A Short Excursion

The trip to the tractor factory was something of a dud. There was indeed a huge factory, with a high wall with razor wire wound around the top, but we couldn't go in and there didn't seem to be any tractors on display (or, if there were, we couldn't find any). It was sort of weird because there is this immense factory in the middle of what seems to be nowhere, in the midst of green park-like areas. Nearby there's a war memorial to those who died in World War II fighting the Nazis. There is also an abandoned children's amusement park not far away, with a ferris wheel, merry-go- round, etc., sitting among the grasses and weeds that have grown around it. It's also clear that every form of transportation can take you to the factory - trams, train, metro, bus - they all pass by and stop there. It's located just off a very large street "Prospect Moscovy," and is still in use, presumably churning out tractors. Of course I thought about "The History of Tractors in Ukrainian," which has nothing to do with the tractor factory (or very little, anyway), and practically nothing to do with the Ukraine, but a lot to do with the attempt by many Ukrainian women to get a one-way ticket out of this country and into the U.S.

There seemed little point in hanging around the factory, so we got back on the metro and made our way home (stopping of course at my favorite market to buy some perogies and borscht). We saw the usual sights on the streets of Kharkiv - women in short skirts (these pictures do not do them justice), and dogs getting a breath of fresh air!

The heat just seems to sap me of all energy. After Ona (the cleaning woman) left, I made one small trip outside to look at the store we had passed on the way home from the Opera that seemed to have some vases (I have been searching for vases ever since we moved in). There were beautiful things there - it was basically all Mikasa - and very expensive, but still probably a lot less than the price in the States. Still, I don't want to have to move things from Kharkiv to Kyiv, and I really don't want to invest in anything here, so the search for really cheap vases continues.

This short excursion really exhausted me. I had stopped at my local market on the way back and noticed that they too had borscht for sale - so I bought some for a "borscht off" tonight. I also bought some fruits and vegetables - the saleswoman at that particular section is really sweet - she helps me get the names in Ukrainian for all my purchases, and when I was a couple of Hryvnas short, and handed her a bigger bill to cover the whole price, she handed the big bill back and told me "Zafstra" (tomorrow) - in other words I could pay her the balance tomorrow. I thought that was pretty amazing.

I got back to the apartment, completely drained by the heat!! But I had to leave again in 15 minutes because Alona had called to tell me that she would meet me at 4 p.m. so that we could pick up my Fed Ex package (this damn FedEx package is almost as big a burden as the luggage was at the beginning of the adventure!). I met her at the McDonald's at Independence Square, near Rozy Luxemburg Square. She had to take me to the "office" because the way addresses work here I never would have found it on my own. We had to go into a drugstore, through that store to the back, and up three flights of stairs to Room 17. There sat a man, with my Fed Ex envelope and lots of other FedEx things. He and Alona had a conversation during which, I have a feeling, he was expressing great amusement at the phone calls to me and my responses, in Ukrainian, that I didn't speak Russian. I had to sign my name, in Ukrainian!!! (I printed it - but that seemed to satisfy the man.)

I knew that the package had some papers that required our signature, so I opened it on the spot, signed where required (for both of us I must admit - with Ed's full approval), put it in the return envelope that was included in the package, and gave it back to the man for the journey back to LA. What a waste of time (for me) and money (for Goldman Sachs) that all turned out to be! (I can only imagine what the FedEx costs were!) But it's done, and now Alona has arranged with the FedEx man that if any packages come for me he will call her, and she will arrange a time with me for delivery so that it can be brought directly to our apartment.

Well, now I really was done in. When I got back to the apartment I drank two 1.5 liter bottles of water and gradually recovered. We had our borscht off - I think the one from the local market wins - it has some beef in it and is really delicious, and a lot less expensive than the other. I took to my bed with my book and fell asleep at 8 p.m.!!