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Saudi Arabia takes lead in efforts to and Lebanon crisis
| Washington
a normally reticent Saudi Arabia is now engaged in one of the most ambitious diplomatic efforts it has undertaken in years. For the moment at least, the Saudis are playing the lead diplomatic role in attempting to resolve the Lebanon crisis. Saudi envoys have been shuttling in and out of Beirut, Damascus, and Washington.
The head of Saudi intelligence, Prime Turki al-Faisal, is currently in Washington on an unpublicized mission, during which he is to meet with high-ranking American officials. On an earlier mission, he met with President Reagan.
US officials are reluctant to comment on the Saudi peace effort, partly because of the usual Saudi sensitivities but also partly because any open American backing for the effort could damage or destroy it.
Clovis maksoud, the Arab League's envoy to the United States and to the United Nations, described Saudi Arabia's peacemaking initiative as an attempt to implement the 21-nation Arab League resolution on the Lebanon crisis.
The Israeli attitude toward the current Saudi diplomatic effort was unclear. Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin has harch words for an earlier phase of the Saudi peacemaking effort, but then he seemed to soften his tone.
The harsh comments came on May 18, when Mr. Begin said that Saudi Arabia was "not capable of playing any useful role whatsoever." Calling its government corrupt, Begin said Saudi Arabia was "a family, not a country." This was followed by an approach from the State Department, whose spokesman, Dean Fischer , on May 19 called on all sides to restrain their rhetoric.
according to an American close to Saudi thinking on the subject, the Saudi peacemaking effort is long-range and comprehensive. It has already entailed a renewal of payments to Syria, reported to come to more than $50 million, for maintenance of the so-called Arab deterrent force in Lebanon. Other Arab forces might be brought back into the force once again to give it a truly Arab nature. But also as part of the deal, Syrian missiles would have to be withdrawn. In order to save face for the Syrians, this would not take place right away. Israel would have toreduce its overflights. Meanwhile, the Saudis would help provide the Arab "umbrella" for a Syrian pullback of the missiles to points just across the border inside Syria.
according to William B. Quandt, former Middle east director for the US National Security Council staff, the Saudi diplomatic effort is not unprecedented. Dr. Quandt said that during their peacemaking effort in Lebanon in 1976-77, the Saudis had worked in a comprehensive manner, trying in a way that was not well publicized at the time to lay the groundwork for an arab-Israeli peace settlement.
Quandt, who is now directing a major study on Saud Arabia for the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., said the current Saudi effort is likely to have several aims, one of which is to "send a signal" of goodwill to the Reagan administration in Washington. The Saudis also have an interest in the crisis, he said.
"The danger is in overestimating what the Saudis can do . . . in making them the key," hea said. He added that the Saudis help with the financial side pf diplomacy, can show restraint on oil policy, anc can do "a few invited things in Arab politics."
"But they don't want to be blamed when the whole thing falls apart," he said.
Other specialists, who asked not to be identified, agreed while the Saudis are pursuing a serious peacemaking effort, their influence should not be overstimated. They cannot do the job alone, the specialists say.
The continuing precariousness of the Lebanon situation was dramatized May 28 when Israeli jets stuck targets only 13 miles south of Beirut. In their first raid into Lebanon since Syria moved soviet-supplied surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) into that country, the Israelis claimed to have destroyed a Libyan-operated SAM-9 battery. They also bombed a nearby Palestinian guerilla base, according to the Israeli military command. The targets were only about 30 miles west of the SAM batteries installed by the Syrians in the Bekaa Valley near the Syria-Lebanon border.
The initial reaction at the US State Department was that the Israeli air strikes were not necessarily related to the crisis surrounding the Syrian SAMs or to the success or failure of efforts on envoy Philip Habib o defuse that crisis. The Syrian SAMs are a good deal more sophisticated that the ones the Libyans are reported to be manning. But Israel's show of force may have been meant in part to convey a signal to the Syrians that they must not trifle with Israel.
Mr. Maksoud said that in his view the Israeli air strike had a different meaning.
"Israelis are trying to show that the Habib mission cannot succeed without underwriting Israeli objectives -- that is, without underwriting as Israeli free hand," said Maksoud.


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The problem, however, is I don't always see the big picture - how those little things connect into a single whole. And they do :) That, at least for me, is where One Word comes in.
For the past few years, I have chosen a single word to focus on for the year. It has helped me to take all those little pieces and discover how they connect - and how to keep my focus in all the little things on one big thing.
This past year, my word was Truth. I spent 2016 studying all the different references to this word in God's Word (217 of them to be exact!), and attempting to check each thing I saw, did, thought, and felt against what I learned. It was a good word for me - it kept me on the right path for the most part, and was a wonderful way to get myself BACK where I needed to be when I did stray.
So, when 2017 started approaching, I began to think about, and pray for, my 2017 word. And one thing that kept coming back to me was my struggle with entitlement and my desire for things to be my way. I don't like it - and I know my Heavenly Father dislikes it even more. And so, after prayer and contemplation, God gave me my word for this year.
Because, you see, I have a way of kinda forgetting my focus if I don't put it in front of me every day. I get caught up in the day to day, and forget about the big picture. So hopefully, servanthood will permeate all of 2017.
Do you pick a word for the year? Make goals or resolutions? I'd love to hear about it!
My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1

subset: commoncrawl


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A year after hospital discharge, the majority of stroke patients are listening to doctor's orders when it comes to taking their prescribed secondary stroke prevention medications, new data out of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center shows. However, there is room for improvement, according to investigators.
"Medication non-compliance is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease, and we know that non-compliance with stroke prevention medications increases over the year or two after a stroke," said Cheryl D. Bushnell, M.D., M.H.S., director of the Wake Forest Baptist Stroke Center and lead author on the study. "This study revealed that the majority of patients are compliant in taking their medications, but it also showed us specific vulnerabilities from the patient's perspective that might explain why some patients stop medications. We found that there's a large opening for us to focus efforts towards even better compliance. Specifically, we as providers need to continue educating patients over the long term and not just the first time a medication is started."
Although the risk of a second stroke is highest within the first three months after an initial stroke, the risk is about eight percent in the first year, and five percent per year after that, according to the study. So taking secondary prevention medications long term is critical for preventing a second stroke, which is likely to be even more devastating than the first, Bushnell added.
Nearly 700,000 people in the United States have ischemic strokes each year, and about 160,000 of these events are recurrent,* according to the study, published online this week by the journal Neurology. It is scheduled to appear in the September 20 print issue.
The Adherence eValuation After Ischemic stroke-Longitudinal (AVAIL) Registry aims to collect data on long-term use of secondary prevention medications for one year following stroke, assessing compliance issues from the patients' perspective, as well as system and provider issues, such as what type of doctor the patients saw, what kind of follow up care they had and the patients' understanding of their medications and why they were taking them.
The researchers first studied 2,598 patients from the AVAIL Registry to evaluate how many stroke patients were still taking their secondary prevention medications three months after being discharged from the hospital.
The three-month data appeared in the December 2010 issue of Archives of Neurology, and revealed that about 75 percent of those studied had continued with their full regimen of medications – usually including an aspirin or other type of blood thinner, blood pressure medication and cholesterol lowering medication – three months after discharge.
The one-year data evaluated "persistence," defined as continuation of all secondary stroke prevention medications prescribed at hospital discharge, and "adherence," defined as continuation of all prescribed medications except those stopped according to healthcare provider instructions, to get a true read on whether patients no longer on their medications are discontinuing on their own, or if they are being told by their doctors to stop their secondary prevention regimen.
Of the 2,457 patients who completed one-year interviews, 65.9 percent were "persistent" with their secondary prevention regimen, meaning they were still taking all of the medicines prescribed to them at hospital discharge. Even more patients – 86.6 percent – were "adherent," following doctor's orders and taking all of their medications except those they had been told to discontinue by their healthcare providers.
Although up to one third of stroke patients were no longer taking one or more of their secondary prevention medications within one year of hospital discharge, most did not stop taking the medications on their own, the study authors noted. "Self-discontinuation of these medications is uncommon."
For the nearly 14 percent of patients who did stop taking their secondary prevention medications on their own, this analysis gave investigators important insight into the reasons why patients self-discontinue.
The researchers learned that several key factors affect "non-adherence," or self-discontinuation. These include whether or not a person has health insurance and can afford their medications, whether the patient receives detailed instructions upon discharge about their medications and understands what the medications do and why taking them is important, whether or not the patient is married to a spouse who can help them remember and motivate them to take their medications, and whether the patient is discharged to his or her home or some other location such as a nursing home or in-patient rehabilitation. These findings represent opportunities for providers and support systems to intervene with the goal of improving medication adherence, Bushnell said.
As a result, Bushnell and colleagues at Wake Forest Baptist are implementing a transition coaching program, which will focus on educating stroke patients about their medications before they are discharged and directly following up with them after discharge to remind them about their doctor's appointments, make recommendations on ways to remember taking their medicine (such as using a daily pill box), answer questions about their condition, treatment and medication, and evaluate them a few weeks after discharge for their risk of rehospitalization.
The factors associated with discontinuing medications reflect the challenges many stroke patients face, Bushnell said. "Not only are many patients disabled and unable to work, but the disability from the stroke also affects medication-taking behavior. Streamlining medication regimens, emphasizing appointment-keeping, helping with insurance applications and referring to community support services are all essential to aid in this difficult transition."
Proper education about medications is also extremely important. "Where providers and pharmacists can make a difference with long-term compliance is by reiterating why medications are taken and what the side effects are," she added. "We have incorporated these challenges into our transition coaching program, where our goal is to increase stroke prevention adherence, improve outcomes, and keep people free of a second stroke."
This study was conceived and designed by the AVAIL team, researchers at Duke Clinical Research Institute, the project executive committee and an American Heart Association representative. The AVAIL analyses were also supported in part by a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
*Numbers according to the 2010 Heart/Stroke Statistics, published annually by the American Heart Association. The numbers have since been updated to 795,000 people in the United States having ischemic strokes, 189,000 of which are recurrent, according to the 2011 Heart/Stroke Statistics.
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Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International (FGI); Availability of Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Genetically Engineered Alfalfa, 23738-23740 [2013-09384]Download as PDF
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 77 (Monday, April 22, 2013)] [Notices] [Pages 23738-23740] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2013-09384] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2013-0013] Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International (FGI); Availability of Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Genetically Engineered Alfalfa AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has received a petition from the Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International (FGI) seeking a determination of nonregulated status of alfalfa designated as event KK179, which has been genetically engineered to express reduced levels of guaiacyl lignin. The petition has been submitted in accordance with our regulations concerning the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms and products. We are making the Monsanto Company and FGI petition available for review and comment to help us identify potential environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts that APHIS may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 21, 2013. [[Page 23739]] ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0013-0001. Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2013-0013, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737- 1238. Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013- 0013 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming. The petition is also available on the APHIS Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/12_32101p.pdf. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Turner, Director, Environmental Risk Analysis Programs, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-3954, email: email@example.com. To obtain copies of the petition, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at (301) 851-3892, email: email@example.com. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Under the authority of the plant pest provisions of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), the regulations in 7 CFR part 340, ``Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or Produced Through Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant Pests or Which There Is Reason to Believe Are Plant Pests,'' regulate, among other things, the introduction (importation, interstate movement, or release into the environment) of organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering that are plant pests or that there is reason to believe are plant pests. Such genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products are considered ``regulated articles.'' The regulations in Sec. 340.6(a) provide that any person may submit a petition to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a determination that an article should not be regulated under 7 CFR part 340. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of Sec. 340.6 describe the form that a petition for a determination of nonregulated status must take and the information that must be included in the petition. APHIS has received a petition (APHIS Petition Number 12-321-01p) from the Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International (FGI) seeking a determination of nonregulated status of alfalfa designated as event KK179, which has been genetically engineered to express reduced levels of guaiacyl lignin (G lignin), a major subunit component of total lignin, as compared to conventional alfalfa at the same stage of growth. This reduction in G lignin leads to reduced accumulation of total lignin in alfalfa forage, the principal feed product derived from alfalfa. The petition states that this alfalfa event is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and, therefore, should not be a regulated article under APHIS' regulations in 7 CFR part 340. As described in the petition, the Monsanto Company and FGI have developed event KK179 (Medicago sativa L.) for reduced levels of G lignin through the suppression of caffeoyl CoA 3-O-methyltransferase (CCOMT), a key enzyme in the lignin biosynthetic pathway. Event KK179 was produced by insertion of CCOMT gene segments, derived from alfalfa, assembled to form an inverted repeat DNA sequence. The inverted repeat sequence produces double-stranded RNA which suppresses endogenous CCOMT gene expression via the RNA interference pathway. Suppression of the CCOMT gene expression leads to lower CCOMT protein expression resulting in reduced synthesis of G lignin subunit compared to conventional alfalfa at the same stage of growth. The reduction in G lignin subunit synthesis leads to reduced accumulation of total lignin, measured as acid detergent lignin. Event KK179 is currently regulated under 7 CFR part 340. Interstate movement and field tests of event KK179 have been conducted under notifications acknowledged by APHIS. Field tests conducted under APHIS oversight allowed for evaluation in a natural agricultural setting while imposing measures to minimize risk of persistence in the environment after completion of the test. Data are gathered on multiple parameters and used by the applicant to evaluate agronomic characteristics and product performance. These and other data are used by APHIS to determine if the new variety poses a plant pest risk. Paragraph (d) of Sec. 340.6 provides that APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register providing 60 days for public comment for petitions for a determination of nonregulated status. On March 6, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 13258-13260, Docket No. APHIS-2011-0129) a notice \1\ describing our process for soliciting public comment when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms. In that notice we indicated that APHIS would accept written comments regarding a petition once APHIS deemed it complete. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ To view the notice, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0129. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In accordance with Sec. 340.6(d) of the regulations and our process for soliciting public input when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms, we are publishing this notice to inform the public that APHIS will accept written comments regarding the petition for a determination of nonregulated status from interested or affected persons for a period of 60 days from the date of this notice. The petition is available for public review, and copies are available as indicated under ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above. We are interested in receiving comments regarding potential environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts that APHIS may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition. We are particularly interested in receiving comments regarding biological, cultural, or ecological issues, and we encourage the submission of scientific data, studies, or research to support your comments. We also request that, when possible, commenters provide relevant information regarding specific localities or regions as alfalfa growth, crop management, and crop utilization may vary considerably by geographic region. After the comment period closes, APHIS will review all written comments received during the comment period and any other relevant information; any substantive issues identified by APHIS based on our review of the petition and our evaluation and analysis of comments will be considered in the development of our decisionmaking documents. As part of our decisionmaking process regarding a GE organism's regulatory status, APHIS prepares a plant pest risk assessment to assess its plant pest risk and the appropriate environmental documentation--either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS)--in accordance with the National [[Page 23740]] Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to provide the Agency with a review and analysis of any potential environmental impacts associated with the petition request. For petitions for which APHIS prepares an EA, APHIS will follow our published process for soliciting public comment (see footnote 1) and publish a separate notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of APHIS' EA and plant pest risk assessment. Should APHIS determine that an EIS is necessary, APHIS will complete the NEPA EIS process in accordance with Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508) and APHIS' NEPA implementing regulations (7 CFR part 372). Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of April 2013. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2013-09384 Filed 4-19-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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If you thought your commute was too long, you might feel better after hearing about the "super-commuter," which represents a rising segment of the workforce, according to a February report from the Rudin Center for Transportation.
The report, "The Emergence of the Super-Commuter," by Mitchell Moss, the Henry Hart Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and the director of the Rudin Center, and Carson Qing, a research fellow at Rudin, defines a super-commuter as someone who lives outside the combined metropolitan area of a city, yet works in the core county of that metropolitan area. These individuals usually travel at least 90 miles to get to work using a variety of transportation modes, though not necessarily on a daily basis. Using the U.S. Census and its OnTheMap tool, the report tracks these trends in the nation's 10 largest metropolitan areas, but leaves out Washington, D.C., on which data was not available.
The increasing numbers of long-distance super-commuters reflect the changing structure of the workplace, shaped by broadband Internet access, home-based computer systems that rival those of the office, and mobile communications systems. The super-commuter is most typically in his or her twenties, highly skilled, and well-positioned to take advantage of higher salaries in one region and lower housing costs in another—the exurbs, or even more distant locales. The super-commuter may travel once or twice per week, or even per month, for work purposes.
"Many workers," write Moss and Qing, "are not expected to physically appear in a single office at all. The global economy has made it possible for highly skilled workers to be employed on a strictly virtual basis, acquiring clients anywhere and communicating via e-mail, phone, and video conference."
To be sure, super-commuters remain a sliver of all commuters in the nation's major metropolitan areas, ranging from 3–13 percent of the workforce, depending on the city. But their numbers have as much as doubled or even tripled in the past decade along some emerging "super-commuting corridors" that the study identifies.
As a result, cities situated hundreds of miles apart are increasingly sharing commuter and labor sheds, and have become more integrated in social and economic terms. The report identifies super-commuting as a growing trend that urban planners and policymakers will increasingly need to reckon with.


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Joey Half Metal Readers*
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text: by David Crane [email protected] DefenseReview recently attended the 24th Army Science Conference, in sunny Orlando, FL. The conference was held at the truly spectacular JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes (where we stayed, thanks to the U.S. Army). The conference itself was pretty terrific, as well. O.k., I'm going to discuss a number of very interesting military/military-applicable technologies I observed inside …Read More »


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Product Description
Publication Date: October 01, 2008
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are best friends who enjoy pulling pranks together and talking about electronics. After several small collaborations, Jobs pitches Wozniak on starting a company together to sell computers based on Wozniak's design for a personal computer. Wozniak faces decisions about whether to quit the job he loves at Hewlett-Packard to join Apple Computer, how to define his role within Apple, whether to take on Jobs as his co-founder, whether to accept a third co-founder proposed by Jobs, and how to split equity with his co-founders. Early on, they add an outside investor who changes the company's trajectory and who brings in a new chief executive. Later, tensions rise between the two founders as their strategic visions diverge and as the company grows. Wozniak has now learned some disturbing news about his co-founder and has to decide whether that news will affect his continuing collaboration with Jobs.


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Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Blog Tour Book Review: Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
49 comments:
I enjoyed this one too. Different than her normal stuff - or recent stuff- but it worked. Glad you enjoyed it! Great review!ReplyDelete
I still need to read something by her, but I want to! This one sounds great. I kind of like that it's best to go in without many expectations. I'm glad to hear you loved this one!ReplyDelete
Ooooh this one sounds like it'll make a huge emotional impact. Ya know, I own two books by CoHo but have yet to read anything by her...pathetic I know. I've only heard amazing things.ReplyDelete
I've been seeing great things about this one. So glad you loved it!ReplyDelete
I've seen this author's books around and I'm still on the fence about picking it up. I don't do well with too much angst in the story so maybe that's why I'm hesitant. I'm still waiting for a story's description to grab my interest. Glad you loved it though.ReplyDelete
Definitely sounds like another winner. love how much she can make us feel.ReplyDelete
I just got this from the library today on audiobook and I can't wait to dig in. I am seeing so many positive reviews for this one. Glad to see you loved it too.ReplyDelete
I'm curious about this one now.ReplyDelete
I'm glad that this book ended up working for you, I have to agree that Hoover does deal with tough issues really well! Great review! :)ReplyDelete
I'm so nervous to pick this up, since I've seen a lot of mixed reactions, but I do have a review copy. The last book I read by CoHo was a complete miss for me, but I'll try to keep an open mind here. I feel better seeing you loved it so. :)ReplyDelete
I received this for review some months ago, but just finally picked it up last week. I'm not sure if I just wasn't in the mood for it, but I ended up putting it aside. I'm a fan of CoHo as well, so I do plan on picking it back up, especially after reading your review. Here's to hoping I love it as well!ReplyDelete
I can't wait to read this one. Sounds awesome.ReplyDelete
Wahoo! So glad you loved this. I plan to listen on audio :)ReplyDelete
I'm so curious to read this one! I really love her books!ReplyDelete
Very intriguing. I'm in. :-)ReplyDelete
Anna from elements of emaginette
Ohh, I have a few of her books in my list. It's time for me to try one. And my, this sounds so good too. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)ReplyDelete
It looks like this one really did it for you Kindlemom. That cover is really intense too!ReplyDelete
I haven't been able to get on the COHO van. Her stuff just hasn't done it for me yet. I may try this one and see. SO glad you enjoyed this one!ReplyDelete
I have yet to read her but you really have me wanting to pick up a book by her very soon. Oh this one might be the one. I think I have all her books on my wishlist. :)ReplyDelete
I'm glad you enjoy her so much and that she bring forth such an array of emotions for youReplyDelete
Agreed. She has that magic touch with her writing that totally sucks me in.ReplyDeleteReplies
I've seen the book around. The author and book are both new to me so I enjoyed the post.ReplyDelete
I just finished the book and I must say that I really enjoyed the book, but the first 150 pages for me were really boring. But was a good book 4/5 stars for meReplyDelete
Sounds hard hitting. Not sure if I'm quite feeling the mood at the moment, but might need to give it a look later. Thanks. :)ReplyDelete


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"Hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all."
Actually, he never came to my house..
Other traditions here, as, another Santa, a holly man, called Agios Vasileios, brings health and a good year to all, every 1st of January..
And so, as Tiny Tim observed, "God Bless us!! Everyone!!''
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (1843)
My husband and I are in our 50's. Santa still comes, stockings still filled, deer still get a bale of hay and a mineral block every Christmas Eve.
He's been to see me the last 48 years


text:
- Publishers
- series: Daytripper
Comic book series : Daytripper
What are the most important days of your life?
Meet Brás de Oliva Domingos. The miracle child of a world-famous Brazilian writer, Brás spends his days penning other people's obituaries and his nights dreaming of becoming a succesful author himself - writing the end of other people's stories, while his own has barely begun.
But on the day that life begins, would he even notice? Does it start at 21 when he meets the girl of his dreams? Or at 11, when he has his first kiss? Is it later in life when his first son is born? Or earlier when he might have found his voice as a writer?
Each day in Brás's life is like a page from a book. Each one reveals the people and things who have made him who he is: his mother and father, his child and his best friend, his first love and the love of his life. And like all great stories, each day has a twist he'll never see coming...
In Daytripper, the Eisner Award-winning twin brothers Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá tell a magical, mysterious and moving story about life itself - a hauntingly lyrical journey that uses the quiet moments to ask the big questions.


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text:
Asics Volley Elite FF meeste võrkpallijalats sisesaali treeninguteks.
With a range of ASICS performance footwear technology, the VOLLEY ELITE FF volleyball shoe for men is bound to give you an advantage when you need it most. The newly designed innovative indoor-court outsole features Octopod design – a range of strategically placed suction cups inspired by multicourt-specific motion for elite level performance on all indoor-court surfaces. This technology gives you improved grip on the court, allowing you to run, stop, jump and serve without slipping or distraction.
This, along with its light weight and cushioning ASICS GEL in the rear and fore foot all work together to enhance your game without adding weight. The flexible upper is ideal for sharp, quick movements and the shoe is constructed using our groundbreaking FlyteFoam midsole which is 55% lighter than the industry standard. Its organic fibres bounce the RoadHawk FF GS back into its original shape to provide perfect cushioning from the start of your run to the finish. A molded sockliner gives you the perfect fit while the new Trusstic design, lighter weight and improved propulsion offer stability and support where you need it most.
- Lightweight
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Private training course quotation
This is a quotation for a private course to be held at your office or a nearby suitable location in Enfield.
We quote and invoice in pounds sterling (£)
• Short course bookings are only accepted for "offpeak" days.
• This quotation applies to training courses in Enfield, Hoddesdon and Potters Bar.
• We teach courses in Perl, Python, PHP, Ruby, Lua, C, C++, Tcl/Tk and Linux.
• Please add £20.00 per delegate per day if you wish us to provide delegate workstations with appropriate software preloaded
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – A mother believed to be overdosing on heroin gave birth in an Ohio Burger King bathroom stall, and first responders found the baby alive in the toilet Friday afternoon, according to Chillicothe police.
Police initially responded to reports of a man who had passed out in a vehicle and that a woman, who was with him, had overdosed, according to WSYX.
Officers said they found 26-year-old Zachary Frey passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle and Elizabeth D. Sanders, also 26, sitting on the toilet in the women's restroom, a suspected ball of heroin on the floor beside her.
Sanders told officers she thought she had suffered a miscarriage, police said. However, when the officer looked inside the toilet, there was an infant lying face up, according to the Chillicothe Gazette. The officer reportedly told Sanders to stand up, causing the child to roll face down into the water.
The medic grabbed the newborn, who was still breathing, and the baby was taken to the hospital. Chillicothe Police Capt. Larry Bamfield told the paper the boy is expected to be "OK," but it's not clear what plans are in place for the child's custody.
Police say Frey was taken to Ross County Jail and charged with operating a vehicle impaired and possession of drug paraphernalia. Sanders pleaded guilty on Monday after being charged over an unrelated warrant for theft.


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Five Franchises Sony Should Bring Back As Downloadable Games
As times and tastes change, some franchises fall out of favor – or become too niche to be economically feasible. Thankfully, digital distribution has given new life to games and genres that just wouldn't make sense at a $60 price. With Sony placing a big emphasis on both digital distribution and niche indie games on PlayStation 4, I think it's time the publisher went through its own back catalog and revive some lost classics as smaller scale downloadable games.
PaRappa the Rapper
While it's been years since PaRappa the Rapper 2 (2001) was released, Sony hasn't forgotten about its rhyming dog completely. A version of the game was ported to PSP in 2007 to celebrate the franchise's 10th anniversary, and PaRappa also appeared in 2012's PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
For these reasons, I'm hopeful that he can get another chance to rock the mic. For me and thousands of others who fell in love with the original, a moderately priced new PaRappa title released for PlayStation Network would be a no-brainer. I don't even want some bold reinvention of the game; just tighten up the gameplay a bit and get composer Masaya Matsuura to create a new batch of amazing songs. Throw in some colorful art and characters by original artist Rodney Greenblatt, and I gotta believe you'd have a downloadable smash.
Downhill Domination
Not many remember Downhill Domination, but I really enjoyed this over-the-top mountain biking game. Granted, it was made in the era when the success of Tony Hawk meant that any "extreme" sport from wakeboarding to in-line skating got its own game, but this one never really made a dent in the marketplace. Still, it actually got strong reviews on the basis of its intense speed and visceral biking action.
Sadly, this one is a bit of a longshot, as developer Incog Inc. (which also created the PS2 classic Twisted Metal: Black) was shuttered in 2009. It's a shame; it was a talented studio. However, I think that, on a small scale and a modest budget, there could be room for a great mountain biking game like this.
Here's one that I really hope happens. Tomba was a feral, pink-haired young boy who battled against wild pigs on the original PlayStation. This 2D platformer was never a huge commercial success (and developer Whoopie Camp sadly bit the dust way back in 2000), but it's got a strong cult following, and fetches strong prices on eBay to this day.
I especially liked the more ambitious sequel Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return, which added a lot of exploration, item use, and branching (though still 2D) paths to the mix. It also let Tomba use a variety of animal suits inspired by Mario, like flying squirrel and pig suits. It's a hell of a 2D platformer, a genre that I hopes continues its renaissance in the downloadable space. I think Sony's Japan Studio could do a great job with a new Tomba game, and it would be a great nod to some of its old-school PlayStation fans.
War of the Monsters
Yet another Incog, Inc. game – those guys couldn't catch a break after Twisted Metal: Black. Wars of the Monsters is one of the games on this list that wasn't properly realized at the time, likely due to the technological constraints of the PlayStation 2. However, I think it's one that could have a lot of potential as next-gen game that uses all its resources towards making the core elements of the game great.
Basically, this was Incog's nod to classic monster movies like Godzilla and King Kong (both of whom appear in unlicensed form as "Togera" and "Congar"). The premise was simple: Set these and other large monsters loose in an open-city environment and let them beat the crap out of each other and anything else that stood in their way. It was a fun, if limited, experience that I think could be much better today.
As a downloadable PS4 game, War of the Monsters could be reimagined as a multiplayer focused, online monster brawler. Even better, the horsepower of the PS4 could mean the game could actually have destructible environments and a huge city. Don't worry about a single-player mode, story, or anything else. Just build a big city and let us smash it (and each other) to bits.
First, a bit of trivia: Kinetica, developed by Sony Santa Monica, was actually the first appearance of the engine that would eventually power the studio's classic God of War. While the game never went on to the same success, Kinetica offered an extremely creative take on the futuristic racing genre, which has fallen fallow in recent years with the exception of the odd Wipeout game.
I admit: Kinetica was a bit odd. You didn't pilot a vehicle, rather a weird hybrid humanoid creature with wheels for hands and feet (perhaps it's not surprising that it didn't race up the charts). During some of the game's precipitous drops, you could do trick combos like in a snowboarding game. It's potential wasn't fully realized, but I think it would be another interesting game for PlayStation 4. Obviously, it's on this list because I realize that futuristic racing isn't the commercial genre it used to be. Still, I think there's enough of us left to make this successful as a downloadable game at a $15 price point.
Are there any other franchises from Sony's back catalog that you think would make a good downloadable game? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


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The cost of an air duct cleaning in Caldwell may differ, nevertheless it ranges anywhere between $346 to over $401 to get a comprehensive cleaning of your central air conditioning unit. Be skeptical of any person that promises that they're going to do it for the "bargain charge of $75 or $99". In the event that you need to get your HVAC system cleaned out, do it right. Any person boasting that they're going to do it cheaper than $300 is possibly going to perform a bad job or has hidden charges.
Estimated final cost for duct cleaning
|Fair Price
|Duct & Vent Cleaning Labor
|2 Hours
|Duct & Vent Cleaning Equipment Allowance
|Totals - Cost to Clean Ducts & Vents - 1200 Square Feet
|Average Cost Per Square Foot


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Official Language:
Languages Mostly Used for Work:
Ideal Working Season:
All year round
Temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
Time Zone:
EET (UTC+2), Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
42.5 Million
Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH)
Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic
Orthodox (includes Ukrainian Autocephalous)
603,500 km2
(576,500 km2 without Crimea)
Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна) is a country in Eastern Europe. It lies at the northwest end of the Black Sea, withRussia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland to the northwest, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, andRomania to the south west and south, with Moldova in between.
Most of the country (the central and eastern portions) was formerly a part of Russian Empire; after the October Revolution and the Civil War, the entire country, known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, was a part of the Soviet Union. Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe, albeit with a slightly declining population.
Ukraine's population is rapidly reducing because of a combination of low birth rate, increased mortality (especially amongst males) and low immigration coupled with high emigration for economic and cultural reasons. In the last three years it has probably lost more than a million of its citizens and in absolute terms has lost more of its population over the last decade than any other nation on earth.
Ukrainian history is long and proud. While this state fell prey to Mongol conquest, the western part of Ukraine became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 14th until the 18th century, even modern Ukraine owes it a debt of sorts. A subsequent Ukrainian state was able, in the face of pressure from the ascendant Muscovy, to remain autonomous for more than a century, but the Russian Empire absorbed much of Ukraine in the 18th century to the detriment of their culture and identity.
Despite a brief, but uncertain, flash of independence at the end of the czarist regime, Eastern Ukraine was incorporated into the new USSR after the Russian Civil War in 1922 and subject to two disastrous famines deliberately organized by the Soviet leaders, when millions of Ukrainians died of hunger (1932-33 and 1946, the first one known as the Holodomor) as well as brutal fighting during World War II. When it comes to Western Ukraine, after 1918, when the old European empires fell after the 1st World War, Ukrainians were in conflict over this territory with Poles, which Poles eventually won. As an aftermath, between 1918 and 1939, Poland tried to forcibly polonize these lands with badly designed politics, which backfired and brought both hatred from ordinary Ukrainians and caused radical Ukrainian nationalists to organize terrorist attacks agains the Polish administration. These pre-2 World War mutual hostilities eventually led to the Volyn Genocide in 1943-44, when approximately 60000-100000 Poles were brutally killed by Ukrainian Uprising Army (UPA, OUN), which to this moment is rarely mentioned in Ukraine and still is the main bone of contention between Poles and Ukrainians standing in the way for reconciliation between these 2 nations.
As a Soviet republic, the Ukrainian language was often 'sidelined' when compared to Russian to varying degrees; Stalinist repressions during the 1930s, attempts at decentralisation during the Khrushchev administration and the tightening of control again during the Brezhnev-Kosygin era of the 1970s and early 1980s. In any case, the traditionally bilingual province had signs in both Russian and Ukrainian in virtually all cities, including Lviv, where Ukrainian is most prevalent. The 1986 Chernobyl accident was a further catastrophe to the republic but also widely considered as an event which, in the long run, galvanized the population in regional sentiment and led to increasing pressure on the central government to promote autonomy.
Ukraine declared its sovereignty within the Soviet Union in July 1990 as a prelude to unfolding events in the year to come. The Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's Parliament) again declared its independence in early December 1991 following the results of referendum in November 1991 which indicated overwhelming popular support (90% in favour of independence). This declaration became a concrete reality as the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist on 25 December 1991. Initially, there were severe economic difficulties, hyperinflation, and oligarch rule prevailed in the early years following independence. The issues of cronyism, corruption and alleged voting irregularities came to a head during the heavily-disputed 2004 Presidential election, where allegations of vote-rigging sparked what became known as the "Orange Revolution". This revolution resulted in the subsequent election of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko as President. During ongoing five years the "Orange coalition" broke up and Viktor Yushchenko lost support of majority of Ukranians. Ironically, his former adversary Viktor Yanukovich was elected the President. in February of 2014, three months of street protests in Kyiv and all over Ukraine deposed Viktor Yanukovych after he refused to sign a deal with the European Union in November. In a disputed move, the Russian Federation annexed Crimea after the revolution. A pro-Russian insurgency (supported by Moscow) also followed in the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. Petro Poroshenko, a pro-Unity Ukrainian oligarch won the 2014 presidential election and is the fifth president of independent Ukraine. In 2015, the Donbass war is still ongoing and threatens to spread across the entire country, if Russia officially invades.
|Central Ukraine
The political, economic, and cultural centre of Ukraine, centred around the capital Kyiv
|Crimea and Sevastopol
A peninsula that serves mainly as Russia's favourite beach resort, with some beautiful Black Sea coastline and mountainous interior that declared independence in March 2014, and was annexed by Russia shortly thereafter. It is currently a disputed territory between Russia and Ukraine.
|Western Ukraine
Historically under the control of non-Russian European countries for centuries (e.g Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria); accordingly you'll find Central European architecture, cuisine, language and religion here
|Eastern Ukraine
The heavily industrialised and Russified coal-mining region of the Donbass, home to big Soviet cities and much of the country's ethnic Russian population
|Southern Ukraine
The popular Ukrainian Black Sea coast (albeit not quite so popular as the Crimea), best known for the magnificent city of Odesa
- Kiev(Kyiv) — The beautiful Ukrainian capital, home to leafy hills and world-famous Orthodox and Baroque architecture
- Kharkiv
- Lviv
- Dnipro
- Odesa
- Chernihiv
- Chernivtsi
- Donetsk
- Sevastopol
Other destinations
- Carpathians
- Chornobyl– tour the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster
- Crimea(was occupied by Russia in 2014)
- Ivano-Frankivsk
- Simferopol(was occupied by Russia in 2014)
- Sumy
- Svyatogorsk
- Uzhhorod
- Uman– city in central Ukraine with the famous "Sofiyivka" park.
Get in
All entry requirements include the de-facto Russian controlled area of Crimea. All citizens of Ukraine (including Crimea) must show their passport in order to enterDonetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast while Foreign citizens must explain their purpose to visit the areas due to radical independence movements in the oblasts. Anyone who arrives at a checkpoint at the Russia-Ukraine border that isn't under the authority of Ukraine will not be allowed further entry into Ukraine.
Citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan can visit and stay in Ukraine indefinitely visa free. However, citizens of Moldova and Uzbekistan must hold proof of sufficient funds on arrival.
Citizens of all European Union member states, Andorra, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile,Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Monaco,Mongolia, Montenegro, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Russia, San Marino, South Korea,Tajikistan, the United States/American Samoa and Vatican City can visit visa free for up to 90 days within a 180 day period. However, citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan must also have proof of sufficient funds when arriving in Ukraine. For citizens of Mongolia, the visa free only applies to service, tourist and private trips on conditions that documents certifying the purpose of the trip are provided.
Citizens of Argentina can visit visa free for up to 90 days within a 365 day period.
Citizens of Turkey can visit visa free for up to 60 days.
Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei and Serbia can visit visa free for up to 30 days within a 60 day period.
Citizens of Hong Kong can visit visa free for up to 14 days.
Those holding a diplomatic or official/service passports of Albania, Cambodia, Chile,China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Laos, Morocco, North Korea,Peru, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam and only diplomatic passports of India and Mexico do not require a visa for Ukraine.
Visa on arrival
Citizens of Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, El Salvador, Mauritius,Seychelles can visit up to 15 days, provided that the citizens of the countries obtain a visa at the Kyiv Boryspil Airport. Citizens of Mauritius and Seychelles must also have proof of sufficient funds when arriving in Ukraine. Please note, the Visa Office at the airport is only open between 9:00am and 7:30pm. Arrivals outside of these hours must first wait for the office to open before a visa will be issued and then proceed to Passport Control. It is also important to note that at times, the Visa on Arrival office may suffer from a lack of manpower (for example, a single officer to deal with a plane of passengers manually doing data entry for all fields of the application form as well as single handedly doing all necessary checks and controls). This can lead to delays in exiting the airport of 2-4 hours, which is especially crucial to note for transit visa applicants hoping to do a day trip into Kiev. If you have limited time, then you may consider an ordinary visa application at your embassy. Payment for Visa on Arrival can be done by credit card.
For other countries, visas are obtainable within a few hours of visiting a Ukrainian consulate having received a 'letter of invitation' from one's perspective lodging or business provider.
More information is available at Ukraine's Embassy in your country and/or the Foreign service departments of your national governments (or their embassy websites here in Ukraine).
Always know how much currency you have with you. Customs officials might inquire about the amount being brought into the country. It is prohibited to bring large amounts of Ukrainian currency (hryvnia) in to the country unless it was declared upon leaving Ukraine.
It is advisable to check in advance the customs regulations (e.g. the Boryspol Airport website, which has an English version) as rules and regulations have the habit of changing at short and unannounced notice.
When entering the country you will no longer normally be required to complete an immigration form. However, if your passport has no space for stamps, or you don't want it to be stamped, you can still fill out an immigration form at home and have it stamped instead of the passport.
Exempted from invitation letter
Citizens of Australia, Albania, Guatemala, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand andSingapore do not require a invitation letter to visit Ukraine.
By plane
The cheapest way to fly into Ukraine is through the Boryspil (KBP) or Zhuliany (IEV) International Airports, both near Kyiv. The main international hubs for these flights are Budapest, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Munich, Oslo, Prague, Rome, Vienna, Warsaw and Istanbul with several flights a day of Austrian AUA, CSA Czech Airlines, LOT, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Air France, British Airways, KLM, Norwegian; also Ukraine International, which code-shares on these routes with the respective carriers, and another Ukrainian carrier, AeroSvit. Special offers on flights come and go, depending on the whim of the carrier. Although a rather simple way to reach all Ukrainian cities – flight trough Moscow (Russia) – Aeroflot, UTair, Aerosvit, Transaero, S7, Rossiya these airlines have several flights per day into all major cities, however as of 2015, Ukraine and Russia has suspended all flights between both countries, so you can't reach Ukraine from Russia in any way via air.
Low-cost airline Wizzair started operations from other countries and within Ukraine as well. There are two other low cost carrier serving Ukraine. One of them is AirBaltic, with flights routing through either Riga, Latvia, or Vilnius, Lithuania. And the second one is Pegasus with flights from Istanbul to Kharkiv, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia. Be advised that if you have a lot of baggage, Wizzair offers 30kg against the others 20kg allowances.
There are several airlines which offer direct flights to cities like Dnipro (Lufthansa), Donetsk (Lufthansa, Austrian), Odesa (LOT, Austrian, CSA Czech Airlines), Kharkiv (Austrian Airlines, Flydubai, Airarabia, Pegasus) and Lviv (LOT, Austrian Airlines), but they are more expensive.
To fly inside Ukraine, the most common airline is Ukraine International Airlines. It is the unofficial national airline, and its routes cover all of Ukraine's major destinations. Planes used are newer Boeing 737 aircraft. Aerosvit also introduced flights within the country from its hub in Kyiv, mainly flying newer Boeing 737 and 767 aircraft. In 2012 one more airline became popular – UTair – it flies from the central Kyiv airport (IEV) to Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lugansk, Lviv, Odesa. The fleet of UTair – several new (2012) ATR-72 and several (15-18-years) ATR-42.
By train
There are daily direct overnight trains from Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Warsaw, Belgrade,Bratislava, Budapest, Bucharest and Sofia to Lviv or Kyiv. When coming from Western Europe there will be a 2-3 hour wait at the border while the train's bogies are changed in order to adapt to a different rail gauge. It's generally quicker and cheaper to buy a ticket to the border and then change trains, rather than wait getting through train. Yet, there is a new daily train from Przemyśl that takes around 3 hours to get to Lviv and 8 hours to get to Kyiv. It departs at 14:26 and costs around 7 euro. Since there might be a lot of traffic at the border, it is a convenient way to travel from Poland.
By bus
Scheduled buses are the fastest way to get through the border, since they do not have to wait in line (like cars have to) and do not have to change bogies (like trains have to).
From Poland
There are inexpensive direct bus services to Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk from Poland. They usually offer a budget level of comfort and cost about UAH90-100 (€10). (Many buses can be found, for example krakow to Lviv or Warsaw to Lviv. A quick google search will give you many options.)
From Slovakia
There is a daily bus from Košice (except Sunday and Monday) and Prešov going toUzhhorod. There are also several daily buses from Michalovce to Uzhhorod and back, no reservation required, standing passengers are also allowed.
From the Czech Republic
Countless buses connect Lviv and Kiev directly with Prague and some other Czech cities, passing through Poland, but mostly not stopping there to take passengers. These can be best viewed using the Czech integrated timetable at jizdnirady.idnes (English version available). Advance reservation is recommended and for most buses also possible online at amsbus.cz. Buses can get you from the West to Lviv far faster than trains. However, they are targeted primarily at Ukrainian emigrant workers earning their living in the Czech Republic. Nonetheless, buses are now in most cases modern coaches or sometimes used western buses, but still with air condition. There are at least 5 connections per day but often much more. If you don't travel around religious bank holidays in Ukraine, with arrival to Prague on Monday morning or departure Friday or Saturday from Prague, buses are generally not full and you'll have often 2 seats per person as tickets aren't cheap and bus lines are very profitable.
From Moldova
There are bus services to Odessa from Chisinau. Both buses which go throughTransnistria and those who are taking an indirect way outside Transnistria. Departure approximately every third hour during daytime.
By boat
There are some ferries from Istanbul, Georgia, Varna (Bulgaria) to Odessa or to Crimea.
See Ferries in the Mediterranean.
By car
From Poland
The nearest significant town on the Polish side is Przemyśl, and it's easy to find by following route #4 (which passes through Przemyśl), also known as the E40 in European terms.
When you arrive, the road is fairly narrow (no motorway/autobahn this) with a queue of trucks and vans parked to the right of the road; a hard-core parking area with cafe/bar to the left. Don't stop behind the goods vehicles, slip up the side of them and then feed into the customs area when the guy flags you forward (for courteous Europeans, you're not jumping the queue – commercial traffic goes through a different process).
If you're in an EU registered car then make for the EU-passports, passport control section. Thence to Ukrainian passport control and then Ukrainian customs and then you're through. It used to be a nightmare, with apocalyptic tales of 5-6+ hours at the border, but the Ukrainians have made great advances in efficiency and it takes about an hour to make the crossing (2012). Don't expect the border police to treat you in a friendly or even respectful manner, in fact, expect anything ranging from neutral to extremely obnoxious behaviour.
Once through, just follow the main road towards Lviv on the E40 – this is the route right across Ukraine to Kiev (and thence on to the east). Stick to this – the main towns on the way are Lviv, Rivne, Zhytomyr.
Watch out about 15-20km inside Ukraine, in Mostyska, as police have gone crazy about traffic calming measures here (speed bumps or sleeping policemen). They are like icebergs across the road, and very badly marked. There are about four or five sets of them through the village.
Other than that, take care on the road, which although the main east/west highway, and the main road route into the EU, still remains in a miserable condition (surface-wise). You will soon realise why Ukraine has such poor statistics in relation to driver and pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Drive defensively is the optimum advice re the roads, other road users and the walking, riding public.
From Slovakia
There are two road border crossings between Slovakia and Ukraine: (Malyj Bereznyj-Ubľa and Uzhhorod-Vyšné Nemecké). The former one is for cars (not trucks), pedestrians and cyclists, and the latter one is for motorized traffic only. No pedestrians or cyclists are allowed. Always expect long waiting times at this border crossing.
On foot, by bicycle
You can walk across the 200m long bridge from Sighetu Marmaţiei, Romania. Once you get to Solotvino, Ukraine, you can continue your travel in a car or a train. Bicycling is also a possibility in summer.
Note that you cannot cross the border at Krościenko (Poland) on foot or by bicycle. You must be in a vehicle. Coming from Poland by bicycle in August 2011 it took about 5 minute of waiting to flag down a driver who was willing (and had space) to take a person, a bicycle, and a full cycle touring kit. The actually crossing then took about an hour or so. There was no charge by the driver or the immigration officials.
There is also a border crossing between the small villages of Mali Selmentsi and Veľké Slemence, Slovakia (open only 08:00-20:00), which is forpedestrians and cyclists only and only for citizens of the "European Economic Area" and Ukraine. Holders of different passports will be rejected. This border crossing is of no particular importance to tourists; its only advantage is the absence of queues, which are ubiquitous at border crossings for cars, especially at those on major routes. Instead of waiting several hours, you can get to the other side in a matter of minutes through this border crossing.
Get around
Be aware that all foreigners are subject to higher scrutiny by police when travelling on public transport, especially intercity forms of it. Be prepared to show your passport and entry papers and keep your embassy/consulate number handy in case you come across a corrupt official. If you are caught outside your base city without your official documents, be prepared for a big fine.
The quickest way to get around big cities is the so-called marshrutka: the minibuses which follow routes much like the regular buses do. You can generally flag them down or ask them to stop at places other than the specified bus stops. The fare is paid as soon as you get in, and is fixed no matter how far you want to go. This is the same for the conventional buses, tram, trolley-buses and the Metro. Tell the driver that you want to get off when you are approaching the destination.
Each city has an intercity bus station from which you can go pretty much anywhere in Ukraine. Fares and quality of service vary widely.
By train
Trains are operated by state-owned Ukrainian Railways [1]. As in all CIS countries, the train classes, cars and ticket system are quite same as in Russia, see Russian trains article.
Ukrainian trains are quite old and slow compared to European standards (except, probably, Intercity+ trains which are available between major cities, such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, etc.). From the other side, they are punctual, reliable and very cheap. For example, a journey from Lviv toKyiv (about 520 km) will cost you: – About 120-200 UAH (~€5-8) on 2nd or 3rd class sleeping car (kupe or platskart), about 9-10 hours of travel; – About 280-530 UAH (~€11-21) on 1st or 2nd class Intercity+ train (no sleeping car, just regular seats), about 4.5-5 hours of travel.
Generally, in Ukraine, for long distance the train is preferred over the bus because of their comfort and because often they are even cheaper. The "Lux" sleeping cars have a two-berth cabin. Second class has cabins with four berths. Third class has six berths through which the aisle passes.
Because trains are popular in Ukraine you might have to buy the tickets in advance. This is more often the case for third class. You can check availability and even buy tickets online at Ukrainian Railways e-shop website [2]. It is available in English, Russian and Ukrainian. The e-shop offers both domestic and international (CIS only) tickets starting in Ukraine. You can choose the desired train, the seat(s) and buy the ticket(s) online. Visa/MasterCard are accepted. Please also note that depending on the selected train the tickets may be of different types. Some of them (with QR code) could just be printed or saved to your smartphone, whereas the other ones (with barcode) should be exchanged at the railway station's cash desk before boarding the train.
By car
It is possible to get around in Ukraine by car, but one must be aware of certain particulars:
The signs are mostly in Ukrainian (Cyrillic alphabet) only. Only major highways are equipped with signs written also in the Latin alphabet (including village names), the rest of the roads have only Cyrillic signs with a few signs written in the Latin alphabet indicating main cities. The best option is using GPS navigator. You can also have a good road map (those available are mainly in Ukrainian, but Latin alphabet maps are starting to appear) because place names aren't well posted on road signs.
You are strongly advised to respect the signs, especially speed limits. Be aware that unlike in Western countries, where limits are repeated several times, in Ukraine, an obligation or a prohibition is often indicated on a single sign, which you must not miss. And even these signs are often far off the road, covered by branches, etc. The police are always there to remind you.
Speed in cities is limited to 60km/h (40mph). However, people do drive fast anyway in a reckless manner. There is a legislative gap, according to which you won't be fined for speeding below 20km/h (i.e. when you drive up to 80 km/h in cities, you can only receive a warning, so the police usually don't bother about such offences). However, this could be changed at any time in the future, so it's advised to keep the speed limits anyway.
Speed in "nationals" (single carriageway countryside roads) is limited to 90km/h (55mph). The poor average quality of the roads already acts as a speed checker.
Speed on highways (motorways) is limited to 110-120km/h (75mph).
Corruption. Update as of December 2014: corruption among police officers tend to be declining rapidly, and may even be all but nonexistent nowadays. Rapid changes in Ukraine appears to address this problem, as has been done in many other former Soviet Republics.
When you are stopped for speeding or other offences, it's unlikely that you'll face bribery, however, this still might be possible. If you're asked about "reductions" if you pay on the spot, demand a written ticket for you to pay later instead. Don't let them intimidate you. It's very useful to have an embassy phone number handy for these cases. If you mention that, they'll let you off the hook quicker than you know it. At any rate, write down the officers' badge numbers, rank, plate number of the police car, and notify the nearest embassy/consulate in detail, to help fight these corrupt practices.
The fines are rather low (comparing to EU countries), starting from 340 UAH (€13) in most cases (such as speeding >20 km/h) and up to 6000 UAH (€240) for driving being drunk. In some cases the fine could be paid immediately using Visa/MasterCard, but this is rather an exception for now.
Fuel is no longer a problem in Ukraine, especially for those who remember travelling to Ukraine during the early 1990s, when petrol was considered precious. Today, there are plenty service stations. There are varying types of fuel, such as diesel, unleaded 95 octane, and (more rarely) unleaded 98 octane; one finds also 80 and 76 octane. Note that if you choose to fill-up in a rural filling station, you will need to pay first, and in cash. Even there many stations do accept credit cards, however. The prices are slightly cheaper comparing to neighbouring EU countries, but more expensive, comparing to Russia. For example, 1 litre of 95 octane petrol or diesel will cost you about 20-23 UAH (€0.8-0.9) (April 2015).
The state of the roads is a huge subject:
The main roads are OK for all cars, as long as you don't go too fast. Numerous running repairs have created a patchwork road surface, and it will seriously test your suspension – even on the major dual carriageways.
Secondary roads are passable, but beware: certain zones can be full of potholes and you must treat them with extra care, or avoid them entirely. Roads between villages are often little more than dirt tracks and not metalled.
Road works have been ongoing, but the quality of the roads is shy of Western Europe (with the exception of Kiev).
The lighting in small towns and rural areas is poor or not-existing, so it's better avoid night driving, especially on secondary roads.
Be careful when driving in towns or villages. Sometimes animals prefer to walk on the road, and they are a hazard for all drivers. You're likely to see plenty of animals hit by cars, so be prepared…
Bicycle traffic is not very common, but you will sometimes see an aged man transporting a sack of grass on an old road-bike or a cycling enthusiast in bright clothes riding a semi-professional racing bike. Those are even more likely to be met on well-maintained roads where the pavement is smooth. Also cyclists will use both lanes of the road in both directions equally ie you are just as likely to meet a cyclist coming towards you, riding on the verge, as you will travelling in your direction. And almost invariably without lights or bright clothing so be extra careful when driving at night and dawn/dusk.
Also, don't be surprised to see plenty of horse drawn carts – even on the dual carriageways.
If in doubt, it's best to not drive at all, as many drivers in Ukraine do not comply with laws and drive often recklessly, often causing fatal accidents for foreigners and locals alike.
By bus
There are two major bus companies that run buses from all of the major cities to and from Kiev: they are Avtolux, and Gunsel. Prices run about UAH200-220 (USD20-27) for service to Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv. The major advantage that the bus service has, is that it leaves from Boryspil [3] and stops in Kiev, so if your destination is not Kiev, its easier then taking a bus to the Main Passenger Railway Station [4] in Kiev. They are standard coach buses, serve cold drinks and tea, show movies, and make a stop about every 3-4 hours. Buses [5] run every few hours.
VIP bus to and from Odessa that has nice leather seats and is more less non-stop. It departs once a day, takes four hours or so both to and from Kiev and costs about 200-260 UAH (2014).
By plane
Ukraine International Airlines [6] offers cheap flights and can be a time-saving alternative. For example the flight Odesa–Kiev (One-Way) is $180 US (including tax and fees) and takes 1.5 hours. However, be sure to book early for the cheapest fares. The flights can be booked online comfortably in English.
By thumb
Hitchhiking in Ukraine is average. It's possible to go by hitchhiking – usually cargo trucks will take you for free – but it's still worth to try stop personal cars as well. Good people are everywhere; you may be picked up in a Lada or a Lexus. (More usually the former.)
The usual hitchhiking gesture (also used to hail taxis and marshrutkas) is to face oncoming traffic and point at the road with a straight right arm held away from the body. Sometimes, for visibility, you may add a downward waving motion of the open right hand. It's a good idea to write on a piece of paper your destination's name.
Ukrainian is the official language. Near the neighbouring countries, Russian, Romanian, Polish, and Hungarian are spoken. Russian is a close relative of Ukrainian and is most often the language of choice in the centre, south and east of Ukraine. It is safe to assume that virtually any Ukrainian over 25 will understand Russian; however, note that some people in the western parts may be reluctant to help you if you speak Russian, though to foreigners, Ukrainians in that part will be more forgiving than to Russians and other locals of the CIS.
On the other hand, in the eastern parts and especially Crimea, Russian is the most commonly spoken language. In the central and eastern parts of the country, you may also find people using these two languages simultaneously (so called surzhyk—mix of languages). It is also common for people to talk to others in their native language, irrespective of the interlocutor's one, so a visitor speaking Russian may be responded to in Ukrainian and vice versa due to their extremely high level of mutual intelligiblity. In Crimea there is also a nourished community of speakers of Crimean Turkish; a Turkic language closely related to Turkish, Turkmen and Azeri.
Kiev, the capital, speaks both languages, but Russian is more commonly used. Russian may be predominant in most regions except the Western part of Ukraine, but every region in Ukraine is and always has been de facto bilingual.
Young people are more likely to speak a little English, as it is the most widely taught foreign language in school. Most people in the tourism industry (hostels etc.) however do speak English.
If you are traveling to Ukraine, learn either basic Ukrainian or basic Russian beforehand (know your phrase book well) and/or have some means of access to a bilingual speaker, a mobile/cell/handy number (almost everyone has a mobile phone) can be a godsend. Virtually nobody in any official position (train stations, police, bus drivers, information desks, etc.) will be able to speak any language other than Ukrainian and Russian.Be aware though that some people simply do not wish to communicate with foreigners, even you speak some Russian/Ukrainian.
It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Cyrillic alphabet to save you a lot of time and difficulty.
Ukraine is a country worth seeing and visiting over and over.
See UNESCO listed Lviv centre, Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans in Chernivtsi, Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Pechersk Lavra in Kiev.
Hike in Carpathian Mountains around Rakhiv. Conquer 2,061m Hoverla, part of the Chornohora mountain range.
Kayak down Dniester and admire Kamianets-Podilskyi and Khotyn castles.
Chill out on Crimea beaches in summer.
To shop you will most certainly need local currency (hryvnia). British pound, Euro, US dollar and other currency exchange points are very common in cities, and the exchange rate is usually very fair (except in Kiev, where the exchange rate is higher compared to other cities). However, sometimes and in some banks there are problems with cash deposits (or that is the official version), so do not exchange too many dollars unless you're traveling to the more provincial areas. When doing person-to-person payments you might be able to pay in Euros or US dollars, as those are widely recognized, and you might in fact get better rates than in official exchange points. However, be careful, because it's not legal to make payments with foreign currency.
If you want to buy any kind of artwork in Kiev, the place to visit is Andriivskij Uzviz (Андріївський узвіз in Ukrainian, Андреевский спуск in Russian).
If you don't want to have trouble exchanging money keep one of these currencies: EUR, RUB, USD. In South and East Ukraine, it is almost impossible to exchange other currency. In Western Ukraine (especially in Lviv) PLN (polish zloty) can also be exchanged without any problems.
Ukrainian cuisine is quite tasty, but just as other cuisines in the region uses a lot of fat ingredients, especially in the festive dishes. Traditional local food includes "salo" (salted lard) and soups like "borshch" (борщ in Ukrainian) made of red beets or "solianka" (солянка in Ukrainian) which is a delicious meat soup. The first, salo, is perhaps something you might not make yourself try – however is a delicious side dish, as for the soups being a must-have dish.
If you are outside a big city or in doubt about food, exercise caution and common sense about where you buy food. Try to buy groceries only in supermarkets or large grocery stores, always check the expiration date, and never buy meat or dairy products on the street (you can buy them at the market but not near the market).
In most towns in Ukraine there are some very good restaurants. Read the menu boards posted by the entrance of every establishment to help you to choose.
You may also find nice places to eat not by signs, but just by the smoke of traditional wood fires. These are often places where they serve traditional Ukrainian food, including very tasty shashlyky (шашлики in Ukrainian). Restaurateurs are very friendly, and, more often than not, you will be one of their first foreign visitors. Next to the "borshch", you might also ask for "varenyky" (вареники in Ukrainian, dumplings filled with meat, vegetables or fruits) or "deruny" (деруни, potato pancakes). You have to try varenyky with potatoes and cottage cheese in a sautéed onion and sourcream sauce, a fantastic dish. These are just starters, but ones that might fill you up quickly.
The legal drinking and purchasing age of alcoholic beverages is 18.
The Ukrainian speciality is horilka (the local name for vodka) with pepper. Other kinds of vodka are also quite popular – linden (tilia), honey, birch, wheat. Prices range from $2 to $30 (1€-20€) for 1L. Souvenir bottles are available for higher prices (some bottles reach upwards of $50 (35€)/0.5L). There is a great choice of wine, both domestic and imported. The domestic wines mostly originate in the south, in the Crimean region – known for wine making dating back to early Greek settlement over 2,000 years ago, although wines from the Carpathian region of Uzhorod are also quite tasty. Ukraine is also famous for its red sparkling wines. Prices for local wine range between $2 to $50 (2€-35€) per bottle of 0.75L (avoid the cheapest wines, $1 or less, as these are sometimes bottled as house wines but sold as local vintages), however, one can find genuine Italian, French, Australian wines from $50 per bottle and more in big supermarkets and most restaurants. The price of imported wines dropped significantly over the last number of years and trends indicate further reductions in price.
There are a lot of beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Ukrainian beer is of very good quality. Beer from barrels or kegs (more common in cafes) is often watered down. Canned beer is not very common in Ukraine and sometimes not of the same quality as the same variety sold in bottles. The best beers are brewed by Lvivske, Obolon and PPB (Persha Privatna Brovarnia). Imported beers are also widely available but more expensive – for instance, a bottle of Austrian Edelweiss can cost upwards of $2 US while average price of Ukrainian beer is $0.50 US. All told, Ukrainian beers are very tasty and gaining popularity elsewhere in Europe.
Of non-alcoholic beverages, one should try kvas – a typically slavic drink made of rye or wheat. During the summer one can easily buy it from designated street vendors. It's better to buy it in bottles due of unknown cleanness of the barrel. Milk drinks, of all sorts, are also available, although mostly in supermarkets. Bottles of mineral water are available everywhere, as well as lemonades, beer, and strong drinks. When seeking to buy bottled water make sure to ask for "voda bez hazu" (water without gas) otherwise you are likely to be handed the carbonated drink.
Never buy vodka or konjak (the local name for brandy) except from supermarkets or liquor stores as there are many fakes. Every year a few die or go blind as a result of poisoning from methyl alcohol, a compound used to make fake vodkas.
In Ukraine it's possible to buy Cognacs from other former Soviet republics. The Moldavian and Armenian cognacs are quite good and not expensive.
Hotels might be a traumatic experience for a westerner anywhere outside Kiev. The cheaper the hotel, the larger the chance of some quite unfortunate surprises, especially for those not familiar with the Soviet-style level of service which still remains in many places.
There are many mid-range (€25-45) options outside Kiev. For instance in Ivano-Frankivsk (near the Carpathians), the going rate is approximately €35 for a suite (bedroom and sitting room) in one such hotel. Many hotels have the choice between renovated rooms/suites ("western style") and not renovated rooms (East European style). The last choice is more than 50% cheaper and gives you a spacious old fashioned 2 room suite, basic but clean!
There are a number of 5-star hotels in Kiev and one in Donetsk; see guides for those cities for listings. At one such hotel in Lviv, the going rate ranges from €40-60 a night.
Another option is to rent an apartment on the internet before you leave your country. There are many to choose from in Kiev and Odessa. If you would like to go down this route you can either look at airbnb which will have English speaking hosts but higher prices or look at doba.ua which will require some Ukrainian or Russian (or crafty use of google translate) and will have much lower prices, sometimes you can even find entire flats for rent for the same price as a shared hostel bunk would cost in any other place.
What many people from ex-Soviet countries do is to go to the railway station, where they try to find people who are willing to rent a room. Prices are usually much cheaper and if there are enough people, offering the room you can make great deals (in Yalta, people are almost fighting to be able to talk to you).
These deals are usually not legal and they will take you to a corner before negotiating. Make sure they have warm water, and don't be afraid to say it's not what you expected when seeing the room.
There are a lot of foreign students in Ukrainian universities. Bribery is huge, you can obtain a diploma here having attended just twice (the first and last days of study) if you have money. That's a hyperbole, of course, but the real life is not much different. Of course if one wants to obtain good knowledge they will, but motivation in such a situation is low.
Getting a work permit (visa) is a necessity for foreigners if they are going to be employed by any legal entity (exceptions apply only for international institutions and representative offices of foreign companies). The work permit is more of a hiring permit. The potential employer has to apply with the labour administration for hiring an non-resident employee. With the application a complete cv, as well as documents showing an accredited education, have to be submitted.
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Stay safe
Many people will tell you that you can take a copy of your visa with you. Sadly, some people experience trouble over this. It's always better to carry your passport with you. A photocopy can be refused as proof of identity. A phone call to a local who can help can prove very effective.
Get the details of your local embassy and/or consulates in advance and note their emergency numbers.
If you can it is useful to have a bilingual acquaintance who can be called in an emergency or if you encounter difficulties. If staying for any length of time, it is advisable to get a local SIM card for your mobile for emergencies and for cheaper local calls/texts. These are widely available, cheap (often free) and easy to 'top-up',
Crime Issues
As in any other country, using common sense when traveling in Ukraine will minimize any chances of being victim of petty crime and theft. Try not to publicize the fact that you're a foreigner or flaunt your wealth: by clothing or otherwise. With the exception of Kiev, Odessa, and other large cities, foreign tourists are still quite rare. As in any other country, the possibility of petty theft exists. In Kiev, make sure to guard your bags and person because pickpocketing is very common, especially in crowded metro stations. Guides have told tourists to watch certain people because they heard those people say: "They look like Americans: let's follow them for a while and see what we can get."
Robberies and scams on tourists are fairly common, especially the wallet scam in Kiev.
Pickpocketing and scamming is common, particularly in crowded places, in tourist areas, in bars and nightclubs and on public transportation. There has been a slight increase in street crime in Central Kyiv, especially after nightfall. This includes muggings. Pickpocketing on the Kyiv metro has also increased. Armed robbery can also occur, especially in the larger cities Street crime
But if you are arrested by police or other law enforcement, do your best to inform them that you're a foreign visitor. Not many police officials speak foreign languages freely, but many people are eager to assist in translation.
Don't drink alcohol in the company of unknown people (which may be suggested more freely than in the West). You don't know how much they are going to drink (and convince you to drink with them) and what conflicts may arise after that. Also, many Ukrainians, known for a penchant for a good drink, can sometimes consume such an amount of vodka that would be considered lethal for the average beer-accustomed Westerner.
Your Financial Security
Ukraine is a predominantly cash economy. The network of bank offices and ATMs (Bankomats) has grown quickly and are now readily available in all but the smallest villages. Do check the security of the machine – it would be wise to use one that is obviously at a bank, rather than in another establishment. V PAY-cards are not accepted in the country. You can use your credit cards (mostly MasterCard & Visa) or cash traveler's cheques easily. Credit and debit cards are accepted by the supermarkets. But avoid using your credit/debit cards for payments at establishments in smaller towns as retailers are not trained and controlled enough to ensure your card privacy. Instead, it is widely acceptable to pay cash. Locals (especially businesspeople) sometimes carry and pay in cash amounts considered unusually large in other countries. Don't suspect criminal activity in every such case.
Also, it is strongly recommended to avoid individual (street) currency exchangers as there are thieves among such exchangers, that may instead give you old, Soviet-era currency or also coupons that have been withdrawn from circulation since the mid 1990s. Use special exchange booths (widely available) and banks; also be wary of exchange rate tricks like 5.059/5.62 buy/sell instead of 5.59/5.62.
The Euro and US dollar are generally accepted as alternative forms of currency, particularly in tourist areas. They are also the most widely accepted convertible currency at the exchange booths, with British pounds in third place.
Racism Issues
Racially motivated violence and harassment can occur without corrective action by local authorities.[7]
The area around the American embassy in Kiev is known for the provocateur groups targeting black people, and there have been reports of such attacks on Andriyivski, the main tourist street that runs from Mykhailivska down into Podil. Particularly in rural areas, having dark skin is often a source of prejudice. Antisemitism is still a lingering problem in some Western regions and/or other parts of Ukraine. However there are two Jewish mayors elected in Kherson and Vinnitsa. However, Ukrainians aren't Nazis, and massive persecutions and assaults on Slavic Jews are nowadays unheard of (source?).
Anecdotal experience is that there is some underlying racism in Ukraine, indeed much of the former Soviet Union. Migrants from Middle and Central Asia and gypsies receive much closer and frequent attention from the militsiya (police). Always have your passport (or a photocopy of the main pages if you're concerned about losing it or if you're staying in a hotel that is holding it) as foreigners are treated more favorably than others. This is not to say that it is unsafe or threatening, but it is better to be forewarned of the realities.
Many who visited Ukraine as it co-hosted the UEFA Euro 2012 along with Poland reported that the racism scares were tremendously exaggerated and that people were very friendly. Just like in any country, be vigilant, but the chances of there being violent hate crimes are, for the most part, generally low (source?).
Accident Hazards
While there's a lot of swimming and diving attractions throughout Ukraine, local water rescue is tremendously underfunded. It is unlikely that you would be noticed while drowning, especially on the river. Use only officially established beaches.
Ukraine has some of the worst statistics for road related deaths and injuries in the world so act accordingly. Take care when crossing the roads; walk and drive defensively: be aware that traffic overtakes on both the inside and outside. Sometimes you even need to take care when using the sidewalks, as in rush-hours the black, slab-sided Audi/BMW/Mercedes sometimes opt to avoid the traffic by using the wide pavements; pedestrians or not. Owners/drivers of expensive cars have been known, at times, to be more careless of the safety of pedestrians and other drivers alike. Drivers rarely grant priority to pedestrians crossing a road unless there are pedestrian lights. Always watch out for your safety. If in doubt, do not drive if concerned about your safety. Carjackings also occur in Ukraine, so take upmost precautions as carjackers would seek late-model vehicles by gunpoint.
Also be warned that pavements suffer in the same way as the roads in terms of collapsing infrastructure. Take care when walking, especially in the dark and away from the downtown areas of the main cities (a flashlight is a useful possession) as the streets are poorly lit, as are most of the entries/stairwells to buildings, and the street and pavement surfaces are often dangerously pot-holed. Don't step on man-hole covers, as these can 'tip' dropping your leg into the hole with all the potential injuries!
Eastern and Southern Ukraine
In 2015, the Donbass war is still ongoing and threatens to spread across the entire country, if Russia officially invades. You are advised to be EXTREMELY careful in the following regions:
Donetsk Oblast
Due to ongoing fighting between rebels, and Ukrainian forces, travel to Donetsk at this time is extremely dangerous. The only way to stay safe is to not go. You should avoid all travel to this region. If you are in the region, the best thing to do is leave immediately. If for some reason, you must travel to or stay in Donetsk, do NOT wear anything symbolizing Ukraine, the US, EU, the Crimean Tatars or NATO and avoid discussing the situation if possible. Be aware that basic services could be disrupted at any time and travel could be limited by checkpoints, fighting, or infrastructure damage. If you are in or are going to Donetsk, see war zone safety.
Lugansk Oblast
The same thing applies for the Lugansk region as well. Do not speak out against the current separation of Ukraine at all, and again, do not wear anything related to Ukraine, the US, EU, Crimean Tatars or NATO. Avoid taking pictures of military convoys for you could get in trouble for being considered a spy, or possibly get killed on sight. The northern part of the Luhansk Oblast remains relatively safe. The 2014 Ukrainian elections were held with little disruption here. Further into the interior of Luhansk Oblast and around the city of Luhansk are much more dangerous, and, for the time being, are NOT fit for tourism.
Dnipropetrovsk is reported to be much safer than any Eastern Ukrainian city. There is much more Pro-Ukrainian counter protests than Pro-Russian protests. Unlike regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, you can wear the insignias of Ukraine, the US, EU, Crimean Tatars or NATO, however AVOID wearing anything related to Russia or Transnistria, for there are many Pro-Ukrainians living in the region, and you could get into fights pretty easy, however, nothing too severe such as being shot to death or captured as a hostage.
Stay healthy
There is radiation contamination in the northeast from the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. However the effect is negligible unless you permanently live in Chornobyl area itself. There are even tours to the town of Prypyat' which is the closest to the station. The town is famous for the haunting scenery of blocks of apartment buildings abandoned in 1986, now standing out amid the vegetation which spawned from years of neglect.
Do not drink tap water. Major reason of this is that water in many regions is disinfected using chlorine, so taste is horrible. Whenever possible buy bottled water, which is widely available and generally OK. Ukraine has the highest adult HIV prevalence rate in Europe at nearly 1.5% or 1 in 66 adults. Be Safe. Condoms are widely available and cheap. They can be found in pharmacies, which are ubiquitous, especially in big cities like Kyiv.
Many hospitals in Ukraine are by far below medical standards, even on most urban areas, so if you are injured or ill, then it's best to be medically evacuated to a nearby country with reasonable medical standards, such as Poland, but at a highly expensive cost. Furthermore, Ukraine is not a disabled-friendly environment, so don't assume any disabled-friendly facilities available in Ukraine, as there is rarely any.
Respect the fact that Ukraine is an independent nation. You may find that people here are sensitive about being grouped as "Russians", especially in the western part.
You might not want to say "the Ukraine," because some people may feel that usage implies that Ukraine is a region and not a country.
Raising the issue of Ukraine in the context as being part of the Soviet Union may not always be welcomed by the locals, especially with regards of the Stalin era, which experienced the brutal famine of winter 1932-1933, World War II and a second famine in 1946. Nevertheless, many Ukrainians also remember the recent period of the Soviet Union as the time of economic prosperity.
Speaking about the current Crimea conflict can get you mixed reactions. It had been reported that Ukrainians are more calm talking about it than the Russians. BE CAREFUL of what you say, for you must pick the correct side. If you mention anything about Crimea being Russian, it's a good way for you to get into a fight. This can be the same with you saying that Crimea is not Russian towards an Ethnic Russian.
All information provided on this page is subject to change.
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