Ukrainiana

Some of the Blogs I Like (Updated)

After receiving a Thinking Blogger Award from Marta Salazar last October, I thought I’d return the courtesy in no time.

But then I put the whole thing on the back burner.

After receiving an Excellent Blog Award from Michelle Knisley last Thursday, I thought differently. I thought that bloggers like me are neither “thinking” nor “excellent” as long as they thoughtlessly excel in proving that “one today is worth two tomorrows.”

Which proves my thesis that there is no cure for procrastination like political pressure.

I view blog memes as a combination of thanksgiving and cross-promotion, a blogospheric rite that spreads netocracy. My ranking is not rigid, nor is my list all-inclusive:

Neeka’s Backlog — a blog of all times by Veronica Khokhlova, a fellow Kyivite, who blogged the Orange Revolution, often lives in Moscow (but not in the Kremlin), and runs the Eastern European section at Global Voices. Life. News. Links. Views. Human touch. Veronica also blogs at Work Log.

Orange Ukraine — a veteran and voluminous blog by Dan McMinn and guest blogger IIU. This blog chronicles the ups and downs of post-Orange Revolution Ukraine. It is the first blog I started commenting at after I started my own. Frequent updates. Heated debates.

AESYD (Alemania: Economía, Sociedad y Derecho) — Marta Salazar's blog is my cultural bridge with the Spanish-speaking blogosphere. She noticed mine last fall. Since then she’s done 47 (!) posts sobre Ucrania. I used to speak some Spanish in college but, without practice, I lost my grip. Today, I use online translators. It’s my “dirty little secret.” Hablo español un poco. Muy poco.

Scenes from the Sidewalk — Michelle Knisley is a Christian missionary living in Kyiv for the past 9 years and working with homeless and orphaned children. She blogs about life in Ukraine from a non-glamorous perspective. You can also find her at Greetings from Kyiv.

Nash Holos — a blog by Paulette “Pawlina” MacQuarrie, producer and host of Nash Holos, BC's longest-running and only bilingual Ukrainian radio program. A Ukrainian Canadian, Paulette exposed me to the hardships suffered by early Ukrainian settlers in Canada. I, in turn, exposed her to the hardships suffered by modern-day Ukrainians.

Marginalia — a blog by Pēteris Cedriņš, a Latvian repatriate and former speech writer for President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga. Not only is Marginalia my gateway to the Baltic blogosphere, but it is also one of the first blogs to link to Ukrainiana. I visited Latvia in July 1990, and I hope it’s not my last visit.

Cat in the Gulf — a slice-of-life blog by a former Kyivite, of Greek origin, living in Qatar and in Cyprus. It’s a small world, isn’t it?

Leopolis — another veteran blog, with a focus on Eastern Europe, by Adrian J. Erlinger, a Warsaw-based American my age, a Fulbright scholar, and a masterful translator of some of Vysotsky’s lyrics.

Srebrenica Genocide Blog — Daniel keeps a blog dedicated to the tragic events in Bosnia, a genocide fueled by the international community’s ignorance and inaction.

Ukrainian Musical Matters — Orest gives you all you need to know about the Ukrainian music of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Foreign Notes — from the days of the Orange Revolution, LEvko and Scott W. Clark bring the latest business news and analysis, not without a sense of humor.

Pumpernickel — A self-absorbed Canadian guy interested in politics and pumpernickel. Pumpernickel grills corruption in Canada, follows the U.S. presidential campaign, and, from time to time, blogs about Ukraine, where, as I understand, some of his ancestors come from.

Buffalo Expat — Elise Garvey is a Fulbright scholar completing a year of studies in Kyiv, where she specializes in working with organizations that combat human trafficking. She also blogs at The Human Trafficking Project.

Kremlin, Inc — Fulbrighter Hans Stege blogs about pipeline politics and its impact on the West. Comprehensive coverage of energy issues.

And finally, a special thank you to my commenters: IIU, dlw and Elmer. Without their timely, insightful and challenging comments, this blog would be underexplored.