I Am Left Brain. I Am Right Brain.

From adsoftheworld.com,  Paint by Mercedes Benz

Left Brain says:

“I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.”

Right Brain says:

Drawn Into Art in Prague [PHOTOBLOG]

Wandering through Prague, I watched many talented artists draw beautiful caricatures and portraits. I think it is absolutely amazing how the artists start with a blank white canvas and bring it to life through such detailed and intricate portraits of the persons sitting right in front of them.

I can't draw for the life of me, so maybe that's why it draws me in so much...

At Prague, I walked back and forth on the infamous Charles Bridge starring in awe (perhaps some would call it subtly creeping) and taking pictures of the artwork.

Isn't it gorgeous!?

Welcome to Potatoe Country

Ukraine was known as the "breadbasket" country. Even the national flag (blue on top and yellow on the bottom) symbolizes the golden wheat fields and the blue sky, I think potatoes would be more fitting.

Perhaps Ukraine should be known as the potatoe basket (or potatoe sack) country? Ever since I came to Ukraine, all I've been eating are potatoes.

Almost every dish is made from potatoes- soup, salad, perogies, fries, chips, omelets, dumplings, and just about anything else you can imagine. I eat some form of potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Whether it is mashed, fried, grilled, cooked or baked, Ukranians have found every which way to make a countless dishes from this staple food.

And, of course, the national past-time: digging potatoes.

America, The Land of Comfort and Convenience

Living in the U.S., we may take many of the little (and sometimes big) comforts for granted.

Within a day in Ukraine, I had to get accustomed to a completely different lifestyle here. My grandparents live in the countryside far from the city. It's absolutely gorgeous out here—but very different from the city life that I'm used to back home.

First, indoor bathrooms don't exist. Your only options are the stinky outhouses that are filled with flies, or finding a hidden spot somewhere out in the field. My personal fave: the cornfields.

Cornfields = bathroom

Second, showers are impossible. There is no indoor plumbing, so if you need water, you have to walk to the well with a couple of buckets to get some clean water. Using the well is bicep workout in itself. Then you have to lug the heavy buckets back to the house, trying your best to spill as little as possible. And of course, the water is freezing because it is from underground, so you have to get the wood to start the fire in the oven. And then when the fire finally gets burning, you can heat that pot of water up so you can wash all your important places.

Air-conditioning is non-existent here. Sure, finding a shade from the sun can help and drinking the ice cold water from the well helps, too, but public transportation in this sauna is a nightmare! Not only is the 100 degree weather a pain on its own, but being cramped into a bus full of other sweaty (and stinky) commuters is the worst!

What's more, there are no paved sidewalks or roads in the countryside, only beaten and/or stoned paths. Riding on these uneven rocky roads makes everything shake, jiggle, and bounce. Good luck just trying holding on to whatever (or whomever) you can to keep yourself up.

Electricity, too, is a problem in some areas. Although my grandparents do have it, it's only available during certain hours of the day. You're usually in bed by the time the sun is down, or it's dim candlelight while you try to wash up before bed, or if you're like me, write before bed.

so ....

... As all of you sit in your comfortable lazyboy chairs in your lovely air-conditioned suburban houses filled with toilets, running water, and constant electricity—take a moment to appreciate all those little comforts that you have at your disposal.