Interview Tips for Job Applicants

I must have interviewed over 200 applicants in my years working in Ukraine. And these are the ones that pass the initial screening by HR and department managers. Here's a little tip for the job applicant. Those who come to the interview with a clean copy of their CV are miles ahead of the other applicants. If they bring a pad of paper, a pen, and actually take a note or two....they are the cream of the crop.

While I'm on the subject. Here are some things that don't work to get your senior management position with our company:

1. When asked where their CV is the applicant responds with "I heard that I am supposed to have my CV with me and I called your HR Director and asked her to print one out for you. Perhaps you can call her and see where it is."
2. When asked if they have any questions about the company the applicant responds with "No, I know everything. Thank you."
3. When asked if I might contact one of the applicant's bosses from a previous job: "No, I'd rather you didn't. I didn't meet his expectations and he fired me."
4. Taking a mobile phone call in the middle of the interview.
5. Taking another mobile phone call a few minutes later.
6. Showing me a little folded vinyl "official document" and claiming that it's worth something and I should hire you.
7. Stating that your wife's sister's husband's cousin works in the President's Administration and that we won't have any problems. No thanks.

Art World Immersion

There has been a lot of activity on the art scene lately which, thanks to Ola, I had the opportunity to be a part of. Last Thursday we were at Gallery RA for Illya Chichkan's KISS exhibit opening. Among the thought provoking artwork -- from the so called "bad boy" of Ukrainian art was a Mayak reel-to-reel tape player dishing out the sound background for the event. It's the first Mayak I've seen. Cool.

On Saturday we had a look at the PinchukArtCenter on the top floors of the Arena City complex by Besserabka. Politics aside, it's a great space and the contemporary Ukrainian, Thai, American, and other art was excellent. The show, in the Arena courtyard was interrupted (...ended) by a full-blown fire. see pictures. It's amazing they got the fire under control with fire extinguishers. It looked almost too big to contain. Victor requested a free 100gm to the "khloptsi" that put the fire out. No lawyers or insurance types to be found.

On Sunday the L'art people opened Berezhynsky (sp?) Gallery (Rybalska 22 in Pechersk). It's a great space that's part of an old armory renovated in a modern, minimalistic way. On display where Chichkan's (again) monkey headed men and some interesting burned wood art from Kyril Protsenko. We took the kids to this daytime event and enjoyed the after-party on the terrace inside the armory courtyard. Romchyk patiently waited for more sushi to come out to the furshet table while Maya and Kalyna did improvised gymnastics/dancing on the stage. No fires.

Endorsements

Fulfilling the terms of his Ray-Ban endorsement deal during the festivities.

Target

Target in USA


Target in Kharkiv

If the corporate identity elements are a knock-off. I wonder about the stuff inside.

Reasons to Check My Life Insurance Policy

The recent Tupolev Tu-154 crash (169 dead) in Donetsk, and the recent increase in frequency of my one-day hops to Oblast centers around Ukraine has got me reviewing my life insurance policies. Above is a picture of part of the avionics equipment of an AN-28 (sticking out of the rear of the cockpit) during my flight to Odesa Tuesday. I've always felt flying in Ukraine is safer than driving. Is it?

Z Mynulym!

That's yet another thing I really like about Ukraine. One get's to greet people during three days for a one-day holiday. "Z Nastupayuchym" ("with the upcoming"), "Z Sviatom" ("with the holiday"), and "Z Mynulym" ("with yesterday's"). I hope everyone had a good Ukraine 15-yr celebration.

Ukrainian Business Law Axiom 02

If you (honest company) are being sued by some party, and that party fails to show up for the court date (without notifying the court), expect the judge to set a new hearing date next week. If you (honest company) are suing another party and don't show for a legitimate reason (like not getting the date announcement until after the date), expect the judge to throw both your legitimate reason and the case out.

Holodomor Archives (Cont'd)

Not in the Holodomor archives, but submitted by my brother, a poster from the past:

Ukrainian Business Law Axiom 01

If your honest company in Ukraine sues someone, expect a court date no sooner than 10-12 months away. If it is your company that gets sued, expect a court date early next week.

Holodomor Archives Open and Online

Incredibly, the following was released on August 18th:

Ukraine`s national intelligence agency the SBU on Friday opened up formerly-secret state archives on brutal Soviet era-famines causing the deaths of millions, according to Deutsche Press Agence (DPA).

SBU historians after four years of reviewing old KGB records made public more than 3,000 pages of 130 official state documents.

It was the first time any former Soviet republic had released to the public archival information concerning the mass starvations, said Vasyl Danielenko, an SBU spokesman.

The entire formerly-classified archive of the former Soviet republic Ukraine was now available for viewing in paper or digital format, or at the Internet web site www.ssu.gov.ua, he said.

The Soviet government in its early years of existence presided over three deadly and wide-reaching famines - in 1921-22, 1932-33, and 1946-47.

Between six and ten million Ukrainians died of starvation in 1932-33, after Soviet leader Josef Stalin ordered the forced confiscation of food from the Ukrainian countryside.

The first page of the archive is here. The scans are .JPG and each one has a zoomed in version.

Uzbek & Armenian Food with a Playground

Nothing like sitting in a open-air eating besydka with your kids enjoying a playground 10 meters away and plates of mushroom, veal, and chicken shashlyk (30 uah each), wrapped in lavash and onions, spread out in front of you. Not the cheapest of restaurants, Sim-Sim usually has available seating and excellent service. It's on the Velyka Okruzhna (Ring Road) heading east after exiting from Prospekt Peremohy. About 20 minutes from the center. The playground area is well-lit and staffed. Most importantly, our kids enjoy it.

If you like spicy soup try the "Lahman" (33 uah). It is a hearty vegetable and beef soup with noodles accompanied by a small dish of pasty red stuff that is really spicy when mixed into the soup or spread on a piece of grilled veal. Spicy enough to make one's eyes water and makes the ice-cold Paulaner Hefe-Weiss (24 uah) taste all the better. Worth a try.

Sim-Sim Restaurant
Uzbek and Armenian Cuisine
Velyka Okruzhna (Ring Road)
Closest Metro: Sviatoshyn
Tel. 406-4625, 459-5951

Sand Castles at Blue Lake

A great way to spend the day is on the clean sand of Blue Lake on the Obukhivska Road. Driving south on Naberezhna, continue past the exit for Pivdenyj Mist (Southern Bridge — the one that you would take to go to Borispil) and when you see the big UkrAvto Mercedes dealer on the left take the exit to the right. Once you take the exit the road splits for the Okruzhna and for Obukhiv. Follow the Obukhiv signs and proceed south for approximately 10 minutes. Sidenote: you will pass a big bluff (in the distance) on the right where hang-gliders are often spotted jumping off the hill. On the left you will see a gated entrance. There is a small fee, and one can rent chairs for a small fee as well. Enjoy!

Justice in Small Town Ukraine

The following is a true story. My colleague Yevhen (not his real name) visits his family in his hometown. He gets hit over the head and his mobile phone is stolen. After being assisted by a random couple that passed by, he immediately went to the bazaar, still populated by his old friends, and explained his mishap to them asking them to be on the look out for his phone. Sure enough the perpetrator showed up, a kid that everyone new, the son of the local pig farm owners, and the bazaar guys took the phone from him. The kid ran away. Now Yevhen, happy to have his phone back, but still resentful for having been hit over the head, heads over to the police to file his report. The police brush him aside and tell him to drop it. Hmmm... the son of pig farmers thinks Yevhen. Through family source he confirms that yes, the police have been taken care of. Then, still working his family network Yevhen discovers that this kid is actually in military service in a unit whose commanding officer is none other than Yevhen's uncle. His uncle informed him that there is little he can do in terms of punishment, but he CAN make sure the kid is transferred to the most miserable post in the country.

Biking In Kyiv

Took the leap and bought a couple bikes yesterday.

Recommendation: Bike Pro Sport
Talk to "Sasha" about their selection of Schwinn and Scott bikes.

Rode around in Holosivskyj Park and ended up at that cafe that looks like Captain Nemo's Nautilus by the willow trees. The service was excellent, there was a festive aura (the tables were packed) and the prices were very reasonable.

Hamsters and Mouse Poison

I am not one of those animals in the house people. I don’t have a lot of experience with Vets. None actually. Last Sunday night that all changed.

In the last expat exodus, among the tearful goodbyes with our good friends of the last three years, came the seemingly unending pet offers. These offers, voiced out loud in-front of the all-absorbing ears of our children, caused a significant amount of conversation in the family to say the least. The usual techniques of badgering and begging were mercilessly employed by our children who outnumber us 3:2. In the end our crew now consists of two adults, one boy, two girls, two hamsters, and a turtle from Odesa.

On the third day of owning the hamsters we realized one had escaped through a missing crossbar in the top of the cage. We searched the first floor and found the little creature in the guest room sniffing around with his whiskers next to half-munched mouse poison. Oops, forgot about our little mouse problem last fall. Now what? She seemed active and alert but “Google” research recommended an immediate visit to a Vet. 21:30 on a Sunday night, Kyiv business directory in hand, I call the Vet and what’s this? “Sure come on in, we’ll be waiting for you” they say on the phone. Great service. I take the whole cage, strap it to the passenger seat and wonder, as I careen down Prospect Peremohy to the Vet, what would happen if the airbag went off? Now the Vet is on Saksanskoho, but the only problem is that Saksahanskoho is one big dug out pit from the train station intersection all the way to Horkoho St. So here I am, after 10pm, marching down Saksanskoho with our hamster cage in search of the Vet. The hamsters loved their little city stroll. I had never been to a Vet and didn’t know what to expect. The service was excellent. I don’t know if I agree with the treatment, which consisted of five injections, but I have no basis for knocking it either. The following day, Ola and kids took her in and she received five followup shots. It’s been a week now and the hamster is still running around and looking good. So if you ever have hamster trouble in Kyiv call: 289-7744 Fauna Servis

VR Hall Interior Design

Anything in the budget for interior design changes in the VR Assembly Hall? Perhaps we should bring the Stalin statue back? Just to make sure we unite the country some more.

Meeting of the Communist Party of Ukraine, Kyiv 1940 (Courtesy of Narodnyj Deputat Magazine)

Our New Leader

The following is a concise summary of Victor Yanukovych's background for your reading displeasure: http://abdymok.net/pm-again

Yulia Scolded During Round Table

The afternoon round table, organized by the President, for the purpose of signing the "Universal of National Unity" was aired on national TV. Each party head had their say, and then they signed the document, except for Yulia. The communist added several pages of handwritten qualifications while the nation watched. Yushchenko had to tell him to hurry up since the country is watching and he's going on his merry way scribbling his party's position. Yulia in her speech called the signing of the document an act of treason against the national interest of Ukraine. Yushchenko couldn't contain his calm demeanor and ended up scolding Yulia, complete with gesticulations and finger pointing, with regard to her unwillingness to even discuss any of the points of the "Universal". When the president was doing his scolding, Yulia looked like this:

PORA Camp Update

A PORA representative, in a TV interview explained that PORA attempted to convince the President to dissolve the VR. Having failed to accomplish this, they are taking down their tents, delivering them to Bankova as a gift to the President, and will carry on their fight by other means. Sidenote: nothing from Yulia, except that she's shocked.

A Clause from the "Universal"

This is the way the language clause is written in the current version of the "Universal". I am not sure how to interpret it. It doesn't make the Russian language an "official" language, but it does say that for all of one's "life needs" free use of the Russian language is guaranteed.