Remember my dream a few weeks ago about Sasha and me having to take a train from Ukraine to Japan before we could board a flight to go home? That's seeming more and more relevant, huh? In my spotty sleep last night I dreamed I was trying to get back to Sasha in Ukraine. Of course my flight was cancelled, and the only alternative was to take China Air, through China. This has got to end.
I promised I'd write about happier times, so here's my NYE report.
Anya and Den arrived at our door just after I'd heard the bad news about Sasha's passport. They wisely took charge and insisted we go on with our plans for a fun, festive celebration. Anya, Den, and Sasha went grocery shopping for our feast while I sorted things out here at the apartment. They returned with lots of local goodies and we all went to work, preparing dinner. We had caviar, roasted pork loin, potatoes, three different kinds of Russian/Ukrainian salads, bread (of course), and a plate of meats/cheeses/olives/pickles. I guess this counts as yet another major holiday meal with Anya and Den? How many more until they are officially family? Or did we cross that line already? :)
I really love the four of us together. Anya and Den move very fluidly between languages so the conversation is constantly alternating between Russian and English, with the frequent "What did he say?" from me and "What did she say?" from Sasha. Anya and Den are the perfect bridge between Sasha's old life in Ukraine and his new life in America; a very important bridge given the current situation.
After our feast was cleaned up, we bundled up and ventured outside. The party at Maidan was supposed to be extra special this year. This was my first one so I can't compare it to other NYE celebrations at Maidan, but yes, this certainly was special. We spent hours wandering the streets around the main square, taking in all the sights. Sasha was fascinated by all of the political dialogue. I was stunned by how civilized and orderly everything was. Keep in mind that police/military are not allowed in this area; it's being occupied by the protesters. There were HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE there, with no police to keep order, and the mood was amazingly calm and cordial. My local friends keep explaining to me that Ukrainians are peaceful. I'm sold.
We went inside the opposition headquarters. You may remember that the protesters seized a major government building. They are now using this building as their hub; a place for protesters to get food, warmth, medical attention, and other services. Words cannot explain. That's it, just, words cannot explain.
At one point during the evening we wandered outside the barricades into a beautiful, just gorgeous neighborhood. We came upon a different kind of barricade, with police lined up perfectly, standing at attention. The president's house. Feeling uneasy, I insisted we turn around and head back to Maidan. Den was hoping to find a church so we could ring in the New Year with prayer. We didn't find one outside the barricades, but once in the main square at Maidan, we stumbled upon a tent that housed an Eastern Catholic church. Perfect. We were right in the middle of the square when the clock struck twelve. We stepped outside the tent to watch the fireworks, the lanterns float up into the sky, and to hear a few hundred thousand people sing the Ukrainian national anthem together as a show of solidarity. Yet another once in a lifetime experience. This one will never leave me.
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