Boodma! Hey!

Lainey and I rode a red eye plane to get to Kiev. Boy we were tired! We met the camera crew and Jonathan in Zurich and then took a 2 hours flight all the way to the final destination. It was nice to meet everyone after only having skyped with them. I have a good feeling about this project. Anyway, after getting settled into our Air BNB place, we started walking on the street looking for something interesting and different….and we found it. Chicken parts, for sale….without ice…….ON THE STREET! Wha???? Yes, and and fish. Bizarre. I don't think I could eat it.

Jonathan had been in contact with a new lindy hopper here, Dasha. She took us to a Ukrainian folk restaurant. From the outside, it looks like Chili's!

But on the inside, a man dressed up in red cossacks and looks like santa claus greets you with homemade vodka. His whole job is to drink with you and get you to drink more. He was very good at this job and I'm sad to say that I had 6 shots! The boys were competing and I believe they had 14! The one thing I remember really well from the night is how they say "cheers" which is actually a chant!

Boodma, HEY! Boodma, HEY! Boodma, boodma, boodma, HEYHEYHEY! (then he'd say something about us drinking and good luck or good health. Honestly I wasn't paying attention because I was guzzling down cranberry or raspberry vodka)

 We also had some traditional dishes, like chicken kiev and borscht. I was surprised how much I liked borscht. I'm not sure I would order it in the states, but it was damn good and Aaron would be proud as I finished my whole bowl.

 The table also ordered salo, which translates to pork lard. We all liked the bacon part but I had no interest in eating the pure fat.

This was a great way to spend the first night. Everyone was totally loose after and we went dancing with Dasha. The scene is newer here, but everyone is very nice and happy to see us. We even had a jam.