1) Iron Babucias. The group was walking down the street when the sound of squealing tires caught our attention. I looked up just in time to see a car hit an old woman. I ran towards her, not knowing what I could possibly do. The car was now stopped, the woman lying beside it. Two men from a wedding party across the street ran over as well. When I reached her, the old woman looked at me and her expression was one of utter pain. The two men were talking to her and another woman ran over, telling them not to move her. Unable to help there, I ran across the street to a grocery store and burst in yelling in Russian "We need an ambulance, call an ambulance," to the people inside. They looked at me with expressions normally reserved for cows. "We need an ambulance!" I said again in Russian. Trying to explaing, I said: "A babucia was [hit] by a car." Not knowing the word for hit, I smacked my hands together. Finally, a man started walking to the back of the store. He was wearing a white dress shirt, and I assume he was a manager. The people went back to their shopping. Finally, the man came out and said an ambulance had been called.
I went back outside, five minutes having elapsed, and the old woman was sitting up. A man with the wedding party, who said he was a doctor, was examining her back. A few minutes after that, the old woman--who I swore was going to die in the street ten minutes before--stood up. She and the man who hit her began to talk. Possibly, she was trying to sell him berries for causing her the inconvience.
The babucia and guy that hit her
I walked around to the other side of the car. The side view mirror was hanging off from where it had hit her. I looked over to the old woman and the man. They were walking slowly, talking. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Dali on LSD. That kind of surreal.
The damage to the car
A bit later, the ambulance pulled up, and the woman walked unassisted to it and got in. I swear they make babucias out of iron.
Getting into the ambulance
2) Abusing Orphans. So a poker night was ensuing. What you need for a poker night: Cigars? Check. Money. Check. Chips? Um. Cards. Um. Carrie had forgotten the poker chips in Kyiv. What could we possibly use? Well, Jared's mother had brought a few bags of little toys for the orphans in Poltava when she had come to visit Ukraine. One of those bags was felt rings with smiley faces on them. Those could be used as chips. And Jared couldn't find his cards. Well, there was also a pack of tiny Mickey Mouse cards that was also for the orphans. All these toys were given to the orphans later, of course. They were just, um, tested first.
Chips and cards
Me and Sean playing poker
Sean, Erin, Mike, Jared and Carrie playing poker
3) Dancing in a Speedo. As I was packing, Sean noticed the bit of fabric that was the pair of speedos I bought in Budapest. Not knowing if swimming would be involved on the trip, I had brought them. They pack well and, hey, it's Ukraine. You stand out if you're on a beach and NOT in speedos. Possibly joking, Erin asked to see me in them. Jared put on some booty-shaking music and craziness ensued. As did lap dances. Carrie and Mike were not there when I started dancing around because they had been on a beer run, but they did come in for the, um, tail end of it.
Pair of speedos: $3
Digital camera:$200
Mike's reaction when he walked into the room: Priceless
Dancing in a speedo
Mike's reaction