Poor Y, we've spent most of the past two days wandering around Kiev trying to find a video game store, and when we finally went below Independence Square and looked, they have a million video games - all PC. Poor Y, Mama has a Mac. One of the things I had our facilitator explain to him after the doctor's visit, was that there were different types of operating systems and Windows programs don't work on Mac computers. I could've bought the program to use Windows on Mac, but that kind of defeats the purpose of owning a Mac.
At least we're getting exercise. One good thing. Another is that Y seems to have an aversion to restaurants. Trying to get him to go in one is like trying to get him to brush his teeth. And he keeps expecting me to order everything. So do the adults. I try, but he usually has to explain to them what we want. Tonight we had to go back to the supermarket because SOMEONE ate almost all the food we bought yesterday. I'll let you figure that one out. So, we stopped upstairs first and got a couple of containers of salad and half a dozen chicken legs for dinner. It was actually much better than I expected. The best thing of all is this apartment has a MICROWAVE! Mama can cook now! The last apartment was $20/day more and no microwave. We ate at McDonalds last night, but somehow the food always tastes a little more bland and nasty after I am about halfway through. Tomorrow we're eating some Irish food. No if's ands or buts about it.
During our roaming after the appointment, we finally found the mall Tsym. So we went inside in search of video igri, but alas none. We did however find a very nice souvenir for babushka (Y picked it out - he has good taste) and a soccer ball for Y. Aparently there is something about having a Ukrainian "futbol" that was important to him. At least we have room in the luggage with that big one S gave back to us when he left.
Speaking of what Y left the internat with, I was amazed at how much he had. Everyone else's blog says the kids walk away with nothing or the clothes on their backs. Y brought several pieces of clothing we had given him, one pair of barely recognizable tennis shoes we gave him last Christmas, two pairs of black boots, a winter coat and the clothes he was wearing including a light jacket. Actually it was a good thing we had to go back to Stakhanov. I learned the next morning that Y had left a very important thing at the internat by mistake. When S and V dropped us off Sat morning, Y ran into the dormitory with V in tow. About ten minutes later they came out, Y with something very familiar in his hands. It seems, somehow, Y had forgotten to bring "Squirt" with him. "Squirt" is the stuffed dog he made over two years ago at Build-A-Bear. "Squirt" is a white dog with brown spots (sound like anyone you know - maybe the REAL Squirt?) who wears a 'futbol costume' complete with a soccer ball and shin guards. At least Y didn't say, "No, he won't be able to breathe!" when I told him to put "Squirt" inside his luggage so he wouldn't get lost again.
More about the doctor's visit. No, Y does not have any lingering TB, but she said he does have scoliosis. It doesn't look bad to my untrained eye, but we'll have him examined again in TX. Other than that he's healthy as a horse. We even met another couple there with three little boys. I had read their blog last night and left a comment and lo and behold we were at the doctor's at the same time. Very nice couple, gorgeous little boys (one of them bio, the other two adopted brothers). One of the good things about the doctors is that adoptions go first, no matter when you got there. It's really annoying to the regular citizens who are waiting for travel/work stuff. They have to wait in line. Even to pay, we got to cut ahead.
At the embassy, it really pays to be a US citizen. When we got there at about 10 minutes to 8am, there were at least 20 people waiting in line behind a rope. We walked past all of them (I just followed O, our facilitator for the day - number 4 and counting). One of the guards called her on it, she just pointed to me, I showed my passport and, "Yes, ma'am, go right ahead," was his response. O could not go into the embassy with us. When we got to the correct window for adoptions, we got to go ahead of everyone else waiting for visas, too. The perks of being an American. After I was told the bad news about Bill's signature, I elected to pay for the visa today, anyway. Only two days in Kiev and I'm already down almost $1500:
$400 for the visa
$165 for the doctor's visit
$105 for my driver for 7 hours
$10 for document copies
$715 for apartment rental (till Saturday - they said if I leave earlier they will refund any extra)
$200 for grivna exchange
$1495 Total
The only other thing I expect to pay for (besides souvenirs and food) is the driver's fees for driving me back and forth to the doctor's office, the embassy and eventually to the airport to say,
"Do svidanya!"
Later, time to visit blogland.
Natalie
TX
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