FIRST BLOG POST

We arrived Tues. Feb. 2 at KBP airport around 10:15 a.m. Kiev time. Our agency people met us at the airport and helped us through Customs. Our Facilitator, Sasha, drove us to our Hotel/Apt. in Kiev about 25-30 minutes from the airport. Sasha gave us a short orientation tour around the neighborhood, pointing out a few restaurants, shops and where to change our American $$ for hryvnia (uah). We walked around a little, went to the Tsum Department Store which is close by, to purchase a curling iron, blow dryer and iron with the proper connections. We have converters, but are using them to power our computer, and other electronics from home. There usually is a clerk that speaks English and as soon as we Americans speak, there is a rush for that clerk. We ate dinner at TGIF around the corner from our hotel, changed some more $$ and then went to the mall around the corner that has a grocery store in the basement. We stocked up on 1/2 L
sized bottled water to carry around and to have in the room, as well as some chocolate candy and great bread. You bag your own groceries, but this store did provide bags. We got back to the room around 9:00 p.m., un-packed a little, watched a little Ukrainian T.V....Men In Black
movie on T.V. was interesting in Ukrainian, then crashed around 11:00 p.m. We arranged to
have breakfast at our hotel at 8:00 a.m. this morning and then did some e-mailing. Ready to get out and meet with another member of our Facilitation team around 12:30 at McDonald's.Chris says, "that's enough, Ellen" so Good Bye, Ellen & Chris