What started out as normal Ukrainian adventure, quickly became a day for the books. Not only was it freezing outside with a dusting of snow on the ground, but the entire reason of today's adventure ended up being put on the back burner due to how cold we were! Let me explain a little more...
This is the New Year tree in the center of K-grad. Today was the lighting festival, complete with performances, street vendors, and too many Father Frost (Ukrainian Santa) outfits to know what to do with.
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| eskimo Lydia |
I'm not sure how cold it was today, but it was honestly the first time I've been cold since being here. Definitely below freezing...but not by very much. This makes me incredibly nervous for actual winter...but we won't think about that now!
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| Winnie the Pooh and Piglet (the Ukrainian/Russian versions) |
Perhaps one of the funniest parts of today's adventure occurred when Julia (one of my K-grad oblast friends) and I spotted what we thought was a baby panda bear.
Turns out it is actually a dog, with a very creative fur coat cut to look like a panda bear...and somehow dyed fur as well? It was so bizarre.
Phil purchased one of the most ridiculous hats available from a street vendor, complete with light up stars going across the front of it :)
One of my post entries soon will feature Phil with numerous Father Frost impersonators, but it's so good it deserves a post of its own.
We got too cold to watch the tree lights be turned on...so we eventually headed to a local favorite, Churchill's, to enjoy some American-ish onion rings (which are currently making my stomach hurt).
The best part of the day though came while waiting for the dadgum lights to be turned on for the city tree. Phil has been working on this present for my parents for a while now...but it can also be applicable for most of my Oklahoma friends :)
Merry Christmas Eve, from halfway across the world!
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