Odessa Vignettes 11
I have been 'in country' for about a month now, and I thought I would tell you all what has changed since I went on vacation back to the states for the summer.
My food bill has increased by about 25%. The cost of breakfast at McDonalds has increased 15%. I can't say too much from comparing just one month against last year, but prices have definitely increased.
Rents are about the same. I paid 170 UAH/meter last year for a mediocre apartment right in the city center. This year I have a really nice apartment that is about a 10 minute walk from the City Center and it costs 166 UAH/meter.
Restaurant prices have not increased much, but I noticed that the portions are smaller for the same price.
I live farther away from the City Center, but I only have to walk a block to catch a bus going anywhere in this city of 1.5 million people. My extensive travels in the city this month cost me a total of $6.50 in bus fares, and a lot of that was paying for two people.
What do I do to stay busy? I teach English privately to some of my friends here. I work as an English proof-reader for an IT company in Odessa. I joined a Toastmaster's Club and a Ballroom Dance Club. I will attend gala costume balls on October 1 and October 7 (with a beautiful date who is a fitness instructor). The dress code is white tie and tails. I have an interview Saturday with the Director of the Odessa National Scientific Library to be a volunteer for their 'Window on America' division. I study Russian 3 days a week with a tutor and I will be traveling to the Carpathian Mountains for a week on October 11 with a friend.
I made it a point to immerse myself in the culture here, and all of my friends are locals. They show me some very interesting things and give me interesting experiences that tourists can never even dream about. I get to do things here that I would never get to do in America.
But, unlike so many of you, I have no beef with America. Sure, the choices we have before us for a President have become the substance of a tragic comedy, and the societal fabric has been unraveling for years, but I still have a great love of the country. Perhaps it is because I live in the US in a place that is clean, progressive, crime-free and where I am surrounded by good people with good families that are honest, helpful and hard-working. If I could afford to live there year-round, I would do it. But now I get to experience the best of two worlds and I will continue to have more fun than I deserve for as long as I can.
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