Herbal remedies

Yesterday I was blowing my nose and sniffling at work, and a fellow English teacher offered me some sort of herbal tea that was good for sickness. We translated its Russian name, but I didn’t recognize it. So I made a cup and drank it, and it was very bitter. Hmm. Not doing that again, even if I am sick. I’m not opposed to drinking a cup of Echinacea tea if I feel sniffly, but only because it doesn’t taste too bad. One thing here that I both admire and doubt is the prevalence of herbal remedies to cure illness. People are always mashing berries to make tea or describing random (and sometimes gross) things to do to make yourself healthy. In general, I think it’s great that people here like to use more natural methods rather than popping pills right away. Ukrainians usually are also more concerned than people in the States about eating food that is uncontaminated by chemicals, additives and preservatives, and I’m all for that naturalness. However, sometimes I wonder if some of these natural remedies were devised by some old babushka who thought we all suffer from psychosomatic illnesses. Someone recently told me that her mother brewed tea from raspberry canes when she was a child and she was never sick, even when everyone else was at school. Was it psychosomatic? Twice we’ve been given little red, bitter berries to put in tea when we’re sick with the flu or colds, and I’ve dutifully mashed them and prepared some not very tasty tea. (Which had few measurable effects on my cold, as far as I could tell.) I looked these little red gems up on Wikipedia, to see what collective common wisdom had to say about them. They’re from the Guelder-rose bush, and are actually mildly toxic. But they are used for medicinal purposes, although for ailments quite different from my common cold. They’re for nervousness, spasms and menstrual cramps.

Actually, this little story illustrates the problem that I have with herbal remedies in Ukraine. Herbal remedies are fine, but only if you know what they’re for. I think my general mistrust of these remedies here also stems from the large amount of superstition that’s mixed in with the medical “knowledge.” It’s a well-known fact here that drafts make you sick, sitting on cold concrete renders women infertile and drinking cold beverages is bad for your health. I guess it’s my Western-minded scientific-proof perspective that’s coming into play here, when I have to verify with scientific research whether or not my red berries are really going to make me feel better. But if I’m going to drink a cup of tea that tastes like tar, I want to be sure that it’s doing me some physical good. (And not just making me think I feel better.)

Laura

Dyadya (uncle) Vacya

I recently returned from a visit to Kherson. I visited two sets of partners there who had had assistance from MCC and I was really excited to see what most would consider "success stories." It is an interesting setting; Kherson is not one of the largest cities in Ukraine but the two sets of partners are some of the most progressive (in regards to business). One is one of our longest running funds (almost seven years) and the other is one of our younger funds. We had suggested that they combine, but one is Baptist and the other is Pentecostal and denominational lines are not so easily crossed at this point in time.

The pictures are of Vacily (from the younger, Pentecostal fund) and a billboard that advertises his Auto rental business, “Dyadya (uncle) Vacya.” In ’02 he took a small loan from the fund and started a mobile phone kiosk. This business grew to three kiosks at its peak 14 months ago, when he began selling them to start a new business. He is down to one kiosk that is currently for sale. He also has 17 cars—purchased new in the past 14 months—that he rents out.

Some of the rental car companies that are big in North America and Western Europe do not seem to have made it to Ukraine yet and Vacily seems to be getting into the car rental business at the right time. At the end of April he will take a trip to the Western U.S., where there is a significant Eastern European immigrant population, to find investors.

His plans are to expand the business and open satellite offices in seven cities. Of course he no longer takes loans from the fund since the amount that it would be able to provide him would be miniscule compared to his current needs, but it is great to think that we were able to help him get his start. And he is thankful for the assistance he received just 5+ years ago.

Dave

Kids Do the Darndest Things

Yes, I know, the title is a bit on the corny side, but hopefully I can explain. One of the highlights of my week is Saturday evenings. I usually spend the afternoon at Good Shepherd and take 2-3 kids home with me. We have been doing this in an orderly fashion to try to be fair to everyone. We make supper, play games, and talk; then they spend the night on the couch and go along to church Sunday morning. Most of the time the kids behave very well, but sometimes they don’t. And sometimes they behave in a way that Laura and I have to use all our energy to stop from laughing. And, after the fact, just the mention of one of these occurrences makes us laugh, no matter how dreary our mood. Those of you who have actual parenting experience probably have countless stories like the ones that follow. Upon reading them I realize they’re sort of “I guess you had to be there stories” but I thought some of you may appreciate them. To help in the character development, each of the kids that we “laugh with” in the following paragraphs loves to be the center of attention.

Katya and Olya (two 7-year-old girls) are a handful. I have no idea how it is possible for someone to watch them and 14 other girls at the same time. We had just finished supper and they were arguing about who got to do the dishes (pointing that energy in the right direction). They finally agreed that Katya would wash the plates and Olya got the cups and lasagna pan. While Katya washed, Olya “prepared” her cups for washing by putting a several tablespoons of dish soap in each cup. When it was her turn, she was very systematic in her washing, filling the cup with water, lathering the dishsoap until it covered everything, wiping every square centimeter, rinsing the sponge of soap, and using the sponge to wipe off all the soapsuds before proceeding to the next cup. The water conservation people would not be impressed, but it was quite entertaining. It took her over five minutes to wash four cups, and then another five to wash the pan. I was a bit worried that there would be soap suds backing up in the drains of the people who live below us, but I didn’t hear anything. Notice her focus in the picture. She is typically one who begs to have her picture taken but was so into her task that she didn’t even notice the camera.

Having finished a difficult game of Uno, involving much yelling and punching (usually for not following the rules properly), Vitya and Ilya (two 8-year-old boys) were sitting down to relax. Ilya went to his bag and pulled out two books “to practice reading.” He gave the first--some sort of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book--to Vitya and kept a nice, red hardcover, which looked like it could be a classic, for himself. I approached with interest to see what it was that he found so interesting in a book that looked like it may be slightly difficult for him. The two-column format looked strangely familiar and, upon inspecting it, I realized he was reading the 1988 Makeevka telephone directory (Hardcover telephone books—the Soviet Union did it up right). Upon my asking if the book was interesting, he said “yes, of course.” Vitya, usually one to look for a fight, looked up, inquired why Ilya had brought the directory, and returned to his own reading when Ilya matter-of-factly told him that “reading is reading.”

Vika and Kristina are sisters. Vika is the older, well-behaved one while Kristina is a somewhat wild 9-year-old. We decided that we would all sit down to a game of Phase-10, and Laura, Vika and I started to get serious. Kristina, however, was the entertainer. She spent the evening jumping on the couch, ducking behind furniture and talking to herself on the other side of the room. Every so often she would make a random appearance at the table to lay down some cards and pick up some more. There was never any rhyme or reason to the cards she laid down or how many she picked up and, when asked about it, just giggled and was on her way to do some more jumping and talking. And the best part was that her ladylike sister hardly batted an eye.

I know it’s politically incorrect even to laugh when kids when they are learning to read or talking to themselves. But these are some of the highest-energy, most fun kids I have ever met—and laughing may be the only calm coping mechanism. One common thread of these occurrences is that Laura and I rarely say or do anything other than observe. And the kids are very entertaining.

Dave

Struggles and Stereotypes

This past weekend DCU hosted a conference on the history of the Baptist church in the former Soviet Union. Some partners/friends who I have gotten to know quite well during my travels were in town and in need of a place to stay. I was delighted because they have hosted me many times in my travels and, even if for only one night, it was nice to be able to return the favor.

Let me preface the following paragraphs by pointing out that some stereotypes exist in North America that are not as prevalent here in Ukraine. And vice-versa. I won’t go into detail, but in the course of our conversations this past weekend a couple of topics came up where I noticed some stereotypes that I wasn’t comfortable with. How did I respond? I just sat there.

I could justify myself by saying that I was concentrating on understanding what was being said so intensely that I was unable to shift gears in my mind and offer a tactful, somewhat well-thought response. And of course I could say that I did not completely understand all that was being said (this is my standard excuse). But this time I won’t use these because, if either of them were the case, I should have asked for more clarification (I can at least do that in a somewhat polite manner). Instead, I just sat and listened as the conversation continued along on its zigzagging path.

A few hours later, when I had the opportunity to reflect (I spend a lot of time in buses and trains where I do a lot of reflecting), I began to regret my actions, or lack thereof. I wondered what would have happened if I had been more honest about what I thought. Would the people have respected me for what I had to say, or would they have written me off as “liberal” and then become more reluctant in my presence in the future?

This is one of the struggles I have a lot—knowing when it would be appropriate to muster the courage to say what I think, possibly resulting in judgment, in a culture that I have hardly begun to understand. Right or wrong, I find it easier/safer to sit and listen, even when the subject matter makes me uncomfortable. I tell myself that I will learn more, but then end up questioning the motives of my silence.

Dave

Winter Retreat

This past weekend was our annual winter retreat. This year we went to Alushta, in Crimea, where we had sharing/reporting sessions as well as time for relaxation and fellowship. Pictured here is the current MCC Former Soviet Union team.

Front row: (l-r) Dasha Dolya, Artem Dolya, Mary Raber, and Stella Toews. Back row: Chiara Ubertino, Ionka Hristozova, Brian Enns, Verena Enns, Laura and me.

Family Visit

From February 8-20 we had guests. My mom, dad, younger brother and sister made the trip to see a glimpse of our life here. For all but mom, it started out with a first commercial airline experience; and that was probably only the beginning of a long list of “firsts” for each of them. The most significant “firsts,” in my opinion, would mainly involve transportation and food. They took their first overnight train rides as well as many trips on packed trolley buses and marshrutkas (fixed-route minibuses). They grudgingly ate their first salo (cured pig fat, which is on the third plate behind the napkins in the photo) and caviar along with more enthusiastically trying a wide variety of traditional Ukrainian cuisines. Laura and I were very impressed with their willingness to try new things.

In total we spent approximately five days in Donetsk, five in Kiev, and four in Yaremche (Western Ukraine). It was a good contrast between industrial Eastern Ukraine, modern Kiev, and the rugged Carpathians. We traveled a lot; that meant everyone had to sleep on the train four nights and, by the end, it seemed like old hat to all of them.

We introduced them to many of the important people in our lives - from our language teacher, Marina, to our DCU friends Nikolai and Yana to our Good Shepherd friends Vladimir and Valentina to our other friends Dima and Valera. We tried to show them some “tourist” sites along with the places where we go regularly, so they can now envision the places we talk about in our conversations and e-mails a little better.

We supported the local economy by buying a lot of souvenirs, including the traditional Ukrainian “stacking family” dolls, soccer jerseys and, Laura’s favorite, wooden bracelets. It is always interesting to see what more “common” grocery store items people take home as souvenirs. This time it was Zhivchik (apple-echinacea flavored soda) and an assortment of interestingly-flavored teas and chocolate bars. I couldn’t convince Jayne that the fish-net stockings that Ukrainian young women wear would make good gifts for her 8^th grade friends (I thought that would make some fun waves at Mt. Lake Christian school), but I guess that’s probably OK.

It was difficult to say our “good byes” at the airport, but we will be seeing them all again relatively soon… they left one day more than six months before our scheduled departure. Now we have to make the shift back from ragamuffin tour guides to semi-qualified service workers.

Dave

Groundhog Day

On Saturday my Upper-Intermediate students came to class and said to me, “Yesterday was the day of the marmot.” “Marmot?” I asked. Marmot? What are they trying to say? “In America,” they said, “it was the day of the marmot.” My mind raced to come up with any English words that might have a similar pronunciation. Many times students use words they’ve looked up in the dictionary or read in a book, and I don’t recognize them right away because they’re mispronounced. When this happens, my mind immediately kicks into fast gear as I try to think of the word as quickly as I can, to limit their humiliation because of my lack of understanding. And then it clicked. Somewhere in the back of my head (probably thanks to PBS’s Kratts’ Kreatures) appeared a picture of a marmot. A groundhog! Yes! It was Groundhog’s Day yesterday! They weren’t mispronouncing anything, their dictionary had just given them a strange translation. Or probably an official one, as opposed to the word “groundhog.” After I finally figured it out, there were smiles all around. We discussed the strange nature of the American groundhog’s role on February 2, and continued with the lesson.

Such scenarios take place almost every class period, and I’ve realized that I’m especially enjoying my students this semester. They’re interesting people, and highly motivated to learn and speak English. And while I’ve enjoyed my students since the beginning of my time here, this semester I’m finally feeling like a real teacher who knows the material backward and forward. Now, after two years of teaching it over and over again, I finally feel like I’ve learned it myself. No wonder it takes students so long to get it all straight.

English grammar does not come easy to a native speaker. We know what sounds right, but not the reason why. As soon as I stepped off the plane, I could tell you what’s right and wrong, but when asked to explain why, I was found buried in the “Grammar Reference” section at the back of the textbook. And students here want and need to know why, because they don’t just learn how to speak English from hearing it spoken by others around them. Not in Donetsk, Ukraine. So, with the help of my fellow teachers, and after reading over it time and again, I’m weaning myself from the Grammar Reference. It’s a good feeling.

The sign that this was all coming together for me came when I realized that as I spoke English at certain times, I would think of the rule for why I used that verb tense at that particular time. i.e., “Oh, I used the past perfect tense there, because the one action happened before another action in the past.” Or “That’s an example of first conditional.” Yikes. These thought patterns brought me to the realization that my fate as an English nerd was forever sealed. I guess that’s not a big surprise anyway. I don’t mind as long as I’m becoming a more competent teacher.

Laura