Fully Employed

As of last week I have a full-time job! It turns out that six months is in fact a normal amount of time to spend floundering and hunting, assuming I'm normal. I remember feeling so relieved to have gotten a long-term assignment from the temp agency, and in the end I wasn't even able to work at the property development consultant's office the full three months.

The saying is true: When it rains it pours. I had an interview with Educational Perspectives just over two weeks ago. At the same time, a woman I know at Association House was really interested in hiring me to teach adult literacy. To make a semi-long story short, I decided to take the position with Educational Perspectives.

What is Educational Perspectives? They are a credential evaluator, which means we analyze foreign credentials and assign them an American equivalency. One of the things that interested me about this work is that it involves learning a great deal about foreign educational systems. My job title is Documentation Specialist, which falls just short of being an actual evaluator, though that does have some bearing on my responsibilities. My position is a newly created one, and it is essentially as a bridge between the administrative and evaluative sides of Educational Perspectives. I think my most important function will be looking at all of the applications and credentials that come through the office and determining whether or not we have all of the information necessary to perform the type of evaluation requested. My understanding is that there is certainly the potential of me someday becoming an evaluator, since the amount of business the organization gets has been growing fairly quickly.

Some of the other factors I considered when making the decision to work here are:

1. EP is a small, not-for-profit organization (six people), nationally accredited by NACES.
2. The atmosphere in the office is very relaxed and, in my case, patient and nurturing.
3. EP and credential evaluation is connected to international education, which is how I heard
about it.
4. I will have the opportunity to use some of my Russian and to learn more about the former Soviet
Union, other countries in that region, and just about any country that has ever had a
functioniung educational system.
5. Ken, the president, feels strongly about providing professional development.
6. There is the opportunity to travel to national conferences on international conferences.
7. I have benefits (full health insurance with dental).
8. Three weeks of paid vacation with assorted personal days, etc.
9. The salary is respectable and certainly on the higher side of what I had been willing to work for.

Lisa Romashka in Crimea

Who is Neznajka?

In keeping with the rules of American foreign policy, I
had meant to preemptively answer the above question. Somehow, though, I never did. So here it is.

Neznajka (Незнайка) is a character from a series of Russian children's books: The Adventures of Neznajka and His Friends; Neznajka in Sunshine City; and Neznajka on the Moon. In Russian, his name basically means "know-nothing" as in "he's a know-nothing." My girlfriend before leaving for Ukraine, Zhenya (Jane), recommended that I try to read Neznajka on the Moon. What I ended up reading were a number of chapters from the first book with my first Russian tutor, Larisa, though I do own both. Neznajka's defining characteristics are his curiousity, ineptitude, and inability to maintain focus and interest in the things he had apparently found so interesting. Also, he tends to irritate the hell out of everyone around him.

I chose Neznajka as the name for my blog for several reasons. Sometimes my friend, Lisa, and her mother, Lana, would call me Neznajka because they knew I was reading it; so it was a term of endearment. I openly admit that I am ignorant on many subjects, still I would sometimes ask why I couldn't be any of the other characters, one of the more respectable ones. In any case, in my life, I hope to try to hold on to some kind of child-like curiousity about the world, to learn more about things that are new to me, and to do my best not to irritate my friends and neighbors. Вот я не незайка, но немножка похож на него. (So, I'm not Neznajka, but do resemble him a bit.)

Young and Old in Lviv

I found this picture while looking for an image of a restaurant in Chicago called Old Lviv. This picture really does exemplify two very seemingly contradictory Ukrainian lifestyles. The truth is, aside from the fact that the girl and old woman aren't talking to each other, there's really no reason why they couldn't be related. This picture is very much like those recently (several months ago) published in National Geographic in that my immediate response is, "Oh my God! That is Ukraine!" Seriously, I think this picture could have been taken on any bus in any Ukrainian city, town or village.

Incidentally, seeing that babushka (grandmother/old woman) reminds of some advice we received during training from our Peace Corps Medical Officer, Linda. If you ever feel a bit unsure of your surroundings while traveling by train, don't hesitate to find the nearest, oldest babushka, sit down next to her and become her best friend. Chances are, not one man on that train would dare cross her path.

Мелiтополь / Melitopol

Ukrainian Student in Orlando! / Украинский ученик в Орландо!

I'm very excitid to announce that my parents will be hosting a Ukrainian student in their home during the 2006-07 school year. His name is Sasha and he's from Melitopol', in the Zaporizhzhya oblast, in southeastern Ukraine, along the Azov Sea.

This all came about from a forward I received from another former volunteer, asking for help in finding host families for FLEX students. FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) is an American Councils exchange program for high school-age students from former Soviet republics. This, of course, includes Ukraine. To make a long story short, my parents applied to become host parents with Dyadya Vanya serving as the coordinator and possibly Andy Minear as the contact at Winter Park High School, my old stomping grounds back in the mid-90's. :-) Just as a reminder, Dyadya Vanya (Mr. Sheehan) was my brother's Russian teacher in high school. He's retired now and has served as my Russian tutor when I've been in Orlando. For more than a year now, he's worked with my mom on learning Russian. Andy Minear was a classmate of mine in high school and is now the director of choirs at Winter Park. He also studied Russian with Mr. Sheehan.

So, next Friday, I think, Sasha will arrive. My mom told me a little about the process of choosing a student. She and my dad were given three names. The first was a girl with pet allergies, so obviously she wouldn't want to live with Max and Merlin. The second was a boy who said he likes playing sports. Then, the third boy writes that he enjoys singing, playing the piano and reading books such as Tolkein's Lord of the Rings. After telling me all of this, my mom asks, "So, Brian, can you guess who we decided on?" The answer, by the way, was obvious.

I hope I'll be able to fly home in the not-too-distant future. Maybe at the end of September when my current assignment through the temp agency will come to an end. My other incentive for flying down there on that weekend is that the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will be giving a concert in Orlando that Saturday night.

Когда я умирал / As I lay dying

Тост / Toast

Высоко в горах умирал аксакал и рассуждал о своей жизни, вдруг в дверь раздается стук: "Ты кто?" - спрашивает аксакал, "Я богатство твоё!". "Не надо мне богатства, всё у меня есть, ступай себе с Богом!". Вдруг раздается опять стук в дверь: "Ты кто?" - спросил аксакал. "Я Любовь твоя!" - ответили за дверью, аксакал отвечает: "Ступай себе с Богом! Я любил и меня любили", опять раздается стук в дверь, "Кто там?" - спрашивает аксакал, "Я Здоровье твоё!" - ответили за дверью, "Не надо мне здоровья, я своё отжил! Ступай себе с Богом!" - сказал аксакал, но тут опять стук в дверь: "Кто ещё там ?!" - спросил он, а за дверью отвечают: "Я Дружба твоя!", "А вот ты заходи " - крикнул аксакал, а вместе с ней зашли и богатство, и любовь, и здоровье! Так выпьем же за ДРУЖБУ!!!

High up in the mountains, a man was dying and contemplating his life, when suddenly there was a knock at the door: "Who are you?" asked the man.
"I'm Wealth," was the answer from behind the door.
"I don't need wealth. I already have everything I need. Go with God."
Again, a knock was heard at the door.
"Who's there?" asked the man.
"I'm Love," was the answer from behind the door.
"Go with God. I've loved and been loved," and again came a knock at the door.
"Who's there?" asked the man.
"Health," was the answer from behind the door.
"I don't need health. I've already lived out mine. Go with God," said the man, but, again, a knock was heard at the door.
"Who else is there?" he asked, and from behind the door came an answer.
"I am Friendship."
"Well, then, you, come on in!" hollered the old man, and together with friendship came wealth, health and love. So we drink to friendship!!!

Europe will be free!

This is for you, Robin.

More Do Do Jin Ming

Behind My Eyes, Second Movement, Plate X, 2003

The Power of the T-shirt

I've been meaning to write to you just how glad I am that I have the Ukraine shirt that I bought in Kiev. I distinctly remember the time and place. I had met Yana at the Peace Corps office and we were on our way to have dinner, walking east (?) on Khreshchatik from ulitsa Bohdana Khmelnitskoho, when I saw a woman selling Ukrainian memorabilia. This shirt, in case you haven't seen me wearing it, or haven't seen a picture, is dark blue with "UKRAINE" printed across the front in yellow letters outlined in a lighter blue closer to that of the Ukrainian flag. Next to that is the Ukrainian trident in the same colors. I bought this T-shirt during my last few days in Ukraine.

What makes my T-shirt so special is not that it reminds me of all of the places and wonderful people I know in Ukraine, though this is one reason why I like wearing it. What I'm amazed by is the responses I've gotten from other people.

One day, I was shopping in Target for some things for the apartment. I believe I was walking up one of the aisles near shower curtains, when a short man with a beard looked directly at me and asked if I was from Ukraine. It turned out that he was an American who had taught in Moscow for five years. Now he lives in the Chicago area and his wife is Russian. I assume he taught business, since he was trying to convince me that getting an MBA would be the best thing for my future, as opposed to a masters in public policy, for example.

Однажды я был в универмаге, шёл за покупками для квартиры. Вдруг мужчина с бородой посмотрел на меня прямо в глаза и спросил меня, родился ли я на Украине. Оказалось, что он американец, преподовал пять лет в университете в Москве. Теперь он живёт в Чикаго и его жена русская. Не уверен, но я думаю, что он проподовал какую-то предмедь связена с бизнесом, так как он пытался убеждить меня, что для моего будущего, мне лучше получить степень по бизнесу, чем по чему-то похожо больше на то, что меня интересует.

A few weeks later, I was in IKEA (a popular, Swedish furniture store), checking out, and a woman walked up to me and asked if I was from Ukraine. Again, I was wearing my T-shirt. I think she was a little disappointed when I said that I wasn't from Ukraine, though I did explain that I'd lived there for two years. I found out that she is from Poltava, just two hours from Krasnograd.

Пустя несколько недел я был в АйКИА (в популарном шведскем мебельном магазине). Я стоял у кассира, когда женщина спросила меня, приехал ли я с Украины. Опять, конечно, я был в любимой майке. Я чувствовал, что она была чуть разочерована, когда я ответил, что не с Украины. Однако я обеснил, что жил там два года. Она сказала мне, что она из Полтавы, только два часа на запад от Краснограда.

After these two meetings, the next morning that I found myself pulling the beloved T-shirt over my head, I remember thinking to myself, "Gosh, I'm so glad I decided to buy this." That day, I was in Columbus, Ohio with some friends, traveling from Ohio back to Chicago after a wedding. We decided to stop at a coffee shop, something reminiscent of Starbucks. A friend and I were ordering coffee, talking to the cashie, when another guy behind the counter walked up and told the cashier to put our coffees on his account. He looked at us and said, "Your coffee's free today because of that," and he pointed at my chest, to the word "UKRAINE." "That's where I'm from," he said. "My home country."

Ну, смотря на эти случайные встечы, следующий раз мне пришлось надеть свою майку, я говорил сам себе вслух -- Боже мой! Я так рад, что решил это купить. И в тот день, я был с друзями в городе Коломбусе, штать Огайо. Мы возврашались в Чикаго со свадбы. На дороге, мы останавились, чтобы купить себе кофе в маленькем кафе. Мы с другом заказывали кофе у прилавка, когда другой работник подошёл к кассиру и сказал, что она должна поставить наше кофе на его рабочный счёт. -- Сегодня Ваше кофе бесплатно благодаря тем. И тут он указал на мою грудь, где было написано слово жёлтами буквами «UKRAINE». -- Я с Украины. -- сказал он. -- Она моя родина.

I've also been asked if I speak Polish when I wear my "POLSKA" shirt, but somehow I think my response to that question is far less interesting.

Здесь иногда меня спрашиваю, говорю ли я по-польски, когда хожу в майке, где написано «POLSKA». Но наверное, в этих положениях, мой ответ как-то не так интересен.

S. B. Friedman & Company

All right. In keeping with my MO, that of "guy who is notoriously bad at writing about his life to other people," I have waited, what I think is, a sufficient amount of time to add anything new, let alone interesting, to my website. At this point, I think most of you have stopped checking this. But I will write on.

The big question on everyone's mind when they hear the name "Brian" is, "Has he found a job yet?" Brian knows this and has decided that he is tired of replying with the same old, embarassing and frustrating answer, "Uh, still looking." The truth of the matter is that I am working and, more importantly, earning rent money. My temp agency finally came through in its own uniquely joyous, yet somewhat disappointing, fashion. As you now know, I am working at S. B. Friedman & Company which is a Property Development Advisor. My reason for being there is that the receptionist has left for three months to have her first child. I say "receptionist," though apparently that is an outdated word. Nowadays, people are saying, "Office support," or something rather. Actually, I've pretty much been helping anyone with anything they feel comfortable throwing at me (filing, making copies, entering data, formatting documents, and, as you might have expected, ocassionally running out to buy lunch for the boss, though in all fairness he has expressed guilt about asking me to do such things).

As I said, working on this assignment has had its good and bad, though much more good. First, the bad. I'm not making as much money per hour as I should be due to a miscommunication between my representative at the agency and Mr. Friedman. Looking over that, there is in fact a great deal of good about this job. 1.) I'm in downtown Chicago. 2.) I'm working in an office, a professional setting. 3.) I'm closer to where my friend, John, works and can have lunch with him from time to time. 4.) There's apparently a gym in the building which I have access to, though in fact have yet to take advantage of. 5.) My co-workers are all good people. 6.) The office manager, Carolyn, and I get along wonderfully. 7.) There's a very nice, well-stocked breakroom , where I can supplement my own breakfast and lunch, thus shaving a bit off of my monthly expenses. 8.) There's a computer at my desk which I am not forbidden to use for my own Internet purposes.

I think that about covers all the good points.

As I'm sure you assume, I am continuing the larger job search. Right now, there are a few possibilities, one of which is an international advisor position at the University of Chicago. I'm feeling pretty good about this one, since my friend Karleigh works there, also in the Office of International Affairs, and she has apparently told the Director that I would be a very good person to have around. As I was taught in the Peace Corps, though, I am doing my best to have no expectations.

In the end, at this point, I'm simply grateful for having a place where I can work 40 hours per week. I can pay my bills, keep a few scraps in the kitchen for meals, and ocassionally entertain the idea that I have a social life.

Happy Fourth of July!! Independence Day!!!

С Праздником Четвёртого Июля!! Дня Независимости!!!

More to come...

Скоро будет больше...

Superman Returns (Супермэн возвращается)

I just want to acknowledge the fact that Superman Returns opened yesterday. It's supposed to pick up where the second Superman movie left off, with Superman having taken a "leave of absence" (i.e. choosing his love for Lois Lane and desire to be with her as a normal man over having the responsibility of super powers and confusion of a double existence.

Я хочу Вам сообщить, что вчера стали паказывать в кинотеатрах кино «Супермэн возвращается». В этом фильме продолжается история Супермэна, более или менее с того, где остановилась во втором фильме в серии (больше 20 лет назад). Во втором фильме, Супермэн решил жить как нормальный человек, с человеческей женщиной, без его необычной возможности, и без трудности житии с двумя именни, Супермэн и Кларк Кэнт.

This weekend, with my friend John, we'll have a mini movie marathon and watch the first two movies with Christopher Reeves as Superman. Then in the later afternoon we'll go see the new movie at the IMAX.

На эти выходные, я пойду к друзям, где будет маленкий фильмовый маратон, посмотрим первый и второй фильм Супермэна, а потом пойдём в кинотеатр посмотреть новый фильм на большем экране.

I know Hollywood has its tendencies and formulas which often disappoint, but I'll admit, put a superhero on screen and I'll watch it. :-)

Я хорошо понимаю, что в Голливуде есть формулы и тенденция снимать дрянь (такие фильмы, которие считают, что будут получать большие денги). Хотя и всё это правдо, признаваю, что если появится на экране кинотеатра "суперскего героя", то я туда побегу.

Christopher Reeves as Clark Kent/Superman, 1978.

Кристофер Ривз в роле Кларка Кэнта/Супермэна в 1978 году.

Brandon Routh as Superman, 2006.

Брэндон Роут в роле Супермэна в 2006 году.

Land and Sea: DoDo Jin Ming

On the 10 of June, the Chicago Area Peace Corps Association (CAPCA) had it's annual Founder's Day Dinner in one of the exhibition spaces at the Loyola University Museum of Art. I had the chance to eat a delicious meal, talk with other RPCV's, and be surrounded by the photographs of DoDo Jin Ming. She sounds fascinating, was born in Beijing and studied classical violin, later playing with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Her life changed after seeing an exhibition of Joseph Beuy's drawings, and she abandoned music, turning immediately to the art of photography.

In her seascapes, one wonders how it is she manages to make you feel as if you were in the midst of a great storm, about to be engulfed by waves. The answer: she ties herself to a boat so she herself isn't swept away. Her land photographs, featuring sunflowers on the plains of the Dakotas, were taken during a roadtrip Ming took, shortly after first arriving in the U.S. She happened across an experiment where scientists had placed white cloth over some of the flowers. Probably beautiful in itself, after Ming's process the scene takes on a completely different tone. I was just amazed by this exhibition and hope these photographs, scrounged from the Internet, will create some of the same emotions in you.

Ukrianian Village Restaurant

For some reason my blog isn't letting me put pictures and text in the same entry, something Blogger has apparently been working on for SEVERAL WEEKS!! My original intention was to have the picture below appear with the "Resolution" entry but was forced to work around this difficulty.

I ate at this restaurant a few weeks ago and was a little disappointed. I thought the food seemed too "American", meaning the holupsi I ate didn't taste like Nadya's holupsi. They were also out of Ukrainian and Russian beer that day! However, they had plenty of framed pictures of Kyiv, President Yushchenko, and the Orange Revolution. I at least felt a bit like I was standing on Maidan.

Ресторан Украинской Деревни

Resolution или зарок

Just a few days ago, I decided to make a promise to myself and to some of my friends in Ukraine. That is, you will never again read the phrase "sorry I haven't written in so long" or any other similar phrase in any of my e-mails. This means that I will reply quickly, within a day or two, to all e-mails sent to me. There! It's been said.

Несколько дней назад, я пообещал себе и друзьям в Украине, что я больше не буду писать по электронной почте фразу «извини за то, что давно не пишу». Это обещание значит, что на каждый имэйл, который мне посилают, я буду отвечать за один-два дня. Вот и всё!!

Now I'll write a little update on my situation here in Chicago. First of all, I'm no longer a plague to my friend Katie, and I've found my own place. I found a guy online who was looking for a new roommate. The price was good (not too high) and when I met Nate, he seemed like a decent fellow. He also said he was rarely home, a quality many people find highly desirable in a roommate, since it creates the illusion (most of the time) that you live by yourself, while paying only half the rent. Another thing that caught my eye was the apartment's location. It's in the part of Chicago known as Ukrainian Village. This interested me for obvious reasons. I'll admit, I'm probably in the northwest corner of Ukrainian Village, barely in it, though there are a number of Poles, Russians and Ukrainians on my street. However, I'd say the majority of people in my little area are Hispanic, either from Mexico or Puerto Rico. Overall, I'm very happy with my new home. I'm also closer to a good friend of mine, Ryan. I'll be happier when I have more steady income.

А сейчас я Вам расскажу какие у меня новости, как моя жизнь в Чикаго изменилась. Важнее всего то, что я больше не живу у друга, Кати, как будто я ей какая-то болезнь. Нет. Я нашёл через Интернет парнья, каторый искал нового товарища по квартире. Арендная плата, написана в рекламе, была не очень высокая. И когда познакомился с Нэйтом, я понял, что он славный человек. Кроме того, он сказал мне, что он редко дома. Понимаете, многие люди считают, что это хорошо потому, что такое положение позволует человеку думать, что он живёт один. Можно так думать, и платить поменьше. Также меня интересовал район, где квартира находится. Она находится в этой части Чикаго, которую знают как «Украинская деревня». Очевидно, почему меня это интересовало. Но лучше сказать, что я едва в Украинской деревне. Мой дом стоит в самом северно-западном углу деревни. Есть на моей улице несколько поляков, русских, и украинцев, но большинство жителей из Мексики или Пуэрто-Рико. Вообще я довольно счастлив с том, как всё получилось. Теперь я ближе к хорошой мне знакомой, Раян. Буду даже счастливее, когда я буду получать регулярно больше зарплаты. ;-)


As far as the job search goes, I'm still looking, though it's looked a little more hopeful recently. Since moving to Chicago, I've volunteered some at citizenship workshops, where immigrants can come and get assistants with starting the application process of becoming U.S. citizens. At one of these, I met a woman who works with the AssociationHouse of Chicago, an organization that does a lot of work with the Hispanic immigrant community in Chicago. It's also located just a few minutes from my apartment. Well, this woman told me that there was an opening there and that she thought I would be very good in it. To make a long story short, this, in the end, did not work out, but it was still exciting to actually make a useful contact and apply for the position. I think she had been a bit misinformed, because I'm pretty sure the position had already been filled when I sent over my application. Oh well. My other bright news is that I had an interview with Rotary International. The position I appliеd for is as a Grant Coordinator. If I were to get that job, I'd be reviewing grants and helping people around the world successfully complete the grant-submission process in the area of disaster relief. The woman I interviewed with was very straight-forward in saying that the position is pretty much a "desk job" where you're pushing paper from one side of the desk to the other. Basically, I wouldn't be directly involved in changing the world which would be much more exciting and rewarding. BUT, this job could be a good starting point, or entry position, for someone like me who just getting involved in the non-profit sector. There's also a pretty good benefits package, including tuition reimbursement. We'll see. And I'll keep you updated. I left the interview with the impression that they will probably call me to schedule a second interview. Again, we'll see. In the meantime, I've come across two more open positions that look interesting to me. One is connected to the Art Institute of Chicago and the other is with the National Breast Cancer Organization in Chicago.

I hope all of you are doing well. Happy Father's Day!! I promise to post more soon, and I'll put up a Russian language version of this entry. Пока!!

С Днём Победы!!

Я вчера говорил с хорошими своими друзьями в Краснограде, и когда Лана стала петь песьню, День Победы, я ни-как не мог помнить слова. Поэтому напишу тут первую часть текста той песни.

Кстати, отправил электроную открытку друзьям на Украине. К сожалению, не минуту после отправления, я нашёл открытку, которая, я так считаю, гораздо лучше той, что послал. Ну, так бывает.

С Праздником!!

День Победы, как он был от нас далек,
Как в костре потухшем таял уголек.
Были версты, обгорелые, в пыли,
-Этот день мы приближали как могли.

Этот День Победы
Порохом пропах,
Это праздник
С сединою на висках.
Это радость
Со слезами на глазах.

День Победы!
День Победы!
День Победы!

Representative of a few of my favorite painters

This entry is the result of me casually surfing the Internet. I couldn't find the paintings for Yeats and Benton that I really like (There is no night and Politics, Farming and Law in Missouri, respectively). If I do manage to come across them some day, I'll be sure to post them for your viewing pleasure.

Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937

Jack B. Yeats, The Singing Horseman, 1949

Thomas Hart Benton, The Ballad of the Jealous Lover, 1934

Jackson Pollock, Number 8, 1949 (detail)

Tony D'Souza Reading

Yesterday evening, at the Alliance Francaise de Chicago, RPCV Tony D'Souza read from his recently published debut novel, Whiteman, which is closely connected to his Peace Corps experience in Cote d'Ivoire from 2000 to 2002, though still a work of fiction.

What I think I enjoyed most were not the two passages he read from Whiteman, though they were very good. As usual, I was much more interested in what he had to say about his Peace Corps experience and the way he responded to questions. He's a good story teller, which I suppose you might expect from a writer. But not all writers are good oral story tellers. Often, rather than answer a question with an opinion or generalization, he would pull from his head a very specific moment from, in this case, his life as a volunteer. And this was so much more interesting.

He started by pre-emptively answering a question he's frequently asked. "Are you nervous to have to speak in front of so many people when you give readings?" "No. Now I'll explain why. In Cote d'Ivoire I was there to try and educate people about HIV/AIDS. Before speaking to the children in a village, I had to get the permission of the village's chief, and there are a whole host of social loops that you need to go through in order to that. When I did finally speak with him, out of respect, I would not look directly at him. Then, when I spoke to groups of children, there were often three or four hundred of them. We would all gather together and I would speak to them about sex. During every presentation, at some point, from my things, I would take out a wooden penis. Then I'd take out a condom and role it down the wooden penis. (pause) At readings? No, I'm not nervous."

Later, a woman asked whether or not missionaries were still working in Cote d'Ivoire; they had been when she was there over forty years ago. His answer was not "yes." He told of how he had known of some Christian missionaries working in a Muslim part of the country. They lived in the largest house in town. In the over twenty years this missionary couple had lived in Cote d'Ivoire, they had converted two muslims to Christianity, and one of these had made the switch in order to get an education. One day, Tony was invited over for lunch. Muslims are forbidden to eat pork.
"So," Tony asked, "do you know what was being served for lunch? (pause) Ham. (pause) I don't like to talk about missionaries."

In general, I was just really impressed at his ability to talk about his experience and to put me there in his village; to make me care about a place I have never seen. He also emphasized how each and every volunteer's experience is completely unique and unlike no one else's.

That said, here's a joke:

Queston: "How many Peace Corps Africa volunteers does it take to change a lightbulb?"

Answer: (very emotionally and defensively) "YOU DON'T KNOW!! YOU WEREN'T THERE!!!"

Tony D'Souza's Peace Corps service in Cote d'Ivoire ended abruptly with the start of a civil war. I asked him after the reading if he'd ever had the chance to say goodbye to the people and friends in his village. The answer is" no." He's been home for three years and has never received one word or been able to send one word there, mainly because his village lies deep in resistance territory where there is no postal service.

That's difficult to imagine.

You heard it hear first...

Life is All About Ass

your'e either covering it,
laughing it off,
kicking it,
kissing it,
busting it,
trying to get a piece of it,
behaving like one,
Or you live with one!

I found this, among other things, above the sink in Katie's kitchen when I first moved in.

6/21/2006
It's late and I probably shouldn't be writing this now, but it ocurred to me that I should explain some of the expressions Americans have incorporating the word "ass".

First of all, an ass can be defined literally as either a mule or a person's behind (bottom, butt, rump, etc.). In all of the following expressions, "ass" refers to a person's behind.

1) "to cover your ass" = to look out for your own interests and avoid getting into trouble
2) "to laugh your ass off" = to laugh long and hard about something
3) "to kick ass" = to do really well at something ("kick ass on an exam"), or to beat someone at something ("kick someone's ass at football"), or to actually beat them up ("kick someone's ass")
4) "to kiss ass" = to be overly helpful and polite with someone in an attempt to gain favor with them ("kiss the teacher's ass")
5) "to bust your ass" = to work really hard at something in order to do well
6) "to try to get a piece of ass" = to try to sleep with someone
7)"to behave like an ass" OR "to be an ass" = to be or behave like a jerk. Someone characterized as being an ass is probably being insensitive, ignorant, and/or intentionally hurtful. Don't be an ass!

Лиза Ромашка!!

С Днем Рождения!!

Сегодня родилась замечательная девушка!
Лиза, от всей души поздравляю тебя с Днем Рождения!
Всего тебе самого наилучшего да побольше!
Счастья, здоровья, исполнения всех желаний!
И чтобы рядом всегда были милые твоему сердцу люди!

Я был рад читать, что ты получила мою открытку. К сожалению, нет, еще не получил твое письмо. Но помни, что я читал ваши желания мне два месяца после моего дня рождения. Желаю, чтобы на занятиях сегодня было легко и особенно весело.

Remembering Chernobyl 20 years later

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, about 80 miles north of Kyiv. As I was driving in the car today, I was listening to NPR. Apparently, when President Yushchenko spoke today at a memorial service commemorating the disaster, he urged us not to dwell so much in the past and not to remember Chernobyl so much as a symbol of past tragedy; we should try to remember it also as a symbol of hope for the future.

Words by Wendell Berry

The most alarming sign of the state of our society now is that our leaders have the courage to sacrifice the lives of young people in war but have not the courage to tell us that we need to be less greedy and less wasteful.

~~~

History simply affords too little evidence that anyone's individual protest is of any use. Protest that endures, I think, is moved by a hope far more modest than that of public success: namely, the hope of preserving qualities in one's own heart and spirit that would be destroyed by acquiescence.

~~~

There is a world of difference between the person who, believing that there is no use [in protest], says so to himself or to no one, and the person who says it aloud to someone else.

~~~

It was no thought or word that called culture into being, but a tool or weapon. After the stone axe we needed song and story to remember innocence, to record effect--and so to describe the limits, to say what can be done without damage.

The use only of our bodies for work or love or pleasure, or even for combat, sets us
free again in the wilderness, and we exult.

But a man with a machine and inadequate culture...is a pestilence. He shakes more than he can hold.

Hayden Carruth's "On Being Asked to Write a Poem Against the War in Vietnam"

Well I have in fact

more than one and I'll
tell you this too

I wrote one against
Algeria that nightmare
and another against

Korea and another
against the one
I was in

and I don't remember
how many against
the three

when I was a boy
Abyssinia Spain and
Harlan County

and not one
breath was restored
to one

shattered throat
mans womans or childs
not one not

one
but death went on and on
never looking aside

except now and then like a child
with a furtive half-smile
to make sure I was noticing.

Я иду на концерт Sigur Ros!!

That's right, I was (seemingly) wasting time on the Internet and decided to visit my dearest Icelandic band's website. There, I was astonished to learn that Sigur Ros are making a stop in Chicago on their current tour, something I wasn't even aware of. Sigur Ros released their latest album back in the Fall of 2005. At the time, I was living in Krasnograd and didn't have access to a store that would be selling the CD. I also didn't have the patience, or realy want to spend the money, to have amazon.com ship a package to me from the States. I mentioned my frustrations to my friend Dima while walking home one night from the computer club. Dima's response was, "Why don't I just look for it; maybe I can download it from someone else." To make a long story short, several days later, Dima gifted me with a beautifully burned copy of Takk.

To date, I've had the great fortune of seeing these guys play twice, first in Chicago (fall 2002), then in Cleveland (spring 2003). I could have seen them probably a third time, but was silly enough to figure that it was more important for me to write a review of a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet (name escapes me) than see Sigur Ros play less than a week after having just heard them in Ohio. Looking back, I realize that I would have had a much better time at the concert in Loiusville, even if it had been the exact same performance. It was an awesome performance!

So, May 9th, at 7:30pm will be my third concert. They're playing at the Civic Opera House; not a bad way to introduce myself to that venue. My friend, Ryan, was generous enough to agree to come with me. One thing I love about Sigur Ros, is that they seem to have had me in mind when they went about deciding how to have a concert. I'm not terribly fond of dancing and acting up and pretending to be insane, so it was a great relief to me that being at a Sigur Ros concert is a bit like being at a recital, just a tad louder.

By the way, if anyone wants to listen to some of their music, watch a video, or even watch a 134-minute concert, you can do so at www.sigur-ros.co.uk The "glosoli" video is really good. I actually liked the song even more after watching the video.

Христос воскрес!

Воистину воскрес!


Представляю Вас
с праздником
светлого воскресения!

Кто хочет такую?

Сегодня друг рассказал мне о том, как она сидела в метро, видела, что рядом женщина, которая читает книгу. Книга называется «A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian» («Короткая история тракторов на украинском языке»). Она считала (и правильно), что это не история, а роман, так как название было написано по-английсски. Я искал книгу по Интернету и нашёл её на сайте, где я часто заказываю книги. Там тоже прадaют одежду. Вот какие футболки я видел.

1. Половина моего сердца на Украине
2. Если бы я не был украинец, я заплатил бы, чтобы стать таким

By Far My Most Optimistic Horoscope

from The Onion (6-12 April 2006)

Aquarius: (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
New and exciting experiences help to color one's life, which explains why yours is an insipid shade of cement grey.

Привет из Чикага!!

Ну, две недели назад я приехал в Чикаго жив и здоров, и с тех пор живу у друга, Кати. Я адаптируюсь к жизни, где сплю на диване и днём сижу дома с двумя собаками. Их зовут Дэйзи и Серендипити, но мы зовём вторую собаку Дип для краткости. Вообще не трудно жить с ними. Они хорошо проводят себя и большенство времени сидят на диванах. Кстати, в прошлым наделе мне сообщили, что русский район в Чикаго находится, более или менее, на улице «Дэвон». Однако это название (Devon) произносится по-английсски точно как русское слово «диван». Значит, в среду, когда я говорил по-русски с одном человеком в кафе, я пошутил: неужели русский район на диване?

На счёт работы, к сожолению, у меня нет новости, по крайей мере не такой новости как то, о которой я хотел бы Вам рассказывать. Я могу Вам сказать, что я на правильным путе. Пока у меня временая работа с оргинизацией, которая ищит работу для людей, и человек может работать некоторое время на месте другого человека, который, на пример, заболел. Кроче говоря, начинается с понедельника, я стану работать в музеи Филдз, музей истории. Там нужны многие люди работать потому, что скоро будет там особенная выставка Тутинкомина. Знают, что много народу посетит.

Лучше новости то, что, тоже в прошлым наделе, я нашёл по Интернету групу в Чикаго для людей, которые говорят по-русски. В среду я ходил в кафе и познакомился с тремя людми. Один из их (Димитри) родился в Белоруссии. Он жил уже несколько лет в США, занимался в университете здесь. Пока он ищит работу по маркетингу и просит у государства политического убежищя. Два остальные были молодые девушки, американки. Было мне очень приятно говорить по-русски. Честно говоря, я чувствовал себя, как будте я две недели затаивал дыхание и в конце концов меня разрешили дыхать.

Одна их этих девушок предлогала мне посетить сайт на Интернете. Я посетил туда, нашёл некоторые свободные места в некоммерческим организациях. Завтра или в понедельник я пошлу им своё резюме. Желайте, пожалуйста, мне удачи!

"'Cause I'm leaving in a red car..."

Yep, tomorrow's the big day. I've just about finished packing all my stuff, though I haven't tried putting anything in the car yet, so who knows if it will all fit. By the way, in case any of you aren't familiar with the song being quoted above, it is from "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by, I believe, Peter, Paul and Mary, though I know John Denver also sang his own version. Not sure who was first. Personally, I'm partial to John Denver. It's also appropriate that I quote that song, since my friends in Mykolayiv are fond of singing it to people who are preparing to leave on long journeys. And they usually personalize the lyrics somehow. That picture, by the way, is the result of me visiting Google and typing the words "leaving Orlando city limits." You can interpret this man's expression anyway you choose. ;-)

I've had a nice week which began last weekend when I saw my friend Rosa (also a former volunteer), who was visiting her friend Jim in Highland Beach, Florida, just near Boca Raton. Rosa amazes me every time I see her. She has a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm and when you're around her you can't help but be infected. She's also got a refreshing curiosity about the world that I really admire. Right now, she's very busy working with others to put together an International Outreach Camp to take place next July in three different Ukrainian cities - Donetsk, Bashtanka in the Mykolayiv region, and Ternopil.

I think the highlight of my trip to Highland Beach was the several hours Sunday afternoon we spent on Jim's boat, cruising through the canals and and having lunch on Lake Boca Raton, which is really nothing more than a body of water where four canals come together.

And now this week I've spent my time convincing myself that I am in fact leaving...Monday...tomorrow! My plan is to drive to Chatanooga, Tennessee tomorrow, which will take about 9 or 10 hours. Then, on Tuesday, I'll drive to Indianapolis (6 hours), where I've got a bunch of stuff sitting in a storage unit. Seeing as how my plan is to sleep on a friend's couch in Chicago, I won't actually take anything out of storage but just add more to it. I've said to friends recently that one day I will have a job that will pay me enough to let me have my own place, and there you will find enough shelves to hold my unnecessary number of books. No one person needs this many books, but I inherited this sickness from my father. Anyway, I digress. I plan on arriving in Chicago Wednesday, probably some time in the late morning or early afternoon.

I'll let you all know when I've arrived, safe and sound.

Happy Birthday Lana!!

С Днём 8 Марта!!

Я поздравляю всех женщин в моей жизни с этим праздником! Желаю Вам много любви и всего хорошего в этот день. Спою Вам песню.

Чорнобривців насіяла мати
У моїм світанковім краю,
Та й навчила веснянки співати
Про квітучу надію cвою.

Як на ті чорнобривці погляну,
Бачу матір стареньку,
Бачу руки твої моя мамо,
Твою ласку я чую рідненька.

Я розлуки і зустрічі знаю,
Бачив я у чужій стороні
Чорнобривці із рідного краю,
Що насіяла ти навесні.

Як на ті чорнобривці погляну,
Бачу матір стареньку,
Бачу руки твої моя мамо,
Твою ласку я чую рідненька.

Прилітають до нашого поля
Із далеких країв журавлі,
Розцвітають і квіти, і доля
На моїй українській землі.

Як на ті чорнобривці погляну,
Бачу матір стареньку,
Бачу руки твої моя мамо,
Твою ласку я чую рідненька.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!! (Хэппи Бурздэй, мамочка!!)

Today is my mom's birthday. She'll be turning 36 which may seem strange to some you since it means she had my brother at the age of 7. Hard to believe, but it's true. Сегодня день рождения моей мамы. Ей исполнилось 36 лет. Может быть этот факт Вам кажется странным потому, что значит, что она родила моего брата, когда ей было всего 7 лет. Трудно верит, но всё равно правда.

She started off her day today by doing the crossword puzzle in the newspaper with her favorite unemployed son. In the evening, we're going out to eat with some family friends from church, the Harrises and the Salters. I think we're having Greek. Она начала свой день так: сделала кросворд в газете с помощью своего любимого безработного сына. Сегодня вечером мы едем в греческий ресторан с друзьями из нашей церкви, Харрисы и Салтеры.

I, of course, am a very thoughtful son and love my mother very much, so I bought her a little present. You see, about one year into my Peace Corps service in Ukraine, my mom decided that she wanted to start learning Russian along with her son. Her tutor, Mr. Sheehan (Дядя Ваня), wasn't sure if she'd keep it up once I came home. However, she has continued to meet with him once a week and, at times, I think she studies more than I do. So I decided to give her a CD of different Traditional Russian Gypsy Songs to encourage her. Sorry Mom, I couldn't find Чёрный Ворон. Я, конечно, внимательный сын и я очень люблю свою мать, поэтому я купил ей маленький подарок. Ведь после того, как прошол первый год моей службы в Корпусе Мира в Украине, моя мама решила учить русский язык, чтобы лучше понять мою жизнь в Краснограде и говорить немножко с моими друзьями. Её репетитор, Мистер Шихан (Дядя Ваня), не был уверен в том, что моя мама продолжит заниматься русским после моего возвращения в Орландо. Но на самом деле она продолжает встречаться с репетитором раз в неделю. Я даже думаю, что она иногда занимается русским дома больше чем я. Всё-таки я решил подарить ей музыкальный диск разных русских цыганцких песен, чтобы поощрять её. Извини, мама, но я не нашёл песню, Чёрный Ворон.

Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you. С Днём Рождения, Мама! Мы тебя очень любим.

Строение моего тела (My body structure)

А моего сердца
здесь нет, потому что
оно там, где ты.


But my heart
isn't here because
it's there, with you.

Опять до свидания и опять здравствуйте

Ну, недавно (может быть неделю назад) я принял большое решение. В этом месяце я уезжаю из Орландо и перееду в Чикаго...с работой или без работы.

Мне кажется, что я только приехал из Украины, говорил там друзьям пока и до встречи, не зная точно, когда мы опять увидемся. А теперь мне надо сказать пока родителям, но честно говоря это не такая же сицуация как была в ноябре в Европе: Орландо не так далеко от Чикаго как Украина. Также, я знаю, что мои родители всегда были и всегда будут рядом, даже когда они на другой стороне океана. Будет мне труднее прощаться с Дядей Ваней потому, что он был мне эти месяци в Орландо очень важная и единственная связь с Украиной и с моей жизнью там. Он помогал мне улучшать моё знание русского языка и стал мне хорошим другом, как настоящий дядя.

Я очень благодарен, что у меня в жизни такие замечательные люди, которих могу называть друзьями. Они везде! В Украине, Швецарии, Риме, Франции, и разных штатах здесь, в Америке. Спасибо всем! Я обещаю продолжать поддерживать связь с Вами посредством телефона, писeм, и Интернета.

Ghandi's Seven Social Sins (Семь социальных грехов человечества по учениям Ганди)

• wealth without work (богатство, лишенное труда)
• pleasure without conscience (удовольствие, лишенное совести)
  
• science without humanity (наука, лишенная человечности)
  
• knowledge without character (образование, лишенное качества)
  
• politics without principle (политика, лишенная принципов)
  
• commerce without morality (коммерция, лишенная морали)
  
• worship without sacrifice (поклонение, лишенное жертвенности)

"We must become the change we want to see in the world."
"Мы должны стать переменой, которую хотим видеть в других на свете."

Is a mission statement called for?

So, yeah, never had a blog before. Never kept a diary or journal or even a planner for that matter. I imagine my main reason for even thinking of keeping a blog is simply to compete with my friend Robin, who, I just found out, has been keeping her own blog a secret from all of us for the past three and a half months. ;-) Actually, she did inspire me to do this, but unbeknownst to her, which therefore means I'll most likely not tell her about this until far into the future as a kind of unnecessary and childish retribution. I've also never been good about these things, so it's possible this will be the only words I ever post.

My other impetus for starting a blog is that this will be a better way, I hope, of keeping my friends in Ukraine (the ones with Internet access) up to date with the goings on in my life. Now that I know I can type in Russian (Ура!!), I have yet another outlet to practice using that cumbersome language. It seems appropriate that I thank my friend Dima in Krasnograd, since he long ago suggested that I do this, though on a Russian site.

Most likely, nothing profound will ever be found here, just the everyday mundaneness that is my life. If something insightful or witty should ever appear, I apologize. Though if that should happen, more likely than not it will be something I stole from someone else and wanted to share with you. And I seriously doubt I'll be moved to write something every day.

Finally, as Robin hinted, we all suffer from a bit of narcissism from time to time, even someone as self-deprecating as me.

Получится?

Это эксперимент. Я хочу знать, могу ли я писать по-русски на этом сайте. Если да, то я буду очень рад. А если нет, мне надо будет что-нибудь придумать.