Odesa,Ukraine 9-14, February

                                                                 Odesa, 9-14 February

     After the orientation, Valera drove me to Borispol for my 8:50 p.m. one hour flight back to Odesa. He personally walked me into the airport, past the rip off coffee bar and up a flight of stairs. Before we were half way up the stairs, a young man grabbed my suitcase and led us to a traditional Ukrainian food restaurant, long a part of Borispol but now hidden by the very modern addition to the airport. It was heaven sent. Valera even had a restaurant card that gave me a 10% discount. He stayed for a cup of coffee then left, feeling sure that I could get on the plane all by myself. I did. Flew home to Odesa and back to my little apartment. (This paragraph was written on March 20, before a number of problems that you will have a chance to read about delayed further blog entries.)

                                                                           

                                                    APARTMENT LIVING ROOM
 This photograph was sent to me by Professor Vadymm Barskyy, head of the International Office at the
National University Ukraine  "Odesa Academy of Law". I will describe Professor Barskyy as the blog entries continues. No spoilers now. (NOTE I JUST PREVIEWED THE POST, THE LINES ARE OFF IN WHAT YOU SEE, WHAT I SEE HAS PERFECTLY ALIGNED SENTENCES. I am way too late in posting, so will just do so as is, if I can remember how I emailed the first posts.)

                                                                         

                                           LIVING ROOM SHOWING COUCHBED,
                                         COUCH FOR SITTING, TV, TURKISH RUG
Another Barskyy photo. Note width of room as guaged by the couch bed. Reality is very good paint job, but floor covering, though pretty new,  when seen in real life is rather ugly.

                                                                         

                                           
                                   FOR A LEFT HANDED PERSON THE SINK PRESENTS
                                   PROBLEMS, EVEN BEFORE ITS SIZE IS CONSIDERED

The photograph really shows the kitchen in the very best light possible, believe me it is not this nice. The hot
water heater is above the refrigerator, slightly to its left. One sets the temperature, then opens the hot water
valve, hot water flows forth for awile; then cool, then warm. Works for washing dishes but.......

                                                                               

                                                                 BATHROOM

Showering with intermittent hot, then warm water is not so much fun. The large white object is the washing
machine. It seems all apartments come with either a washing machine or free clean clothes service. I wish I
had been offered the latter. Tight fit, well I have lost weight, but it is a bit like using an airplane or train bathroom.

                                                                           

                               
                                                   KITCHEN TABLE AND MY DESK

The apartment has a standard set up for Soviet period constructed apartments: no bedroom, a small bathroom with washing machine, kitchen. This one also has an enclosed balcony for sitting or hanging clothes. The clothes line does stain clothes because of its dirt, but it brushes off. I also have one of those nifty drying wracks that one sees in NYC apartments and European Art House Movies.
Bob Hynson, my suite mate at Sewanee: The University of the South,  insisted that I post photos of the apartment. He visited me from April 14-18. He did wonder why I had not bought a sheet and covered the living room sitting couch as it seems rather risky when seen and smelled up close.
I had not looked at these photographs in over a month, amazing how good they  make the place look. It isn't very nice at all. Oh, I didn't show the Internet connection. It sits on the floor next to the wall at the foot of the couch bed. The Internet cable is only a 12"-18" from the wall so there is no moving the wireless router around. Oh, my coffee table is not shown in the photographs, will have to include that too, gives you a better sense of the width, or lack thereof, of the room.
Now had the Internet worked from the start, it actually still doesn't, but I sort of fixed it by learning to unplug it when it goes out every 40-60 minutes, then plugging the router back in (it is irritating but  better than going to People's Cafe each night) and the washing machine worked correctly and if there were hot water for an entire shower, the apartment would have been fine.
Next chapter will be about my first two weeks of teaching.