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...