Notes From The Field

The Cemetery Opposite the Mine

Listening to the World Service this morning I heard the report of a coal mine gas explosion and fire in Donestsk, eastern Ukraine.

Sure enough it was the Zasyadko mine. Notorious for accidents and as miners told me a dangerous mine to work in because of high volumes of methane gas. 'Very gassy' as they put it.

An earlier clip I posted shows the Donestsk Mine Rescue Service in training.

You can forget about trying to get to permission film down a coal mine. All electronic equipment has to be made explosion proof (think underwater camera housings), and everyone from Ukraine's security services to mine safety and rescue authorities have to give their approval.

So in July the closest I got to Zasyadko was the Shcheglovka cemetery. Directly opposite the mine, this is where miners killed on the job are buried beside their comrades.

Surrounded by mine slag heaps it's a sombre place. The faces of miners etched onto gravestones peer out to visitors and face the mine.

This clip just gives a brief impression of the site. While I was filming mine officials rang the grave digger accompanying me (himself a former miner) and effectively barred him for speaking.

Another test for Club Europa

If May 1 2004 was the European Union's 'Big Bang' with ten new countries joining the bloc, then December 21 2007 is likely to be another milestone and a telling test for progress in an enlarged Club Europe. It appears certain that nine of the ten member states (all bar Cyprus) that joined in 2004 are set to join another exclusive club - the Schengen area.

For several years under Schengen, visa free travel and minimal border controls have been the norm within continental Europe and non-EU members Norway and Iceland. The exception being the UK and Ireland which opted out of certain conditions of the Schengen Agreement.

If Brussels gives the nod to all nine, mostly former Soviet states, the frontiers of a borderless Europe will be pushed further eastward to extend from Russia in the north to the Adriatic in the south.

Anything to Declare?

I'm watching with interest the proposal of an EU 'Blue Card' for skilled immigrants. Not only because I'm an immigrant in the EU but it will be interesting to see how it might play out along side or against the current immigration policies of EU member states and issues surrounding the expansion of the Schengen zone due in December.

EU ministers will decide in Brussels on November 8 which new member states have met all criteria to join the Schengen area.

In short, you'll soon be able to cross the border from say Russia or Ukraine and travel all the way to the Channel without having to show your passport.

No doubt EU Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini, who is overseeing the process, will be seeking EU ministers to back his recommendations.

Politically for Portugal, a smooth enlargement of the Schengen area is also important to end its EU Presidency on a high note. Portugese IT know-how is also behind SISone4all - the new Schengen data-sharing system - a vital link in an enlarged Schengen zone to fight human trafficking and to stem illegal immigration.

Just a light whack should suffice

A couple of my Ukraine features have been broadcast on Deutsche Welle's Inside Europe programme.

Preparing the feature on the Orange Revolution story literally hit a snag last Thursday when my Sony Z1 camera gave me the dreaded C31:22 error signal which means something is wrong with a tape. It was all too late - "Ukraine 4 Donetsk" tape was crunched.

You'll just have to take my word that Tymoschenko bloc party members are doing it tough campaigning in Donestsk's Lenin Square.

Checking out a couple of camera discussion forums, several people have suggested going for the ol' just whack it method to fix the C31:22 error. I'm reserving my judgment but gave the camera a good clean instead.

You can listen to the features here.

Uzhorod - Kosice - Bonn

Currently at Vienna Airport (after a slight panic having taken the wrong way to cross the Slovak-Austrian border).

It's been a hectic couple of days. We stayed in Ukraine last night just over the border at Uzhorod. Plenty of election campaigning going on for all parties in the main square - we have some great photos of the Tymoschenko bloc campaign material - Julia in Space. Our main goal was to find out more about the consequences for Ukrainians when Slovakia and other countries (almost certainly) join the Schengen zone in January.

Last night Chris and I stayed in Presov and this morning we drove down to Kosice and paid a visit to the local maternity hospital. We were interested in the music therapy which staff give to new born babies several times a day. Afterwards we tore across Slovakia. Thanks to Tescos in Lucenec for being open on a Sunday. We picked up a portable hard drive and a power converter to keep working while we were on the road.

Chris is now heading to Budapest and I'm returning to Bonn. Over the next week we'll post some more material on the trip.

 

Fishing for a visa

Popping around to the local tackle shop was the last place I thought we'd have to go for our Ukraine visas...

Update

A few shots from inside the fishing shop. I asked if they had any Tassie Devil lures. Apparently the trout fishing isn't that good.

Seaside Camp

During the day we filmed The Way Home's beach summer camp just outside of Odessa. Street kids are able to stay for the summer holidays and have fun at the seaside.

One girl had just run away from home. Her mother is alcoholic and forced her to beg on the streets for money to fuel her addiction. Another young boy Ruslan we were told was terrified of the water and now loves it. Here he is carrying my tripod back up from the beach.

Ruslan remember: sea water and sand do not mix with expensive camera equipment. Next time you'll be cleaning the lens!

Update: http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_protecting.html

They will also die

Robert Gamble working with The Way Home talks about the health and conditions of three teenagers we filmed.

Odessa's Street Kids

The first part of filming in Odessa was to accompany the social patrol van of the local NGO called The Way Home. They look after around 30 children in their car centre and provide facilities for others to drop in.

An important element of their work is making contact with children who chose to stay out on the streets and avoid seeking help for whatever reason.

It was a hot day. I was exhausted from the train trip. Unable to check into my hotel, I had spent the morning wandering around Odessa in a daze but that changed at the first location the social patrol checked.

Adjacent to a McDonalds in an old garage or storage room we found 3 teenage boys. Their living conditions can only be described as squalid. The stench of faeces was almost overwhelming. Mountains of rubbish were piled up against their little cubby hole. I had to steady myself from vomiting and keep a steady shot.

One boy could not speak and had trouble walking. The two older boys  (below) were more lucid.

The boy in the foreground told us that his brother died a week ago.

The Way Home staff provided the boys with food, water and gave them basic first aid for cuts and wounds from injecting drugs.

The usual drug of choice is glue for sniffing. Another is making a brew of what I understood to be an amphetamine based over the counter drug for injecting. We found many empty tubes of glue and needles.

Kyiv to Odessa

I had read in Lonley Planet that there's a few points of etiquette to remember when travelling by trains in Ukraine.

One them is to remember to bring something appropriate to wear for sleeping and getting around the train of an evening. Essentially you have to bring some sleep togs. I shared my compartment to Odessa with Olga - a financial director of a medium sized firm in Odessa. She bustled in with someone who I thought to be her husband. He sized me up and gave me that: 'listen kid, if there's any funny business here I'll kill you look.' But my anxiety was put at ease when Olga broke out into English and said he was only a friend not her husband.

Stationary, the trains are very stuffy but once the train moves the air-conditioning kicks in. The conductors are decked out in a quasi air hostess uniform that does quite take off. Soon after departing they come around and offer tea in wonderful ornate glasses.

Olga told me about her work and come sleep time she gave me the nod to leave the compartment for her to change. I stepped outside into the corridor and nodded to other passengers doing the change to jim-jams swap routine.

When it came to my turn I was please that my Calvin Klein pj's and t-shirt combo did not raise any eyebrows.

And if you think you can sleep on a bumpy night train in Ukraine - forget it. My advice, take a couple of liberal shots of vodka to help you doze off.