Kiev for Work

I unfortunately wasn’t able to do any further sightseeing during the balance of my visit, but I was able to eat at a couple of very good restaurants – one Italian, one Japanese / sushi (I definitely didn’t expect good sushi in Ukraine…), and one authentic Soviet-era establishment (pictures below).

The highlights of the traditional Soviet dinner were definitely the restaurant's general ambiance and decor, which felt straight out of a Cold War-era CCCP time capsule. That's not to say that the food wasn't good (it was -- I went with the beef stroganoff), but it simply couldn't compete with the overall atmosphere.

I also had the opportunity to speak a lot with my colleagues from Kiev/Ukraine and it was interesting to hear their perspectives on the country as well as life both pre- and post-communist rule. Much of what they said was consistent with the comments that I heard while in Russia (e.g., deep fears of the U.S. during the Cold War, yet a fondness for many things "American"; the vast disparities in wealth among the general populace; disappointment in the high levels of corruption both inside and outside the government, yet a general acceptance of it as "the way things are").

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During the flight back to Geneva I had one of my more "interesting" experiences while on a plane. The woman who was sitting in the window seat of my row (I was in the aisle seat) decided to change the diaper of her toddler daughter in the middle seat between us.

I had absolutely no idea how to respond to this and just stared awkwardly at the seat in front of me while praying for the moment to pass (that's the best that I could come up with...). I actually felt like I was in some sort of bizarro world as the woman clearly had no qualms about doing what she was doing and none of the other passengers seemed to notice / mind.

In the end, the diaper was eventually changed and life ultimately continued. And fortunately, the toddler had simply deposited the lesser of the two potential evils in her dirty diaper (if you know what I mean...).