I lived in Ukraine from 2017 to 2018. I posted on my blog about training with professional dance ensembles, the Ukrainian lifestyle, and places I visited. My one year in Ukraine has provided me with a lifetime of stories — and then some.
Since returning to Canada, I continue to post on my blog about my experience in Ukraine and about the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. Feel free to sign up for my newsletter to get the posts straight to your inbox.
While there are many reasons I fell in love with dance — the people you meet, the places you travel to, the dance steps you learn — music is what really set the hook for my interest in Ukrainian dance, and therefore my love of Ukrainian culture.
Read MoreThe new year is almost here.
And if you believe in the magic of repeating numbers, 2020 is going to be a good one.
And if you don’t, 2020 is still going to be a good one.
At the start of this year, I put up the post “Why I glare at you when you whistle indoors: A guide to Ukrainian superstitions.” And it’s time for round two.
Read MoreI have a few friends who said their babas warned them to never whistle indoors, and as kids, they thought it was just because their grandmothers thought they were annoying.
But lo and behold, there’s more to it.
There’s a belief among Ukrainians (and other cultures) that if you whistle while indoors, you’ll bring upon yourself bad luck and lack of wealth.
That’s why you’ll see me stop myself mid-pucker if I hear a catchy tune indoors, instead resorting to singing or humming. It’s also why I may glare at you (or perhaps look away to pretend it’s not happening) when you whistle near me and we are clearly inside.
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