They are Ukrainians watching the latest Ukrainian match in World Cup. Ukraine won, which meant that cars were blasting horns and people were cheering and chanting the National Anthem until well past 3 AM.
Who are these people?
This is Jung and Irun, two guys from Holland who now live and run a business in Zhytomyr. Their business outsources computer programming from Dutch companies to Ukrainian programmers. I only met them two weeks ago, but the friendship has proved worthwhile in many respects. Other than the interesting conversation and more guy friends (Jon has been too busy to come to Zhytomyr lately and Steve is permanently occupied by his girlfriend; I love Kirstin, but it’s a bit like Israel and Palestine with sex instead of bulldozers), they make a European salary and I make a Ukrainian one. I insist on making them rock climb. They insist on feeding me and giving me drinks.
Who are these people?
This is what the inside of a trolleybus looks like. I normally can walk anywhere I want to, but since the Dutch guys live on the edge of town and I’ve been watching World Cup with them, I’ve been seeing the inside of a trolleybus more and more often.
Who are these people?
This is Sasha (one of my co-workers), Marius from Norway and a guy from Austria who I just met yesterday and whose name I can’t remember. It turns out that all the ex-pat business people in Zhytomyr know one another and Jung and Irun invited some of them along to do some climbing. Marius runs a business that makes ironing boards for sale in Europe. From him I learned that, due to tariffs and taxes, it’s cheaper to buy Ukrainian steel from Italy than it is to buy Ukrainian steel in Ukraine, which is what his company does. They make their ironing boards with Ukrainian steel, it is just well traveled steel, having crossed the Black sea and the Adriatic…twice.
Who are these people?
This is everyone that came climbing yesterday. Holland, Ukraine, Norway, Austria and America are all represented in this picture and the lingua franca was…English. People (including volunteers) seem to think teaching English in Ukraine is some sinister function of American imperialism. It’s nothing of the sort. When Marius and Jung sit down to do business, they do it in English. If Ukraine wants to do a joint ad-campaign with China to say “Fuck the Americans” in Swahili, they’d still hash out the business plan in English. Teaching English in Ukraine gives Ukrainians economic tools and options. The perfect example is Jung’s company: it’s a Dutch company, but you can only get hired as a programmer if you know English. You could be a kick-ass Ukrainian programmer, but no one is bringing you on board with a translator. You need to have learned English in school (quite possibly with the help of an American Peace Corps volunteer, or from one of the teachers trained by yours truly) well enough to work for this company that pays about a third more than a Ukrainian company pays. Now, the morality of outsourcing Dutch work is another thing, and I’m sure the Dutch are arguing about it as I type this…
Who are these people?
The world brought together by climbing. But let’s notice that it’s the sole American trying to hog all the attention. It’s world politics in a picture.
Who are these people?
Um, it’s me, climbing my favorite route on a hot summer day, belayed by Igor, my protege in both language and climbing.
Who are these people?
This is a football team, projected onto a wall on the first floor of the four story office/living space of the Dutch guys. I do feel slightly guilty about this: I’m supposed to live at the level of the Ukrainians around me, but while they’re standing around a television watching World Cup, I’m watching it with the Dutch guys, sitting in office chairs and munching on food from Holland that I can’t pronounce. Still, I never say no when invited.
Who are these people?
This is Maxim, a Ukrainian who works with Marius, and the desiccated head of a crawfish at a post-World Cup outdoor barbeque.
Who are these people?
Everyone chowing down after the World Cup game. I told you, these guys like to feed us.
Who are these people?
This is Nadia and Olya, my escorts to Student Republic. Student Republic is a huge two-day party that celebrates the end of the school year for University students. It’s not only for University students, as anyone under the age of thirty shows up, and it’s a lot of fun. Nadia and Olya are in my climbing class and they invited me along.
Who are these people?
A bunch of people enjoying the free concert at Student Republic
Who are these people?
More people enjoying the concert and relaxing on the beach on the Teatriv River.
Every one of these pictures was taken in 24 hours. It was fun.