We slept well

Candace and I woke up about 2 am and talked for an hour. We fell back asleep and then slept until 11:30 am. This was probably the latest that I have slept in 20 years. At about noon the doorbell rang and Candace's luggage arrived. That was great news because her clothes that we washed last night were still wet.

We got a call that we were going to be picked up in 15 minutes. We rushed to get ready and then joined the two other couples and our escorts downstairs. We walked for about 15 minutes to a cafe where we had lunch. Our facilitators left us alone and we visited and talked about the appointments the other couples had this morning. Then we went to the notary public to get some documents signed. We then had to walk home. Despite directions we got got a bit lost...we need to carry a map at all times. Kiev is a big city (3 million people) and it is easy to get turned around. Fortunately, we came to the main square which we were familiar with. We went into the internet cafe and checked out a city map online to find our way back.

Sunday in Kiev

Today we had lunch with three facilitators and two other couples who were adopting. Interestingly, in the middle of Kiev we were sitting at a Japanese resturant. The new couple we met was L2 and B2 from Manitoba. We reviewed the procedures for our appointment at the adoption centre and talked about what else might happen during our trip. After this we went to a dark and smoky internet cafe where I caught up on the last few days. Just to let everyone know...things are going very well. We are really excited to be over here, there are good people helping us, and, most importantly, we will be meeting the little one soon. We decided we would try to walk back to our apartment. Unfortunately, all of the buildings look the same and we got a bit lost. We decided to get a cab around 4:00 pm because it was getting dark. The sun sets really early here. The cab cost $3.00 but the driver did not have any change. He tried a couple of nearby stands but to no avail. Eventually he settled for about $2.50.

Candace's mother phoned around 5:00 pm. It was nice to hear a voice from home. At 6:00 pm we walked about 15 minutes to join the other couples for supper. We were joined by a teacher from Saskatchewan who is working in Kiev. We ate at an authentic restaurant called "Kozak Mamay". I had the chicken kiev which seemed appropriate given the city we were visiting. Walking home I was struck by a couple of things - the people here are very affectionate, and everyone smokes everywhere. Once back at the apartment, Candace and I did some laundry in the tub and sink. With our appointments tomorrow and Tuesday, all of us are getting quite anxious. That being said, as a result of our cumulative efforts, there will be four or five Ukrainian children living in Canada in 2007.

Long day...long blog post

This wasn't really a new day since I had yet to go to bed. I was actually watching a movie at 5:00 am (German time). We arrived at Munich at 9:30 am. The things that I'll remember about the airport there was that it was pouring rain, the terminal was great, but it was filled with smokers. While having lunch I noticed a couple from Winnipeg. I asked them where they were going and they said Kiev. I asked them if they knew Darla and they said they did. That's how we met B and L. The flight from Munich to Kiev took two hours. I was fortunate to sit by a gentleman from the Donetsk region of Ukraine. I struck up a conversation and discovered that he was a seaman by trade. Although only 34, he had travelled the world many times over. Everything was going great until we went to pick up our luggage. My bag was fine but Candace's did not make it. It took about an hour for us to sort it out. We were called later to be told the missing bag would come tomorrow. We were picked up at the airport by E and L2. We learned quickly that drivers over here are maniacs...and that our driver, L2, was excellent at avoiding the maniacs. About ten minutes from the airport we went to a mall. After exchanging some currency we went to the grocery store. We spent about 200 hyivnya (approx. $40 USD) on groceries, plus a bottle of wine, a quart of vodka, and four beer. Quite the deal. After shopping,we dropped off the other couple at their apartment. Their location freaked me out a bit. It was right down town amidst what could bestbe described as sheer chaos (people, cars, and buildings everywhere). I was so excited when we arrived at our apartment. It was in a quiet neighbourhood and it was spotless, tastefully decorated, and everything in it was new. We even had cable...albeit 40 stations in Ukrainian. A few of them had sports which works in any language. I think it was karma making up for the lost luggage. We settled in quickly and unpacked our stuff before splitting a Ukrainian beer. Candace was asleep by 8:00 pm and I made it about an hour later. I was tired...about 5 hours sleep in the last 32 or so.

Bye bye Canada

We left Winnipeg at 2:55 pm. The flight to Toronto was uneventful. At Terminal 1 we only had a short time between flights. Then it was bit of a zoo trying to Board the plane to Munich. We left Toronto at 7:55 pm. I added the 7 hours for the time change to Germany. As we taxied down the runway to depart Canada my watch said 3:00 am (Saturday). Jet lag here we come.

That's it! Back to Winnipeg!

Today, Candace and I came to Winnipeg. We came by way of Brandon because we had to do a couple of things there. When we arrived in the city, we went directly to the agency. Another couple was already there, so we waited in the lobby and visited with a nice lady by the name of Tonia. She is originally from the Ukraine and she is working on her Masters in Social Work. She will help us with the numerous transitions that we will likely encounter when we return. As we waited, a third couple came in and we visited with them for a bit. They are slightly behind us in the process and hope to travel early in the new year. It was cool to see three couples at different stages of the process but all working toward the same end result. Shortly thereafter, Candace and I had some time to visit with Tonia and the director of the agency (Darla). It was exciting to talk about the things that we would be encountering in just a couple of days. In addition to all of their insight into travel, they gave us a cell phone that we could use during our trip with instructions regarding how to use it.

Later, Candace and I went to her sisters where we spent the evening. It was a nice visit and it was fun to talk about all of the things that we are experiencing. Candace's sister (Camille) and I spent some time researching the Ukraine. Here's something interesting...the Ukraine is about 93% the size of Manitoba yet it has around 47 million people compared to our 1.2 million. Everyone went to bed fairly early, some due to work in the morning, and some due to an impending trip across the Atlantic. Thanks to Anthony and Camille for your hospitality. Remember, the next time we visit there will be three of us.

Last day at work

Today was our final day at school / work before the trip. Given that I am going to be away for two weeks before Christmas break and a week or more in the new year, the last three weeks have been quite busy. I have been trying to wrap up all of the big projects and little things prior to my departure. The past three days have been filled from morning until night with meetings and other things that have kept me on my toes. In spite of all of this, I know that everything will be fine while I am away. Everything is where it needs to be and there are people who are looking after those things that will require attention in my absence. Sitting at home this evening, I am surprised to feel a sense of relief. I thought I might be really excited tonight…but instead I just feel calm. Everything is ready for the trip, but more importantly, I am ready for the trip.

After school, I had one last basketball practice with the girls. When I arrived at the school, the team had a cake to acknowledge my upcoming adventure. I am really excited about the trip and there is nothing I would change about how things have unfolded. My only regret, and it is a mild one given what else is happening, is that I will miss the first basketball tournament of the season this weekend. They are a great bunch and I hate to miss anything that's happening with them. However, I know the girls are already well prepared and they will be in good hands. Thanks to Perry and Jim for stepping up...it is greatly appreciated.

When I got home for supper, Candace related a neat thing that happened to her at the end of the day. Around 3:15 pm, a colleague asked her to come to the hallway,. When she followed, she discovered all of the students and staff from Grades 8 – 12 waiting to congratulate her and wish her well. She said that when they presented her with a big card she had a hard time keeping it together.

Baby cake

Today, one of my colleagues at work put a note on my desk that said, "Come and have some baby cake". I went to our staff room and everyone was there waiting with cake and a present for the little one. It was another Winnie the Pooh item...this time a Tigger doll. I told them that this would be the one toy that came with me to the Ukraine.

It was nice to visit with them. They had several questions about what would happen once I got over there. It was fun to go through everything because it helps sort out all of the stuff I have in my head. The past couple of weeks I have been gathering lots of information regarding the trip, the country, and the expected process once I arrived.

I also talked on the phone to a friend. He and his wife were supposed to head to Ethiopia in December to adopt but their plans got waylaid by some unexpected bureaucracy. They are now not travelling until February. I would like to wish them luck and patience as they wait to meet their new son.