My favorite part of my family’s visit was when we went back to my site. I wanted to show them my apartment, my school, my bazaar and all the shops that I go in every week. Since I was in a place I knew, all the stress of travel and figuring out a new city ceased to exist. We could finally just relax as a family.
We spent the first day looking at the sites around my town: the statue of Lenin in the center, my school and the flower-lined street. Afterwards, we went out to my favorite restaurant to get some real, traditional Ukrainian food.
The next day we got up early to go to the bazaar. My brother said he wasn’t all that impressed, he told me that it’s just a big farmer’s market, but my mom wished she had one at home and bought two kilos of fresh tomatoes. We bought all the fixings for varenyki, including salo. I enjoyed getting to show off my haggling skills and I was hoping that my family was impressed. I wanted them to see how well I’m able to fit in here, when I’m at home at least.
That night we cooked together and played cards. It reminded me of Thanksgiving or Christmas at home. It finally, after all the adventures and all the stress, felt like my family had come to visit.
Sadly, we only had one more day together. We went to the park and walked around and relaxed. It was almost the perfect ending to a wonderful trip, except that I woke up with a fever that morning and had to spend half the day in bed. I didn’t get to see them off the airport, which I now regret, but I had an even bigger adventure waiting for me at the time.
Toni Wasik
August 23, 2010
That was my favorite part too. Yes, I was impressed. We went to an antiques flea market yesterday where I considered buying a Utica Club tray and wished you were there to get a better price for me.
TJ Wasik
August 23, 2010
The market itself may not have stood out all that much to me, But I was truly impressed by you’re blending in and haggling skills. It may have seemed a large farmers market, but one in which most of the wares were unidentifiable and the language unrecognizable, and you navigated it seamlessly, making purchase, turning down sellers who didn’t have good deals/good product (I really couldn’t be sure) like an expert, It was a truly impressive site to behold. Plus, to be fair, you asked my opinion of the bazaar really before you started buying things and being all impressive.