Quirks

I thought I'd mention two random quirks about Arun and myself.

#1: Arun is deathly afraid of plugging in our two-pronged 110V plugs into the adapters. He'll call me to plug in his phone charger- to plug in the dvd player- to plug in ...anything! Admittedly, there are sometimes a few sparks that are emitted, but this irrational fear is especially hilarious because he's an ELECTRICAL engineer! I mean- c'mon!

#2: This one's about me. I can NOT seem to keep the plants in our apartment alive. Now, this isn't exactly just a Ukrainian phenomenon. I can't keep plants alive in America either. I don't know... some people are really just NOT born with green thumbs! And I'm one of them! We have three house plants in our apartment, and try as I might to water them, move them around to get them away from the heaters, put them in the window sills to get light... nothing! The leaves just keep browning and falling off! It's hopeless!

Nevada in Ukraine?

There's one really weird thing that is on every corner in Odessa- Nevada's!
There are these small casinos that have bright lights at the entrance, and somehow they are ALL called Nevada.

Most of this winter, they have been closed. And I'm really not sure how packed they get in the summer either. I haven't really heard from anyone that the Ukrainian national pastime is gambling; so I really don't know why there are so many of them!

Perhaps, Arun's theory is right- they're a front for money-laundering!

Arun and I did walk into a casino in Yalta during our visit. It was attached to our hotel, and was STARK empty! The dealers just stared at us intently, hoping we would sit down at their table; but we had just gone in to look.

I did a bit of research on the regulations of gambling in Ukraine, and they are rather interesting as well:

• Apparently, there are strict restrictions about advertising gambling. No advertising is permitted on radio, television, billboards, cars, or magazines/periodicals. ($50,000 penalty!) Therefore, the only advertisement they DO have are the bright lights at the entrance. At least THAT is explained!

• Ukraine is also trying to control the number of casinos (and prevent money laundering.) Thus there is a huge barrier to entry- a registration fee of 1 million Euros.

• There are many Ukrainians who are proponents of prohibiting gambling all together. In fact, there are a few bills that are trying to accomplish just that.

• Online gambling regulations are being hotly debated. Many politicians want stricter controls, and others are trying to do away with it altogether!

Pet Peeves

There are a few things that irk us in Ukraine. Annoyances, mostly-nothing serious. But the other day, when Arun and I were discussing them- I realized it would probably make a good blog entry. Afterall, Arun's been here for 4 months, and I've just crossed my 3-month mark! So here they are- our list of top 5 Pet Peeves:

Inconsistent credit card acceptance (Honestly, it's very hit-or-miss with credit cards here. Even though all the grocery stores seem to accept credit cards, we'll run into resistance at random up-scale restaurants, or boutique stores. Sometimes they HAVE a machine- but it's 'broken.' OR, better yet, the salesperson hasn't been trained to use it. Either way- it is generally quite the cash-economy.)

Lack of smoke-free restaurants (There are smoking sections right next to "non-smoking" sections. So there's really no barrier, and the non-smoking section gets filled up with smoke regardless. OR, there's a non-smoking table, and they'll just remove the sign and convert it to a smoking-table depending on which patron walks in! We are just so tired of coming home with that nasty smell on our clothes!)

Restaurants and grocery stores inconsistently stocking items (Countless times, Arun and I will decide on our orders at a restaurant, only to be told that they don't have that item available. It's hard enough to choose items without meat, and then to be told it's not there! Argh! And it's the same at grocery stores. We'll pick up an item one week, and the chances of that same item being stocked the next week is a complete lottery! (Not basics- but things like peanut butter or lavash or a favorite sauce.)

Lack of Quality control (You may walk into a Nike store- but there's no guarantee that what you're getting isn't a knock-off from China. You might order food at a restaurant and get who-knows-how-old products with no qualms (Arun's friends get sick here all the time.) And you have to REALLY check the expiration dates on grocery items. It's not maliciousness on the part of store owners- it's just that as a consumer, you have to watch out for yourself!)

Movies being dubbed over in Russian (We have not been able to go to the movie theaters to watch the latest releases because they're all dubbed over in Russian! The same goes for dvd's and of course, everything that is on network tv. We're going to have a lot of catching up to do when we return to the States! It's a good thing for youtube!)

My grandfather

Yesterday was a very sad day in my life. My grandfather passed away.
I decided that I would dedicate today's entry to him, because I want to share him with all of you. There is a lot to learn from the life he lived, and so I'll share some of my favorite stories.

One of the things I remember the most about dadu was his incredible energy. There were a few traditions at my Mamar Bari whenever my family went to visit. A stock of Bisleri mineral water at the kitchen table, a maxi lounging gown for my mother and me and hawai choti or flip flops for the entire family. One visit, they had forgotten to buy the flip flops in advance. My grandfather decided to head out to buy them immediately, with me in tow. He barreled down the streets at such a speed that I could scarcely keep up. I finally caught up to him at the store, but before I had a chance to catch my breath, he was off to another store! By the time we got back home, I was wiped.... by an individual 60 years my senior! That was my grandfather.

He had so much energy, in fact, that after retiring from civil service, he was so bored that he went BACK to work... for another 8 years. My aunt used to joke that he was the type of person that always needed to do SOMETHING.... so it may have been worth giving him a plate of rice grains mixed with lentils and ask him to separate them all day- just to keep him occupied.

Another thing dadu is famous for is his sense of adventure. One day while my parents and I were living in Bangalore, we had gone out for our days' errands. When we returned, our landlord called to me and said, "Your grandfather is here." "That can't be!" I replied. But when we went to their apartment, sure enough, there he was. Sitting happily and talking to their whole family. "Surprise!" he said- and boy, was it! He had literally decided on a whim to visit us with nothing but our address in hand.
"How did you do it, dadu?"
"Well, I landed at the train station, and I told the auto-rickshaw driver that I needed to get to BHCS layout on Bennarghata Road."
"But there are two Bennarghata Roads!"
"I know! I went to the other one too! But once I got there, I realized it was not right because you told me there was a big Ganesh Temple nearby. So then the auto-wallah was nice enough to bring me to this one. And when I saw you were not home, I came to this flat to wait."

That was also the epitome of my grandfather. He could go anywhere- befriend anyone- and not think anything of it. He has traveled the world, and his intellectual curiosity was never satiated. He never felt the need to prove that he was well-traveled for that was my grandfather's trait- humility. It's something most people strive towards, but was innate to him.

One of the things my mother used to tell me about my grandfather was how incredibly modern and forward-thinking he was. During my mother's generation, it was quite common for all women to wear saris. When salwar-kameezs first hit the fashion scene, it was thought of as something quite scandalous. But my grandfather never blinked an eye and told my mother that he didn't have a problem with it- that salwars were actually more modest clothing than saris. My grandfather also never hesitated to bless the marriage between my parents- even though my father was living in Montreal at the time; and it would mean sending his only daughter thousands of miles away. He was independent, and wanted to make something of himself- for himself, not resting on the laurels of his ancestors. And so he was also the first of his seven brothers to break away from 'boro bari' or the large ancestral home and build his own house adjacent to the family property.

The final story will hopefully relate to you all the greatest trait of my grandfather. And that was his generosity. It is rather easy to be proud of one's accomplishments- it is not rare for Indian families to constantly toot their horns about the "status" of their family. But you would never hear any of that from my grandparents. Rather, his legacy remains in all the people he's helped, and all the lives he's touched. He put many nieces and nephews through school, insisting on delivering the fees to them instantly on the first day of the semester. He simply couldn't bear the thought of anyone having to actually ask for the money; never wanting anyone to feel that they were being helped. He payed for the weddings of the daughters of our servants. It is probably why their family has been with our family for generations, now.

About 12 years ago, dadu started a tradition of going to the lake. During the early years, he would walk to the lake, jog along the trails and then sit down to talk to his friends. As the years progressed, he would be driven the the lake to meet his friends to talk. He became so beloved, that one day, a news reporter looking for a story came upon the group. The next month, there was an article printed in the paper about dadu. It was no surprise- he loved and was loved instantaneously. My grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and shortly afterwards, my grandmother died. Dadu was never really the same after that, and yet he continued to bring joy to the rest of us. Giving of himself, constantly.

He used to call me 'mani'- and tell me that when I was young I never left his arms. When he went to the restroom, I would sit by the door, waiting for him to come out. He would tell me with a chuckle, that I loved to play the 'tabla' drums on this bald head.

I can't imagine Mamar Bari without dadu. I will miss him greatly. But I will strive to be the way he was- energetic, positive, adventurous and above all generous and humble. That is his legacy.

Ukraine in the Headlines

So I've had a few questions and comments about the gas-standoff between Russia and Ukraine, and it would be quite the oversight to not address a situation that is putting Ukraine in all the headlines: (if you're curious or haven't heard anything about the situation, here's some reading-)

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/07/gas-ukraine


• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806616.stm


• http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/11/europe/gazprom.php

I guess the problem (lack thereof) is that it hasn't really affected us in the least! Arun and I still hang around the apartment in tanks and tees and our heat has been working just fine. Maybe these are the moments we should be grateful for our over-priced apartment's independent heating system?

I haven't noticed much difference in the outside world, either! The grocery stores have heat. The buses have heat. I suppose the airport and the train station wasn't quite so toasty, but it certainly wasn't cold! Our work places have been so warm, that we open the window to let in some air now and then!

So I'm not really sure if this is because Ukraine is indeed siphoning gas away from the rest of Europe....or whether we're currently using reserve gas, and the worst is yet to come.... or perhaps, this is a lot of media-hype and political posturing? No clue. If I had to guess- my bets would be on siphoning.

Either way, as selfish as this sounds- I'm just glad I haven't personally faced any heating issues. You'll be the first to know if it gets shut off! But until then- I'm snug as a bug!

(by the way- picture from the Ukrainian Observer)

Our First Visitor!

We were lucky enough to get a visit from one of my blog's biggest fans- my father-in-law!

It was definitely a much-too-short weekend filled with food, food, and more food. Arun made sure he showed off all his favorite restaurants: Hong Kong (his favorite Chinese place), Devarana (his favorite Thai restaurant) and a great Ukrainian restaurant in downtown (you can't leave here without trying some borsch!)

Unfortunately, this is definitely a VERY cold time of year and so our 'sight-seeing' primarily consisted of walking around for a few minutes before ducking into cafes for some cocoa or lattes! Arun and I have become more acclimated to the climate, but my father-in-law had just arrived from India and Dubai and so by the second day, he had a cold! Of course, this might have a lot to do with the fact that Arun insisted on taking the bus at least once.... and would bargain with taxis rather than hop in the first warm vehicle that passed by!

Arun was extra-happy to get all kinds of great Bengali sweets, fresh from India! And we were also able to stock-up on spices and other items that we have difficulty getting in Odessa.

One of the funniest stories occured on the first night. I asked Arun to pull-out the sofa-bed. Of course, with one quick swoop, he managed to derail the whole thing. His immediate reaction was panic. He thought he had broken it! Then the two engineers proceeded to try to figure out how to fix it.... to no avail. Finally, I stepped in to examine the mechanism. Within a few minutes, I had the bed back in the railing! That's what happens when you have too many engineering-minds! You need a healthcare brain to fix a mechanical problem! At least we know the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!

Our Neighborhood Video Store

Arun and I discovered a little neighborhood video store. It's cheap, it's close.... and Arun says it smells vaguely of BO. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to concur. We both think it emanates from the video-store clerk. He's incredibly nice and helpful and even speaks English quite well. We're just not sure how he manages to work up such a sweat playing video games in the store all day!

It's been Arun's misfortune that they stock Indian movies and songs- but they're all dubbed into Russian.

Nonetheless, we have been able to catch up on all kinds of old and semi-old Hollywood releases- Enigma, Burn After Reading.... and a bunch of crappy Martin Lawrence movies that Arun watched by himself.

It only costs us 10 hr... so for about a buck-fifty, we get to rent the movie for up to a month. Pretty good deal! So it's about 2-3 times a week that Arun and I head over to the "BO Store" and scan all the movies for one that says 'Angliski' on the back and then pray that there is indeed an English option when we get back home (we're batting about a .500 on this). You would think it would be easier to add in Russian subtitles to these movies- but no, they dub over each and every one of them! Oh well!

Another part of life in Odessa!