**UPDATE: IF YOU ALREADY READ THIS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SCANN IT AGAIN, AS I ADDED A BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY PLANS HERE AND OTHER STUFF...**
Something very powerful happened to me yesterday and today, but I've been hesitating whether to write about it because of the many ways people could interpret it (or I should say, MISinterpret it), and the many ways people would worry about me when they read this... Especially my parents and a couple of my closest friends. However, I feel like I need to write about it. It is part of my experiences here, and if I didn't count it as such I would be lying to myself. Also, if I don't share it now when it is fresh and relevant, it will fade away and perhaps disappear among the many memories of this place, and that would be a shame. Moreover, I guess to some degree I need a release of some sort, given the fact that I don't really have anyone to talk about my feelings here, and I unless I express how I feel, none of my close loved ones will ever really know.
So I guess this is a disclaimer before you go ahead and read this, namely that I will share something rather personal and touchy, so if you don't feel comfortable with that, then you better skip this one :) I am not afraid to share it with you because I trust that all of you who are taking the time to read this care and will respect my feelings. So with that disclaimer, this is what happened yesterday and today, and what it did in my relationship with Baba...
For personal reasons unrelated to this trip, I was feeling kind of down yesterday (I will share some of those reasons, but others I am not prepared to share). However, I didn't want my host family to notice how I was feeling, especially because I didn't want them to think that I was unhappy with them, feeling homesick, and wanting to go back to Canada. Well, I mean, to some degree I guess I WAS feeling a bit homesick, and maybe that is what started it all. I miss my family and friends, and having contact with them. I feel a bit lonely here, but I know that is normal and simply a part of the process. I can't expect everything to be perfect. After all, I came here on a difficult task. But I have no intention to go back to Canada before the allotted time, and before I am done what I came here to do.
But I think that yesterday, after talking to a couple of friends online, and to Curtis on the phone, I came to truly realize what is happening. It is like it finally hit me. The process to come here was so fast, so rushed, so sudden, that I really didn't have the time to think about it too much. I had to more very quickly, get many things prepared, and set many things aside, including certain feelings, my job, and my plans. But in the rush and the excitement of it all, it is like I had some sort of buffer, some sort of anesthetic that kept me from freaking out and saying to myself "I can't do this. I can't do this!!" Come to think of it, I have no idea how I ventured to do something like this, with such absolute lack of preparation. That is so unlike me. I like to believe that it was truly Divine Inspiration that got me through the process, for I know I would have been unable to do this on my own.
In addition, I think in great part what got me like this was also my last conversation with Curtis (most of you know what this is all about - we broke up in early March because he feels God may be calling him to the priesthood, and hence he is going to St. Phillip's seminary in the Fall to discern his vocation). We decided not to talk anymore starting Friday, since he needs to concentrate on where he is going (a.k.a. seminary), and communication was just making it unduly difficult for both of us. This was much harder for me to take than I originally expected it to be, even though I had already accepted the situation and felt at peace with it, and even though right now I do not expect nor want to get back together with him. God has put very good, and very different paths before each of us, and I should admit I am content with that. Some doors have closed as other new and very exciting doors have opened. So I am focusing on that and I have a lot of hope for my future :) Plus, like Job said (paraphrased), "God has given. God has taken away. Blessed be God forever!" Still, the final word of total separation, which annihilates even the possibility of retaining a friendship, was something I didn't realize I was not prepared for. We had been more than friends for such a long time, and killing the friendship felt like cutting my throat. The truth is, however, that our friendship was in fact getting problematic for many different reasons, and unfortunately, this would have had to happen sooner or later anyway, as I cannot keep contact with him while he is in seminary. And so it had to be. I have to admit I am really going to miss him terribly, but I don't want to be an obstacle for him, even as a friend. His calling is more important now than our friendship, and so I need to step aside and let it be what it is. C'est la vie!
It is worthwhile to add a not here. Please do not misunderstand me as many people have done before, and have questioned my allegiance to the Church. I love the Church and its precepts, and I accept and understand the doctrine of celibacy, which though not an infallible dogma, I believe still holds great value. In this case, though, I am also being asked to give up my best friend, and that is what makes it even harder. So now it is time to be a big girl, offer it up to God, and do what I have to do. Besides, God has been blessing me in many other ways through other avenues and friendships, and I need to (and want to) focus on those. And if it is meant to be after all these trials, only time will tell. Yesterday was simply a momentary lapse of weakness, and I will allow myself that, since after all, I too am human.
The other huge issue at stake that was making my head spin is the issue of the situation at the Internat (the orphanage), and what I am going to do about the grant money. I have a few ideas, but people tend to tell me it will all be too difficult to accomplish. I do not want to let this discourage me, but I am very much aware of the difficulties that lie ahead, particularly because of the culture difference. I am not even worried about the language as much, since in the worst care scenario I can just hire a translator to help me out get message across and the job done. I know I am being terribly vague here, but I will say more about this in a separate post, since that is a whole story onto itself. Besides, my ideas for this project are still a work in progress. What I can say, though, is that I am under a lot of pressure, since I know I will have to give an account of how I used this money to benefit the girls. I don't want to go back and say that all I did was to play with the girls for 3 months, even thought this too is very valuable, since these girls need a lot of attention. However, I do not want that my presence here and my work here dissipates and turns into nothing once I am gone. I hope I can get organized with the local churches to get some things accomplished, but that too will be a challenge... Like I said, I will tell you more about this later... when it is better solidified in my mind. In the meantime, please pray for me.
So anyway, I was thinking of all of this, and dealing with a lot of mixed feelings about a lot of OTHER issues, plus feeling rather overwhelmed by my school work, that I just got completely overwhelmed. I had read on other blogs that similar experiences had happened to some of the other students doing work terms like mine in other places. So I guess it was a matter of time for me to get my own personal freak out, hahaha. I didn't tell my mom or anyone else about it, mainly because I didn't want to worry them, but also because I just simply couldn't put my feelings into words at the time. It took a bit of time (and a cool head) before I could properly articulate what I was feeling. Well, I did tell someone, but I am getting ahead of myself...
So, I was rather upset, so I decided to go outside and sit for a bit in the nice weather while it passed, just so that my host family wouldn't see me do this haha. But you know how life is, and sure enough, Baba (my host Grandma) came walking in and saw me sitting on the ground by an old car, visibly upset (and by that I mean that she was me crying). She can't speak a word of English, so she just looked at me very, very concerned and walked inside the house. Shoot. That is all I could think. I had my hoodie sweatshirt on with my hoodie up, but I knew she had seen me. And sure enough, a few minutes later came Mama Ola to see what the commotion was (sure enough, Baba told her how she saw me). Perfect. She didn't say much. Actually, she didn't say anything at all. She just looked just as concerned and when I motioned to her that I was on the phone she went back inside. Wonderful. Just what I had tried to avoid had happened. And I didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that they had not approached me. But I knew I had to do something about it, lest they thought I was unhappy with them and wanted to go home.
I took some more time to cool off. Like I said, I just needed a bit of time to let myself feel overwhelmed, take it all in, let it all out, get a grip of myself, and move on. So I tried to do just that, and when I felt a bit more recollected I went inside and walked straight to my computer. I turned it on and went directly to "Google Translate", which is a Google program in which you can type in any language and it will translate it to any other language. It translates literally, so sometimes it translates awkwardly and incorrectly, but it is the best I got. So I wrote, in the most direct and simple way possible, what had happened. That is to say, I wrote down an explanation of the reasons why I was crying, asking them NOT to worry about me, and NOT to think I was unhappy and wanted to go back home to Canada (And now, to all of you who are reading this and worried sick about me, the same request goes to you... especially you mom! :P). I also said that while I was overwhelmed and had to deal with my issues, that I trusted in God and that He was helping me get through this, so that all I needed was their prayers (just as I need yours!!). Finally, I concluded the letter by saying how happy I was to be here, and how much I loved them all. I directed the letter to Baba, but in a way that Mama Ola could read it as well and feel it was directed to her.
So I copied the translated message onto a word document. Just at that moment, Krystina walked in, so I shared with her my concern and asked her if she could read my letter to make sure it was written correctly (remember, she speaks a good amount of English). To my surprise, when Krystina read my letter she got all teary-eyed, and she gave me a hug and offered me her support. Then she walked with me to take the unplugged computer to Baba. When I showed Baba the message, she too began to get teary-eyed, and she stood up from her chair, and gave me another surprising hug, then went off on a huge rant in Ukrainian, which Krystina tried, in the midst of tears and laughs, to translate for me. Baba said that she loved me very much, that I shouldn't worry, and something about God taking care of me. Boy... was that ever a scene! I was so utterly embarrassed at the drama I had created, and yet, as ridiculous as it all was, I was very grateful for it. I was just afraid that the whole scene would repeat a third time when I showed mama Ola my letter, but it had to be done, as I didn't want her especially to be concerned. So I got her to read it too, and thank goodness her reaction was very good. She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, but did not make a huge commotion, to which I felt some relief. I appologized to Krystina for all the drama and for making her cry, and she just laughed and said she was a crier. Just like me. Later on, she came in with a tiny little vase of flowers from the garden, and all she said was, "Miri, for you." I don't know how to describe how I felt. Gratefulness is not strong enouh a word.
After all of that, I felt much better, and especially, I didn't feel so alone. I really felt that these people care about me, even though I have been here for a relatively short period of time. It is amazing how people can bond with each other despite of barriers such as language and culture. So anyway, that was what happened yesterday.
What happened today was somewhat related, but it went the other way around. Sometimes there have been occasions when I have been alone in the house with Baba. Sometimes I think she doesn't realize that I am here because since I am studying quietly it would seem to her as though she is alone. And I have noticed that sometimes when this happens, Baba will cry. That always broke my heart, but I did not want to embarrass or upset her so I did not come out of my room at all, and let her have some space. Today, however, I just couldn't do that. She sounded particularly sad today. I do not know why she cries, but I have a very good suspicion that it is because she misses her husband and her son, both of whom passed away. Maybe she also feels a bit lonely, since she spends so much time alone, but I cannot tell for sure. Perhaps I am seeming rude for sharing this with you, but there is a good reason why I do. As I was studying, I could her her cry, and I just felt a pull to get up and go to her. What could I say to her? Nothing. So I didn't say a word. I got up, walked to the kitchen where she was, and knocked on the door. She turned around and looked at me. She wiped a tear away. I smiled at her, and motioned to her asking her if she needed a hug. I think she got the point, and she sort of nodded. So that is exactly what I did. I have her a hug. And she let me hug her. It was not a very long hug, but I could immediately tell she felt so much better. Like usual, she spoke to me in Ukrainian, but even though I could not understand a word she was saying, I could tell that she was grateful, and happy.
See, sometimes that is all we need. A hug. To feel somebody cares. We hide how horrible we really feel inside and we only express it when we think nobody is watching. I do this often, but it is not healthy. The last two days taught me about that. Sometimes it is ok to ask for help. To admit that we are weak and that we need each other. That we don't alwas have to be rock-solid strong. Many of my friends in Canada had shown me this before when they had supported me through difficult situations in the past, but I don't think it really clicked until today. And especially, I think what clicked today as well was that sometimes God allows the strangest and most unusual circumstances to be the ones through which he imparts his grace on us. And, also, sometimes we need to allow ourselves to step out of our comfort zone and let ourselves be conduits of grace ourselves. I don't want to appear self-righteous or conceited when I say this at all. Nor do I mean to sound 'preachy'. If that is what you are getting from this, please forgive my inadequate words and my inability to express myself the way I wish I could; please do not misunderstand. All I am doing is sharing what I learned and how I hope it changes me. Perhaps I am more open to change here, now that I am so removed from my natural and comfortable environment. What I mean to say is that I was equally blessed when I was able to provide comfort than when I received it, if not more! In fact, when I went out to hug Baba, it was because I felt a pull for it, even though it made me very uncomfortable at first. I was afraid she would be angry with me, or embarrassed, or offended. And yet, it was so good. So I guess I am letting myself be vulnerable with you by sharing this because I think it was a valuable lesson I learned today. Never to be afraid to stretch out a hand to someone I see in need, nor dismiss someone's need, even if it is something very simple. Sometimes it is just easier not to do anything. I have done that a lot... I have done nothing many times when I should have, and many times when it would not have cost me anything, other than getting a bit out of my way or stepping a bit out of my comfort zone. I wish to change that.
So, like Forest Gump says, "And that's all I have to say about that." I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable with this. If I did, let me know! Hahaha. At any rate, thanks again for taking the time to undertake the arduous task of keeping up with my blog, hahaha. Hopefully I will have more pictures and less drama to share with you next time ;) Once again, thanks you for your comments (includying the many I have received through facebook - I really appreciate them). Please forgive me if I don't always answer to them individually right away. I will do my best to do so promptly. And as always, love you all, miss you all, and God bless.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sunday, Sunday, beautiful Sunday! :D
Sunday was a lazy day since I was very tired from the trip to Lviv. I decided to let Orest take pictures of his own Ukrainian Catholic Mass so that I could take the afternoon off to rest and then go to Church in the evening. If you want to see the rest of the pics he took, check out the following link. They are kind of repetitive, but I know some of you will really enjoy them!:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2245520&id=122610538&l=d54c4ba2b5
This last picture is of a park where newly weds go to take pictures.
So this Sunday was the first time I got to go my own Church, that is, a Roman Catholic Church, and man, it was the best feeling in the world!
The church building was not very pretty on the outside, but on the inside I really enjoyed it. This was exactly MY type of church. It was simple. White. With big open windows that let tons of light in, even in the middle of the evening (it was around 5:30 pm). The walls were bare, except for the wooden stations of the Cross. And in the center, behind the altar, a huge picture of Our Lord, the Divine Mercy Image. Ghasp! When I saw this, my heart felt so much joy! I have a strong devotion to the image of our Lord's Divine Mercy, so this could not have been more perfect.
(As an aside, if you have never heard of the Divine Mercy apparitions, basically Jesus appeared to a Polish nun named St. Faustina in the late 1930s, and His message was to remind all souls to turn to Him and to trust in his infinite Mercy, for no matter how bad a person's sins are, even if they are the worst in the world and if they are away from the Church, He will forgive that person and grant them Mercy if that person only turns to Christ with absolute humility and trust, and repents with sincerity. He loves each of us so much, and all we need to do is turn to Him. He takes care of the rest. This message is the message of the Gospel, and Pope John Paul II recognized the apparitions as legitimate. If you want to learn more about the apparitions of Our Lord to St. Faustina and his wonderful message of Mercy, which is the same as that which he proclaimed in the Gospel, go to:
http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/backgr.htm
I would really recommend that you visit the whole website, but if you don't have time, at least read the "Background" and the "Feast of Mercy" pages.)
You might wonder what's so special about this, but it was just what I needed. I prefer simple churches which do not visually overwhelm me. I like to be able to focus on what is at the altar, without other things to take my focus away from Him (God). Which is exactly what this church accomplished when I came in. On one side of the image of the Divine Mercy, was a picture of St. Faustina, the Polish nun who received the apparitions from Our Lord with the message of the Divine Mercy, and to the other side of it there was an icon of Our Lady holding Baby Jesus. Aside from that, the only other image in the church was a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I sat on one of the wooden benches, which still had the decorations of a wedding from the previous day. It was about 5:45 pm, when the priest came out and took out the Eucharist out of the Tabernacle for exposition and adoration.
(If you do not know what I mean, that is when the Eucharist, which is the consecrated Bread and Wine which we as Catholics believe is the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ Himself, is put on a monstrance, a sort of exposition pedestal, so that people can contemplate it and adore God.
If you want to learn more about the Catholic belief on the Eucharist, go to:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Christ_in_the_Eucharist.asp
http://www.catholic.com/library/Real_Presence.asp
For more information on other topics about Roman Catholicism, visit:
http://www.catholic.com/library/faith_tracts.asp)
Anyway, so that was awesome, since I was not expecting to go to Adoration. Suddenly, the congregation started signing a repetitive tune, and soon enough I realized it was the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. So I decided to join them by praying the chaplet quietly in English, since I could not follow their Ukrainian chanting (the chaplet can be prayed singing). After adoration, Mass began. I came prepared by having searched for the readings of the day, which I had marked off on my Bible. Even though I could not understand the language, it was so nice knowing exactly what was going on, and I could follow each of the prayers in English in my head, since I could recognize them. Such a great feeling! I wish I could have understood the sermon though, since the way the priest was speaking seemed very convincing, hahaha. The priests at this church are Franciscan friars, which probably explains the simplicity of the church. I love it.
I was able to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist, which again, was the best feeling in the world. I didn't realize how empty I felt until I received Communion and felt a sort of thirst quench in me. There is nothing more satisfying or restorative than that.
After Mass, I came home refreshed, and on my way home, which is a 15 min walk from the church, I met up with Krystina and Mama Ola, who had also gone to their Church. We walked together and when we got home Krystina played a bit of pianto for me.
Then, we had supper and a wonderful dessert! We had ice-cream, which comes in the weirdest packaging ever, hahaha. It comes in a bag. We covered our ice-cream with jam, and to top it, we had a wonderfully home baked cheesecake!! What a perfect day! Hahaha. Cheesecake is my favourite dessert, in case you're wondering. Even though most of the bread here is rather tough, when they bake at home it is awesome, just like the plate of delicious desserts BaBa baked with her sister when she went to visit her (her sister lives in a different village), and which she brought home for us!
So that was my Sunday. I hope you had a wonderful Sunday too! Love you all, miss you all! God bless.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2245520&id=122610538&l=d54c4ba2b5
This last picture is of a park where newly weds go to take pictures.
So this Sunday was the first time I got to go my own Church, that is, a Roman Catholic Church, and man, it was the best feeling in the world!
The church building was not very pretty on the outside, but on the inside I really enjoyed it. This was exactly MY type of church. It was simple. White. With big open windows that let tons of light in, even in the middle of the evening (it was around 5:30 pm). The walls were bare, except for the wooden stations of the Cross. And in the center, behind the altar, a huge picture of Our Lord, the Divine Mercy Image. Ghasp! When I saw this, my heart felt so much joy! I have a strong devotion to the image of our Lord's Divine Mercy, so this could not have been more perfect.
(As an aside, if you have never heard of the Divine Mercy apparitions, basically Jesus appeared to a Polish nun named St. Faustina in the late 1930s, and His message was to remind all souls to turn to Him and to trust in his infinite Mercy, for no matter how bad a person's sins are, even if they are the worst in the world and if they are away from the Church, He will forgive that person and grant them Mercy if that person only turns to Christ with absolute humility and trust, and repents with sincerity. He loves each of us so much, and all we need to do is turn to Him. He takes care of the rest. This message is the message of the Gospel, and Pope John Paul II recognized the apparitions as legitimate. If you want to learn more about the apparitions of Our Lord to St. Faustina and his wonderful message of Mercy, which is the same as that which he proclaimed in the Gospel, go to:
http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/backgr.htm
I would really recommend that you visit the whole website, but if you don't have time, at least read the "Background" and the "Feast of Mercy" pages.)
You might wonder what's so special about this, but it was just what I needed. I prefer simple churches which do not visually overwhelm me. I like to be able to focus on what is at the altar, without other things to take my focus away from Him (God). Which is exactly what this church accomplished when I came in. On one side of the image of the Divine Mercy, was a picture of St. Faustina, the Polish nun who received the apparitions from Our Lord with the message of the Divine Mercy, and to the other side of it there was an icon of Our Lady holding Baby Jesus. Aside from that, the only other image in the church was a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I sat on one of the wooden benches, which still had the decorations of a wedding from the previous day. It was about 5:45 pm, when the priest came out and took out the Eucharist out of the Tabernacle for exposition and adoration.
(If you do not know what I mean, that is when the Eucharist, which is the consecrated Bread and Wine which we as Catholics believe is the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ Himself, is put on a monstrance, a sort of exposition pedestal, so that people can contemplate it and adore God.
If you want to learn more about the Catholic belief on the Eucharist, go to:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Christ_in_the_Eucharist.asp
http://www.catholic.com/library/Real_Presence.asp
For more information on other topics about Roman Catholicism, visit:
http://www.catholic.com/library/faith_tracts.asp)
Anyway, so that was awesome, since I was not expecting to go to Adoration. Suddenly, the congregation started signing a repetitive tune, and soon enough I realized it was the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. So I decided to join them by praying the chaplet quietly in English, since I could not follow their Ukrainian chanting (the chaplet can be prayed singing). After adoration, Mass began. I came prepared by having searched for the readings of the day, which I had marked off on my Bible. Even though I could not understand the language, it was so nice knowing exactly what was going on, and I could follow each of the prayers in English in my head, since I could recognize them. Such a great feeling! I wish I could have understood the sermon though, since the way the priest was speaking seemed very convincing, hahaha. The priests at this church are Franciscan friars, which probably explains the simplicity of the church. I love it.
I was able to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist, which again, was the best feeling in the world. I didn't realize how empty I felt until I received Communion and felt a sort of thirst quench in me. There is nothing more satisfying or restorative than that.
After Mass, I came home refreshed, and on my way home, which is a 15 min walk from the church, I met up with Krystina and Mama Ola, who had also gone to their Church. We walked together and when we got home Krystina played a bit of pianto for me.
Then, we had supper and a wonderful dessert! We had ice-cream, which comes in the weirdest packaging ever, hahaha. It comes in a bag. We covered our ice-cream with jam, and to top it, we had a wonderfully home baked cheesecake!! What a perfect day! Hahaha. Cheesecake is my favourite dessert, in case you're wondering. Even though most of the bread here is rather tough, when they bake at home it is awesome, just like the plate of delicious desserts BaBa baked with her sister when she went to visit her (her sister lives in a different village), and which she brought home for us!
So that was my Sunday. I hope you had a wonderful Sunday too! Love you all, miss you all! God bless.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Lviv Visit
I have posted some pictures of my trip to Lviv at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2244964&id=122610538&l=d5bc2aebea
______
Ok, time to update this post. As you have seen in the pictures (If you have seen the pictures on the website above), my visit to Lviv was great. I was really excited to be able to come along with the rest of the Canadian group. I was starting to feel a bit like the odd man out, but when I was told that I was allowed to accompany them I felt so good. Our bus left roughly around 8 am from the Ternopil Hotel, and on the bus I had the chance to meet the rest f the Canadian students. They were all very cool. I felt like I fit right in and I had a lot of very interesting conversations with a few of them. I was very tired from lack of sleep (I have been having nightmares for some reason, and sometimes I just simply can't fall asleep... then, of course I am so tired in the morning and sometimes end up taking a late afternoon nap... such a horrible vicious cycle that I am trying to beat), so I fell asleep on the bus for a good part of the 2 hour trip there (albeit rather uncomfortably). Another reason why I decided to sleep, other than my tiredness, was that our bus driver was driving in a way that I felt less than comfortable with. He was FLYING!! And, swerving like crazy to avoid the thousands of potholes on the road, and also when passing cars. I was needless to say, a little nervous, so I decided to say a prayer and then shut my brain off until we go to Lviv, haha.
When we did get to Lviv, we stopped at a little restaurant/hotel sort of building to go to the washrooms. Inside of the building they had very interestingly decorated rooms, as you probably saw in the pictures. There were lots of stuffed birds and animal skins on the walls. While it looked beautiful, it also made me very sad. One of the rooms actually looked like a king's dinningroom, tapered with animal heads and horns on the walls. Fortunately, most of the deer and moose heads they had on the wall were actually made of wood, and it was more for show than anything else. It was still very interesting though!
After the bathrooms, we headed towards a mountain, which is the highest peak in Lviv. We climbed like a thousand stairs up this hill, but I even though I was getting very tired, I was glad we were at least climbing stairs and not the actual rocky hillside. It was actually quite beautiful, as we walked under a canopy of trees that still let a good amount of light pass through to the ground, making everything around us take a very beautiful tone of green. We passed by what we were told were the remains of an old castle that used to stan there... all there was left, unfortunately, was a small chunk of a single wall, which was now covered in moss and hidden by bushes.
In the far distance, we could begin to see the tops of houses in the city, as we gradually ascended. When we got to the top, we were able to see the whole city, with dozens of churches towering over the already tall building complexes. I was amazed to see how many houses and buildings use aluminum for roofing. From the top you can see sort of like strata of different styles of houses and buildings, which I guess is natural given the history of the city, which was conquered several times by different Europen nations, such as the Poles and the Austrians. The city itself is over 800 years old, and it is the largest city in Western Ukraine, with about 725,000 inhabitants.
After we made our way down, we hopped on the bus again, which took us right into the city. Most of the buildings look old and pituresque, and they are often painted in pastel colours in warm hues, if not left on their original stone colours. A lot of the buildings are very ornametal and you can see lots of monuments and statues that give the city an interesting character.The city really has an air of antiqueness to it which I can't really describe. I guess you'll have to rely on my few humble pictures, haha.
And at the same time, modernity has blended so much into the old aura of the city that it makes for an interesting mix. For example, on one corner you will see a little used-bookstore bazar, where old people bring their books and hope to sell them for a few coins. On the next corner you will see an express walk-though MacDonalds or a Nescafe coffee vending machine. Get the point? Despite the seeming modernity, however, the city retains enough of its culture and singularity to remain interesting.
Our first stop was the Armoury Museum, which was very interesting. I was the only one who took pictures, since they charged you 20 hryvnia to do it, and nobody wanted to pay for it. I wanted to spilt the cost with someone and then share the pics online, but they didn't want to. Oh well. I know of someone who will really enjoy those pics, hahaha, so I decided to pay the 20 hryvnia anyway. At the museum they had very interesting things. They had some massive swords that were almost as long as I am tall, and the same foes for some of the rifles they had. They also had some pretty sweet helmets and full-body armours from different time periods, in addition to a huge set of cannons, cannonballs, and exposition of arrowheads as old as the 3 century BC. I am not one for war. In fact, I hate war. But I like seeing old artifacts such as these. It is actually rather chilling to see some of these tools of destruction...
After the armoury we stopped to see the used-bookstore bazar I mentioned before, and then we went through a back alley behind a big church, where, to my surprise, was hidden a rather large icon of Our Lady. One can find religious objects such as this one all over the city. People here tend to wear their religion on their sleeve, which is something I thoroughly enjoy. It makes me feel very comfortable. People are not ashamed to cross themselves when they walk by a Church (which is a sign of respect and acknowledgement of Christ's prescence in the Tabernacle), nor to stop for a moment infront of one of the many religious symbols throughout the city to raise their thoughts to God for a few minutes before continuing on on their way. There is one statue of Our Lady in the middle of the square that is surrounded by dozens upon dozens of flower vases, layed there by people who come to pray infront of the statue, asking Mary for her intersession. In the same way, there is a crucifix right next to the Virgin Mary statue, where a dozens of people stop, even for just a few seconds, to pray, just as this mother an son in the following picture...
Even though we were walking around dozens of churches, nobody in the group seemed too interested to go inside of them. So I decided to ask our guides if they wouldn't mind if we at least went inside the Cathedral, since we were already right there. They agreed, and so we went in at my request, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I was rather dissapointed with the Cathedral. It was surprisingly small, although very very tall, and inside it looked kind of grim, even if very ornamental. We couldn't take many pictures since we got kicked out almost right away because they were preparing for a wedding (figrues!!), but I did get at least one good picture of the front altar, and a bunch of the outside.
One of my favourite features of the city was the street musicians, who would stand in a corner to play in the hopes of receiving a few coins from the people who passed by. First, we encountered a young violinist who was playing on a corner of one of the main squares. The sound of the violin was beautiful, and the melody resonated through the streets bouncing and echoing on the walls of the buildings. He was quite skillful and I would have loved to listen to him a little longer and to go give him some money, but the group was moving along into the clock tower (I will say more about this shortly) and I had to hurry to catch them. After the clock tower, we came out on the other side of the building where the violinist had been playing, and as soon as we got out we heard the beautiful sound of a flute. I couldn't find where it was coming from, but some people pointed it out to me. It was a man dressed in military uniform, sitting on a tiny stool with his legs stretched out, playing a tiny wooden flute. Nobody around me seemed to care much about the unusual flautist, but I was fascinated. First, because he seemed to be an army guy, which seemed odd enough to me given what he was doing, but most of all because the song he was playing was so beautiful. And just like the violin before, the sound of the flute echoed through the street and managed to charm me despite of the business of the street around me. I got closer to the man to take a picture, but then I realized I had to move as I was standing right on the tracks of a street car that was headed right straight at me, hahahaha.
Finally, the last musician that caught my attention, and perhaps more so than the other two, was a strangely-dressed man playing some sort of string instrument, like a large mandolin, and he was singing what seemed to be a story. I was just delighted to see the man. Everything about him was very interesting. His head was shaven on the sides, and from the top of his head came a bunch of gray and bleach white hair turned into a twist, which matched the long twists on each side of his mustache. He was wearing an earring, and his clothes were very traditional and unusual. In fact, I think he too was wearing a military uniform, since he seemed to have riffle shells pinned onto his shirt. I am doing a very poor job at describing him, so here's a picture. Even though I encountered him almost at the end of the trip, I thought it was a good idea to talk about him here. I gave him a bit of cash, smiled at him, and motioned to him asking him if I could take a picture. He delightedly nodded, and I took a picture. Then, however, he motioned me forward with his hand, like saying to get someone else to take the picture so I could be in it with him. So I did so. I think this picture alone was worth the whole trip!
Now, the clock tower. We went into this building which had a clock tower at the top, which you could climb to see the downtown. We had to go up 5 flights of stairs to get to the entrance booth, from which we climbed 306 stair to the top in under 10 minutes. It was A LOT of stairs!! I am a but scared of heights (I think at a healthy level), so I tried not to look down. Once we got to the top, and as soon as I exited the staircase, however, the bell of the clock tower which is right above where the exit door was rang, and I jumped and screamed so loud that everyone turned around and started laughing! I was a little embarrassed, but I laughed as well! From the top the view was actually nice, although very similar to that of the mountain, just much closer. From here you could see with more detail the roofs of the houses, as well as the design of the streets.
After the clock tower we walked around some more and made it to the main square, which was to be our meeting point. It had a tall monument and a large statue surrounded by a fountain. It was quite interesting. From there we went to eat at a sort of buffet-style restaurant. My host mom had packed me a world of sandwiches, so I only bought a small soup to complement them. After the meal we had free time, so a group of us headed towards the Mac Donalds, since some people were desperately craving french fries and ice-cream. I don't like Mac Donalds, but I came along anyway. On our way there, we got to the Opera house (the massive building on the second picture), which Ukrainians say is world famous, although I had never heard of it. I guess it is Ukrainian-world famous. Hehe. On that square we also saw more brides (like 8). Apparently, cackie is a very popular colour for the groom's wedding suit, as is orange for their shirts and/or ties. I hate it, hahaha. You can also see a lot of people in uniforms here...
We also encountered a station from where horse and carriage carts take people on a tour around the city. I love horses, so I was thrilled to see this. They were all so beautiful!! Not the Don Quijote's 'Rocinante' sort of horses you see sometimes in horse and carriage carts, but full-bodied, strong, beautiful horses. I love horses. Oh, I already said that. Haha. Sorry, I got carried away... Moving on...
After the MacDonalds stop, we went to the market, which is EXACTLY the SAME as the Mexican "Tianguis" or flea market I used to go to with my mom when we lived in Mexico city. I wanted to take my time and check it out, but again, being in a group meant we had to move quickly, especially since I didn't really want to buy anything. I could have very well gone off on my own, but then finding the rest of the group would have been impossible, and I prefered to share the experience with them than be antisocial and take off haha. One of the girls in our group whose name is Jaime really wanted to find a souvenier shop, so we ended up exploring half the city to find one... to no avail! Can you believe that?? We went back and forward, and back and forward, to no end. I was sooooo tired by the end of it. All of us were! Finally we gave up and walked to the bazar to see if we could find some stuff there. Jaime was able to buy some stuff there, and Jessica and I went off on our own for a bit to take a look at stuff, of how my mom says, "curiosear" (which comes from the word curious, and which means something like "to snuff around").
On our way there, however, we stopped to take a picture with some men who were sitting in an old purple car, decorated with the colours of the Ukrainian flag. I have no clue what that was all about, but it was awesome, haha. I also noticed that here there are kiosks which sell exclusively cigarettes... people smoke a lot here!!
Shortly after we walked back to the main square, since it was about time to get back. There was a company of Peruvian Indigenous people who were putting a show on the square, so I went to see them for a few minutes while we waited for everyone else to get back. After, I just went back to where our tour guides were sitting, and began to talk to this guy named Mykhaylo, who I believe is one of the tutors. He is from Ternopil, and seems like a really cool guys so I hope we become friends. Finally everyone else arrived, and we headed back to the bus. In our way, we finally found a souvenir store, which we had walked by several times! Yikes!! I didn't see a lot that caught my attention there, except for a little something I found for my sister... but I won't tell you what it is cuz it would spoil it! Hahaha.
On the way back I talked some more with some of the girls, and I got the chance to get to know Jaime a bit more. Since she is leaving in a few weeks, she offered to give me her Ukrainian phrase book, which I was very grateful for. I will probably go pick it up from her tomorrow. I was able to buy a Ukrainian-English dictionary in Lviv, but I still think that a phrase book would be infinitely more useful. After talking to the girls for a bit, I slept for the rest of the way back.
During the trip I spent a lot of time talking and walking with Jess and Jaime, but not so much with Jen, as she was very busy taken pictures. I have seen them and they are quite good. (I hope you are enjoying mine also.) Finally, when we gor to Ternopil, I walked with Jaime to take a bus home. She showed me an alternate route to my house, since she lives very close by. When I got home, I was so exhausted, but I was pleasantly surprised to see those leaves I was talking about before (the ones used for the Pentecost celebration in the Ukrainian Catholic Church), spread all around the house, including my room! I tried to ask what this meant, but I did not really understand the explanation.
So that was my trip! I hope you enjoyed it! Hahaha... Next I will talk about my Sunday, which was one of the best days since I've been here, as it was the first time I could go to a Roman Catholic Church and actually attend Mass...
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Ok, time to update this post. As you have seen in the pictures (If you have seen the pictures on the website above), my visit to Lviv was great. I was really excited to be able to come along with the rest of the Canadian group. I was starting to feel a bit like the odd man out, but when I was told that I was allowed to accompany them I felt so good. Our bus left roughly around 8 am from the Ternopil Hotel, and on the bus I had the chance to meet the rest f the Canadian students. They were all very cool. I felt like I fit right in and I had a lot of very interesting conversations with a few of them. I was very tired from lack of sleep (I have been having nightmares for some reason, and sometimes I just simply can't fall asleep... then, of course I am so tired in the morning and sometimes end up taking a late afternoon nap... such a horrible vicious cycle that I am trying to beat), so I fell asleep on the bus for a good part of the 2 hour trip there (albeit rather uncomfortably). Another reason why I decided to sleep, other than my tiredness, was that our bus driver was driving in a way that I felt less than comfortable with. He was FLYING!! And, swerving like crazy to avoid the thousands of potholes on the road, and also when passing cars. I was needless to say, a little nervous, so I decided to say a prayer and then shut my brain off until we go to Lviv, haha.
When we did get to Lviv, we stopped at a little restaurant/hotel sort of building to go to the washrooms. Inside of the building they had very interestingly decorated rooms, as you probably saw in the pictures. There were lots of stuffed birds and animal skins on the walls. While it looked beautiful, it also made me very sad. One of the rooms actually looked like a king's dinningroom, tapered with animal heads and horns on the walls. Fortunately, most of the deer and moose heads they had on the wall were actually made of wood, and it was more for show than anything else. It was still very interesting though!
After the bathrooms, we headed towards a mountain, which is the highest peak in Lviv. We climbed like a thousand stairs up this hill, but I even though I was getting very tired, I was glad we were at least climbing stairs and not the actual rocky hillside. It was actually quite beautiful, as we walked under a canopy of trees that still let a good amount of light pass through to the ground, making everything around us take a very beautiful tone of green. We passed by what we were told were the remains of an old castle that used to stan there... all there was left, unfortunately, was a small chunk of a single wall, which was now covered in moss and hidden by bushes.
In the far distance, we could begin to see the tops of houses in the city, as we gradually ascended. When we got to the top, we were able to see the whole city, with dozens of churches towering over the already tall building complexes. I was amazed to see how many houses and buildings use aluminum for roofing. From the top you can see sort of like strata of different styles of houses and buildings, which I guess is natural given the history of the city, which was conquered several times by different Europen nations, such as the Poles and the Austrians. The city itself is over 800 years old, and it is the largest city in Western Ukraine, with about 725,000 inhabitants.
After we made our way down, we hopped on the bus again, which took us right into the city. Most of the buildings look old and pituresque, and they are often painted in pastel colours in warm hues, if not left on their original stone colours. A lot of the buildings are very ornametal and you can see lots of monuments and statues that give the city an interesting character.The city really has an air of antiqueness to it which I can't really describe. I guess you'll have to rely on my few humble pictures, haha.
And at the same time, modernity has blended so much into the old aura of the city that it makes for an interesting mix. For example, on one corner you will see a little used-bookstore bazar, where old people bring their books and hope to sell them for a few coins. On the next corner you will see an express walk-though MacDonalds or a Nescafe coffee vending machine. Get the point? Despite the seeming modernity, however, the city retains enough of its culture and singularity to remain interesting.
Our first stop was the Armoury Museum, which was very interesting. I was the only one who took pictures, since they charged you 20 hryvnia to do it, and nobody wanted to pay for it. I wanted to spilt the cost with someone and then share the pics online, but they didn't want to. Oh well. I know of someone who will really enjoy those pics, hahaha, so I decided to pay the 20 hryvnia anyway. At the museum they had very interesting things. They had some massive swords that were almost as long as I am tall, and the same foes for some of the rifles they had. They also had some pretty sweet helmets and full-body armours from different time periods, in addition to a huge set of cannons, cannonballs, and exposition of arrowheads as old as the 3 century BC. I am not one for war. In fact, I hate war. But I like seeing old artifacts such as these. It is actually rather chilling to see some of these tools of destruction...
After the armoury we stopped to see the used-bookstore bazar I mentioned before, and then we went through a back alley behind a big church, where, to my surprise, was hidden a rather large icon of Our Lady. One can find religious objects such as this one all over the city. People here tend to wear their religion on their sleeve, which is something I thoroughly enjoy. It makes me feel very comfortable. People are not ashamed to cross themselves when they walk by a Church (which is a sign of respect and acknowledgement of Christ's prescence in the Tabernacle), nor to stop for a moment infront of one of the many religious symbols throughout the city to raise their thoughts to God for a few minutes before continuing on on their way. There is one statue of Our Lady in the middle of the square that is surrounded by dozens upon dozens of flower vases, layed there by people who come to pray infront of the statue, asking Mary for her intersession. In the same way, there is a crucifix right next to the Virgin Mary statue, where a dozens of people stop, even for just a few seconds, to pray, just as this mother an son in the following picture...
Even though we were walking around dozens of churches, nobody in the group seemed too interested to go inside of them. So I decided to ask our guides if they wouldn't mind if we at least went inside the Cathedral, since we were already right there. They agreed, and so we went in at my request, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I was rather dissapointed with the Cathedral. It was surprisingly small, although very very tall, and inside it looked kind of grim, even if very ornamental. We couldn't take many pictures since we got kicked out almost right away because they were preparing for a wedding (figrues!!), but I did get at least one good picture of the front altar, and a bunch of the outside.
One of my favourite features of the city was the street musicians, who would stand in a corner to play in the hopes of receiving a few coins from the people who passed by. First, we encountered a young violinist who was playing on a corner of one of the main squares. The sound of the violin was beautiful, and the melody resonated through the streets bouncing and echoing on the walls of the buildings. He was quite skillful and I would have loved to listen to him a little longer and to go give him some money, but the group was moving along into the clock tower (I will say more about this shortly) and I had to hurry to catch them. After the clock tower, we came out on the other side of the building where the violinist had been playing, and as soon as we got out we heard the beautiful sound of a flute. I couldn't find where it was coming from, but some people pointed it out to me. It was a man dressed in military uniform, sitting on a tiny stool with his legs stretched out, playing a tiny wooden flute. Nobody around me seemed to care much about the unusual flautist, but I was fascinated. First, because he seemed to be an army guy, which seemed odd enough to me given what he was doing, but most of all because the song he was playing was so beautiful. And just like the violin before, the sound of the flute echoed through the street and managed to charm me despite of the business of the street around me. I got closer to the man to take a picture, but then I realized I had to move as I was standing right on the tracks of a street car that was headed right straight at me, hahahaha.
Finally, the last musician that caught my attention, and perhaps more so than the other two, was a strangely-dressed man playing some sort of string instrument, like a large mandolin, and he was singing what seemed to be a story. I was just delighted to see the man. Everything about him was very interesting. His head was shaven on the sides, and from the top of his head came a bunch of gray and bleach white hair turned into a twist, which matched the long twists on each side of his mustache. He was wearing an earring, and his clothes were very traditional and unusual. In fact, I think he too was wearing a military uniform, since he seemed to have riffle shells pinned onto his shirt. I am doing a very poor job at describing him, so here's a picture. Even though I encountered him almost at the end of the trip, I thought it was a good idea to talk about him here. I gave him a bit of cash, smiled at him, and motioned to him asking him if I could take a picture. He delightedly nodded, and I took a picture. Then, however, he motioned me forward with his hand, like saying to get someone else to take the picture so I could be in it with him. So I did so. I think this picture alone was worth the whole trip!
Now, the clock tower. We went into this building which had a clock tower at the top, which you could climb to see the downtown. We had to go up 5 flights of stairs to get to the entrance booth, from which we climbed 306 stair to the top in under 10 minutes. It was A LOT of stairs!! I am a but scared of heights (I think at a healthy level), so I tried not to look down. Once we got to the top, and as soon as I exited the staircase, however, the bell of the clock tower which is right above where the exit door was rang, and I jumped and screamed so loud that everyone turned around and started laughing! I was a little embarrassed, but I laughed as well! From the top the view was actually nice, although very similar to that of the mountain, just much closer. From here you could see with more detail the roofs of the houses, as well as the design of the streets.
After the clock tower we walked around some more and made it to the main square, which was to be our meeting point. It had a tall monument and a large statue surrounded by a fountain. It was quite interesting. From there we went to eat at a sort of buffet-style restaurant. My host mom had packed me a world of sandwiches, so I only bought a small soup to complement them. After the meal we had free time, so a group of us headed towards the Mac Donalds, since some people were desperately craving french fries and ice-cream. I don't like Mac Donalds, but I came along anyway. On our way there, we got to the Opera house (the massive building on the second picture), which Ukrainians say is world famous, although I had never heard of it. I guess it is Ukrainian-world famous. Hehe. On that square we also saw more brides (like 8). Apparently, cackie is a very popular colour for the groom's wedding suit, as is orange for their shirts and/or ties. I hate it, hahaha. You can also see a lot of people in uniforms here...
We also encountered a station from where horse and carriage carts take people on a tour around the city. I love horses, so I was thrilled to see this. They were all so beautiful!! Not the Don Quijote's 'Rocinante' sort of horses you see sometimes in horse and carriage carts, but full-bodied, strong, beautiful horses. I love horses. Oh, I already said that. Haha. Sorry, I got carried away... Moving on...
After the MacDonalds stop, we went to the market, which is EXACTLY the SAME as the Mexican "Tianguis" or flea market I used to go to with my mom when we lived in Mexico city. I wanted to take my time and check it out, but again, being in a group meant we had to move quickly, especially since I didn't really want to buy anything. I could have very well gone off on my own, but then finding the rest of the group would have been impossible, and I prefered to share the experience with them than be antisocial and take off haha. One of the girls in our group whose name is Jaime really wanted to find a souvenier shop, so we ended up exploring half the city to find one... to no avail! Can you believe that?? We went back and forward, and back and forward, to no end. I was sooooo tired by the end of it. All of us were! Finally we gave up and walked to the bazar to see if we could find some stuff there. Jaime was able to buy some stuff there, and Jessica and I went off on our own for a bit to take a look at stuff, of how my mom says, "curiosear" (which comes from the word curious, and which means something like "to snuff around").
On our way there, however, we stopped to take a picture with some men who were sitting in an old purple car, decorated with the colours of the Ukrainian flag. I have no clue what that was all about, but it was awesome, haha. I also noticed that here there are kiosks which sell exclusively cigarettes... people smoke a lot here!!
Shortly after we walked back to the main square, since it was about time to get back. There was a company of Peruvian Indigenous people who were putting a show on the square, so I went to see them for a few minutes while we waited for everyone else to get back. After, I just went back to where our tour guides were sitting, and began to talk to this guy named Mykhaylo, who I believe is one of the tutors. He is from Ternopil, and seems like a really cool guys so I hope we become friends. Finally everyone else arrived, and we headed back to the bus. In our way, we finally found a souvenir store, which we had walked by several times! Yikes!! I didn't see a lot that caught my attention there, except for a little something I found for my sister... but I won't tell you what it is cuz it would spoil it! Hahaha.
On the way back I talked some more with some of the girls, and I got the chance to get to know Jaime a bit more. Since she is leaving in a few weeks, she offered to give me her Ukrainian phrase book, which I was very grateful for. I will probably go pick it up from her tomorrow. I was able to buy a Ukrainian-English dictionary in Lviv, but I still think that a phrase book would be infinitely more useful. After talking to the girls for a bit, I slept for the rest of the way back.
During the trip I spent a lot of time talking and walking with Jess and Jaime, but not so much with Jen, as she was very busy taken pictures. I have seen them and they are quite good. (I hope you are enjoying mine also.) Finally, when we gor to Ternopil, I walked with Jaime to take a bus home. She showed me an alternate route to my house, since she lives very close by. When I got home, I was so exhausted, but I was pleasantly surprised to see those leaves I was talking about before (the ones used for the Pentecost celebration in the Ukrainian Catholic Church), spread all around the house, including my room! I tried to ask what this meant, but I did not really understand the explanation.
So that was my trip! I hope you enjoyed it! Hahaha... Next I will talk about my Sunday, which was one of the best days since I've been here, as it was the first time I could go to a Roman Catholic Church and actually attend Mass...
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