Kyiv Expat Life: April 2020 Round Up

Canceled plans.

That was the theme of April in Kyiv. No more IATEFL Ukraine, where I was going to get listed on the same program as Scott Thornbury. Goodbye to that long-awaited visit to Minsk. So much for that dinner party I was going to throw. And while I was thankful that I had opted for free cancellation on all our hotels for spring break, it didn’t make it much less painful to cancel our trip to Turkey.

Still, if it was a month to be stuck in Kyiv, it wasn’t a bad month. Spring, like winter, has been mild and dry. And while my allergies are wrecking unbelievable havoc, especially considering the minimal time I get outside, it’s been nice to see trees burst into flower and the empty spaces between apartment buildings fill in with green.

Spring is one of my favorite parts of my Kyiv expat life, the sudden blue skies, the lengthening days, the patios perfect for Saturday day drinking. I keep telling myself I can still enjoy most of this, and once I get a table for my balcony I’ll really have no more need for Kyiv cafes.

The lockdown in Kyiv got a bit tighter in April, with park closures and more requirements on masks. But as far as quarantines go, it hasn’t been unbearable. I’m very privileged to have a job I can continue, a flat of my own, and a boyfriend just a ten-minute walk away. It’s not the romantic quarantine life in anyway — I’ve not become a master bread maker or had leisurely mornings with coffee and a book on my balcony. I am glued to my computer for work during the week, and on the weekend we watch movies and take walks to nowhere. But while it may oscillate between stressful and quiet, I never take for granted the overall stability I have.

So what have we been doing? Trying to bring it all indoors. In lieu of going to Turkey I tried to make Turkish food. Instead of hanging out with my favorite bartenders, I’ve been lengthening my own home bar. Stuck inside all the time, my boyfriend found an app that will show you the stars wherever you point it. With movie theatres firmly shuttered, we’ve delved into the movie archives, pulling up everything from Soviet sci fi to 90s classics.

Small episodes in relation to the epic adventures we had planned. But in terms of what could have happened — I can’t begrudge April its quiet calm.

Cool Things to Do in Kyiv

Nope. We didn’t do any of them.

Kyiv Restaurants, Cafes, and Bars

Kyiv cocktail delivery

Now, Kyiv bars we actually can talk about, because recently I found out that some of them do cocktail delivery. Loggerhead remains the most exclusive place to get a drink, even with delivery, as you can only pay by mobile banking app. But I’ve had great success with Pink Freud and Who&Why (recommended: the passion sour mix, for sure).

The Naked Bar Grocery & Delivery

The Naked Bar is part art gallery, part coffee shop, part community space, and during the quarantine they’ve turned themselves into a pseudo farmer’s market grocery service. Twice a week they offer delivery or pick up of (mostly) locally sourced products, everything from produce to baked goods, ciders and beers to flowers. It’s because of The Naked Bar that I finally got to try Air and Dry’s donuts.

Mimosa Brooklyn Pizza

Mimosa Brooklyn Pizza is one of my favorite pizza places in Kyiv — one of my favorite restaurants, actually. A couple of months ago I was horrified to see it papered over and closed. But luckily it was only shut up for renovations, and now they’re up, running and doing delivery. My boyfriend and I have been trying a lot of different pizza places in Kyiv during the lockdown, and this one has come out as his favorite too.

Mini Adventures

Again. No. We had none.

Books Read

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

An anthology featuring Story of Your Life, a 1998 novella which blew teenage-me away after I first read it in a library book. I think it’s what made me fall in love with ‘short form’ writing, with how experimental it allows you to be. Story of Your Life eventually got adapted into the acclaimed movie Arrival. I’ve only read a few of the other stories in this anthology, in part because I want to savor Ted Chiang’s writing, but I’m happy it’s one of the books I splurged out on in my annual Christmas book buy-up.

The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart

So I haven’t had that much time to delve into my hobbies, but this book has made a perfect companion to my developing home bar. It looks at how alcohol and drinks are made from the ground up. I’m reading through it cover to cover, but it also makes a great reference book — a bartender even complimented me on it, so you know it’s good.

Teaching English in Kyiv

Teaching Online

We’re trucking on with teaching online via Zoom. This month we added back some of our younger classes, which have been, for the most part, an enjoyable challenge. There was skepticism from our teachers in the beginning that online teaching would work with elementary students nine and younger, but they’ve all been doing an excellent job.

Teacher Training Webinars

I’ve also started doing webinars with our partner company, Dinternal Education. Dinternal is the exclusive Pearson distributor in Ukraine, and it’s been fun to experience a different side of the ELT industry while working with them. We do each webinar twice, and my first week was presenting about reflective learning in primary teaching. Over 1600 people in total came to the two webinars! It’s totally different than online teaching, as we use a platform where the only communication I get from attendees is via a chatbox, but I’m looking forward to doing more in the future.

Upcoming News

While quarantine in Ukraine has been extended until May 25, some restrictions are actually going to be eased. Parks will reopen, as will some shops and businesses. Schools will stay closed, but there are rumors restaurants will be able to open patios and outdoor seating. Keep your fingers crossed, because this really is the best season for Aperol spritz al fresco.