Herron Family News

Happy 2012!

2011-12-31T17:53:00.000-06:00

We wish everyone health, happiness, and success in 2012.

Happy New Year,

Erik, Lea, and Carter

Season's Greenings

2011-12-19T16:19:00.000-06:00

The US Botanical Garden has been hosting a holiday event since Thanksgiving, Season's Greenings, with amazing displays made from plant material. We visited on Sunday, taking along Carter's friend Kitty to see the fantastic animal homes (like Monkey Mansion above), presidential houses (Martin Van Buren's below), and to while away the hours in the standard displays of lovely orchids and other botanical wonders from around the world. More photos follow.

We found several interesting plants, including this one that looked like a bird.

Carter and Kitty mugged for the camera quite a bit, posing everywhere.

We asked Kitty if she were to ever live in the house above, would she be called "President Kitty?" The answer is no. For formal titles, she prefers her formal name - Katherine.

Race to the South Pole

2011-12-16T04:50:00.000-06:00

A couple of years ago, Lea's mother purchased videos for Carter featuring songs and cartoons about world travels. Carter would watch the videos non-stop on long car trips across the country and learned about the famous Race to the South Pole. Since arriving in DC, we have come across several references to the race, and even saw an exhibit about efforts to reach the North Pole at the National Archives.

We decided to honor the 100th anniversary of the race on Wednesday. Carter had an early-release day at school, so Erik took a half day at work. We decorated Christmas cookies and packed up a box to take to Erik's colleagues at the NSF. Carter made a special cookie for Erik's co-worker Brian which you see below. It is an extensive form game tree in the colors of the University of Nebraska (Brian is a game theorist who came to the NSF from NU). Brian loved the cookie, but reports that it cannot be solved without information about the players' strategies. After exploring Erik's floor, they traveled to the Office of Polar Programs for a photo op (Carter is holding a snowflake cookie as part of our South Pole tribute). On the way out, Carter had a chance to see the display of "Ancient Denvers," a collaboration between scientists and artists depicting Denver, Colorado as it might have looked during the dinosaur age.

'Tis the Season

2011-12-11T13:36:00.000-06:00

We have been busy with all sorts of activities, so this post comes after a bit of a delay. Last weekend, we enjoyed a lovely holiday scene in Washington, DC. Not only did we visit the National Christmas Tree and all of the state trees (kudos to Maryland and the territory of Puerto Rico for their superior ornaments), but Erik and Carter skated in the Sculpture Garden downtown and we stopped in to visit with a Santa. It was a lovely winter-like day (sans snow).

Man of Character

2011-12-02T05:40:00.000-06:00

After school today, Carter told Lea that he had something to show her. He escorted his mother to a bulletin board featuring his photo and short bio. Carter's teacher nominated him for the "Wall of Character" because he demonstrates this quality (and is one). We are really proud of our character.

Appalachian Fall

2011-11-11T19:53:00.006-06:00

Living in Arlington, it is sometimes difficult to see how fall is transitioning to winter. While our apartment windows afford us a nice view of wooded parks and Arlington Cemetery in the distance, our immediate surroundings are dominated by concrete. We planned to visit the Shenandoah National Park at the peak of fall colors to get a true taste of seasonal change, but the last few weeks moved quickly. The region experienced snow and strong winds at higher altitudes during the last week, robbing trees of their cover earlier than we expected. We decided to take the trek today for our last chance to see the colors this season. We were not disappointed, although bare trees were in abundance. Photos and some comments follow.

Despite the end approaching, the foliage featured some burgundy and burnt umber. The views were spectacular.

We found some wonderful rock outcroppings along the way. Carter was a bit nervous to climb up, but enjoyed the view.

One of our goals during the trip was to see wildlife. We came upon several deer, but had our eyes peeled for the prize - a black bear. Visitors had reported sightings over the last couple of weeks and with the natural cover disappearing, we were alert. We saw no bears on our way in, and were close to halfway back to the entrance when we spied a bear near the road. We doubled back and watched him from the car. When other visitors joined us and left their cars, Erik ventured forth to take some pictures from a safe distance (situating himself nearby others who were likely to be slower on the escape). Our bear friend posed briefly, then ventured back into the forest.

Progress Report

2011-11-01T16:58:00.012-05:00

We have been busily exploring the Washington, DC area with most of our spare moments over the last couple of months (too busy to blog!). Lea and Carter took great advantage of August to visit major - and minor - sites throughout the area. They visited almost all memorials and Smithsonian museums, Theodore Roosevelt Island, and Arlington Cemetery. Once school began in September, we slowed our pace and took only weekend outings. Below are a few highlights of our many adventures.

On the weekend of the hurricane, which was mercifully mild in its effects on our town, we had a quick outing to Ford's Theater. We had prepared supplies in the event of power outages and had the morning to occupy before the storm's arrival. We chose Ford's Theater as our destination and were fortunate to catch a close-up glimpse of the spot where President Lincoln was assassinated (typically, the box is closed to visitors because demand is so high. It was not crowded on the day of the hurricane).

School started after Labor Day and Carter has settled into the routine nicely. He has met several wonderful kids and has especially gravitated toward one of them as a best friend. He still keeps in touch via email with his best friend in Lawrence, Silvia.

The weekend of September 11 was solemn in Arlington. While we knew that the Pentagon was in Arlington, its proximity did not sink in until that time. We can see the Air Force Memorial from our window and can easily watch the approach of flights to Reagan National Airport. We participated in the 9/11 5K raising funds for and honoring the fallen. The route took us past the Pentagon near the site of the attack. Below you can see Carter proudly displaying the medal he earned.

Erik and Carter have had a few adventures of their own, including a Columbus Day visit to the Library of Congress. The reading room was open for guests, another rarity, and they stopped by for a tour. Below you can see the room as well as another spot in the library where Minerva appears to be stabbing Carter in the head.

In the Great Hall, Erik and Carter happened upon a librarian who was answering questions. Carter asked if Erik's books were in the Library of Congress. When she asked for our last name, the librarian remarked that she knew a Herron who was a librarian - it was Erik's cousin who is at the University of Maryland. Later in October, we had a lovely gathering of Herron relatives and enjoyed great food and company while getting to know our extended family better.

The hurricane washed out the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial dedication in August, but it was rescheduled for October. We attended the ceremony which was touching and inspiring.

As fall moves on, we have been traveling outside of DC proper to see nearby sites. The Fall Harvest Festival at Mt. Vernon and Air and Scare at the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum were highlights. At Mt. Vernon, Carter had the chance to play 18th century kids' games, roast apples, listen to "George Washington" tell stories, and most importantly roll down the hill behind the house. We also discovered that George Washington shares Carter's birthday - he was born on February 11, but under the Julian Calendar.

Air and Scare was a fantastic Halloween event that was packed. Trick or Treating with the Space Shuttle is pretty cool. We also went to the local mall for candy and had a lovely party in our apartment building with schoolmates. This year, Carter's costume was a level of Angry Birds.

We continue to enjoy the DC area and will keep everyone posted on our future excursions and activities.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

2011-08-26T14:02:00.005-05:00

Our first two weeks here were quite a whirlwind. After our arrival, we set up shop in Arlington and hit all of the essentials: the local farmer's market, Costco, IKEA, and Whole Foods. The movers arrived a day late and we camped out until they delivered our furniture and other possessions late Saturday afternoon.

Erik started at the NSF on Monday after our arrival and has been busy orienting himself. Lea and Carter have enjoyed several excursions to the American History Museum, Natural History Museum, and monuments. In addition to unpacking, we spent time enjoying old school entertainment as the Verizon strike prevented us from getting any Internet or television at home. It was nice to play games, read books, and see the sights. We are finally connected - an essential component of Lea's telecommute - and can begin posting here again.

On our first weekend following relocation, we visited the National Archives. Not only did we want to see the country's most important founding documents, but also the special exhibit: "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" We had heard quite a bit about this temporary display covering food policy and practices over the years and were eager to peruse the collection. Carter tolerated Lea and Erik's interest in the display, and even he enjoyed the brochure and letters extolling the nutritional and patriotic value of doughnuts. Unfortunately, the Archives forbids photography, so we can't show you the fabulous posters and objects on display. Following our foray to the archives, we took a spin around the Sculpture Garden until our reservation at the companion restaurant - America Eats! - was scheduled. We had a fantastic meal based on traditional American foods. Carter was especially excited to eat the precursor to mac and cheese - a pudding of cheese and vermicelli from 1802.

Our second week began with a bang - or a shake - with a temblor on Tuesday. Erik was on the 9th floor at the NSF when the ground started to undulate. He had never experienced anything quite like it. While west coast dwellers might scoff at a 5.8 magnitude quake, it shut down the NSF and pretty much everything else for the day.

Lea and Carter didn't feel the quake, but knew something was up when Erik called, and helicopters started to circle the Washington Monument. They were taking the day to visit several memorials around the National Mall, including the new Martin Luther King, Jr. site located by the FDR and Jefferson memorials. Their trek back to the apartment was slow and uncomfortable as all public transportation was crowded and metro trains were traveling at a measured pace while inspectors checked the tracks for any damage.

We thought the excitement was over. But, now we are battening the hatches for Hurricane Irene. Next come the locusts...

On the Move

2011-08-12T15:12:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, Erik was offered the opportunity to serve as a Program Director in the Political Science Program at the National Science Foundation. The position involved a two-year leave from the University of Kansas and a commitment to move to Arlington, Virginia where the NSF is located. We were all excited about the chance for a new adventure. With support from her program at KU, Lea was able to arrange a telecommute. Although he would miss his friends and school in Lawrence, Carter was on board, excited about living near Washington, DC. We took a two-day cross-country trek, taking a couple of pictures along the route (above you see the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and below you see Seneca Rocks in West Virginia).

We will be updating you over the next couple of years on our adventures from our nation's capital!

Sad News

2011-08-08T16:26:00.005-05:00

Our beloved family cat, Trygve, passed away today. She had been in various stages of renal failure for over a year. After our return from Europe she seemed especially ill, so we took her to the vet who gave us a grim prognosis. We will miss our little girl.

European Adventure, Part 9: A Final Day in Portugal

2011-08-08T05:52:00.002-05:00

En route home, we scheduled a final day in Portugal. We took a short tram ride to Belem, a small town adjacent to Lisbon that is home to several landmarks. Our first stop was the 16th Century Belem Tower. The tower served as an important fortification to defend Lisbon and is near the place where many explorers launched their voyages to claim territory on behalf of the Portuguese crown. It is one of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belem.

We had lunch overlooking the Monument to the Discoveries, honoring Portugal's role in European exploration of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

The St. Jeronimos Monastery was our last stop of the trip. Dating from the late 1400s-early 1500s, the ornate facility was quiet and serene despite the presence of many tourists. Several photos follow.

The monastery also serves as the final resting place of the most famous Portuguese explorer - Vasco de Gama.

We were all tired and ready to come home by the end of this final journey. That sentiment is captured in Lea and Carter's expression below - they were happy to be done posing for Erik!

We feel fortunate to have enjoyed a great family trip to two grand cities.

European Adventure, Part 8: Au Revoir, Paris

2011-08-08T05:50:00.000-05:00

We took a stroll along the Champs-Elysses on our final day in Paris, stopping for a view of the Arc de Triomphe. We adored Paris and plan to return someday!

European Adventure, Part 7: The Tour

2011-08-08T05:49:00.002-05:00

By a happy coincidence, we were in Paris for the conclusion of the Tour de France. Although the event has been tarnished by doping scandals in recent years, the atmosphere near the finish line was electric. Our original plan was to wade into the crowd on the Champs Elysses. That proved impossible, so we "settled" for a view from the Tullieries adjacent to the Louvre.

We weren't entirely sure when the riders would approach the finish line, but all of our intel suggested mid-afternoon. We left in the late morning to stroll and find a spot. Many fans had already taken their places, including this group from Norway.

Lea identified a place that seemed to be reasonable - several people had already set up shop. We grabbed a chair from the garden (like everyone else) and moved it to our area. We quickly realized that we were behind a large group of obnoxious Americans. The plus - they were tour guides in Paris, so we realized that we were in the right place. The minus - they reminded everyone around why Americans have a bad reputation abroad. To be fair, most of them were not over-the-top and annoying. But, the ones that were jerks were quite expert at their craft.

After hours of waiting in which we questioned whether or not the day-long commitment was worth it, we heard that the riders were approaching. Finally, we saw them come around to the Champs-Elysses (below you can see the line of riders) and they took several victory laps. The most incredible view is in the lead picture for this entry. The camera lens does not capture the image as well as the human eye - we were able to watch the riders speed past, with the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop.

After a couple of laps, we moved to another spot in the gardens to see a different view.

Our early afternoon skepticism was proved wrong. It was an incredible thrill to watch the riders pass by the landmarks of one of the world's most beautiful cities.

European Adventure, Part 6: Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle

2011-08-08T05:44:00.001-05:00

After the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, our feet were a bit worn out, so we decided to see the sights near our Latin Quarter hotel. First on the list was Notre Dame. The line for entry was relatively short and we were quickly inside. Erik snapped several pictures of the exterior while we waited.

Once inside, we walked along the perimeter, marveling at the art and architecture.

Statues were placed in lovely locales...

but were on occasion odd...

...or creepy.

We are flying buttress fans, and Lea gave Carter a little lesson in architecture after the visit. The buttresses are visible below from different angles.

After touring the interior of Notre Dame, we joined another line to climb to the top of the towers. As we stood in line, Notre Dame's gargoyles cast glared down at us.

We ascended the narrow spiral staircases and introduced Carter to the story of Quasimodo. Once we reached the top, the view was awesome and a bit foreboding. Storm clouds were gathering and we were rather exposed at the top. As we moved along the tower, a Midwestern "frog choker" drenched all of us. Lea and Carter were especially soaked as they positioned themselves underneath an awning that poured down on them. When the rain slowed, and the spiral staircase emptied, we took a quick trip up to the very top. Unfortunately, a peal of thunder closed the rooftop. Carter was unimpressed - thunder in Kansas is much louder and more threatening. Several images from our rooftop view follow.

After drying off and having lunch in a small cafe nearby, we moved to Notre Dame's island neighbor - Sainte-Chapelle. A couple of friends who are Paris aficionados told us that Sainte-Chapelle could not be missed and we are so glad that we took their advice! The church is 100 years younger than Notre Dame and shares some of its external features (like the gargoyles).

The chapel on the entry floor is quite lovely, and Erik took several photos of it not realizing what lay ahead.

The centerpiece is the worship space on the upper floor. The stained glass windows are a wonder. Bathed in their soft glow, we gazed at all of them, straining to identify the stories that each medallion told. Every bank of windows is related to a book in the Bible or another theme. The small windows represent an individual tale or a part of a larger narrative.

After seeing two of the most beautiful churches we have ever visited, we stopped off for the most delicious ice cream (actually gelato) that we have ever tasted at a cafe selling Berthillon. The main store was closed for renovation, but it continues to supply vendors. During our stay, we tasted several kinds, but settled on some favorites (Caramel/Butter/Salt for Erik, Bitter Chocolate for Lea, and Strawberry for Carter).

European Adventure, Part 5: The Louvre

2011-08-03T04:07:00.012-05:00

After the Eiffel Tower, Carter's major objective was to visit the Louvre and see the Mona Lisa. He wanted to observe the "most famous painting in the world" up close. Seeing anything up close proved to be a great challenge, however, as all of the major sites in Paris were massively crowded with tourists. While this was annoying because we had to endure long wait times, jostling and pushing, and other rude behavior, it is nice to know that people are interested in art, architecture, and history. Or, they just crave photo ops with famous objects.

The line into the Louvre stretched from the pyramid all the way back to the main building. We estimated that it would take around an hour, but the line was a quick 30 minutes. Once inside, we headed toward Carter's main target. We passed Winged Victory (below) and followed the crowds.

The Mona Lisa was protected by a couple of layers of treated glass (to save it from flash photography, a practice specifically prohibited, but something we witnessed regularly). Unfortunately, the 20 foot perimeter and crowds made it challenging, but we escorted Carter to the rope line so he could get a close view.

We fought our way through this scene below...

After the Mona Lisa, we explored several galleries. Some were closed for construction (such as Islamic Art) and some objects were being restored.

We found the Venus de Milo and her admirers - another impressive crowd, but not quite as large as the group around the Mona Lisa.

Erik was especially interested in viewing the Code of Hammurabi - the first recorded laws. He encountered them way back in his high school days and mentions them in his courses on political institutions.

The whole section on Mesopotamian art and culture was fascinating (and relatively free of visitors). We continued to explore and were overwhelmed by the number of galleries and familiar objects. One painting that caught Erik's eye was the "Raft of the Medusa" which served as an album cover by the Pogues many years ago.

We spent several hours in the Louvre, but only hit a few of the highlights. Carter was incredibly patient and also truly interested in much of the art. He gazed at the Mona Lisa for five minutes, and also loved four paintings of the seasons depicted as human faces (with fruits, vegetables, flowers, and a tree substituting for flesh and bones). Our Louvre visit convinced us that someday we'll have to return to Paris.

European Adventure, Part 4: First Day in Paris

2011-08-02T16:02:00.000-05:00

Paris was cool, overcast, and rainy, but one of the greatest cities we have ever visited. Prior to the Paris visit, Istanbul was our clear number one. Erik thinks that Paris has (unexpectedly) replaced it and Lea has them in a deadlock. Strolling down the avenues, you always spy something new and lovely (like L'viv, Ukraine on a grand scale). It is clearly a world capital, with history and the arts spilling out of every artifice (like Istanbul). Top flight food is at arms reach at almost every moment (we enjoyed the best chevre, croissants, and ice cream we have ever tasted). The atmosphere was simply intoxicating despite the - at times - inhospitable weather.

Carter prioritized our tour - the first stop had to be the Eiffel Tower. After breakfast secured from a bakery across the street (delicious croissants), we left our small, boutique hotel and walked along the Seine to our destination. For some reason, we expected the Eiffel Tower to be visible from more parts of the city. We continued to look for it, finally catching a glimpse over the trees.

As we approached, we saw that we were far from alone. Hundreds of other tourists were lined up ascend. Lea discovered a short line (only an hour-long wait compared to two or more) for the stairs. We climbed as far as the stairs allowed - 704 to the second tier.

Although it was overcast, the view was breathtaking. Unfortunately, the top of the tower was closed due to congestion. It is only accessible via elevator and the observation deck is quite small. The wait time was unclear, and fog was descending on the city, so we decided to pass on this part and head back to earth.

We meandered back toward the Latin Quarter where we were staying, stopping to gaze at the Eiffel Tower again from the park nearby...

... from the Military Museum where we stopped to pose with cannons, and from other points along the way.

We ended our first day in the glorious Luxembourg Gardens. We planned to picnic in the park, but it was too cold and wet. Instead, we paused to admire the colorful flowers and perfectly manicured shrubbery. Day one in Paris was a great success.

European Adventure, Part 3: Lea and Carter Discover Lisbon

2011-08-02T15:54:00.007-05:00

Carter and Lea explored Lisbon for two days while Erik participated in work-related stuff that Carter deemed "boring." The first day, he, Lea, Saadia and Sophia spent a morning exploring the Oceanario, Lisbon's aquarium, which was quite impressive. Adventures ensued.

Above, Carter and Sophia have a laugh after lunch along the Tagus. Following lunch, they took the recommendation of the locals to ride a tram around town. After waiting a long time to pick it up, they finally got on board. After one stop, everyone was ordered off since it was the end of the line. They returned to the trolley as it re-started the route, and jammed into marshrutka-like conditions, they lurched about town, braking and accelerating, going down roads so narrow that pedestrians could not fit alongside, and even colliding with a car. Once they realized they were only going farther and farther from the hotel, they exited the tram and tried to figure out how to get back to familiar terrain.

En route to the hotel, which turned out to be close at hand, they found a lovely park filled with giant aloe plants.

The next day, Carter and Lea struck out on their own. In the morning, they decided to climb the hill at Eduardo VII Park, a grand area near the hotel. It was a nostalgic trip since the park shared characteristics with others they visited in the former Soviet Union. At the top was a sweeping view of the city, with the castle on the left and the river below.

Following their stroll through the park, Lea and Carter decided to go to the botanical gardens. Despite map directions that seemed clear, they kept running into walls surrounding the garden (and no entrance). They surrendered and stopped to get a bite to eat at an outdoor cafe. They learned that the garden entrance was a mere 50 meters away. Carter was entranced by the gardens, truly enjoying the palm (not) trees and rare trees from all over the world. [Carter was fascinated by the fact that palm trees are herbs, not trees.]

After wandering among the trees until the end of Erik's workday, the whole family met to eat pastries at the banks of the Tagus River.

European Adventure, Part 2: Lisbon Together

2011-07-28T15:21:00.011-05:00

We arrived a couple of days before Erik's workshop to explore Lisbon together. Lisbon's "downtown" is in a small valley with the castle on one hillside and the Bairro Alto neighborhood on the other. We meandered through Bairro Alto on the first day, stumbling into a park with a glorious view of the Tagus River and the other hill that you see above. Our main target was lunch, and we finally found a place serving Portuguese food on a side street in the neighborhood. We wandered down into the center - Baixa - to stroll along the streets reserved for pedestrians.

Baixa was quite lovely and bustling with activity on a Saturday afternoon. We walked down to the riverfront square and took a pause for some photographs. As you can see, the weather was gorgeous - sunny and in the 80s - in stark contrast to the stifling heat at home (and the later chilly rain in Paris).

Among the more charming sights in Lisbon were the old trams. They were much more fun to watch than ride.

We continued to meander through the neighborhood, finding this clever solution to Lisbon's undulating streets - an outdoor elevator.

After exhausting ourselves to hasten adaptation and minimize jetlag, we rested up for our Sunday activities. We planned to meet a colleague of Erik's from the project and his family to investigate the Alfama district and castle (on the opposite hillside).

We explored the castle with Robert, Saadia, and Sophia. Carter and Sophia really enjoyed each other's company, playing in the castle and at the hotel.

They enjoyed the local peacocks and their babies (peachicks?).

Lea spied a church from high up on the castle, and we sought it out on the descent. It turned out to be the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maior, the oldest church in town (its construction began in the 12th century with several chapels and expanded to the current site). The church has been expanded over time and reconstructed after earthquakes (especially the 1755 temblor and tsunami that devastated the city).

We returned to Baixa for lunch, enjoying a Portuguese specialty - grilled sardines. During our visit to Portugal and France, we found several foods that measure up to the best in the world. The sardines were among the better dishes we had in Lisbon.

From Sunday night until the end of Tuesday, Erik participated in workshop events while Lea and Carter struck out on their own adventures. More on that later.

European Adventure, Part 1: Introduction

2011-07-28T10:29:00.005-05:00

We spent the last couple of weeks in two lovely European capitals: Lisbon and Paris. Erik was invited to attend a workshop held in Lisbon, so the whole family packed up to explore these great cities. We'll post photos and comments over the next few days from our journey.

Reeling 'Em In

2011-05-26T13:49:00.007-05:00

While Lea is away on the Wheat State Whirlwind, Erik and Carter have been busy with several activities in Lawrence and Kansas City. Carter's favorite thus far has been fishing with Grandpa at Mary's Lake in Lawrence. Their hard work provided the protein for lunch on Thursday. Above you can see Carter using Grandpa's ice fishing rod (a good size for him). After some tutoring, Carter caught a bluegill all by himself. He is inspecting the catch below.

[UPDATE - Due to popular demand (an email from Lea), a photo of the fish Carter caught is below. His odd facial expression is due to the bright sun and his failure to remember his sunglasses.]

Hard work paid off with a delicious lunch!

Easter Ham 'n Eggs

2011-04-24T19:15:00.011-05:00

Carter's current obsessions are Angry Birds and Star Wars. And while a mashup of both exists, we focused on the former for our Easter holiday activities. We decorated several eggs to represent the main characters:

...the red bird...

...the yellow accelerator...

...the blue triple bird...

...and several pigs.

After enjoying the egg decorating, we put the birds and pigs to work in the video below. Happy Easter!

Birthday Boy (and Other Updates)

2011-02-12T08:41:00.013-06:00

We have not posted in a while, but all is well in the Herron household. At Christmas time, we traveled to Michigan to visit Erik's family. Erik took a quick trip to Washington, DC in January. Kansas experienced a blizzard that shut down almost everything for two days. Most importantly, Carter celebrated his 6th birthday. Photos and comments follow.

While in Michigan, Carter and several cousins worked with Erik to produce the Lego masterpiece below: Lego Zombie Apocalypse. The pictures speak for themselves.

Following the holidays, we returned to Kansas where we enjoyed several snowy days. Locals are not used to the snow and treat it almost as though it were toxic. Although he is a native Kansan, Carter loves to play in the snow just like his parents did when they were kids. Erik and Lea recounted the "great blizzard of '78" story. Although Flint only received around 10" that year, Erik remembers the huge snowpiles and drifts in Eldorado Vista Park across the street from his house. Lawrence received around 8" during its blizzard this year, a respectable amount. Without the resources to clear snow that more northerly cities maintain, it took a while to dig the town out. Below you can see Carter enjoying the snow following one of his frequent snowball attacks on his parents.

Erik traveled to Washington to participate in a fellowship review panel. While he was only in town for a couple of days, he had an opportunity to stroll around and snapped this photo of the US Capitol.

We just celebrated our first major event of the year - Carter's sixth birthday. He has been playing piano for a year, and we decided to upgrade his practice instrument at home. He tried out his cousin Ivy's electronic piano when we were in Michigan and he received a similar version of the piano for his birthday. The instrument is really impressive - weighted keys that react like standard piano keys, an incredibly realistic sound, and several nice built-in features (a metronome, recorder, and others).

Carter shared cupcakes with his classmates (chocolate with turquoise frosting and dinosaur sprinkles) and then with the family party at home. Carter reports that he had an "awesome" birthday!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas...

2010-12-25T17:04:00.002-06:00

... and a Happy New Year! We have experienced some great adventures in 2010 and hope for more in 2011.

Moldova Adventure

2010-12-05T07:26:00.021-06:00

One of Erik's personal goals has been to visit all fifteen states that emerged from the ruins of the Soviet Union (only real ones-not fake countries. We're looking at you South Ossetia). With his trip to Moldova for election observation, he has made it to ten.

He arrived in Chisinau on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, greeted by steel grey skies that quickly sprinkled cold rain. Erik settled in his hotel, located on the outskirts of the city, and established contact with the parents of a graduate student at KU. Alexandru and Ionna met Erik at the hotel, and graciously treated him to a lovely dinner at a Gagauz-Bulgarian restaurant. The Gagauz are a minority group in Moldova who speak a Turkic language. The cuisine featured various marinated or pickled items, dried and fresh meats, and an especially tasty hot sauce. Some aspects of the meal reminded Erik of foods he sampled in Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, notably brynza/feta cheese, the use of sprigs of green herbs as condiments, and prevalence of lamb. But, some dishes were new, such as the head-cheese-like meat appetizer and pink marinated cabbage side dish. The accompanying dry, local red wine capped off a fantastic meal. The conversation was equally nice, with topics ranging from Moldovan politics to a handful of anecdotes about Erik's student's childhood years. He was able to visit with them again after the elections - the picture below is from a traditional Moldovan restaurant as they enjoyed shots of homemade wine. The gentleman offering them the drinks is somewhat of a local celebrity, as photos of musicians, actors, and other Moldovan notables in similar poses were scattered about the restaurant.

Thursday (Thanksgiving) was a work day, with a long orientation session followed by deployment meetings. Erik's area of responsibility was the region to the immediate south of Chisinau. While he was not able to take in as much of the country, he also faced fewer logistical challenges since he remained in the same hotel. Erik was paired with a young Armenian man who works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

One of the attractions of an observation mission is the opportunity to interact with interesting people. Erik met several Americans who have served in democracy-building programs at home and abroad, the Swedish statistician in charge of OSCE data collection and analysis, a former leader of the Social Democratic faction in the European Parliament, a member of the European Council, a fellow political scientist from Belarus, and many others who share an interest in elections.

On Friday, all of the short-term observers assigned to the region met for an additional briefing. Erik and his partner Tigran met their driver and interpreter and made some plans to visit polling places on Saturday. In the afternoon, they braved the cold, heavy rain to explore downtown a bit. After strolling down Chisinau's main street for a while, they sought shelter in a nice restaurant, enjoyed a rather lavish meal, and chatted about family, their home countries, and politics.

Saturday was a full day of work, although a bit of siteseeing entered the mix. The standard practice is to become familiar with the region of responsibility on the day before the election. Erik and Tigran's territory was quite large, and many villages were accessible only by poor roads. However, two high quality roads cut through the region from north to south, and these served as their main conduits. Unfortunately, the roads were not directly connected. They had to double back through Chisinau to explore both ends of the region. They visited nine polling places and a village mayor's office. Overall, they had a good impression of preparations, in stark contrast to Erik's visit to Ukraine a few weeks ago. Some village commissions were rather surprised to receive a visit from international observers, but everyone was quite cordial.

Village life in Moldova can be a challenge. In several villages, plumbing was not widespread evidenced by the traditional wells and outhouses. Villagers were walking or biking long distances to buy supplies. The demographics were also interesting - most villagers we encountered were either very old or very young. Young adults seem to have abandoned these places, likely for work or study in the capital or abroad. In fact, while Erik was in Moldova, the New York Times published this sad photo essay about children left behind.

Above you see the entrance to a funeral reception, and below the procession through the village.

After work, we took a slight detour to the main attraction in the area, and indeed in all Moldova. Milestii Mici is home to the world's largest wine cellar (certified by the Guinness Book of World Records) and our interpreter's day job is as a guide there. She gave us a fascinating tour of the labyrinthine caverns that cover 200 kilometers in total. Of course, the team only visited a small area on the tour. The caverns were excavated in Soviet times, with the limestone used for construction. Moldova's economy is largely agricultural and it has a well developed viticulture industry. The caverns store wines from all over Europe, but our tour covered domestic production. After our travels through the caverns by car and on foot, we enjoyed a brief wine tasting. Erik was disappointed that he could not bring samples home. But he packed light and the bottles had no hope of surviving in his duffel bag.

Above you see the team at an underwater spring. The caverns reached a depth of 85 meters underground.

The roads were lined with casks, arranged by the type of grape. Note the small door in the cask below. Tiny women are hired to climb in the casks and clean them.

Bottled wine is stored in mausoleum-like catacombs at one of the deepest points in the caverns.

On election day, Erik and his team awoke early to attend a poll opening in the city of Ialoveni. They traveled from village to village during the morning hours, stopping in several polling stations and talking with officials. In the afternoon, they explored another part of the region and settled on observing the final vote count in Ialoveni. Overall, Erik observed a straightforward and well-managed process. Mistakes were made - generally by officials who privileged speed over accuracy in their preparations or vote counting. That is, officials understood the rules but took shortcuts, and those shortcuts caused them to make mistakes. They ended up spending more time instead of less as they backtracked and fixed the mistakes.

Above, officials prepare to open the polling station. Among the twelve polling stations we observed was the one below - appropriately located in a wine factory. Note the fantastic mural to Bacchus in the background.

Sometimes, the act of observation affects the process. Below you will see a few green banners. Erik noticed them when the team arrived at a station. The polling site was quite close to the local headquarters of a political party. However, they had hung extra banners well withing the 50 meter limit (no electioneering was permitted within 50 meters of a polling station entrance). Erik paced out the distance and took photos, then headed in the polling site to observe.

The "after" photo is below. Erik's activities did not go unnoticed, and someone removed the banners. The team checked back later in the day, and the banners were still gone. The remaining green banner is the HQ's official sign. While it should not be within the 50 meter radius either (technically), it is not a campaign sign.

The village above prepared for the election by hanging lovely flags everywhere. In many polling sites, the atmosphere was festive, with traditional Moldovan music blaring from loudspeakers. Below you can see one of the stars of the election - not the woman glaring at Erik, but the ballot itself. It was about 3 feet long and included 20 parties and 19 independent candidates.

Below, you can see Lili, the team interpreter, casting her ballot. She obtained an absentee certificate, allowing her to vote in any polling station. We were particularly enamored of this village site, located in the old Soviet-era "House of Culture." So, Lili decided to vote there.

Below you see Tigran at work. We took turns asking questions of the polling station officials while the other walked around inside and outside to observe the process. Splitting up can be an effective way to find interesting things (such as the banners noted above).

The photo of the vote count above does not fully capture the chaos and energy in the room. It reminded Erik of those glass booths in which money blows around and carnival-goers try to grab as much cash as they can. In this case, ballots flew about willy-nilly, landing in piles like the ones below.

Moldova's politics are quite contentious. Last Sunday's election was the third since spring 2009. Moldova's parliament elects the president, and if the super-majority of 61 out of 101 deputies cannot agree on a candidate, parliament is dissolved and new elections are held. Parliament failed to elect the president twice in 2009, but the constitution prohibited another dissolution for a year.

Above you can see a poster that says "No Mafia." It is an advertisement from a small party that opposed the activities of a particular businessman in the elections. However, this party never had a real chance of gaining seats.

The Communist Party is Moldova's strongest contestant, enjoying support in small towns and villages outside the capital region and in ethnic minority regions like Gagauzia. The opposition is perpetually divided, and four main opposition groups vied for seats this round. The results, announced last Monday, unfortunately do not resolve Moldova's gridlocked political scene. The Communists garnered the most seats followed by three opposition parties. Neither side has the requisite 61 votes to elect the president.

Erik planned to return home on Tuesday, but his flight to Munich was canceled. He and other observers spent much of the day standing in line to rebook. On Wednesday, he almost missed a connection in Frankfurt because of Air Moldova's delayed departure and its exile to a remote part of the airfield. For those of you who don't travel to Europe, planes often do not use jetways. Instead, they park on the airfield and buses take passengers to/from the plane. Erik suspects that Air Moldova has poor parking privileges, resulting in its bad parking place. The jet taxiing and bus transit legs of arrival in Frankfurt only gave him a scant 40 minutes before departure. He ran to the gate, but was delayed by unsympathetic security personnel who would not expedite his movement through the line. He found an ally in an Indian woman who was also hoping to get on the plane - they tried several approaches to get through, but were rebuffed. When he finally arrived at the gate, he was told that the doors were closing and he could not get on the plane. After a - let's say assertive - conversation, the Lufthansa employees relented and let him on. His new Indian friend and a young American couple finishing their Peace Corps duties in Turkmenistan also made it on, but some colleagues from the OSCE did not. Erik's bag did not make it, although it finally arrived on Friday afternoon.

The final photo is a view from the airport as Erik was standing in line to rebook. Despite some of the bumps, the journey to Moldova was a success. It is a lovely country that has great potential.

Running around on Thanksgiving

2010-12-05T06:39:00.002-06:00

With Erik off in Moldova, and Lea's parents agreeing to host Thanksgiving, a quiet day was planned. However, Carter agreed that it would be fun to run his first 5K on Thanksgiving. And run, he did! Lea ran with him, and thought he would have to walk a great deal of it. But he ran and ran, only walking at the water stop. It was more of an ice stop in the 17 degree weather, and perhaps the temperature contributed to his motivation to run. Carter and his grandpa both ran their first races that day, and both made the top 10 in their age categories!

Here be Monsters!

2010-12-05T05:36:00.000-06:00

We know, it's been a while, but figured this must go up before a Thanksgiving-related post. Carter decided to be a sea monster this year, a convenient choice as he already had the appropriate hat (thanks, Theresa, the sea monster hat has been a go-to head warmer and costume!). The week before Halloween, he hit the dorms to stock up on pre-Halloween candy. Other Halloween festivities included a party at school, a piano party, and regular trick-or-treating. He had a blast at all of them and collected a record-setting amount of candy.

Pearl of the Black Sea

2010-11-03T23:20:00.009-05:00

Erik was unexpectedly invited to take a quick trip to Ukraine to participate in election observation for the Committee for Open Democracy. He was deployed to Odesa, a city he last visited as an observer in 2002. The city is quite beautiful, as its nickname "Pearl of the Black Sea" suggests. Its most famous landmark is the Potemkin Steps, featured in the cinema classic "Battleship Potemkin." For those unfamiliar with the film, the steps are featured in a seminal film moment: tsarist forces chase protesters down the stairs, slowly and systematically gunning them down. Its key moment - when a baby carriage is released by a dying mother and cascades down the steps - was famously reproduced in The Untouchables.

The local elections were seen as a test of the new president's commitment to democratic practices. As a reminder, the current president's failure to win the 2004 election through fraudulent means led to the Orange Revolution. He attained the presidency legitimately in 2010 and the local elections were the first contests to be held since he took office.

Elections in Odesa, especially for the post of mayor, were contentious. As Erik arrived, the Committee for Open Democracy issued a press release about its decision to concentrate resources on Odesa because of its especially problematic election administration. This announcement prompted a response by the Odesa governor, complaining about foreign interference. Erik's election day observation was long and exhausting, stretching well into the following day. During the process he encountered many hardworking election officials trying to do the right thing, but also gross violations of appropriate practices. After spending all night in a polling station with particularly egregious practices, and catching a couple of hours of daytime sleep, he participated in a press conference about the election, met a local colleague, and then had a group dinner with other observers. The next day he packed up, took a walk, then headed home. Some pictures and comments follow.

This lovely courtyard near Erik's hotel was designed by Faberge.

At the top of the Potemkin Steps is a statue honoring the founder of Odesa pictured above in the morning and below at night.

The Opera House, pictured from the side above, is a duplicate of the L'viv Opera House that we gazed upon every day when we lived in Ukraine in 2007.

Nearby the Potemkin Steps is a local landmark - the Mother-in-Law's Bridge. Supposedly newly married couples place a lock on the bridge to demonstrate the strength of their union. It was ostensibly built by a Soviet-era official who wanted to ease his mother-in-law's journey to his family's home.

Another nearby landmark is the Wall House, or Witch House. The building appears to be flat, but the design is an optical illusion (above at night, below during the day).

As in many Ukrainian cities, people stroll in the evening. Odesa is brightly lit and is a wonderful place for a visit and a nice walk.

The election featured some competent and well-run polling stations, but also some of the worst that Erik has visited in his election observation experience. It is really unfortunate that citizens in Odesa cannot be confident in the validity of the election process that just occurred.

Return to the Katy Trail

2010-10-15T20:08:00.018-05:00

Several months ago, in the withering heat of the summer, we took a trip to Rocheport, a trailhead along the Katy Trail in central Missouri. We enjoyed the visit so much that we planned a return trip when the temperature and leaves were dropping. KU's Fall Break afforded us the opportunity to skip out of Lawrence for a couple of days and go back along the fabulous rails-to-trails pathway. Photos and comments follow.

Just as on our previous trip, we arrived mid-afternoon and took a short hike to the cavernous rail tunnel that was carved out of the bluffs.

We also ascended a hill offering a nice view of the Missouri River. Unfortunately, the last month of dry weather has dulled the colors this fall season. However, Lea took in the nice view from high above.

The following morning, we hit the trail early and noticed quite a few changes from our previous visit. Not only had many trees shed their leaves as we expected, but much of the wildlife had vanished or gone into hiding. Our impressive frog census from the summer (168 - one dead) was cut down to around six (one dead). We also found a dead zone along the trail with deceased voles (two) and snakes (four in total and two locked together in death in a position that seemed like a fight gone bad for both combatants).

We came upon some evidence of animal activity - deer tracks, for instance, and this nicely carved tree which had fallen prey to a hungry beaver. We also discovered some pockets of life: tadpole and frog ponds.

One of our favorite spots along the trail is close to the trailhead, where a spring shoots forth from the bluff. Little green plants have sprouted out since our last visit, giving the tiny oasis a lush appearance (see below).

Erik took several photos, and Lea caught him at work below...

...just as he was taking this photo of the tadpole pond. One of the tadpoles may appear in this image, but it is hard to tell.

We trekked several miles past bluffs sporting some autumn hues.

Looking up, we saw vultures roosting and planning the next meal.

We also beat our previous record, making it to mile marker 174 (over 9 but under 10 miles).

Our victory sealed, we headed back after a nice, long walk!

Renaissance Festival

2010-10-14T07:38:00.012-05:00

As kids, Lea and Erik regularly attended the Michigan Renaissance Festival. Lea's father took her every year, as it was located where he studied to be a priest (thankfully he did not go through with that vocation!). Erik was also an annual visitor - he even donned a costume to participate in the Leonardo da Vinci Model Making Contest at age 13.

This year was Carter's turn to experience a critical milestone for every nerdy thespian/D&D aficionado (Erik was more of the latter way back when). The Kansas City Renaissance Festival dwarfed the Michigan festival (at least as Erik and Lea remember it from years ago). Carter really loved fencing, and hopes to take after his cousin Amelia who is an avid fencer. A few photos follow.

Caterpillar or Butterfly?

2010-10-14T07:30:00.009-05:00

Carter has adopted a new personal philosophy. Working in the garden with Lea, he discovered cabbage caterpillars chowing down on our leafy greens. He decided to raise them in a container and learned about different kinds of caterpillars as the population changed over the course of the summer. Some of his caterpillars turned into tiny butterflies, others into moths. Some created their cocoons/chrysalises on the wall of the plastic cup, others under some soil. He raised and released many winged "babies." He decided that one can live life as a caterpillar - not doing much but sitting around and eating - or a butterfly - exploring the world. He prefers the latter.

In addition to raising creatures from our garden, Carter participated in the local Monarch Watch, and released his monarch after it hatched in September. In the photo immediately below, Carter appears to have a horrified expression. In fact, he is trying to stop himself from laughing as the monarch tickles his shoulder.

Last Gasp of Summer

2010-10-14T06:32:00.007-05:00

Fall has flown by as work, school, and various activities have kept us really busy. On a beautiful, summer-like day, Carter worked on his bike riding skills. We initially attempted to skip the training wheel stage (after consulting various sources for their recommendations), but changed our approach after Carter couldn't quite maintain balance. He loves riding his bike with the training wheels, and we plan to explore the new Burroughs Creek Trail (a rail-to-trail park less than half a mile from our home). The trail is named for William S. Burroughs, the famous (and controversial) author whose final home is one block away from ours.

A couple of additional posts follow with late summer/early fall updates.

Another Lithuania Adventure, Part 3: A Successful Trip

2010-09-09T12:18:00.005-05:00

Erik's short trip was quite productive. He and his colleague made significant progress on their project and he carved out a few opportunities to relax and enjoy the beautiful city.

Erik ran around 2-3 miles almost every morning, making different circuits around downtown. He ran along the Neris River, down Gedimino Street, by the National Cathedral (pictured above in a slightly distorted panoramic to give a full view of the cathedral and bell tower), and around the hill that houses the old castle of Gediminas. He planned to run the circuitous route up to the castle, but it was closed (apparently the path is closed overnight, and he ran early in the morning before it was open). With the temperature around 45 degrees in the morning, Erik provoked the babushki of Vilnius to cast nasty glances due to his short sleeves and shorts (one even said something to him in Lithuanian which he assumes was unflattering). It reminded him (fondly?) of the family visit to L'viv when the elderly women of Ukraine decided to "teach" Lea and Erik how to properly raise Carter by regularly scolding them on the street and in public transportation. One of their major transgressions was to not bundle up Carter adequately by local standards (i.e., full snowsuit, winter hat, and gloves in 60 degree weather).

On his final evening in Vilnius, Erik watched US beat Russia in the FIBA World Championship. The big game for all Lithuanians is the second one of the night - Lithuania vs. Argentina. Alaus Namai was filling up when he left (in fact, he couldn't stay because all tables were reserved for the Lithuania game). After rooting for Lithuania, it will be time for a few hours of sleep before the early departure back home!

Another Lithuania Adventure, Part 2: To the Hoop, Y'all

2010-09-07T11:44:00.007-05:00

Basketball fever has gripped Lithuania, the Butler of international competition. A small country with a strong hoops tradition, Lithuania's team has performed well in tournaments, but has not won a major championship (it has received the bronze in Olympic competition three times, but no medals in the FIBA World Championships). Unlike its NCAA counterpart, Lithuania hopes not only to make it to the big game this year, but to knock off the international equivalent of Duke along the way.

Erik spent the last couple of evenings taking in the competition. He watched the US thrash Angola on the big screen TV at Alaus Namai on Monday. On Tuesday, he joined the crowd in front of the Ratusha in Vilnius' Old Town to watch Lithuania edge out China.

Erik arrived on the square around 45 minutes ahead of time, and found a great seat in an outdoor beer garden. He watched the pre-game warmup, featuring a clown, a Mickey Mouse clone, Superman, and a gyrating woman in a skin-tight purple dress. The clown and Mickey cruised the crowd for volunteers while Superman served as the emcee, with the purple woman playing the role of Superman's Vanna White. They were accompanied by a "Dixieland" band, which Erik believes was called Chicago. [Note to Lithuanian musicians - this name was already taken by a mawkish American soft rock group in the 1970s - avoid it at all costs.] Inexplicably, the Dixieland band played the Village People's YMCA repeatedly during one of the contests. In any case, contests were held and prizes won. One more thing - the guy who won was sporting a mullet. Of course, a photo is below as proof.

The square filled with people as the game progressed. Erik gave his table to eager Lithuanians after the first half and cruised around to observe the crowd. Lithuania is a strong team that played poorly in the opening quarter, but pulled it out by a comfortable margin at the end. If the US and Lithuania survive the next elimination round, they will meet in a semi-final on Saturday.

Another Lithuania Adventure, Part 1: The Buzzing Avenue

2010-09-05T09:42:00.002-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, Erik returned to Lithuania for a research trip related to his NSF project. He is working with a Lithuanian collaborator to finalize the coding of their data about political party personnel decision-making. He arrived on Friday sans luggage (which didn't make it through the connection in Frankfurt), but made do with what he had stored in his small backpack. Saturday and Sunday were working days, but he had an opportunity to stroll during breaks.

Just like in the US, Vilnius is enjoying a holiday weekend as it entertains visitors with Capital Days. The photos were taken along the "Buzzing Avenue" - the label for all of the activities on Gedimino (the main drag of Vilnius). The fair features artists and artisans of all sorts - from contemporary and abstract to traditional and folk - as well as musicians, dancers, buskers, kids' games, and food vendors.

One of the stages for musical acts is located about two blocks from Erik's hotel. He caught the end of this performance of traditional singing and dancing. You can see the dancers' lovely costumes in the three photos that follow.

Buskers moved about the fair, along with an active group of Hare Krishnas and Scottish soccer fans (who flew in for Friday night's game against Lithuania - a rousing 0-0 tie). The Scots wore kilts all weekend long (see below) and were a rather happy lot (unfortunately, Erik missed the opportunity to snap a photo of an especially giddy, large Scot dancing with the Hare Krishnas).

The buskers ranged from older, more seasoned performers (see the top photo) to families playing traditional Lithuanian favorites, such as Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" (see below). Indeed, American music was far more prevalent in the setlists than Erik expected and was not limited to Ragtime classics. A youth group sang and danced to Elvis Presley ("Jailhouse Rock" in Lithuanian) and a duo belted out an acoustic version of a Pixies tune.

Vendors of all sorts lined the street. The pleasant, rustic smell of burning wood wafted down the street as restaurants served hungry visitors traditional foods. Erik had some of the yellow stuff, which is not corn despite its appearance in the photo below. Instead it is a kind of split pea stew that is usually accompanied by a hunk of pork and beer. Erik just had the peas. [For full disclosure, he has already visited his favorite pub - Alaus Namai - for local farmhouse beer.]

A blacksmith showed off his craft, bending iron to make various implements.

While the weather occasionally failed to cooperate on Saturday, with unexpected torrential downpours, the festival provided a nice break from work. Sunday was sunny all day, making the festival an even nicer break.

Busker Fest

2010-08-22T07:47:00.008-05:00

All year long, Lawrence hosts a wide range of fantastic, quirky events: the Old Fashioned Christmas Parade, Art Togeau, and this weekend's Busker Fest, among many others. We watched three great performances: Periko el Payaso Loko (a juggler), MamaLou (a strong woman), and Voler (aerial acrobats). Photos and comments are below.

We recently attended a local juggling performance, and the juggler built up to five - and then six - balls. This juggler started with five and the ball count went up from there. The photo above shows him handling seven.

He also juggled several flaming batons.

MamaLou had an engaging stage presence while performing many old school feats of strength.

Voler shared fabulous acrobatic feats while suspended from the roof of Lawrence's Art Center.

In Flanders Fields

2010-08-21T08:29:00.006-05:00

In the late 1920s, Kansas City completed construction of the Liberty Memorial, dedicated to the fallen in World War I. The National WWI Museum opened four years ago at the Liberty Memorial, and we finally had a chance to visit. Inspired by John McCrae's famous poem, the entryway features a glass bridge over a field of poppies, with each poppy representing 1,000 combat deaths. While compact, the museum has engaging interactive displays, well-produced short films, and many objects from the time period. While we would like to have seen more material dedicated to the civilian side of life (and death) during the war (most of the objects on display were ordnance and uniforms), the collection was impressive and told a fascinating story.

We learned quite a bit at the museum. For example, we were not fully aware of the global nature of the war. Not only was the extent of campaigns in Africa and Asia a revelation, but the museum solved a family mystery. Erik's grandfather was stationed in Texas during WWI, a deployment that we always found puzzling. But, even prior to the Zimmermann Telegram in which a German official proposed a Mexican alliance with Germany (to regain territories that the US took in the 19th century), the US had a southern "front" along the border.

A storm approached as we arrived at the Liberty Memorial. It was closed because of lightning, but we were later able to ascend to the top.

The view from the Liberty Memorial is spectacular, featuring the KC skyline, Union Station, and other notable landmarks.

Lea at the top of the memorial

One of the interactive displays allowed visitors to create fake propaganda images by mashing together elements from various posters. Our effort to encourage wartime austerity is above.

We only had a few hours at the museum, but it deserves more time and attention. We'll certainly visit again.

A Big Transition

2010-08-21T08:09:00.005-05:00

Carter entered kindergarten this week. The first day of school was a mix of nerves and excitement. Carter has been looking forward to kindergarten since his pre-school "graduation," but as the moment to cross the threshold into his new school building approached, he was seized with apprehension (you can see it on his face in the photo above). However, his reticence melted away, and he has reported that each day of school has been "awesome" and every day is better than the previous one.

Carter getting ready to go on the first day.

The crazy crowd in front of school (it is more organized than it seems).

A final pep talk from mom.

Hiking the Katy Trail

2010-08-02T18:15:00.010-05:00

We have been fortunate to travel to many exotic locales, but sometimes overlook the beauty in our own backyard. On our regular treks to Michigan, we drive along I-70 through Missouri. Western Missouri is not particularly picturesque. However, as we traverse the center of the state, we always note a lovely area around Rocheport. Not long ago, we discovered that it is a trail head on the Katy Trail, the largest rails-to-trails project in the United States. The Katy Trail is associated with Lewis and Clark's journeys, and stretches from just west of St. Louis to Clinton (near Kansas City). We spent a lovely weekend hiking along the trail. Photos and comments follow.

Rocheport is a charming small town, reminiscent of western Michigan lake towns. Its main claim to fame - aside from hosting the 1840 state Whig convention - is the trail. We snapped the above photo in the park near our B&B. Note the sign on the ladder that looks like one of the many climbing toys.

Just west of Rocheport is a fantastic old train tunnel, a remnant of the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas railway (the Katy) that cut through central Missouri. The tunnel was clearly carved out with explosives and shored up by bricks and mortar.

After a short hike on our first day, we retired to the B&B's backyard hammock where Carter read us a book.

We began our second day early in the morning and planned to hike around 12 miles. In the end, we hiked 8.6 miles. Carter was especially a trooper on the long walk. He catalogued the wildlife that we encountered, tallying 168 frogs and toads (1 dead), a deer, a couple of squirrels, and many varieties of bird.

While walking along the trail eastward, the Missouri River (the "Big Muddy") was on our right, and the tall bluffs were on our left. We had spectacular views of both.

Close to Rocheport, a stream emerged from the rocks of a bluff. We cooled our hands and faces traveling in both directions. We really needed it coming back - it was a typical, steamy August day.

We found other surprises along the path. Somewhat hidden from view was this cave, with a brick entrance probably constructed by railway workers a century ago.

In the more distant past, native peoples drew petroglyphs high on the bluffs. A few remnants remain - you can see the red "swoosh" in the center-left of the photo below.

While the trail is popular, we had many quiet moments alone as a family. We took several breaks to rest, snack, and admire the scenery. We especially enjoyed the wildlife, some of which is captured below (including toad #1).

Our trip to the Katy Trail was a rousing success. We plan to return in the fall to see the trail when the leaves are turning.

Summer Visits

2010-07-24T10:35:00.016-05:00

While our original plan for a trip to national parks in South Dakota was scuttled by Erik's call to jury duty, we enjoyed a brief visit to Michigan. While in Michigan, we picked up our niece Amelia for a Kansas adventure. Various photos and comments from summer excursions follow.

Carter and his cousins posed for a moment. The picture was in honor of their grandparents' 50th anniversary.

Unlike his dad, Carter loves playing in the water. He is a regular at the city pool, but in Michigan a sprinkler substituted.

An avid gamer, Carter plays a matching game with his cousins. He has many favorites at home from the simple (like Uno - see below) to the complex (like Risk).

After fun in Michigan, we hit the (long) road for Kansas. Carter and Amelia had a few sessions at the Lawrence pool during the hot days, participated in a Dog Days workout, attended the final Lawrence City Band concert of the season, and visited several parks and museums in the region.

Amelia listens to the city band above. While the concert was lovely, the most exciting part was the firing of cannons and launching of fireworks during the grand finale.

Carter learns how to fire the WWI-era howitzer.

Amelia gets in on the action, too.

We visited two National Park Service sites - the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and Brown Vs. Board of Education. The kids both earned Junior Ranger badges at each site.

During Erik's Sunday hockey game, Lea, Carter, and Amelia strolled through Deanna Rose Farm in Overland Park, Kansas. This city park has many animals, and a model one-room schoolhouse. Amelia dons the dunce cap above.

Amelia has a great appreciation for art - especially contemporary abstract art. Here she seeks out a different perspective on a piece at the Spencer Museum of Art at KU.

Above and below, Amelia interacts with sculptures at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City.

We stopped for lunch at the original Winstead's, where Erik's dad Thomas worked the malt machine back in the summer of '45. The story from Tom is that Winstead's had to be closed on V-E and V-J days to prevent revelers from trashing the joint.

Council Grove was the last stop on the Santa Fe Trail before its eponymous end-point. We passed through it along the route to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and stopped for photos and dinner. The monument above honors women who led pioneer families on their journeys out west.

Small monuments to Native Peoples and pioneers dot the rural highways.

During our various trips, we took several nice shots of nature. Some were snapped by Erik, some by Lea, and others by Amelia. Erik took the butterfly above and lizard below.

Amelia took these great photos of the snake above and buffalo below.

Amelia also captured this insect on a sunflower.

Our final image showcases other temporary visitors to the tallgrass prairie. Cows from Mexico covered the landscape, enjoying the nutrient rich grasses before their less pleasant stay at feedlots in the western part of the state.

An Adventure from the Past

2010-06-18T20:19:00.009-05:00

The news from Kyrgyzstan has been bleak in recent days, with hundreds - or thousands - killed in ethnic violence and hundreds of thousands displaced. The news coverage has implied that the brutality was somehow inevitable. But, it seems increasingly clear that the clashes were orchestrated and not "spontaneous."

Three years before we started our blog, Erik visited Kyrgyzstan to set up a classroom exchange with a colleague in Osh, the epicenter of the violence. While he heard remarks from some people "on the street" that suggested prejudice, his friends and colleagues were far more even-handed and tolerant of differences between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities. Differences between the communities, in terms of daily life and practices, were evident, however.

In fact, the nastiest comments that were expressed in his presence came from a museum guide in the capital city in the north. Her bigotry knew few boundaries: she had terrible things to say about Russians, southern Kyrgyz (she was from the north), Uzbeks, French, and Germans. Intolerance has prevailed at times - Osh was the site of smaller-scale violence in 1990. But, Erik still has fond memories of Osh and its people. This entry shares some memories of the grand, exotic Silk Road city.

When Erik and his colleague Ray were en route to Osh, Erik sat next to a Peace Corps volunteer on the plane from Bishkek. He asked the volunteer how she would describe Osh. Her answer was: "Osh is a village of several hundred thousand people." This was an apt description, as the city felt like a never-ending village and bazaar.

One of Erik and Ray's fondest encounters was in the market where some young bread vendors invited them to the bakery, hidden among the back alleys. They got a lesson in lepeshka-making (a traditional flatbread) and tasted some right out of the oven. A few pictures follow.

Dominating the Osh skyline is Sulaiman, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Erik, Ray, and their Kyrgyz colleagues Erkingul and Nurjigit took a walk to the top.

Sulaiman is reported to have many healing properties. This section corrects back problems.

At the base of Sulaiman is a vast cemetery which also provided a fascinating walk.

One of the landmarks that has been shown in news coverage is the Lenin statue. Here Erik poses with it (he has a collection of photographs mocking/matching Lenin statues all over the post-Soviet region).

Following are a few more photos of daily life in Osh and the surrounding area.

As a final note, we hope that our friends and colleagues are safe, and wish for peace and reconciliation.

A Renewable Energy Source?

2010-06-03T07:55:00.009-05:00

Carter launched into summer with a full schedule, including Spanish camp, piano lessons, and the library's reading program. While he enjoys all of these activities, he also craves opportunities to exert some of his seemingly boundless energy. Yesterday was an especially active day, with time at the pool, his first experience at Dog Days, and the Lawrence City Band concert (where he ran around for a full hour with friends). Lea and Erik try hard to keep up with him!

The local newspaper caught Carter at two of these events, and the pictures are above and below (courtesy of the Lawrence Journal World). Erik is on Carter's right and Lea is the blue shirt on Carter's left at Dog Days.

"I Want '80s Hair!"

2010-05-30T16:00:00.018-05:00

This year, the whole family attended the 3rd Kansas City Jiggle Jam, an annual music festival aimed at kids. Carter and Lea are veterans, but it was Erik's first chance to attend since he had no overseas travel obligations (Erik often conducts research in early Spring after the semester ends). While Carter's favorites - They Might be Giants and Justin Roberts - were not on the bill this year, we found some new bands to follow.

The festival is located on the grounds of Kansas City's fabulous Crown Center. It features two stages, "bouncy things," a fountain for playing, vendors of all sorts, and miscellaneous activities. We spent most of Saturday having a lot of fun. Pictures and comments follow.

After playing in some of the "bouncy things," we headed over to the main stage for a concert by The Jimmies. The song being performed in the photo above is about Punxsutawney Phil. The Jimmies put on a great show and we have added this group to our musical rotation.

Carter bugged both Erik and Lea about playing in the fountain for much of morning. When we finally arrived, his play was limited to a quick spin through the area. The fountain erupts in a pattern, and kids line up to sit on the holes that project cold water. When all of the jets are flowing at full speed, chaos ensues. Carter's main objection was the water's cold temperature.

After a quick, early dinner at the Crayola Cafe, we got first-row seats to the next show by Ralph's World. Our friend Harry alerted us to this Chicago-based act. Lea and Carter are singing along to "We are Ants!" in the photo above. After the set, Erik encountered Ralph while playing with Carter near the stage. Ralph was extremely nice and chatted with Erik for a few minutes. His band is another one to add to the rotation.

Our first-row access was largely due to an LCNS delegation occupying several seats. Carter's friend Hayden was a particularly good dancer.

Ralph invited up the whole audience for the last song. Carter was unfortunately not game for this great opportunity.

The final band of the evening was the Zeros, a KC-based New Wave tribute band. Carter really enjoyed the music of Lea and Erik's youth, dancing with his mom, playing ball with his dad, and generally rockin' out.

Carter had a few teachable moments during the day. Here Erik reminds him to share the beach balls (provided by the band for everyone to enjoy) with other kids.

The Zeros had an '80s "hair salon" set up onstage. Carter eagerly volunteered, telling Lea "I want '80s hair!" We were hoping for a Flock of Seagulls 'do, but his hairstylist was more keen on color (the other hairstylist was all about texture). As you can see from the photo above, Carter didn't enjoy the smell of 80s hair spray and mousse. He ended up with a blue and green head. We all really enjoyed the set, with fun renditions of tunes by the Buggles, Cars, Devo, Ramones, Soft Cell, Simple Minds, and other "classic" bands.

The next day, we wandered around Union Station, the ornate transit point of the Midwest that opened just under a century ago. Erik and Lea recounted stories from Erik's father, who has told us about his semi-close encounter with Harry Truman back in the days when thousands traveled through the grand old building. Unfortunately, it is now almost empty, with just a few activities available (and a few Amtrak trains).

We stayed overnight at the Westin, which was built on an existing hill. The rock is a real outcropping, but the waterfall is artificial. On our way out, Grandfather Stark snapped our photo. He is the host of a St. Louis-based radio program who was visiting his family and attending the festival. We met him at the waterfall and had a nice talk about kids' music.

Thus ended another successful Jiggle Jam. We are already looking forward to #4!

Everybody Loves a Parade

2010-05-22T15:48:00.006-05:00

The Art Togeau Parade is an annual event in Lawrence, attracting art cars from near and far. This year's collection was quite good, featuring crazy bicycles, UFOs, and zombies. Several photos follow.

"Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

2010-05-22T07:20:00.006-05:00

Carter's two-year career at the Little Red Schoolhouse came to a close yesterday. While the cooperative environment was a big commitment for us, Carter thrived there. All of the parents participated in the classroom and in special clean-up days, but we also had the chance to be involved in fun activities (like the 5K/10K fundraiser - Erik ran the 10K last year, and both he and Lea ran this year).

Surprisingly, the sage words of Dr. Seuss to graduates were not a part of the charming ceremony to congratulate the class of 2010. But, they sang songs, received their "diplomas" and participated in the ceremonial tossing of the mortar boards.

After the ceremony, Carter announced: "I feel like a kindergartner."

Lea congratulates Carter.

A family picture with the "graduate."

Carter and his buddy Hayden.

Carter reminisces about his long journey through pre-school with Miss Stephanie.

Carter, Hayden, and Stephanie discuss Hayden's gift to the school.

Thanks and goodbye to the Little Red Schoolhouse!

Piano Party

2010-05-02T17:14:00.006-05:00

Carter began studying piano a few months ago and he performed in his first recital today. His teacher, Rachel, wisely pitched the event as a "piano party" at her house. Formal recitals, like those at which Erik performed for many years as a child, are wonderful and challenging events. But, with the low stress of the party, Carter experienced no stage fright - bounding up to the piano to play "Old MacDonald." The video is above; below you see him relaxing after completing his piece.

Business and Pleasure

2010-04-28T17:03:00.002-05:00

Erik had back-to-back conferences in Chicago over the past week, so the whole family took a trip to the Windy City. While Erik was in sessions, Lea and Carter had a great time in the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and other sites around town. We also had a chance to visit some friends and relatives. Photos and brief comments follow.

Unfortunately, we had a couple of days with cold, windy, and rainy conditions.

However, we had more days with sunny weather (it was still chilly and windy, though).

Carter loved the "bean" in Millenium Park, giving it high fives...

...dancing under it...

...mugging with his friend Nina...

...and posing nicely with her.

Carter was energetic during the whole trip.

Lea, Nina, Carter, and Misa (Erik's friend and regular co-author) pose among the lovely tulips.

We also had a chance to see Erik's brother Brett and his wife Nina.

We visited the Children's Museum with our friends Harry and Elizabeth along with their son Jasper (above).

Nina and Carter were serious paleontologists at the Children's Museum.

A DC Sojourn

2010-04-06T17:43:00.004-05:00

On Monday, Erik participated in a conference about Ukraine's presidential election at George Washington University, presenting a paper that evaluated polling station-level data. The conference brought together scholars from the US, Canada, and Ukraine to assess the implications of Viktor Yanukovych's victory. Although it was a one-day event, Erik enjoyed it tremendously and learned quite a bit.

While the trip afforded him no time for sightseeing, he took an opportunity to stop in for a brief visit to Arlington National Cemetery en route to the airport. Arlington was full of high school-aged tourists, likely on Spring Break trips to the capital. Despite the crowds, the cemetery was beautiful and serene, and Erik visited a quiet spot where his Uncle Vincent is interred. Vincent died in WWII at Anzio, and his grave site is an inspiring symbol amid the uniformity of Arlington's rows of white headstones.

A few years ago, we first visited the grave and noticed that a tree trunk was growing around it. We have tracked the tree's progress over the years, but have not been back in quite some time. The tree has almost completely enveloped the stone, rendering Vincent's name illegible (Vincent's official name was Maurice Herron, and that is what appears on the headstone. As you can see in the above photo, only the words "RICE" and "RON" are visible). Erik packed light for the trip and did not have his digital camera. However, he had his laptop and used the photo capture feature on the webcam to snap these shots.

"The Easter Bunny Totally Hooked Me Up, Man!"

2010-04-04T08:16:00.001-05:00

Spring finally arrived in Lawrence after an unusually cold, snowy, and grey winter. Our outdoor schedule kicked off on Saturday with the new soccer season and the city's big Easter Egg hunt. Easter Sunday's excitement began with Carter's discovery that the Easter Bunny seemed to have eaten the beautiful egg Carter left for her (Carter made the call on the Bunny's gender). He found his basket of goodies, and kept repeating the title line from this post. Indeed, the Easter Bunny hooked him up.

Carter's Five!

2010-02-13T17:18:00.003-06:00

Carter is excited about this birthday, especially since it is the last one where he can show his age using fingers on only one hand. He has had a few celebrations, although his real birthday was a couple of days ago. On Wednesday, Carter had the coveted job of snack helper at school. His teacher made him a birthday crown, traditional headgear at the Little Red Schoolhouse. The following day, Lea's parents and sister arrived to celebrate with him. This year's cake was strawberry, with white frosting.

Today Carter invited all of his classmates to a party at the Prairie Park Nature Center. The party was quite exciting, with visits from several snakes, lizards, turtles, a scorpion, a red-tailed hawk, a screech owl, and other creatures native to Kansas, a game, and Carter's earth cake (the second birthday cake this year). Photos follow.

Final Ukraine Observations

2010-01-18T11:25:00.009-06:00

As befits a trip to Ukraine, Erik encountered professional and personal complications. He had several productive meetings (and one strange meeting), but some of his plans fell through. Most notably, he was unable to secure credentials from the Central Electoral Commission to be an official observer at the polls. The organization that often helps him in this endeavor was unable to do so this time. While they made efforts to find an alternative sponsor for him, it did not come together in time. The meetings he had yielded some valuable insights and information, however.

One meeting, however, left him speechless. A colleague arranged to have him meet with a political scientist who is associated with a university in Kyiv. Erik was invited into his nicely decorated, homey office, offered tea, and shown various photos of visits to the United States. As an opening question, Erik asked him about his general impressions of the 2010 campaign. He launched into an increasingly layered – and increasingly disturbing – articulation of Ukraine's politics. One cannot look at this election, he said, without proper context. [Fair enough.] One cannot look back to the last ten years, fifteen years, or even one hundred years, as Ukraine's politics owe a debt to deeper historical dynamics. [Okay...] Rather, one has to look back many, many centuries to the time when people first settled the region. “Did you know that Ukrainians aren't Slavs? That is a myth propagated by Russians who are also not Slavs.” [Hmmm...] Indeed, the first people who settled this area invented the symbol of the swastika. [Red flags should have been flying at this point, but I hadn't put all the pieces together...] They eventually migrated across the world, founding the Sumerian civilization. [Did YOU know that Sumerians are deeply connected to the original Ukrainians?] This society was matriarchal and democratic, although it was replaced by patriarchal and militaristic societies. “Ukrainian society is genetically democratic. We have it in our blood.” The Russians? “They are genetically totalitarian.” The Poles? “They are democratic – and real Slavs.” Both the Russians and Poles occupy territory that is rightfully Ukrainian. Ukraine is predisposed to democracy, but it needs a uniquely Ukrainian approach. This includes a strong president who can rule decisively.

After an hour or so of this conversation, which drifted into numerology and conspiracy, Erik had to head off to other obligations. He was given some reading material that he immediately began dissecting on the metro ride back to the center of town. A citation in his publication really struck him – a book called March of the Titans: A History of the White Race. The author is a white Rhodesian (yes... Rhodesian) who may or may not be a neo-Nazi, but seems rather popular among them. The Ukrainian nationalist movement has an extreme element that uses Nazi symbology, emphasizes anti-Semitism, and would probably applaud the sentiments that he heard. To be fair, some of what he read diverges from the extreme right propaganda line, but the broad contours were distressing. Without betraying his identity, the professor is a reasonably prominent political scientist in Ukraine, but Erik had never met him before.

On a personal level, Erik's main inconvenience was his loss of Internet access at a critical point in the trip – a day before the election. He had been using the Internet not only to post to this blog, but to monitor the media and campaigns. He planned to access real-time information from the exit polls and Central Electoral Commission. But, these good plans were thwarted when the cable went down in his apartment (the Internet connection is managed by the cable company and runs through the cable box). So, not only did he lose access to the Internet, but also television news sources. Fortunately, an Internet cafe was located nearby.

On election day, Erik tried to visit polling sites, but had to use care as he was not an official observer. He made sure not to violate any laws, but consequently was only able to gain a superficial sense of what was going on. The process seemed calm and orderly; it seemed less like an election day than a lazy Sunday. Of course, extremely cold temperatures limited the number of people on the street, although Khreshchatik Street still featured many people strolling throughout the day and into the evening. He was fortunate to receive an invitation to share dinner with the director of the Fulbright program, his family, and other guests. Instead of enjoying the evening watching ballot counting procedures, he spent an even better time conversing with good company and indulging in delicious food. Following are various photos from the last few days of his visit with comments. The election produced no real surprises – the second round runoff on February 7 will feature the expected candidates.

A polling station near Erik's apartment. When he approached for a visit, he realized that a VIP was planning to vote there. Security was on high alert with uniformed and plainclothes policemen in evidence all around the site (including some shadowy figures on nearby rooftops who may or may not have been snipers). The precinct also featured a separate entrance for the media who were also represented in large numbers. Given the proximity to the presidential offices and residence, Erik speculates that the president himself would be casting a ballot there. He loitered for a while, but thought that it was probably best not to loiter in a secured area. After an hour with no VIP arrival, he decided to seek out other polling sites in the neighborhood where he lived in 1999 (Erik knew where some schools were located, and they often serve as polling sites). He wandered about for a good portion of the day, stopping in various places to warm up.

This woman has been standing in the same spot for at least two days – and probably longer. Her sign refers to “50 Days of Prayer for Ukraine.”

When Erik was first in Kyiv in 1989, he was told that this Lenin statue won some award for being the best Lenin statue in the world. His memory may betray him – the contest could have been something else – but he distinctly remembers it as being a Lenin statue contest. In any case, its artistic quality has spared it from post-communist purges thus far. Below it, a representative of the Communist Party was soliciting donations for its preservation. Down the street, the People's Party hung a large banner demanding its removal from Kyiv, so it may yet be carted away like the rest.

As Erik rested on a bench, this couple strolled by. They seemed colorful, so Erik snapped a photo.

Approaching Taras Shevchenko Park, across the street from the university's famous “red building,” Erik found Ukraine's Red Dog. Both Lea and Erik attend Red Dog's workouts in Lawrence; old-school calisthenics combined with jogging. Instead of having a bullhorn (or mic rig), Kyiv's Red Dog had a whistle and a similarly unusual collection of exercises. The photo depicts pairs of women playing a type of patty-cake while twisting. Kudos to them for exercising in the bitter cold!

The “red building” noted above. Many stories purport to explain the bright red color (a quick paint job to cover up a massacre of students by the tsar; an intentional paint job to mirror a tsarist-era award; a Soviet-era ideological move), but they seem to be myths.

Strolling down Khreshchatik in the fresh snow, Erik followed the path of previous walkers.

Perhaps emboldened by Ronald's attorneys' failure to dispatch with McCurry in Malaysia, Ukrainian entrepreneurs have started up another imitator. McFoxy – located across the food court from a McDonald's in the Globus Mall (underneath Independence Square) – even chose a suspiciously McD's-like font. But, the chicken leg exclamation point is all McFoxy.

Update from Kyiv

2010-01-15T05:45:00.023-06:00

Erik has been working on various research projects in Kyiv since his arrival on Sunday. Although he has struggled to set up meetings this trip (sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't...), he has also made progress. In addition to work-related activities, he was able to catch up with old friends as well. Below are some photos and commentary from the week.

St. Michael's monastery is one of the many lovely sights in Kyiv. Here it is framed by steel-grey skies and ample piles of snow.

Another Kyiv landmark - one of our favorites - is St. Andrew's Church and the path alongside it called Adriivskiy Uzviz/Andreyevskiy Spusk (Andrew's Descent). You can see a panoramic from a hill along the way at the top of this post (click on it for a larger image).

Erik followed a treacherous path down Andrew's Descent, nearly falling a couple of times.

Andrew's Descent hosts a daily market, with artwork and various souvenirs. Few vendors were out during this walk, probably because it was a weekday, as well as cold and windy.

Erik attended a press conference of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine to learn about issues associated with the election.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clearly signaling its orientation, with the EU flag flying alongside the Ukrainian flag. This election will influence how Ukraine develops its international profile in the next few years.

A few candidates loom over Kyiv on giant billboards. This one is for Sergey Tihipko.

Yuliya Tymoshenko's image is ubiquitous.

Generally campaign tents cluster together by ideology (so, a Tymoshenko tent sits next to a Narodniy Rukh tent (another party supporting her)). Here the two main rivals coexist side-by-side.

Back to Ukraine

2010-01-11T04:08:00.012-06:00

Erik has regularly visited Ukraine for professional reasons, but had not returned since the end of 2007 when the Herron family Fulbright adventure concluded. The combination of a new presidential election and research projects that would benefit from a visit prompted this trip to Kyiv.

He left the frigid Midwest, still covered in snow and ice, for a slightly warmer climate. Just like many parts of the US, Europe has struggled with a difficult winter. At his transit airport, London Heathrow, Erik encountered several travelers whose flights were canceled due to inclement weather conditions. Ukraine was also hit with a sizable snowfall, but rising temperatures and rain generated uneven melting. This process created terrible conditions for driving and walking on poorly maintained roads and sidewalks. Major streets, and sidewalks outside many businesses and government agencies, have been cleared of the worst snow and ice. But, workers struggled to chip away 2-3 inches of ice that were slippery and uneven.

Erik's walk around town reminded him of Lea's favorite headline from one of our earlier visits to Russia: "Sidewalks of Death." The article discussed the injury rates of Moscow's pedestrians; tens of thousands annually sprain or break limbs (here you can read a more recent article about the problem). While Kyiv's municipal workers were on the task today, many sidewalks were touch-and-go.

The sidewalks are so treacherous in Kyiv that many - perhaps most - young women seem to have cast aside their ultra-high heeled boots for the conventional variety. This is surely just a temporary measure, as Ukrainian women are among the most skilled at navigating difficult terrain in high heels, and among the most dedicated to wearing high heels.

In the early evening, Erik met with a colleague from the Kyiv School of Economics to discuss research related issues. Despite the cold drizzle, Kyiv was bustling with activity in the center and still lit with holiday decorations. More photos and some commentary follow.

Erik's old haunt from 1999 (the Stalin-era tower left of center). The new apartment to the right may have been there during his last visit to Kyiv, but was not in 1999.

A relatively well-cleared section of sidewalk.

This young woman apparently missed the high-heeled boots/icy sidewalks memo (though her heels might be considered low in Ukraine).

Excessively amateur skating on Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

Khreshchatik Street, the main street of Kyiv's center.

The tree at the top of the post lit for the evening.