The weekend when Robert took Mark to Charleston, Katya and I had an amazing opportunity to drive up to the Washington DC area to see my uncle Sasha and aunt Halia and, of course, the Ukrainian National Symphony orchestra.
On the way, we listened to lots and lots of Ukrainian and Romanian music and just had really good conversations with Katya. The time went by really quickly. We stayed the night at the hotel in Manassas, and the following morning met up with Halia and Sasha before the concert as their bus arrived. I was so moved to be seeing them again as this was the first time we were able to meet each other since the war began. We took Sasha out to lunch while Halia had to rehearse.
We got to see the backstage and the view of the audience as seen by the members of the orchestra. It's quite overwhelming!
The concert was magnificent!
That’s Katya and I during the intermission.
After the performance we were able to meet some of the veterans-amputees that are visiting the states while getting some help with their prosthesis. Part of the reason to perform at this location was to accompany the exhibit about Ukrainian journalists and veterans telling the story of wartime. It was very moving as well to meet these veterans and talk to them a little bit. They seemed very closed off at first although I spoke Ukrainian, but after a few moments they were telling me more about themselves. It was actually very difficult to be in a foreign country with so many new impressions as well as getting adjusted to their fairly new physical condition. They were being helped by a senior American couple who is working with companies which assist people who need prosthesis.
It was definitely worth the drive to see my family! I am glad we got to give each other a hug and catch up even for just a few hours!
Till next time!
Lyana.
No comments:
Post a Comment