Healing Image Hi – Ukraine, Billy And Roxy

Hello, this is Eva May, and I'm speaking to you from the Women's Radio Station for another in my Healing Image High series. And today I have a guest, um, two guests actually, um, who were a few months ago, um, as one of these, uh, guests that I didn't actually know I was ever going to, to, to meet this way. And, um, it's through my friend Billy who has been helping in a humanitarian role in Ukraine, originally in Poland helping at refugee camp. And you can hear my previous broadcast with Billie through the Women's Radio Station website. So Billie has done quite a few things in quite a few short months really in Ukraine, and There's now just not one person I'm speaking to today. I've got, um, I've got Billy's wife as well. I've got Roxy. So, um, Billy has married Roxy in Ukraine. I think it was it 10 days ago you got married? Yeah, about, about 10 days ago. So congratulations. I mean, for me, I'm just so thrilled to see you. I followed your story myself, um, you know, because We're friends. And, um, yeah, just like, I, I'm, I'm just so happy. I'm thrilled to be talking to you. I absolutely— I can see you, and I've been— well, I was like, had a few tears when I saw you. And, and we've had a little chat about your story and now how you are married and living in Ukraine. So many congratulations. So can you just talk us through how through, um, the start of the war, Billy going from California to Ukraine and then working in Poland, and then he's been doing other work too in front lines of red areas where there's fighting going on. Junelle is speaking to, um, a married couple. Um, so could you like to just explain a little bit? Because this is— and now Actually, there has been in the newspaper, uh, articles about weddings in Ukraine. The numbers have increased a lot, which is quite— it's something that is seen in war situations when someone is going, you know, they've been together for a long time, someone's going— the war going on, they want to get married. Now you guys, you've only just— well, you met, um, through, through the war. So can you talk us through your how you got to be married and how we're speaking to Mr. and Mrs. today. Sure, yeah, I'll explain. So yeah, you know, I came from Poland on April 20th of this year. Then I was in Poland for a few weeks, refugee camp Chemnitz, and then I went into Ukraine for like a week. I did like a run to an orphanage and to Khmelnytskyi It's a few hours away from Lviv. And then I went back into Poland, and then, and then I met Sergey, and then we went to Kharkiv to deliver a car to his dad and to his team, or to his battalion. Sergey's father is a— he's a commander, isn't he, of a battalion? Yeah, yeah, fighting in Kharkiv. Or he— yeah, he was for the, for the first like 4 and a half, 5 months of the war. Until very recently when he moved into the Donbas region, which is where he's now somewhere. And then, so when me and Sergei were taking the train back from Kharkiv to Lviv, which is like a 19-hour train ride, an overnight train ride, I decided to get on like a matchmaking app just to meet people. And then I started talking with this beautiful woman. Yeah. She's a really beautiful wife. Thank you. And we actually, and then I ended up in Poland like a few, like I think a couple days after that. And then I was still working at the, at the center in Poland and she was catching a train over to Germany so she could go work over there. And then we had like a 2-hour time where we could meet up. So we decided to meet up and then we, of course we met up. And we had a good 2 hours together. We— I think we hit it off very well, but neither of us knew that it would turn into what it is now because we're now married. A few weeks later, we went to Czech Republic, to Prague, for a few days together. We went to— a few weeks, about 3 weeks after that, we went to Germany, like different parts of Germany, to Berlin, to, um, I forget the name of the place, but it's in Dresden. No, and then the lake place. Oh, I forgot. Yeah, somewhere around Baltic Sea. Yeah, near the Baltic Sea. And we spent a few days near the lake there. And then recently we went to a bunch of places. We went to, um, oh, many Czech Republic. We went to Bratislava, to Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary. Yeah, we went to a bunch of places. And then I proposed to her when I was in— when we were on our last little vacation together in Olomouc, which is like second Prague. And that was July 14th. And she said yes. And she said yes. She said yes. July 14th is the day I proposed. So is that— did Roxy, did you have any idea that Billy was going to propose to you? Honestly, yes. Like, oh, we do have like kind of feeling that it will happen for sure. So yeah. And you knew you would say yes. Yeah. Oh, it's just great. It's an incredible story, really. So, and Roxy, I mean, how is Billy getting on learning Ukrainian? Is he doing quite well? I am very surprised, yeah, because I know like how people come in here, like foreigners, and it's very, very difficult for them even to learn few words. And I was surprised how he can learn not only words but phrases, and he can read, and he do it pretty well. Honestly, I'm very much surprised. Great, that's brilliant. Yeah, yeah. So what did you do, Billy? Did you learn the alphabet first? Because that's what you have to do, isn't it, whenever you learn a new language, right? It's the alphabet. Yep. And, and knowing that Ukrainian language has a different alphabet than the regular, like, our English alphabet— not Latin, Cyrillic. Yeah, yes, I didn't want to be wrong. Well, your wife is, um, She's an English teacher, so she certainly should know what she's talking about. Yeah. Yeah. So Roxy, when did you decide to become an English teacher? Is that something you always wanted to do? Honestly, yes. I like kids. I like to work with them. And honestly, I like a kind of, you know, I think that I do my job well and I can explain properly. And that's what I really like to do. I enjoy it. Yes, and I've worked with children for— what we were talking earlier— as a teacher, and I found it the most rewarding job that I could possibly imagine wanting to do. And yeah, I feel really privileged I have been. So where did you study to learn English? Do you learn English anyway? Because you taught English at school. At school, at university, and plus I had possibility, like in 2007, I was— my program work and travel in USA. So that's how I practice my English. So you— oh, so you have been to the United States of America. Ah, so where did you go? I was in North Carolina. Yeah, well, we were working like, I know it was like definitely waitress, that stuff, you know, just like students. But the most important was practice that we started to talk, because when you are at school and you just learn from books all these phrases, all this grammar, it's one side. But when you are involved in this society, when you communicate with native speakers, speakers, it's much more— it's totally different. It is. I think you're absolutely right. And, um, we don't seem to be very good in the, uh, in the United Kingdom at going and doing that, at going and practicing. We learn French and German. I mean, you can learn Spanish, but, um, you know, I, I know French quite well, but I'm very reluctant to speak it even though I could. I don't know if it's like a laziness that we have, and everywhere we seem to go people do speak English, so it's like, you know, we, we don't need to practice to do it. So Billy, so are you practicing Ukraine, um, what you've learned with other people as well? So you can, you sort of go out and get day-to-day things using your new language skills? I can read Ukrainian, like 100%. I could read Ukrainian. I know all— like, I know the alphabet, so I can— I could understand like how the word is said. Yeah, but I just don't understand what most of the words mean. Right. I could have base— like very, very, very basic conversation with people, but I don't— yeah, like Roxy kind of helps me, or she does very much help me with learning. We try to learn like new phrases every once in a while, every other day. And she, she, yeah, she tries to teach me and, um, I try to, yeah, implement that. Are there a lot of English-speaking people in Ukraine? Do, do they, you know, is it— are they all very good at speaking English? No, not— I mean, not very much. No, not really, honestly. Oh really? Oh, okay. Some basic English, yeah. Like, yeah, at the restaurant we were at earlier, they could understand like very basic English. But no, they mustn't understand because they have like tourists. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, not tourists now, but people from foreign countries. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And when the war started, appeared a lot of foreigners in here, like volunteers and soldiers. Yeah. So you— because I know when Billy was working in the refugee camp, you had a t-shirt, didn't you? And it said on the back what language you spoke. Yep, yeah, yeah, on our best. Yeah, on your best. So, um, you're now living in, uh, Lviv and you're, you're going to make some plans for, for your future. Unfortunately, the war is still going on and, um, so, so what, what do you know, your, your plans now? So, Billy, you, could you talk a little bit about the work that you've been doing because you have been delivering vital aid to, I would say, some pretty dangerous places in quite stressful situations. And the word about the work that you did there, and you know, what's your experience and how— what you're going to do now? Well, for when, like, the war When I was working with M.I.L.E. for pretty much like the past month over in— we were working in Mykolaiv and Odessa, and pretty much that's what I want to talk about just because that's where most of our work came from. We were working in Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv Oblast, which is like, you know, places around that area. We're delivering aid from Odessa to different places in Mykolaiv, and then we actually worked for a woman who heads the World Central Kitchen in Mykolaiv, and we were delivering food to the villages pretty much like right next to Kherson every day. And we worked with the 28th Brigade of bomb disposal in Mykolaiv for, for a couple weeks over there. And I don't know if you saw, but they were in the newspaper as well from when Mel brought the press in. Yeah, I did, I did catch up on that, and that was quite incredible and quite brave of the press as well to come with you, because I know a lot of foreign journalists have deemed that it's too risky to send people that close. You did send, you know, me some photographs, and I was just so like humbled seeing you were taking, you know, shopping bags, plastic bags of food to elderly people in villages. And the look on the expression on their faces when they saw you was just, well, you know, like what you did was such an amazing thing. I mean, how on earth people, elderly people who have lived their whole lives that way, and now it's all being turned upside down and it's dangerous, and maybe they haven't got anywhere to go or they don't actually know how to go. But just to have someone like you, I mean, were they quite nervous at first when they saw you, or did they understand you were there to help? At first they were nervous, of course, because I think a lot of like foreign cars that enter that area could be like Russian people. So like, there was definitely tons of nerves at first, but then we would tell them that we'd be back tomorrow or like next week or something. And so they would almost like expect me and Mil to be there. And then when we'd come like at a certain date and time that we said we'd be there and they'd be waiting for us. And to like let the rest of the neighborhood know that we were there. There were some times that like the villages were under like super heavy shelling, so we had to like offload like super quick and we'd have to like unload into like all of our bags into one building and there'd be like missiles going like right by us and stuff. Like we were being shot at and stuff and pretty much the guys are like, "You guys got to get out of here." And so Sometimes we had to offload like all of our food into one area and then they would disperse it afterwards. But I mean, yeah, me and Mil just did the best that we could given the circumstances. And we tried to keep up with as much information and intel as we could from like our military friends that were working in those same areas. And so, yeah, we tried, like we were literally on the border of like Mykolaiv and Kherson. Area, which is, um, so we tried to be as like, you know, in and out as possible just because we don't want to put our vehicle as a target onto that specific area as well. No, I mean, absolutely, because if they're following you, then, you know, these people— I mean, and when we talk about elderly people, I mean, they— what, they must be what, in their 80s or something? They look more— for sure, like people that don't want to like just up and leave their homes, for sure. It probably can't. It must be very difficult to go, like, when you're that— I mean, like, they're living in, um, I don't know, like, I showed my husband the pictures actually, and, and he was really like, he went quiet for a minute, which was unusual for him. And I think, you know, it really brought home to him as well, you know, how— what is going on there. It's very real. It was very, very rural where you were, and you know, and I think there's an old guy on a, on a bicycle, you know, and, you know, just, just trying to live their normal peaceful life and they've got all this going on around them and, and then there you are taking them food where they've got no other way of getting any. Um, yeah, it was really, really humbling and I thought it was an absolutely incredible job because not only have you taken aid to the front line, to people who really need it there, for soldiers. But you've also brought injured military personnel, put them in the back of your truck, and taken them to hospital. And I think these conditions that you've been living in and the situations that you've been dealing with must be pretty harrowing. Um, I know there was a I think you stayed somewhere the night for a safe house, and the next day that place wasn't there anymore after you'd gone. It, it got hit by something. Is that the sort of situation you were in? Yeah, no, I've been in a few situations like that where we stayed at a place and we got to know the people that were there very well, um, even in Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, where even the next day next 1 or 2 days, the place got hit and some of the people that we like ate with and, you know, had dinner with died in those explosions. So that was really— yeah, it's just terrible. It's terrible. So, so, um, so Roxy, you— can you please explain? Um, I've never, um, I've not spoken to you before today, but I hope we're gonna meet and speak lots, but because, yeah, definitely. So can you explain what it's been like for you living in Ukraine? Have you lived in Ukraine most of your life apart from when you've been abroad to practice your English? And you had the threat of war. Did you really think that this was going to happen? And also, you know, when somebody says that, you know, there's going to be a war, How do you know really what a war is? Because we just haven't— you haven't— we haven't had the, you know, one like— well, what— how did you feel about the whole thing? Well, honestly, I will remind that the war started in 2014 in Ukraine. Yeah, from the Crimea and from invasion of like few territories. Donetsk and Luhansk region, but like part, like part of that. There, actually, we are like in war for 8 years, and, uh, well, we didn't expect this invasion will be like from all territories, and they will even try to go to Kyiv, uh, which was like, like unacceptable for us. Definitely, we do understand who is our neighbor. And we have long history and, well, honestly, we suffered from them like 300 years and we do understand who is Russia. Even the whole world was trying to pretend like they do not understand and that's only— sorry, maybe I will say too much. No, no, honestly, please do because I think we need to hear it and need to be educated by this. Honestly, we didn't like how the world accept us. Like, you always— like, people always think that we are like brothers or we are like one since USSR, you know, separated. We were still like the same people, are the same history, the same language is the same. And we all the time were arguing like it's not true. Definitely a lot of people in Ukraine, even maybe half of them still communicate in Russian language for sure, but we do have our national one language. We do have our own history, not Russian one. Yes, definitely we were under Russian, and I do remember how many bad things Krasnaya Armia, like in translation, like Red Army made and what damage they did, like after Nazi. But seriously, we just, I raised up in such a family that we never were friendly with Russian people. And I never had friends there. And we always knew that some, in some time it will happen. Definitely we couldn't expect in, 21st century that it will be like that, you know, so massive. And we, we thought that it will happen like, like definitely they will, they will start like on the east more on these territories like Donetsk, Luhansk, definitely in the south, but we couldn't expect that it will be the whole territory of Ukraine. So talking about me, I can say that, um, it changes your life. War changes for sure your life. So you live normally, you have plans, you just do your business, and in one minute, honestly, it just, it changes everything. You cannot understand what's going on, you cannot plan, you are trying— well, as I said, I, I just, um, I escaped because I was very much frightened about this situation, what's going on and how it will it be. But a lot of people stayed in here and just try to, um, you know, to persuade themselves that it will finish maximum in 1 month. People still believe that it will be for a short period of time. We definitely believe that it cannot last long, but people say that it will be at least for a few more years. Well, yeah, and just, uh, they try to freeze this, like like a kind of freeze the conflict for years. But as I said, it's just a lot of life change. People right now trying to work, to lead their normal, well, to come back to normal life. Definitely it's not normal anymore because everything changed, but still we need somehow to move on, to go on, just to continue to create families, I don't know, to my kids and just like try to leave a normal life as much as we can. Yeah. And you, you were saying, um, a bit like Billy, though, you know, Billy was working and delivering aid and rescuing people and getting them to hospital, and he's, you know, found it quite— it's harrowing, a sort of a word., you know, you would use for the constant, you know, disturbance during the day, during the night, the danger, the uncertainty. That must take a lot on your body, like physically and mentally, to, to, to live like that. That's not really how we used— you know, that must be very, very difficult. And yeah, I think, you know, how are you going to take care of yourselves? Now and try and recover from all these months of what you've been through. Because you've both been through an awful lot before you both met, living in different places, experiencing different things, but still under the, you know, living under threat. It must be very, very difficult. I mean, my history is You know, I lived under a threat. I was abused, so I did live under a threat. So I have some understanding of what that is like and not being able to get away and physically not being able to get away when you need to. So mentally, you kind of try and take yourself away for— well, to stop you going crazy, really. So what do you— does that make sense to you? Yeah, of course, absolutely. Yeah, I think there's only so much that your body can take, and you have, um, well, I feel I have a responsibility now to, to like look after myself. So are you guys— what, what are you guys going to do now to, to look after yourselves? Because you've been through an awful lot. Plus you've got a new life to plan. And I think out of all this misery and terror and, you know, this, this continuous— I can't believe how a country can go in and invade another one in this way. But like you're saying, Roxy, there is this history that's been going on for such a long time. So I think one of the great things that you two can do to bring— come out of this war is to come out you know, as this married, new married couple and have a family and go and get yourselves, you know, established and, you know, go out into the world and live your life. I think that's the sort of a legacy that I hope people can take from war and especially meeting the way you have. You need to go and get, you need to go and get to know him a bit more, Roxy. I know him more than you do actually. So I've known Billy for such a long— anything you want to know, ask me. I've got some info on Billy. He will. He's just great. He's so respectful as well. I really like that about Billy. Such a great guy. So yeah, what are you going to do? Where are you going to go? And, um, next, next steps? We have a few. We're going to go to Europe for sure within the next month. Yeah, we're just figuring out exactly which country. Um, we were thinking maybe Ireland just for the fact that they— it's an English-speaking country, we both speak English well, and it might be good for jobs. Um, but we're also thinking— we were thinking Czech Republic just because one of my best friends from California is selling a product in Czech Republic. I just have to follow up with him about it. He's been kind of dicey with giving me a solid answer about that. And then there's— yeah, there's— we kind of— yeah, we, we have our wedding celebration to figure out as well, so both of our parents can go to that as well as you. Yeah, yes, I mean, I'd love to come. So can you— your wedding, when you got married? Um, so what did you have to do? What, um, so you didn't have any— did you have any friends with you? No, no, we just went to the, uh, wedding office, like the registration office. Yeah, yeah. So you, so you book an appointment, you're like, you're booked to go. Yeah. So how many days did you know then that— did you book and then, oh, we're going to get married in like how many days' time? I think like, what, 2? Yeah, but in Ukraine we have like kind of service even before war it started, like waiting for 24 hours. Really? But yeah, like in Vegas. But it took us a little bit longer because we, uh, like he's a foreigner, he needed to be checked by, uh, immigration. Immigration service. Like, yeah, make sure I'm not like some crazy international criminal. Yeah. Oh well, I'm glad to know then you got past that clearance. That's good. Good. Well, I mean, it's, it's only sensible, isn't it, for countries to do that? And then what was, what was the ceremony like then? It, it was no ceremony. It was literally, it was the most unromantic thing ever. Was it really? It was just a person telling us that to sign here and sign there and have a good life. Bit like buying a car, honestly. Yeah, pretty Yeah, really? Yeah, but both of our parents are very excited. Yeah, to come. Like, my dad's working on getting his passport because we do want to do a celebration, at least to respect our parents' wishes as well, because we— yeah. So Roxy, have your parents met Billy now? Yeah, like already. How many times? Quite a few. Yeah, many times. Yeah, we've met many times. Oh, good. Planning to meet them as well. Yeah. Oh, that's good. And yeah, and they love them very much. I bet they do. Seriously, what's not to love? He's a great guy. What— and do you have, um, brothers and sisters? I do have a brother, like older. Yeah. And where are they? Are they still in Ukraine? Uh, yeah. They're with you in Lviv, and is that— that's where— because you— that's where you've grown up, isn't it? So you're— yeah, yeah, your parents are there. Yeah. Oh, that would be— that would be amazing though. So will your sister go as well, Billy? Will she— she come over? She can get some time? Absolutely. Yeah, she'll come. Oh, that's really great. And then you're going to plan like a honeymoon. Have you had a honeymoon? We have not yet, but we're going to plan to. She wants to— we both want to go somewhere near the sea because she loves to sunbathe and be near the beach. So do I. So I think somewhere— we'll figure out somewhere near, somewhere tonight, nice to go and relax. And, um, yeah. Oh, what's the weather like there at the moment? Is it extremely hot? It's right now, it's thunderstorm right now. You got a thunderstorm? Yeah, we can hear the fucking thunder from our— from right here. Yeah, that's not rare. So you still have sirens going on through the night and now you've got thunder? That's not— honestly, thunder kind of sounds like bombs every once in a while, so you're kind of like, what the hell? But really, but when it's raining, then you know it's thunder. Yeah. Do you, um, so when you— I mean Do you sort of startle when you hear, um, you know, loud noises now? Have your sort of senses become that you're quite, you know, alert to danger? For sure, I think so. At least I am. I don't know about her. Yeah, I think she is as well. Yeah, yeah. I think, um, I mean, I think for you guys to go and find somewhere to work, to be in Europe for, for a while, would be would be great and get away from, from this. Do you think you'd return to Ukraine one day? Of course, yeah. I mean, of course, I love Ukraine very much. So I know, I know you've, um, rather fallen in love with it, haven't you? So you're not missing, um, California? No, not really. California, I mean, I love California, but it's expensive, the politics are— right. And It's just very expensive over there, and I couldn't afford to live there for sure. So is it that in America then, is it like, so do you have different states that are more expensive to live in than others? Like in Ukraine? No, in America. So, of course, yeah, you do. Like Tennessee, my parents, like my parents, we're not gonna say how much they spend, but they're paying half for a month, for a month of their house, on a very large house on a very large property, half of the money that they're spending per month, and I'm paying like double what they're paying for a tiny apartment in California. Really? In a crappy area. Yeah. Okay, I didn't realize about that. Um, I mean, I, I've only been to the— I've been to the States a few times and I absolutely love it, but obviously I've not ever had to to rent a property there. And I've always found that it's pretty good value, but I think that's probably been to do with our exchange rate. We've always tried to go when we've got a good rate for our pound and the dollar, but I didn't really appreciate quite how different the states are. One of my— I mean, I've got a good friend who lives in Arkansas and another good friend who lives in Chicago. And, um, I mean, I know, um, I was talking to one of them recently, and on the radio actually, Judge Rosemary Aquilina. I don't know, did you ever hear of her? She sentenced Larry Nassar to 175 years for abusing the gymnast team in the US. Um, yeah, and she was Because I, I really, I, I had no idea that, um, about guns, you see, because one of my friends talks to me about like she can't understand why in the UK I don't have a gun. I don't have a gun, we don't have a gun. And in the US, is it, it's pretty much like in every state you have guns, or, or do you, you know, would you carry a gun in America? Or is that not a thing for you? Uh, by the way, about guns, Bill told me that they have— it's like very, very often that they use guns. Yeah, but yeah, they don't in Ukraine. You don't, do you? By the way, talking about Ukraine, I would say a few words that nowadays when the war started, uh, it's like even I, I think even they, they accept the law about weapon, but then we have right now very much weapon on hands, even for people who are not in front areas or not in this, like, soldier. But, but we do have a lot. And right now they are trying to a kind of, um, make it like, um, official list of weapon, how it better to say, like, you know, just to control it. Because nowadays it's very difficult for them even to control how much weapon people do have. Nowadays. But in America, I guess, yeah, yeah, it's very— yeah, I didn't, I didn't realize, Billy, there was an article today in our news press actually. So in America, you have 300 million people living there, but you've got 400 million guns in like, you know, like, I, I— yeah, so you've got like something like 1.25 guns per person. And it's like, because my friend was saying to me, but you, how do you protect your family? It's like, well, we don't need it. We just do not. It's not a thing. It's really, really not a thing. So now in Ukraine with the war, are people now feeling safer if they have a, you know, a personal gun? Even though— yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah. Even, uh, sorry, uh, like, I just, I wanted to add that even, uh, you know, our authorities, uh, people from government, they say, oh, that's, uh, terrifying, that's so much weapon, and perhaps it's not necessary so much. But people feel much more safer, like, like, like average person that have at least some, some, some guns, some, like, I don't know how they distinguish these guns, but definitely just even it is silent, it's much more better to have it rather than to worry. Yeah, yeah, you want to protect what's inside your house rather than go out and destroy something outside. What about, what about a taser? Do people still— do people use taser? You don't— it would be a gun, not like electric, like— yeah. Oh, no idea, honestly. Yeah, I know, because I, I don't know. I just like— yeah, yeah, I think our police have them, but I'm not going to go up to one and try and find out. But, um, Yeah, no, he— yeah, she, she honestly, we, we just don't like have them here, but I'm sure if someone invaded our country, we might, we might get them. Um, yeah, I know, I do. I— it does worry me a bit, the gun, um, the gun law, because this particular friend, actually Roxy's your teacher, she chose her new school for her kids because it had, um bulletproof pods or shelters in each classroom. Because in the, in the US, the school shootings— and I mean, that is, yeah, yeah, common. It's, it, well, it's the, the number one killer of children in the US is guns, whether or not it is by accident or whatever, or you know, they get caught in the crossfire, or these horrendous— I can't imagine anyone going into a school and doing that, but I know they, they do happen. But, um, I just think that it's, it's not always the answer. I can understand in a war situation for you guys to, to feel safer with a weapon, but, um, I think your plan to move and maybe go somewhere else in Europe and then and just lead a peaceful life. That, um, we don't need— always need this aggression in our lives at all. But, um, yeah, I mean, I love America, but the thing that would scare me about living there would be, would I need a gun to protect my family? I'm not, um, I'm not sure, yeah, how I'd do it. Billy, do your family have them, or they— you know, they, they actually don't, I don't think. No, I just— well, that's good news. I mean, I— yeah, but, but, and then you've got a country like Ukraine where people are— you, you said that there was difficulty getting, um, guns there for, for people who actually like really need it to fight and save their country. Is that still the situation? Because when you were training in the firing range, you only had like 2 guns to practice with. Um, is everything a little bit more sort of— you've got them, what you need now? I think the military are getting most of what they need. Um, I think for the average, like, civilian, it's not as easy to get guns. But I know that if you are a Ukrainian citizen, you can apply for a gun permit, and there's, like, gun stores that I've been to that I know that you could buy weapons from here. Really? Yeah, we don't even have those. Sorry, yeah, yeah. Well, and I just want you guys to keep safe and like start your life together. And you've got some plans, um, I mean, a family celebration of your, your wedding. Are you, um, Roxy, are you going to have a wedding dress? Are you gonna have— yeah, you're gonna go— are you? Yeah, yeah. So where will you buy your dress? Can you get the— will you get— is the— all the shops and stuff are still open in Ukraine, so you can go and— at least in this area, yeah, yeah. And this, like, the west side of Ukraine, yeah, for sure. So what were you— Billy, what will you wear then? What do you— what do people wear to a Ukrainian wedding? High socks, shorts, and a t-shirt. Yeah, and a baseball cap. Some like wedding suit. I'm not sure, tuxedo maybe. Yeah, I have no idea. I've never had a wedding before. No, it is your first one, so you got to, um, you see the thing in, in the, uh, a lot of people, they take years and months to plan their wedding, and then you guys go and get married in 2 days. So you probably cut out an awful lot of stress. And, uh, yeah. So was it like, um, when you went to the, to the registrar office to get your wedding recorded, was there like another one up straight after you? Was it— is it quite busy? Yeah. Oh, very busy. Is it? There's like a line of people. Is it really? So you just have to make, make sure you marry the right person, don't get muddled up. Yeah, no, there's some people that were doing like small ceremonies and stuff, but we decided to wait for until both of our families could be there. So what time of day did you get married? Wait, which time do we talk? Oh, hold on, let me think. It was like 10 in the morning because we told her to be there at 9, remember? 10:30. It must have been like 11 AM or something like that. Before lunch. And then what did you do afterwards? Oh no, no, no, it was like 2 PM because we told her to be at 1300, something like that. Yeah, it must have been around like 2 or 2:30 PM. And then what did you do afterwards? Did— we celebrated. Wait, didn't we go to dinner with your parents that night, right? No, that's 2 days later. Oh, we went to the restaurant at the resort. Yeah, we went to like some resort in Lviv. Or like a little bit outside of Lviv, and we got some like steak and champagne. Oh, did you? And then is that the resort? Did you stay there? Oh, you went? No, we didn't stay there. We just, we were there for a few hours and it was very nice. And then we actually went there the next day. Yeah, with, uh, with, with, uh, with a friend of ours, Julia, and she came with us and we went like, and they sunbathed by the pool and We just ate food. Oh, I think you, I think you sent me a picture because you were on the sunbed looking after all the, everybody's things while they went off swimming. Is that right? Yeah. So what is it, is it like, so it's like a holiday resort where people go and sort of their hotel and, oh, that's really nice. And, um, so what, um, what's, what, how are you getting on with, um Ukrainian food and cooking. Are you, uh, are you learning some skills there in the kitchen now you're married? I'm trying. Did you used to cook before? I, I did, but not, not up to this standard of cooking. So do you like— Roxy, do you like cooking? Uh, well, honestly Yeah, you don't have to. I have to, I have husband, you must be. She cooks very well, honestly. So now she's got— very, very good. So what sort of— what is the food like there then? Because there is Ukrainian cuisine, isn't there? What is it that would— what is the main thing that is eaten then? I absolutely— before this war, I honestly didn't know very much about Ukraine at all. Other than that you grew wheat and grain, that we got that from you. So what is the food there that you have? Well, we do have like traditional food, like borscht, very famous. Borscht is very nice. Yeah, varenyky, traditional, volopchiturny. So we have a lot of— it's like mostly, um, with potato, we like very much. Definitely meat, preferably, rather than fish. Just, uh, I don't know, we like soups. Different kind of soups. So it's— it must be like, you know, like, like it can be like fat. I can say fatty. Yeah, yeah, of course. Definitely. It's not like something— we do not like, like Italian pasta or something like that. We definitely like this with, with rice, with potato. As I said, it's very delicious. Is it? They marinate and season. Yeah, I was gonna say, is there a lot of seasoning in it? Yeah, so what do you— so it's a Sunday night now, so what's, what's your plans for tomorrow? Tomorrow we are invited. Yes, you explain. She knows for the whole day tomorrow. Good. My parents invited us. Yeah, for dinner. Yeah, we're going to her parents— to my parents, my father and mother-in-law's house. Yeah, how you going to see your in-laws? Yeah. So how far away are they from you then? They're only like 20 minutes, uh, like taxi or Uber. Yeah. So Roxy, what did they, um, say when you said, I'm going to get married to an American who I've— in 2 hours' time? They didn't— honestly, they didn't expect it to be so fast because when I told them that I'm dating with American guy They were like happy, but they honestly didn't expect that I can marry him so fast. My mom was very much surprised when I told him that I'm engaged because we were with Billy, we were in Prague. Odermok. In Czech Republic, yeah. And I told her on the phone that I'm engaged because we had like small holiday holidays here, and she was like, she was shocked, honestly. Was she? What, really? Uh, congratulations. Uh, I've got to phone my mom and dad and tell them I'm engaged. That's a bit— yeah. Is it, is it traditional in Ukraine that usually the, the, the guy goes and asks the dad's permission? Correct. Yeah. Traditional, but honestly, nowadays it's war. Exactly. And also a lot, and, uh, nowadays even ceremonies are like very much not so often like it was before. So it's like definitely people don't want, you know, just huge celebration because it's— yeah, it's war. It's kind of— I, I understand that. So, um, so, um, have Billy have So did you have to say, I'm really sorry, I didn't get a chance to ask you? I called her before, I was like, shouldn't I ask you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but we— I love her parents very much and they're very kind, so we've— I think we've, uh, everything's good. Yeah, yeah, they understand. Oh, that's lovely. You know, we love each other very much. Yeah, well, I can see that you obviously do love each other very much. It's just, it's lovely to see, and I just I hope that you're, um, well, that you, you know, you go make a great life for yourselves. And, um, I certainly want to keep in touch, keep in touch over the next— let me know what you're doing next. And you're a lot nearer to me now than you were when you were in California, so, um, you're welcome. You're gonna have to come to London. Roxy, have you been to London before? Uh, I have been, but nowadays as just with visas can be more complicated, uh, because I do need visa to go to London. But honestly, I have been there times and I love this place. It's my favorite one. I love— really? Yeah, no, seriously, it just— do you? What do you— what did you like about it? It just, you know, this, this place, I kind of inspired all this historical, like buildings, all this atmosphere, it's just, it's amazing place. It's just like, you want, definitely, I don't know how to live there and perhaps it's difficult for sure because I came like a tourist and I enjoyed much that time. It just, and this multicultural atmosphere because a lot of seriously people from all around the world, I guess, together. Yeah, they are, you're right, it's a really diverse country. And Billy, have you come? You've never been, have you? I've been to London. You've been to London? When did you do that? When I was like 17. All right, okay. I was gonna say you should have said hello. Did you like— you went— sorry, I didn't get to enjoy London as I should have. No, well, you've got time now to do that. You can come and do the proper touristy bit because, um, yeah, when I've, I've had American friends over and they've— I've taken them to London, they have loved it. They have absolutely like loved everything about it because we have a lot of, um, like the history, um, the building, all the things that, you know, America doesn't— you don't have a lot of the, the old historic buildings like, like we do. And it is a really vibrant, and it is like, it's a really diverse city. It's, it's a great— yeah, my daughter's living there. I don't think I'm going to be seeing her very much because she's having a fabulous time there. So, so what, what must be— it's about— what time is it for you? You're 2 hours ahead, I think, of me. Um, we've just got 10 minutes left. Is there anything that you'd like to say? I know that you have, um, you've met an awful lot of amazing people through this, um, war and your— what you've volunteered to come and do to help. So do you think this is really sort of— you don't want to go back? Well, you can't now, you're married. You can't go back to what you were doing in America before. So are you quite happy about, like, you know, the changes? It must have— must be quite profound, quite a deep change for you now to really have a look and say, I can do what I want with my life now. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. Yeah, good. That's— that is absolutely— because before you met Roxy, you said that it changed you. Like, going to Poland even was the best decision that, that you've, you've made, really, um, to buy your flight there. Have you met other people from other countries who feel like that too? Oh, almost everybody I've met feels the exact same way, honestly. Almost everybody. And it's just going to change their lives forever and make you see that you're all— we all came here to do a certain thing, which was to help this country against Russia. And there's, I mean, there's a lot of people that came here for the wrong reasons, and those people we kind of weeded out. But the people that are true to what they're trying to do here and help have, have been, have stuck here and are continuing to do the work. And even if they're home, they're still continuing to like, at, or to try to raise funds for charities over here and doing everything they can to help this country. And like I said before, I would die for the country, honestly. Now, of course, I'm not going to because I have a wife. Yeah, I have a wife now. Yeah, I know. But Billy, you've been very brave, and I don't think you should underestimate how brave you have been, um, you know, and you've had the support of your family, you know, who are— well, I mean, they're a long way away, and I know that they think about you all the time because I'm in touch with your mom, um, but, you know, life's got to go on, and you guys deserve the best of the best, and it's just so super seeing you so so happy. Um, you look great together, a really great fit. And I, I— well, let's not make it too long till we actually meet, sit down, talk. I'm sure we've got loads of things that we could do and have some, you know, have some fun. Meeting up would be amazing. And you're, you're welcome to come and stay. Just come and stay. I'd love it. Absolutely love to see you. And I'm proud of you so much, Billy. I really am. And, um, Roxy, it's been— I— it's been so exciting to see you, is there, and looking so happy. And yeah, she's absolutely beautiful, your wife. She is. You do, you just go so well together. It's amazing to be on a— to be on a— I mean, I don't think you can go on a 19-hour train drive, uh, ride in the UK. You'd end up in the in the sea, you know, we're not that big. So, so for you to be on Tinder and, um, or wherever it was you were on an app and found your future wife, then I think that's incredible. But I know several people who've done that and are extremely happy like you two are. So is there anything you'd just like to, to say? People are still raising— we have pop-up shops all the time collecting clothing, supplies, I don't know, toiletry items, things like that that people are sending to Ukraine. There's definitely still— it's, you know, every time you buy your groceries, you have an option to donate, you know, with your payment through reputable companies so that you do know your money is going to somewhere that is going to get the money to Ukraine, because I think you have to be very careful. Like you say, there are people around who are— you get it in any situation— who aren't, aren't there necessarily for the right reasons, and they can't be trusted. And I'm afraid that's part of life, um, life's experience. And I think that's— it's a hard lesson for anyone to know but learn, but you've had to learn that in a war experience. And I think that's, that's been, um, a really terrible shame. But, you know, to recognize the good from the bad is something that we definitely all need to be able to do to keep ourselves safe and do good things. So I hope you two have a really great night. Um, you've got some rain and thunder. We would absolutely love some rain and thunder. Our, um, grass looks like a desert at the moment. We're, we're not meant to be using our, our hose pipes. We're running a bit low on water here. So, um, yeah, anyway, it's been absolutely amazing speaking to you. Thank you so, so much. And, um, yeah, have a really great— have a great night, and we'll be in touch really soon anyway. And, uh, congratulations The newlyweds, we love you very much. Love you too. Bye guys, bye-bye. So that was, um, something really quite unexpected. I wasn't, um, sure where, um, Billy and Roxy were going to be. And what their, their plans are and their schedule. And also they had to find somewhere to live. So it's been really, really lovely hearing this happy ending, you know, to, to be married for Billy and meeting Roxy when it's only sort of 3 weeks ago that he was sending me photographs and we were sort of messaging when he was in a terrible war situation. Having to suddenly just like, like drop the phone, put the phone down, get into the car and just dash away from danger and having artillery shells going after them. And, you know, I've only just seen Roxy today for the first time and spoken to her and, you know, she's a young woman who has, who has an understanding of the history of her country and the threats that have been around. And, you know, she's— she did genuinely leave because of a feeling of, of, of fear and needing to get away. And her parents did say that she needed to— they wanted her to go and get out of the country because they needed to see how things were going to develop. So I hope that's a really nice story, and maybe we can, um, talk about that one day. They've got an exciting future ahead of them, and, um, yeah, I just— it was just so nice to talk to Billy and see their happiness and some of the sort of stress of being in a war situation is definitely, um, I can see that it's— he's gone. It's— he's a lot more relaxed and definitely a really happy guy. And, um, yeah, it's just lovely, lovely news. And the internet's a wonderful thing now that we can speak to people and our friends. And honestly, today when I just saw him on Skype, it just brought such, you know, tears to my eyes. And I think it really also for me means that I really must— it's important to talk and see my friends and not just drop the odd message because I hope in some way that I've managed to support Billy at times when he's been, you know, away in this situation that he definitely did not have planned in his life. And I think it's just a real lesson that we can all learn to support each other. So this is Eva May, and thank you so much for listening. And look forward to speaking to you next week.