After much time: PICTURES!
Moscow:
Sochi:
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Angina, not a heart problem after all.
Angina, is the Russian word for tonsillitis. Why is this concerning? Oh, I don't know, MAYBE because in English it means severe chest pain and issues with your coronary ARTERIES. Little bit of a difference.
Fortunately I knew this unfortunate false cognate before my host-dad looked down my throat and said "Ooooo, angina. Yeah, you have angina."
Still, everytime they say it, I still think dammit I'm just 21 and I am going to have to have a stent put it and some beta blockers or something.
My host-mom, Mama Elena, the woman is a saint. She has been seriously worried at my decreased appetite. But honestly I can BARELY swallow! Not eating is a sign of death here I swear. I caught her cutting up leaves in my food again, like she tends to do when I am sick. Its like she thinks I go blind when I am sick? And I cant catch on to her turning her back to cut a leaf and then dropping it quickly into the bowl of soup she then sets in front of me? I even ASKED her well kind of signed since I lost my voice , did you put leaves in here? Noooo, you said you didnt like them didnt you? She answers, SHEEPISHLY. I say/sign/rattle/whisper, Well if they help me get better I'd eat them. Oh, really? Hmm. I swear she was almost rubbing her hands together like an evil scientist at that point! But seriously those leaves have magic powers, Im not slamming them as long as they help me get better.
ALSO, her new big thing, which Katie Udenberg finds hilarious, is to crush up medicine and put it in my juice. LIKE I CANT TELL ITS THERE. Seriously. So she comes in with a bottle of juice, and says It is hot, thats good for your throat. I nod, voiceless, she gave me hot juice with honey before which was awesome. So I set it on my desk and I open it up and it smells literally like rotting fruit. I frown, but trusting in her magical powers I pour some. I find that I CANNOT drink it unless I plug my nose, and it still tastes rancid. I swish some in my mouth, pure torture, and realize it tastes remarkably like the AWFUL angina, aka tonsillitis, meds she had me gargle with the other day. I roll my eyes. So I sign/mention/whisper to her that it tastes different, shes says, oh, I heated it up. Why? I ask, knowing she had to make it hot to dissolve the ground up medicine. Because its better not to drink cold liquids. This is actually a legit fear of Russians to drink cold liquids, annoying, but I know she was grinding them up because I found this smashing thing and packets for meds in the kitchen. Not such a good health criminal my mom.... ;) Shes the best, and has been calling me moya rodnaya, which I guess kind of translates as my own? idk how to translate it, makes total sense in Russian, but its really sweet, and cute.
Anyways, I know I have not posted in well, a long while, but I am currently laid up, so I can post away now.
I went to Saint Petersburg for the second time last weekend and it was AMAZING. I had my 21st birthday party, inconjuction with Misha's 22nd birthday. My fantastic friend Hana, who I went to immersion school with 2 years ago, came all the way from Moscow for me! We met up at the hostel, all the Oles from Novgorod came up with me, and then we grabbed some Asian food for dinner while Jim, who studies in Novgorod too, and his friends Irene and Emma ran errands. Then we went to the produkty, got some drinks, and headed back to the hostel to prepare for the evenings festivities.
We then went out to Dumskaya Street, a place of infamy where you go to really celebrate on the cheap in Piter. And that we did. Among other things I had half a bottle of champagne on the street, and a new kind of shot called the sobaka, or dog (though I think they might be elluding to the word bitch, as it give quite the kick) I will divulge the ingredients when I return. I danced all night, in three inch heels--the Russian way. My friend Jill, who is living in Piter, disappeared off to somewhere else part way through the night, but her good friend Giulia made the night a blast. It was SO nice to celebrate my birthday with Hana and my Oles. Misha fortunately agreed to take the metro with me back to the hostel that night when the alcohol wore off and I realized how BADLY my feet hurt. We got back around 7am I think and didnt leave the hostel until 1 or 2 in the afternoon.
After I recovered, we went to the Russian Art Museum, which was great, but we had to do the quick and dirty version of. Which was refreshing, because I HATE getting museum back. You know when you walk really slow and stall here and there for 4 hours and you feel like your knees are gone and your vetrebrae are actually stacking on top of each other like Lincoln Logs??? Torture. But the Modern wing was closed, so that was a bummer. Then I went and bought a bunch of gifts at the market near Church of the Spilled Blood. NOT my favorite place, but the market is awesome!
We went out for awesome Georgian food that night, and although they kind of forgot my order it was a great time and the food was AMAZING. If you ever have the opportunity to have Georgian food, do it, its my absolute favorite. I had a lot of it in Sochi and Adler. I promise I will post my Moscow and Sochi pictures soon.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Anyways, Im exhausted. So off to bed for me and my heart wait no TONSIL problems.
Chmok Chmok,
TaanTaan
Fortunately I knew this unfortunate false cognate before my host-dad looked down my throat and said "Ooooo, angina. Yeah, you have angina."
Still, everytime they say it, I still think dammit I'm just 21 and I am going to have to have a stent put it and some beta blockers or something.
My host-mom, Mama Elena, the woman is a saint. She has been seriously worried at my decreased appetite. But honestly I can BARELY swallow! Not eating is a sign of death here I swear. I caught her cutting up leaves in my food again, like she tends to do when I am sick. Its like she thinks I go blind when I am sick? And I cant catch on to her turning her back to cut a leaf and then dropping it quickly into the bowl of soup she then sets in front of me? I even ASKED her well kind of signed since I lost my voice , did you put leaves in here? Noooo, you said you didnt like them didnt you? She answers, SHEEPISHLY. I say/sign/rattle/whisper, Well if they help me get better I'd eat them. Oh, really? Hmm. I swear she was almost rubbing her hands together like an evil scientist at that point! But seriously those leaves have magic powers, Im not slamming them as long as they help me get better.
ALSO, her new big thing, which Katie Udenberg finds hilarious, is to crush up medicine and put it in my juice. LIKE I CANT TELL ITS THERE. Seriously. So she comes in with a bottle of juice, and says It is hot, thats good for your throat. I nod, voiceless, she gave me hot juice with honey before which was awesome. So I set it on my desk and I open it up and it smells literally like rotting fruit. I frown, but trusting in her magical powers I pour some. I find that I CANNOT drink it unless I plug my nose, and it still tastes rancid. I swish some in my mouth, pure torture, and realize it tastes remarkably like the AWFUL angina, aka tonsillitis, meds she had me gargle with the other day. I roll my eyes. So I sign/mention/whisper to her that it tastes different, shes says, oh, I heated it up. Why? I ask, knowing she had to make it hot to dissolve the ground up medicine. Because its better not to drink cold liquids. This is actually a legit fear of Russians to drink cold liquids, annoying, but I know she was grinding them up because I found this smashing thing and packets for meds in the kitchen. Not such a good health criminal my mom.... ;) Shes the best, and has been calling me moya rodnaya, which I guess kind of translates as my own? idk how to translate it, makes total sense in Russian, but its really sweet, and cute.
Anyways, I know I have not posted in well, a long while, but I am currently laid up, so I can post away now.
I went to Saint Petersburg for the second time last weekend and it was AMAZING. I had my 21st birthday party, inconjuction with Misha's 22nd birthday. My fantastic friend Hana, who I went to immersion school with 2 years ago, came all the way from Moscow for me! We met up at the hostel, all the Oles from Novgorod came up with me, and then we grabbed some Asian food for dinner while Jim, who studies in Novgorod too, and his friends Irene and Emma ran errands. Then we went to the produkty, got some drinks, and headed back to the hostel to prepare for the evenings festivities.
We then went out to Dumskaya Street, a place of infamy where you go to really celebrate on the cheap in Piter. And that we did. Among other things I had half a bottle of champagne on the street, and a new kind of shot called the sobaka, or dog (though I think they might be elluding to the word bitch, as it give quite the kick) I will divulge the ingredients when I return. I danced all night, in three inch heels--the Russian way. My friend Jill, who is living in Piter, disappeared off to somewhere else part way through the night, but her good friend Giulia made the night a blast. It was SO nice to celebrate my birthday with Hana and my Oles. Misha fortunately agreed to take the metro with me back to the hostel that night when the alcohol wore off and I realized how BADLY my feet hurt. We got back around 7am I think and didnt leave the hostel until 1 or 2 in the afternoon.
After I recovered, we went to the Russian Art Museum, which was great, but we had to do the quick and dirty version of. Which was refreshing, because I HATE getting museum back. You know when you walk really slow and stall here and there for 4 hours and you feel like your knees are gone and your vetrebrae are actually stacking on top of each other like Lincoln Logs??? Torture. But the Modern wing was closed, so that was a bummer. Then I went and bought a bunch of gifts at the market near Church of the Spilled Blood. NOT my favorite place, but the market is awesome!
We went out for awesome Georgian food that night, and although they kind of forgot my order it was a great time and the food was AMAZING. If you ever have the opportunity to have Georgian food, do it, its my absolute favorite. I had a lot of it in Sochi and Adler. I promise I will post my Moscow and Sochi pictures soon.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Anyways, Im exhausted. So off to bed for me and my heart wait no TONSIL problems.
Chmok Chmok,
TaanTaan
Monday, September 27, 2010
More Pictures.
Due to a lot of grumbling, mainly from my mother and Steph, here is a link to my album of pictures on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=284725&id=565627999&l=b0268b7cef
Please let me know if it doesn't work correctly, if it does work, ENJOY! :D
Chmok Chmok,
TaanTaan
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=284725&id=565627999&l=b0268b7cef
Please let me know if it doesn't work correctly, if it does work, ENJOY! :D
Chmok Chmok,
TaanTaan
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A Lunch Date with Putin
First, I have expanded my list of things I miss: Coffee, my mom, free bathrooms (you know about those ones), I also really miss coffee TO-GO, this does not exist. And I miss American speedlimits, there are zero speed limits here, and SIDEWALKS. My Russian mama asked me what I missed, and I very emphatically said: Ya skuchaio po trabuaru!! I miss sidewalks!!! And she just cracked up.
I love making my host mom laugh. I say the weirdest things sometimes.
For example, she asked me about Barack Obama. "Do you like Barack Obama? Tell me what you think about him as a president and as a person." I explained that I do like him, I am not a fanatic, but I like him well enough. I also explained that I think he has/had a lot of potential, but he hasn't done enough to take advantage of his potential. I also said, I find him very interesting as a person, and would love to meet him. So then of course, I asked her about Putin, and she said a lot of stuff I did not understand a WORD of, but she did say that at times she is ashamed of him. But, she added, not as ashamed as she was of Yeltsin, which I told her was very understandable. (If you don't know why she would be ashamed of Yeltsin, read this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/341959.stm)
And then we talked about Putin for a while, and she told me that its difficult to live somewhere where the people are not expected to know or be a part of political affairs. I asked her about Medvedev and she said that she didn't dislike him, she likes him just fine, and that he's just a regular guy, there's not much to like OR dislike. Which I found FASCINATING, and totally true now that I think about it.
She asked me what I thought of Putin, and I told her, in complete honesty, that he scares me, but that I am absolutely intrigued by him.
"Why are you scared of him??" She said, starting to laugh.
This I could not explain well in Russia, so I said rather elementarily "He is strong, and cunning, and harpoons whales, and fly fishes, and judo fights, and rides horses and fights fires and he was in the KGB!"
She laughed again and nodded.
But I followed that up with "However, I would still love to have lunch with him someday."
"Does he know that??" She asked me.
I laughed loudly, and said, sheepishly "Nooo..."
She grinned and looked around the room, "Now he does!!" she said.
And my eyes just got reallllllllly big and I darted my eyes at the corner she had looked at with the vent in it.
Then we BOTH just laughed until we cried. Little did I know, all I had to do is say I wanted lunch with him out loud in Russia, and he'll know ;) God, my Russian mama is HILARIOUS. I am so lucky.
Also, gin and tonic in a CAN. SO SO SO SO SO good! And SO CHEAP. Like less then 2 dollars.
Anddddd even better than gin and tonic in a can? GIN AND GRAPEFRUIT in a can!!!
I'm never going back to America, this place rocks, I can survive a few sidewalks for this fantasy.
Kak Obyichna Chmok Chmok,
Vasha Taan Taan
I love making my host mom laugh. I say the weirdest things sometimes.
For example, she asked me about Barack Obama. "Do you like Barack Obama? Tell me what you think about him as a president and as a person." I explained that I do like him, I am not a fanatic, but I like him well enough. I also explained that I think he has/had a lot of potential, but he hasn't done enough to take advantage of his potential. I also said, I find him very interesting as a person, and would love to meet him. So then of course, I asked her about Putin, and she said a lot of stuff I did not understand a WORD of, but she did say that at times she is ashamed of him. But, she added, not as ashamed as she was of Yeltsin, which I told her was very understandable. (If you don't know why she would be ashamed of Yeltsin, read this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/341959.stm)
And then we talked about Putin for a while, and she told me that its difficult to live somewhere where the people are not expected to know or be a part of political affairs. I asked her about Medvedev and she said that she didn't dislike him, she likes him just fine, and that he's just a regular guy, there's not much to like OR dislike. Which I found FASCINATING, and totally true now that I think about it.
She asked me what I thought of Putin, and I told her, in complete honesty, that he scares me, but that I am absolutely intrigued by him.
"Why are you scared of him??" She said, starting to laugh.
This I could not explain well in Russia, so I said rather elementarily "He is strong, and cunning, and harpoons whales, and fly fishes, and judo fights, and rides horses and fights fires and he was in the KGB!"
She laughed again and nodded.
But I followed that up with "However, I would still love to have lunch with him someday."
"Does he know that??" She asked me.
I laughed loudly, and said, sheepishly "Nooo..."
She grinned and looked around the room, "Now he does!!" she said.
And my eyes just got reallllllllly big and I darted my eyes at the corner she had looked at with the vent in it.
Then we BOTH just laughed until we cried. Little did I know, all I had to do is say I wanted lunch with him out loud in Russia, and he'll know ;) God, my Russian mama is HILARIOUS. I am so lucky.
Also, gin and tonic in a CAN. SO SO SO SO SO good! And SO CHEAP. Like less then 2 dollars.
Anddddd even better than gin and tonic in a can? GIN AND GRAPEFRUIT in a can!!!
I'm never going back to America, this place rocks, I can survive a few sidewalks for this fantasy.
Kak Obyichna Chmok Chmok,
Vasha Taan Taan
Saturday, September 18, 2010
I did it! Pictures! Finally. With the painstaking speed of death.
Here are the pictures, long awaited, with bated breath I am sure, they appear small, but if you click on them they are gigantic so check them out.  |
| This is the incredibly pretty garden I found near Sarah's apartment. It is such a little haven, as residential areas in Novgorod can be unkempt. I wanted to sit in it and read immediately... but I guessed that would have been frowned upon. |
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| Remember the bells I told you about?? HERE THEY ARE!! Gorgeous right? |
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| Mishkas! My fav Russian junk food. OMG they are SO CUTE and delicious. They even have chocolate in them, and I like it so miracles can happen! |
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| Yeah yeah I know, just tip your head. THIS is one of the TOWERS on the KREMLIN WALL. WHAAAAAAAT?!?!?! YES I know hard to believe its reallll its so cool and so so so so old. |
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| Yep thats me kinda disheveled on a bench in a park in Russia! |
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| Yes. I ate a bacon flavored snack. It tasted like bacon. So of course, I was not wild about these "BEKON" snackz. |
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| A church at the wooden architecture museum! Super neato right? Thats what my future home is going to look like. |
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| Ok so work with me and tip your head because I suck at rotating things. THIS IS THE COOLEST MONUMENT EVER. Ok so its the 1000 years of Russia monument. It has 3 tiers. On top is the angel blessing...Mary I think? Then the second tier down has the great rulers of Russia/Novgorod. The archbishop and tsars and Rurik the first prince of Novgorod etc Then the third tier is all statesmen, clergy, rulers, and writers/artists. ITS SO COOL. More pictures of this will come. There are 129 figures on it total. SO COOL!!!! |
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| My room after my first night sleeping. Those are my adorable bee sheets which are SO comfy. And cheering. I forgot to take a picture of the rest of the room. Well, those are the pictures I have the patience to put up. It takes about 5 mins to upload each one and I am sleepy. Getting up tomorrow for a Skype date with my REAL MOM!!!!!! Unfortunately I have to rise at 630 am, but I'll do anything for that special lady. Enjoy the pics, I'll report back soon with tales of my NEW RUSSIAN FRIENDS! :))) Chmok Chmok Taan Taan |
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
COFFEE!
I HAD REAL NON-INSTANT COFFEE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had two mugs of coffee at Lindsay's house, and it was SO GOOD. So everyone sing the praises of Lindsay for being a true friend and getting me super hopped up on caffiene.
ALSO, today we planned our vacation in October to Moscow and SOCHI! Yes Sochi, here is an example of how BEAUTIFUL and WONDERFUL and WARM it is there. They call it the Russian Riviera. Doesn't get better than that. We will be in Moscow for 5 days, take the two day train to Sochi, and stay for 7 days!
Pictures this week I SWEAR.
Chmok Chmok,
Taan Taan
I had two mugs of coffee at Lindsay's house, and it was SO GOOD. So everyone sing the praises of Lindsay for being a true friend and getting me super hopped up on caffiene.
ALSO, today we planned our vacation in October to Moscow and SOCHI! Yes Sochi, here is an example of how BEAUTIFUL and WONDERFUL and WARM it is there. They call it the Russian Riviera. Doesn't get better than that. We will be in Moscow for 5 days, take the two day train to Sochi, and stay for 7 days!
Pictures this week I SWEAR.
Chmok Chmok,
Taan Taan
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Belini, Beer, the Black Continent Cafe, and Pushkin: Finding the High Life in Russia
So I have failed to write for like over a week, but let that be a testament to the BLASTY blast I have been having.
Ok Belini, I think I did a run down on these earlier but let me restate, they are the light of my life. I mentioned to my mom how much I freaking LOVE cheese. (Russians ALL eat watermelon like its injected with crack or MSG or something) So I told her, I eat cheese, like Russians eat watermelon. And her eyes got REAL big and she was like That is a lot. Following this, she now finds me all kinds of cheese to put on anything and I am in hog heaven. Russian cheese is probably the only thing I will love almost as much as Wisconsin cheese. Holy jeez its good. OK so today I was dying ill. I woke up late, with a migraine, and a cold. She took one look at me and started bustling about, calling my profs telling them I wouldn't be in and pour hot tea berry currant honey mixture down my throat and WATCHING me take medicine to be sure I did it. I slept for a total of 16 hours today, and when I woke she specially made me my favorite soup: shi. And CHEESE FILLED BELINI. I felt a lot better. And of course had more tea juice honey.
Let's go over another favorite of mine as a Russian foodie: Smetana, SOUR CREAM. Do you ever feel your food is missing something? How about adding sour cream? It will always make it better. Veggies in a bowl? Add and its a SALAT. Cabbage soup? Add and its the greatest bowl of soup in your life! Potatoes and mushrooms? Slather, and TADA sauce. Smetana makes my world go round and I dont care what people say I am going to put it all over everything. See my Russian Mama just came and asked me if I wanted chicken with pasta or rice, I said pasta because I know I am going to throw some smetana on that and be happy as a clam. Who knew doing a dollop of Daisy was REALLY a good idea all along.
Piva, beer, is so ridiculously cheap and always amazingly delicious. All single 16 oz cans of beer are around a dollar. I am as always a HUGE fan of Baltika, and highly recommend it. Not only does it come in varying degrees of alcohol percentage. it is always delicious. I am a fan of Baltika Sem, 7. You should allll go to your specialty liquor store and try it. Unless you live in the Cities in which case go to Kramurczurks and get it there with some delicious Ukrainian food. Also tried a white Russian beer, very very good, even Lydia, who is no fan of beer, likes it. Also Hoegaarden is a fav of Lindsay and I, which is def available in the US. Lydia had a "Fresh Lemon" beer from a company named "Gold Mine" in Moskva, Moscow, and she didnt mind it but I definitely felt like I was sipping a liquid Halls-Honey-Cough-Drop-Beer. There was something funky going on there, so I dont recommend that until we see if anything happens to Lydia for drinking it ;)
Our new favorite haunt is Chyornyi Kontinyent, Black Continent, which is a diamond in the rough here in Russia. (Yes it is called Black Continent....) First let me explain: THERE IS NO absolutely ZERO drip coffee in Russia. And it might kill me. Fortunately we found out MacDonalds of all places has drip coffee so who knew, I might be needing to hit that place up. Sad but true. I have vices and coffee is one of them. Chyornyi Kontinyent, has espresso at least in varying forms of addicting. I had a Baileys concoction which is delish, but expensive around 5 or 6 bucks for a smallish glass. There is Arabic coffee which is espresso with caramel, and Russian, which is espresso with chocolate, and some other kind with has spices and a pepper kernel in it that is good, all for around a buck or 1.50. They also have tasty belini, my addiction, for 2-4 dollars. Its got great atmosphere, other than the weird sports channel. So if you are ever in Novgorod dying for a moment of coffee shop splendour go to Chyornyi Kontinyent.
Classes are boring boring, except for Literature with Marina Anatolyevna who is the most powerful intimidating woman I have ever met. She is broad shouldered and a little bigger, but its pure muscle I SWEAR and I think, as I told Stephanie, that she is secretly running Russia. GOD love her. So she has us reading Pushkin, The Queen of Spades, which you all must read. I read it in English once, but reading it in Russian is like, THIS is what I wanted to do. READ PUSHKIN in RUSSIA. Its incredibly hard, but the reason Pushkin is like the Demigod of Russia is because he was the first writer to actually write in RUSSIAN not highfalutin bullshit. And he wrote about real life things, granted these were 1800s real life things, but still! So I think every one was just like FINALLY when he started publishing, and he really is a master. So I must go attend to that translating business. But definitely go and check out ANY Pushkin. Or Blok who is my favyfav of all Russian writers.
I am going to leave you with one last story. Andrew and I went to Cafe Le Chocolat, which is over by the hotel because its like the expensive coffee shop where all the rich tourist go, but we went in to have coffee and SUSHI. And they totally gave us the Russian menu. WE were MISTAKEN for RUSSIANS. It was the best, and we were very very happy. So I officially look like a Novgorodka, a girl from Novgorod, anddd I am still living it up. I miss you all, but I don't miss America one bit.
PICTURES this week I promise.
Chmok Chmok,
Taan Taan
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