Euro 2012 hoopla

Well Euro 2012 (in Russian it sounds like evaux diwstie-drauset) is finally here, this country has been talking about it since we came for teaching English five summers ago! Even if I only know a few Ukrainians going to an actual match (on facebook a couple of former Summer English Institute have put up photos) the whole country was excited when they won their first game earlier this week. Last night we watched the game against France on the televison, but they lost. Always fun- when they read the sponsors at the breaks-- Kia__MAK DONALDS! _ Sharp----More interesting to Garry was the huge thunderstorm in Donestsk which delayed the game, he was wishing it was here to rescue his cornfields.

You hear on the BBC how Ukraine is a dangerous, backward country (the reporter took a train trip to Donestsk from Crimea) and prejudiced, and while I may not be looking forward to all of the hours on the train we are taking tonight for Kiev and then Budapest tonight; I wonder if the bad rap Ukraine is getting is really accurate. On Sunday our church family in Dnepropetroesk was very sad to be saying farewell to one of the members of the praise band, Edward. He sang I Can Only Imagine and there were many tears in the congregation's eyes. He is going home to Nigeria after finishing six years here for medical training. I know there are Nigerian medical students studying in Kharcov (where the Dutch have been playing) also, I met one when I was in Kiev recently, not to mention the American import pro basketball players, some of which have played here a number of seasons. I think that most Ukrainians who meet black people, while some might see them as unusual,  are even welcoming to them, so the families of British players who weren't coming to the tournament would have been safe here.

Even Dnepro has an official cup ball in front of a mall

I was excited in Kiev to see signage that had been improved in English in the METRO (subway) it's much less confusing to follow, and even street sins downtown. Maybe the new airport terminal was not ready uintil the last minute (they were still working on it when I returned mid-May) but this counry is trying hard to be good hosts. In facts, Daryl and Molly, who I stayed with in Kiev, told an amusing story about riding the METRO. A few weeks before the tournament, they started having the announcements on the trains in English also. On some of the trains, they would announce Caution, the doors are closing! then they started skipping the caution, as it was causing talk among the general public, who could not understand why they were talking about Kasha (bulgar- a staple food in Ukraine) on the trains.Victor and I heard both versions on our subway ride.

I can understand this! look you can tranfer to the blue line there!

We went shopping a few weeks ago at Epi-Center, a hardware- Home-depot-like chain here, which is an official sponsor of Euro 2012, and I was amazed by the amount of branded merchandise for sale, I snuck I few photos, as you can see, but didn't get one of the female manniquin wearing a most unusual dress, a one sleeved, short-skirted, Ukrainian embroidered style linen item with a large embroidered Euro 2012 emblem on one side....but maybe I'll get everyone screwdriver sets for Christmas with Euro 2012 on...or a new portable air conditioner! I did buy a new umbrella to put in my purse, its purple, one of the official colors of the games, with a Poland-Ukraine logo, of course, but I needed one anyway, in case it ever rains again...

sneaky photos, fans and A/C for fans!

not just dishes, shirts and beach towels!