Alexander the Cossack

So- needless to say I had a continual marriage proposal on the first night that I was helping out in a service in a small town called Tetrib. It was from Alexander the Cossack. During the service I had to keep telling him off and tell him to pay attention to the speaker because he kept trying to get my attention in Ukrainian and grabbing my waist.

We had previously invited him to church while walking around the streets of this town. And he wanted to know if we could drink vodka in church.

Alexander the burly Cossack would not give up and these Ukrainian men are not soft spoken. They are loud and they talk a lot and they talk like they are passionate about everything. Drama!!! And they are close talkers!! (you're in my space!)

Tanya - a poor little Ukrainian girl who was translating for me filtered half of what this guy said to me so who knows what he all actually said. He wanted to let me know he was good at drinking a lot and playing football because he was a Cossack and Cossacks are big and tough and they were the defenders of the Ukraine. And he wanted to know if Canadian men were as big and strong as he was. And he told me I was beautiful and wanted to know how he could get to Canada. And he also wanted to know how much Heroshi (money) I made in Canada. (Thanks to Daryl Tanasychuck I know what Heroshi means - remember the rap song he translated into Ukrainian - Hey! Must be the money!)

Anyhow, when this guy was talking about Drinking I told him that he shouldn't drink for happiness or to escape. If he did that he was a coward and the only place he could find true fulfillment was in God. At that point the pastor's wife Natasha came along. Then Alexander the Cossack had a big long conversation with Natasha about spiritual things. So that was good. And then he got bored and went back to targeting me again and telling me I was beautiful and wondering if I liked Sallo (the national dish of Pig's fat).

So yeah - that was interesting.

The picture is of Tanya and I talking to Alexander.