Mullets are in– from 3 year old boys to grandpa aged men and everyone in between, it’s the hippest hairstyle around.
‘Resort’ it’s not what you think– resorts here include outhouses, outside sinks, leftover wallpaper in each room, stoves that look like they’re from 1952, scruffy cats, holes in the sheets, doors that only lock from the outside…you get the idea.
Tomatoes and cucumbers 24/7– we’ve been told that Ukrainians eat tomatoes and cucumbers every day of their lives. It better be included with the meal if you invite anyone over.
Smiling and waving is not the norm– communism fell here in 1991, so not standing out and having a somber look is the norm. Everyone will know you’re a tourist by your smile.
Hotdogs for $1. They’re crap– crapdogs, they may or may not literally be made from dog meat.
McDonalds is the place to be– any night of the week this is the place to hangout. There’s no such thing as lines here so unless you shove your way through it might take a half hour to order your food.
Speedos. Everyone’s wearing one– this is the clothing of choice when going to the beach, whatever age you may be.
Marsh-root-ka (bus in Russian)- get on as fast as possible and hold on, every ride is a free surfing lesson. Same goes with getting off; as fast as possible or you might get stuck in the door.
Don’t open the window– our windows at our ‘resort’ are nailed shut and it’s a big no-no to open up a window on the bus or wherever you are. The reason; you will get sick.
Don’t try to sound things out– the Russian alphabet is totally different than ours. It includes what looks like a ‘3’ and the ‘pi’ sign, and what looks like a ‘p’ actually sounds like an ‘r.’
