February 18
Passed TOEFL, the preliminary result is good. The exam is not very easy, but not tough at the same time. If you get ready for it, it's possible to pass it well.

February 17
Last week I stayed home with a flue. Today is the first day out. The saying about work is true. It is still here, waiting for me. So I'm sitting and trying to get rid of it :) The person who will ever mention a word Kidlink will be killed by me. Especially in this late-winter time. Hello, spring!!!

somewhere in the middle of January
I was in Rivne, in the forest, with particans. Honestly, not lying. The forest is so deep, and no one around... like the whole month.

January 1
Left for home for planting potatoes. Stop, tha't's not right. Left for home to see parents and friends. Two days in Minsk, and left to Poland. My sweet country, what happened to you .... you look shabby! Ok, going to the  direction of the Baltic Sea. Freeezing cold. Sopot swangs didn't eat bread, must have too much food there! Gdansk is cool, big old city, beautiful, my love! 

December 19
It's been snowing for two days, at last ... well, enough of lyrics :). Sorry about the languages - permanently no time for translations. Maybe it's a bad idea? What about your plans for the New Year? I'm open to proposals for the night! By now I have lots planned for the vacations: going to Poland through Minsk. Not staying anywhere long, as usual!

December 11
Got back from Chisinau. An unpleasant story ended up the trip, which had been very nice in general. Here it is - I wrote it for KyivPost:

When I was scheduling the trip about two weeks ago, I found out to my surprise that the flights were stopped. My colleague in Chisinau said later that the company which managed these flights was re-sold or something like that. I had to figure out the best way of getting there for our two-days conference (Monday-Tuesday). There are two trains Chisinau-Moscow as I know, one of them takes about 18 hours, and the other - about 12 to get to the final destination.

(One of our colleagues who hates flying once took a 'marshrutka' from Chisinau to Odesa, and then a train down to Kyiv. The marshrutka was driving this short distance for 8!! hours and she was late for her train from Odesa to Kyiv.)

Taking into account the times of my conference, I chose to get to Moldova and back by train - leaving from Kyiv at 10 a.m. and arriving to Chisinau at 23-38 p.m. It was a long ride, but quite ok. The return trip was a real nightmare. First of all, it was the 18-hour ride. The train gets to the Moldovan/Ukrainian border at 4 a.m. and this means that customs service and border police keep bothering you for about two hours. The train is very dirty (I took a whole compartment for more convenience since there were no 'SV' available), with cockroaches hanging around the whole place and broken doors. For some reason some Moldovan guys were confusing the compartments and kept unlocking mine by breaking the lock every time. At night, an hour before the customs, some guy introducing himself as "road police" broke into my compartment to check my documents and some registration which I 'was supposed to get in Chisinau'. When I said I had no such registration - this was my third time there and not a single person told me that should be - he took my passport and without hesitations tried to make me (not physically, thank God) get from the train. He didn't want to tell his name and position, though, and reacted very nervously to each of my words. I said that I would like to pay the fare (184 lei = appr. $13) right there, and he filled in some form (protocol) in Romanian and refused to  translate it. When I got out $20, he asked me for a declaration which I was also supposed to get one my way there. When I said I had no such declaration, he again told me to pack up and go to the police. Then I went to the conductor and asked if he [the officer] was acting according to the law, the conductor told that I do NOT have to get any registration in Moldova. I got back to the compartment and told that to the 'road police officer', the latter went out, then in a second returned to me my passport and left. I tried to ask him his name again, and to give me back the protocol I had signed - he only told me to be happy that I'm going home. And added: "Next time you will try to enter Moldova, you'll be deported from the country." After that, when the real border service checked my passport, they didn't even mentioned this registration...

Later I also had to give to the customs service $10 for not having declared my laptop on the way to Chisinau. But at least they were nice ...

By the way - on the Kyiv-Chisinau trip the customs officers didn't even look into my compartment.

Cheers!

December 9
Well-well, here's the winter. Last night I arrived to Chisinau for the third time. The first time our plane lost a wheel, during my second visit I got robbed. Scared to think what's gonna happen this time :). About life in Moldova - the first thing you notice is the lack of lights on the streets and absence of hot water in the houses. It makes the city a little dark.

November 27
Bogdan and I traveled to Ternopil (450 km. to the West) for a presentation of one project. I love this city! It demonstrates what Ukraine is and what it should be and will be. Citizens are quite a match for the beautiful architecture - just the same beautiful and kind. When we went out for a short walk in the city I felt like in a Western city. Restored buildings in the center of the city, fashion displays in the 19th century buildings ... isn't it romantic? 

November 12
Decided to translate the site to all languages I know - there are Russian, English and Ukrainian versions so far.

November 8
For those who are interested in my birthday events I can say - nothing interesting. Last night I had a small party at the office, today - a couple of friends stopped by my house. Everything went quiet and nice. 

November 7
Here comes the day when you don't want to hear nice wishes on a birthday, better when all just forget about it...

November 3
Huh, went to the customs today with two Zhenyas, driving all day myself. Now can leave it for two months. It IS hard to be driving so long - no more rides without a second driver. Last 100 kilometers I was seeing ghosts on the roads :)) 

November 2
The whole day went in a family atmosphere at my friend's Sanek birthday party, with his family and just three friends - Oleg, Olya and I. I was sitting and thinking about same parties at my mom's home, with the family... No, it's not nostalgy, just thoughts.

October 31
Now I have a guestbook here - come on, visit it! A separate big THANKS to Sergey, our computer genius :)

Ouch, almost forgot: TODAY's HALLOWEEN!!! Hurra to all ghosts!

October 29
Digged up an old photo (see here), now terribly wishing to go carting.. LOOKING FOR company!!!

October 28
The weekend was great. Got up late, went to eat with Zhenya, then visited some car shops, back home, watched TV, went to play pool. Do we need men after all??? 

Îctober 22
I decided to only write on days when something unusual or most interesting happens. Today must be the wrong day for doin it :)

October 19
Feeling the whole day that something must happen, something very good - you know, like sometimes. Despite all day of waiting for this good, the day ended up in the same way - a little of vodka and the same company. Nothing new.

October 18
Today we are going back to Kyiv. How is my cat - Zhenya, do you feed her? 

October 17
Masha and I are giving out 'veniki' to our young Ivan in Chernivtsy (West-South of Ukraine, Moldovan border). Today I attended the web design seminar and created my first web page, and hope that it won't be the last one. If I can't write keep a diary as a normal girl, I'll be writing it for those who are interested. Probably, you will be able to keep track of my whereabouts :).

October 2002
It took me half a month to move to a neighbouring house. At last finished with moving stuff, and the place looks like after a force-majeure disaster. All things are sitting in all the corners of the appartment. Salami (the cat) is shocked...