I find myself bitching about Ukraine a lot. Not because I don't like it, but because there are some many things that frustrate me here...and well, it's easier to bitch. But, there really are so many wonderful things about this place. Maybe I'll just stay forever. Never! Here's what I enjoy here...
-resourcefulness
-no waste
-it's cheap
-family is crucial and never forgotten
-they're a proud people
-no chemicals in the food
-the bazaar
-people walk
-there's still a gender divide and chivalry (this can be positive)
-there's subtle humor
-they don't forget their past
-they're economical
-they love to sing, dance, and act
-summer
-traditions
-superstitions
-flowers and house plants everywhere
-home remedies
-my apartment
-my job
-Masha and Sasha
-the characters I've met in Peace Corps
-being told: "don't be so responsible" (at work)
-camps
-forest and mushroom hunting
-shashlik- kind to shish kebab
-the cookies and chocolate
-the vodka
-they know when to stop talking about politics
-not taking themselves too seriously
-genuine interest when they ask you something
-Na zdaroviya (to your health), even when buying smokes
-the dacha and kitchen gardens
-time to read
-seeing a totally new perspective and paradigm
-buying flour, peas, rice, sugar, and eggs
-those "kartoshka" sweets- I've no idea what's in them, but they're fucking delicious
-soups, yes, even borshch
-hearing the chickens
-the clatter of the horses' hooves
-communal public conversations
-seeing the ice fisherman
-being "hosti" all the time (a guest)
-kids being pulled on sleighs
-the bikes
-the clothes provide free entertainment
And, as my mom always told me and I tell my friends, "you have to laugh to survive"
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