Ochen Harasho

I think I've been here three days now, but every moment seems to blur into the next leaving me in a sort of haze. There is Absolute Bliss in having the freedom to do nothing and to be with the one you love. You can sleep when you're tired and eat when you're hungary and not feel beholden to anyone or anything. That's what this week has been like... blissful haze. For example, Alex went into the kitchen to make me tea (chai... see my Russian is improving already!) a few minutes ago and came out with a cup of tea, Russian biscuits cut diagonally, almonds and pistachios with a little cocktail umbrella sticking out of one of the biscuits. We're soaking up all those little pleasures that most of the time no one has the time to appreciate... 

[I stopped writing to drink my tea and then watched a movie and fell asleep for 12 hours... it is now past 4 pm the next day and we just woke up, completely missing sunlight, my tour of Chernigov, and any time to prepare for a "Greek themed" dinner we're having for one of Alex's friends... oops.]

As I said, time means nothing to us right now. We literally slept through all of daylight which is a confusing feeling. I feel like I'm back at yesterday. Now that I think about it, we really should get ourselves on some kind of schedule. 

Anyway, let me continue my "arrival" story:

I walked through the door of the airport to where mobs were standing with signs and anxious faces. I walked about ten seconds before I saw him; tall and grinning with a bouquet of roses. We embraced, blocking the passageway out and not caring one bit. I felt a surge of emotions: relief, joy... and a sense that nothing at all had changed. We were apart for four months and still felt every bit the same about each other... perhaps more. 

A moment later Alex introduced me to his friend, Oleqs. (I think? I thought it was the same as Alex's name, but apparently not.) He was sweet and doesn't speak a word of English. We went out to his car and Alex sat in the back with me (on the instruction of Oleqs) and we cuddled and stared at each other like we couldn't believe this was happening. A few minutes passed and we stopped at a little restaurant on the side of the road. It was an adorned log cabin and when you walked in there was a bar in front of you and then stairs on either side leading to little tiny rooms with one table each. We ate some traditional Russian food and then went home to Chernigov where Alex made me dinner.