Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny

Exactly five years ago, we were in Ukraine, just two weeks into our five-week adventure for Masha’s adoption.  For the next few weeks, I’m posting excerpts and a photo or two from each day.  Sometimes funny, and sometimes proof of how naive we were, I hope you’ll enjoy our little trip down memory lane…

Sunday, 27 May, 2007 – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie

Even after a full night’s sleep, we are still waking up tired. A combination of being in the sun, and being hot, and sleeping on beds that we are not accustomed to…

Shortly after we woke up, Sveta called to tell us that she had spoken with the Director last night, and she had suggested that we all take the girls to the beach today. She said that the girls had swimsuits, so we just needed to bring towels and entertainment.

Fred and Lisa arrived at the orphanage with Sveta about the same time, and the girls appeared a couple of minutes later, with bathing suits under their clothes. …Masha let us know that the bathing suits here were two-piece rather than the one-piece suits we were used to in America, so that we would not be surprised when we got there.

We decided to get some pizza for lunch, and then were off to the beach. As the girls started removing layers of clothes, we saw that Amina had a really cute two-piece with a flap on the top that covered her belly, and Khrystyna’s had pretty good coverage as well. Then off came Masha’s dress. And all the blood rushed out of my head. There, on my little 12-year-old daughter, was the ittie bittiest, teenie weeniest blue string bikini I had ever seen. The only consolation was that it wasn’t a thong!

We quickly rushed her into the water so Mark and I could get over our shock. We all agreed that photos should only be taken from the neck up, and that Mark needed to start polishing his baseball bat. Lisa and I discussed techniques for explaining modesty in the US culture. But overall, the girls had a great time, and I guess we sorta got used to it. All the important parts were covered up. It wasn’t what we would have chosen for her, and we will have the opportunity to correct that starting in a couple of weeks. Until then, we just go with the flow.

For you culture-watchers out there…there were only a couple of topless women at the beach. The men, though, pretty much all wore little tiny speedos, and most of them do not have the physique to pull it off!

The other odd element of this beach—it was placed adjacent to a large shipyard for one of the steel mills. It was very strange to be a couple hundred yards from an active shipyard, and to see the various container ships lined up in the channel waiting to come in to the yard.

Are you ready for beach season?  Leave a comment…