humors

Because I have been on a serious kick of business and productivity, I wanted to take a moment to share some more lighthearted topics.

On my way to work yesterday I was lucky enough to witness a shopkeeper throwing a bucket of water into her trashcan. Because it was on fire. To keep Ukraine clean men throw their cigarette butts into the trashcans- and yes... they are still lit. So trash is perpetually lighting on fire. To be fair, there are some cases that may be intentional burning (as a form of trash disposal) hence most of the outdoor trash receptacles are made of metal or cement, but really, I have never seen anybody intentionally lighting these trash fires. Leading to the question- is throwing your cigarette butt away more than just cleaning up after yourself? Is it a civic responsibility? Or by chance are the trashcans metal and cement because of this consequence of cleaning up? (And I believe that the only reason she had to put her trash out [literally] was because she actually kept trash bags in it.)

I am in the Peace Corps- serving under "hardships." This means that I have a mobile phone, high speed internet in my own apartment, hot running water, and a real kitchen. I have the opportunity to go and hang out with other Americans who live in my city, and I can even find Nutella at the grocery store. And all of this means that if I look hard enough and have an very open mind, I can pretty much either find exactly what I am looking for or something close. So without further ado let me present
The real thing- A little taste of home, and something that will always bring me back to baking with Oma and the fam:)

The Ukrainian thing- And dare I admit I actually like these better than real Uh-Oh Oreos?

And this is something I should make in the States but it was always easier to buy, Granola Bars. (These happen to be Coconut Rum flavored...)

And while in Ukraine I have had to use every type of toilet imaginable, from hole-in-the-ground outhouse, to "enclosed for privacy" fields, to Turkish toilets, to the things they call toilets on trains and at the clinic, this one I believe takes the gold standard because it literally takes peeing to the next levels. Because yes, you are looking at exactly what you think you are looking at.