Learn Ukrainian Free

Free Ukrainian lessons? It can't be true, right? Wrong! I discovered this somewhat accidentally. I purchased "Beginner's Ukrainian" by Yuri Shevchuk. I bought my copy discounted on eBay. I finally opened it a year later, and I got a surprise.

Preparing to move, I studied Russian. Several people told me "everyone in Ukraine speaks Russian." In hindsight, I realize: Those people all moved from Ukraine more than a decade ago. Today, nationalism is growing here in the breadbasket of Europe. Several people have corrected my Russian by giving me the Ukrainian.

So, I boxed my Russian books and CDs and cracked open Beginner's Ukrainian.

Available at Amazon for about $20.

Here is the great news: Hippocrene books, the publisher, provides free audio lessons to accompany the book. Here is the link:

Free Ukrainian Lessons

Of course, you should really purchase the book also. It lists for $35, about .0001 percent of the cost of a college course to learn the same (or less, more likely!). And, I'm sure you will be able to purchase a copy for less on Amazon. (They always seem to have some kind of discount, and free shipping, too.)

So far, I am really enjoying the book. Too often, books are a crippling snare. They leave you to guess proper pronunciation. You arrive on site, and people understanding you are attempting their language. But, they have no idea what you mean. Audio is vital.

8 March- Women's Day

8 March in Ukraine

The flower vendor area under a bridge is packed on 8 March

The 8th of March is "Women's Day." In Ukraine, it is an official holiday. National offices and local governmental buildings close for business. It is bigger than Valentine's day is in the West.

Vasimoi Marta, 8th of March, is the first holiday of Spring. Today is 8 March, 2013. And, it is the first day warm enough for me to not wear my gloves (acclimated Ukrainians stopped wearing gloves weeks ago... some go bare-handed year-round.)

There are several explanations of how to celebrate the 8th of March. Ignoring official guidelines, here is how it actually manifests:

This is an opportunist vendor. This is his first day on this location.

Men everywhere buy flowers for all the women in their lives. Today, I bought 11 tulips for my wife, and 3 for all her relatives living in the same building: 3 for mama, 3 each for two sisters, 3 for a niece visiting from Siberia, and 3 for my wife's brother's wife.

Yesterday, on the 7th, a few new vendors appeared in the usual place where the flower sellers are normally concentrated.

This flower kiosk is one of the regular flower stands under a bridge near the regional grocery outlet.

 

More flower vendor entrepreneurs. The gray mound behind them is snow and ice.

This couple just plopped down a box in the middle of the walking path.

A Nice Place for a Date: National Opera and Ballet Theater of Ukraine

A few days after New Year, and a few more before the day Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, my wife and I attended a play of the Nutcracker. Our friend Alyona purchased us balcony seats. The seats were located with a perfect view of the stage, and on the lowest tier of balconies as well.

Ticket for "Looskooncheek", aka The Nutcracker

 We arrived just as the doors were being closed- 5 minutes before showtime. The show operators had squeezed 8 chairs into a space obviously meant for 6 (or possibly 4). At the break, we asked the people behind us for more room, which they granted. The additional two inches brought my knee off the cold end wall of the balcony, and I enjoyed the second half much better.

The performance was good overall, and the couple who performed as dancers from the middle east were absolutely amazing. And, they received the greatest cheers each time they took a bow at the final curtain call. We attended closing night, so there were several curtain calls which amounted to a few too many.

However, it was worth the trip and we shared a nice coffee afterwards.

 A few tips if you attend the theater:

• Ignore what they say about no photography. Several people snapped photos with their phones. One woman left of us in the balconies videotaped the entire first half. Nothing happened to them. 
• Arrive early to get seated. First to arrive gets to adjust the seats! 
• Check your coats near the door. The main coat check in an inner room gets extremely crowded when the performance is over. 
• Bring your own snacks and drinks. The prices at intermission were about double market prices.

How to Meet and Marry a Ukrainian Girl Like Elena Petrova

Okay, Elena Petrova is a Russian lady. And, she's taken. But, she wants you to know how to meet ladies from the former Soviet Union (FSU), and marry them.

The previous blog post review of another ebook received a lot of visits, so I realize readers want to learn more about Ukrainian culture. That is good! Believe me, I am now living here in Kiev. The culture greatly differs from ours!

Elena promises to teach you how to meet Russian and Ukrainian women. This is Elena in the right margin. She looks sharp, right? She has a degree in philosophy and owns
one of the most active Internet sites on dating FSU women.

Here is her blog with description of her ebook and some testimonials of men who
really benefited from her tips: Elena Petrova ebook

How to Date Ukrainian Women (ebook)

Something American men need to know about women half the world away from them (or at least 10 time zones, anyway) is their culture. Culture affects how each of us interpret the actions and reaction of other people. This is not limited to dress, speech, customs & courtesies, and tone. Culture affects how well we interact with other people in social and business settings.

Most American men, excepting the noble religious type, have dated. One of the most important dating tips I ever received is, "If a woman likes you, all you have to do is not mess it up. Don't make any mistakes, and you won't offend the right girl when you meet her."

It is important you not accidentally offend women in any country or culture. For example, Ukrainian people, men and women both, are very social and open. They love to dine in groups and to meet for activities. They also dress very keenly. If you avoid group settings in favor of the American style of dating- one man and one woman, you might seem odd (but not necessarily). If you dress like the Hawaiians and Californians, you might seem to be without personal fashion, something Ukrainians develop individually and discuss with each other.

To learn more of the important cultural matters that could derail your meeting(s) in Ukraine, consider this book written by a Ukrainian woman. Also read the other posts on this site. I have some good information available for you, free.

"So You Want to Marry a Ukrainian Lady" covers some important issues such as:

1. Topics you should avoid
2. How many roses to give, and which quantities are considered offensive
3. How to use translators and interpreters
4. Great places for dining and cozy coffee shops that will impress your date

Tip: If you wait, or attempt to leave the page before purchasing the book, the site will offer you a discount.

Working in Kiev

How to Do Business During a Trip to Kiev

If you are traveling to Kiev to meet some ladies and check your mutual interest, you may have need of business services: fax, scan, meeting rooms, and etcetera. A very cool place to meet, hangout, and send some documents back to the office is Chasopys. Located at 3 Lva Tolstoho in Kiev, it is two floors and several rooms. Each space has a primary function. One room has a large screen and serves as a movie viewing space. Another, equipped with bean bags, was three-quarters filled with youth the day I visited.

On the ground floor, my quick tour led through two large rooms filled with tables, Internet stations, and shelves of books. We passed through a small square room -a node to several others- in which a coffee station and microwave sat (free to patrons). Here, we descended steep stairs to the lower level where the (de facto) youth lounge and several large meeting rooms are situated. The movie viewing room is at the end of the hall.

Visit their site at chasopys.kiev.ua, and be sure to review the schedule of meetings. Many of them will be of interest to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

While almost every Internet cafe in the city will offer fax, scan, and printing services, if you want to sit and do some work, Chasopys is the place. If you want to arrive early before a meeting, and get in some work, this is just right for your needs.

Chasopys, 3 L'va Tolstogo, Kiev, Ukraine

 For further reading in business in Ukraine, click here.

How to Marry a Doctor

How to Marry a Doctor

I was just surfing the website, Elena's Models. I noticed an interesting search option: "By Profession". Under this title, they offer four categories: models, doctors, teachers of English, and creative professionals. I clicked the Medical doctors option.

A few dozen medical doctors, cardiologists, dermatologists, and dentists have set up their profiles. They are interested to meet western men. Honestly, most of them (all, practically) are very beautiful and have the look of professional ladies.

Setting up profiles (yes, for you men) is free at ElenasModels.com, so why not do so? There is a link in the upper right margin of this page.

Does a Russian Medical Degree Transfer to the United States?

A question you may be wondering, and a doctor from Russia or Ukraine might ask is, "Can I work as a medical professional in the United States?" According to Maria Giovanelli of The World, each foreign-trained doctor must pass both the medical board exams and an English test. After passing both of these, she must then apply for a residency and be accepted. Giovanelli reports that 95% of applicants trained in America receive residencies. However, just 40% of foreign applicants are accepted into residency programs. That article is here: Foreign-trained Doctors Kept out of Practice in U.S. (The title is deceptive, many do practice here.)

However, it would be interesting to see the statistics on Russian-trained doctors. Residents of the former Soviet Union, who lived under Communism, are excellent manueverers in bureaucratic systems. My wife is tireless in getting what she wants. She has many friends who are the same.