while I was in interior design school....

The Deutsches Museum - The world's largest science and technology museum. There's something like 13 miles of hallway and about 28,000 exhibited objects and we probably saw a fifth of it. But it was really fascinating and educational.

Neuschwanstein - the castle that looks like the Walt Disney Castle. It is said that it was Disney's inspiration for the main theme castle and also for the castle in Sleeping Beauty. We took a horse drawn carriage up the hill (the castle is at the top of the Alps) and then walked the rest of they way up. The poor guy that owned it, Ludwig II, only lived there for nine months before he was diagnosed as crazy, committed to a hospital, and then mysteriously died shortly after. The castle was never finished, but it was very lavish and fun to see nonetheless.

Nuremberg - A fabulous little town outside of Munich. It still has the fortress walls up around the original city. We were there on Christmas Eve and I must say that this was my top favorite. The town was charming and the Christmas markets were fabulous. I got the most precious hand-carved nativity there. And I saw a flower seller that was selling flowers that made me want to cry. For reals. But the best part was when the huge (beautiful) cathedral bells started peeling (really loudly and longly - is that a word?) at 3 pm and everyone starting closing up shop and heading home to be with their families. It was adorable and felt everything good and Christmasy.

Frauenkirche (The Church of Our Lady) - a big beautiful cathedral at Marienplatz where Traci and I went to midnight mass. Yep, two Mormon girls at a Catholic mass - how much more random could it get? It was all in German and Latin and we didn't know what we were doing, but it was very interesting. And we sang Silent Night in Latin. I mean, how much more Christmasy can you get?

Ok, I know I said I wouldn't bore you with the details.... but I think I just did.

Anyway, here are some pictures. You may want to take a quick break - there really are a lot of them....

Charlie on the plane and Cal waiting for baggage

Me & my back-buddy, Charlie at Marienplatz

Cute little toy booth at the Christmas market

Marienplatz

The goodies at the Christmas market - true candied apples with hard candy shells (yep, had one! Yum!), candied and chocolate dipped fruits, and hot chocolate and real chestnuts roasted on an open fire (yep, had some! The hot chocolate was good, the chestnuts - not so much. But at least I can say I tried some!)

Another booth at the Christmas market... they were just so cute!

The Residenz - gor-ge-ous!

Nuremberg

The Cathedral whose bells rang loudly on Christmas Eve...

On the way up...

On the way down...

Turns out I can't steer a toboggan very well...

How cute are they?!

I have no words for how cute this boy is...

Calvin and his bog, me and the Janie, and all of us (minus David, the photographer) at the slopes

Jane while walking... Jane enjoying her own reflection... Isn't she the cutest?

I liked the taxis outside our hotel - they were Mecedes. Nice, right? Germans do make some nice cars...

Ludwig II's version of Versaille's Petit Trianon. Just one of his "little" escapes at the top of the Alps. Everyone needs one of these...

Neuschwanstein - the "Disney Castle." We didn't get the best shots of it...

but this is how it looks from afar... (not my picture - I stole it off the internet)

The precious hand-carved nativity that I got in Nuremberg. I love how baby Jesus can either go in the manger or in the crook of Mary's arm...

This is not German, it's Ukrainian. But Traci & David got this for me for Christmas and I LOVE IT. It is so detailed and intricate and precious. I have started a nativity collection and I have a particular interest in the simple ones with just the Holy Family. Isn't it beautiful? The top even comes off so you can put treasures inside... sigh.

Anyway....

Of all the eternally long posts that I have posted, I think this one takes the cake.

it's BEGINNING to look a BIT like Christmas.

Despite my recent efforts at being an optimist, I've come to realize that Christmas will probably never be as magical as it was when I was a child - with the waiting and anticipating, the overall naiveté, and the stress-free-ness of it all. But still, there are things that I just need at Christmas time.

A few of those things include lights and decorations everywhere, apple-cinnamon/spice scented everything, and at least one radio station that plays continuous Christmas songs all day long (in English). I don't think that's too much to ask.

But Ukraine doesn't have any of that stuff. Not yet, anyway.

Along with several other Orthodox countries, Ukraine doesn't celebrate Christmas until January 7th. So their decorating has barely begun. It's just strange when you're used to seeing Christmas popping up everywhere as soon as Halloween is over. At the very least after Thanksgiving. But the whole month of December has been pretty drab here without the normal green and red and glittery-ness that most of us Americans have become accustomed to.

But then a couple weeks ago we went to Mega Market to do some shopping and to my utter joy and excitement, they had decorated for Christmas! Mind you, it was Ukrainian style, but it was a sight for sore eyes nonetheless.

Since then, I have seen little bits and pieces of Christmas popping up around town. It's amazing what some simple decorations can do for a Christmas-loving soul like mine.

Despite the fact that the magic of Christmas has all but died for me, I still want to feel that tingly happiness that can only be associated with Christmas time. I mean, let's get real here - I get giddy just thinking about sparkly ornaments and Frank Sinatra's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" makes me cry every time I hear it.

So I've been hoarding Christmas-ness - taking pictures of any decorations I see, listening to all the best Christmas tunes, baking my favorite holiday cookies (which also satisfies my need for cinnamon/spice scented things) and storing them up so that I can feel Christmas close by whenever it starts to feel a bit drab and un-Christmas like. Enough of these simple little things and perhaps it will start to feel a bit more like the holiday I have always loved...

And perhaps going to Germany tomorrow will help me get more into the Christmas spirit - they really know how to put it on over there.

So, until the 28th - Auf Wiedersehen! And hey, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I made some friends....

.... and then they left me.

I mean, I can't really understand why you guys didn't want to stay in киев forever. Let me reiterate some of the perks of this beautiful city for you:

1.) It has very lively traffic.

2.) You never have to feel bad about pushing people.

3.) You can stare relentlessly and never feel awkward about it.

4.) You can sit so close to someone on the metro that you know them really well by the time you get off.

5.) The sidewalks keep you alert.

6.) You are always young and sexy here - "Why not you wear shorter skirt?"

7.) I'm here! Hello? Need I list more??

8.) Beer is the equivalent of a soft drink. Not that that matters, but come on... cool right?

9.) Everyone is concerned about the well-being of your ovaries.

10.) It is full of smiling, friendly faces. No wait, I must be thinking of a different place. Scratch that.

So there you go, 10 9 good reasons why you should, I don't know, come back. That's not to mention all the little chillins (including my nephews) who think you guys are pretty awesome.

And I just can't imagine the next group being as cool as you guys are....

Ok, I know you're not going to come back. So really all I want to say is thank you for being my friends, showing me around town, teaching me the metro, and hanging out with me even though I'm old enough to be your mom! I'll sure miss you ladies!

Just because you keep asking...

So quit nagging me already!

1.) There are exactly two single men that I have met so far: one Ukrainian, one American. Both Mormon. I'm not interested in either of them.

*Ukrainian men are not the finest specimen in the world so the chances of anything happening here are, well, slim to none.

2.) I'm not totally aware of the social scene here (no surprise there). And I'm not really sure that I want to be aware. It seems like the only socially acceptable things here are short skirts, stilhetto boots, and lots (and lots and lots and lots) of alcohol. And we all know where that combination would get me - wait, where would that get me? Just kidding, don't answer that.

I have been to a couple church activities with the young single crowd here, but it's hard when you don't speak eachother's languages. But let's be honest - regardless of the language barriers, I've never been one to enjoy singles activities. Let's leave it at that. I could go on and on about it... :)

The one redeeming aspect of my social life has been my beloved ILP girls that force me out of my hermity I-don't-want-to-be-aware-of-the-social-scene zone. Thank heaven for them! (more on them another time)

3.) Still no job. There aren't very many options for me since I don't have a working visa. I really only have a couple options, one of which is no longer an option so I just need to get on the ball with the other one. In the mean time I will probably be advertising myself in the kids' school newsletter as a "homework helper" where I'd mostly help non-native English speaking kids with their English. Calling myself a tutor would probably require some real brain usage (and probably some math), and that could be detrimental.

4.) I don't really know how long I will be here. Six months to indefinitely. It all depends on the job thing. And what I want to do with the rest of my life. Except wait, if it depends on me deciding what to do next with my life, I could be here forever...

Suggestions welcome any time.

5.) That all sounds really drab and pessimistic.

6.) On a more cheery and optimistic note, we are headed to Munich in two weeks! They go nuts there at Christmas time (unlike here where they don't celebrate Christmas until January - more on that another time as well) so it will be a snowy, wintery, Christmas wonderland in Germany. And I'm pretty darn excited about it!

7.) I am LOVING the time I get to spend with my niece and nephews. They are little darlings. And they do some seriously funny things. And my sister - I have only seen her once in the last four years or more, so it's been fab getting to spend some quality time with her. How many people can say they got to live with their ultra-cool sister and her family in a foreign country? Not many.

8.) Oh, and no, I'm not on a cabbage-only diet. I'm not losing weight and I'm definitely not down to a size smaller than what I was when I left. In fact, I have gained weight since being here. I have eaten more in the last two months than I have in the last three years of my life combined. So thank you for bringing that one up. I appreciate it.

Ok, that's all I can think of... Does that answer all your questions? :)

the need to blog + lack of inspiration = really lame post (fair warning)

I think I've hit a blogging wall. I had so many things up my sleeve to talk about when I started up my blog, and now all of a sudden, I'm drawing a total blank. Maybe it's because my posts are eternally long (and probably boring - sorry to my 3 readers) and I cram WAY too much into each one. Nevertheless, I need some good blogging material to come my way... soon. Something totally noteworthy and memorable.

On a random note, we ran out of regular laundry soap yesterday and I really needed to do laundry this morning so I used Dreft (baby laundry soap) instead. I put my comforter in first, put a capful of soap in, and started the cycle. It wasn't until the cycle was mostly finished that Traci informed me that Dreft is "extra sudsy" so I don't need to use a whole capful when I use it. Oops...

When I went back in to check on my laundry, I noticed that even though the cycle had completed, there were mounds of soap around the comforter, in the comforter, and all over inside the washer. I opened the door and a glob of suds nearly plopped out onto the floor. Yep, it appears that Dreft is in fact, EXTRA SUDSY. I think they need to put a warning label on the bottle.

It turns out that I had to do two extra rinse & spin cycles to get the soap out, which thankfully did nothing more than set me back a bit in my laundry-doing this morning. It's probably a good thing we have the upright kind of washer that locks. I had a daydream of the cliche movie scene where obscene amounts of bubbles are spewing out of the washer onto the floor in every direction until the floor is totally covered with suds. I don't think it would have been an exaggeration. I probably would have slipped, flown three feet into the air and landed on my back in a fit of laughter while bubbles spilled down onto my head as well. And the dog would have run in, jumping around and barking at all the floating bubbles. Except we don't have a dog, so nevermind that part...

Whoa, wait, I just blogged about overly-susdsy baby soap and my movie-esque daydream. I told you I've hit a wall.

a quick shout out

So I have this friend that makes not only hand-made but custom-made jewelry that is pretty awesome... I don't own any yet, but I hope to be a proud owner soon (wink)!! She's a pretty cool chick (we knew each other waaaay back when...) and she's doing a GIVEAWAY. Check it out:

Baby-sitting. Aunt Joe style...

So I'm a terrible aunt. It's true.

I noticed a week or so ago that Jane really likes the TV. Especially when there are cartoons on that have lots of colors and sound and movement. It's the insta-calm for her.

So the other night when I was baby-sitting the kids, I decided to see if she wanted to watch Wallace & Gromit with the boys. Sure enough, she was up on her elbows and folding her tiny hands in front of her with her eyes wide and glued to the computer for about five minutes. It was so stinking cute.

I must say that's a pretty amazing attention span for a three month old baby! And those neck and back muscles? Uncanny, really.

A Ukrainian Masquerade... or should I say Mask-o-raid?

Here's the thing... I realize that the swine flu is no laughing matter. It is a serious illness and a lot of people have died from it. And I DEFINITELY wouldn't be laughing if it was me that was sick in bed with H1N1.

But here's the other thing...

It just happens to be election time in Ukraine, and sadly enough, I'm sure you can imagine the way political figures have used things like the swine flu to get ahead in the game.

One such political figure declared a nationwide quarantine and ordered all public schools and mass-gathering places (movie theaters, public rallies, churches, concert halls, etc.) to be shut down for three weeks. Which just happened to be three days before one of her opponent's biggest political rallies was supposed to take place. Coincidence? Ha.

Maybe she really did have a pure concern for the safety, health, and well-being of the people. But maybe not.

Regardless of her motive, it was a move that not only caused severe paranoia amongst the people but undoubtedly secured her some extra votes. Perfect. For her... She looked like a hero. Nevermind the mass hysteria that took place after she did whatever she was trying to do.

And even though swine flu, political corruptness, and the lack of medical help is no laughing matter, what we saw the day after the quarantine announcement was funny. Truly funny.

Everyone was wearing surgical masks.

Seriously. All these beautiful women, dressed in fur coats and stillhetto boots, wearing surgical masks. People at the bus stops. People in the grocery stores. Men with their expensive jeans and Italian leather shoes. Wearing surgical masks. All in hopes that they wouldn't get the swine flu.

The saddest/funniest part about it is that wearing a surgical mask will not prevent you from getting the swine flu. Or any other flu for that matter. It only prevents you from giving it to other people. The simple fact that you should wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer is one that is little known around here apparently.

So I turned mask watching into a game. Just to pass the time. And I brought my camera with me.

I started by snapping pictures of any random mask I saw. Soon, I had compiled a mental list of pictures that I for sure wanted to get. Like a police officer with one on and a woman with a fur coat and mask on. And I wasn't going to blog about it until I got all the pictures I wanted. But the paranoia died down after a couple weeks and the surgical masks started disappearing. Quite unfortunate really. I didn't get all the ones I wanted. But here is a sampling of the Ukrainian population during the swine flu scare.

Just so you know, the game involved some serious amounts of stealth on my part. I got quite good at it, as you can tell.

The grocery store...

Retail places...

On the street...

Imagine the disappointment I feel that I didn't get a picture of the couple kissing with their masks pulled down around their necks. And even more so, the girl outside the grocery store with her mask around her chin, smoking a cigarette. Yep, it's swine flu that's gonna kill you...

Books... I seriously love them.

I am an escapist. There, I said it.

And I don't think it's necessarily a good thing to be. But what can I say? I am a huge movie buff. And I LOVE a good TV show (as I've mentioned before). But as much as I like to do those things, there's nothing that I like to do more than get engulfed in a good book. It's by far my favorite way to "escape"...

And since I'm not being "formally" educated right now, I figured reading books is a great way to educate myself - to keep my brain alive and alert.

So I've decided that I am going to try to read two books per month while I am abroad - that gives me two weeks to really get into and digest a book. With the lack of TV channels and movies (that play in English), I have lots of time to read, which is great. I could do four books per month really, but I'm shooting low, just to stay on the realistic side. And if I read more than that in a month, then good for me, right?

I have been in Ukraine for four weeks now and I have already met my goal and read my two books. The first one was Their Eyes Were Watching God - one of those classics that a lot of high schoolers are required to read. It was not one of my graduation requirements so I decided to read it on my own. And I really enjoyed it. It was sweet and sad and made me cry a little. Three and a half stars.

I have a thing for books that make me cry.

The other book, that I just finished the other night, is a book called The Book Thief. I highly recommend it, for more reasons than I can even begin to list. It is written so cleverly. It was one of the best books I have read in a long time and I can honestly say that I have never cried so hard in a book in all my life. And I have cried in a few.... It was seriously so tender. Four and a half to five stars. That's all I'm going to say about it. I don't want to be one of those book/movie ruiners because I've talked it up so much and it just ends up being a disappointment for you. Just go read it and see for yourself...

Now, on to number three.

Good Day Sunshine!

The widgets on my computer dashboard show that Tuesday's forecast in Kiev is looking pretty good compared to the rest of the week. But I really took this picture because it is probably one of the only times that the temperature in Gilbert Arizona will be the same as it is in Kiev Ukraine (even though it's a difference between the wee hours of the morning in Gilbert and the middle of the day here)...

It's funny to think that I just moved from a place that is perpetually sunny (hence its nickname) - to a place that to my four weeks of knowledge, is perpetually NOT sunny. Somewhat dreary, really. Opposite ends of the spectrum for sure. Which is probably just the way winter is here, but still. My bones need sunshine and warmth.

So, needless to say, days like today are welcomed with pure delight. It is the second time in a month that I have seen sunshine (three if you count the hour that it broke through the clouds yesterday), and it's just another one of those little things that I may have taken for granted. It was so nice to not only wake up to the sun coming through the blinds this morning, but to see evidence of it all over the house throughout the day. Thank you clouds for not coming to Kiev today (for at least a little while)...

I need to laugh, and when the sun is out

I've got something I can laugh about

I feel good, in a special way

I'm in love and it's a sunny day

Good day sunshine

Good day sunshine

Good day sunshine

- The Beatles

Betty really isn't that Ugly after all...

I'm not even going to lie about the fact that I watch a lot of TV. I love a good TV show, even some reality ones.

But there are some that I would just never get sucked into because they look, well, stupid. Like Ugly Betty for example.

But when I arrived here at my sister's house, she was watching the first season of Ugly Betty on DVD, and I found myself sitting in on a few episodes. And before long, it totally happened. I got sucked in. It's true.

Because let's be honest, Betty's boss is pretty sexy,

these two are hilarious,

and Betty is so quirky and cute. And totally a fish out of water, which I think some of us can relate to...

And now we are just anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 2nd season from my sister's best friend back in the states... Get here soon Betty!

I don't know if it's because we only have 3 American TV channels or if I would have liked UB if I gave it the chance from the beginning, but nonetheless, I have yet another show to add to my list of addictions...

Arg. I was really trying to quit!

Notes on Ukraine

So, I have this strange fetish with lists - it's how my brain functions really. If you could see a visual image of of how my brain thought things through, it would be this organized and concise list of lists. Things to do, souveniers I must have before I leave the country, things I miss about the states, people I cherish, what I do to get ready for the day, things I wish I knew, books I'd like to read.... That may not be that strange to some people, but what is strange is that I love to write lists down. I even have a little book that I made that is full of lists. I love love love writing things down. It literally clears my head. Gives my brain a rest.

One of the lists I have written down since being here is a list of "interesting things about Ukraine." Everything is interesting in a foreign country, but the things I have written down are things I've seen and experienced first hand. I wish I had pictures to demonstrate each thing on the list, but I don't. Which is totally unfortunate.

And this is just the beginnings of a list that I'm sure will be miles long before I leave here. So here it is:

• People stare. Relentlessly. But they will NOT make eye contact with you.
• Sidewalks are not really for walking. In fact you may get run over by a CAR that is driving down the sidewalk because they are tired of waiting in the line of traffic or you may have to walk around cars that are parked there.
• Parking is a joke. There is very little parking, and even where there is parking, people don't know how to do it properly. They also park on the sidewalk, as previously mentioned.
• Traffic is hilarious! Generally, the same rules apply here as they do in the states - they drive on the same side we do, they yield to oncoming traffic, they have turn signals, they have red, yellow, and green lights. But that's generally speaking. Normally, however, there is little to no yielding, lots of honking, tons of line-cutting (cars that are tired of waiting in the left turn lane so they cut to the front, get next to you, and then zoom in front of you and the oncoming traffic), and of course, the everyday sidewalk driving. It is a sight to behold.
• Majority of the cars on the road are really nice cars - ones you see in wealthy areas in the states. I even saw a Bently the other day. Not at all what I expected to see here.
• There are street dogs all over the city. Like hordes of them. They loiter by the restaurants and meat markets, hoping for some spare scraps of food. And they just keep breeding so there is this perpetual life-line of mean, mangy dogs that will never go away.
• It's a rare day that your trash has not been dug through for bottles, cans and any other money-making item. It's very sad.
• The women are beautiful. And they are always dressed up so nice (I want more clothes from here than I do in the states!). I have never felt like such a frump in all my life. They put Hollywood to shame. The men dress really nice as well, but they are, well, not as pretty as the women, to put it nicely (bleh!).
• Eating disorders are not considered diseases -they are a way of life. Most women under the age of 30 look like little walking sticks. Again, they put Hollywood to shame.
• Everything is pickled - carrots, cabbage, broccoli, fish, eggs, pig feet...
• We shop at a place called Mega Market. It's about the size of a Super Wal-Mart, maybe a bit bigger. And there are two things that take up one half of the entire store - sweets (chocolates, candies, cookies, pastries, etc.) and alcohol, and half of the alcohol section is vodka.
• People start drinking at about age 8. There is this new energy drink that looks a bit like Red Bull but is mostly alcohol and very little energy drink. You see the middle-school aged kids drinking it at their breaks.
• The trolley bus has a perpetual stale alcohol-breath smell. New York's subway smells like pee - Ukraine's smells like old vodka.
• The apartment buildings here look like some eclectic Lego structure or someone's rendition of funky modern art. Everyone paints their balconies different colors and assembles their own add-ons. It's very interesting. And there are tons of them...
• Fish is sold "as is" whether they be frozen or fresh (they actually have tanks of fresh fish that you can point out the one you want and they catch it for you) and you take it home and do all the beheading and skinning yourself. Even the frozen shrimp still have eyes (gag, gag, gag). If I didn't like seafood before I came here...

Frozen shrimp (with eyes), squid, muscles, baby octopus, every sea creature you can imagine...

The awesome parking jobs on our street

An apartment building across the way from us, which is really mildly eclectic compared to most

What's a Girl to Do??

Yes, I'm obsessed with the Twilight series, and no, I don't speak Ukrainian. November suddenly looks very grim...

Getting Out

Toting four kids around everywhere is no easy task, regardless of how well behaved they are. I have really come to appreciate mothers of small children a lot more since I have been living with my sister. I've learned how hard it is to get out and do things - even running a quick errand. And what makes it even better is how foreign it is to the people here to have more than one or two kids. There are always stares as we're walking down the street or walking into a restaurant with two little kids, a toddler, and a new born. The looks on people's faces are priceless. And people ARE NOT afraid to stare here. For long, awkward amounts of time.

But it's usually not a big deal since Calvin and Henry have school all day. So Traci and I just have baby and toddler. Easy-peasy. But with the outbreak of PARANOIA here (aka Swine Flu), school has been cancelled for

THREE

WEEKS....

on top of the week they already had off for Fall break.

So it turns out that it's not so easy-peasy after all. Four weeks, four kids, and a lot of pent-up energy. We may not have swine flu in the house, but we might have little bitty cases of cabin fever...

But as fortune would have it, there is a group of college-aged girls from the states that are here teaching English in the schools that happen to be VERY bored since school has been cancelled and that are looking for things to do like, um, baby-sitting for example.... And the best part is that Traci didn't have to do anything to arrange it - they called her and volunteered themselves! Hello!

So, needless to say, we have totally taken advantage and gone out a couple times - once the other night when Traci and I went shopping for a dress for the Marine Core Ball on Saturday (I'm sure I'll post about that later - my first black tie affair!) and then another time last night when Traci and David took me out to dinner. It was quite the treat.

We took the trolly bus to an authentic Ukrainian restaurant and then walked home afterward, which was really nice. I had a cabbage salad, vareniki (boiled dough pockets with mashed potatoes and onions - tastes divine with sour cream and a pinch of S&P), cherry compote (a drink that looks and smells a bit like red wine but tastes like mashed cherries, which it is - and totally alcohol free... maybe.... we are in the land of Vodka, afterall), and cherry vareniki for dessert. I've had a lot of vareniki (not sure how to spell it out in English) in my life, but I had my first authentic Ukrainian vareniki at the restaurant last night, and it was delicious. And to add to it all, there was a little quartet that played instruments and serenaded everyone while we ate. It was fab, to say the least. Thank heaven for those volunteer baby-sitters, and thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for taking me on such a nice outing!

It's funny how you start to really appreciate the little things - things like walking at a normal pace and having uninterrupted adult conversation. And to think I'm not even a mom yet... ☺

Long name for a restaurant! Very funny.

Vareniki... mmmm...

The little quartet that played music and sang to us. (I apologize for the crap video -you'll have to tilt your head to the left to watch it... Anyone know how to rotate videos so they are going the right way?? I'm such a blogging rookie!)

I just had to post these... These were the bathrooms. The view from the outside - separate "His" and "Hers" entrances (I found the peep holes especially interesting)

that lead to the same communal bathroom on the inside... They could have saved space and materials by just making one entrance. We thought that was pretty funny.