Know Ukraine...

I have been always fascinated by countries that became independent of the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991. It amazes me especially Ukraine because it’s a country with a fertile agricultural earth and a considerable mineral wealth that has fought against the contamination inherited after its independence. The contamination of the air is severe and it comes from the conventional energy plants and of the urban centres. The mining has destroyed great part of the rural atmosphere and the aquifer systems are much polluted. The drinkable water is scarce. In 1986, Ukraine was news in the entire world as a consequence of the nuclear catastrophe of Chernóbil, but Ukraine is as strong and combatant country as a hard-working ant, because without caring the disastrous sequels that left in the Ukrainian town the nuclear disaster, they continued ahead and that is the important thing when the evolution is looked for: the capacity to progress and optimism.

Ukraine looks like a place where you can could be perfectly comfortable and not only learn much more about culture and history but also socialize with its citizens. There is a strong manifested popular culture, mainly, in the music. In the principality of Kíev texts were written in the old ecclesiastical Slav, the oldest sample of Ukrainian literature that constituted the foundation of the Russian literature. Ukraine is huge, due to the traditional Ukrainian hospitality, the companies, be already expected or not, they are always welcome. Friends, neighbors and relatives frequently visit one another. Nevertheless, it is preferred to concert the visits. Invited people to have dinner usually take a gift of some class: flowers, a cake, a bottle of liquor, or sweet and toys for the children. The companies usually take off the shoes when they enter in the house, and they don't feel in the floor neither they put their feet in the furniture.

Some people that live in urban areas have dachas, or field houses, and they pass good part of the time of vacations there, taking care of the garden, preparing preserves and resting. Those that don't have dachas usually have a small earth parcel near the city in which you/they cultivate vegetables. Vegetables, breads, milky products and rich foods in starches are the basic foods. The most popular Ukrainian plates are made with cereals and pastas of flour. The buckwheat, the oat and the millet are frequently used. The rice is cared. The varenyky are among the typical plates (empanadillas), the holubtsi (padded cabbage leaves with chopped meat and rice) and the kasha (a prepared pap in different ways) that is served with meat or chicken. The pig and the cow are the most common meats. The soup is considered an essential part of the food. The most popular, the borsch, is elaborated in different agreement ways with the town and the station of the year, and it usually contains cabbage, beet, potatoes and carrots; sometimes, meat is also added. It can be served it heats or I fry, usually with cream it sours.

In the informal encounters, the men and the women usually make an expression with the hand and to dedicate a verbal greeting, as Pryvit (Hello) or Dobryj gives' (good morning).In the cities, the population has the possibility to go to the theater and concerts; in rural areas, the inhabitants meet to interpret music pieces, to sing and to dance. In Ukraine traditional instruments are still played, as the sopilka (flute), the volynka (bagpipe) and the national instrument, the bandura (of rope).Ukraine is the country in which the young couples usually marry after the twenty years and in rural areas the celebration usually lasts three days!! and they accompany with the traditional violin trio, tambourine and psalter.

The Ukrainian ones are hospital, they have a vast historical experience and they know what mean the transition moments very well. I hope sincerely to have the opportunity to travel some day to Ukraine to be able to live all these incredible experiences and to check that, after everything, Colombia and Ukraine are not so different: they taste like love, to magic, to progress, to pain and violence but to music and culture, they are bohemian, flourishing, inspiring... In short, each country is a numberless of new sensations to know.

Let Me InTroDucE U UkRaInE!!

Ukraine (it names official, Ukrajina), republic located in the east of Europe, limits to the north with Bielorrusia and Russia, to the east with Russia, to the south with the Black sea and the sea of Azov, to the Southwest with Rumania and Moldavia, and to the west with Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. It was the previous Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine, integral of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). he/she is a member associated of the Independent Community of States (CEI) that replaced the USSR in December of 1991, although it has not ratified the agreement it has more than enough payments and customses, eligiendo observer's condition in the International Assembly of the CEI.
With a total surface of 603.700 km², Ukraine is the second more extensive country of Europe after Russia. In their territory the peninsula of Crimea is included that in 1991 it passed of being an oblast (similar administrative division to the county) to be a constituent republic. Kíev is the capital and the main city.
Ukraine (it names official, Ukrajina), republic located in the east of Europe, limits to the north with Bielorrusia and Russia, to the east with Russia, to the south with the Black sea and the sea of Azov, to the Southwest with Rumania and Moldavia, and to the west with Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. It was the previous Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine, integral of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). he/she is a member associated of the Independent Community of States (CEI) that replaced the USSR in December of 1991, although it has not ratified the agreement it has more than enough payments and customses, eligiendo observer's condition in the International Assembly of the CEI.
With a total surface of 603.700 km², Ukraine is the second more extensive country of Europe after Russia. In their territory the peninsula of Crimea is included that in 1991 it passed of being an oblast (similar administrative division to the county) to be a constituent republic. Kíev is the capital and the main city.
The climate of Ukraine is continental temperate, while it is mediterranean subtropical in the south of the peninsula of Crimea; the average of the monthly temperatures in winter varies from -8 °C up to 2 °C, and in summer they make it between 17 °C and 25 °C. The coast of the Black sea is subjected to icy and no Ukrainian port is permanently free of ice. The precipitations, in general, diminish toward the south: in the Cárpatos they overcome the 1.500 mm a year, while in the low lands of the Black sea, they don't reach the 300 mm a year.

Who am I? What´s the objective of this blog?

My name is Jenny Catherine Forero. I'm 18 years old and I was born in Bogotá, Colombia on 28 July 1989. I live with my parents and I'm the older of four siblings, which is a huge responsibility, but I have always been thoughtful, so I give them a good example. My friends nickname me as "Jk Potter", because I've been fanatic of all the Harry Potter books wrote by Jk Rowling since a long time ago and moreover I love the movies. I had studied at Divino Salvador School, La Fontana Real School and I graduated of high school of San Francisco de Sales School. At the moment, I’m studying at La Sabana University and I have just entered to second semester of Social Communication and Journalism.

I consider myself as a terribly shy person, but at the same time which is very friendly and good listener too. I’m the kind of person who is responsible, perhaps perfectionist, a little obstinate, nervous and moody. I am very loyal and collaborating, sometimes imprudent, but always try to find the best way to fix the problems peacefully. I love music, specially vallenato since I was a little girl. I like writing and at school I won some spelling competitions and poetry. I’m really exciting with my career, keen to learn as much as I can and I’d like to train as a columnist and one plan is to specialize in history, languages and cultures.

The objective of this blog is give information about Ukraine, analize it´s reality, past and present, and compare it with the situation of my country, Colombia. Because its very important to look beyond, as the title of this blog says, and not only comparing the colombian situation with countries like United States or England, but also with almost unknown countries for us as European ones, but I choose Ukraine, because it has a very intresting history and I want to know as much as I can about it. So, welcome to my blog, I hope you like it. Suggestions and comments are very important to give my best. If you have something to add or debate, just let me know...