Thursday, October 27, 2005

Today was a normal day in Ukraine

My doctor prescribed rigorous and regular sexual activity, I bought bed linens by the kilogram, and was shown where I'd been living since my arrival, at least according to my papers, in case the police ever ask. "And if they do come," G. said, "the rector"--I forget the word he used--"she will show them to a room and say you live there but are not home right now.'" Oh yeah, one more thing: one of my colleagues at the university pursed his lips and nodded his head real slow, as he does when considering cultural differences, after I told him that in the University of California system, you're actually asked to never speak to a student with your office door closed, not to make sure you don't develop intellectual intimacy or say anything you wouldn't want every strange passerby to know, but to stave off a possible sexual harrasment lawsuit.

1 Comment:

Kevin McMahan said...

Stephan,
You should listen to your doctor. Those Ukrainians know what ails you! Now you see that I wasn't lieing when I told you how the Peace Corps doctors told me the same thing...
Man, I hope you continue to enjoy your life in the "Promised Land." You're just like me, and I wish there were more like us... People who live their live's to the fullest. You only get one chance, so you ought to make the most of it. After a while you might start to think that every American shouold spend a year in Ukraine. Well, I couldn't agree with you more. The world would be a completely different place. And, while were all over there, remember how we used to live in America, in the 1950's, Ukrainians can get their fill of "life in the fast lane," then when they go home, they'll realize they're really not missing that much.