The Big Market

1. Stained glass archway above the entrance to the indoor part of the market

2. WWII memorial in Kramatorsk

3. Robin at the Theatre Cafe on Friday afternoon

4. Robin's flowers on our windowsill

5. Giving Ana her new sweater

6. Ana with new sweater and snack of bread (khleb)

[Robin]
I started the morning out by standing in line to exchange dollars into hrivnyah. I was cut in front of by three men and finally gave up and ended up going to the ATM in the grocery store. Not unlike other places I have traveled, you have to be pushy and assertive if you wait in line somewhere to get served. I just wasn’t in the mood this morning to be alpha dog. The morning had started off too well to get worked up, as we had decided to sleep in and to relax a little. I had worked on NY crosswords while Phil snoozed….
Today’s big plan was to go to the big outdoor/indoor market in Kramatorsk. We walked probably a mile or so to get there. It was very large, probably spanning two or three city blocks. There were individual vendors selling various products: clothes, perfume, food, stationery, shoes, etc. We stopped to buy Ana a new sweater. We decided size 30 is more accurate than the 26-28 that they told us. The sweater we bought was mainly Carolina blue (which is the color she most often chooses from the crayon box).

[Phil]
Yeah, the market was really awesome, and I wanted to take a lot of pictures there, but it seemed somehow tacky to do so. Suffice it to say, that pretty much anything you want can be found there. We bought balloons, greeting cards, a sweater, a lime, and real toilet paper, but we could have also obtained some pirated software, Ukrainian folk art, dozens of kinds of cheese and sausages, and almost every kind of perfume.
In any case, after visiting the market, we took the long way back, looking for a new restaurant. We found a nice outdoor cafй near the pizza restaurant, which was called the “Theatre Cafй”. We sat outside and watched the Friday afternoon crowd walk by: schoolchildren in their uniforms, young men with to-go beers, Ukrainian women carrying bouquets of flowers and navigating the streets in their ultra high heels, stray cats looking for scraps from the patrons, babushkas slowly making their way home, etc.

[Robin]
We had passed by a WWII memorial on our way to our lunch place and took some pictures. It was in a pretty park. Right in front of the main sculpture there was an eternal flame. The walk-way to the sculpture was lined with tombstone-like memorials. Phil said it was a memorial to the soldiers from Kramatorsk who were killed in World War II.
When we returned from our trek to the hotel, the entryway was filled with new red and white flags, and the lobby was crowded with people in business suits. It appeared to be a political rally or party for one of the election candidates.

[Phil]
Yes, it was a get-together for the supporters of one of the parties that was on the losing end of Sunday’s elections. We are both now trying to remember the name of the party leader, because she was a woman who was referred to universally by her first name (Hallelujah! Robin just remembered: it’s "Yulia"). In any case, the assembled delegation in the lobby seemed pretty happy for a minority party. There was much laughing and back-slapping. We just put our heads down and made our way to the elevator.
After an hour of so of watching the Shannon Doherty vehicle "Charmed" on Ukrainian TV, we headed out for the orphanage, new sweater in tow. As soon as we got there, Ana ran up to Robin and embraced her. We then did the usual swingset thing for a while, but we could hardly wait to give her the sweater. As you can see in the photos thus far, she basically has one red sweater that they put on her every day.

[Robin]
Phil helped her on with her new sweater. She was thrilled. We then played on the swings and then the slide, until an unfortunate head-knock made her cry. Then we just sat on the bench and watched her draw this same figure over and over in her coloring book. We finally realized that she was trying to make an "A". We think she is being taught how to spell her name. Phil asked her if it was an "A" and she nodded and said "Da." Then Dasha came over worked on spelling her name in English and Ukrainian.
We left the orphanage and went to have dinner at the Ukrainian restaurant across the way. It was packed, being Friday, and we got the last table in a little nook. A karaoke singer was providing entertainment. We ordered and ate dinner and then watched couples dancing. We eventually decided to get up and take the floor ourselves, and it was really fun to dance for a while.

[Phil]
Yes, I think this restaurant is now our favorite. They have great soups, nice waitstaff, musical entertainment, and great traditional Ukrainian dйcor. Plus, it’s way off the main street, so it’s usually just locals and us.
Okay, that’s all for now. One final note: Baxter would be happy to know that our ipod stereo that we put on shuffle is now playing "Let Me Down Easy" by the Chairmen of the Board. Beach music is playing in southeastern Ukraine!

[Robin]
Oh, last note, Marsha—thank you for your posting. Yes, I enjoyed your book (I would recommend it!). I finished it this morning. It was a wonderful diversion. And, I was thinking today about how much food evokes memories. My mother-in-law is creating a cookbook with recipes drawn from family members. My family contributed recipes from my family’s trip to Greece and Mexico, along with several Dutch recipes from my grandparents. If you want to share a certain feeling or show love, I do think it is best to do it through food J I’m already planning the menu for my Ukrainian feast to share our memories with my family and friends when we return.

[Phil]
Yes, indeed: kharcho soup, Ukrainian borsch with pampushkas, solyanka, pelmeny, varenniki, black bread, rice with vegetables, mushroom potato chips (just kidding, Glenn).