11.15.07 coat shopping

I went on an adventure the other day. My host sister and I had looked at coats at the big bazaar and on Saturday night my mother called to tell me she had put some money in my account for me to use to buy a coat and boots. So on Sunday my host sister was working and I couldn't find a single person to go with me. I decided to go it on my own.

I knew the direction, and I knew where to catch the bus. I was able to ask the woman standing at the stop which bus went there (I was also able to understand her). It was getting pretty nasty out--my coat was covered in slush, because it was sort of snow-raining or rain-snowing or slushing. Take your pick. I learned that umbrellas are awesome when it snows. Who knew? So I'm waiting for the bus in the slush with my umbrella. I get on the bus and while on the bus I'm able to ask the bus driver if the next stop is mine (it was), and I get off the bus at the big church and bazaar.

I slush my way over to the bazaar, with a vague notion of which way the coat woman was. I pass by the mayo-pizza vendors, stopping to buy a potato perogie. I get into the bazaar and can't find the coat woman. I walk up and down the aisles, looking at the different coat fashions, for about half an hour.


_{The Ukrainian Bazaar in winter}

Ukrainian coats are interesting. Ukrainian women LOVE fur or at least fake fur [They really do love their real fur]. They also love lots of buckles and shineys on their coats. It's great. They also love leather. Leather + fur + sparkley buckles = Ukrainian love. I really love just looking. I did find my way into a different section. I've decided that Ukrainian bazaars are a living thing. A shy living thing. Know how turtles hide their heads and feet and tail? Well the bazaars are a bit like that. Unless you know there's more there you think that's it. Then you wander for a bit--waiting, and the turtle pokes its head out and you find a big pocket of the bazaar you would have sworn wasn't there. Either that or it's fairies messing with me.

So I found the pocket with the coat lady. I bought the coat I'd been eyeing--it was 350 griven, then I found a boot vendor. The bazaar fairies were kind to me that day. Have I explained about Ukrainian boots? They are knee high, covered in buckles and sequins, and have 10 inch stilleto heels. Or at least that's how it looks. Also, the women have stick legs, small feet, and no concept of sore feet. So I happen to find the one pair of short boots with no heels and are big enough to fit me. It was a miracle. A Christmas miracle. They are full of fake fur, so my feet are WARM! And they were only 125g. Awesome.


_{Me with my coat}

I then went over to the yarn booth. At home, buying yarn is a relatively straightforward thing. You do have many options, but in general everything is laid out for you and you can touch and see everything. The yarn booth at the bazaar is different. It's more like a drive through. All the yarn is behind the counter, the woman speaks another language, and it's a gamble. I told her I wanted yarn to go with my coat (which is red and black) and I wanted thick, not thin. This sounds like there were no problems. It took me 20 minutes between her helping other people and me grabbing my dictionary and looking up words. She picked out a somewhat fuzzy black/red yarn. I thought it was too similar and I asked if I should have a different color. She and the other Ukrainian woman were emphatic that THIS was the right color. ХОРОШО horosho, which means "good". So I bought two of them and went on my merry way.

Check and mate.