So yesterday got off to a kind of crapy start. The weather was balmy and there was this rain and snow mix coming down and I really wanted it to be sunny so I could take good pictures outside but that didn’t happen. I wondered to the opera house to see if the chocolate festival had started yet, but they were just building this huge structure that looked like a big chocolate wrapped in paper. I then went to the market that was close by to see if I could buy pirated dvds so I could have something to watch when I get bored. I know this is illegal and what not, but they are seriously lacking redboxs here and I hate paying $4.99 to rent movies off of iTunes. Anyways I did not see any, but then again I didn’t look too hard. I then found a movie theater and went to see what was showing, but nothing good was showing so I went and got ice-cream. It lifted my spirits a bit, but not really. I started to walk back to my hostel and saw a coffee shop that I had not been into before and thought to myself well back home coffee always makes me hyper and happy so lets try. I went in and asked for a coffee and they started listing off all kinds like espresso, cappuccino, and so on. All I really wanted was a large coffee from 158 in a paper cup with half and half and two fake sugars, but that is way to much to ask for here so I settled for an americano. It was ok, but they only gave me sugar with it and I didn’t feel like asking for milk. God forbid I insult the barrista.
After I payed, I went outside and continued on to my hostel. I turned the corner on to my street and there were no less then a hundred cops walking down it. There were two huge coach buses that they came on and a bunch of police cars. Now for those of you who don’t know I have this vary unreasonable fear of cops. If I am riding in a car with friends and I tend to yell out cop when I see one. I’m working on this, I promise. I still have yet to find out why they were all there, but there is a police academy near me so one would reason that is why they were lurking about.
I went up to the hostel and sat in the common room defeated, with my laptop trying to come up with something to do to pass the time. I started thinking of how I could go to Big Burger and get hotdog for lunch.(see picture. If you have any questions about just what exactly is on it, just ask)
My Greek friend Chad then facebooked me and asked if I wanted to go to the Chocolate Festival and I told him that nothing was going on in the square and he told me that it had moved and to get dressed he was taking me. This seems to happen a lot in Ukraine, things change places and the info never get passed on to the masses.
Chad picked me up right as I was opening to door to go out and wait for him. Can I just say how nice it is to have someone be on time in this country? I’ve almost given up on trying to be on time here, but I know it will just ruin me when I get back to the states and continue to be late, so I normally stand waiting, frustrated that people are late. Its my fault.
We walked over to the Lviv Palace of the Arts where the event was being held. It was 20UAH to get in. (8UAH to every $1 so that makes it $2.50) We each got a little bag of chocolate as we went in and we entered into a room that was filled with booths selling different things related to chocolate. There were also clowns, mimes, and people dressed up like a king and queen, to add the festive feeling in the air. Chad and I looked at every booth before carefully choosing what to get. The first thing we decided on was basically one of those doughnuts at Dunkin Doughnuts that should be filled with jelly, but wasn’t, dipped in melted chocolate. That set me back 10UAH ($1.25 keep up people). There was also some guy with a video camera taping us as we tried to eat these things off skewers. Its quite tricky and needless to say for anyone who knows me I got chocolate all over my face. I looked like I was 5 and its great that it probably has now been shown to the masses on the news or something. Chad was also very intrigued by the chocolate fountain, I keep forgetting that not everyone has catered weddings, so we got apples dipped in there. That was 5UAH ($.75 cents, I think I am just giving you the prices now to rub it in.)
We then decided to go up stairs to see if anything was going on up there. First we came across a bar, but since it was only about 3:30 in the afternoon and most likely it was over priced we skipped it. This is probably a good time to explain Chad a little bit more and what he is doing in Lviv as he is from Athens, Greece. He’s an international student here studying at the University. He also works for this organization called Wiz-Art that screens short films (no longer then 30 minuets) and they show them here and have film festivals and such. There offices also happen to be in Lviv Palace of the Arts, where the festival is being held.
We walked threw this big room to go see the offices and we happened upon models practicing for a runway show. Chad and I stood and watch them practice and I rambled on about America’s Next Top Model and how they needed to be fiercer. Chad suggested that I take my camera out and start taking photos. I was a little unsure of doing so because we technically were not suppose to be there and I am still shy about taking pictures of people I don’t know. I of course got my camera out and started shooting and Chad gave me suggestions and tips, while he held my coat and watched the models. (I am now going to stop and point something out to the American guys reading my blog. In Europe guys do things like hold your coat and open doors and let you go threw first without you asking. It seems like they almost go out of your way to be nice to women. Almost every date I’ve witnessed over here has involved the girl having flowers, normally it just like one or two roses, but thats all you really need. So the next time you complain about not having a girlfriend or even getting laid you might want try one, a combination, or all of those.)
The runway show consisted of nine models who were dressed to look like big chocolates, not like a huge Hershey’s bar, but nice truffles or bon bons. There were three stations on the runway. The first was where the model got warm white and milk chocolate drizzled all over her. The second one was where she got things like nuts, dried fruit pieces, and coco powered sprinkled on her. The third station was where she got a chocolate hat. At the end the girls climbed into a a big box and it opened up and they were suppose to look like little chocolates just sitting there.
Chad and I sat there until the show which was suppose to start at 6, so we were there for probably two hours before hand. To fill the time I took pictures of the girls and Chad took almonds for us to eat off the table. We also constructed outrageous stories of why we were there incase someone asked. I was sent to Lviv by Portland Magazine to do a story on a romantic getaway. (Clearly the whole chocolate and Valentines day theme got to me.) Chad was also my interpreter, which I released this morning was a really stupid. Why would they give me a student from Greece who’s first langue isn’t Ukrainian? Chad was one of the model’s boyfriends, fool proof plan right there with only nine models. We kept eyeing the melted chocolate so Chad went and got a coffee cup from his office and filled it up and we started drinking it.
I never thought I would have the issue of not being able to consume as much chocolate as I want. It was almost like a bad episode of “Man Vs. Food”. Chad’s friend and co-worker Olia came and joined us and our fight to conquer the cup, right before 6 when the show was suppose to start. In typical Ukrainian fashion the show ended up starting twenty minuets late. It went really well and all the girls walked great and I think everyone who watched it really enjoyed the whole thing.
After it was all over we made our escape out into the cold and headed to a Polish pub called Four Friends, in high sprits that was due with a big part to all of the chocolate. At the pub I somehow got talked into playing fooseball. I do not know why people insist on me getting involved in sports. It never ends well, and yes I just called fooseball a sport.
We had a few beers there and talked with some more people who came and joined us. Olia and I at one point ended up going to Big Burger and getting these massive chicken burgers and eating them outside so all the mess we made just fell to the ground and didn’t matter. We both ended up with mayo all over are faces, but it was ok because we both just laughed it off and after all we were eating at big burger.
We then left that pub and went to another bar that I don’t remember the name of, but you cant smoke inside of it which is super nice, consider I’ve developed a smokers cough here and I have yet to smoke one cigaret in Lviv. I ordered a beer, but couldn’t finish it and Olia felt the same way about hers. Chad came back from the bathroom with an empty glass and a pink bendy straw for some odd reason and ended up taking some of both of our beers for us. Olia was wearing an Adidas track suit and was getting crap from all the people we were with for it, so I explained Sue Sylvester from Glee and how she was just trying to be her. I think it made her feel better about the whole situation. I also explained what a “bromance” is to Chad. I feel like once more people learn about this concept here it will really catch on.
After this bar we went to one in Old Town called Music lab. Its pretty cool, for what they play music wise. It’s all kind of alternative rock that they have stolen videos for off of youtube and show on TVs there. I was tired and done with drinking so I just sat there and enjoyed the company, until it was time to go. Oila, another girl, and I took a cab home and I was one of those nights that I was really glade to see my bed. Over all it was probably on of the best days that I’ve had in a long time in either here or America.
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