Euro 2012 guide. Destination Ukraine. Part 2

The following text may harm your feelings. It contains a thousand or more steretypes. Do not read it if you are very sensitive.

My note: 1001 makes me expect an exact list, so I changed it to a slightly less-definite expression.

Communicating with people: most of the Ukrainians have a basic knowledge of English or German. German can usually be found among people of age 40 and older. English is pretty popular among the youth (16-35), but sometimes their level of knowledge is even worse than mine (and you have tried to spot all those mitsakes, haven't you?!). The better way to know something is to ask. Our authorities will provide some volunteer services, but it won't always be available.

Yes, yes! I've been spotting away. ^^ I decided to leave the typo of "mitsakes" as-is, because it seems appropriately witty.

Look for people who are dressed well (but not luxuriously or very sexually; hot chicks usually don't have any brain at all :D). "Dressed well" means:, that - asking direction from a homeless person will result in a trip to some sort of a hole.

Keep in mind that most of the Ukrainians are cheerfull and good people. who like to help. - If you make friendship with someone, it is not an insult to ask him to give you shelter. We like to help. It's a part of our mentality.

Tip: smokers have a tradition - if you're out of cigarettes you can ask somebody to give you one (and in reverse vice versa), and it is normal. With the march of time this ritual is dying, but it will take a decade or so for it to vanish completely. Also, you can smoke almost everywhere, but not in the subway, at bus stops, or in elevators. It is not advisable to smoke in front of a policeman - he may fine you. But usually, he doesn't give a damn and will probably ask you to give him a light :D The Cigarettes are pretty cheap here.

Tip: Ukrainian society is not gay-tolerant, and we don't like are not used to non-European nationalities races other than white. NO, we don't make parades with torches and burn everyone who is black on the Fridays nights. But the sight of two males kissing each other may result in a very bad situation. Keep yourself in a line and nobody will harm you. Most of the youth (including me) are pretty friendly to everyone, but if you exhibit agressive behaviour (showing yourself as the "Übermensch"(higher race), that will result in aggression in kind. Don't bother anyone and you won't get bothered.

I can be your guide also. Or provide some help.skype: agoliarepth.

Cool - like I said, I enjoy reading this. :)

Sorry I changed all the U's to you... I won't give you the lecture on "poor English", but the fact is that some clever-clogs will deliberately read "U"(you) as "oo" to make fun of the text-speak.

I revised the racially-sensitive phrase to something more explanatory. "We don't like" can suggest a bad experience with non-Euro folk, but I'm aware that here (in central Europe) it's more of a case of "we're simply not used to it", so there's really no malice. I'm in Slovakia, where non-local people can be treated with a level of uncertainty outside of the main towns. Even my pasty-white Anglo-Celt features make me look like an "outsider" here.

A few other alternatives for keep in line could be stay under the radar or keep a low profile.  To me, keep in line implies strict rules and regulations.