Nothing Happening

Before moving here last year, I learned that absolutely nothing happens in Eastern Europe in August. Everyone is on vacation, nothing gets done. I always found it kind of annoying actually. In the states (and especially in DC) August can get a bit slow, but you can still get things done if you need to. But actually being in Kiev and experiencing the August doldrums first hand is something else entirely. During the week, if people are in town, they aren't going to do a thing. On the weekends, you can completely forget about it. Everyone seems to be out at the Dacha. Making things worse has been the weather. This past week it hasn't been bad at all (if anything it's been a bit chilly for August...yesterday the high was in the low 60s) but the week before that it was easily approaching 100 in the city and you don't even want to move.

So yes, I've been reduced to blogging about the weather and stories about Russian pornos meant to parody Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko become news.

Thankfully, I've got a short trip to Prague at the beginning of next week for work so hopefully that'll give me some more material.