Just over a month ago the Daily Maverick published a story I wrote about Kyiv. That text came straight from the heart. I received a lot of feedback from the article and it was quite touching. That text was also read by Operator Starsky in Ukraine and he shared the link with his YouTube community. Even more people read it after that and I now have a new online connection. Starsky is a hero and a very cool dude.

There were so many heart-warming comments posted on Starsky’s YouTube channel – I have cut and paste a handful of them here below:

Ukraine is going to be the place to be. You’ll see. Next year, full of tourists.

Kyiv will be even better once the war is over and the damage is rebuilt. I feel privileged to have visited it last year and I’ll visit it again in the future.

Beautiful article. It takes a long time to shake away the shackles of corruption but they are doing it right.

I lived in Kiev for 2 years, 2016-17, and loved it. For 6 months in that time, I was fortunate enough to live on Kreschatyk, my balcony being a spot to watch the busy street life of this beautiful city. My building was next to Maidan. Other side is the Kyiv Passage where they did Karaoke on Kreschatyk. Lived in some other apartments near Bessarabska Rynok on Darvina. Had my office on Bratska in Podil area. Would go out of my way walking there so I could enjoy my favorite street, Andrew’s Descent, a beautiful steep, winding collection of wonderful. The people were very friendly to me. English was commonplace. Food is amazing.

Kyiv was a city state when Moscow was a village.

Debora Patta from CBS interviewed Starksy at the start of the war. This is a must see.

I loved this. I watched it twice, and I will watch it again soon. It is not easy to cover all the facets of this war in 45 minutes so I thought what was shared in this special program was just excellent, and soulful. Humanity, society, humour, unity, love, the city of Kyiv, culture, language … it was highly insightful. I know we will be back soon in magical Kyiv. By the spring.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/5711

Imagine you are told there is a man in your road going around from house to house with a gun. You have even met some of the victims and you have heard horrible stories of this beast. But no one stops this evil. And every other week a siren goes off warning the people in the neighbourhood that this bad man is on the prowl again that day. You hide, hoping that this evil doesn’t find you.

When missiles and bombs first fell on Ukraine at the start of this nightmare war you could say that a lot of people did not believe it was happening. I was one of them. I will never forget that early winter morning, being woken up with a shaking building and the sounds of bomb blasts and air raid sirens. And 9 months on, missiles are still being fired into Ukraine and now there are apps and social media saying things like “The missiles are expected to hit Kyiv in 30 minutes.” Just think about how insane this is. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows it is happening. Everyone is seeing this evil unfold, and yet, it just doesn’t stop. Week after week. What kind of a world are we living in.

As my friend Craig said the other day, “They just give you enough weapons to stop the guy from doing too much damage but not stopping the guy.” America and the UK gave Ukraine assurances a long time ago (yesterday it marked 28 years). Give Ukraine the weapons they need to win this war soon. If Ukraine was kitted out to the max they would finish this war and would be doing the world a big service.

I will never understand war. It just makes no sense. To me that is. But terrorism is a whole other evil that is just beyond comprehension. What is going on in Ukraine is sickening, and the world just watches. That is my perspective. Very nice world we live in.

I know this will end at some point and Ukraine will rebuild. Yes, Ukraine is winning this war on the battlefield but Ukrainian citizens are paying an unfathomable price and it does not feel fair. There is light on the horizon and it will shine bright. The winter months are going to be the ultimate test. Ukrainians are strong – they will get through this.

I got a surprise package today. A pair of new Nike sneakers. But these are not any sneakers. These are custom designed bird shoes. Yeah, Nike sneakers ala Thinkst Canary. And the Bunster took an instant liking to them too and decided to give them a test walk. The Thinksters made my day with this awesome gift. Wow, these are beyond cool – I dig these new Canary sneakers.

I feel the need for speed. Is it a bird, is it a plane … It’s a Bunster man.

We recently went to Suiderkruis Beach which appears when you enter the Mossel Bay area on route from George. It was so peaceful with the endless sand and the sound of the waves breaking. The Bunster had his bike with him and was having fun. The Garden Route sure is filled with beauty.

We are anticipating being back in Kyiv by the end of the winter in Europe. Until then we will try and explore much of this stunning part of South Africa.

The last few weeks have seen a new kind of evil: automated killer drones. Russia could still potentially cripple Ukraine – if they destroy the electricity and heating infrastructure, then how can Ukraine function?! The Ukrainians are knocking down over 80% of these killer drones, but from what I understand it is using up their precious defense capacity. Ukraine needs more and more help from the West. If Ukraine falls, which I just don’t believe will happen, then the world will fall – that is what I believe. I love the Ukrainian sense of humour. I read this online, “If Russians leave us with no electricity in nine months there will be more Ukrainians.” Yes, there are many painful challenges ahead, but Ukraine will survive and prosper. Russia, on the other hand, is doomed.

Ukraine is living through 911 everyday. This is terrorism, and the world is watching online like it is a horror movie. They are determined, but very stressed. I chat with friends regularly in Kyiv. Yes, people are worried, but they carry on.

Here is a question: if South Africa bombed Zimbabwe, then there would be a global outcry. But if SA destroyed Zimbabwe’s electricity infrastructure then would anyone do or say anything? Do we need to see dead bodies for there to be an outcry? It does seem less hectic but wait till people are freezing. I don’t believe this will happen in Ukraine, but the fact that Russia is trying to make this a reality is reason enough for some sort of response. Or a least, a bigger, more impactful response.