Political Situation in Ukraine

Of course, everyone can go to the news sites to read what is going on in Ukraine. The point of view changes if you have friends there, if you can imagine how and where and who…

Ok., I asked our friend about the situation which seemed to be critical to me – and about life when spring is coming… That’s what he wrote:

30.3.2007

Hello Reinard,

I’m fine! Just reread once again my story on your blog. It seemed to me rather sad, no? But in all other respects it’s ok…

The situation in Unkraine is getting more and more confusing with every day

Not only we had new ministers, we also may have a new out-of-schedule parliament election Yesterday I heard that today is going to be a hot day in Kiyv. A lot of strikes and demonstrations are going to happen. Many people are getting tired of the government again and think that something must be changed. This something, as Tymoshenko said, must be a parliament reelection. I don’t know if it’s a good idea, but it would be definetely a something better than just following our prime-minister on the way back to Russia.

But the weather is really great. It’s a bit cold in the early morning yet, but is getting warmer fast. The city is getting green reminding that it’s not so bad in the end

That’s it. Say hello to Lis!

xxx

About Education in former Soviet Union (II)

Hello Reinard,

How you doing? Nice weather today, eh?

Here’s some more about the education in Ukraine. To be continued…

When I was a pupil

As you already know, I studied in a secondary school in xxx. It wasn’t a difficult time for me as I’m more or less inclined to science. My parents, being teachers, gave me the ability to understand complicated things easily. I could afford myself not to do my home assignments of many subjects, because I could answer questions by simply recalling what the teacher told on the lesson before.

Most times it was enough to earn a good mark. However, sometimes it wouldn’t do and I was caught knowing almost nothing about the subject when it turned to some more profound questioning. It made me feel myself horrible and irresponsible. Few days after the occasion I studied as good as I could. After that, I returned to my usual custom of listening but not studying at home :—)

To be honest I wasn’t a very good pupil, or to say more precisely a student who cares. The reason – most times it was too simple to me. But it wasn’t so for many others who worked harder to have good marks.

The educational system in secondary schools of my country was pretty simple. The educational year was divided to four periods. Each period started with joy and happiness of the pupils and ended with fear of not having good marks on examinations. This periodical exams were not really hard. Though they should be prepared for And they were conducted for most subjects. So, it wasn’t funny :–) But, the reality was that you couldn’t be thrown out of the school when you didn’t pass. You stayed. So, the phenomenon of our schools is many many guys who don’t study at all. Or almost. They’re simply not afraid :—) Their age is so young that they don’t understand the importance yet, but on the other hand they are not controlled by the school. This leads to smoking, drinking, stealing and other unpleasant things.

In the end of educational year we had real exams. Often we had two or three, and we had about eight when we graduated. It was a lot harder than any before. But what with the guys who didn’t study, you would ask! Nothing special. The corruption was already there. You could feel yourself comfortable knowing that you can have very good marks if your parents bribed the commission. (The examinations were conducted in written form) It was one more reason why many pupils chose not to study. And really, why study when I can have good results for only few hundred bucks? :—–)

The corruption was not so widely spread as today, so many pupils passed the exams with their knowledge. Myself included )))

XXX,
Ukraine.

About Education in former Soviet Union

As before, here is another email from our friend in Ukraine. What is very interesting is to read from young people who nowadays try to understand their parents, try to understand them, how they (still – of course they were educated under SU conditions) are thinking and on the other hand, how these young people try to see their new world which changed completly but – as our friend tells us very often – »nothing changes at all«.

These letters will be continued as I receive them and as far as they are convenient…

Hello Reinard & Lis,

Thanks a lot for the postcard. It was funny to receive it with “respect” in Russian. I’m sorry I’m a bit late, but I hope you had happy Valentine’s Day!

And now, as I promised I’ll tell you about the educational system in Ukraine.

Soviet Union times.

It’s a pity I can’t tell you in detail what was happening in my country when the SU was, but I know what my parents are telling.

Of course I know that parents most often don’t understand their children and think that the time when they were young everything was much better, prices – lower, health – better, people – nicer, air – fresher, sky – brighter etc. ))))

But to some extend they’re right. The education was much better. The science was one of the leading in the world, many important inventions come form SU or Russia. We had many plants and factories where our professionals were working.

Now I can see a good example of the skills that were trained that time. It’s my father. Educated in a pedagogical institute in Kamyanets Podilskyi he has really nice skills of a vast range. He knows a lot of physics, chemistry, electronics, mechanics and so on. For example he can really easily repair a TV-set or a car. He knows in detail how transistors, transformers, capacitors and other digital elements are working. He knows how to place them together to make some working circuit. Few weeks ago he was busy repairing an old small TV by replacing its CRT from an old Macintosh monitor with no documentation. Some time earlier he did a hand-made welding apparatus. He did necessary calculations of magnetic fields, electrical currents and other related thing…

In fact my father is fan of all kind of technics but, god, he knows how to do so many things that I don’t know so many words ))

So, that’s what the education was in SU. ))

Okay, have to work now. Will tell you some more later.

XXX.

Ways out of Iraq…

… are discusseed mostly as a big political job. Withdrawal, when, how?

But there are also very private kinds of withdrawal. You can read about them but you have to seek fort them very thoroughly: Besides refusing to take part or desertion suicide is too often a way out. 22 from 846 cases of death in 2005. Are 2.5% a relevant figure? Is it allowed to ask such a question?

We know from many contributions which kind of victims besides »normal dead soldiers« i.g, in Vietnam these big american ventures took their toll: Unadequately supplied soldiers and veterans, left-alone disablede cripples, chronic invalids, mental disordered people, drugs…

And we learn about rehabilitates beeing »cured« in molded rooms. But this seems to be only a
Und wir erfahren, dass aktuell Rehabilitanten wieder »zurecht gebogen« werden. Das gilt gilt wohl als heimatlicher Kollateralschaden.

Selbstmord…

…ist sicher ein Zeichen für absolute Verzweiflung, für den Druck aus Erlebnissen und Erfahrungen, die ein Weitermachen oder auch »nur« Weiterleben unmöglich erscheinen lassen. Die Geschichte des Colonel Westhusing sollte kennen und verarbeiten, wer derzeit locker für den Tornadoeinsatz plädiert – und nicht hinmuss…

• Dann: es wir nicht nur mit Worten erzählt. Manche tun es durch Handeln und Leben und durch den Tod. Selbstmord ist eine Art, eine Geschichte zu Ende zu erzählen, und das Riskieren des Lebens ebenfalls. «

Sten Nadolny: Selim oder die Gabe der Rede

Links:

• Selbstmord eines US-Offiziers im Irak
• Suicide Was the Only Way Out of Iraq for Col. Westhusing

Oh, Moon of Alabama…

…
We now must say goodbye
We’ve lost our good old mama
And must have whiskey, oh, you now why

(Bert Brecht, Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny)

Sunday, March, 4 2007, 1:11 :: I was lucky, no clouds at 00:57 :: There He is :: In the deepest shadow …