Quite Contrary . . .

Two words that definitely describe our balcony garden.

Plant update:
Spinach - nill. The last plant to survive the mouse attack died, from something, maybe asphyxiation.
Celery - These blasted plants wont stop growing - they need like a foot of room each and I don't have it - I've been trying to give them more room - but there are only so many containers I can squeeze onto a balcony. I've taken to carrying them two by two to one of my friend's house who has a yard and can hopefully give them a happy hope in the great outdoors - Maybe though I'll talk to the door keeper and see if they will let me invade the flower patch that they tend out side the front door - How will I explain celery to them??
Also - Celery does sprout and even root if you keep the stalks in water and then move it to dirt - unfortunately it also go to seed - so my brilliant plant to grow extra celery won't work - the celery from seed is the best way to go.
Cilantro - Well fortunately, I didn't plant the whole packet of cilantro, and 6 little weak sprouts have sprouted. They seem rather decimated, but the leaves appear to look like celery - and since celery is the only thing that grows on the balcony - I have hope.
Tomatoes - two plants are growing - and I think they even have buds forming. They had been growing in two liter bottles - but I finally transplanted them into slightly bigger containers - Only slightly - like I said there are only so many containers you can squeeze onto a balcony.
Rhubarb - I have two sweet little rhubarb spouts who recovered from the mouse attack and are waiting to be taken out to the Hut and transplanted. I then foresee that they will live happily and sturdily ever after with minimal care. Thank goodness for rhubarb.
2 mystery plants - so I have two cups of dirt that each sprouted green leafy things. I don't know what they are - but my garden has been such a fiasco that I don't want to kill them - maybe one of them is one of the pepper seeds that didn't grow - so for now I am watering them and enjoying the greenery.

Discontinuity

From the Seattle Times:
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military suspended a Marine on Thursday for distributing coins quoting the Gospel to Sunni Muslims, an incident that has enraged Iraqis who view it as the latest example of American disrespect for Islam.
The Marine, stationed in the western city of Fallujah, handed out silver-colored coins this week that said in Arabic: "Where will you spend eternity? (John 3:36)." The other side read: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)."
"We are sorry for this behavior," said Mike Isho, a U.S. military spokesman in Anbar province, which includes Fallujah. He said the Marine, whom he did not identify, distributed only a few of the coins and that the episode was under investigation.
"This incident doesn't represent the morals of the Marines," he said.

Does this not make sense to anyone else? If the Muslims insist that the Bible is one of their Holy Books, that it's teachings are to be respected - then I fail to see how receiving a coin with a question and a quotation from one of their holy books can be offensive. If the question and the chosen quotation prompts further thought - then doesn't that mean that more study should be spent in all of the holy texts to determine the answer? If Islam is the true religion - then further examination of its texts and the encouragement to question and delve - should not be taken as a threat - but rather a welcome opportunity.

For example - this last fall, Jehovah's Witnesses began calling our house and I had extra time, and thought - why not practice Russian? The conversations were fascinating and I started reading the Bible in a new way - everything I read wasn't just the same old same old - but attested to Christ as the Son of God and equal to him. Most excitingly, due to a the question of who can accept worship and the JW referring to a passage in the Old Testament where Joshua falls down in worship before the Angel of the Lord - I learned about Theophanies and Christophanies - something I had never known of before and which has enriched my reading of the Old Testament and my understanding of the continuity of God's plan.

If Muslims are truly convinced of the the truth of Islam, if they truly believe the NT to be a Holy Book - Then why the discontinuity?

The Zdravstvuite revolution

In some things, I just put my foot down and won't do it another way.

For example - I insist on calling the weather "beautiful" (красивая )when it can only be described as good (хорошо). Recently, however, I have given way slightly on my stance by beginning to call the weather "extremely wonderful/lovely" (прекрасна) - which is just a more Russian way of saying that the weather today is beautiful. My stubbornness in holding to my own idioms isn't to be obstinate - rather - I think that the word I choose sometimes better conveys the spirit that I want to impart - even if it sounds weird to a Russian - the very surprise in hearing a phrase a certain way - doesn't that in itself make you think and consider the beauty of today's weather?

My true stonewall is in the greeting "Здравствуйте!" Hello! (And saying thank you - but that for another day)

Ever since coming to Ukraine - I have insisted on saying "Hello" to people I run into - especially to the door keeper when I enter and leave the building. Alister always laughed at me. "You don't do that he said - maybe when you leave -but definitely not when you come back again." Well, I insisted on saying it - a smile, a wave, and a Zdravstvuite! called out to whoever is watching the door and whatever friends might be near by.

Now, whenever I leave and enter - the doorkeepers themselves eagerly smile, wave, and shout Zdravstvuite. Today, waiting for the lift, I was busy sending a message on my phone - Zdravstvuite ,I heard quietly to my side - but I didn't look up - Zdravstvuite - I heard louder and suddenly someone was shaking my arm. I looked up and it was the jolly doorman (We have 4, who rotate in 24 hour shifts - Maria, Jolly, Sleepy, and the Lame woman)
Oh, I'm sorry, I said, Zdravstvuite! He smiled and waved and walked away.

The revolution has come - Saying hello to people as that you run into shall soon be common practice - if not in all of Kiev - at least on my block - just wait and see.

And the winner is . . .

So the first verdict is out -

Chernovetski - the incumbent mayor of Kiev gets to stay mayor with an initial 32% share of the vote (counting is still going on)

-The other main candidates each had about 20% of the vote and the remaining 10% of the vote was basically split between 3 other candidates (though I heard rumoured that all in all - 72 people were on the ballot) If those other 69 candidates hadn't existed - it is possible (at least more so than this current race) that Chernovetski would have been ousted.

BUT - the drama isn't over yet. Sure the tents, the flat screen tvs, even the flags and pamphlets have been tidied up and put away - BUT is the election really over? Due to the most recent tiff between Yulia and Yushenko - Yushenko declared that despite the 70 odd candidates - there would be no second round of elections - But the question is now, will Yulia, now that her chosen mayor failed to win the vote - will she let the mayor issue die or will she push and get another election.

I hope she lets it die - even a corrupt mayor has got to be better than the millions spent on the election campaign. It truly makes me feel ill to think of it - There are so many things that the money could be used for!!

My Russian teacher says - that granted Chernovetsky is crooked - at least he has been in office for awhile and has maybe made enough money for himself and his friends - now he can start spending the money on the city. In fact, his entire campaign (which monopolized the televisions on the metro and has led to a lawsuit over the misuse of public funds) Was explicitly based on the principle that he is doing things (23 kindergartens opened, remodeling 43 schools, 17 hospitals, 3 bridges, new metros my 2010 - Actually a new metro near us open a full half year ahead of schedule - it doesn't go anywhere yet - you come out in a not long abandoned construction site (in a freshly paved buss turn about with roads that no one knows where they lead too ---next time we go Alister and I are taing out compass--but the important thing is you can take the metro to somewhere).

What you didn't know your states did

Did you know that since 1994 - your state has been participating in egg decorating in order to display the egg at the White House over Easter to represent each state?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/easter/2008/eggsbystate/ For other years - just do an internet Search for White House State Eggs and the year.

Some states do contests - and some actually hire outside artists. Craziness.

Candy Variations

Just an interesting observance about blue M&Ms.
They didn't make it to Ukraine.
I bought my first bag of M&Ms today and realized that the colors looked, well traditional. The blue eyesore was missing. However, light tan had not been restored to the mix either.
Actually, I don't really have anything against blue M&Ms. I do know people who won't eat various colors - but to me, well tasty chocolate is tasty chocolate and sometimes it just needs to come with a candy coating.
Still, I wonder why Blue M&Ms didn't make it to Ukraine?

You may also be interested to know that Lime Starbursts are replaced by Apple ones in the Ukrainian pack.

Ukraine in Numbers

So I found this great site that tells all about religious activities and denominations in Ukraine - Its not 100% comprehensive - but its better than any of the other stuff I have found so far. I took the data that they provide and made it into this general chart of Denomination Groups in Ukraine. Then I found a few more sites that also had some facts and Info - So I was putting it all together for a class presentation anyway - and thought I would share. Click on the image to make it bigger.