On Wednesday everyone who works at the university (and their families) gathered for the annual end-of-the-year picnic. We met in the parking lot at 9 a.m. and headed to a grassy, partially wooded area near a lake about 10 minutes away. Earlier we had been told that this event was to last all day, and we were curious what we would do to occupy ourselves all day. But there turned out to be no shortage of activities. As soon as the caravan arrived, food was unpacked and the fire started. “Sheshlik” is pork marinated in mayonnaise, seasonings and onions, skewered and grilled over hot coals and is a staple of Ukrainian picnics. At our picnic, there was sheshlik in abundance. I think we had three rounds of over the course of the day. When we weren’t eating, people played volleyball, kicked around a soccer ball, swam and visited. Dave brought his baseball gloves and ball and was delighted to have children lining up to play catch with him. Baseball is not a common sport here, but after a few tips on how to catch with a glove, Dave and the kids played catch for all morning.
Before we went to the picnic we were somewhat skeptical about how much fun a mandatory all-day picnic would be. I have to admit that the negative attitudes of a few westerners who weren’t in favor of an all-day picnic had rubbed off on me, and I wasn’t completely convinced that the day would be enjoyable. Happily, I was proven wrong. It was refreshing to be part of a group of people who came with no other purpose than to spend time together all day. Everyone came together and left together, with no one leaving early to get some work done or making excuses for not devoting a whole day to having fun. The day went quickly and Dave and I agreed that we really like picnics Ukrainian-style.
Laura
