Upon waking then next morning, do not remember any dreams or me moving at all while I slept. Must have slept solid as a rock, nearly in a comatose state it seemed.

My internal time clock, still thinking its Arizona time, wakes me up at 6 AM. Rustling around, think that I have now woke Hannah and her mom. Realizing that there is running water for the next 3 hours, scurry along and wash up and then head back to the bedroom and unpack my clothes. Hear rustling around outside my door. Hannah's mom has prepared some breakfast for the two of us. Hannah has prepared a cup of coffee for me, and enjoy the very strong flavor of the coffee she has made. Thinking, this coffee has more caffeine in it than 6 cans of cola. Breakfast was good, Hannah's mom asks me why I did not eat so much, and, jokingly explain to her that I must watch what I eat so as to maintain my "girlish figure". All the while, Hannah is interpreting, and this phrase stumps her, so have to elaborate on the "girlish figure" terminology. After explaining, Hannah's mom start to laugh as she is starting to understand the silly American slang.

Hannah's mom insists that to eat more anyways. Thanked her for the food she had prepared, but in a humorous sense of words, suggested to her that she might only prepare breakfast for 3, not for 9 people. She laughed, and said I do not eat enough.

We telephone Ariadna at her apartment and asked that Max will come to pick us up at 3 PM. Hannah cordially invited me to go to her place of employment, so as to see what her job entails, and also can get access to my email, to email everyone on my Yahoo.com mailing list that I had safely made it to Lviv in Ukraine. Also needed to go to a local bank to cash some travelers checks.

Hannah seemed a bit apprehensive to take me to work in her usual method, by tram. She has thought we should want my nephew Max to drive us there. But insisted to Hannah, that while visiting in Lviv, I want to live the same life as my cousins and her do each day. Did not want any special considerations; will do as they do, eat what they eat, etc.

So Hannah and I grabbed our umbrellas and heading outside to walk a 10-minute hike to the tram stop. Here at the tram stop, had seen many people waiting for their rides to work. Since we had left her apartment at 9AM, Hannah said that we had missed the crowds, sure would have liked to seen the real communing crowds. As the tram comes to a stop in front of us, am glad that we did not hit the rush hour, because even at this time of day, we were squeezed into this tram. For me, just decided to just smile and say nothing. Understand now how they can pack so many sardines into one little can.

As Hannah and I exit the tram, we are pelted by the rain. As the rain hits the cobblestone it splashes back onto my clothes. Soon the rain slows, as had been advised the rains in Lviv come and go in an instant. It will take us about 15 minutes to walk to the one of few banks that will cash travelers check, Hannah tells me the history of many buildings we pass. Some buildings during the war had been munitions supply homes, prisons, hospitals, etc., the era of the past World War II. I marvel again at all the detailed architecture of these buildings. One does not see this in the Phoenix area, because Phoenix is not such and old city.

Dodging cars, buses and trams, soon we arrive at the "big bank" of Lviv. Well all one can say is that the bank reminded me of the local authorities building we had visited before. Seems as if since I was cashing a large amount of travelers checks, $500 worth, we were escorted to and office in the rear of the building into what seemed as where the bank CEO's office was. Well, the bank lobby was about 30 foot by 50 foot in size, and the CEO's room was half that size. Getting the checks cashed was not such a painful experience, and as we exited the bank, had noticed that the employees must not see Americans on a daily basis. Wondering again if my white Nike tennis shoes, Levi blue jeans, and loud print shirt were a slight giveaway?

From here we proceeded to Hannah's work place. Hannah is employed as a systems administrator, and her company maintains telephone switchgear for Lucent Technologies. Hannah is happy with her job. She is salaried at a very low $ amount per month. If only Hannah would know what a system administrator with her qualifications earns in the USA, she would make haste to immigrate to the USA. Reflecting back to a previous conversation, I believe she has made an application for the "green card lottery" for the USA.

We meet with her boss, his name is Stepan, and was a very cordial person. He invites me to look into their equipment room; this really surprises Hannah, as Stepan very rarely allows outsiders to see this equipment room. It seems as if Hannah had been telling Stepan of my arrival, and knowing my interest in computers must have compelled Stepan to show me their equipment room. What I see really surprises me, is that this equipment is about 20 years old, but as most things in Lviv, kept in good running condition. Am happy to be able to send an email to everyone that I have arrived. Using the companies Pentium 100 Pc and 33K modem, it reminds me of the difficult economy in Ukraine at this time.

Thanking Stepan for the tour, Hannah and I head back to her apartment to await the arrival of my nephew Max to take us to his mother's apartment. On the way back, Hannah tells me more of the important and historical buildings as we walk, ride the tram, and ride the buses on the way to her apartment. As we exit the bus, cannot help but notice another McDonalds, all new and shiny. Do not see any excessive lines outside, ask Hannah if she is hungry, she said yes a little, and I ask her if she has ever been to McDonald's. She had never been, and could see her eagerness, but at the same time she suggested that it probably would be better just to walk to her apartment, which was only 10 minutes away. Insisted to Hannah that we eat at McDonalds, and seemingly and reluctantly she agreed, why she was so hesitant did not at that time understand. Knowing that Hannah had a 3-year-old niece she adored, suggested that we order two happy meals, so she could give the toys to her niece. I told Hannah "Welcome to the typical American tradition" once we had sat to eat our Happy Meals.

Then as Hannah and I chatted, she had mentioned that not too many people can afford to eat at these McDonalds, because they Happy Meal cost was $2.25 USD. After she told me that the better daily wages of a an above average paid worker in Lviv was a few cents over $2.00 USD, most are less than that per day, and then it sunk in about her apprehension of eating at McDonalds, and that this each Happy Meal cost the equivalent of one days wages for her. Now it is really was starting to sink in, of the tough economic situation at this time in Ukraine.

When we finished, we took the happy meal boxes and toys back to her apartment, when Hannah's mom was anxiously waiting for our return. Upon entering the apartment, smelled the aroma of cooking. Guess we made a mistake eating at McDonalds, so politely we ate what her mom had prepared. Hannah's mom's eyes lit up when she seen the Happy Meal boxes and toys, more so that I had envisioned what Hannah's nieces' reaction would be. During lunch, all of us discussed what Hannah and I had done earlier in the day.

3 PM arrives, and my nephew Max arrives at Hannah's apartment to take us to Ariadna's apartment. We discuss the events of the morning as we travel to Ariadna's. Still am sensing an uncertainty from Ariadna why I have elected to keep Hannah in our presence and why I insist on staying in Hannah and Hannah's mothers' apartment to sleep. Once again, am thankful that the elevator makes a successful delivery of our bodies to the 5th floor, as we near to Ariadna's apartment. Once inside, shoes come off and there is an aroma of cooking in the air.

YEP, do you see a pattern here yet??? :)

As we sit down to eat, the Cognac and carbonated mineral water flow freely. Ariadna is worried that I do not each very much (did not have the heart to tell her about McDonalds a couple of hours before, Hannah's mom cooked for us after that, and that she has cooked for 15 people with only 5 people present) But since Ariadna is a chemical engineer out of work, she supplements her income with work as a pasty chef. It is quite evident she is successful at this work, as each of the meals she has cooked so far is very tasty.

Since being on such a spirited roll last night when presenting my gift to Max, also decided to give something to Ariadna, which was an accumulation from my sister, my mother, and myself. Tears started to flow on Ariadna's face as I think she knows what was in the envelopes handed to her. Also Hannah had explained to me that Ariadna cried for about 3 hours last night after Max telephoned her and told her that I had given him an interest free loan to help him pay off some of his high interest debts.

As the night wears on, feel badly for Hannah as she is speaking twice as much as everyone, because she has to interpret for my cousins and I. Hannah reassures me that she is enjoying the challenge because I am taking time to teach her "proper" English verbiage.

Hannah has to leave for about 5 minutes to take care of personal business. The remaining four of us are sitting at the dinner table, and total silence sets in. At this point and time, I think Ariadna finally understood on my insistence of having Hannah around with me all the time, and why I chose to sleep the nights in Hannah's and her mom's apartment. It was a very weird feeling not being able to communicate during this short period of 5 minutes time, while Hannah was away. After this point and time, Ariadna and Max is seemingly more accepting of Hannah's help and seems more at ease with Hannah being present all the time.

Max informs me that his brother, Nazar, is traveling from a city outside Lviv to come and visit with me for a few hours on Sunday. Nazar is studying at a college with a major interest in becoming a professional clothes tailor.

My cousins notice that I must look like a wreck, and they are correct, as jet lag is punishing my body. At 9 PM we depart for Hannah's apartment. As we arrive, her mom is anxiously awaiting our arrival, and has cooked something for us to eat (yep more food). After a brief meal, we sat in their living room and discussed the day's events. Took notice, that Hannah's mom had carefully taken all the cutouts of the Happy Meals, assembled the Happy Meal boxes, and had opened the toys and assembled them also. Inquiring about who had done this, Hannah's mom beamed with a big childish smile on her face, that she had done all this. Wondered if her mom enjoyed the Happy Meal box more than her granddaughter would. We all chuckled at this.

Once again, feel sorry for Hannah having to interpret for me even with her mother, as her mother cannot speak English. She insists that still she enjoys doing this.

I was near comatose state again, and excused myself to clean up before going to sleep. Earlier in the day, had the wisdom to purchase non-carbonated bottled water, so was spared of the "foaming mouth syndrome" as I brushed my teeth that evening. Don't remember ever laying in bed; must have fell asleep very fast.