I call this the bed that will lead me straight to a Chiropractor when I get home

All the books in my apartment(all in Russian)

Subway, very clean and modern.

Newer new plan

I am going to Odessa tomorrow morning(not Odessa Texas). I will leave by private car at 5:00 a.m for 6-8 hours. They talked about an overnight train but could not get me a private compartment. I asked if the car had a mini-bar. Yulia couldn't translate mini-bar(or wouldn't). Yulia totally keeps me out of trouble, she doesn't drink much. I know, I know, I would have to get the only translator in the Ukraine that doesn't drink vodka. I'm considering this a good thing. I(we) will do a 1 hour talk and ride 6-8 hours back. Hopefully this weekend I will get to see more of Kiev as I have the weekend off.

I had another adventure at the grocery store when I decided to buy Ukraine wine. This guy kept bugging me while I was looking at the wine. Finally, in english, he said "I am the wine steward". (Oh, come on, we are in a grocery store). He really was the wine steward, I told him what I wanted and he picked a bottle of wine for me($8.00 American). I decided he was pretty nice even though he scared the crap out of me at first. It was really good wine(sorry Teresa and Bob, went off the diet).

I went home and there was a terrible racket going on in my apartment. I looked and looked and finally decided someone was trying to drill a tunnel into my apartment(my guess was the wine steward). If he made it in I didn't notice as I was watching SEA PATROL. There's a guy on this show that looks just like Andy from the sitcom with the UPS guy. He hasn't improved much. When I woke up this morning I could hear children cheering(no, it wasn't because they saw me in my PJ's). The school next to my apartment had set up a rink and they were playing ice hockey. It was fun to watch.

The interesting thing about the crop insurance is they don't have all the government reporting that we do. They decide what might be the highest yield for an area and a person can buy what they want up to that point. The government pays around 5% of the premium and that's it. The farmers don't trust the government(can't imagine why).

I won't be posting tomorrow as I will be enroute to Odessa(minus mini-bar). I will see some of the country outside of kiev so hopefully that will make the long ride go by quicker. By the way, farmer is pronounced fierma(feeairma) in Ukraine. If we average this out I should know about 5 words by the time I return.

New Plan

They have been discussing a new plan for me. I think it's because the insurance executive thinks I know all the insurance secrets. I will have to think tonight to know if I do. The plan seems to be to get to the office at 11:00 and leave at 7:00. What is that all about?? This is cutting in to my Sea Patrol TV show. The new plan will involve going somewhere in a car Friday. This is all I know. I hope they have Toilet paper.

Famous

I was just told I will teach an agriculture seminar on March 6th. They have invited 150 people to attend. Roman, my project coordinator told me I will be famous after this seminar. I told him I am already famous in the U.S. with my blog.

Worked Late

Worked untill 7:00 last night. For me that's pretty late. I figured out that I have cable in my apartment. The only thing in English was CNN and Sea Patrol. Sea Patrol was so exciting. Only because it was in English.

Today I started work at 11:00 a.m. Shout out to Teresa(my wellness coach) I walk to work and it takes 30 minutes uphill. I choose to do this instead of the subway.

Everybody in the office seems nervous and excited. I think that's good. Hope they didn't watch CNN this morning and that they are nervous just because I did a good job not because Russia is a little miffed with the Ukraine.

Yulia explained about the collective farms during the Soviet reign and how things have changed. It's not a great situation for all involved but better than it was. She also told me that her parents had to buy liability insurance for their car for the first time this year because the government required this. It is around 100.00 american per year and it doesn't pay enough if you get into an accident. Some things are the same everywhere you go.

Passed the test

I was just told that the Head of Ag. at TAS wants to meet more with me as he considered that I had knowledge that he would like to have.

YES

Big Meeting

I had my first meeting with the Head of Agriculture insurance at TAG. He was quite nice and very demanding. I'm not on an airplane headed for home so I think I passed the first test. He is very challanged with the insurance system in the Ukraine. It will be interesting to see how this goes. I'll keep you posted.

A little note: they do not use good lighting anywhere and I have trouble seeing in these meetings but yet noone wears glasses here. This makes me wonder.

Very romantic

This is the "bridge of love". When a couple professes their love for each other they write their names on a padlock and lock it on the bridge and throw the key into the river below.

Yulia, my super interpreter. She is very patient with me.

The quest for TP

It is Tuesday morning. I don't meet with my executive until about 3:00 p.m. This meeting was originally sceduled for 9:00 a.m. and changed 4 times and ended up at 3:00. I am told this is the usual thing. We are going sightseeing this morning.
The quest for TP(toilet paper) last night was very interesting. My interpreter left me at my apartment for the evening and I decided to go grocery shopping(on my own). The apartment had no toilet paper so I really needed some. I spent an hour looking around the supermarket, this is better sightseeing than a anything. I looked and looked for toilet paper and couldn't find it. I finally stopped a worker to ask. No english!!! So I pantimimed what i needed(not the most delicate thing I've done). Turns out you must check out on the first floor and go to the second floor for those things. My quest for TP was successful.
My interpreter read my Lonely Planet guide book and laughed at the restaurant recomendations. She said we would eat much better than that!!
I just got confirmation that we are on for 3:00 p.m. I think this is when the real work will begin(although the TP adventure was quite a bit of work). By the way Yulia(interpreter) got me wonderful fruit and I tried it last night. I decided it was the best fruit ever. I decided I would have to eat one every day since I couldn't get them in the U.S. I asked Yulia what it was this morning and she said it was *****. (That means I can't pronounce it)
A little later she told me she looked up the english translation and it was a persimon. Hmmm I think I won't have to eat one every day now.

It is hot

I brought the long underwear and have a heavy coat and winter clothes. Today it was 50 degrees. I walked everywhere today. Kiev is a lovely city and very modern. I had borsht(beet soup) and Chicken Kiev. I am now a local. People watching is very good here. It's like being in a really cool airport. My interpreter Yulia took me all over the city today.
THE BEST NEWS. There are casinos.
THE BAD NEWS, I doubt I will go because I would never figure out the money. And they are not regulated.
Tomorrow I meet with the head of agriculture marketing for the company I will be working with. He is going to guage my knowledge and decide what to do with me. Off to the supermarket and home.

I MADE IT

I am here. I have moved in to my apartment and have already gone grocery shopping. My interpreter spent some time at Texas A&M so we had quite a bit to talk about.

When I got on the plane in Amsterdam I gave myself a little pep talk about getting used to being the only American from now on. It turns out that a bunch of Billy Graham missionaries were on the plane and I sat by a guy from Alabama that was going to see his "girlfriend". I now have the scoop on Russian brides.

I was so excited to see a whole wall of books in my apartment only to figure out they were all in Russian. Oh well.

PREPARING FOR COOOOOLD WEATHER

I am preparing to go to the Ukraine. I'm packing warm clothes, that way when I get there they will have warm weather. Check back often as I will try to post daily starting February 23rd.