Being nearly 25, unmarried, female and from Kyiv

Being thus is a flashing green light for anyone who is dying to quote out loud that awesome thing they read this morning on the metro in a women’s magazine.  Being thus is that pause in conversation. Being thus is the following phrase: “Get married, you can always have affairs later!” Being thus is rememberingContinue reading “Being nearly 25, unmarried, female and from Kyiv”

Anyone who’s ever lived in a run-down neighbourhood in Kiev or Moscow or…

I first heard this song this past winter, and have been thinking about it for a while: Instead of the fantasy world of boutiques and Porsche Cayennes and lip implants, I get the reality of my own neighbourhood in Ukraine: colloquial pronunciations, walls covered in graffiti and guys named Vasya, along with gossiping grandmas inContinue reading “Anyone who’s ever lived in a run-down neighbourhood in Kiev or Moscow or…”

Monday Music: the Chestnuts of Kiev Edition

It’s good to be da king. And it’s good to be back in the city of blooming chestnuts, for a bit. Everyone’s talking politics and, despite the crisis, the bars in the center appear packed. One of my grandmothers has fallen in love with Susan Boyle, the other one is drawing upon her extensive experienceContinue reading “Monday Music: the Chestnuts of Kiev Edition”

Eurovision, Poetry and Sangria

A big congratulations to Norway’s Alexander Rybak and his lovely, playful “Fairytale” – a huge Eurovision win. Sasha was born in Belarus and speaks Russian as well as Norwegian. I still think that Sweden should have done much better, but “Fairytale” works on so many levels that it’s hard to fault anyone for voting forContinue reading “Eurovision, Poetry and Sangria”