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.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
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.
Monday, August 10, 2009
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.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
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.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Original
The original advertisemant of the festival:
According to the Svirzh World Music Festival web-site, the format combines traditional music of the world cultures and modern music with national elements. In addition to more than 60 concerts on three stages, music and literature, dances and handicrafts, cuisines and dramatic art almost from all corners of the world will be presented during the event. In particular, it is planned to begin morning on a dancing pavilion with yoga to go ahead in the rhythm of dance of various nations of the world: Afro-Cuban dance, Afro-Arabian fusion, Indian dance, Ancient European dances, Argentine tango, Oriental dances, Salsa, bachata, cha cha cha, Irish and Armenian dances, Nigunim, Jewish dances Ukrainian folk dance.
According to the Svirzh World Music Festival web-site, the format combines traditional music of the world cultures and modern music with national elements. In addition to more than 60 concerts on three stages, music and literature, dances and handicrafts, cuisines and dramatic art almost from all corners of the world will be presented during the event. In particular, it is planned to begin morning on a dancing pavilion with yoga to go ahead in the rhythm of dance of various nations of the world: Afro-Cuban dance, Afro-Arabian fusion, Indian dance, Ancient European dances, Argentine tango, Oriental dances, Salsa, bachata, cha cha cha, Irish and Armenian dances, Nigunim, Jewish dances Ukrainian folk dance.
World Music Festival!!!
This weekend was a really good one. We (Antonina, Mischa, I) went to Swirsch near Liviv. That means more than 850 km over bad streets and to see a lot of poverty in the countryside. We started at six in the morning and I was realy lucky that we had a good car. A brand new Honda Civic. Liviv is in the western part of ukraine and was once a part of the Habsburg Monarchy. This is why the buildings look like in Salzburg. Because of the lack of money to restore the buildings it all looks a little bit broken. But it is not like they would not care and so they try to do the best. The outcome is one of the most beutiful cities I have ever seen, with amazing parks, a car free inner city, nice restaurants, and many young and open minded people. We were in a restaurant where they tryed to make it look like an underground army meetingpoint in sowjet union. The entrance has no sign and you just open a door and stand in a 2x2m room next to a guy with a maschine gun. He askes you for a code word. "Are there any russians?" would be the translation. After we told him that there are no russians he opened a secret doo behind a book shelf and we could go down into the basement. It was amazing how they decorated all the resaurant. They designed it striktly in the original way like it was. You really get the feeling how the revolutionists had theyr meetings down here.
Swirsch:
It is a small village 50km outside Liviv. It was nearly impossible to get there because there were no signs to impement where the festival could be. The world music festival was ment to have five stages where over 30 bands from russia, moldvia, ukraine, usa, germany, uk performe. On friday the event was great and we danced a lot till dawn. When the first sunlite came up we decided to go to bed. The tent which we slept in was actually made for two persons so you can imagine how we where lying in there. It was really packed. Saturday morning, or better say lunchtime, we went to a castle near by and found a small lake to swimm in. Afterwards we went to a village where we bought some beer and were sitting in the shadow and talking about travell expiriences. After we came to the conclusion that it would be too far to walk back to the camp; we had the glorious idea to aske a guy with a horse trailer. He finaly agreed to take us there.
We came back to the camp and foud out that they started to take down the main stage and the rock stage. We were supprised and had no idea whats going on. Later this day they told us thaat the organizers have left the szene and have stolen the money of the tickets. They didn´t pay the musicans or even the owners of the stages. But the show had to go on and so the rest of saturday night they just played on one stage (a smaller one). The mood of the people, the weather and the beer was so good that in the end nobody cared.
On sunday the police closed the whole camp and everybody had to leave a quick as possible. They din´t even had the permission to do the festival there....thats just ukraine.
On sunday night we came ome to kiev and Antonia and I decided that this is not enough and went for a beer. Monay was another half day off. Monday night I met again with Antonina and we wnt out for dinner.
Today (tuesday) the metro was stuck in the tunnel and after twety minutes we finaly made it to get out save. I had to take fucking taxi to get to work!!
Swirsch:
It is a small village 50km outside Liviv. It was nearly impossible to get there because there were no signs to impement where the festival could be. The world music festival was ment to have five stages where over 30 bands from russia, moldvia, ukraine, usa, germany, uk performe. On friday the event was great and we danced a lot till dawn. When the first sunlite came up we decided to go to bed. The tent which we slept in was actually made for two persons so you can imagine how we where lying in there. It was really packed. Saturday morning, or better say lunchtime, we went to a castle near by and found a small lake to swimm in. Afterwards we went to a village where we bought some beer and were sitting in the shadow and talking about travell expiriences. After we came to the conclusion that it would be too far to walk back to the camp; we had the glorious idea to aske a guy with a horse trailer. He finaly agreed to take us there.
We came back to the camp and foud out that they started to take down the main stage and the rock stage. We were supprised and had no idea whats going on. Later this day they told us thaat the organizers have left the szene and have stolen the money of the tickets. They didn´t pay the musicans or even the owners of the stages. But the show had to go on and so the rest of saturday night they just played on one stage (a smaller one). The mood of the people, the weather and the beer was so good that in the end nobody cared.
On sunday the police closed the whole camp and everybody had to leave a quick as possible. They din´t even had the permission to do the festival there....thats just ukraine.
On sunday night we came ome to kiev and Antonia and I decided that this is not enough and went for a beer. Monay was another half day off. Monday night I met again with Antonina and we wnt out for dinner.
Today (tuesday) the metro was stuck in the tunnel and after twety minutes we finaly made it to get out save. I had to take fucking taxi to get to work!!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Is this normal?
so...nearly a week (since my last entry) has pasted and really a lot did happen. My boss arrived wdnesday night and we went to a nice restaurant on the Kreschatnik. After a good meal we decided to stay a little longer and to drink some beer. It was to much!
Thursday:
In the morning we had a workshop in the office. The main aim of it was to develope a strategy for a spezial market in Russia, Ukraine and the rest of eastern europe. After this we had a meeting with the Raiffeisen Aval CEO (they are the second biggest bank in Ukraine) and where discussing how the future of Ukraine might be. I can´t tell any details but I was a little bit worried when I herard what he was telling us. OK lunch break!! Then a meeting with the second biggest client of the company. Negotiating the prices and the amount for the next quater.
Friday:
Just next to the Borispol airport an Oligarch built up a plant park with warehouses and production facilities. 50 million euro!!! just like this!! We came to the entrance of the areal and the heavy armed security guys where always following us on the way through the production. When we had our meeting with the technical direktor the brought us into the room and waited outside to guide us back.
Friday night:
Again we went to this restaurant and enjoyed the delicious food. One colleague left us early so it where just the to of us left. To summarize the night: a lot of beer, a lot of wwodka, many nice girls (of course only for my colleague), got kicked out of three clubs, don´t know how got home, he lost his mobilephone. Yea it was a good night.
Saturday:
Sleeping...don´t move..your head hurts...
Saturday night:
Dinner and than a supprising discussion with russians. They finaly ended on our table and we where drinking together. Unluckily we couldn´t agree and they got a bit unfriendly. We decided to escape to a club. There also a lot of beer, a lot of wwodka, many nice girls (of course only for my colleague) but then we decided to g home. On our way hoe we had to piss and did this on the main street "Kreschatnik". When the police saw this they where not happy and emediately arrested us. We had to come with them to the police station. out of political reasons I can´t say how we got out of this situation, but Iguess everyone has heard enough stories about police and money in eastern europe. Then we had our final beer to praise the rising sun.
Sunday:
Sleeping...don´t move..your head hurts...
Thursday:
In the morning we had a workshop in the office. The main aim of it was to develope a strategy for a spezial market in Russia, Ukraine and the rest of eastern europe. After this we had a meeting with the Raiffeisen Aval CEO (they are the second biggest bank in Ukraine) and where discussing how the future of Ukraine might be. I can´t tell any details but I was a little bit worried when I herard what he was telling us. OK lunch break!! Then a meeting with the second biggest client of the company. Negotiating the prices and the amount for the next quater.
Friday:
Just next to the Borispol airport an Oligarch built up a plant park with warehouses and production facilities. 50 million euro!!! just like this!! We came to the entrance of the areal and the heavy armed security guys where always following us on the way through the production. When we had our meeting with the technical direktor the brought us into the room and waited outside to guide us back.
Friday night:
Again we went to this restaurant and enjoyed the delicious food. One colleague left us early so it where just the to of us left. To summarize the night: a lot of beer, a lot of wwodka, many nice girls (of course only for my colleague), got kicked out of three clubs, don´t know how got home, he lost his mobilephone. Yea it was a good night.
Saturday:
Sleeping...don´t move..your head hurts...
Saturday night:
Dinner and than a supprising discussion with russians. They finaly ended on our table and we where drinking together. Unluckily we couldn´t agree and they got a bit unfriendly. We decided to escape to a club. There also a lot of beer, a lot of wwodka, many nice girls (of course only for my colleague) but then we decided to g home. On our way hoe we had to piss and did this on the main street "Kreschatnik". When the police saw this they where not happy and emediately arrested us. We had to come with them to the police station. out of political reasons I can´t say how we got out of this situation, but Iguess everyone has heard enough stories about police and money in eastern europe. Then we had our final beer to praise the rising sun.
Sunday:
Sleeping...don´t move..your head hurts...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Money
Money makes the world go around! That is also correct in Kiev. As habitants of western europe the people in Austria always think that life is so cheap here.
Now the reallity: (if you want to have the same standard)
It is true that alcohol and cigaretts are cheap. But thats all. If you go into a good restaurant you nearly pay the same like in Austria. The clubs are from normal to fucking expensive and daily live summs up in the end. Cpmpared to europe the public transport is perfect. You get where ever you want to and that for a really low price. If we talk about electronic stuff like a digital camera I can give you the advice that you should fly to europe and buy it there. The flight, the hotel and the camera might just cost exactely the same like the camera alone here. Clothes? I give you the same advice! I don´t really understand it but it is so expensive. Normally they should be running around naked (if you belive the average income)!
Now the reallity: (if you want to have the same standard)
It is true that alcohol and cigaretts are cheap. But thats all. If you go into a good restaurant you nearly pay the same like in Austria. The clubs are from normal to fucking expensive and daily live summs up in the end. Cpmpared to europe the public transport is perfect. You get where ever you want to and that for a really low price. If we talk about electronic stuff like a digital camera I can give you the advice that you should fly to europe and buy it there. The flight, the hotel and the camera might just cost exactely the same like the camera alone here. Clothes? I give you the same advice! I don´t really understand it but it is so expensive. Normally they should be running around naked (if you belive the average income)!
The boss
Today my big boss from mosow arrives and invites me and some other coleagues for dinner. I ahve to admit that I am a little bit nervous. New job, new city and new boss.
The true Kiev
When you walk through the city you see a many buildings where you would never think that there is a club or a restaurant inside. Sometimes there isn´t even a sign outside.
I went to a pub and a restaurant in this style yesterday. Most of the time they offer very good ukrainian kitchen and also western kitchen. The pubs like those are not so crowded and you don´t have all the tourists there. You can enjoy the ukrainian live (the one in Kiev) there.
I went to a pub and a restaurant in this style yesterday. Most of the time they offer very good ukrainian kitchen and also western kitchen. The pubs like those are not so crowded and you don´t have all the tourists there. You can enjoy the ukrainian live (the one in Kiev) there.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Is it possible to get lost in Austria??
A few minutes ago my help was requested in a very special problem!! A ukrainian truck driver got lost in austria (Linz). The company sent a truck driver that speakes no english, no german just russian to a country where he can´t even read the signs!! Via telephone conference we tried to direct him, but still he can´t find the way.
Before my stay here I heard that they aren´t always perfectly organized but now I know that it is right.
At the end I just learn out of this whole situation, that you don´t always need a plan or perfect knoweledge of the toppic. It is enough if you know how you find and get the support you need!!
Before my stay here I heard that they aren´t always perfectly organized but now I know that it is right.
At the end I just learn out of this whole situation, that you don´t always need a plan or perfect knoweledge of the toppic. It is enough if you know how you find and get the support you need!!
The heat!
I just wanted to mention that it is so fucking hot in Kiev. I have to weare a suit! I am dying!!
The beginning:
So my first days are over in Kiev and I really have to say I love this town!! I arrived on saturday the 18.07.2009 from austria. I had the luck that my local boss picked me up aat the airport aand brought me to my apartment right next to Miadan (the meain square). Unfortunately he had to leave and I was on my own. At night I caled a girl Antonina. We were suposed to make a walk through the city but we started a good conversation and we went on for hours. By the way got to know the girl in austria. Lateron I made the mistake and went with some english expats to a club and got a little bit drunk. So my sunday was pretty simple: wake up at two, have a big head, sleep again, take a ook and go reading on the Maidan.
Monday:
So my first workingday. I had detailed instructions how to get to the office and so I easily found it. It takes ma approximately 25 minutes to get there. Like I mentioned bevore my boss is nice and the women in the office Svetlana (Sveta) is also very lovely. The gave me instructions of what I should do. Got two different projects and the good thing is that I can do them on my own.
Working time:
I work five days a week, always from 9:20 to 19:00
Monday night:
Sveta showed me around in the city and afterwards I met Antonina. I am relly fascinated by this women because we go through the city and she can tell me the history of every building. At the end we were sitting in the park, drinking a beer and talking about ukrainian history, political stability in this region, the orange rvolution and the behaviour of russia. We kept talking till it was 1am in the morning.
The city:
Kiev is built on seven hills and is next to the river nipper. Over the last centuries the town was occupied by many different cultures and they all left a bit of their tradition here. This is the most multiculty society which I could imagine. The people seem to be more than friendly and you get a lot, ut not the eastern europe impression like the people normaly (in europe) have it in their heads. The indipendance square (Maidan ...) is the central point of the city and a greate place to hang out. Musicans, dance groups or skateboarders (good ones) you all can find them here in a great impressing environment. What really supprised me was that the city is so green. There are so many parks and little forrests. At the river nipper there are so called "hydro parks" where you can swimm or just relaxe on the beach. here are also many restaurants. If we talk about food now: what ever you want to eat you can get it here! They have good regional kitchen or restaurants from every part of the world. I just can repeate my self: this city is great!
So my first days are over in Kiev and I really have to say I love this town!! I arrived on saturday the 18.07.2009 from austria. I had the luck that my local boss picked me up aat the airport aand brought me to my apartment right next to Miadan (the meain square). Unfortunately he had to leave and I was on my own. At night I caled a girl Antonina. We were suposed to make a walk through the city but we started a good conversation and we went on for hours. By the way got to know the girl in austria. Lateron I made the mistake and went with some english expats to a club and got a little bit drunk. So my sunday was pretty simple: wake up at two, have a big head, sleep again, take a ook and go reading on the Maidan.
Monday:
So my first workingday. I had detailed instructions how to get to the office and so I easily found it. It takes ma approximately 25 minutes to get there. Like I mentioned bevore my boss is nice and the women in the office Svetlana (Sveta) is also very lovely. The gave me instructions of what I should do. Got two different projects and the good thing is that I can do them on my own.
Working time:
I work five days a week, always from 9:20 to 19:00
Monday night:
Sveta showed me around in the city and afterwards I met Antonina. I am relly fascinated by this women because we go through the city and she can tell me the history of every building. At the end we were sitting in the park, drinking a beer and talking about ukrainian history, political stability in this region, the orange rvolution and the behaviour of russia. We kept talking till it was 1am in the morning.
The city:
Kiev is built on seven hills and is next to the river nipper. Over the last centuries the town was occupied by many different cultures and they all left a bit of their tradition here. This is the most multiculty society which I could imagine. The people seem to be more than friendly and you get a lot, ut not the eastern europe impression like the people normaly (in europe) have it in their heads. The indipendance square (Maidan ...) is the central point of the city and a greate place to hang out. Musicans, dance groups or skateboarders (good ones) you all can find them here in a great impressing environment. What really supprised me was that the city is so green. There are so many parks and little forrests. At the river nipper there are so called "hydro parks" where you can swimm or just relaxe on the beach. here are also many restaurants. If we talk about food now: what ever you want to eat you can get it here! They have good regional kitchen or restaurants from every part of the world. I just can repeate my self: this city is great!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
