I lived in Ukraine from 2017 to 2018. I posted on my blog about training with professional dance ensembles, the Ukrainian lifestyle, and places I visited. My one year in Ukraine has provided me with a lifetime of stories — and then some.
Since returning to Canada, I continue to post on my blog about my experience in Ukraine and about the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. Feel free to sign up for my newsletter to get the posts straight to your inbox.
I felt like a superstar as I came down the escalator in Winnipeg's airport.
There they were, my family and friends, standing on the hug rug, some wearing shirts they bought in Ukraine, holding a sign saying WELCOME HOME KAITY!
Getting closer and closer, going down the escalator, the smiles grew bigger (didn't know that was even possible), the tears started flowing (people on the escalator turned around to see what the deal was), and then it happened. We were reunited.
Read MoreSince October, I've been writing for What's On Kyiv, an English magazine about Ukraine based in Kyiv. Since this was only my second time in Ukraine, the idea for my WO column was to give a Canadian's take on the Ukrainian lifestyle.
Click the headlines in the post to read the full stories.
Read MoreTo give you a sense of the vibe of Lutsk, let me tell you a story.
My friends and I caught a bus to go to a dance class (where I became a master of krump) led by one of the dancers of the Волинський народний хор, where I trained for two months. The artistic director of the Volyn ensemble, Valeriy Smyrnov, was on the bus with his wife, Myroslava. We were all heading to the same place, School #25 for rehearsal with the group Джерельце, where they both teach as well.
At one point along the way, an older woman got on the bus. She moved slowly, using a cane. Like most people in this country, she was dressed in what as a Canadian I would call "Sunday best", but as someone who's lived in Ukraine for nine months would call "everyday wear". Valeriy got up so she could sit down, (actually he had Natalya, who was sitting in a chair on its own, sit by Myroslava so the older woman had a more accessible seat).
Read MoreSince moving to Ukraine, I've been keeping a journal. I try to write in it every day, even if it's just a couple lines, about what I did, what I learned, who I met, how I felt, and so on. I wrote seven pages about my last night in Lutsk, the evening of our farewell dinner. Seven pages. About one night. I think that's an indication of how many memories I made in my two months there.
Read MoreTo spelunk is to live.
And to think that before I didn't even know what the word "spelunking" meant. (It's the exploration of caves a.k.a. caving.)
On our way back from our Easter celebrations in Lviv and Tulova, we stopped in the village Korolivka in the Ternopil Oblast.
I wasn't sure what to expect. My dad and I went into caves in Cuba about 10 years ago, and all I remember is I saw lots of bats and no crawling was required.
Well, as we pulled up into the parking lot of the start of the cave expedition, I was even less sure of what to expect.
Read MorePeople jump up at a willow tree in a public square, grabbing low hanging branches to be blessed in church.
A boy laughs and runs around his grandma, trying to hit his dad with pussy willows.
Hundreds of people gather, ladies with their heads covered in scarves, waiting for their turn to go into church.
These are just a few scenes from Easter in Ukraine. I saw some Easter celebrations in Lutsk, like Palm Sunday and a large pysanky display, but I went to Lviv for Orthodox Easter weekend (April 7 to 9). Cobblestone Freeway Tours had a couple things planned for us girls, and my parents joined too.
Read MoreUkraine is full of history, traditions, and folklore, which I began to get familiar with after starting to Ukraine dance 25 years ago. Dance got me interested in Ukrainian culture and had me wanting to learn more. That's where books and films come in.
This is less of an extensive entertainment guide and more of a short, not-detailed list, since I read/watched some of these films/books a while ago, and to be honest, I don't necessarily remember a whole lot about them. But what I do remember is my love of them, which is why I want to share them with you.
Read MoreIt started with a knock at the door.
I wasn't expecting visitors. In each city I've lived in in Ukraine, my landlord usually says only answer the door if you know who it is, which makes sense. I admit, there have been times I've broken this rule, like that time a couple weeks back someone banged and yelled "HEAT. HEAT." Not exactly knowing what they wanted, I opened the door, and they checked some kind of gauge by the door.
But I figured it was a bit late for any city workers to be coming by. It was about 7 p.m. on a Wednesday. I ignored the door, and began to carry on with my night. I was going to quickly make something to eat before going to a cafe to do some work.
Then I heard another knock, more aggressive this time.
Read MoreLearning a second language is tough.
I've lived in Ukraine for seven months, taking language lessons two to three times per week. And my skills are nowhere near where I want them to be. I usually just resort to the friendly smile and nod, smile and nod.
I've met countless people in Ukraine who speak multiple languages — Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German, and English are a few common ones. And each time I hear the number of languages they speak, I am amazed.
When we (attempt to) speak Ukrainian or when the Ukrainians speak English, sometimes there are funny mistranslations. In Kyiv, a friend once said she had a "raining" nose instead of a "runny" nose. And there have been many times we've mispronounced Ukrainian words, saying foul words instead of what we meant.
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