What Is the Ukrainian Working Attire?

I read a passage online about "What Not To Wear To Work". And the main points of what NOT to wear are (but Ukrainians fulfilled nearly all):

1. Too Much Cleavage (A lot of Ukrainian girls exposed about half of their breast)
2. Too-short Skirt (Ukrainian girls love short skirts or even short shorts. You can even find this during winter occasionally :P )
3. See-Through Clothes (Oh, summer time you can even get them bra-less with see-through clothes)
4. Over Accessoring (Is rings on all fingers consider?)
5. Bringing the beach into the office (They don't have rules on dressing)

They just can wear almost anything to work. Jeans in the working world is usually considered as semi-formal or maybe informal, as far as I am concerned. But in Ukraine, a lot of them take it as formal too. I don't know whether it is the same in any other places / Europe. But Ukraine is a free dressing world. You just need the guts! *wink*

August 2009 EuroTrip

Yes, it's less than a week till 1st of August. Yes, I am going to start my journey, not for EuroVision, but for my EuroTrip. Thanks to my sponsors --- Daddy and Mummy.

This coming EuroTrip last about a month and a week. From 1st of August till the 6th of September. Long journey? Yeah, sort of. Gonna begin from the 1st of August at about 2pm taking the train from Simferopol to Kiev. This journey would be about 15 hours, so I guess my butts gonna cry in numbness. But it will be much better because my EuroTrip will end with a 33-35hours of train from Chernivtsi-Simferopol. Then maybe by then I would be having Butt-Sore (or maybe Bed-Sore???).

The coming trip covers only one continent, and yes again, still Europe (obviously, otherwise why named it as EuroTrip???) Winter January 2008, been to Vienna, Budapest and Prague. Last summer --- June 2008, been to Spain, Italy, 4-hours of London. Last winter --- January 2009, is about Belgium and Wroclaw (Poland). So this time, gonna explore somewhere up-North.

I am beginning my journey from Katowice to Poznan. Should have about half a day in Poznan. Then flying to Norway. Main aim is for the Fjord. Everyone asking why not saving Norway for the aurora during the winter? Well, summer in Norway should be fun anyway :)

From Norway by train, will be in Denmark for 3D/2N, not going to Lego Land though *sigh*, a little expensive. Then leaving for Stockholm for a 3D/2N. Not to forget their Absolut IceBar, where a short journey into the totally ICE-made Bar, with a small drink in ICE mug. Yippie!!! So, somehow I will be experiencing winter in summer :P

*Absolut Ice Bar Stockholm*

From Stockholm, will take a cruise to reach Tallinn and then by the Eurolines will arrive Riga. Sad that I will leave out a country in the Baltic --- Lithuania. But what to do? Time is a major factor. Again, from Riga will be taking a cruise back to Stockholm to catch a flight to London for a flight to Salzburg. Complicated? Well, a little bit, I have to admit.

Salzburg---Sound of Music is what that comes into mind. Besides the birth place of the infamous Mozart, it is also well-known for its nature and beauty. Will tell you more upon my journey back home to Simferopol. After that, a flight from Vienna will bring me back to Romania, where the County of Dracula will awe me, and perhaps treat me with some non-bloody meal, hehe.

*Salzburg*

Romania has always been one of my top-destination. Its Dracula legend has been haunting generations to generations, just like the Chinese Vampires. But one of the drawback is about the Gypsies in Romania, which I hope will not cause me any problem. Then from Romania, will be back to Chernivtsi, Ukraine to take the LONG-LONG 33-35Hours of train to be late for classes in Simferopol.

*Romania*

CouchSurfing is also part of the plan for this EuroTrip. Should be able to dwell into the daily life of the locals, which would be interesting, especially to be able to get an in-depth of their culture and understandings :-)

Well, in short, the journey can be summarised as this, thanks for taking your precious time to read through the passage:

01/08/2009 : Simferopol-Kiev

02/08/2009 : Kiev-Katowice

03/08/2009 : Poznan-Oslo (Norway)

09/08/2009 : Oslo-Copenhagen (Denmark)

11/08/2009 : Copenhagen-Stockholm (Sweden)

14/08/2009 : Stockholm-Tallinn (Estonia)

17/08/2009 : Tallinn-Riga

17/08/2009 : Riga-Stockholm (again)

18/08/2009 : Stockholm-London-Salzburg (Austria)

24/08/2009 : Vienna-Burcharest (Romania)

05/09/2009 : Suceava-Chernivtsi-Simferopol

* Train Bus Cruise Plane *

There goes my one month and a week, exploring 8 countries (or rather small part of the countries) but journeying through 10 countries, with 2 hitch-hikings in Romania. Wish me luck! *wink*

Will tell more after reaching in September...

Life Is Good

July 2009, my first ever long summer in the beloved land of Ukraine, Europe. The sun, the beaches, the people, the food, simply its air. I am enjoying it.

Friends who in the previous years stayed back for the summer in Ukraine, told us, WARNED us that it is super-duper boring. With no one to talk to, with no activities except endless of movies or HK series, with too much time to be wasted...Just simply nothing to do.

But guess what? I totally disagree. I have collected the endless movies to prevent myslef from boredom, and till today, I can't even clear half of them. Nothing to do? No way, there are too much to be done. Preparations for the August Europe trip, practicals, cleanings to be done, food, exploring the city and places... No activities??? No way!!! BBQ, shopping, beaches...how could they said nothing to do? Sometimes, the truth of human nature speaks by itself, because everyone is waiting for everyone to organize something. And there goes, forever and ever......

People who said there is nothing to do is just simply lazy to find themselves something to do. There will always be something to do it's just a matter of time, when you are getting up and getting them done. Oh dear, never say nothing to do...It's fine if it's once in a while, but for good, there are just to much that 24-hours-a-day will never be enough.

I am enjoying my summer here. I used to not-very-like Ukraine. But when you start to realize that time is running short, and you really start to see the beauty they have, the naturally unpoluted-yet tourism, you will start to fall in love with it.

Simferopol is a simple not-very-developed town, where you can't get everything, and I mean really lack of a lot of stuffs.

Poor condition of the student hostel. Only ICY cold water in the bathroom during the summer, so you need to carry your own water and boil them with a coiler. Kitchen water supply that serves from 8am to 4pm, means having dinner before 4pm??? With no washing machines, because the administrators of hostels said it consumes TOO MUCH of the electricity. Sometimes non-functioning lifts, meaning carry your stuffs maybe to as high as nine floor.

However, despite of these uncomfortable circumstances that may be overcomed, Simferopol is indeed rather safe to stay in. Yes, they do have pick-pockets (where basically you have to prevent and be extremely careful in ANY prt of the world), but at least they rarely (so far I haven't heard of) have robbery, no snatchers, hardly heard of a rapist...

Although the communication can be tough with only Russian/Ukrainian language, with the citizens barely knowing English, I find that they are indeed quite tourist-friendly. But of course this is basically luck, depending on whom do you meet with.

However, I believe, that no matter which condition that you are going to be living in, it always comes down to your attitude towards life. Be positive, have faith and you will find life better, not because of the way life is treating you, but YOU are treating life!!!