Pestilog

My Day of Awesome

Ok you guys. It's seriously official. I love Odessa.
I have been having a great time in this city, and today was an incredible day. This project is going really well, and the weather is great, and there was cake and icecream to boot.

But first, lets play a little game called "where the hell is Jen?"
Im right smack in the middle of this picture here, by the water:



Ok, moving on to today:
-I spent the morning with a mobile sharp exchange and HIV therapy unit in central Odessa, observing medical procedures and client staff ineteraction. Really, I get to hang out and take notes. It's way academic, really.
-Odessa has this great system of minibuses, which come like every 2 minutes, and drive at top speed down their route. I have no idea what the routes are, nor does anyone else seem to know. You just kind of have to pick one that is going vaguely south, or which ever way you need to go. And they dont make stops. To get on, you have to flag one down, and to get off, you have to tell the driver which street about 2 blocks ahead of time because they take about that long to slow down to a stop. These things are like astrovans and seat about 12 people. They normally have about 20. Its great.
-I have learned enough Russian to request a stop off the minibus route on my way in with out confusing the bloody hell out of the driver.
-There is this galleria near where I am living called Afina, and there is a massive cafeteria in the basement. I ate there today, and had a giant tub of borsht. You go in, say "ukrainskij borsht!" and the guys says something that you dont know that sounds different everytime which always in one way or another means 'sour cream?'. You always say "Da!" yum.
-I re-established that I dont like salmon today. I even realized that it wasn't a chunk of tomato in my creamy salad BEFORE I gave it a go, so it wasn't the surprise. I was curious about how the side salad was the most expensive thing I ordered though. Now I know.
-There is this huge central market near the trainstation (which is itself between the biggest craziest cemetary I have ever seen and the biggest, gnarliest prison I have ever seen) which has clothes and food and stuff and crap and junk and it looks awesome. And its open all hours of the day. Its crowdedall hours of the day. Blows the mind.
-I bought a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in Ukrainian today. I am a giant nerd. But the Ukrainian books are like in a far corner of the bokstore, are only childrens books (as only school children would be learning Ukrainian at all) and are on a different till as well. It was weird. I got sent to a far cashier, who wrote up my bill by hand in a paper register and then would only take cash for them. Hooray for the marginalzation of western culture. It feels as refreshing as it does odd.
-I bought an icecream cone for 30 cents today. It was awesome.
-My hostel, which is way nicer than any place I have ever lived myself, has a frikin jacuzzi tub. Unbelievable. I am so headed there next. This is going to be great.
-Finally, the people at the agency I am working with are great. I have met dozens of people at this point, and have gotten really friendly with a few. One of them was making fun of me today. She asked how I liked Odessa, and I said that it was really great. She said "Great?! Haha. And all you have seen is this--working life. Get up at 8 go home at 6. I'll ask you again after the weekend."

Labels: disease, drugs, food, grad school, odessa, travel, ukraine

posted by Veruka2 @ 5:18 PM