Lifestyle
How an outrageous idea transformed Dodger Stadium
To grasp how Dodger Stadium turned the nation’s first sports activities area with an accredited botanic backyard, you must know that Chaz Perea, the stadium’s 36-year-old panorama supervisor, doesn’t do something midway.
He’s a beast about train, for example, however he doesn’t simply run or journey a motorcycle; he trains for excessive sports activities like leaping into frigid water and swimming miles at midnight. When he needed to stop a race one 12 months due to hypothermia, he started taking icy showers to make him much less inclined to the chilly.
And when it got here to highschool, Perea didn’t simply go to varsity: He earned three horticultural science levels plus an arborist certification and an MBA in administration whereas working two jobs — which he nonetheless does because the Dodger Stadium panorama supervisor and a horticulture professor.
So when Perea was impressed to rework the stadium’s water-hungry panorama of ivy and vines and tender annual flowers to a palette of drought-tolerant crops heavy on California native varieties, he didn’t simply determine to plant just a few poppies and salvias.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
“He simply referred to as me out of the blue asking for assist,” mentioned Abby Meyer, govt director of the U.S. workplace of Botanic Gardens Conservation Worldwide, which relies on the Huntington Library, Artwork Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.
“After I instructed him about accreditation, he nearly peed his pants,” she mentioned. “He was like, ‘OK! We’re doing this!’ His pleasure was contagious and really inspiring.”
As we speak, the slopes and large concrete martini-shaped planters across the stadium have been remodeled into beds of aromatic salvias, agaves of a number of colours and dimension, and boulder-sized century crops sending their towering blooms into the sky. The packing containers exterior the Dodgers Group Retailer on the Prime Deck are overflowing with succulents of each colour. And true to a botanic backyard, all of the crops have their tags itemizing their widespread and botanical names.
However earlier than he may succeed, Perea had to herald a panel of advisors, spend 5 years satisfying the accreditation necessities — which have been finalized in December — and persuade stadium administration and his skeptical crew that this concept made sense.
Not solely did he need Dodger Stadium to develop a botanic backyard, he believed his small panorama crew may rival the gardeners on the Palace of Versailles exterior Paris — an epiphany he had throughout his first journey to Europe in 2017.
He’d simply turned 31. He’d been working at Dodger Stadium for seven years whereas ending his superior levels — “I went seven years with out having a beer” — and had a whole lot of hours of unused trip, so when a pal invited him to affix his journey to France, Perea determined to go.
And that’s how he received his thoughts blown at Versailles.
“The place was drop-dead beautiful,” he mentioned. “However then I appeared round and noticed these guys who have been working there and I began pondering … ‘That is all simply crops and concrete. … Why can’t Dodger Stadium do that too?’”
Coral-colored hearth sticks and gray-blue agaves line the doorway to one of many stadium’s parking areas.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
He went again to Europe three extra occasions over the subsequent 4 years, visiting Spain, Italy and Greece, and every journey simply deepened his admiration for the way in which Europeans have built-in artwork and crops all through their cities.
“These folks have been right here 2,000 years figuring issues out and so they have an appreciation for magnificence we don’t have,” he mentioned.
“We do a horrible job with that in Los Angeles. I began serious about why it’s so a lot better over there, and right here’s a key issue: Investments in magnificence repay in the long run as a result of folks make pilgrimages to see them. I believed, ‘We are able to try this at Dodger Stadium. If we do it in-house, and it’s constructed by my workforce, it will likely be stunning and folks will come.’”
However the mission was daunting. “Botanic gardens reside museums the place we keep plant genetic assets and heritage,” mentioned Meyer. “To qualify [as a botanic garden], it is advisable to have a everlasting dwelling assortment and a dedication to rising these crops and sustaining a degree of plant range long-term.”
Newly planted succulents and cactuses spill from the stadium’s large classic “martini” planters, which the landscaping crew rebuilt by hand.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
From Versailles to drought-tolerant ‘Dodger Blue Agave’
Perea’s imaginative and prescient was to create a water-wise panorama that can introduce 1000’s of stadium guests to the fantastic thing about California native and different drought-resistant crops and water-saving irrigation methods. “Generally, in case you’re a plant and you may take the warmth and adapt nicely to our soil, we wish you.”
However there have been so many challenges. When his workforce went to replant the stadium’s 149 signature “martini” containers — so named as a result of they appear to be large martini glasses — they found that the sides of the Nineteen Fifties-era concrete containers have been breaking away. They wished to save lots of the classic planters and Perea was on a decent funds, in order that they used the smarts of Jose Portillo, a member of the landscaping crew who had beforehand labored in building. He discovered the right way to use rebar to strengthen the sides, which they then reshaped by hand with contemporary concrete, Perea mentioned.
It was quite a lot of work — they’ve repaired 70 thus far — but it surely preserved a little bit of stadium historical past and the containers look nice with succulents and salvias cascading down the edges.
One other large job was eradicating the weedy grass in a triangular island within the parking zone and filling it with 22 styles of agave organized by dimension in exact rows, from the dainty, white-edged ball of spikes often known as Queen Victoria agave (Agave victoria-reginae) to the saw-toothed variegated century plant (Agave americana ‘Variegata’) with its mammoth striped grey and yellow leaves.
Chaz Perea, third from left, and his landscaping workforce stand amongst 22 styles of agaves with downtown L.A. within the background.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
Each species is labeled, and Perea hopes it’ll encourage followers trying to put extra drought-tolerant crops of their yards. “We’re sure to have one selection you’ll love,” he mentioned.
There’s one thing thrilling about placing all these agaves so shut collectively. Perhaps, Perea mentioned, solely half-joking, the wind will cross-pollinate these completely different varieties, and create a brand new agave hybrid that his crew may propagate and promote sometime within the stadium reward retailer. Dodger Blue Agave, anybody?
The panorama crew of Pete Serna, Freddy Cortez, Jose Perez, Jose Sandoval, Octavio Suarez and Portilllo (who simply retired) additionally remodeled an asphalt parking triangle into Tequila Island or Isla de Tequila — geometric plantings of the Weber’s Tequila Agave (Agave tequilana) native to Mexico and well-known for its tequila manufacturing. The agaves’ sleek blue-green leaves are beautiful, however Perea additionally wished to create a tribute to the Dodgers’ large Mexican fan base.
A nymph sculpture is framed by poinsettias salvaged from the stadium’s vacation workplace decor within the landscaping workforce’s non-public backyard space.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
“In Mexican-Latino households, the Dodgers are faith,” he mentioned, and he likes to consider Isla de Tequila “as enjoying to Mexican heartstrings.”
So is he pondering Dodger Tequila sooner or later? Perea laughs at this, however solely a bit of. You’ll be able to see that someplace behind his thoughts he’s weighing the chances as a result of he doesn’t dream midway both.
Which is sweet as a result of typically he has to carry the dream till his companions catch up, which isn’t at all times rapidly. Perea mentioned promoting the concept of a botanic backyard to his landscaping workforce was each difficult and important.
“I instructed my guys, ‘We are able to do that factor, make a botanic backyard,’ and so they mentioned, ‘What the hell are you speaking about?’”
“I instructed my guys, ‘We are able to do that factor, make a botanic backyard,’ and so they mentioned, ‘What the hell are you speaking about?’ as a result of none of them knew about botanic gardens.”
So on a daily work day within the spring of 2019, Perea borrowed an organization van and took his workforce on a subject journey to see the cherry blossoms and tulips in full bloom at Descanso Gardens, the primary time any of them had visited a botanic backyard.
“They liked it,” he mentioned, so he organized extra journeys, to the South Coast Botanic Backyard and California Botanic Backyard — the state’s largest backyard of California native crops — and the gardens on the Getty Heart and the Huntington, even the Museum of Latin American Artwork, artist Judy Baca’s mural “The Nice Wall of Los Angeles” and Tanaka Farms, “which was key, as a result of it’s one of the profitable agritourism fashions I’m conscious of.”
Chaz Perea, director of landscaping at Dodger Stadium, and his landscaping workforce. From left, Jose Perez, Perea, Pete Serna, Freddy Cortez, Octavio Suarez and Jose Sandoval.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
Perea even enrolled his workforce within the California Native Plant Landscaper Certificates Program on the Theodore Payne Basis, as a part of the stadium’s partnership with the inspiration to gather native seeds from the slopes alongside the sides of the stadium’s 300 acres.
“And eventually they received it,” Perea mentioned. “They have been like, ‘These gardens are unbelievable! Every one has its personal identification,’ and I instructed them, ‘We are able to try this too.’”
Since then, after two pandemic-related layoffs and a retirement, his crew has dropped to only himself and 5 landscapers, making an attempt so as to add extra plantings and hold the present ones in verify. It’s been a gradual however regular pursuit. There are nonetheless just a few slopes of ivy on the east aspect of the stadium and a few of their preliminary plantings didn’t just like the soil or location and have withered away, ready to be replanted.
A pile of small blue indicators itemizing the botanic names of about 120 drought-resistant varieties planted at Dodger Stadium.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
However experimentation is a part of the method. “We simply see what works,” Perea mentioned. A lot of the new plantings are getting taller and beginning to bloom and all of the indicators are in place, figuring out the greater than 120 styles of California native and drought-tolerant crops.
Perea supplied just a few take a look at excursions final winter, simply earlier than the accreditation was finalized in December, and he plans to renew excursions of the botanic backyard each Friday at 10 a.m., beginning March 11. Anticipate some strolling on stairs and ramps, and a lesson in water-wise irrigation methods at Perea’s demonstration backyard.
Public entry and training are a part of the requirement for botanic gardens, however for Perea it’s additionally about constructing consciousness of water-wise landscaping and irrigation, particularly for the Latino group, which isn’t at all times focused for these sorts of packages. He additionally hopes that getting Dodger followers excited concerning the crops across the stadium will spark extra visits to the area’s different botanic gardens.
Reimagining the job of a Dodger Stadium landscaper
Creating the botanic backyard isn’t nearly landscaping, Perea mentioned. It’s additionally about respect — for the historical past of the land, the individuals who as soon as lived there and the individuals who work and play there now.
Perea has sturdy emotions about constructing employees unity and satisfaction. When he was employed because the stadium’s landscaping supervisor he was simply 24, a brand new faculty graduate, and a few of his workforce had been stadium staff longer than he’d been alive. Issues have been dicey at first, however Perea labored on the respect. The steel landscaping store had turn out to be a spot the place different departments put their rubbish. Perea cleaned out the constructing to accommodate tools, sure, but additionally create a particular place only for the landscaping workforce’s conferences and breaks — no extra rubbish of their workspace, he mentioned.
Replicas of work by the Renaissance artist Caravaggio line the landscaping store partitions above neatly coiled hoses and ropes.
(Christina Home/Los Angeles Occasions)
He hung duplicate work of his favourite artists, akin to Renaissance painter Caravaggio, above neatly coiled hoses and shovels and commissioned an oil portrait of the whole landscaping crew that hangs entrance and middle over their spotless lockers.
On the overgrown hill behind the store, the place seedlings have been saved ready to be planted, Perea had the crew create an outside refuge too. They pulled the weeds and planted thickets of citrus timber, sages, coral-colored hearth sticks and poinsettias discarded from the primary workplace, which grew 6 ft tall and bloom deep pink throughout the winter. They salvaged discarded benches from the stadium and created a tranquil seating space beneath a grove of eucalyptus with sculptures Perea bought himself — a duplicate of a gargoyle from Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral, a burro, a playful nymph, Our Girl of Guadalupe and the crew’s mascot, la águila or the Aztec eagle, “an emblem of braveness and energy.”
Perea designed particular Aztec eagle patches which are sewn on to all of the orange security vests worn by him and his employees. “Individuals attempt to purchase these vests off their backs,” he mentioned, “however they’re just for my crew.”
Their lush hillside retreat is also reserved only for landscaping enterprise and conferences. It wasn’t at all times snug for his crew to go to the stadium’s most important workplace for lunches or conferences, as a result of “if it’s a typical house, people who find themselves suited up don’t at all times like to sit down subsequent to somebody in an orange vest,” he mentioned. “However that is theirs; it’s one thing they are often pleased with.”
And it was a technique to construct unity, identical to the outrageous concept of constructing a botanic backyard at a sports activities stadium, Perea mentioned.
“We wanted a dream to chase collectively.”
Shoppers walk along Fifth Avenue on Nov. 29 in New York City.
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Heather Khalifa/AP
If you’re feeling guilty for thinking about returning that unironically ugly sweater your least favorite aunt gave you this holiday season, maybe don’t. ‘Tis the season of giving — and returning, after all.
The National Retail Federation reports that returns will total $890 billion for all of 2024. Returns happen year-round, but are most prevalent during the holiday season, the organization said.
But etiquette experts caution there is a delicate art to returning, or even regifting, the presents you receive.
“When it comes to returning a gift, I think discretion is key so you never hurt the gift giver,” said Myka Meier, an etiquette expert who runs Beaumont Etiquette in New York City.
There are some things to consider before heading to the store to make a return, according to Jo Bryant, a British etiquette consultant.
“The best way to return an unwanted gift is to really examine the financial worth, and relationship with the giver. It always involves a tricky conversation, so it is best to prioritise this for more expensive gifts when it really would be [a] shame that you can’t use it, and a real waste,” Bryant wrote in an email to NPR. “You also need to know the person who gave you the gift very well to be so honest with them.”
People walk past shops on Dec. 11 in Philadelphia.
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Matt Slocum/AP
Keep quiet and return
For Meier, it’s all about discretion when it comes to returning a gift.
She and Bryant differ on whether plans for returns should be shared with the gift giver.
Meier said don’t say anything “unless they specifically ask,” she said. “For most situations, it’s better to simply thank them graciously for their thoughtfulness without mentioning the return. The focus should always be on appreciating the gesture of being given a gift, not the item itself.”
And maybe keep mum even after some time has passed, she recommends.
“I would still try to avoid ever bringing it up, but I also would not lie,” she said.
So, if that aunt who bought that ugly sweater asks how it fits two months after Christmas?
“In that case, you can kindly and tactfully explain, for instance: ‘It was such a thoughtful gift! Unfortunately, it didn’t fit quite right, so I exchanged it for something similar that I’ll use every day and always think of you!’ “
A shopper carries a Christmas-themed bag in London on Dec. 2, 2020.
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Alberto Pezzali/AP
But maybe direct honesty is more your style?
Bryant believes “honesty and tact is best.” Regardless, be sure to flatter the gift giver and heap praise on the present at the same time.
If something absolutely must be returned, instead of saying that you just didn’t like the present, give a reason for the return that is out of your control, Bryant said.
She suggested saying something like, ” ‘I loved the cashmere jumper — it is one of my favourite presents this year — but I think the size up would be more comfortable for me,’ or ‘Thank you for the crystal glass vase; we love it but my mother recently gave us one very similar. I really don’t want such a generous gift to be wasted, so I’d love it if we could look to choose something else together? You always get us the best presents and we are so lucky to get such amazing and thoughtful gift from you.’ “
To save on possible awkwardness with these kinds of exchanges, Bryant suggested that gift givers be proactive and include the gift receipt, when possible.
What are the rules on regifting?
Yes, regifting is allowable, under etiquette rules.
“But it should be done thoughtfully and carefully,” Meier said.
There are limits to what can be regifted. “If the gift was customized in any way or has sentimental meaning, it’s not something to regift,” she said.
She addresses this topic further in a post on Instagram.
Some things Meier recommends if you plan on sending that previously discussed hideous sweater to a new home:
- Make sure the gift is new, totally unused and in its original packaging
- Avoid giving this gift to someone in the same social circles. In other words: Don’t give the sweater your aunt gave you to your cousin.
- Rewrap the gift “to show effort and care, just as you would with a newly purchased gift!”
Lifestyle
Opinion: As Christmas and Hanukkah coincide, is it time for everyone to let there be holiday lights?
Hanukkah begins on Christmas this year, marking a rare coincidence of the Jewish and Christian holidays, which occur according to different calendars. The alignment invites reflection on how two traditions can inspire each other.
The Orthodox Jewish community I grew up in rejected Christmas lights as signs of unwanted assimilation. We lighted the menorahs in our windows and doorways for the holiday’s eight nights, keeping the tradition simple and understated. Any more showy displays would have felt like crossing a line.
Still, as a child, I secretly admired the glowing homes of my neighbors. But those lights weren’t for us — or so I was taught.
Decades later, I stand in my cul-de-sac and stare at my neighbors’ dazzling home, with warm, sparkling lights wrapped around the trees. They decorate their home for Christmas because it brings them joy — and, honestly, it brings joy to everyone who passes by.
Apart from menorahs and basic landscape lighting, most of the Jewish homes on the street stay dark during Hanukkah. We keep them that way out of habit, tradition and a lingering belief that holiday lights are “not Jewish.”
My kids don’t observe the rigid boundaries of my childhood, though. When we drive through the neighborhood, they’re drawn to the lights like moths to a flame, pressing their faces against the car windows and pointing out their favorite houses.
“Why don’t we have lights like that?” my 12-year-old, Rosa, asks, her voice full of wonder and betraying a hint of sadness.
I don’t have a good answer. Why don’t we?
Holiday lights have more than aesthetic benefits, signaling community and social connection. Lights can boost mood, reduce stress and create warmth, especially during the dark winter months. Holiday lights are more than decorations; they’re a means of emotional well-being. These seem like good reasons to rethink our traditions.
Judaism, however, emphasizes differentiation: Observing dietary laws, keeping the Sabbath and other practices make us stand out, reminding us — and others — of our identity. Critics claim holiday lights blur the distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish traditions.
Christmas lights descend from the candles once used to decorate Christmas trees, which in turn may have links to pre-Christian traditions. Ancient civilizations celebrated the winter solstice with evergreens and fires to mark the triumph of light over darkness. Christianity adopted some of these traditions, and starting in the late 19th century, electric light helped the holiday decorations become a secular cultural tradition in Europe, America and beyond.
While holiday lights have only become less specifically religious, they still carry strong associations with the Christian celebration of Jesus’ birth. Preserving Jewish identity in a world of cultural blending takes effort, and some worry that adopting symbols closely tied to Christmas undermines that work.
The tension between preserving Jewish distinctiveness and engaging with the rest of society isn’t new. Hanukkah itself celebrates an ancient Jewish victory over the Seleucid Empire, which sought to impose Hellenistic culture and forced assimilation in Judea.
But standing out doesn’t require rejecting every element of the broader culture. Light, after all, is universal. The Jewish tradition uses light as a symbol of hope and connection, not least at Hanukkah, often called the “Festival of Lights.” The menorah represented eternal light and divine presence in the ancient temple, and Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of a single day’s oil lasting eight. The public lighting of candles shares our story with the world — known in Hebrew as persumei nisa, publicizing the miracle. Even a small flame banishes great darkness.
Holiday lights may have religious roots, but today they also bring joy to people of all backgrounds. For Jewish families, embracing holiday lights doesn’t have to mean celebrating Christmas. It can be a way of enhancing our own traditions with a universal symbol of hope and illumination. Using blue and white lights or incorporating Jewish symbols like illuminated dreidels or Stars of David allows families to celebrate their traditions while connecting with their neighbors. It’s not about copying Christmas; it’s about marking Hanukkah in a shared language of light.
Jewish tradition is already replete with light. The third verse of the Torah says, “Let there be light,” emphasizing its centrality to creation. Isaiah calls the Jewish people “a light unto the nations,” urging us to spread hope and inspiration. So why limit ourselves to eight nights of candles? Why not let our lights burn brighter and longer, connecting us to our neighbors and reflecting the beauty of our traditions?
Growing up, we avoided holiday lights out of fear of losing something by blending in too much. Now I realize we won’t lose anything but darkness. It’s time to change; it’s time to shine.
Eli Federman is a writer and private equity investor. X: @EliFederman
Oleksandr Budko, a 28-year-old Ukrainian war veteran, whose military call sign is Teren, poses for a portrait in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 18. Budko, a double amputee, participated in the Ukrainian version of the TV show The Bachelor.
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Oksana Parafeniuk for NPR
KYIV, Ukraine — Oleksandr Budko looks like a leading man. He’s sandy-haired and blue-eyed, with muscular tattooed arms and the chiseled face of a movie star.
“I’m a military veteran, an activist and writer. And I’m also The Bachelor,” he says in this season’s Ukrainian edition of the popular reality TV franchise.
The Bachelor, or Kholostiak in Ukrainian, is produced by Starlight Media and Warner Bros. International Television, and it airs on STB, a Ukrainian channel. This season, its 13th, premiered on Nov. 1.
Inna Bielien, 29, a German language translator, poses for a portrait at home in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 13. She is one of the female contestant of the Ukrainian version of the TV show The Bachelor.
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Oksana Parafeniuk for NPR
In one episode, Budko is on a rock-climbing date with a wholesome translator named Inna Bielien.
“Oh my God,” she says, as she hangs off the cliff.
“Don’t worry, I will be very close, right behind you,” he says, as he helps her scale the rock face.
What goes unsaid is that Budko is doing this on prosthetic legs, clearly visible because he’s wearing shorts. He’s a double amputee. He represents the tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have lost limbs since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. An adviser to Ukraine’s Sports and Youth Ministry put the number at around 100,000 last year.
Oleksandr Budko, with the call sign Teren, lost both legs on the front line in Ukraine’s battle against the Russian invasion.
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Their visibility — in fashion magazines, on catwalks and now a popular reality TV series — shows how much the war has affected Ukraine.
“Still,” he tells NPR in an interview, “there is still a problem with stigma. I went on The Bachelor to help address it.”
“I realized then I would lose my legs”
Budko, 28, grew up in western Ukraine and was working as a barista in a coffeeshop in Kyiv when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He enlisted and was soon on the front line. That summer, his unit had stalled while trying to push Russian troops out of northeastern Ukraine. During a lull in the fighting, the unit decided to rest. Budko lay down in a trench.
“Then something hit that caused the trench to crumble,” he says.
Russian troops had shelled the trench. Budko was buried in earth, twisting in pain as his fellow soldiers dug him out.
“I was conscious the entire time,” he says. “And I also realized then that I would lose my legs.”
Budko recovered through intensive, and often excruciating, physical therapy. He threw himself into sports, even competing in swimming at the 2023 Invictus Games. He also wrote a book and performed in a modern ballet.
“There was no point in me being angry at anyone or anything about what happened,” he said. “It was better to do something good instead.”
Oleksandr Budko tries to ride a unicycle at the Recovery rehabilitation center in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 18. He goes to rehabilitation centers to share the information on the process of his recovery, logistics to obtain prosthetics and about the possibilities for injured veterans.
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In the opening to The Bachelor, he jumps on a motorcycle, tucks a red rose into his leather vest-jacket, and speeds away. Each episode features beautiful young women vying for his attention, often with the built-in melodrama typical of reality shows.
“I wanted to show the possibilities,” he says. “I wanted to give people faith.”
“You are examples of courage and heroism”
The people he’s talking about are fellow wounded veterans. Budko visits them often, and they’re a tough crowd — exhausted, skeptical, emotionally distant.
“They never allow themselves to show any feelings of failure,” he says.
On a recent afternoon, he stops by a hospital in Kyiv where dozens of veterans are recovering from amputations. He cringes when he hears their screams of pain during physical therapy.
Injured soldiers at the Recovery rehabilitation center listen to Oleksandr Budko, a 28-year-old veteran, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 18. During his visits to rehabs, soldiers ask Budko lots of practical questions about things like prosthetics and health care.
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Budko walks into a room filled with wounded soldiers in wheelchairs and sitting on beds. He introduces himself with his military call sign, Teren. It’s the name of a thorny wild plum. In Ukrainian folklore, it symbolizes obstacles and overcoming them.
“Do not focus only on your injury, because remember — you are examples of courage and heroism,” he tells the soldiers. “You are not disabled.”
Rostyslav Andrusenko, a doctor helping the men recover, says many are depressed. They fear they will no longer be useful to their families or society.
“They ask me if they will ever walk again or play football with their friends or help their kids, all the everyday things that they did before,” Andrusenko says.
Oleksandr Budko, whose military call sign is Teren, talks to injured soldiers at the Recovery rehabilitation center in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 18.
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Oksana Parafeniuk for NPR
Budko gives a pep talk to the soldiers and also cracks a few jokes that don’t quite land. The men politely clap when he finishes and then ask a lot of practical questions, like where to get the best prosthetics.
Mykola Kovalenko, a married father of two, badly injured his leg on the front line after a mine exploded and may have to have it amputated. He asks Budko how to navigate medical bureaucracy, which he equates to “passing through the seven circles of hell.”
Budko promises to help, and Kovalenko finally cracks a smile. He says his wife and two teenage daughters love this season of The Bachelor.
Ukrainian war veteran Oleksandr Budko (right) talks to an injured soldier, Mykola Kovalenko, 36, at the Recovery rehabilitation center in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 18.
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Oksana Parafeniuk for NPR
“What he is doing is very helpful,” Kovalenko says. “He is showing guys like me, guys who are injured, that all is not lost, that we shouldn’t give up, that we should keep trying.”
Budko says soldiers rarely discuss their feelings about relationships and self-image with him. He does offer his number, though, in case they do want to talk at some point.
“Everyone has their own sensitive topics that they’re ashamed to talk about,” he says, including intimacy and the fear of being pitied by potential partners.
Love and war
Inna Bielien, 29, German language translator who is a contestant on the Ukrainian version of the TV show The Bachelor, shows a photo from behind the scenes of show, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 13.
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The war has also touched the women on the show. One is a widow whose husband was killed on the front line. Another is a soldier. Inna Bielien, the translator on the rock-climbing date, is also a humanitarian volunteer who sources and sends supplies to Ukraine’s troops.
NPR meets her in her stylish apartment in a Kyiv neighborhood that’s often hit by Russian drones. She talks about a soldier, Vadym, she loved who was killed early in the war. She says she was still holding out hope when she got the call about him.
“I remember thinking, Lord, I hope he’s alive, even with no arms and no legs, because it is better to come back without limbs than not come back at all,” she says.
Even so, she says, many Ukrainians struggle to talk to wounded veterans.
“I was told that if you see a soldier, you say thank you and put your hand to your heart,” Bielien says. “Asking about amputations, whether that crosses personal boundaries, that is still new for us.”
Oleksandr Budko talks to a participant at the Donbas Media Forum conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 18. Budko, a Ukrainian veteran who lost both legs on the front line, stars in the Ukrainian version of the TV show The Bachelor.
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Oksana Parafeniuk for NPR
Budko says the series helped show that it’s OK to ask questions, especially when it comes to intimacy.
“Like, ‘Does it hurt when I touch your limbs there?’ and so on,” he says.
Budko says he feels he has done some good on the show. And he now has a girlfriend, but won’t say if it’s Bielien, who says she fell in love with him, or someone else.
He can’t reveal anything, he says, until the season finale on Friday.
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