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Journey to the Borderland

May 14

Posted by Lindsey Whissel on 05/15 at 10:40 AM

Three cheers for Google Translate…

My hosts were able to arrange a visit to a local TV station. There is also a magazine that works in conjunction with them. This professional visit got off to an interesting start when after I was dropped off I met with the GM who told me in Russian he didn’t really speak English (this has been the case in other cities, but I was always fortunate enough to have a translator). We were able to struggle through a few questions, then he had to go to a meeting and I was invited to tour the studio. After the tour, I was able to communicate with a producer named Oksana via Google Translate (note to self—write Google a very nice letter). We talked this way for over an hour and were able to discuss programming, funding structures, copyright issues, and staffing. I was invited to return tomorrow, but I think our team’s schedule has changed making another visit impossible.

We had a leisurely afternoon in the city center followed by a Rotary meeting. At the meeting, we met a woman from Cincinnati who married a Ukrainian and has been living in Kharkiv for more than ten years. It was very interesting to talk to her and hear her perspectives about living in this country.

Tomorrow, we will say goodbye to our Kharkiv hosts and take a bus to Slavyansk.

Word of the day:  ЗДopoBbe (zter-row-vi-ah) health – This is a frequent toast and also what people say here after you sneeze.