27/04/2007 by admin.

Spring has definitely sprung - everywhere you see people with stripes down one side signifying they have leant on a lampost and although everyone gets wise to the newly painted benches it pays to be very cautious. For the first shoots of Spring means that the municipal works units are out in force with grey paint for the street furniture and white lines for the kerbs. It is not also not uncommon to see 10 women beating at a wall with small toffee hammers to remove grime which could be stripped in 5 minutes with a pressure washer.
Meanwhile, as the buses carry more and more “paid dissidents” each day into the City Centre, everyone is waiting to see whether this period of rest will “spark unrest” - will the week holiday mean more people coming or less? Will the flag wavers decide to stay at home / go fishing or will the trip to Kiev be an even bigger adventure? I’ll keep you posted but will probably miss some of it as I am off home to Blighty. I will be back however, for the day off the following week (I love Ukraine) to celebrate Victory in the Great Patriotic War - Here I am expecting big tanks, lots of alcohol, more tanks, fireworks and plenty of pop music - with fireworks fired from big tanks. I will let you know if my expectations are met.
But …can you imagine such a thing in the UK? Cue a solitary Spitfire over the mall and everyone looking embarrassed and apologetic for causing all that noise.

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15/04/2007 by admin.

Flags are currently in vogue in Kyiv. Walk down any street without one and you will get some very odd looks. “Look Mama,” says a small child to her mother, “that man is not carrying a flag”. The mother looks on in disgust shaking her head slowly and adjusts her armband. “Perhaps he does not like pop music” she replies.

Yes, it is time for a revolution and that means coaches of supporters for pro-this or anti-that blocking all the roads whilst large trains of the great unwashed gather for pop music in the square. Rock, gospel - whatever floats your boat but there is usually a pretty girl wearing lycra kicking it all off and a fat guy with a stoney face bringing it to a close with a megaphone proclaiming that he is anti-this or anti-that.

One thing that is sure - we have another 2 weeks of holiday coming up to celebrate victory in the Great Patriotic War and so the crowds will be dispersing to the seaside. Stuff the Revolution - I want a Mr Whippsky 99 with red sauce.

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