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Things we see that make no sense to an American.
A train track. Fully operational. And a lady standing on it about a mile from the main road. She just walked down the train track. So I wondered, was she just waiting for the train to pick her up? Maybe she was hitchhiking!
Riding buses becomes common place, but last night I saw something new. A lady got on the bus quickly and saved a seat for her husband (he was smoking and later in line). He came and she got up so that he could sit next to the window. She sat down again, until the bus was full and moving forward – then she stood up next to her seat holding on to it for dear life but never giving it up for someone to sit in. I just don’t understand!
Something that has become familiar to us, but isn’t possible in America is the crowding of the buses and mashutkas. The seats fill quickly and then it’s standing room only and people don’t mind touching others so they pack-em in! The mashutkas all have the bars that are attached to the ceiling so that you can hold on to something (like a short person can reach them) and although these large vans have 13-17 seats, to put maybe 30-35 people on is not uncommon. We got used to them in Moldova and they are here also, but . . . most of the people speak Ukrainian on these buses. So what is it they are saying to me most of the time? I don’t want to know! Ignorance is bliss!
Buses are the subject many, if not most, of our conversations. But I have to say, every time I see Mike on a mashutka, I have to laugh, he is too tall to pass for a European! He doesn’t fit. Sorry Mike!
By the way, this marvelous picture is of a "real" bus, the one from Cernauti to Chisinau!
A train track. Fully operational. And a lady standing on it about a mile from the main road. She just walked down the train track. So I wondered, was she just waiting for the train to pick her up? Maybe she was hitchhiking!
Riding buses becomes common place, but last night I saw something new. A lady got on the bus quickly and saved a seat for her husband (he was smoking and later in line). He came and she got up so that he could sit next to the window. She sat down again, until the bus was full and moving forward – then she stood up next to her seat holding on to it for dear life but never giving it up for someone to sit in. I just don’t understand!
Something that has become familiar to us, but isn’t possible in America is the crowding of the buses and mashutkas. The seats fill quickly and then it’s standing room only and people don’t mind touching others so they pack-em in! The mashutkas all have the bars that are attached to the ceiling so that you can hold on to something (like a short person can reach them) and although these large vans have 13-17 seats, to put maybe 30-35 people on is not uncommon. We got used to them in Moldova and they are here also, but . . . most of the people speak Ukrainian on these buses. So what is it they are saying to me most of the time? I don’t want to know! Ignorance is bliss!
Buses are the subject many, if not most, of our conversations. But I have to say, every time I see Mike on a mashutka, I have to laugh, he is too tall to pass for a European! He doesn’t fit. Sorry Mike!
By the way, this marvelous picture is of a "real" bus, the one from Cernauti to Chisinau!
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