Beths Stories   

A discussion on LOVE   

Publications
in the "Pioneer" Newspaper :: 2005,JUNE

Recently Dale and I returned from a six weeks visit to the U.S.A. Our trips to the States always include a coast to coast to coast run of some sort. We have family on three coasts and our children and grandchildren are living in the middle. It always seems that there is NO time enjoy any of the wonderful scenery that is involved in this travel. All to soon we were flying back to Warsaw and then Kiev and then the train ride to Kharkov.

When we arrived IT WAS HOT! Soooo…….. you say? Well let me explain a little. Six weeks earlier we had left the Ukraine is winter coats. There still melting snow and ice everywhere. The trees were beginning to "think spring" by developing little nubs of something on their bare branches. But, there was nothing that looked green as of yet. The wind getting on the airplane was definitely frosty as we walked on the pavement to the plane at seven in the morning, picking our way between the rivulets of melting ice and snow seemed determined create wet feet!

When we arrived in Chicago the windy city displayed it's God given nature and about blew us off the pavement with gust after gust. BUT… it was slightly green! Hurrah we said! At least the States knows the time of year! (late March) The trees were budding and there was trace of rain everywhere that first day!

Then came the ride to California and it was absolutely HOT! And green and flowers brightened ones mood and nose with their perfume. We were blessed with the presence of air conditioning in every church and home and store and car! Oh you cannot imagine the luxury of such a ordinary thing!!!!! COOOOOOOL air blowing on ones hot head became a relief from the presence of the sun on the same place! I especially appreciated the one in the car!

You see in the Ukraine there is NO air conditioning in the stores, OR the churches, OR the homes, and we do not own a car and there is NO conditioning on the public transport. I got tickled thinking about such a thing on the trams . The trams are the most popular form of transportation. They pack about 120 people into a space where only about 75 should be standing. The tracks the trams run on are in constant repair and as a result slam you from one direction to the other as you sort of dangle from what ever arms you have extended hanging on desperately to the metal bar above your head, in a sort of orangutan dance! Everyone does this in some sort of unison with the occasional "meeting of the minds" followed by a quick "prosteet meenya!" (excuse me)

No church I know develops the kind of intimacy one develops on a daily basis riding these "wonders of the modern rail". After being here for thirteen years I can tell IF the persons next me have been to the bathroom lately or not. I can tell the type of soap they use and IF they use deodorant or not! I know if they ate garlic or eggs for breakfast! I even can tell if the person next to them is their wife or not! Life gets pretty intimate in a big hurray on these large marvels of transportation!

BUT there are rules. You shove firmly and stand tightly in your place. Bags are between your feet. Children and older folks get the seats and everyone is supposed to have their coins for payment ready when the conductor comes by to give you your ticket. The jam of tightly packed people moves from the front to back with every stop. Occasionally you lose a button off your blouse or jacket as you squeeze through the crowd getting off… "no ladno!"

Can you imagine air conditioning on them? I think there would be a riot. You see in this part of the country they are told repeatedly that cold blast of air, or a breeze on a hot day will make you ill. YUP… ill!!!!!!! The Older ladies will promptly close the windows on the tram IF it blows on their children, even IF the child is covered in sweat…. especially IF the child is sweating! Babies are swaddled in blankets even on a hot day with little blue and pink bonnets to cover their heads are the choice of attire as they are rolled along in their buggies for their daily walk in the sunshine.