World Map Project

After digging around through my old blog posts, I realized that I never posted about my World Map Project! I participated in a few different World Map projects during my time in Ukraine, and randomly stumbled across this post about a Peace Corps film documentary, with a shout out to the World Map that I worked on with my friend Alison. We painted a patchwork map on wallpaper at her school with her students, and she later hung the map on the wall by mounting it on some type of wooden frame. I also helped out with my friend Sasha's World Map at her school, where we painted just the continents outside on the side wall of the school.

So I think what happened was I got too busy with volunteering at EuroCup 2012, that I didn't have time to write a post about my World Map project... I just uploaded all the photos onto my Facebook page instead. I'm really ashamed that I never posted about my own World Map project here :( but I guess its better late than never!

My World Map, painted directly on the wall in the hallway of the 3rd floor of my school. 

From May 25-30, 2012, my students and I finished up our community HIV/AIDS awareness campaign by painting a World Map as an AIDS memorial mural in our school. This was the last step in the project funded by my PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) grant from Peace Corps. I worked with a team of about 15 different students ranging from 5th to 10th grade, and with the help of my PCV friends Erika Hornli and Sam Choi, we painted this map in just 4 days. If you're interested in learning more about the World Map project or painting your own world map, you can download a pdf version of the Peace Corps World Map Manual here.

Day 1

First we measured out the space for the map on the wall. The ideal size that I wanted to have for the map was 1.5 meters by 3 meters, but that didn't quite work out evenly because we had to calculate the exact size based on 6 x 6cm squares. The actual size of our map turned out to be 168cm by 336cm, so that we could have an even number of squares for the map (according to the World Map Manual). We sketched out lines in pencil, taped down the edges with scotch tape, and then painted blue paint for the ocean. Day 1 was actually a Friday, and we let the paint dry and harden completely over the weekend before coming back on Monday.

Starting at the top and working down was best, because otherwise the paint dripped onto the floor. 

Rolling the paint onto the wall. 

Filling up the space for all the water! 

Day 2

We marked off 18 large squares on the wall, each forming a block of 10 by 12 squares. Then we drew in all the squares, making our map 28 by 56 squares. We used the grid method to draw outlines of the countries in pencil, then darkened the outlines with black permanent marker. Originally, I had planned to use the projection method with a projector. However, it didn't work out because the image wasn't detailed enough to trace for such a large map (or the quality of the image was distorted by the projector).

Measuring straight gridlines takes teamwork, even when you have a 2m long ruler. 

I colored all of the map plans ahead of time, so the kids would have a better understanding of which country was which. 

Starting the outlines. 

About halfway done... we've progressed to using the markers. 

Sam single-handedly drew most of Africa by himself. 

with the finished outline of the map after day 2. 

Day 3

Day 3 was everyone's favorite day because we painted the wall! We mixed concentrated colors with white paint in plastic cups, and basically just painted in the colors according to the World Map Manual. At the end of the day, all the kids who helped out with the map got to put their handprint on the wall.

Anya and I mixing the paint. 

Dasha and Erika painting Russia and India. 

About halfway done! 

Katya working hard on Africa. 

Painting the title.

The finished map, after day 3!

Day 4

On the last day, I labeled all of the countries (in English, of course) with a black permanent marker. All of the students came by to sign their handprints, and we painted a clear coat of sealant onto the wall. Then we were done, and everyone got to take photos with the map!

Dasha signing her name on the wall. 

Katya carefully writing her name in English. 

with Anya and Dasha - my 2 rockstar 10th graders and Erika. 

The finished World Map! 

When we returned to school in the fall, I was glad to see that the map was still there... not that I had expected anything to change over the summer. Our school staff had strategically placed some potted plants in front of the map, to deter little kids from running up and touching the wall. Of course, this didn't stop them anyways because they all like to measure their hands and point out different countries. I'm proud of the team of students that I worked with, and I hope that this map will last my school for many years into the future!

The world map on September 1, 2012. 

My Last Week in Ukraine: Visiting the Hydro Park, Chernobyl Museum, Pechersk Lavra, and the Motherland Statue in Kyiv

So I'm a bit behind on my posts as usual... this is from my last week in Ukraine (which was about 3 weeks ago). I spent the week in Kyiv, and since I didn't have any plans to meet up with people, I just hung out with new friends that I met at my hostel - TIU Kreshatyk. I stayed in that hostel almost every time that I went to Kyiv during my 2 years in Ukraine, and its my favorite hostel because its not too big and you always meet friendly travelers there. I actually helped them paint a little during my stay there in December since they were remodeling : )

Hanging out in the kitchen while the guys painted. 

Starting to paint the wall in the common room. 

At 1:30am - we are almost done and Olya is refueling with coffee. 

Finished! In this house... we are family! 

I went exploring around the Hydro Park area of Kyiv with an Austrian guy named Dominik, that I met at the hostel. I had never been there before, though I'd passed it while riding the metro (the subway) and our friend Roma (who works at the hostel) recommended visiting it. There is a small stretch of the Kyiv metro where the metro trains run above ground, mainly to cross the Dnipro river. The Hydro Park is located along the banks of the river, and apparently its a very popular swimming place in the summer even though the beaches are small. 

Walking with Dominik and Roma on Kreshatyk street, near the Maidan.

Ukrainian street dogs aren't afraid to stare you down. 

The view from the bank of the Dnipro - you can see the Motherland "Родина мать" statue in the distance on the left. 

The other side of the Dnipro, with lots of new fancy apartment buildings along the waterfront. 

Dominik left a few tickets to the National Chernobyl museum, so I snagged one of them and went to check it out. It was not very easy to find - I spent about 30 minutes slushing around the streets trying to find it. I had to ask about 5 passerby which way to go, and not all of them knew where the museum was. I can't imagine how tourists who don't speak Russian or Ukrainian can find this museum. 

There was a small sign for the museum on the right hand street corner, so I turned left (following the sign)... apparently I turned too early because it was the next street down. 

Notice how the streets aren't really plowed here... so I really did slush my way around. 

I finally found it - the entrance to the museum. 

Once I got inside, the cashier lady was extremely angry and displeased that I had brought a ticket with me - I guess there had been a slight misunderstanding, Dominik thought the tickets were free and they apparently weren't. The cashier lady insisted that they did not sell or give out tickets in advance, so she argued and screamed at me for a while and then eventually let me in with that ticket. This happened to be one of those situations where I was glad that I spoke Russian but found that it was unfortunate that I spoke Russian, because the cashier lady was super offended that I was arguing back and said some very mean things to me. After this, I was afraid to ask the lady if I could purchase a headset so I just walked around the museum by myself. The museum was small but interesting, and I'd definitely recommend getting a headset in your native language if you visit because all the exhibits are in Russian.

Documents and artifacts belonging to people who worked at the Chernobyl factory - many of them were in the military. 

Portraits of loved ones who passed away in the explosion. 

Some kind of full body nuclear radiation scanner. 

Cards and paper cranes from children worldwide.

Photos taken some years afterwards, when all the homes and buildings were deserted and partially destroyed. 

Photos of those affected by the explosion. 

I also met a group of 5 Swedish guys at the hostel, they had come to Ukraine to watch a Swedish football team play in Dnipropetrovsk and were just staying in Kyiv for the weekend before they flew home. We had a great time hanging out and walking around the city center, we even went to Puzata Hata so that they could try local Ukrainian food. Puzata Hata is great because its the most affordable place to eat downtown and you can see what you are ordering, since its a cafeteria style buffet line restuarant. They wanted to check out some of the city's sights, so we went to the Pechersk Lavra "Печерская лавра" - a Eastern Orthodox cathedral built as a monastery by some famous caves. After that, we hiked up to the big Motherland "Родина мать"statue. 

The view of the Dnipro river from the Dnipro metro station (which is above ground). 

The Pechersk Lavra cathedral. 

The bottom of the cathedral's walls, where you can walk down into the caves. 

The Motherland statue! It reminded of the Statue of Liberty, though its not quite as tall.

After wrapping up all my COS (close of service) paperwork for Peace Corps, I ended my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer on December 14th! There is a tradition for COS-ing volunteers at our main Peace Corps office in Kyiv - you get to ring the bell to signify that you are officially done! 

Officially finished with my 27 months of Peace Corps service! 

The 10 Best Things About Being Home in America

After spending 27 months abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I can't express how great it is to be back home in America. I arrived back home last Friday and I love being at home with my family! I took the Peace Corps plane ticket instead of Cash-In-Lieu (which is more for people traveling abroad after their service). I flew from Kyiv to Amsterdam, then from Amsterdam back to San Francisco. I was on KLM both times and the food was great - they fed us breakfast with a croissant and omlette on the 2 hour flight to Amsterdam, which was wonderful because I had gotten up at 3am to get to the airport on time for my 6am flight. Then we got 2 more meals on the 10 hour flight to the States, plus 2 snacks which included ice cream! I don't know how they transport/store enough ice cream for 300 people on a 747 airplane but it was a nice surprise.

Made it back to our house with all of my luggage and bags! (while still wearing my big furry winter coat)

The welcome home sign that my sister made for my bedroom door.

I've been readjusting to life here, but I'm still experiencing some culture shock from Ukraine. So here is my list of the top 10 things which have amazed me about being home (in no particular order):

1. Driving myself

Driving my old car is awesome, even though left turns at night still freak me out a bit. But I love not having to wait for public transport, its wonderful to be able to just hop in the car and go whenever I want without checking schedules and routes first.

My dad took this photo while I drove for the first time since being back. 

2. The variety of food and international cuisines available

You never realize what you'll miss until you don't have it. In any given town in America, you can find Chinese food, Indian food, Mexican food, Italian food, Subway, Pizza, Sushi, etc. and this is one of the things which I missed most while living in Ukraine. So my family and I went to a Chinese restaurant near good ol' Ranch 99 (a large Chinese supermarket chain) for lunch!

Green onion pancake with sesame seeds, broccoli beef, chicken lo mein, and a milktea drink with tapioca pearls. 

3. Shopping at Walmart/Target

The idea of going to just 1 super store for EVERYTHING is something that I really missed. Most Ukrainian  towns have separate stores for everything - food, kitchen/houseware items, electronics, home repair shops, etc. In the big cities, they have big supermarkets but nothing is quite like Walmart or Target.  I thought my brain was going to explode in the seasonal section with Christmas decorations and candies. 

Where else can you find great deals on Hello Kitty moccasins, slippers, and boots?

4. Having clothes that don't have holes in them

Handwashing takes its toll on clothes. It doesn't matter how much you paid for the clothes, or what brand they are, but how sturdy they are... I only brought 3 pairs of jeans with me to Ukraine and unfortunately I wore holes into all of them from walking around everywhere and handwashing. 

This pair of Forever21 jeans was sent to me by my sister as a Christmas present only about a year ago... and they had holes in them after about 8 months of everyday wear. 

5. Kitchen appliances - dishwasher, microwave, washing machine, gas stoves with automatic lighting

These kitchen appliances are things that most people take for granted, since almost everyone has these in their house/apartment or easy access to them. But in Ukraine, these are luxury items and only the wealthier citizens can afford things like washing machines and microwaves. I actually never even saw a dishwasher or a stove with automatic lighting - I always had to light the stove manually with matches or a lighter. This can be kind of scary, especially since 50+ year old gas stoves may have gas leaks (which cause gas explosions every once in a while). 

The stove in our kitchen at home - I never thought that I'd be so thankful to just turn a knob and see blue flames light themselves. 

6. Soft toilet paper

Toilet paper is definitely one of those things that Americans never really think about... all they sell here is the kind that comes on a roll and tears off neatly into little white squares. But when you go abroad, you'll probably learn that toilet paper comes in different colors and types, such as the rough brown crepe paper that is commonly used for toilet paper in Ukraine. It doesn't even come with a hole in the middle of the roll, because not many bathrooms have that little toilet paper holder installed on the wall. 

If only Charmin  was the international standard in toilet paper.

Ukrainian toilet paper looks soft and clean, doesn't it?

7. Flushing the toilet

As mundane as this sounds, its really convenient to be able to just flush your toilet with a little push of a button or lever. I was lucky enough to have a bathroom inside my apartment (as opposed to some other volunteers who had toilers outside in the backyard). But my landlady had broken the little latch inside the toilet to flush it with the lever long ago, and so therefore we flushed our toilet by dumping water from the bucket into the toilet bowl.

Also, I'm thankful that our toilet seat cover matches our toilet. 

8. Hot showers with unlimited hot water whenever I want

After living in an old Soviet apartment where the hot and water taps can't connect for a showerhead, I got used to boiling water on the stove and bucket bathing. There is nothing nicer than a long hot shower after a long day, and this is something that I definitely appreciated when I traveled to big cities or stayed in hostels. 

I don't have any photos of myself taking a bucket bath, so here is a photo of how I did laundry by hand in 2 plastic tubs - the tub on the right is with dirty clothes in soapy water.

At least I was lucky enough to have tile in my bathoom, instead of just wallpaper.  

A real shower!!! 

9. Living in a mouse-free house!

Along the lines of the bathroom theme, I used to have a mouse problem in my apartment. I lived on the first floor in the corner apartment of a 2-story building that was probably about 70 years old. And we had mice. I learned a few things, such as mice are nocturnal and will scratch and gnaw your cardboard boxes in the middle of the night. We bought little pellets and placed them around the corners of the house and closets, wherever my landlady thought the mice were coming from. Also, I learned that if mice do not run away when you try to take a photo of them, they may have already ingested the mouse poison (and therefore will die soon).

This little guy died several hours after I took this photo in the kitchen, I found him on his back, paws up. 

This guy apparently ate so many of the pellets in the bathroom (this photo is next to the toilet) that he probably died instantly. 

10. How people smile at each other in public

I was completely taken aback when the U.S. Customs agent at the airport smiled at me and made small talk - this would never happen in Ukraine, mostly because most people are grumpy at their workplaces from arguing with unhappy customers all day (and people don't really do small talk, unless its village gossip).

So anyway, these are some things that I'll never take for granted. Its wonderful being back home in America!  I'm thankful for every modern convenience that we have at home and I'm looking forward to spending Christmas and New Years with my family for the first time in 2 years : ) Happy holidays to you, wherever you are... whether you are at home or abroad!

Wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt and flower wreath next to our Christmas tree!