Finally back in the USA!
But only after an 18 hour layover in Kiev, Ukraine. I, of course, bought the cheapest return flight I could find, and that happened to be with AeroSvit (Ukrainian airline). So I found my last couchsurfing host and spent the night in Kiev and Steven's house. He is an American electrician who is working for the US Embassy and happened to have a gigantic apartment in the center of town. I arrived too late to really do anything that evening but got up early the next morning to walk around. The thing to see in Kiev are the churches. St. Sophia, St. Michael, etc...and they're all grand and magnificent and gold domed.
Ukrainians, at least the few that I came into contact with, are really kind people. I think there are some nations that get a bad reputation, and it seems like Ukraine is one of them. People have claimed that it's an uncivilized country with corruption galore, no human rights, and the people are racist. Perhaps some of that is true, but the people I met were powerful antidotes to that stereotype. Despite not speaking any English, a couple of older men on the airport bus tried to help me with directions and wore the most genuine smiles. Maybe they're trying to reverse the image and are on a public relations campaign, especially after the European championships held in Kiev. But I'd like to believe it's just the way they are.
After a morning of walking around with Steven, I went back to the airport to catch my 1:30pm flight to JFK...which turned out to be a 3pm flight. Other than the minor delay, I don't have anything negative to say about Aerosvit. I had read an abundance of outraged reviews and was a bit unsettled about the flight, but no major complaints. However, a 10 hour flight without any form of onboard entertainment is really brutal. But if that's what it takes to save a couple hundred dollars, I'll gladly sacrifice the movies.
Here in NYC, I'm staying in Flushing, Queens, which is like China in North America. All the signs are in Chinese, everyone speaks Mandarin or Cantonese, and every store is selling Chinese-related products. It's great at first since I had been deprived of decent Chinese food for the past months, but I concluded that I like Flushing the same way I like alcohol - in very small doses. By day three, it's just too much. I did however get out a bit and went to see a Vienna Teng set at Rockwood Music Hall in the city. It was quite serendipitous because I just happened to see her Facebook post about the hastily organized free show the day prior. I had been wanting to see her for ages, and now that she's a grad student and has an internship, the chances of her touring are minuscule, so I jumped at the opportunity.
Other than that, it's been eating and catching up with a couple of old friends who are in the area. Tomorrow I go HOME home.
But only after an 18 hour layover in Kiev, Ukraine. I, of course, bought the cheapest return flight I could find, and that happened to be with AeroSvit (Ukrainian airline). So I found my last couchsurfing host and spent the night in Kiev and Steven's house. He is an American electrician who is working for the US Embassy and happened to have a gigantic apartment in the center of town. I arrived too late to really do anything that evening but got up early the next morning to walk around. The thing to see in Kiev are the churches. St. Sophia, St. Michael, etc...and they're all grand and magnificent and gold domed.
Ukrainians, at least the few that I came into contact with, are really kind people. I think there are some nations that get a bad reputation, and it seems like Ukraine is one of them. People have claimed that it's an uncivilized country with corruption galore, no human rights, and the people are racist. Perhaps some of that is true, but the people I met were powerful antidotes to that stereotype. Despite not speaking any English, a couple of older men on the airport bus tried to help me with directions and wore the most genuine smiles. Maybe they're trying to reverse the image and are on a public relations campaign, especially after the European championships held in Kiev. But I'd like to believe it's just the way they are.
After a morning of walking around with Steven, I went back to the airport to catch my 1:30pm flight to JFK...which turned out to be a 3pm flight. Other than the minor delay, I don't have anything negative to say about Aerosvit. I had read an abundance of outraged reviews and was a bit unsettled about the flight, but no major complaints. However, a 10 hour flight without any form of onboard entertainment is really brutal. But if that's what it takes to save a couple hundred dollars, I'll gladly sacrifice the movies.
Here in NYC, I'm staying in Flushing, Queens, which is like China in North America. All the signs are in Chinese, everyone speaks Mandarin or Cantonese, and every store is selling Chinese-related products. It's great at first since I had been deprived of decent Chinese food for the past months, but I concluded that I like Flushing the same way I like alcohol - in very small doses. By day three, it's just too much. I did however get out a bit and went to see a Vienna Teng set at Rockwood Music Hall in the city. It was quite serendipitous because I just happened to see her Facebook post about the hastily organized free show the day prior. I had been wanting to see her for ages, and now that she's a grad student and has an internship, the chances of her touring are minuscule, so I jumped at the opportunity.
Other than that, it's been eating and catching up with a couple of old friends who are in the area. Tomorrow I go HOME home.
Welcome Home Tan Tan. We love you, John and Libby
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