Paris: Meant to be enjoyed, not employed

In January I started a project for the firm I worked with in Chicago - GfK. This past week, that project took me to Paris for a week of consumer immersions and meetings......what I learned along the way:

What a city!  I can't believe that in my early 20s I decided Paris was over rated. While I'll be the first to admit that my judgement in my 20s was a bit suspect, I was floored with what a fab city it is.....

Shopping bonanza!  Not only is their version of Michigan avenue huge & full of fantastic shops...

...most appeared to stay open till 10 or even 11......

Absolute torture given I spent the evenings in focus group rooms instead of stores.   But at least safer for our Visa card that my 'retail finds' were trapped behind locked shop doors..

Old & fancy: The architecture is amazing. Old, yet clean and fancy buildings everywhere. Even the newspaper - cigarette stands are cute. 

OMG Pastries: given the name "French bread", we all know France has baking down. But honestly if you ever go to Paris, you MUST eat dessert at Fauchon.  The odd looking seashell inspired dessert was the most fantastic carmely goodness in a cake I've ever had...

We don't need no stinking cars: I don't think there is anywhere you need to go to in Paris that the Metro cannot take you.  While the spiderweb of lines can be a bit daunting, there is a super-easy site to figure out how to get to your destination....

....making a car totally unnecessary!  But if you insist on having your own wheels......

Bikers encouraged: Paris appears to have gone beyond welcoming bikers to downright encouraging them. The townships bought communal bikes you can rent cheaply and return to another spot....

...and even made special bike lanes on the sidewalks

....Oh, how I wanted to bike around all day shopping and eating pastries!

Wine: And to top it off, they live up to their reputation with the wine.....while I sadly spent all my dinners working, I enjoyed some wine on my air France flight back to Kyiv. Not only was the airplane wine delish, it was abundant...

....187 ml of wine serving vs a mere 150 ml serving of soda......clearly the French have their priorities straight!

Net, net, Paris is well worth a visit -- but given all its fab features, ideally a pleasure one.

Here's to pouring yourself 187ml of wine and toasting to a fantastic weekend!

Skifahren auf Österreich

Hooray for lots of breaks in the International school system (shorter summer vacation = more mid-year weeks off)!

Last week the kids & I headed to Filzmoos, Austria to ski (Logan had to cancel due to a meeting, his sister Amy came as a stand in)  A few notable mentions:

Small world: After 13 years of travel in & out of Chicago’s gigantic O’Hare International, it was totally novel to fly from Kyiv’s relatively tiny Boryspol Airport (ala San Jose airport in 1989 or two Fargo airports today)……clearly the options are less abundant when we knew ~6 other families heading out on the same flight to Munich!

Picturesque Architecture: During the ~3 hour drive to Austria, I wondered how they got the entire country to agree to only build things that look ‘cute & cozy’……But I swear, there isn’t a building that doesn’t seem to scream ‘come inside friend & enjoy some Gluwein’

Pervasive Sportiness: While it’s no surprise to find sporty people at a ski resort, Austrians sportiness seems to push past typical.  2 & 3 year olds whip down the ski hills (Xavier complained that he did not like ski school because all of the littler kids were better than him – he’s only 6!), & they need to actively discourage people from carrying infant backpacks while skiing!!!!!

Coming from a world where there is NO WAY an infant carrier would be deemed an acceptable outfit accessory, this was particularly comical!

Fantastically fun & most likely unsafe: If you tire of skiing, or want to extend the day with an evening adventure, you can ride a toboggan down from the top.  There is a path carved out, ~4’ wide, with maybe 18” embankments.  You hop on and in Fred Flintstone style, use your feet as breaks.  It was the greatest combo of hilarious and petrifying I have experienced in a while.

I suspect this is another one of those things that would never fly at home for fear of safety & lawsuits…..but hot damn, this alone is reason enough for us to go back (would love to go again in 2013 – anyone join us?!) 

Civilized Ski Lodge Dining: Paper plates with greasy hamburgers?  Party cups of beer?  Nein!  It’s real glassware & plates full of steaming schnitzel at these ski lodges....

  

OK, I'm realizing this shot does not look too appetizing - but trust me, it was DELISH!

I think it’s actually a smart business ploy – the inviting atmosphere must increase dining time, thus creating more capacity on the hill!

Holy Baked Goods!  While Kyiv is certainly no slouch with baked goods, the white rolls I have come to associate with Germany & Austria were mighty fine.  Our group of 5 certainly strained the Pension’s buffet – by burning through ~a dozen of them / breakfast…….

Parenting tip: Uno games at the table actually resulted in ~7 minutes of all 3 kids remaining in their seats! 

International Brands!!!  Of course, no trip would be complete without hitting a local grocery store.  Despite the kids’ protesting ‘do we HAVE TO GO?!?’, the effort was well worth it..........

3 full-sized boxes of cereal were imported back to Kyiv!

Working & Shopping Logan: So we would not feel too guilty for Logan missing all the fun, he kept us apprised of his atmosphere in Huntington Beach……..always fantastic I think…..

And, once again, he did not disappoint with a suitcase full of ‘US loot’.  And OMG if you have not tried the mint M&Ms pictured up front; RUN - don’t walk - to your nearest store to buy some….heaven in a bag people!

So here’s to ski vacations, sister-in-laws who fly out to help & all the M&Ms that make it possible!

Inefficiency & Mass Confusion

So I guess it is not surprising that living in a place where the vast majority of people do not speak English - with 'grocery store level' Russian at best, I should experience a bit of inefficiency & confusion.  But as someone who adores lists and getting stuff done, recent events have challenged my resolve.....




Monopoly Money: First of all, at 8 to the USD, the Ukrainian 'Hrivna' still seems like Monopoly money.  And while we actually get internet & phone bills in the mail (gas & electric are do-it-yourself - read your own meter, log the usage & pay for at the bank), I have NO IDEA what these bills say.....

So I figure I'll just give them 1000 - a ton of $$ - and be set for a while.  Well apparently, that is only like 3 months worth......meaning we've had internet cut off twice already.  NO INTERNET?!?!  You may as well cut our legs off at the knees!




Taking their time: Things here just happen more slowly.  Your coffee gets served when they get around to it.  And forget refills!  So when our wash machine went out this week, I was not expecting a speedy replacement.  But leaving for vacation tomorrow, we had to wash a thing or two.....so I brought a load of essentials over to my friend Nicky's house.....

3 HOURS LATER the load stopped.  Yes, THREE HOURS (washing only)!!!  I kept thinking, this MUST BE the final spin.  But no.....we now have the very cleanest clothes known to man.  But my God, I had not allocated 3 hours the day before a trip to wait for 1 tiny load of wash!




Mass Confusion: The other day I was expecting the wash machine repair guy (2-4 pm ETA) and an in-home hair cutter for the kids (4 pm).  It was a snowy day with heavy traffic (major jams are unpredictable, but common) - both were late.  At about 4:45 a guy pulls up in a burly looking pick up truck.  He comes to the door with a big suitcase of tools. So I take him to see my broken wash machine.....

I use enthusiastic miming to explain that the washer no longer spins.  He asks if I have kids and I nod knowingly - and say 'oh maybe a small toy has caused the problem'.  He looks confused.  So I tell him the housekeeper can help explain the machine's problems.  After a few minutes of conversing with Alona she bursts out laughing hysterically and explains......he is the hair stylist.

I think she almost peed her pants throughout the cut. 




Here's to hugging anyone who pours you a refill, smiling at understandable utility bills & kissing your large load wash machine!

С Днем Святого Валентина!

.....or.......Happy Valentine's Day!


I've always been a fan of the over-the-top holiday festivity in the States.....maybe one of the few who gets excited to see Christmas items roll out in August & Halloween decor in July....


Given that 'extra spirited' frame of reference & an admittedly more minor holiday, I wasn't sure what to expect for Valentine's Day in Kyiv..  


You did have to look pretty hard to realize it was a holiday.......but.....PHEW!  Decorations in my favorite grocery store......

..and seasonal candy items.....ok, Cream Cherry candies look totally disgusting to me - but it's spirit!  

....even a candy cupid!

...And nothing says true love like a pack of Strawberries!  Actually, given the weak international supply chain here (importing thing seems to be a problem), fresh berries really do require serious love.  ~$8 for this pack of 10 strawberries.  

Come summer, strawberries will be abundant & cheap.  In the mean time, we are enjoying apples, bananas & frozen berries.


So while my favorite grocery store clearly had Valentine's spirit, they are also either holding on to the past OR do not believe in end of season clearances.  The check out lane was still sporting some of these.....Milka Santas

And while Valentine's is not even represented in many stores, Christmas candy is still fairly common.  I keep waiting for it to go in some sort of Clearance pile......but they don't appear to believe in that.  Maybe they figure eventually it will become part of the 'get it out early' merchandise




Given Ukrainians' bias toward flash, I was a bit surprised at the understated nature of it all.  That said, I did see one guy who clearly had the kind of spirit we are used to....   

So like many things, there are small signs of the market evolving.  But, net, net, I'd characterize Valentine's day as an 'opportunity space' - and not just because I want those bags of red & pink M&Ms!


So here's to love, seasonal candy & kissing the imported berries for us next time you are at Costco.

Sri Lanka vs. Ukraine?

Logan’s division held a meeting in Sri Lanka last week – and invited spouses.  This is the kind of business travel I can seriously encourage more of! 

An 8-hour flight later, we were in a world that looked very different, but also had a lot of similarities………

SRI LANKA & UKRAINE SIMILARITIES:

Agriculture centric: Sri Lanka’s top exports are all things they grow – tea, coconuts, spices & rubber.  We visited a tea plantation….seriously some people's job is hand cutting leaves... 

...you job isn't so bad afterall?!

….coming from the PepsiCo world of hair nets & scrubbed hands, sanitation seemed a little light.  Be sure to boil your water well when you make your next cup of tea

And, the produce is similarly limited to what is in season locally…

…so while it might get old eventually; a week of fresh pineapple, papaya and passion fruit was fantastic!

Scrappy Retailers: While there are regular stores, it appears that most business is conducted from the random mobile carts OR fronts of houses turned into stores….

given both countries’ average incomes hover around the $300/month mark, keeping costs low is clearly a priority

Assertive & Energetic Drivers: I thought Kyiv’s taxi drivers were extreme driving like fearless maniacs in tin boxes (small, cheap 4-seater cars)….. But hot damn, the Sri Lankan drivers appear equally spirited, yet have even less of a tin box to protect them……………

They mostly drive Tuk Tuks – a 3-wheel motorcycle / car with a back seat.  No helmets, no seatbelts….roll down flaps on the side only if it’s raining.  Despite the madness - oh how I loved riding in them!  

Since our driver was unwilling to give me a go at the wheel, I’m trying to convince Logan this would be an ideal second car for us!  (at $3,500 – economical too!). 

Hell, I could even turn mind into a mobile store!

Scavenging Strays:  Like Kyiv, you see stray dogs all over Sri Lanka……

….but my favorite scavengers were the monkeys!  They were also all over the place, this one foraging through the trash till he found some food….

……then a lady walked by with a piece of fruit in her bag.  He bolted up, grabbed it and took off – nearly scared her to death!

OK, LET'S BE HONEST, AS MUCH AS I'D LOVE OUR HOME TO BE A TROPICAL PARADISE, there is a thing or two that pulls them apart.....

Tropical & Lush: While it was hovering around -20F when we left Kyiv,.....

....8 hours later (direct flight!) we walked off the plane to a balmy +80F & lush palm trees....

While we had several rainy day, it was a warm tropical rain – not even enough to stop our climb up the Sigurya Fortress ...

(a very cool mountain top fortress - used to be a lion - you entered through the mouth!)

You could almost peg where people in the group came from based on their reaction…..

• ·          “Too bad about the weather” = Africa, Dubai, Jordan
• ·          “It’s even nice out when it rains here” = Russia, Ukraine
• ·         No comment = Istanbul

And while the warmth & humidity is fantastic for the skin and emotional well-being, you can forget smooth hair.......

 ...even with the mad frizz - well worth the trade off!

Ultra-Friendly: Maybe related to the weather, or just happy to see tourists…….the Sri Lankan people are the most friendly, happy, helpful people I’ve seen in a long time. 

They even make mid-Westerners seem semi-depressed with their huge smiles and spontaneous waving

Zen: Maybe a driver of their zen-ness is that ~70% are Buddhist….there are giant Buddhas everywhere….in monuments….(this one was carved right into the cave wall)

At temples & even just on the side of the road...

I learned that one can become a God by doing good deeds - and - everyone also has the seed to become a Buddha in them.  You just need to achieve enlightenment.…and while no one has become a Budha in over 2000 years, the process clearly keeps people peace minded...several tuk tuks sported this window sticker....

Armed Militia: in an interesting contrast to the zen, I saw more armed guards there than anywhere in a long time.  Apparently their civil war (went on for decades after the British left  – leaving the 2 remaining people fighting over power), which after years of trying to come to more peaceful agreements, ended with a serious ‘let’s just end this thing bloodbath’ ~3 years ago.

So I guess people aren’t totally convinced friendly & zen is enough to ensure safety.

Sensible Ensembles: Coming from the world of high heels & sexy, it was refreshing to see as more casual approach...

The first time I saw heels all week was in the airport at our gate to Kyiv!

Even the men clearly prioritize functionality & comfort given their openness to walking around in skirts….

So inspired by this freedom, Logan's team followed suit…..

Note several had pants underneath – given they just fold shut (no ties) it was probably for the best

Eco-Minded: In order to protect their lush, natural surroundings, Sri Lanka has adopted a few eco tactics:

1. 200% tax on cars:  Net result – a road full of Tuk Tuks.  While their emissions standards did seem suspect, I suppose smaller = less fuel anyhow.
2. Recycling gone wild:  The elephant orphanage we visited informed us that not only do elephants eat a LOT, they also barely even digest their food AND they poop a lot (16 times / day!)…….making a lot of ‘practically new’ leafy goodness in their abundant excrement..

What to do with all that?!  .....Make recycled paper of course!

Luckily, boiling and chemicals is a part of the process..

But next time you buy 'handmade, recycled paper', beware of its potential origins!

So here's to Sri Lanka, tropical vacations in February....

....and a special hats off to Nana & Gramps for sacrificing a week of warmth & zen to make it possible!