Back online

What a year it has been! Much has happened since my last post.I am finally back online and have a lot to share.  Weeks, months gone by filled with challenges, emotions and, of course, discoveries of places I had never been before. Trust was questioned, history was made, lessons were learned and priorities shaken. Politics and desire to make a difference was on my mind much more than ever before. Repelling of DOMA once again reminded me why United States will always be an inspiration and have a special place in my heart. Stay tuned for more of Brazil, France, Ukraine, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom...

Meet Cariocas

Positive experience from any travel depends on who you meet and how welcoming and open local population is. It is impossible to write about Brazil without mentioning its diverse and fabulous population. Country of immigrants with an open door policy, that lasted for many years, in combination with a dark age of slavery created an unusual mix of beautiful kind-hearted energetic and simply amazing people. Brazilians do know how to through a party and how to make a lasting impression. Don't get me wrong, drug cartels, violent crime, robberies do exist but same is true for all the big cities around the world. Brazil does a lot to fight this stereotype and progress is remarkable. There is a great future in front of this country an all because of its people!

If you live in Rio you can proudly consider yourself one of cariocas, regardless of your Asian, European, American or African origin.  In fact, blend of all of the above is the best description of Rio de Janeiro. I am a strong believer that diversity is a key to a successful society and it is plentiful in Brazil! Wherever you go you are bound to get a friendly service in the restaurant, get clear directions from a police officer who might not even speak any foreign language or start a friendly chat with one of the beach vendors. Some of it might be commercial but most comes from a good spirited nature of curious fun and friendly residents of Rio. 

So let all the negative feelings go, head to Ipanema, grab your beach chair from one of  the cute stand owners, sip on your fresh coconut juice, and enjoy the beautiful scenery! You don't even have to move to do your shopping. Numerous vendors will come to you. All your cravings for oversized bras, skinny bikinis, handmade jewellery and certainly caipirinha can be be satisfied. 

Observe the culture, add more colours to what you wear, get obligatory havaianas shoes and start exploring. Bargain on the markets, drink freshly made juices from fruits you never knew existed, hydrate yourself with coconut water, merge your body in the warm Atlantic waives, spend few days on the beach, get that nice brown tan and start blending! You will have a feeling of belonging very soon. I certainly did!

Welcome to South America

Trip to Brazil was certainly a highlight of the year: much anticipated but very little planned.  Forget everything you have ever heard about this country and open your heart to your very own adventure. That was my motto boarding TAM flight on a gloomy Friday night leaving Heathrow  for Rio de Janeiro. TAM airlines was a pleasant surprise. Remembering frequent transatlantic flights to the United States I was dreading to spend 11 hours aboard this direct flight to sunshine. I am one of those people who can never sleep on the plane. Somehow I manage to get a seat next to a baby whose only purpose is to drive parents mad by crying his/her lungs out without any particular reason or a talkative tourist who absolutely needs to know where I work, what I plan on doing next weekend or whether chicken on the plane is organic...Sure it is, organically grown on organic hormones fed with genetically modified corn but what do I know?  Imagine my surprise when I suddenly realized that I was actually sleeping in my seat and when I opened my eyes our inflight map was joyfully telling me  that we were flying above Brazil and Rio was just few miles ahead of us!.. What else would you need from a perfect flight? Now when I think about it I do remember eating something that resembled fish and even watching a movie...All I can say is obrigado for such a smooth start of a journey! Staring through the airplane window on the hills outside and trying to see anything in the complete darkness I was getting more and more excited about a week ahead...

It was about 5 a.m. local time when we landed in Rio. Spring was just about to start over there and it was still dark when we disembarked our A330 and entered airport arrivals hall. Flight from Paris had landed shortly before us and we joined a long line to complete immigration formalities. There is not much to Rio airport and it is not a true representation of what awaits you outside this concrete structure. It is boring and grey, compete the  opposite of a colorful and joyful land of samba you are about to explore.  It took ages for our luggage to arrive which was strange considering there were only two flights landing in that early hour. I found out later that times goes slower in Rio and we should forget our jaded stressed self-centered personalities wherever we are coming from and embrace relaxed and tanned new selves...well, at least for few weeks.

You will hear stories about Brazil, particularly about high and violent crime over there. Someone may go as far as advising you to wear very simple outfits and be as discrete as possible because any sign of prosperity will lead to an immediate murder. You can imagine how paranoid I was getting myself a cup of coffee at an empty airport trying desperately to hide few bills I had in my hands. Only when I sat down and sipped on my coffee with a chocolate aroma to die for, I paid more attention to locals nearby. A guy next to me was joyfully talking on his iPhone, couple was pulling Visa card to pay for their breakfast and a family of 5 was giving money to their children asking them to get more sweets for the table...I was in real danger, wasn’t I? At that very moment I reminded myself of my motto to forget everything I was told and make my own opinion (as you are about to find out in my next posts).

As soon as I was done with my coffee I wanted to retrieve more cash, get a cab and finally feel rays of rising sun on my skin. How interesting can getting cash at the airport be? Really, what is there to an ATM that can be so different? As I found out, there was lots. There were about 7 cash machines at the airport all aligned next to each other in the same corridor. I did not think twice about it and went to the one with a familiar bank logo. There was something really strange about that device, in fact it looked nothing like I had ever seen, with numerous buttons and signs for payment systems I had never heard of. So much for my experience! After short hesitation I put my Visa in the slot of the unfriendly device. Machine politely asked me what language I preferred and offered me 10 different options I had with my card (including payment for a mobile connection). I chose cash withdrawal from my checking account, re-entered the amount three times because apparently 10s and 20s were not available on that day and then...NOTHING happened! I was staring at the screen and stubborn machine was staring back at me with a blinking monitor and was not in a rush to give me anything...Considering my entire trip was booked with that very card I was screwed, to say the least. Suddenly out of nowhere new message appeared thanking me for using their network!?!?!? followed by another moment of silence and another message informing me that my transaction was cancelled. Thank you dear bank, why don’t you go back to Geneva along with your very efficient ATM network?! I went to a next machine, repeated the same steps, was informed that contrary to a previous ATM, 50s were the only banknotes available and then... nothing happened! I tried again and again but those machines were determined to leave me cashless. That’s when I realized that security guard was looking strangely in my direction, probably wondering whether I was some kind of hacker trying to break through the network security or just a mad man. What was the rush to get money anyway? Under close supervision of the airport security I tried the very last ATM which, to my surprise, after lots of cracking and strange noises, gave me something I no longer expected from an ATM, money!

As you can see I was finally prepared to leave the airport with an open heart for exploring beautiful Rio, meeting cariocas and learning everything I needed to know from the beginning (including how to use an ATM). Stay tuned for more on my new favorite Janeiro!

Different Brixton

Dangerous and dodgy or upcoming and vibrant? Most Londoners overlook this colourful neighbourhood by claiming Brixton will always be Brixton and dismiss any possibility that this part of Southern London can be worth visiting.
My first acquaintance with this neighbourhood happened over a year ago when, driven by my usual curiosity, I took Victoria line to the very end of its southbound service and disembarked in the "wild and unknown" southern London. My first impression was nothing but disappointment. Instead of a colourful Caribbean population all I saw was numerous homeless people asking for change, dubious fish stands on the market and hundreds of shoppers carrying their purchases in oversized bags decorated with hideous flowers. After walking towards Brixton market I ran into a street fight. Apparently market vendors caught someone trying to steal something from one of their stands and they were just about to teach him a lesson. Street justice had never been my thing and I quickly decided to wrap up my visit and headed back to a familiar comfort of zone 1.

When I got an invitation from one of my friends to meet up in Brixton for a trendy brunch I could not resist but make a comment whether she really wanted to go to Brixton and if Soho was a better choice...In fear of sounding old and judgemental I got a hold of my scepticism and gave it a shot. And was I in for a surprise, a real discovery!

It was a sunny December day when I hesitantly got off the bus in the very heart of "oh so dangerous" Brixton. I was immediately taken aback but a positive aura all around the street: smiling people, friendly street vendors chatting with eager shoppers... and my thoughts were immediately carried away to distant Caribbean with the sounds of reggae music masterfully played by a Jamaican street musician. What a change from my previous visit! We headed right in the heart of Brixton market to find a place to eat. Fresh sugar canes, manioc, Jamaican tea, unknown fruits and vegetables or maybe dried fish that looked like one of the must ingredients of the witchcraft? You can find it all in Brixton. The market is filled with art shops, cafes and small restaurants catering to the most demanding tastes. My friend suggested Japanese restaurant that served traditional street food and was the only place in London that served okonomiyaki, traditional Japanese pancakes. And there we were in the middle of Jamaican food and art stands eating authentic Japanese cuisine... Only in Brixton! We could choose from prawns, beef, tofu, pork and cabbage filling. What a delight it was! Accompanied by freshly brewed green tea we consumed out okonomiyakis that looked nothing like pancakes but tasted simply delicious!

Once we were finished with our fantastic lunch we headed to the shop across the street for a desert. Mango and walnut/coffee cakes, chocolate chip cookies, pecan tarts, lemon and banana bread just to name the few! How could we choose? instead we got a piece of each for an afternoon tea at home and headed to a coffee shop on the 5th Ave that served the best hot chocolate and mocha ever! Yes they do have their own 5th Ave in Brixton (just in case you really miss your NYC)!

Night started to embrace London but I did not want to leave Brixton... I will definitely be back (maybe for Caribbean food tasting?). Thank you Taos for opening up my heart to Brixton: a place, where you can find it all!

Out in Manchester

Manchester United, Queer as Folk, pop music Heaven, industrial desert, Northern megapolis, first computer birthplace, post-industrial waste zone, urban chic living...

City of Manchester is all of the above and much much more. It is not a city to fall in love with from the first sight, but whatever your feeling might be, you will most certainly not stay indifferent to its emerging urban identity.

There are no striking postcard-beautiful sights, yet something drives one to explore its  cosmopolitan streets with an intense curiosity of an inexperienced tourist, a feeling you most likely have not had for ages...

Easy train ride from London will take you to Manchester Piccadilly station in the heart of the city in just over two hours. Difference between two cities cannot be more striking. Be prepared to see ultramodern Hilton bordering shabby hotel with no name or even windows. Stroll down Piccadilly street, lined with various shops and turn to one of the smaller streets where all world brands seem to nest or even check out dodgy alleys with side entries to night clubs and restaurants; stop for lunch in one of the numerous basement restaurants. That said there are not so many culinary treats awaiting you in Manchester. In fact, dining in the basement might not be all that enticing and yet it seems to be preferred place for restaurant owners. I am to find out why...

Manchester has a vibrant night life. Numerous clubs are located within walking distance from each other- a real luxury for a Londoner. Slightly provincial air to the night venues is largely compensated by people you are likely to meet.  If your life was touched by British series Queer as Folk, check out Canal street just few blocks off Piccadilly. 

There are several interesting museums in the city. I was very eager to discover very promising police museum only to find out that it was open on Tuesdays only... Come on, really?  Be prepared to that sort of controversy in Manchester, as tourism is not what drives its economy. There is also rather interesting museum of science and technology featuring first computer called "Baby" , unfortunately pavilion where "baby" was displayed was closed until December.It was just my luck. There was also an interesting underground passage depicting stories of water shortage and public facilities from previous centuries. Go figure... Art Gallery is certainly worth a visit, you will find most unusual combination of art work displayed in an unusual way in the same exhibition.

In any case, if you stop playing tourist, you will have much better time and will probably come back to visit the City of Manchester.

Free House and Theater

Care for a pint? Head to your local independent theater and get your beer combined with spiritual joy of stage performing arts. If you told me this few months ago I would probably engage myself in a long discussion what could be defined as a theater. However our opinions do change and mine is no exception.

Pubs play an important role in British social life, I don't even need to restate this obvious fact. We also know that beer may very well be a national drink of this Kingdom. Londoners, like true European New Yorkers, are also fond of contemporary theater and performing arts, in general. Now, why not to combine all three together? I guess this question lead to creation of the numerous theaters all around London that are, in fact, real pubs with the the theater rooms adjacent to them. You can enjoy your cider before the show or take it with you for the duration of the one. If you are really up to it, you can grab a good snack or even a decent dinner at the same time.

OK, drinks and entertainment often come together in same establishments, but this is completely different. Some of such places call themselves free houses. Which does not mean you can drink for free or have a complimentary lodging. It has something to do with the independence from any particular brewery and a free choice of beer brands in stock. I am not a beer drinker but it was an interesting experience to observe pub crowd in the middle of a loud conversation slowly filling theater seats and preparing for a show. I admit like any good continental theater lover I had my glass of wine before the show and did not dare to bring it with me into the theater, but I certainly enjoyed this new discovery in a way which is only possible if you cross the Channel.

*photo flickr.com

Spring Blues

What is it that makes us so enlightened, so cheerful and so convinced in even better tomorrow every time we cross yet another mid March calender milestone? Year after year, country after country this feeling stays with us. Even if you are lucky enough to live in a place with no winters and rainy autumns, you cannot help but notice those extra flowers, appreciate those extra hours you spend on the beach or admire that extra sheen in the nature everywhere around you...March has always been a special month for me and I did experience that special internal cheer when I was in Eau Claire, Washington, Miami, Kyiv or London at the time...

In Kyiv March usually means a slow transition from muddy dark winter days to periods of a bright sunshine, leaving office in a day light and feeling of liberation when piles of snow slowly leave sidewalks and you can walk home without a constant danger of draining yourself in puddles of melting snow that occupied the city for the previous four months...Kyiv seems to undergo a major face lift and you cannot help but admit how beautiful it is with its numerous parks, vast squares and powerful river dividing the city into two banks...

My first spring in the United States was in Wisconsin. What can I say about winters in Mid West? Well...there is plenty of sunshine, there are no puddles of melting snow but there is a constant breathtaking feeling of an extreme cold that follows you everywhere and I mean everywhere you go... and there is snow... a lot of snow... Digging cars after the latest storm or simply trying to find a way home when all you could see was blinding whiteness coming upon you from every side and taking possession of your windshield was a weekly occurrence. Spring had never been more appreciated. :) People usually got surprised when I was constantly shivering and trying to hide away from the snow in Eau Claire. In every one's mind I was coming from Ukraine and was supposed to be used to bitter cold winters and meters and meters of snow falling over one night. Nobody suspected that Kyiv experienced only about two weeks of Wisconsin winter and the rest of the time people "enjoyed" rain mixed with snow and a constant lack of sun but nothing even close to the coldness of bright sunny days in Eau Claire...

When I moved to Washington, I knew I would have a completely different spring from anything I experienced before. It was amazing... The intensity of DC spring does not come from a temperature change or disappearance of the snow. Winters in Washington are pretty mild and blue sky is nothing but common...The breathtaking beauty comes from an endless parade of flowers taking over the city in a mere week or so. Early cherry blossom around Tidal Basin, pink magnolias on the National Mall and colourful azaleas around the Capitol building are simply mesmerizing. If you are ever in DC around this time, go to the Jefferson Memorial before the sunset, sit on its marble stairs and watch all the cherry trees, people passing by and warm sun setting over the city...Moments like that makes me feel how lucky we are, how much beauty there is around us and how treasured every day is...

This year for the first time I experienced my March blues in London. There is no real winter in this city and spring usually comes very early. Beautiful crocuses were poking their heads as early as the end of February and sunny days were becoming longer and longer every minute. Regent's and St. Jame's parks are my favourite spring spots here. Every week you can enjoy new flowers opening up to warm spring sun rays and flocks of birds cheering to a new beginning...