It took some time.

Finally I am back in the blogging business again. It took me some time to get used to this big city but now I feel at home in Moscow. Everything has a different dimension in russia. Especially the capitol. I study at the REA Plekhanov and live in the dorm just next to it. The location is perfect. 20 min to the Red Square and 3 min to the next metro station. to summ up the last few weeks: a good time!

Many partys aand a lot of organizational stuff to do. The 6 other students from my university and the other 70 international students live together on the 4th and 5th floor. We share one common room together and have kind of family atmosphere. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Antoninas birthday....

At eight in the morning I had to get up and come to Toninas place. We were prepaing food and vegetables for the afternoon. Had breakfast and packed everything. In the city center we met all the other friends of Tonia and had a beer to start our little trip. 15 people tons of meat and beer and vodka...nice weather....perfekt, what cold you need more?? Your destination was the island in the Nipper. This is a recreation area with natural sand beaches and partly still standing (warm) water. The island is so big that we had no one round us. We where cooking ukrainian soup and prepared our shashlik (meat) on the fire and had a delicous meal. Beer and voka were hande out and we started ro have a realy unforgetable afternoon/evening. Playing volleyball and naked swimming in the Nipper did the rest to make a perfect day. Unfortunately Tonia decided to pass away at four and we were not able to wake here up till nine. We had our troubles to get her home but this can and should (at least once) happen to everybody. All the people I got to know here in Ukraine I got to know through Tonia and Mischa. They are great. This warm hearted and friendly environment is amazing for me I really would like to stay here longer or even to live here. All the impressions and advantures I had here were just a result of the outstanding integration which Tonina made possible. During my stay here I transformed from a tourist working here to an ukrainian living a great life here. Everything I saw wouldn never be possible to see if you are just a tourist.

Parachuting....4300m...

Saturday was THE day! We finally decided to do it! Parachuting in Kiev is what everybody should do. The sport komplex TSCHAYKA is one of the most famous in Ukraine to jump. We also had the possibility to watch 25 women breaking the national rekord in formation jumping. I came there and got the number and had to wait for 2,5 hours. After a lot of coffee and tea it was time to get the instruction. The language problem was none because he just gave me a picture with all the steps which I have to do bevore, during the flight and while landing. We entered the old rusty Antonow and got up to 4.300 meters. I was the last person to jump out of the plane and so I had enough time to see how the others do it. You stand there and just see the clouds. You lean forward and fall out...I tried to breath but in the first few seconds it was just impossible...I thought now it is over! Then you come out of the clouds and see the earth rapidly coming closer. The adrenalin rushe into your head for the second time. The parachut opens and you are sinking slowly to the ground. You look around and have a great view of the surrounding area and Kiev. Right after the landing my knees where shaking and I had the feeling to be immortal in this moment. It was great.

Hello.

Now it is allready my fourth week in ukraine and I still love it. The weekend was quite entertaining. Thursday RnB night in PATIBA. A terrible friday in work. Then it started - 2 hours of sleep and finally dinner with antonina and mischa and 6 or 7 other people. One girl was completely wasted (drunk) but easy to ignore. She always wanted to dance. A nother girl, Marina 27, could speak a little bit german and made me very happy. She works for a pharmacy company and has a child in Kharkov. It lives with her parents. On saturday misch invited me to join him and a friend and drink wine from the Krim area. His friend has a amazingly big house in the "dattcha zone" outside of Kiev. I would guess 350-400 m2 and extremly good wine. Mischa was called by a girl and had to leave and so I went with him ack to the center. Bad idea!!! Finally the wine, the beer and the vodka broke me and I woke up the next day at home and could hardly move... Sunday was just another day in bed. I was ill.

Foto of the main stage in Swirsch. bevore the concert began.
The camp. I mean just apart of it.
Ther she is again.
The three of us. I seem so tiny.

Antonina. It may not be the best foto of her. (she is a little bit drunk)
Mischa. He runs an online news magazine in ukraine. He is great fun but does´t speak english
Metro at 6 in the morning. You are alone!!
Church some where near Lviv
Kreschatnik at 6 in the morning. The only person you might see there are hookers (geting breakfast).

Some pictures

The view out of my office on the 12th floor. Kiev has a perfekt public transport system.

My office.
The view from Maidan on Kreschatnik Street.
Maidn Nasaleschnesti (Independent Square)
My neighbourhood.