Ukrainian lessons. I mention to a meeting of ambassadors in Kyiv that I'm off to Lviv in western Ukraine for two weeks of immersion with a family, to improve my Ukrainian. Their response is questioning: surely it's possible to get by with Russian? My feeling is that this isn't enough: although most people in Ukraine can speak Russian, most politicians speak Ukrainian  and it dominates the airwaves. Many people who know Russian well still prefer to speak Ukrainian; and at seminars, some of the most interesting conversations in which you might want to participate (political, economic, gossip) take place in Ukrainian. Most Ukrainians on whom I try out my skills are delighted; I try not to be discouraged when they occasionally burst out laughing. The disadvantage is that Ukrainian is quite different from Russian, and reaching any level of fluency will be hard work. My one-lesson-a-week for the past few months will help. But will anyone understand me in Lviv?