"All in the family"

An interesting article in Kyiv Post: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/123517/ and also the official Pres office comment at: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/123701/print/

Hallways

I have wonderful neighbours. They are nice and friendly. Both are doctors at one of the city hospitals. They have a nice and smart 10 year old daughter. When we meet we have usually a nice chat.
The one thing which confuses me is my neighbours habit to leave their garbage or stuff they do not want in their apartment anymore - in the hallway. And than it stays there for days - if it is a garbage.

Or for weeks if it is some unwanted stuff. For example a small Xmas tree was in front of their door for days.
Recently Xmas tree got replaced by a some strange iron thing. Next to which there is usually a bag with garbage.

Boxes opposite to their door - are there for weeks.

To try to understand is my neighbours habits better I talked to my colleagues in the office. And I found out some of my colleagues have identical experience but with more impressive items stored in the hallway. Oksana  shared with me a photo of her hallway with a bathtub. Which stood there for weeks. After few months Oksana left a note on the board asking owners of a bathtub to either remove it - or she will ask someone to remove it. Few days after Oksana's note the bathtub was removed. But last week her lovely neighbours put on her stairway additional item. 

Shevchenko's Birthday

Pensioners organized a small rally to commemorate Shevchenko's birthday in front of his monument in the park:

March 8 in the Office

In Ukraine March 8 - International Women's Day is still taken very seriously. The history of the holiday is linked to Clara Zetkin who in turn was inspired by the massive march organized in 1908 by textile women workers in New York.
In Soviet times March 8th was a happy day of "women of the proletariat."  In 1965 is was officialy declared as a non-working day. That public holiday was kept in Ukraine. As this year it fells on Thursday - Friday is also a non-working day. So thanks to socialist ladies in NY and Clara Zetkin I enjoy a very long weekend.  Unfortunately I am not able to travel abroad as I am in process of obtaining a residence permit which takes two-three weeks. Nevertheless I enjoy four days of rest.
On Wednesday we had an office celebration. It is customary to congratulate ladies with flowers and chocolate. Photos are in the album:

More snowmen

Snowman with boobs

About three centimeters of new snow last night. Walking Iggy around a park an unusual snowman got my attention. Or is it now a snowwoman? Iggy liked her. Although a smile is falling off her face.  

Home Holidays

Two weeks ago left for Zagreb. Whatever could go wrong with the flight - went wrong. The plane was delayed. Plus it was not heated. Arrived in Vienna too late to catch a connection to Zagreb. Had to overnight in Vienna. But on Friday evening could get my suitcase. When I arrived to Zagreb had a fever and was sick.
During the week had almost daily visit to the doctors. Than my tooth started to bother me. Visited a dentist too. When it rains it pours. On my next to last day when with my mum to my parents house outside the city. We found the house was flooded. Thanks to good and practical neighbour the leak was stopped and we got rid of water in few hours.
It felt good to be on a plane back to Kiev.  When I landed in Kiev there was no shuttle bus on the airport. We had to wait 30 min for a bus to take us to the immigration terminal. Nobody seemed upset. None surprised with a lack of organization and coordination.
When I got out of the pane I was greeted by a drizzle. When I arrived home - it was snowing. Winter continues to firmly hold her grip.