Happy Birthday Novomoskovsk!

Woke up to a flurry of activity in the square this morning. Hmm, no...that's wrong. Actually, it all started yesterday morning at 4am when the men started to erect the stage. At first I didn't know what the clanging was, but when the sun came up I saw them and remembered that the town was celebrating it's 67th birthday this weekend. I was told it is an international fair, but when I went to down to see, it was all Ukrainian fare. This was most likely simple mis-communication. Folks have really put a lot of time and effort into setting up their displays, which run the gamut from quirky to garish.  It was really crowded but I managed to see it all. There were performers, musicians, venders selling food and handicrafts, and lots of kids stuff. There were beer tents, yummy deserts, fresh honey and fruits, and wonderful breads to buy. In fact, the breads were too pretty to eat! I've included a picture below.


There were very few handmade items which surprised me. I saw one woman sewing and tying twine to make these really simple dolls that had a nice rustic charm to them. They were not overly expensive which came as a big surprise. Another woman crocheted some beautiful parasols and scarves, while another made interesting woven decorative items. The quality of these things was really wonderful. There were many venders selling the same types of cheap goods most likely made in China or Turkey. It was a real shame because it's the same stuff you can find anyplace. In one area they had two men carving wooden spoons. The quality of the spoons they were selling and the skill which the men had were worlds apart. After walking around and seeing that many venders sold these same type of carved items I realized that this was their 'hook' to get folks to buy. I don't want to be unkind and say it was a cheap trick but...

The music was great...there were traditional Ukrainian bands, a pan flute player that was really awesome, and of course, the stage was a hive of activity with traditional chorals. It was wonderful until the different venues begans playing all at once and the cacophony of noise became unbearable.

All in all, it was a nice festival, but I think the day will be a long one for me. I've mentioned before that noise rises up from the square and I am dead center of all the activity, and it's super loud in my apartment. The music and fireworks will continue on into the evening so I am preparing for a very late night. Ukraine sure knows how to put on a party...Happy Birthday Novomoskovsk!

Bread Art

More Bread Art

Reproduction of our city square



Folded Paper Swan



Carved Pumpkins



Homemade Carnival Dart Game




Our Trinity Cathedral (match sticks)



Living Vegetables



"Bird Seed" (made of sunflower seeds)



Gummy Heaven

I am a gummy girl. When I received a care package form home last month there was a package of gummy worms from my brother. That was thoughtful, I can tell you. I never expected to see any more gummys for a while but as I was standing in line at the market I saw a package of what looked like candy. I couldn't see inside the package but I had a sneaky suspicion it was something worth checking out so I reached over and squeezed the package.  You guessed it...gummys!  I'd know that squishy feeling anywhere!  I bought a package and rushed home with my prize. Upon tearing open the package I got much more than I bargained for. Not only were they gummy zoo animals, which I had never seen before, but there was a prize inside! Like in the bygone days of the "good" Cracker Jack prizes, the gummy prize has finally come into its own. Inside was a very cool magnet which I now proudly display on my refrigerator. Gummys rule, my friends. Gummys rule.

Elephant, Monkey, Bear, Lion

Novomoskovsk Art

I was walking around the city today looking for a copy shop and came across some cool stuff. Of course, the weirder it is, the more I like it. 

The first image is on the front of my building and it reads "Today's Children". The second was on someone's back bumper parked in my back lot. This one cracked me up, while the first made me a little sad.

The News...

Nothing earth shattering to report, but for all of you who are wondering what I am up to, here are a few happenings...not exciting, but, happening just the same.

I think I mentioned more than once that Novomoskovsk is quite the party town. They love fireworks and celebrations so much that I can hardly keep track of what the hubbub is all about. Last Monday morning at about 10am there was a marching (military?) band out in front of the Cultural Center. They were quite good, so when I got to my apartment I went to enjoy them from my balcony. Don't ask me what it's all about...I have no clue. Perhaps it is a young man returning home from military serivce? The Ukrainian armed forces are part of NATO and I wonder if this is the connection? The band played about 4 songs then packed up and left. Curious.

In Other News:

Last Sunday I went to get a hair cut...a trim, actually. I found a nice salon with a good hairdresser, and this was my second visit. However...I don't think I will go back, even though she does a good job and she is very nice to me. All of you who know me, understand that my hair is very short. Why do you supppose it takes 90 minutes to trim my hair?  I can't understand this. I can't sit still for 10 minutes, let alone 90. At the end, I took her scissors and hid them in my lap. She just laughed and pointed at a zippered case, which I imagined harbored many more pairs.

Man-bags. Good Idea or Not?

Most folks here in Novomskovsk walk or ride the bus. There are very few folks here who can afford a car so naturally one must carry all ones belongings for the day. There are not enough pockets in a man's trousers to carry what needs to be carried in our 21st century.  If you are a man, think where you would put your cell phone, your keys, your iPod, your sunglasses and regular glasses (if you wear them) and your wallet? Here in Ukraine the answer is...man-bags. Small stylish leather purses that most men carry around with them. Now, in the USA, such things are more than likely frowned upon.  Seeing a man walk down the street with a purse usually only means one thing...he is carrying it for his wife or girlfriend.

Now, I need to make a point here. Most men that I have I known in my life would rather die than be seen carrying a purse of any kind.  It would be "un-manly", "gay" or just downright "For Wussies" only. (I'm sorry to my gay friends, whom I love very much! This is NOT my opinion) Ukrainian/Slavic men are among the most masculine I have even seen. Real "He-Men" so to speak. SO, if these strong masculine testosterone-laden beings can carry a "purse", why can't men the world over, do so as well? So...Next!

Shopping.

I got myself a really nice pair of shoes to wear for work today. The ones I brought with me are more for the cooler months and it's still faily warm here so I thought I would treat myself (thanks for the bithday present Mom!). There are more shoe stores here that you can ever imagine. I went to the city's center to shop, which is to say, it's no bigger than a small neighborhood block. I must have gone into 15 shoe stores! It's every women's fantasy. Every 20 steps I took, I landed in a shoe store. I never went further than this, but I know for a fact, that there are just as many shoe stores, if not more, going down Sovietskya Street, and even more in the bazaar district! Shoe heaven! Seriously! I actually discovered a few mini-malls or indoor bazaars in my travels. Innocuous buildings with hidden passages and stairways that hide a vast array of stores full of clothing and goods I never imagined existed in my little city! Who knew? It was quite an adventure. I have included a photo of the latest in Ukrainian womens fashions below.

First Bell.

Todays was the first day of school. As in all Ukrainian cities and towns, the first of September is "First Bell". In the lower grades, the children dress up in their finest attire and they all sport large poofy things on their heads...some kind of mesh pompom...that is often bigger than the childs head. After many speeches from the Powers That Be, all the children ring their bells to signify the start of school. But I digress...

At the Lyceum where I teach there are only upper classmen (grades 8-11). The Lyceum is small, and we have perhaps 160 students. All the students, staff and faculty met in the courtyard at 9 am to hear our very lovely, esteemed director Ludmilla give a welcoming speech to all. They played the Ukrainian National Anthem (which I love) and some students sang a song as well. They gave out awards to last years top students, and then the students all rushed forward to give their favorite teachers flowers. (I was wonderng why everyone was carrying flowers!) I received gifts of flowers from 2 of my students. I was very surprised and really happy to be a part of this.  At the end, the two top students took a big bell and started to ring it while walking around the courtyard, which signaled the start of a new semester. Nice. I wish I could have taken some pictures, but I was behind the podium with the other faculty and didn't have a good angle for picture taking.
SO, that's my life in a nutshell here. Until next time...