Monday Monday...

How do I get outside?




April 29th - at the ballet - a very, very beautiful theatre






In between acts





Ivanna is getting more bold with her colouring and trying new hues






Looking through our album for the first time



So, it is my (Darren) turn to update you on our lives here. Where did we leave off? I think it was before supper yesterday. We had another nice supper of fried salami in tomato, pepper, and eggplant sauce with bread before heading off to the theatre by metro. We arrived there with only a couple of minutes to spare and quickly found our seats in a box on the second balcony overlooking the symphony. The show was comprised of two one-act ballets: one concerning a sultan, war-mongering, lovers, and mass-murder (as all good ballets do), the other starring a young man chasing true love, trying to fight against the cynical and hollow path of his father (and most others). Some of the dancing was quite spectacular, but really, I am much more moved by the music and musicians. It was almost enough to inspire me to pick up my trumpet again. There really is nothing like a live symphony in a beautiful theatre.
Afterwards, we headed back home to pick up the computer and then headed to Mario’s. Unfortunately, it was closed and we had to post from outside the front window (where we still had very good wi-fi reception). We should have taken a picture of the three of us huddled up on the step after 10pm, looking intently at the computer screen. Well, now we know: get to Mario’s before 9:30. Later at home, Jonathan read aloud the first few chapters of Prince Caspian. (S – he has instructed us to read a chapter a night of that and Voyage of the Dawn Treader, if we do so, by the time we are done both books, we should be home or nearly there – if we can’t limit ourselves to one chapter a day of CS Lewis).
Today, we got up around 7 when Tanis called. All a bit sad because of Jonathan imminent departure, we kind of dragged around. Jonathan read us another chapter of Prince Caspian and then we all headed out to the train station – one last chance for Jonathan to babysit us in getting train tickets (which Shona requested beautifully in Russian all by herself). After a short and teary goodbye, Jonathan headed off to shop a bit more and Shona and I got onto another overloaded train. We had thought that Saturday was an exception and that everyone heading out to their dachas would be gone by now. Not so. We got wedged into the doorway adjoining two of the cars and swayed along with the other sardines. (S – Really I thought there was no room for anyone else but the swaying mass was able to move at least 6 inches in each direction with the train – so probably a few more could technically have come on). For a few moments we were not sure how our exit would go (S – I was sure we were wedged there forever and starting to have a panic attack). We were pretty much welded to the steel door – the handle nearly a new addition to my sacrum. Thankfully, before the stop before ours, a few people started squeezing toward the exit. We just followed a woman who had been pushed up against me for much of the trip, and got ourselves squished up against the wall beside the exit by the time we left the stop before ours. At that stop a young woman and her young daughter (probably about 5) wedged on beside us. I felt bad for the little girl surrounded by bums, facing her mom who calmly spoke to her in low tones. I craned my face to smile at her and wave shortly before our exit and she smiled back. Maybe she’s used to that sort of thing. I remember the church foyer at Greystone when I was little, walking through a sea of legs, trying to find the right pants to which to cling. That was one thing, but I don’t think I would have dealt well with a packed train, if I weren’t tall enough to see over most people. (S – On a happy shoe note, I have decided that maybe my feet can tolerate the crazy pointy-spiky high heeled shoes that women wear all the time here after all, as I spent much of the 45 minute trip on my tippy-toes and my feet survived).
When we got to the orphanage, we again tried to call Slava to have her ask the person at the desk to get Ivanna for us. The phone didn’t work – it seems we need to buy more credits in order to make calls (I think we can still receive calls though). So, we muddled through and eventually got someone to call Tatianna (the head nurse in charge of adoptions). It worked out and a caregiver soon brought Ivanna down to us. Through a combination of signs and words, she told us that Ivanna should not go outside today because of her cough and cold (which did seem a bit more productive today – what is the world record for snot production in a 2 year old?). We tried to go up to the playroom but it was locked, so we ended up hanging around in the foyer of the orphanage, which does not really hold much fun for a little girl who really wants to go outside. Shona and I did our best to entertain her with pictures, markers, bubbles (thankfully, we bought some yesterday), food, drink, and the window (which she tried to walk right through in her desperation to go out). But by 11:20, Ivanna was done with our distractions and starting to fuss a bit. So, rather than stoically push through to the time limit, we took her back upstairs and said a pleasant good-bye. I think my favourite moment in our time together today was when Ivanna pointed to a picture of me and said “Dada”. Yes, that feels really good.
Afterwards we headed home on a much less crowded train (although we did not get seats until near Kyiv) and had a brief sort-of (considering his lack of English and our lack of Ukrainian/Russian) conversation with a nice gentleman about us being Canadian and ‘tourista’. We had shawarma, a few tears (well, one of us did) in seeing Jonathan’s note and special treats (ice cream, his favorite chocolate bar, cookies and herbs/spices – we’ve been cooking without so far) he left for us at the apartment (it is amazing how 400 sq ft can feel too big and just a bit less homey now), and a nap, and then did a little yoga. We are now going to Mario’s for supper and possibly a little shopping.
S - Jonathan, we are going to try to continue to go out and about and not just mope in our apartment – we just may not be out and about quite as much as when you were with us. Yes, we are feeling a little down (the silence in our little place is hard - Jonathan was always making some kind of noise!!:) But looking at the pictures of our darling girl, we know we can do this for her – even if it’s hard at times.
Paka for now.