Tag: eastern europe
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Ukraine: Second Impressions
After a couple of months in Ukraine I began to slowly accept the country as it is, for better and worse. I got used to some things, especially after living in Kharkiv for a few months, and yet just couldn’t understand some other aspects of the country and its culture. What follows are my second…
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Kyiv, Ukraine: The Divided Country and… Has Dave Lombardo Heard Me Play Drums?
If there’s one city where you can see the change of the Ukrainian West-East dichotomy, it’s Kyiv (Київ, pronounced K-yeev in Ukrainian, or Key-ev in Russian). Kyiv is modernity mixed with tradition: narrow, cobblestone streets like those found in L’viv intersect modern, paved streets. The huge roadways hum with traffic while the sidewalks are lined…
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L’viv, Ukraine: The Cradle of Ukrainian Culture
My opinions and views of Ukraine thus far have been far from admirable. Within a week I was ready to leave the country and couldn’t believe what a utter mess Ukraine was/is in. But being out of the country for a few months has given me some distance and perspective allowing me to appreciate my…
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Polish Reggae, Jazz, Traditional and Classical Muzyka
Finally here’s my second post on Polish music. You can read the first part on rock and metal here. Reggae(muffin??) Artist: Maleo Reggae Rockers and Goście Album: XVI Przystanek Woodstock 2010 For some reason, reggae seems to be huge in Poland. Maybe it’s cuz the European Union to freely move all sorts of things, such as…
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Ukraine: First Impressions
This post is admittedly quite late as I’ve been out of Ukraine for a couple of months now. But I thought I’d write up how my expectations compared with my first impressions of Ukraine. My visit to Ukraine was eye-opening to say the least. Growing up in Canada as a Ukrainian-Canadian, my entire life I’d…