International women's day and strippers
Trip Start
Mar 02, 2003
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3
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Trip End
Jul 04, 2005
Kyiv,
Ukraine
Monday, March 10, 2003
It's a nice little place, and it had advertised that there were going to be drink specials for the occasion of International Women's Day. There was a lot of volunteers there that night, because it was the first night we'd all had a break. We've been working 12-14 hour days since I left 9 days ago. Anyway, to make a long story short, we were sitting there enjoying our beers when the band stopped playing and put on a cd. As they did this, a door in the back of the room opened and a very scantily-clad woman emerged. Ironically at my table the men had their backs turned to this surprising turn of events. The woman was wearing a white corset to which was attached a sheer white skirt, and underneath that was a white thong. Initially we thought that she was just going to dance... that is until my friend Tracy had breasts smeared all over his glasses. The American men obviously got quite excited about the prospect of strippers and quickly got single hryvnas out. However the girls did not accept any tips. In fact, the one guy in our group that managed to slip her a 1 got it returned to him as the strippers were leaving.
Independence Square in Kyiv
I have to say I didn't expect to go to two jiggly shows in one month... Lesson learned - in Ukraina, as a gift to women on Internation Women's Day, men buy them strippers. Gentlemen.... doesn't that sound interesting?
Yesterday we went to the Ekspocentr Ukrainy - a kind of World's Fair complex just down the street from our dorm. It's absolutely beautiful. The buildings were built in 1958 as a monument to the greatness of the USSR and Ukraine. Pumping through the loud speakers throughout the complex was playing really horrible American 80's music. The irony never ends.
Last night I walked in on an impromptu party in my room. It's amazing how diverse the personalities are in this group of volunteers, and yet we all hang out together. We had a great time until 2:30 in the morning and then realized we all had to be up at 7 for another day of classes - it never ends. (We won't have a day off until Thursday when we all move in with our host families, and then they won't let us relax :))
I had my first taste of Ukrainian vodka last night - I took a sip of this stuff; it had a chili flavor to it.... and so far Polish vodka is better.
I find out my site tomorrow where I'll be for the next two years. I don't think I'll sleep tonight. I'm terrified as to where I'll be and what I'll be doing. Everything contiues to be very vague. Hopefully tomorrow most of my questions will be answered.
So, here's to strippers, vodka, and War Craft - and my first conversation in Russian. (I bought this computer time without using a word of English!!!!!)
