First Kiev snowfall of the 2018 season

Today I awoke to a very cold fall morning. At least, cold by my standards. -3° C probably isn’t a big deal to the cold-hardened locals here, but I came from a warm climate and struggle to adapt to this new reality.

Imagine my surprise then when I glanced at my phone and saw the threat of “wintry mix” in the next hour or two. It seems the Ukrainian Meteorological Service doesn’t play around; snow started in earnest right on time. The fresh snow on slippery stone sidewalks combined with my fancy leather shoes (actual treads are for proles, apparently) made for a rather slippery walk to the office. I managed to make slow but steady progress by walking carefully and staring at the ground in front of me. Of course, this being Ukraine, I was quickly overtaken by numerous Ukrainian women stalking past in substantial heels and a catlike ability to stay upright no matter the conditions.

To add insult to injury, the city government has restricted retail alcohol sales after 11PM