Donna’s Day with Kyiv, Kids and Chaos by Car

We got up early at 4:45 a.m. to get to Mariupol’s airport for Donna, the kids and a care worker/nurse off to Kyiv for their checkups at the medical centre, as required by Canadian immigration. Because we do not yet have legal responsibility for the kids, the orphanage needs to send someone to be responsible for the kids. And, to save a bit of money, Murray was left behind to (sigh) do laundry, pick up some stuff and generally goof off on his own for the day. Here’s Donna’s story.

Today was another busy day but a great day that will become one of many “days of firsts” with our kids. We were in the paper chase trail again for the adoption on the Ukraine side of things. However, this one involved a trip to Kyiv with our two kids in tow. And it was their first plane trip!

Overall, they both traveled great! I had visions of two children, on the plance cringing in terror, throwing up from motion sickness, and basically turning against me for any care. Instead, they were almost like regular jet setters themselves, calm and quiet, just taking things in. My toughest challenge was to answer all of the 7 year old boy’s questions about the emergency description card and how the life vest works.

Both kids did very well during the take off. Our boy kept his nose pressed again the window looking out over the land and sea with the ships. He thought the checkered look of yellow and green fields looked strange because they were so far below. Then we were in clouds most of the trip to Kyiv. Once we started to descend into Kyiv, he became excited to see all the “matrushkas” (small yellow buses) zipping about like toy cars in the streets below. He was also worried how we would land. Would the plane actually dropped from the sky straight to the ground? Again, with a hand gesture, I explained that the landing was just like the take off---just as gradual but going down.

Our driver met us at the domestic airport in Kyiv, an old style, Soviet place with transfer buses from the plane pulled by a something akin to a ‘52 International 2 ton grain truck. We went to the Canadian Embassy first. Its foyer seemed so “Canadian”—nothing colourful or identifying, just neutral, cold, bilingual. So a-political Canadian, eh! Then we drove in very congested traffic to the medical centre that does the examinations for people wanting to immigrate to Canada, USA, Australia or New Zealand. We had a good doctor who provided me with lots of information. Bottom line, as we expected, the kids are in great shape and there are no major health concerns that would prevent them from coming to Canada with us.

I left the kids with the nurse to go with our driver to see our facilitator in the northern part of Kyiv. Sure, it was inside the city but it was still a 3 hour trip there and back, with incredibly congested streets. (I sure won’t complain about Circle Drive in S’toon any more…) We literally would sit through 4-6 light changes before making it across to the next street. I said three times to our driver that we should just park the van and take the Metro. The driver preferred to drive (and get paid more per hour I suppose…). After meeting our facilitator for only 5 minutes, our return to the kids was even worse, and it was one of the most scariest, “white knuckle” rides I’ve ever been on. The driver’s mission was to get me from point A to B in the required time, no matter what it took. At one point, we were in a three lane street with 6 lanes of cars, when he would veer out of the left lane and speed into the oncoming traffic lane to get to the next set of lights. Then he edged across the 6 lanes of cars like a snake to the far right lane, jumped the curb to drive along the tram tracks, bucking pot holes and mud. At one point the tram was coming toward us, and he swerved back on the sidewalk, around a couple pillars under an overpass, and then back on the tram tracks. It was just like a car chase scene in a fast paced, action packed movie. The only difference is that we were chasing the clock.

I learned something as a mother-to-be though. One week ago, I’m not sure I’d have been able to cope with that trip. But now that I know its for the kids sake, I can endure most anything if its for their benefit.

Our return flight was smooth. Our two-year old girl sitting in the seat in front of me liked to play peekaboo with me and other passengers on the plane. Our boy was curious about the instructions for an emergency landing that were in the pocket in front of each seat. He asked a lot of questions: where was the life vest? (we felt for them under our seats); can he see one; why do we need a life vest; is it like a parachute; what is this button on the picture (to inflate the vest); and that button and that (whistle, light). Again, much of the flight was over cloud. However, once we got closer to Mariupol, he was fascinated to see the lights of the city. And then when we landed and still traveling fast on the run way, the lights on the tarmac looked like they were whizzing by. He thought other planes were criss-crossing around us. One other funny note: When the pilot spoke before the flight left from Kyiv, he obviously spoke Ukrainian. With a smirk, our boy said that because the pilot often said “tak, tak” (yes, yes), that he was speaking Ukrainian and not Russian (da is yes). For most of the flight coming back, he would poke me, and ask a lot of questions, or make a lot of statements analyzing the situation as if he spoke by fact.
Despite the cars, chaos and Kyiv, ‘cause of the kids, I will always remember this “first day” of many “first days” with our kids.

A note to everyone…… Thanks very much for your words and good wishes by email or messages on our blog. We enjoy them so much and it help gives us a connection to home. Sorry we don’t reply directly, as we usually have limited time at the internet café near our place. But please, please, keep them coming!
Thanks, Donna and Murray.