I met two women in the office, a young girl who answers the phones, and Oxsana, who I believe is a financial manager? Maybe? I cant be sure. They were terribly amused that I didn't speak Russian, but were very nice, and offered me tea as soon as I sat down.
After the meeting, Pavlo drove me and Marina and the older woman, who I thought was named Oleksandra, but I now think is Natalia to the Center Doviri. One funny thing happened before we got there. Pavlo came up to me with a box of papers, and said, "Jennifer, are you feminist?" and handed it to me to carry, with a huge smile on his face. The rest of the group laughed at his joke. Funny.
In the afternoon, I went back to the center, and hung out with the three blonde women who mother me. One is Ira from the other day, Plus another Olga and another Natalia. They speak only Russian, though Ira speaks enough Ukrainian for her and I to have a nice conversation on the steps about our college studies. The three of them seem to encourage each other in their mothering tendancies. They spent the majority of the afternoon haggling people over paperwork, answering phones, and feeding me and everyone else who waked by copious amounts of cake and teas with nearly a tablespoon of sugar in each small cup. I almost died from it.
This morning, I went on a wild goose chase with this guy named Sasha to the substitution therapy clinic. He invited me with him yesterday, and we left as soon as he arrived this morning. I didn't take any of my things with me, so he ended up paying for my bus fare, which I felt bad about. I need to remember to pay him back tomorrow, though he probably won't accept it.
A lot of the time, I felt like he forgot what language I understand and began speaking to me in Russian. Especially after his treatment I could barely understand a word. He was very loud with me too. He burst into the clinic and immediately introduced me loudly and repeatedly to everyone, before they could even see me, as someone from Chicago in America who was studying in Odessa for her dissertation. It was really disruptive and rather embarrassing for me. He kept insisting that I talk to people. Go ahead and talk to them, ask a questions and I will translate right now!
The smoke breaks out on the sidewalk are so good for getting to know the staff. We talk about school, about politics, about the music that the girls have on their phones. No one is on the job while they are out on the patio. Its fascinating.
This morning, I also went to the TB hospital with Max and Olena. It was interesting. The conditions were bad, of course. 5-6 beds in a small room. One man that we met was naked from the waste down and covered in bed sores and absesses. He had a catheder in that was running down into a plastic soda bottle under his bed. The rooms were cleaned regularly, but still fairly dirty, and most of the patients had food stashed around, so they could eat during the day. One man even had a carton of a half a dozen eggs under his bed.
After I tell him that there is a big problem with needle sharing in the US, Max asks, "but needles are very little money in the US, yes?" When I tell him yes, he says "So, why this problem?" I tell him that its because pharmacists wont sell to IDUs and the police harass them as well. He asks "Why do you not talk to the police? Here, our organization and police, we have cooperation." He shares this story with Olena, about police taking clean needles, and she looks shocked and horrified. She looks to me for confirmation, and says "Da?"
This morning, I went with Sasha to the substitution therapy clinic (where he gets his buprenorphine). He invited me with him yesterday, and we left as soon as he arrived this morning. I discovered that this clinic, the only one for substitute therapy in the city, is a matter of blocks away from where I am staying. I didn't realize that the large church I walked into with Max when Olena was going in for therapy the other day and the one that I took pictures in front of on my first day were the same. I met several people down there, and recognized at least half of the faces from DKD. Methadone isn't available here, but, according to a doctor I met the other day, can be purchased through pharmacies, but comes with a price tag of $100/gram. Despite the incredibly addictive nature of methadone, users here are asking for it from service agencies in droves. One man that I talked to during his dosing in the clinic said that this was a good program, and that maybe, if they are fortunate, they will get methadone there next year as well. It's interesting, considering that methadone is one of the most vicious, abusive treatment options that has been employed in the US. Its more addictive than heroin. Why, then, is it considered a solution to heroin addiction? It's ok to be addicted to a powerful drug that takes years off of your life as long as it leaves you capable of going to work everyday? And why are these opiate users so keen to get it?
Book vendors on the street corner.
There are young sailors walking all about the city. This one was a feisty one.
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."
GARY BECKER An interview with Professor Gary Becker, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics, about the War on Drugs. By Matthew Bristow http://www.colombia-reports.blogspot.com/
What effect do you think legalization would have on Colombia and the Andean region?
I think it would be a significant improvement for Colombia and these other countries. It may increase the amount of activities that go into drugs, but I think it will greatly weaken the cartels because now this would be more of an open competitive market, so drug cartels would be less important. Now you need cartels to fight the legal system. If it’s legalized, you don’t need it. So if you go back to experience of the war on alcohol, prohibition, in the United States, we had Al Capone and a lot of gangsters involved in that industry, as soon as we legalized it again it pretty much all disappeared. I think it would be a great boon, maybe more important for Colombia and the other countries in that Andean region than even for the United States.
Location: Ukrainian Village, Chicago, Illinois, United States
I am addicted to donuts.
I love running around after dark.
I am a beer snob and a vodka nerd.
I change my hair color alot.
Sometimes junior highers make more sense to me than anyone else in the world.
I am really good at finding neat things in dumpsters.
I can fix your bike for you.
I people watch.
I keep plants.
Whatever I am doing, I would rather be in the water.
