Saturday July 17, 2010

Calvin’s Entry: This morning I went running. This is the second time I have run since coming to Ukraine and I can count on one-hand the number of time’s I have run this year. I’m 40 lbs heavier now than when we were in Ukraine 3 years ago adopting Roman and Nadia. There is definitely a difference in my stamina. My muscles have felt the extra stress, which in away feels good – the good kind of hurt. Anyway, I ran about 1 mile up the hill into the outskirts of Fedocia until I arrived at the top of a hill. I knew I was close to the city dump because I could see the flock of seagulls hovering around the piles of dirt and trash. I would see trucks periodically pass me, which had loads of trash. These trucks would turn into the dumping grounds. When I got close enough that the smell was quite intense, I turned around and ran a ways back into town. I stopped just outside the city dump on a hill, which had a huge electrical tower. This provided a great place where I was able to observe the entire city of Feodocia and take some pictures. I then ran down about 2 miles into the edge of downtown. I was able to purchase a .5 liter bottle of water, which I immediately guzzled down. The prices are noticeably lower here than in Kiev. In Feodocia, .5 liter bottle of water cost about $.30 (2.5 UHr) compared to Kiev where it cost $.60 - $.75 (4 – 5 UHr). The run back to our apartment – about 1 mile was all uphill and very difficult. Most of the way I walked, but of course, the last several hundred yards I had to be running so it seemed I finished with exceptional effort. It’s wonderful when you have time on your hands to do some of these things – like running - which are normally the first to be crowded out when we get busy with our hectic lives.

Self portrait/photo on hill outside Feodocia

View of a portion of Feodocia from a hill up the road from the orphanage

This afternoon Anastasia came and stayed with us at the apartment for a while. She enjoyed being on my laptop looking at family photos and videos and then helping make dinner. She’s very helpful and bright and always seems two steps ahead of me looking for things to do. We went downtown and walked around the Carnival area again with Natasha and Anastasia. Calvin shot a pellet gun and won her a little green bunny, then she played another game and won another stuffed animal. She wants to give them to her niece or nephew. Cute girl.  

Calvin (with signature diet coke) and Anastasia after Dad won her a stuffed animal at the shooting gallery

Calvin after his smokin' hot 21 of 21 hits at the shooting gallery - good enough to win a prize.

On the bus towards town (Feodocia, Ukraine)

Having dinner at our apartment before going to town

On the way home it was dark so we took a cab. The driver figured out what we were in town for – it being obvious when we dropped Anastasia off at the orphanage and she hugged ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ and took us on to our apartment. Once we were out of the cab and he was driving Natasha home, he took the opportunity to rake her over the coals for helping Americans adopt “our” children. He knew from “good sources” that we were doing unseemly things to the children and he thought it was better that they stay in Ukraine and become one of the statistics that become criminals, prostitutes, drug users etc, than go to America.  

Poor Natasha was in a bad situation because she was in the back of his cab alone at night and not able to defend herself morally or physically. He refused to drive her to her doorstep and just dropped her off at some corner nearby. Sad. Unhappy people like him would never be convinced they were wrong even if the evidence to the contrary were right under his nose. They seem to find some twisted satisfaction believing there are no kind people trying to do good in the world. We’ll have to be more careful I guess. Most Ukrainians we meet are very supportive and happy when they hear what we are doing. I guess there’s always one or two…..

I hope Calvin didn’t tip him!