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Post by whatagain on May 7, 2022 14:26:51 GMT
Pierogis... yum.
So they arrived today after a ling trip. Ielana the mother, Julia and Vova (short for Vladimir).
Smiling, thankful, tired. We showed them their new home and they say they like it. We put some food, some money to buy food, flowers (my idea).
Now i think they will sleep then they must complete some registration, then go to the authorities. Apparently they will get some money. I have sent mails to our school - Vova is 11, Julia 16.
But for the moment they settle. They were traveling with another ukrainian family who found shelter with my neighbour, so they can reunite in our gardens. I think it will be nice for them to be with countrymen.
Ilias who picked ghem up in Berlin and accompanied them said Vova got into panic when he heard some sirens somewhere at a train station. I can imagine they have been through some traumatic moments, but cannot imagine how one copes...
But for the moment, they are safe.
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Post by htmb on May 7, 2022 14:44:38 GMT
Wonderful news, whatagain, and so kind of you, your wife and your daughters. It sounds like having the other family nearby will be comforting to Ielana and her children.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 7, 2022 14:46:17 GMT
I'm glad they arrived.
Now if you want to be a super host, you will all gather together to watch Ukraine win the Eurovision song contest next Saturday.
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Post by casimira on May 7, 2022 15:28:12 GMT
Well done Whatagain.
I feel a sense of pride in "knowing" someone who together with your family demonstrates a kind hearted and compassionate random act of kindness.
I hope it all goes well and anticipate seeing pics of food from that region as someone else mentioned pierogis.
Bless your heart Whatagain.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 7, 2022 16:29:42 GMT
Indeed. Well done WA. You’ve done a good job.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 7, 2022 19:46:27 GMT
I'm quite sure that whatagain understands that we are all totally devoured by curiosity but that our superior upbringing prevents us from flooding him with indiscreet questions.
However I will venture a simple language question. Are you communicating with these people in Engish? Or maybe German? Do they speak any French at all?
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Post by questa on May 7, 2022 22:32:05 GMT
Whatagain, is there anything WE can do to support you and your family in this adventure. Were the children learning English at school? Would they like an Aussie pen-friend to write to once they get settled?
What is the 21st century language for 'pen friend' and 'write to'. It sounds so archaic!
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Post by bixaorellana on May 7, 2022 22:49:58 GMT
Excellent news, Whatagain. How kind you all were to anticipate their needs before they got there. I imagine that for the moment everyone -- the guests and your family, too -- is overwhelmed.
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Post by mich64 on May 8, 2022 2:42:54 GMT
Whatagain I think it is wonderful you and your family have chosen to open your home to this mother and her two children. Thank goodness there are people like you and your family all over Europe doing this where they can. You have a generous caring spirit. I read of people talking how they want to help and you have actually been able to do something very meaningful that will bring comfort to this mother and her children.
I think it is very good for them that there are others near by. It was heart breaking to read of the young boy fearful of hearing sirens, we can not imagine what he has seen or heard these past few months. I hope the bad memories fade but if he has a dad that remained he must be sad and worrying constantly waiting to hear things some positive news. Hopefully they get into school and into a routine soon, that will help.
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Post by whatagain on May 8, 2022 8:31:34 GMT
Thank you all. You are all very kind.
I feel like i am repaying a favor that needn't be repaid, the welcoming of my own family in 1940 in France, in Bordeaux. A sort of transgenerational international lift being sent back...
What is more is that it is truly a family project, becausecif coursecall tgis was vired for. My wife and daughter spent time to rearrange the 'loft', our eldest's first reaction that we give her place was 'waw, great !' And Marie is shy but going towards them. And my wife priority was to replace the coffee machine, that we discovered was broken...
For language, Julia speaks some English - more than broken english. Ilias, who is from the same area speaks good english and already passable french, so he can help in case of emergency. Myriam, our neighbour speaks polish and rusted russian and Svetlana a bit of english. Marie speaks by gestures and we all have our smartphones to help.
My daughter speaks quite good english (US guys in LA never suspected her of being non native), Marie is learning english and my wife understands reasonably well and can speak when she cannot use me as translator.
So far so good !
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Post by bixaorellana on May 14, 2022 2:48:46 GMT
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Post by bjd on May 14, 2022 6:35:30 GMT
Let me add my compliments to you and your family, Whatagain, for your kindness.
Bixa, Finland was getting only 10% of its electricity from Russia so it won't make a huge dent and can be compensated for. But yes, Russia is acting like the neighbourhood bully and retaliating whenever it feels like it's not getting the respect it deserves.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 15, 2022 3:10:36 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on May 15, 2022 4:18:30 GMT
It's just part of the propaganda war.
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Post by bjd on May 15, 2022 6:06:33 GMT
In the Independent, I saw an article about an oligarch last year mentioning that Putin has blood cancer (leukemia?) but you have to take all this stuff with a shovelful of salt.
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Post by patricklondon on May 15, 2022 7:25:03 GMT
But he has been looking very puffy for months, as Pompidou was when he was on steroids in his last years. And I see I'm not the only one to have thought so: It would explain the "old man in a hurry" syndrome. My blog | My photos | My video clips | My Librivox recordings"too literate to be spam"
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Post by whatagain on May 15, 2022 16:04:38 GMT
Our families are finding their marks. We had a barbecue on friday, quite nice. They were the magnificient 7 : Iliana, Julia, Vova at our house, iliash, boyfriend of Julia quite a lot with us too and Svetlana, Veronika and Annia with our neighbour. They got some papers, police came to check that they were undeed with us, next they get other papers, a rent from us and mobey from the state. They are always smiling, polite, the house they inoccupy is super tidy etc. Up to niw, all is good. Among their first requests were an iron for their clothes and a bike for mobility. They like our cats and dog, and spend a lot of time in the garden (gorgeous weather). Very glad they are we us till bow ! And Iliana made a bortsch for us today. Slurp, miam.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 15, 2022 17:09:15 GMT
People who iron their clothese! So backwards!
(Just kidding!)
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Post by bixaorellana on May 16, 2022 22:43:04 GMT
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Post by bjd on May 17, 2022 7:33:58 GMT
I read today that Putin is now directing war operations himself, bypassing high-ranking military officers. Remind anyone of Hitler?
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 17, 2022 8:02:50 GMT
I'm ashamed to admit that I've been avoiding this thread. I've kept up to date with the news obviously...
But!
I am so impressed and in awe of whatagain and his family's generosity and kindness opening up their home to a Ukrainian family. Thank you.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 19, 2022 7:35:42 GMT
The Kalush Orchestra have released a new video of their Eurovision winning song. This one hits harder.
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Post by bjd on May 19, 2022 11:03:34 GMT
From the Institute for the Study of War: May 18, 2022 - Press ISW
Russian occupation authorities announced plans to destroy the Azovstal Steel Plant and turn Mariupol into a resort city, depriving Russia of some of the most important economic benefits it hoped to reap by taking the city in the first place. Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Denis Pushilin stated that DNR authorities are planning to level Azovstal after completing its capture. Azovstal was a major element of Mariupol’s economy before the war because of its unique function as a full-cycle metallurgical complex, the 10,000 jobs associated with production at the plant, the billions of dollars of foreign exchange earnings and taxes it generated, and its production output of 7,000 tons of steel, 6 million tons of iron, and 4.5 million tons of rolled metal, according to the Mariupol City Council. Pushilin stated that the DNR intends to rebuild Mariupol to be a “resort city,” while admitting that 60% of the structures in Mariupol have been destroyed to the point where they cannot be rebuilt. The announced plan to turn Mariupol into a center of tourism and leisure following the complete destruction of a major center of economic activity in Mariupol, is indicative of the damage that Russian troops have inflicted on themselves through the destruction of Mariupol. Russia does not need another resort town on the Black Sea. It does need the kind of hard currency that a plant like Azovstal had generated. This announcement epitomizes the kind of Pyrrhic victories Russian forces have won in Ukraine, to the extent that they have won victories at all.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 24, 2022 5:38:17 GMT
Third month of the war in Ukraine.
Of the 5 million people who fled the country, 2 million have already returned to get on with their lives.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 29, 2022 11:53:47 GMT
I find it reassuring to see that people can spend time with their parents and make believe that life is normal.
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Post by whatagain on May 29, 2022 14:06:08 GMT
Our ukrainian family starts to blend in. We see them often, theyare always smiling, but we keep our contacts relatively short. We havecourciwn life, they have theirs and ourvlufe is hectic at the moment.
We had only one bbq together. I repaired a bike for them, easier for them albeit they have free travel in all Belgium.
We drive Viva and Annia to school each morning.
They cook some bortsch and ukrainian things the odd days for us.
Cohabitation is good, very good.
Coming to Azovstal, this has alsk an impact on xenon, zenon and krypton gas, these being found in the crude, itself the result of an ASU (air separation unit) that produces O2 and H2 and are very often coupled with steel production.
Plus a major unit for separating the gasses (in the crude) is close to Odessa. I visited it in better times.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 29, 2022 14:41:56 GMT
That's lovely, Whatagain. Are they in the same house with your family, or in a guest house or something?
Thanks for that information on how the war is affecting production of essential elements. Usually when I get to that part of a news story, I've stopped reading so your condensed reporting of the facts is appreciated.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 4, 2022 10:47:22 GMT
I see that my cable service has added Ukraine 24, the Ukrainian news channel, as one of my channels. Obviously, I can't understand anything they're saying, but I found it fascinating to watch.
Obviously, there is more than enough of destroyed buildings, exploding missiles and baby strollers covered with dried blood. There was also a long segment on news reporters from Ukraine and quite a few other countries who have perished covering the war.
But there were some nicer things to see as well. There are construction workers repairing buildings and road workers fixing the roads. And there were even municipal gardeners filling the parks with flowers and repairing the playground equipment.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 6, 2022 17:43:46 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 11, 2022 18:03:04 GMT
I don't know if anybody else is interested in this sort of video, but I remain fascinated by Pavlo's life. The idea of having one's city cut in half for transportation (London? Paris? Berlin? Rome?) is hard to fathom, and yet the municipal bikes and scooters can be used, which makes everything seem so much more normal. Life seems so normal in Kyiv and yet of course it isn't....
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