19.10

No central theme here, just a couple casual observations:

It is often the little things in life that can make one most happy, like heat. For example, life has been getting colder over the past couple days especially. There has been frost on the ground the past couple days, that means that winter is right around the corner and it is obviously getting colder outside (and inside). Yet in this place of centralized heating to the extreme, all I do is have some pipes running through my apartment that has what may be called a radiator attached to the pipes. It is basically some metal that extends from the pipes to better circulate the heat. I forget the proper technical word for it.
I had been sleeping comfortably until this change in the weather, when I started shivering under my covers each night. To fix that, I have been sleeping in my 15 degree Fahrenheit sleeping bag to keep warm. It worked, but it felt like I was almost camping in my own home, not that I’ll complain too much because at least I slept warmly. The rumor had been going around that the centralized heating would be turned on soon, sooner the better I thought.
So I woke up yesterday morning after a warm nights sleep in my cozy sleeping bag, breathing freezing cold air to hear pipes popping. Before you get alarmed, that is a good sound, which means that the pipes are warming up from the heating!
I am happy to inform you that while in my opinion they are a few days late, I do finally have heat in my apartment. I was just about ready to start sleeping in the bathroom in the bathtub, I did have hot water first and the presence of pipes warmed up the bathroom to a comfortable temperature. So at least I could either hide out in the bathroom or cook a lot in the kitchen, which warmed up things too. I didn’t think it wise to try and heat my entire apartment via the stove. So I am enjoying my newly warm(er) apartment and am praying I can sleep comfortably tonight. (note: I did sleep a lot better, amazing what a difference just a couple of degrees can make)

I am independent. I think most people who know me would probably attest to that. One thing that this country is helping teach me is a little humility, ok a lot and the idea of a bit more interdependence. I have that stubborn streak that I like to make my own way as much as possible and not need other people’s help. That doesn’t work in life in general I have learned time and again, the lesson doesn’t stick, and it especially doesn’t work in Ukraine.
When I first moved out on my own, my host family said to visit often and feel free to use their washing machine and borrow the vacuum cleaner when needed. They also have been very giving with their vegetables, I have healthy stocks of potatoes, carrots, onions, a couple beets and now cabbage too. They also supply me with my milk products when I ask. Probably part of the reason is I have the American mentality that people will often offer and then not truly expect people to take them up on it. In Ukraine people tend to be more honest about those things. I didn’t want to intrude on them so would rarely call them, letting them make the first contact, remember they live one floor below me. But I was expecting some guests and wanted to vacuum my place, had been thinking about buying one but they are expensive and I don’t have that much spare cash lying around so I hadn’t yet. Called them up and went down, ended up having dinner with them and they repeated their willingness to share with me what I needed. Including the washing machine, I had been doing it by hand. I think part of my problem is this conception that I would be imposing myself on them, while they don’t seem to see it the same way. So in the future I will take them up more often and use the washing machine and vacuum cleaner more often. And I will swallow a little more of my pride and realize a little bit more of the Peace Corps mission and learn a little more about life in general. No one can survive on their own, we are all interdependent. Still working on really putting it to heart.