Day of Rest (and waiting...)

Never did get to the laundry last night. John did find his way to the Metro stop we needed this morning (University Station) and timed it. Then we went in search of ice cream. It was 9 PM by then and dark. Sasha wished us success and advised “don’t speak too loudly in American”. We didn’t. We did find a shop very close to us we hadn’t tried before. The shops here, even the small ones, often have more than one section and each has an individual clerk and cash register. We looked around for a freezer chest, but finding none inquired of the woman in the larger section. She directed us by gesture (and words) to the other woman (Sveta). She had the popular counter, so we waited while she attended to several other customers. Then we asked her for ice cream. She understood our Russian version of the word, and proceeded to ask us which kind we preferred. We didn’t understand at all. She smiled and gestured for us to come behind the counter, and then into the hallway behind her area: the ice cream freezer. We chose three drumstick-type bars with chocolate ice cream and headed back to Sasha with great satisfaction.

This morning I was up at 7:00. I like some extra quiet time on Sunday mornings. Usually getting up at the last possible moment suits me, but not on Sundays. I read from my devotional book (For All the Saints”) which follows the liturgical church year. While we are here the seasons and books change. With the luggage restrictions, I chose to bring the next book. Even though it doesn’t begin until next week, after Pentecost, I just couldn’t wait any more. Perhaps it will be hard to keep up once the boys are in our care and being ahead now will help.

John was up 8 AM and cooked an omelet after his shower. We let Sasha know when we were leaving at 9 AM so he could lock the door behind us (still only one key).

We had a nice walk to the Metro station, confirmed on the map the train we wanted to take to meet Alec (to the Historical Museum stop), and hopped on. It was the next stop, so we were early. We found a good vantage point – top of a hill under a bill board and waited until the 9:45 rendezvous time. When John called Alec they were running late, so they gave us directions to the church in stages: first going to a music store within view; upon reaching that he told us to go around the corner and up to the third floor of the University of Arts building. The congregation met in a recital room which had two grand pianos up on the platform/stage and eighty cushioned chairs. At the door a man greeted us in Russian, then quickly switched to English and introduced himself as Igor. When we told them we were meeting Alec and Nadya, he said “I thought so”. He invited to go inside and said we would find other English-speaking people. Providentially a young couple who spoke English did sit down next to us and during the messages Sveta translated the main points and gave us the Bible references to follow along. We sang a number of songs throughout, including “The Old Rugged Cross”, “Beautiful Savior”, “Power in the Blood” and “Rock of Ages”. The only one we were fully able to participate in came at the end, really after the proper service: “Happy Birthday”, because we had learned it for Drucie’s birthday last year on the mission trip in Odessa!

We had a nice visit with Sveta and her husband immediately and later outside with Nadya. We also enjoyed speaking with nine-year-old Katya (only a month younger than our Katie) who learned her English while her family was in Pittsburgh – once for a year and again for half a year. She attended regular classes then and now practices her English with a woman from Texas. I was trying to tell her that sometimes people from Texas sound like they have an accent to those of us from the north, but she assured me, “No! She just speaks normal!” Katya’s English is very, very good. Her father also spoke with us. He is a computer programmer, so commonality with John had nothing to do with the English or Russian languages. 

Alec and Nadya were busy with friends who all wanted to catch up with them after their recent return from ten days in Siberia. The door to the hall was locked at noon, and shortly thereafter we moved downstairs and outside. We went to a Ukrainian cafeteria and this time we both tried the cold cucumber soup Sasha and Andre’ had yesterday. Equally tasty! We shared a vegetable salad, John had salmon, and I had beef with vegetables and cheese fried to the top. We both got a caffeine fix in cappuccinos. The guys went back to get desserts to share with us after the meal.

Alec and Nadya run a business delivering flower and candy bouquets. They have several sites, some they run, and some others buy from them. They had to make one delivery today. They took us to a market to find an umbrella stroller. This place was like a “Babys R Us” market: six stalls filled just with strollers, and more obviously-pregnant woman than we have seen in all of our trips collectively. We were looking for a light-weight umbrella stroller, since the two we purchased back home simply did not fit into the luggage. The first two stalls tried to sell us larger, fancier ones than we needed at three times the price of the ones I found at Target. Then we saw one standing alone next to a stall – it was for sale, only $10, used. That suited us since we only needed it to get home. It needed some cleaning up, but we have more time than anything else today.

Next we went to the part of the market where Alec and Nadya purchase the flowers. They put the bouquet of roses in the trunk and off we went to find the lucky lady to receive them for her birthday. It turns out they had left their map at home, so the one Andre’ gave us as a gift our first day in Kharkov (at the pizza celebration lunch) came in handy. Then they dropped us off near the apartment, off to watch Shrek 3 with friends (in Russian, of course). We plan to get together with them again before we leave. They would very much like to meet the children, but that will have to wait until the eleventh day after the court day when the children will be in our custody. (The court date hasn’t been set yet, by the way.)

John immediately disassembled the stroller for cleaning purposes. He washed the cloth parts by hand. I did two loads of laundry. Wasn’t exactly sure where to put the detergent (we brought half a bottle of ALL Small & Mighty) in a front-loading washer, but the clothes seem to be clean, so I guess it’s okay. I strung up the clothesline we brought above the bathtub using screws and hooks that appear to be there for that purpose. Just need to get up and move them before Sasha wants to shower at 7 AM tomorrow. He wants to get to the Inspector’s office early to be the first to submit papers in the morning.

John worked on editing our Russian phrase recording. I worked out the design details on the sweaters – Nick’s will have an airplane, Dennis’ (yes, we have decided on two ‘n’s) will have a train. His caretaker told us at the very first meeting that Dennis likes cars and trains. We still hope to find one or the other for him to play with during our visits.

Around 6 PM we went off to find food. We haven’t been all that hungry, but that doesn’t mean Sasha should starve. At a nearby Ukrainian cafeteria John had his second bowl of cucumber soup for the day. I went for the Ukrainian borsht this time. I had chunks of meet and a vegetable salad (cucumbers, tomatoes and black olives), John had chicken Kiev and kartoshka (potatoes), we shared a chocolate and nut mousse dessert.

Sasha prefers his chocolate straight, so when the shop where we bought ice cream last night failed to have a suitable selection we headed off to the larger supermarket where Andre’ had taken us for staples the first night. We took the wrong street the first time. When it dead-ended, it gave us opportunity for more exercise to work off the chocolate we had eaten and Sasha was yet to have. I instructed Sasha to pick up foods he wanted to have in the apartment, although he first demurred – not wanting to be demanding – the cart was relatively full and he and John each carried a heavy grocery bag home (they only allowed me to carry a box of cereal and the corn chips).

So we are back “home”: time to blog; clean the wheels on the stroller; get ready for tomorrow - when we get to see the boys again!!!!!