Chestnut blossoms – the “new Ukrainian” way
After away for almost a month I find the town in bloom! The signature chestnut trees are all over the place! Although, everything seems a bit dampened by rains and cold. I saw this Hummer on Pushkinska st. peacefully reflecting the blossoms in its glossy front window and could not keep away from snapping it. Now this epitomizes the new Ukraine for me.
I was having a coffee with my girlfriend and her sister this afternoon. The sister came back to Kyiv after 6 years staying abroad with quite a culture shock. Such recent returnees (as moi) have to deal with quite different Ukraine. Without listing all the obvious issues that can vex us, let’s say the sister got less then cheerful impression. But since we here, we got to make the best of it, right? 
Any “new Ukrainians” reading this blog, let me know what you found striking in this current state of things home?
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on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 at 11:03 pm and is filed under art.
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May 11th, 2007 at 11:13 am
While, I have been here for nearly the last 8 years, I have seen many changes, but can’t say that I have ever experienced any type of cultural shock. I do experience it to a certain degree when I come back after being out of the country.
However, a friend of mine that spent 5 months in the US on a fellowship, recently experienced such a shock. He has been back in Kyiv for the last two months and he told me just the other day that he still can’t get used to the cars parked on the sidewalks, and the crazy over inflated price of cars in this country. When he went to price a Suzuki Vitara he said that it was going to cost him about 10K more than to purchase the same vehicle in the US.
May 15th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Vasyl, cultural shock is sth that they taught us in one of the Comm. classes, hits pretty much everybody at the beginning after a big move. Starkly different cultures like the US and Ukraine set a perfect background for such shock. After a year back in Ukraine some things do not stop bemusing me
maybe Ukrainians are more suseptible to this pehnomenon.