Facts about Ukraine you did not know

- The name of the book written by the first Ukrainian president is "It is what it is"
- The name of the book written by the second president of Ukraine is "Ukraine is not Russia"
- Ukrainian national anthem starts with words "Ukraine has not died yet..."
- The most famous Ukrainian writer is Taras Shevchenko. His most famous poem starts with words "When I die you should bury me in a grave on the large field, in my native country..."
- How to recognize Russians/Ukrainians in line? They come so close to you that you are getting a feeling they think you are their relative. But the purpose of such behavior of course is so no other person would physically not be able to cut in line in front of them. And Yes, that includes you too!
- Talking about lines, be aware that simple question "Are you in line?" may lead to long conversation how you should look better to determine whether he/she is in line or not "Why am I standing near this line if I am not in it, isn't it obvious?!"
- One of the most famous old ukrainian sayings is "My house is far from others', I don't want to know anything" (Моя хата скраю, - ничого не знаю) . Another famous one is "If I can't eat it, I will at least bite it". (Как не съем, то понадкусываю).
- Ukrainians call Russians "Moskali" (from Moscow). Russians call Ukrainians "Hohly" (from special hair style Hohol that Cossacks were wearing).


More coming...

Have a friend who has been abroad? Maybe he is a spy?!

This text is in Russian. It is a guidance how to recognize whether a person is a spy or not.

US Customs Color Book

This color book I found in  one of the major US airports. 

- Hey you go son/daughter, color marijuana, cocaine and criminals. Just make sure the weed is green and cocaine is white!  :))) 

Would you give such color book to your child? :)

Commandments of Frequent Airline Traveler that I Follow

1. Don't ever check your luggage. It can be lost, stolen, damaged. Did you know that airport security check is not the last stop where your bag can be opened. When you give your bag to an airline employee you are sending it underneath an airplane. BUT before that, - bags are checked by TSA people. They have all the rights to open your bag if they see anything suspicious on a x-ray. Now I don't want to say that TSA are not doing a great job, but there was cases when money or items were missing after. And have you heard of this outrageous story when some TSA employee discovered a vibrator in one lady's bag - he decided to take a custom declaration form and to write an offensive note and put it the note to her bag.

This is also vital when you need to catch tight flight or changing airlines. You don't want to go pick up your bag and then go check it with another airline.... That's a no.
So, only carry-on!

2. 3-1-1 rule. From the first rule there are some following changes in a way you have to pack: 3-1-1 meaning not more than 3 ounces of liquids (each bottle), all in one SMALL zip-lock bag. If it does not fit to small zip-lock - very high chance it will be taken from you.
1 - 1 means only one large carry-on and one small purse/ laptop bag is allowed.

3. Use luggage tags. Tags help to locate you in case bags were lost. I prefer using bright color tags. This is in case if I had to check my bag, it will help me to locate my bags among others' passengers. Some people use colored stripes and threads for this purpose. Some buy colored bags. I prefer business casual style and my bag is black. Having a bright green tag helps.

4. Pack light. This is especially important for me, as I am a woman. When you travel along you will have to carry your carry-on bag with you, put it above the seat on an airplane, put for security checks etc. Often I feel uncomfortable asking men to help me with that. And sometimes there are no men around, just ladies... Light bags also will make it or break it when you are rushing to catch a flight. This is why I try packing light. This commandment is the hardest for me thought :)
Also remember that the weight of your bag should not exceed an airline norms so you won't have to pay for extra weight (often it's not more than 20 kilos).

Travelling to Israel over Yom Kippur

There is always a trick travelling to some religious countries over holidays. Israel is one of those countries...
In 2011 Yom Kippur is on 7th and 8th of October. This holiday has flexible date and on 2012 it starts at sunset September 25, 2012.

Yom Kippur dates

Sat, October 8, 2011
Wed, September 26, 2012
Sat, September 14, 2013
Sat, October 4, 2014
Wed, September 23, 2015

!!ALL Jews in Israel observe Yom Kippur!!

Yom Kippur is the most important Jewish holiday that being observed not only by Orthodox Jews but secular jews as well. Usually Jews have 2-3 prayers a day, but on Yom Kippur there are five prayer services required.

What is Yom Kippur

Yom means "day" in Hebrew and Kippur comes from a root that means "to cover or hide"; a secondary meaning is "to obliterate (sin)" and hence "to expiate".

What to expect travelling to Israel on Yom Kippur

People who observe Yom Kippur have to follow this rules:

No eating and drinking
No wearing of leather shoes
No bathing or washing
No anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions
No marital relations (no sex)
No any vehicles that have motors (Bicycles, roller-skates are allowed. I guess horses too?)
No TV, radio, Internet

These rules starts day before Yom Kippur at sunset. This day called Erev Yom Kippur.
Even it all starts at about 5pm, everything starts to shut down at 1pm.

What Yom Kippur means for tourists in Israel

This is very important to remember that ALL Jews observe this day. What that means is that you will not be able to buy anything (including tickets, food and drinks), eat, drive, travel (except walking or by bicycle etc).
AIRPORT shuts down on Yom Kippur too!

Driving in Israel during Yum Kippur

Even if you've rented a car in Israel, it is highly NOT recommended driving during Yom Kippur.
There is no such legal law that prohibits driving, but here is why you don't want to drive in Israel during Yom Kippur:
- Because nobody can use motor vehicles (and can't do pretty much anything), everybody go out on the streets and freely walk everywhere including highways
- Kids can throw stones in your car, which will not only damage your car (think you'll be involved with insurance for most of the trip), but also can get you killed or injured
- The only vehicles allowed in Israel are emergency vehicles (I guess Christians and Muslims work shifts on Yom Kippur?)

What to do in Israel on Yom Kippur

Unless you observe the holiday - it's hard to find anything to do in Israel at this time. The best choice is to stay by the sea on the beach or on the Arab territory (in Jerusalem or go to neighboring Jordan or Egypt).
And don't forget to buy food and drinks in advance!! Only some hotels (such as on Dead Sea) offer meals during Yom Kippur.

If you still up to travelling to Israel over Yom Kippur - just follow advice and wait until it's over to continue your Israel trip!

Please don't hesitate to share your comments and ask questions!