PERSPECTIVES: Americans in Ukraine.

To pass the time on the sleeper car from Kiev back to Warsaw (which allowed for very little sleep, since we crossed the Ukrainian border and got the wheels changed at 2am, and had to do passport checks at the Polish border at 3:30am), we conducted interviews on our experience in Ukraine, and made a long list of foods we miss and want to eat immediately upon arrival back in the United States.

The food list is too long, but here are the interview results!

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Question: What did you expect before you went to Ukraine?
STEVE: I expected a lot of war-torn places, people not smiling (since they are reputed as a cold kind of people), the food to be bland, and taxi drivers to cheat us.
MADELINE: I'm not sure, exactly... We had heard some disturbing things about Ukraine in the few weeks leading up to our trip (political prisoners being beaten, stray dogs getting rounded up and killed to clean the cities up, corruption in the police force) but kept our fingers crossed that those things wouldn't be an issue due to Ukraine being under close observation from the world for EURO2012. I had heard from a few different people that it was a beautiful country, but honestly, I didn't really know what to expect.
BILLYBRONCO: I expected mostly workhorses and I didn't think they would be as fashionable as me.

Question: First impressions of Ukraine?
STEVE: The agriculture here is very pretty... lots of fields and cows. There isn't really anything that is war-torn though... But lots of things are poorly constructed.
MADELINE: I feel like I need to break this up into parts because my first impressions of each city were different every time. Kiev, I didn't like it at all. The city seemed dirty, the people seemed unfriendly... In hindsight, maybe I was just experiencing my first-ever bout of culture shock. Kharkiv, I loved it. It was a much more upbeat city, had a lot more trees, and was in general much better organized than Kiev. Donetsk was kind of in the middle - it is a smaller city so it was beautiful but harder to figure out at first.
BILLYBRONCO: I didn't like Kiev... It was all concrete. Kharkiv and Donetsk were better, with more open spaces. The beer here is too strong though, and I felt kind of self-conscious because everyone was staring at me.

Question: What are some of the most noticeable differences, culturally, socially, etc?
STEVE: The people here walk everywhere whereas in the US we drive everywhere. I like that the people here are very intimate with their culture. The US is really too international to have our own culture, so it's nice to see something like this.
MADELINE: The biggest thing for me was the different kind of role women have here. I was probably the only woman in the entire country who wore running shoes. All the women wore dresses or skirts, braided their hair, wore heels or dressy sandals, and it was obvious that none of them were athletes - hardly any muscle on their legs or arms. Ukraine is a country where sports are not viewed as a woman's thing. Being a female athlete from a country where that is completely normal was strange. I felt kind of self-conscious for a while, actually, walking around in jeans and a tshirt while all the other women around me were so dressed up.
Also, no free unlimited water at the dining table is sad too :(
BILLYBRONCO: The people here are always staring at me. People in the United States like me more, probably because they're used to people carrying toy dogs around in purses, so it's not unusual for me to be carried around too. But I don't think anyone here has pets so they don't understand.

Question: What was the most memorable thing about Ukraine, and what is something you wish you could forget?
STEVE: The thing that sticks out most to me is how prevalent Soviet culture still is here: the language (a good portion of Ukraine speaks Russian, not Ukrainian, and they use the same alphabet), the people, the architechture... It is a very young country though (became independent in 1990, so it's younger than we are) and the younger generation seems livelier, happier, more interested in the world... It's interesting to see because they are going through what I think our parents went through in the United States: they can see a better future and they want to shape that for their country, just like our parents have worked to give us a better future. In the States, we already have that bright future, and now we are responsible to hang on to it and pass it on to our kids.
I don't wish I could forget anything - what's the point of living if you forget it all?
MADELINE:  The most memorable thing was definitely being in the EURO2012 fan zone for Ukraine's opening match against Sweden, in which Ukraine came back from a 1-0 deficit to win it. The pride that the Ukrainians had for their country, and the support Ukraine had from people all over the world, was an amazing thing to see.
One thing I wish I could forget? Ugh, there was this one time on the metro on our way back to our hostel after a night at the fan zone in Kharkiv when we sat across from this really gross man wearing a button-up shirt, only all the buttons were undone and he had his fat, incredibly hairy (I'm talking gorilla status here) beer belly hanging out, and he spent the entire ride talking to himself and picking at his scabs. It was disgusting.
STEVE: I amend my earlier statement. Period lady on the train. The baby seatjacking that guy's seat. Basically everything about that train ride from Kharkiv to Kiev, I wish I could forget.
BILLYBRONCO: Best thing was the giant soccerball in Kharkiv! If that man hadn't mentioned to Mommy that I had leapt off her purse, I totally would've been able to go play with it. And those twin grey ponies in Donetsk I will remember forever (but that's all I can tell you about them). The thing I wish I could forget? HOW MOMMY AND DADDY FELL ASLEEP AND LEFT ME UNDERNEATH A BACKPACK NEXT TO THE FREEZING COLD A/C VENT FOR HOURS ON THE TRAIN FROM WARSAW TO KIEV!!!!

Question: Best thing you ate in Ukraine? Worst? Most unusual?
STEVE: Since Maddie probably said Georgian chicken as the best, I'm going with the meat pastries we had in Kiev.. which we later found out was run by Georgian people! No wonder it was so good. Worst was probably all of their salads because they all have way too much cucumber and way too much dill, and I was never a fan of either of those things in the first place. I am damn tired of it. Salo was definitely the most unusual. Kvass was unusual too, a pleasant alternative to beer or soda.
MADELINE: I have to answer the "most unusual" first. Salo, for sure! I am still mindboggled at how we ended up ordering it, and how we ate it all! Best thing, other than the incredible food we had at the Georgian food place, was probably borsch. I could have eaten that every day. Worst? That's hard to answer because nothing we ate was inedible or really that bad.
BILLYBRONCO: I love all food. I was more than happy to eat all the dill that Daddy didn't want.

Question: How have your first impression/expectations of Ukraine changed? What impressions stayed the same?
STEVE: Well, for starters, the only taxi driver we needed was actually very helpful. The people here started off pretty cold (impersonal and unsmiling) but that changed once EURO2012 got started (soccer makes everyone smile). The country is beautiful though, and the more we saw the more I liked it.
MADELINE: Again, broken down by city: Kiev remains my least favorite city, although after going on the walking tours, I give it more credit; Kharkiv did not disappoint; Donetsk is probably my favorite city, but if I ever go back, I will probably never leave the area around Donbass Arena. :) Overall, Ukraine was beautiful and felt much safer than I expected it to be.
BILLYBRONCO: The beer is still too strong, but I was happy to find out that there were more open pastures and grasslands for me to play in once you got outside the capital city. And once I mastered Ukrainian I felt more comfortable around the people.

Question: What would you have done differently, if anything?
STEVE: I would've learned the language, or at least the basics. Also, I would've brought at least two friends so that more options are available (we could split off in groups of two if there is more than one suggestion).
MADELINE: I would've brought a phone. It would've made finding places much easier. Also, I would've learned the Cyrillic alphabet and I would've learned at least the basics in Ukrainian.
BILLYBRONCO: I would've gone out with the ladies more. I also wish we could've done some hiking/exploring nature here, but Mommy and Daddy were always too tired at the end of the day.

Question: How has this experience affected your marriage?
STEVE: I think it has helped us urther understand our strengths/weaknesses. It also makes me confident we can overcome any adversity - there were many moments where we disagreed on something or got frustrated, but we resolved all our issues civilly - no yelling, no blaming, no name-calling - we were able to get through everything without fighting about it.
MADELINE: I find that I am even more grateful for my husband, whose level-headedness got us through some frustrating situations. It also reaffirms how well we work together: my strengths are in areas that he is weaker in, and my weaknesses are where his strengths are. We make a great team and have been very patient with each other even in trying times. We've learned a lot about what irks us and I think getting through some of the things we've gone through will help us in the long run, as far as not letting our frustrations get in the way of being in love. :)
BILLYBRONCO: I feel very safe with Mommy and Daddy... They took good care of me and didn't let the security guards rip me open at Donetsk fan zone.

Question: What are some things that you learned about yourself that surprised you?
STEVE: That I can handle independence. I mean, I've always known I could take care of myself, but being in another country halfway around the world is different than just being away for college. It reaffirms that I don't need my parents anymore. (I still love you, though!) Last time I went to Europe, my mom took care of all the details and I just went with it. My wife fills that role now, so we don't need to rely on anyone but each other. It's nice being able to just be friends with your parents rather than have to be nice out of obligation (that sounds bad) because they're still taking care of you.
MADELINE: How easy it was to learn the Cyrillic alphabet! Once I stopped fighting it, anyway. The first week we were in Ukraine, I was so irritated that everything was in a different alphabet that I couldn't read; week two I think I started to subconsciously learn it; week three, I could translate pretty much anything written into verbal Ukrainian. Now if only I could translate the Ukrainian into English....
BILLYBRONCO: I didn't know I could be so adventurous! Also, I found out that I am a master of languages. Also, dill and parsley make great substitutes for hay.

Question: Advice/words of wisdom to any potential travellers to Ukraine?
STEVE: Learn the language or at least simple phrases, get familiar with the alphabet and write down key phrases so you can show people if you need help... Look for free tours because they are very helpful. Also, sleeper cars are pretty awesome, I highly recommend.
MADELINE: Take advantage of free tours!!! And learn the language (or at least the alphabet so you can read things... If I had focused, it probably would've only taken a couple of days to learn). And...... Pretty much everything Steve said. Also, bring a phone and make sure your computer or tablet will work on their internet (or get a converter of some kind).
BILLYBRONCO: Don't be afraid to just go out! But stick to main streets because it's safer. Also don't miss the parks and gardens; they are lovely.