Fall Break, Summer Style

 This is now my second year following the seasons.  I've loved watching leaves change from green to yellow and gently fall.  I've loved cooking seasonal squash and baking pumpkin and apple treats.  However, the days are growing shorter and the sun seems dimmer.  So, for fall break, Nick, Rachel and I headed south to soak up sun.  Our destination: Antalya, Turkey!  We arrived at the pensiyon early Saturday morning.  We ate breakfast, changed out of our warm clothes and set out to see the Mediterranean.  This part of the world is commonly referred to as the Turquoise Coast and you can see why!  The waters are warm, clear and colorful, even in October.

  We decided that looking at the sea was not enough.  The three of us raced back and changed into our bathing suits.  Armed with sunscreen, we set out to find the trolley to take us to the public beach.  We went the wrong direction, but the kind trolley bus driver let us stay on board as he circled back around.  The trolley quickly filled with locals.  I found myself surrounded by a group of retired Turkish gentlemen who engaged me in conversation (actually only one spoke English, but he spoke for all).  One man was a retired teacher, one was a retired doctor and the other (the one speaking with me) was a retired colonel from the Turkish army.  While we were chit-chatting, I happened to look out the window and saw a sea...of red flags.  We were in the middle of a rally.  The colonel explained that it was against the terrorist attacks in northern Turkey, which had resulted in death.  The trolley came to a complete and utter stand-still.   The three of us hopped off and walked with the group to the beach.  Everyone was completely well behaved.  Now I can officially say that I took part in a political rally.  Just not in my home country.

 Can you believe this water?  I want to go back.  Very few places in the world bring me such joy as a sea or an ocean.  The water was much warmer than the Pacific in summer.  Nick and I both hail from Pacific Coast states so we can truly appreciate the warmth of the Mediterranean.  In we went!  I decided that it was safe enough for some marathon swimming, so I swam east toward some large rocks.  This caused some stares and friendly greetings from the locals.   I was almost the catch of the day and quickly learned to avoid the fishing lines.  I thoroughly enjoyed the swim and the freedom it that it brought.

 A trip is not complete without Rachel befriending a stray animal.  This dog was the first of many animals that we both wanted to bring home.

 The following day, Sunday, brought a morning of worship and an afternoon of sunning and swimming.  We went back to a deck beach that we had seen the day before.  There was an entrance into the water and a small cove filled with fish.  We swam west looking for a place to do some rock climbing and cliff jumping.  I found a little area that we could climb up on, but since I'm not much of a rock climber, I stayed pretty low.  Nick climbed up the lava rocks and then climbed down an incredibly steep side to dive into the water.  Three local boys, about 17 years old, were on adjacent cliffs (having climbed down from the cliffs above).  Suddenly, I heard a splash and turned to see one of the boys in the water.  Before long his two friends were also in the water and up the side of the cliff.  I treaded water, happily, and rated the four divers.  I'm much more comfortable in the water than up a side of a cliff.

 Our guest house had a car that we were allowed to rent for a very reasonable rate.  Monday we were able to get out of the city and drive westward.  We stopped at Phaselis, once a Rhodes colony.  We walked around, exploring the wildlife, the ancient ruins and the lovely amphitheater.

 There are three bays around Phaselis, where swimming is welcome.  I chose this beach because it looked deserted and welcoming.

 See, doesn't it look peaceful?  To me, this appeared to be the perfect spot for all three of us to enjoy the water, since it was shallow and calm.  Appearances can be deceiving.  Of the four different beaches we explored, this one was the scariest.  The minute I got in the water, little fish began nibbling my toes.  It sort of tickled.  The three of us were out it the water calmly swimming along when I noticed something on the sea floor.  It was a blue crab; the largest crab that I've ever seen in the wild.  Its eyes were fixed on me as Nick tried to capture it from behind.  Needless to say, we're all thankful that Nick has all ten of his fingers today.  On we swam keeping our eyes out for the sea life (the bottom was completely covered in shells, full of living things!).  We reached the ropes about 200 meters from shore.  I turned my back rather rapidly and felt a sensation like being scraped by barbed wire.  Instantly, my right shoulder began to swell and turned an amazing red color.  While I was bemoaning my fate, some sort of see creature nibbled or stung Rachel and left two little marks on her arm.  With that final adventure, we swam back to shore and hugged the dry land.  It was a wonderful reminder that the sea is a natural habitat and must be respected.

 On we drove, eventually stopping at a fish hatchery for a late lunch.  I wasn't feeling 100%; the algae was working its poison into my bloodstream or something.  Luckily, my two friends recommended that I eat some fish because fish is supposed to help reactions.  I ate some delicious fish from the sea (not from the hatchery) and who knows?  Maybe there is something to the claim because I felt like my chipper self by the end of the meal.

 The next day, Nick set off to the mountains on a dirt bike and Rachel and I hitched a ride, with the proprietors of our guest house, out of the city and into the country.  This was such a fun day.  We rode horses through the countryside, after first warming up in the arena.  I had never been on an English saddle, but found it much more comfortable than a western saddle.  The two horse trainers took us on a trail down to a small river, through a pomegranate field and past a small village.  It was bliss.

 After an hour or so of riding our friends from the guest house took us to the upper Duden waterfalls.  The power of the water was incredible.  We were able to walk through a cave located behind one of the waterfalls.

Rachel and I decided to walk to the public beach following the trolley line.  We saw more that way and had some excellent shopping opportunities along the waterfront.  One police officer stopped us and offered to take us sight seeing.  Uh, no. 

We walked down a set of stairs and were able to get some excellent views of the harbor.  While we were there, we noticed a black dog that looked rather domesticated.  He was friendly, so Rachel and I both pet him.... and then he followed us the rest of the way to the beach.  He even followed us into the ladies restroom!  This was the dog that I wanted to keep.

We walked by this statue of the Ottoman who had conquered Antalya.  Scanderbeg he is NOT.  My allegiance, in this matter, is still Albanian...

We finally arrived at the beach and had 3-4 great hours in the sun.  I swam the other way (west) and didn't hit any fishing lines!

The above looks like animal bones, but what you see is an old Roman pipe.  We spent the following day touring the Roman ruins, east of Antalya.  The tour included a yummy lunch by a river, an old city forum, a temple of Apollos, a 25 kilometer aqueduct,  an enormous well-preserved Roman amphitheater and the lower Duden Falls.

Our final day... Sigh.  Antalya was just the boost of sunshine I was hoping for.  This California girl was home! 

One last beach trip to an awesome, sandy beach.  I decided to swim for about a kilometer.  It gave me a significant amount of time to count my blessings:  Good friends to travel with, interesting people to meet, beautiful seas, adorable animals, fresh delicious food, and an awesome job that allows me to enjoy it all.  And I can't forget about the loyal and loving group of family and friends who have supported me on this crazy, overseas adventure.  You are a blessing.

The sun sets on the Antalya adventure.  There just might be a sequel to this trip.

Little House in the Village

I've moved! Last June, a family from school offered to sublet their pool house/guest house to teachers. Since Rachel and I are the only two foreign hire single girls, the administration kindly offered the three bedroom, two bath house to us. Now I have a house, a roommate and a 30 minute commute to work!

One of the reasons I started this blog was to show my family and friends daily life in Eastern Europe. Here is a snapshot of where and how I'm living, as seen through my eyes.

There are a few public transportation options. Either we can take the metro or the marshruka,bus, to work. I've walked home a few times and that takes about 55 minutes. Our metro stop is the last on the line. Just outside of the metro, there is a rather large market that sells anything from lighters to shoes. This path, below, is a path we take from the grocery store. It's entrance is marked by a Soviet statue commemorating World War II.


I walk along quiet little streets, void of sidewalks, but filled with friendly stray dogs. The night sky is painfully beautiful. Stars are visible making me forget that a city of 4 million (or so) is just a metro ride away.
What's this? An actual functioning well! There is often a line of people drawing water from it on a daily basis. Don't worry. We get our water delivered. There is also a mill to grind grain just down the road a bit.
Ta-Da! The main house!

Up the walk to the Pool House. Boy, it's good to be home!
These butterflies love the marigolds!
First floor of the house: Fire place, pool and bathroom.

A homey, delightful kitchen, with a beautiful window for growing plants!

Light! I'm so excited! These skylights just might help to brighten those dreary days of winter. Both couches pull out so there is room for lots of company! (Who would also brighten those dreary days of winter.)
I picked this room because it has a lot of great natural light. I also liked the slanted ceilings. It makes it feel lofty. Unfortunately, the headboard isn't fabulous, but really, I'm not picky! Little did I realize that last year, I slept on a box spring with no mattress. This bed is almost too comfortable. It's hard for me to get up in the morning.
Guest bedroom and clothes drying room.

There are so many rooms in the pool house, and the family had so many guests, that they numbered the rooms. Rachel is in room number 3.

Thanks for taking the tour! I'm anticipating plenty of parties (80s party next week!), friends and coziness in this Little House in the Village.

The First Half of 2011

I was reflecting on the first six months of 2011 and realized that I must have slept through January and February. Seriously, I have a faint memory of celebrating my birthday in January and venturing to Cyprus in February. Those first two months were spent inside at the pool, inside visiting with people and inside curled up with a book. But then, March hit. Kyiv came alive and so did I.

As usual, I coached the swim team. We were a small team of five. Two of our swimmers were planning on attending the Moscow swim meet, but there was an act of terrorism at one of the airports and the parents decided it was best not to take the risk. Over all, the meet was the least attended of the past 3 years. Luckily, my friend, Florian, brought the Tirana team so our five Kyiv swimmers got to bond with the six kids from Tirana. I have said it before and I'll say it again, small teams need to stick together!

My co-coach, Morgan, my friends from Tirana and I went out to experience Moscow on Friday night after the coachs' dinner. We went up to the Ritz where we had drinks at the top and enjoyed beautiful night views of the Kremlin. It was definitely an amazing experience. I kept waiting for James Bond to walk through the door.


After two packed days at the pool, the team was dropped downtown. We toured Red Square and the surrounding monuments. It began snowing and the temperature dropped quickly. To say that we were miserable would put it lightly. The kids wanted Starbucks (and so did I) so we went there to warm up. While there, we ran into the coaches from Prague. Our team joined their team for lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. Not exactly the cultural experience I was hoping for, but at least no one was too grumpy!
March in Moscow, outside St. Basil's in Red Square.
Hero city: Kyiv.
The team and Morgan outside of.... something... This is the problem with not blogging right after a trip. I tend to forget!

March continued to warm up and to encourage us to leave the indoors. Ira, my good friend from L'viv, was eager to take us to a little chocolate cafe that was inspired by the cafes in her hometown. We went one frosty March night and enjoyed a heavenly hot chocolate experience. The waiters showed us to our own private booth surrounded by stone walls and billowing curtains. I think we all appreciated the warm and cozy atmosphere. I'm almost ready for next winter, if it means frequenting this cafe often.

Nothing like a little cup of hot chocolate to warm a wintry evening!
Near the end of March, eight of us boarded a train and headed east. We were on the overnight train for a loonngg time, but I did manage to sleep a bit. Ira and Johnny have a ministry in Krivoi Rog and invited some of us to go with them. Krivoi is an old mining town and has high cases of drug and alcohol abuse. The morning began with a trip to an asylum for the mentally and physically disabled. We brought the patients bananas and chocolate. The range of ability was staggering. Many of the people were missing limbs or were bed-ridden and couldn't feed themselves. Some people were elderly, but were of sound mind. One man told old Soviet army stories. I think I learned more about humanity in those three hours than in my entire life. It was humbling feeding pieces of bananas to people, but even more so watching Johnny and Ira in action. They treated everyone as equals, laughing and joking with people who normally wouldn't receive a second glance.

After that visit, we met up with the kids from the rehabilitation home. We went to the circus which was my first experience with an Eastern European circus and, for many of the kids, their first experience too. The acrobats were amazing, but I felt a little sorry for the tigers. They looked a little malnourished.

We returned to the rehabilitation home, where Johnny led a Bible study. The children asked thoughtful questions about Paul (we were studying his conversion experience). One girl had swimming experience and conversational English, so she wanted to talk with me. I could have stayed there for days. We all went outside and played game, after game, after game. Many were Ukrainian tag games that were unfamiliar to me. It's nice being the student and learning new games! Hopefully, this trip will be experienced next year too.
Then came April and two weekends of snow! Luckily, by spring break, it had warmed up drastically. I spent the first half of spring break in L'viv and then flew "home" to Tirana, Albania. Sarah and Entela were waiting at the airport, even though I flew in rather late and they had to work in the morning. What good friends! I spent 4 days hanging out with my friends, seeing my students and walking my old haunts. I was reminded why I love Tirana: the smallness, the friendliness, the warmness... It was a good time of closure, but it did make me long for what I left when I decided to move from Tirana. No place will ever compare to my first overseas experience and I have to consciously stop myself from always comparing Kyiv to Tirana.
At General's Beach with Sarah and Entela.

Goofing around in Tirana...
I returned to Kyiv with a fresh attitude and a willingness to fully embrace my experience there. I decided to take advantage of every opportunity that spring provided. Hence, May and June became packed. There were cook-outs in the forest, fund raising walks, school outings, outdoor festivals, concerts , birthday parties and delicious meals at the local Syrian restaurant. I loved May and June. If every month was as joyful these two, I would be willing to stay in Kyiv for a long, long time.

Mother's Day, a group of us went to Kyiv Rus Park, just outside of Kyiv. It was early in the season, and very quiet, but normally it's like a giant Renaissance Fair. The above picture shows my friends, Tim and Allison, with their beautiful twin girls. Allison actually lived in a yurt when she was with Peace Corps.



We did get our fill of Renaissance games!


I was shocked that I could actually walk on the stilts, though they were only 2 inches from the ground.

One thing that I love about Kyiv is all the beautiful parks and botanical gardens. One Sunday, after church, a group of us went to a small botanical garden to enjoy a picnic lunch. It was positively relaxing and HOT! We decided to take a taxi van back instead of torturing ourselves on the metro or marshruka (small bus).

Later that month, I took my class to the larger botanical gardens. The lilacs were in their final blooming stage, but boy did they smell heavenly!View from the garden.

It felt like every weekend brought some fun downtown festival. My friend Mary and I posed outside of a tiny Ukrainian house during a festival celebrating the upcoming Kyiv Euro 2012 football games. That same day (which was such a fun spontaneous day) was the finale of the Ukrainian dance off. Every Saturday night, for two months, different cities in Ukraine competed in elaborately choreographed shows, live on the streets of Kyiv. I can't remember who ended up winning, but the celebration included fireworks and an extreme amount of confetti.
Rachel and Mary were nearly lost in the confusion!


Then, oh then, was the Muse concert. A group of us had bought Johnny and Ira tickets for Johnny's birthday. Then Nick, Rachel and I decided to go too. It was such a fun concert experience! Honestly, I was only marginally familiar with the band (I've been out of any loop for 3 years) but my brother had told me that the concert was going to be a "life changing experience." It was a great experience, but I think my life is going on about the same as before, except I now recognize Muse songs and singers.
Happy, happy Johnny.


The first half of 2011 was an active, full, lesson learning, satisfying time. I think that I learned to LIVE LIFE in January and February. Spring of 2011 was truly my great awakening.