A homecoming--in one piece, too, despite Putin's best efforts.

[DFW]

I have gotten no details yet, but it seems that two and a half years of getting bombed and forced to run down to bomb shelters every night is over--for now. My nephew, who has been living in Kyiv for the better part of the last 3 years, is now back in northern Virginia for a while. Best news, he is quite even tempered, and not a nervous wreck. Just, "OK, I'm back for now, you wanna go out to the Indian place next time you're in town?"

It must take some special kind of ultra-cooled emotional makeup to weather that kind of situation for the better part of three years, and I have to say, I have NEVER seen him rattled over anything.

So, welcome home, nephew. Don't get bored!

(fat chance of that--knowing him, his idea of relaxtion is probably going down south of the border and observing the Sinaloa Cartel from some jungle blind, and reporting it back home with an ipad in one hand and a bag of Nachos in the other).

[irisblue]

1. You seem to come from a line of titanium nerved people. Enjoy your kinfolk

[DFW]

2. My nephew must be from secretly toughened alloy

From his demeanor, you'd think he was the unassuming receptionist at your corner pharmacy.

[maxsolomon]

3. Why is he in Kyiv?

Is he working for the US?

[DFW]

8. That's where his job was.

Let’s just say the work he was doing was to benefit the Ukrainians. Sorry to be vague, but since I don’t know where his next assignment will be—he might not know, either at this point—I’ll have to leave it at that.

[Lifeafter70]

4. So glad he is home safely

When you get back to the states enjoy your reunion

[NBachers]

5. Thank you for sharing the good news with us.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. C'mon, "South of the Border" ain't that bad!

Well, maybe, it IS in South Carolina.



I don't know if they serve good Indian food.

[DFW]

9. South Carolina does have at least one very good Lebanese restaurant

“Layla” in Charleston. Worth a visit if you find yourself in the neighborhood.

[orangecrush]

7. K&R

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. You have one very cool nephew, my dear DFW!

Your description of how he might relax made me LOL!

Whatever his job is, he's obviously good at it and not especially bothered by it. More power to him!

[DFW]

11. He has always maintained his cool, even when totally excited.

He was the one who, in 2008, age 18, but small for his age, was in that indoor swimming pool in Virginia at 6:30 AM and the only other two people there were two of then-Senator Biden’s staff, discussing the still-secret selection of their boss as Obama’s VP. He never gave a hint that he understood English at all (he has Oriental features), and let them babble on. That was the reason I knew before most people, and definitely before anyone else on DU!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. What an amazing story! Thanks for sharing it.

[DFW]

13. And chalk this up to the unerring efficiency of our best agencies

He was taking courses in the Ukrainian language while he was there.

He needed the instruction in Ukrainian because while in college, he learned to read and write Arabic. How’s THAT for a wise use of our talent?