Once we left the church we went on the see the "Golden Gate" which is the last remaining piece of the original wall that once surrounded all of Kiev and was FOUR meters wide. It was built in 1037 We rested in the park for a short time and there was a man playing the acoustic guitar in classical style which was very enjoyable. On our travel in the metro I started whistling the song that Nadya is learning and asked if they could whistle. They both couldn't, but I continued and Ann said I better wait until we get to their flat because whistling isn't really accepted in public! We returned to the hotel and hung out in the lobby until our taxi arrived. Because traffic was so bad we had to carry our luggage through the underground passage ways to cross the street. The taxi drove us to the train station where we arrived an hour and a half early to ensure we wouldn't miss the train in case the time changed. Nadya played on a piano app on my iPad to help pass the time. We boarded the train and loaded our luggage into our compartment. This was my first time to ride on a train so it was a new experience for me! Each compartment is for four people, but Ann bought four tickets so we wouldn't have a stranger in the room with us. There were two bunk beds on each side and Ann prepared the mattresses and sheets for each of us. Once we were situated we hung a sheet across the top bunks, sat on one side, and watched Harry Potter on my iPad. It was a fun little movie night :) Once I laid down I fell asleep quickly and only woke up a couple of times during the night from the train stopping. We arrived in Zaporozhye around six this morning where Eugenia (Ann's husband) picked us up.
It was such a relief to arrive at their flat and be in a quieter place after being in the city for so many days. Nadya painted me a sign and balloons were hung to welcome me along with a fresh bouquet of flowers! Once I got showered and put my luggage away the four of us sat down for breakfast. Ann had prepared fresh cucumbers, carrots, strawberries, dill, mulberries and cherries all from their dacha (country home used for growing fresh produce) along with rice, meat, and juice. This seemed like such a big meal for me because breakfast is typically a small and quick meal. They normally have a hearty breakfast to give them the nutrients throughout the day because lunch is a smaller meal.
After breakfast, Ann prepared a traditional Ukrainian soup called borscht (my next post will be about all of the cuisine here because it is so different!). While she cooked, I went through picture books of her time in the U.S. and we reminisced and laughed. She also had a video that was about twenty minutes long. It included her learning to drive a car in my grandparents' drive way (which was quite entertaining), a trip to Florida, and Thanksgiving with our family. Once the soup was prepared we went to the market which was actually very similar to Walmart besides the fact that it is connected to the mall where people pushed around grocery carts. Normally they would make the twenty minute walk to the grocery store and then back, but it was raining so we had a taxi drive us. After we had everything put away I laid down for a three hour nap.
Once I woke up, Ann had almost finished preparing dinner which consisted of about ten dishes. Eugenia arrived home and shortly after Ann's parents, Igor and Zoya, arrived. It was my first time meeting Igor and he was very happy to finally see me and I him. We sat around the dinner table for a while talking as Ann translated for us. Both Igor and Eugenia made toasts that were very heartfelt and appreciated. Igor's toast was to my visit and hopes of more of my family visiting one day. Eugenia's was to the health of our parents and grandparents. You could see the relationships between each of them and they all are very close. Eugenia poked fun at Igor for hiding some tools at the dacha so they wouldn't get stolen for the winter time and then forgetting where they were. Our family gave Zoya salt and pepper shakers (which they don't normally use) and Igor a collared shirt that he put on immediately. He joked around saying "Do you even recognize me?" and "Don't I look so handsome?" I pointed out that I could see such a good relationship especially between Igor and Eugenia and Igor said "Of course! He's my favorite son-in-law!" (and his ONLY son-in-law).
They each brought me gifts, one being a bell that you are supposed to ring inside your house to bring good luck. Ann said that when times are hard sometimes they get out Nadya's small bell she has to ring. She said that sometimes the small bell is not fitting for their flat, so he will pull up the sound of church bells on the computer and let it play for thirty minutes.
Eugenia shared a video with everyone that he had filmed and edited of Nadya's first singing performance not in school but in the public theater. I was very impressed with both her performance and his videographer skills. We showed them pictures of our trip in Kiev on my iPad and they were excited to see such an advanced piece of technology. It was such a memorable night for me to be welcomed into their home and feel like such a part of their family. Ann had mentioned to my mom that when I was taking a nap in one room and Nadya in the other that she felt like both of her kids were in the other rooms sleeping and that she doesn't feel as if someone from half way around the world is staying with them, but just another family member. She said that she has felt a special bond between us and I have to agree. I am so thankful for being here and them opening their home so generously to me!
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