Privet

Birthday and winter cooking

2011-12-06T07:19:00.001-08:00

On my birthday we made homemade sushi. Zhenya also baked a delicious cake! The day also marked six months of being married! We celebrated with Yulia and Rafik, and they gave me a very thoughtfully created collage of photos from our wedding with an original poem composed for us by Yulia. What a lovely gift! By the way, this was the first time we had made sushi at home, and I only cut the rolls. Zhenya did all the rest. She also made the balloon flower! :)

First Days of December

Zhenya is making "vareniki", a half-round Russian dumpling. In this case we are filling them with mashed potatoes and onion. Other fillings include mushrooms, cabbage, and, if you like them sweeter, cottage cheese (more like ricotta).

The filling stage.

Ready for boiling.

Macintosh waited patiently for a dumpling. He got one or two eventually, after we had eaten all we could. People usually eat these with sour cream or melted butter.

Our view out the kitchen window. On Saturdays there's usually a lot of fisherman out on the lake, but this day was a record so far. Are there any fish left?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Thinking of everyone in the USA today! I'm thankful for so many things this year, but most of all for finding my wonderful wife Zhenya and the happy first six months we've spent together. Today the weather was clear and cold, and we went for a walk to the center of little Berdsk to visit the Orthodox cathedral. Zhenya had been here before, but I hadn't. Then we went home to cook dinner. I was in the mood to do something in honor of Thanksgiving, so we roasted a chicken and made fresh cranberry sauce.

Family dinner

2011-11-24T09:02:00.001-08:00

We invited two of Zhenya's sisters with their husbands and family, and Zhenya's mom for dinner on the 11th of November. We cooked a stuffed pork roll with prunes and pine nuts, plus salads. Then we went to Yulia and Rafik's home for dessert.

November days

2011-11-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

Hi! Zhenya and I have been living in Berdsk since the end of September and we are enjoying the view of "Berdsk Bay" from our kitchen. Here's a progression of photos that show how the Bay froze over, in just a few days. And the fisherman we're out on the ice the first day that it was completely frozen over, although the ice was probably not even an inch think!

Wedding - professional photos

2011-06-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, the previous entry wasn't the last set of photos! We just got back the professional ones yesterday and I'm going to add a whole bunch here without comments. The photographer, Sergey, is friends with many of the wedding guests, including Zhenya's brother (they attend the same church). And yesterday we found out that our wedding rings were made by his brother, Mikhail! We had our rings made in April and found the jeweler just by searching the internet. Zhenya and I had both felt there was something very familiar about him, but we never suspected that he and Sergey are brothers. I haven't posted photos of the rings, so here are two close-ups I took in April.

The rings are identical, made of white gold, and have our initials engraved on the inside with both Cyrillic (Russian) and Latin (English) letters. We got the design idea from the Shane Company website, and gave Mikhail a photograph to use for hand-making the rings.

Sergey appeared in previous blog entries, but here's a photo of him with Raquel on the river cruise. Photography is actually just his hobby. Teaching painting classes is his main job. Talented family!

Here are the photos!

Wedding - river cruise Part Two

2011-06-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

The last set of photos!

At 5pm, we sailed off on the Ob River downstream to an island about one hour away. Joining us were: Zhenya's mom Olga, sisters Lena and Yulia, brother Sergey, Lena's husband Dima and her daughters Nastya and Olesya, Sergey's wife Irina (married in December), Yulia's husband Rafik (married in May), nephew Bogdan and niece Veronika (their parents weren't able to come),

Carson, Nastya and Olesya's dad Sasha, and friends: Timur and his wife Tanya (who gave birth to a son yesterday, June 16) and Tanya's mother; Maxim and his wife Masha; our Brazilian friends Tiberio, Erico (who flew in from India), and Raquel; Katya, a friend from Zhenya's church in Iskitim, and photographer and friend Sergey.

above left:

(l to r) Masha, Maxim, Lena, Dima, Irina, Raquel

above right:

(l to r) Irina, Raquel, Timur, Tanya, Erico, Tiberio, Nastya, Olesya, Tanya's mom

above left:

(l to r) Carson, Masha, Tanya's mom, Veronika, Bogdan, Nastya, Olesya, Dima

above right:

Rafik (Rafael) and Yulia

above left:

taking off shoes and stockings

above right:

Maxim and I helping Zhenya down the gangway

above left:

(l to r) Olesya, Veronika, Katya, Nastya, Zhenya's mom

above right:

taking a tour of the beach

above left:

Zhenya's mom and oldest sister Lena

above right:

Maxim and Rafik putting shashlik (pork kebabs) on skewers

above left:

posing with Veronika

above right:

our beach "honeymoon"!

above left:

Rafik setting down the grilled meat. Everyone was hungry!

above right:

Carson warning my new relatives about me?

above left:

Zhenya pretending to cook

above right:

almost the whole group

above left:

(l to r) Rafik and Yulia, Zhenya and me, Sasha, Sergey (Zhenya's brother) and Irina

above right:

sailing back to the city at sunset

Wedding - river cruise Part One

2011-06-11T20:15:00.001-07:00

Zhenya's brother and oldest sister,

Sergey and Lena

Brother-in-law Dima

(Lena's husband)

Wedding - photo shoot

2011-06-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's a tradition here to do a photo shoot after the wedding ceremony at memorable or scenic places in the city. At the most popular spots there is often a line of cars, decorated with balloons and ribbons, waiting in line as each couple takes their turn taking photographs. We chose one location, the large research library not from from the river. There is a beautiful new fountain in front which we saw the previous week, and also a horse and golden carriage available for photographs. We decided this would be the perfect spot.

Wedding - reception

2011-06-10T18:01:00.001-07:00

Zhenya and I with our nieces and nephew:

(l to r) Veronika, Nastya, Olesya, Bogdan

The beautiful flowers were given by my parents.

Cake!

Carson and Elena ("Helen"), a retired English teacher.

Brothers and wives

(l to r) Ira (Zhenya's sister-in-law), Sergey (Zhenya's brother), Zhenya, me, Carson

Wedding - ceremony

2011-06-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

We're still getting pictures from everyone, and the professional photos won't be ready for several weeks. But here's a few snapshots from the wedding ceremony.

Yes, the ring goes on the right hand!

Marching out to Mendelssohn.

Zhenya's bouquet is way more beautiful than mine, but I was still happy to get one.

Everyone went outside while the hall got rearranged for the reception. We were blessed with good weather: it had been pouring rain only two hours before!

Carson, me and Zhenya. I'm trying hard to keep Zhenya's lovely dress from dragging on the ground!

Wedding - the bride gets ready!

2011-06-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

Zhenya and her sister Yulia arrived at the hair salon at 8:15am.

By 10am, Zhenya was having her makeup done.

11:15am. Zhenya is done and waiting for a ride to the church. I love this photo. I had no idea such a gorgeous model was on her way to marry me! The hair and makeup together cost $100, but looks like she spent a $1000.

Checking out the flowers while I was being taken back to my apartment to pick up Carson and food and beverages for the reception. Mom looks proud of her daughter!

Zhenya, Rafik (brother-in-law), Veronika (niece), and Zhenya's mom in the pastor's office just before the wedding began.

Carson's visit Part Two

2011-06-09T18:35:00.001-07:00

Friday, June 03

Buying produce for the wedding reception at a wholesale market where people from all over Central Asia sell fruit and vegetables directly from the trucks. Here two girls are desperate to unload their last boxes, practicing their bargaining skills and offering us big discounts. Timur (in camo pants) drove us all over town that day, and we finished late in the evening, exhausted.

An Armenian woman showing us the cakes we ordered for the river cruise.

The wedding cake being weighed by the baker herself in her apartment. The cake was one of the most delicious wedding cakes I've ever tasted. The woman is an acquaintance of Rafik's (my new brother-in-law) mother.

Carson loaded down with fruit in Timur's car!

June 05

The day after the wedding

Carson spent the night with Rafik and Yulia (Zhenya's sister), who got married May 14th. They are temporarily living with Rafik's parents at the church where Rafik is studying and serving as pastor-in-training. Carson enjoyed the pastries baked by Rafik's mother, Danara. Zhenya's sister Yulia is on the left.

Zhenya and I came to take Carson to the airport and say good-bye :(

(l to r): Danara (Rafik's mother), Rafik, Zhenya, me, Carson

Carson's visit

2011-06-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

June 01

Novosibirsk tour day

Carson arrived early in the morning by plane after a very long journey. We napped a few hours and headed downtown.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

After the tour of the city and a lunch at my favorite 'pel'meni' (steamed dumplings) place, Carson and I enjoyed a night at the opera (well, actually it was a ballet).

June 02

trip to the village Ognyova Zaimka

Carson and I got up early to take the train out to the country. Zhenya met us along the way, boarding the train in her home town of Iskitim. What a fun way to introduce my brother to his future sister-in-law!

We were met in Ognyova Zaimka by my good friend Slava, and on our our way to his house, we stopped to chat with Tamara Ivanovna, a poet and best gardener in the village. In the photo on the right, Carson is sharing his family photos.

Slava prepared his delicious signature soup for us made from homegrown potatoes, onions, garlic, rhubarb, and fresh wild greens growing "right under our feet." And no celebration with Slava is complete without a few bottles of champagne!

After lunch, Carson, Zhenya and I headed out on a walk to enjoy the sweet spring country air. We carefully crossed a stream on a log, and climbed up a grassy slope to a dirt road heading out past the village cemetery and into a beautiful birch forest.

Back from our walk, we gathered our stuff and walked to catch the three o'clock local bus, which would take us back to the train station. We bought ice cream at the small village store and waited in the sunshine for the bus. The bus didn't come. Slava, knowing that the last bus along the main highway would pass by at 3:40, suggested we start walking quickly. It was 3:30 and we were 2km from the highway. Feeling desperate, we hitched a ride from a local guy who was chopping wood in his front yard. We hopped into his car, and raced along the road to the highway. As we approached the road, Carson noticed the long blue roof of a bus pass by. We were too late. Slava immediately put out his thumb and fortunately the next car coming along the highway stopped to pick us up. We flew along the road, arriving at the train station a half hour later with only a few minutes to spare. I ran ahead to buy tickets, and we boarded the train together, breathing a sigh of relief!

Married!

2011-05-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Zhenya and I were married today in a civil ceremony downtown Novosibirsk. Joining us were Zhenya's sister Yulia (taking the pictures), Yulia's husband Rafik, and our friends Timur and Tanya. Our main wedding ceremony will take place at our church next Saturday.

Winter fun

2011-01-19T18:52:00.001-08:00

Jan 19, "Baptism of Our Lord" (or Epiphany) celebrated in the Orthodox Church. This is the day Russians traditionally go bathing in an ice-hole. Here, people are lined up to receive holy water blessed by Orthodox priests. People bring their own bottles from home, get them filled up, and then drink it little by little throughout the year. A teaspoon a day keeps the doctor away!

A nice part of my walk home from church.

Me and Frozen Buddha! I heard this one got first prize in the contest.

My second favorite.

Cold fusion?

Novoshmakovo

2010-07-03T10:14:00.001-07:00

A few photos from Novoshmakovo, Russia - Novosibirsk Oblast (region)

I'm back

2010-07-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Back on here after a year and a half! It took a few days on my bike in the country to inspire me to take some photos and post them here. For anyone who uses Google Earth, the photos are from the villages Ogneva-Zaimka (Lat 54.29, Lon 83.74) and Novoshmakovo (Lat 54.24, Lon 83.69).

These are taken at Slava's house in Ognyova Zaimka. The one photo of me is with his neighbor, Ivan Pavlovich. Slava also took a video of me cutting the grass with a Russian scythe. I'll post that later if the file size isn't too big.

2008-12-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Decorating for Christmas!!

Dashing through the snow...

2008-12-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

on a one-horse open sleigh! Down the road we go, filming all the way....

Ice carving at night

2008-12-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

Preparations are underway all over the city for the New Year. Big "Christmas" trees are being set up and decorated, oversized Father Frost and his neice the Snow Maiden now stand vigil in various parks and plazas, and best of all, artists are at work sculpting fantastical creations from ice and snow. I passed by the public research library tonight and saw one man working alone in -13C (8F) weather. Click on the short video clip to watch and listen to him carving the ice! I love to look out the window in the morning and see snow falling! It's beautiful to watch, and it also means the temparature has warmed up enough for it to snow! Growing up in Washington, we always hoped for the opposite: that the temperature would drop enough for the rain to become snow. Tomorrow I'm heading out to the village I visited in the beginning of October, which is about three hours from Novosibirsk.

I have only one more week of Russian classes. Here's the view from my classroom today.

Christmas is coming!

2008-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

I bought a Christmas tree two days ago! I'm going to decorate it more, but I wanted to get it up early to enjoy the festive atmosphere and the pine smell! I'll be celebrating here with friends, and then I'm heading back to the U.S. in January. Erico is leaving Novosibirsk tonight, and some friends came by to say good-bye. Outside, the sidewalks are covered by an inch of lumpy ice, and you have to step very carefully! I hope you're all enjoying the Christmas season!

Birch bark museum

2008-12-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

On Monday, the first day of December, real winter arrived. In 24 hours, the temperature fell more than 35 degrees fahrenheit. Tuesday was the coldest day, reaching -18F overnight. The cold isn't really that bad, and when the sky is clear and sunny like today, it's quite beautiful.

Two girls studying at NSTU have been observing our Russian classes the past two weeks for training and practice. They took us on a trip to the museum of birch-bark art and handicrafts today in the historical part of the city center.

outside the museum - house was built in 1917! (l to r) Yana (from China), Maria (Russia), me, Birgit (visiting from Germany)

(l to r) Eva, Yana, Maria, Svetlana (Russia), Fabio (Brazil), me, SanChul (South Korea)

My birthday

2008-12-04T10:32:00.001-08:00

I celebrated my birthday last Friday with my study group during the last hour of class (Russian language). Then we went to the ballet in the evening. In the pictures: Eva (Holland), Rachel (Brazil), Alina (Russia), Leandro (Brazil), DongChul (South Korea), Irina (Russia - one of our teachers)

Sunday dinner

2008-11-19T03:49:00.000-08:00

Hi! I don't know who's still reading this blog, but sorry for the lack of updates. Winter arrived a week or so ago. Snow fell for a few days, but only a few inches. It won't melt until spring. I cooked dinner with some friends on Sunday. Here's a short video from my point of view. Timur and his wife Tanya are on the left. Eric and Stephen (at the computer) are students from Ghana. Next is Olya, from Novosibirsk. Erico is my flatmate, and Prince is also a familiar face, also from Ghana.

Apologies to Erico for posting this picture :)

Lake Baikal

2008-10-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a short trip to Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake and perhaps Russia's most unique and beautiful natural place. The lake is almost 400 miles long, 30-40 miles wide, over 5000ft deep, and hold's about 20% of the world's freshwater! Irkutsk is the closest major city, about 35 miles from the outlet of the lake. There, where the Angara river flows out of Baikal, is a small settlement called Listvyanka, where we rented rooms for two days from the locals. The tourist season is over, but we saw a few foreigners walking around. The Trans-Siberian railroad passes along the opposite shore. Getting to Irkutsk from Novosibirsk by train takes 30 hours, and I made the trip with Eva, my friend from Russian language class. We were very fortunate to have perfectly sunny fall weather the entire time! The birch trees had lost all their leaves, but the larches were like golden brushstrokes on the hillsides.

Golden Autumn

2008-10-04T19:54:00.001-07:00

Fall barbeque

2008-09-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday at the Ob reservoir (Ob Sea).

Why I bought a bicycle

2008-09-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

For months I've been wanting to take the local train out of the city an hour or two, and go cycling in the countryside. I finally made it out there today, and the weather was perfect. I went with Eva, a student from Holland who is in my Russian class at the university. The Dutch are born cyclists, and she was excited about spending the day on bikes. We took the "elektrichka" to Berdsk, about an hour away from Novosibirsk, borrowed a bike from Eva's "host family" there, and hit the road south along the Ob reservoir. We made a loop back inland, cutting through beautiful fields and birch groves on quiet dirt farm roads. Many fields were uncultivated, but we did ride through one big wheat field and another one planted with buckwheat (grechka). The buckwheat field is the one with the little white flowers. Although we had a good map, at one point we mistakenly went down a long dead-end road, and ended up at a lovely little lake, and a community of dachas (or village?) It was a peaceful, beautiful spot. No sound of traffic, or planes overhead. The air was clean and smelled like fall. A breeze rustled the birch leaves overhead as several women worked quietly in their gardens. One man waited for a ride at the end-of-the-road bus stop, and across the lake another man was casting his line in the water.

Botanical Gardens

2008-08-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the weather was much better. I went with Olya (from the Lutheran church) out to Akademgorodok to see the botanical gardens. The gardens themselves are not very big, but they're surrounded by forest and not far from the Ob reservoir. There are paths everywhere through the woods, the air is fresh and smells of pine trees and wildflowers. The people in Akademgorodok seem different than in the city. There's more of an academic and cultural atmosphere there. It's a great place for a Sunday afternoon walk) I was a little cold in my short-sleeve shirt, but Olya looks overdressed! Maybe she was getting a cold. Fall is definitely coming, or you could say already here. Trees are still green, but it's not unusual in Siberia to have snow falling on green leaves....

Mud

2008-08-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Not a lot has been going on here this month. Hard to believe almost a month has passed since I returned to Novosibirsk. I've been working a lot, and doing a lot of cleaning in my apartment, and also hanging out with friends, but no major excursions. The weather has started cooling off, and it feels like fall already. On Saturday I went out on my bike, hoping to get out of town and see some countryside. It started sprinkling slightly when I stepped outside but it wasn't really cold. I had noticed that my handlebar was a little loose on the past few rides, but it wasn't anything really to worry about, just had to rotate it to keep the brakes and shifters pointed in a comfortable position. After 20 minutes I was approacing the edge of town, and the handlebar was steadily loosening and now shifting to the left out of place. I stopped to push it back in place where it would fit tightly, but what I really needed was an allen wrench. Since I was just getting warmed up, I wasn't about to turn around home. I was determined to see some open fields, spreading out across the vastness of Siberia. After another 20 minutes, I reached a traffic roundabout, where two highways headed out, one to the south and the other to the west. On the highway heading south was a large sign that read, "Happy Journey!" (in Russian of course). And between the two highways was a huge open field, and birds circling high in the sky above. In the middle of the traffic circle was a small park and a large Soviet-era rocket-like monument. The clouds were darkening, and the wind picking up. My handlebar was quite wobbly by now, so I crosed over to the monument, laid the bike down and tried to stomp the handlebar back in place. I made it only worse. At that moment it began to hail. I put on my helmet because the hail was nailing me pretty bad, and I walked the bike over to a gas station and got under cover. The hail didn't let up for at least 5 minutes, and then it just turned to rain. It got a lot colder, too. I asked a gas station attendant if he had the "thing" which I need to fix (pointing to the handlbar). He said no, and that I am really (something I didn't catch) to be riding on my bike in this weather. I smiled. I was ready to head home now. That's when I got my camera out and took some pictures. Wet and cold, I got back on the bike, gripped the handlebar stem with my left hand to keep the handlbar steady, and steered and braked with my right hand. That worked pretty good, though I was freezing and my arms were shaking. To top things off, the road was now pretty much covered in mud thanks to the rain and hail. I don't have fenders on my bike (because I don't think they look cool) and the tires were spraying mud on me, front and back. The roads are very bumpy and we all know water likes to fill holes. I happened to be passing one fairly large dip, filled with muddy water, right at the moment when a car sped past me. The dirty wave hit me from behind, soaking me head to toe. I could feel the water draining out of my helmet.... Then the rain stopped and the sun started to come out. I made it home without further incident.

Total Solar Eclipse

2008-08-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm back in Novosibirsk after a month at home in the U.S. I arrived Friday morning, and in the evening witnessed an incredible solar eclipse! We watched it from the 17th floor balcony of my building. In the first picture, you can see how the clouds on the horizon got dark while the city was still in sunlight. Then it quickly became completely dark, and we heard cheering from all over the city! Cameras were flashing everywhere, traffic stopped, and some people shot off fireworks. After two minutes or so, the distant clouds started getting light again like a sunrise (third picture). And soon it was all over.

I didn't realize I could put video on the blog until now, but I'll start uploading videos more often. You'll be able to hear sounds and voices now! In this 40-second video you hear Zhenya and me talking in Russian.

Edge of town

2008-06-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I took the bus out to where Zhenya lives, on the east edge of Novosibirsk. It's close to a river and a small ski area, and forest all around. The weather was warm and sunny, and we found wildlfowers blooming. The river in the picture is a tributary of the Ob. Condo projects, like the one here, are being built all over the city.

2008-05-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the tourist lodge. The river is called the Katun.

Altai

2008-05-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! I took a 3-day trip to the Republic of Altai last weekend. It's a mountainous self-governing region of Russia, about 7 hours from Novosibirsk. It borders Kazakhstan and China. Tourists come here for hiking, horseback riding, and whitewater rafting. Enjoy the pics!

Shashlik II

2008-05-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Fewer people showed up on Saturday than expected, so we had a lot of meat left over. I invited Yevgeniy and Olya (from the Lutheran church) to grill shashlik this evening on the 17th floor balcony. Prince and Patrick (students from Ghana) came too. It was cool and windy, but all in all not a bad spot for a barbeque!

Shashlik

2008-05-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

We had a barbeque on Saturday. :))

Victory (in Europe) Day!!

2008-05-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

On the 9th of May, Russians celebrate the victory in 1945 over the Fascists. Tanks and missles didn't rumble through Novosibirsk like they did in Moscow, but there were a few parked army vehicles for kids to climb on. There were also quite a few retired officers whose coats were barely large enough to hold all of the medals and decorations! And of course lots and lots of people gathered in the city center to enjoy the parade and all-day-long music.

On the top of the opera theater, all day was flying the flag of the former USSR!

Past two weeks

2008-05-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

We had snow on April 30th, and this past weekend it was around 80F.

Timur's wedding

2008-05-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

Timur is a friend I met at the Lutheran church. He got married yesterday and I helped accompany the hymns. It was in all respects just like a wedding in the U.S.
Two young girls scattered rose petals as the wedding party entered.
(l to r) Pastor Gennadi Ivanovich, Ksenia, me, pastor Slava, Yevgeniy (all except Ksenia are from the Lutheran church)
The musicians: Ksenia, me.
Family photo
Timur and Tatiana arriving at the reception, which was held in the basement. Women from the Lutheran church arrived at 9am to prepare all the food. That will sound familiar to some of you reading this blog! :)

Easter weekend (again)

2008-04-28T19:19:00.001-07:00

Sunday was Russian Orthodox Easter. I went to the zoo on Saturday, and stopped by the main church on my way home in the evening. People we're gathering for the Easter vigil which started at midnight. It's a tradition to bring colored eggs and a special sweet bread to the church the day before Easter, to be sanctified by priests. I wanted to see the service, but it ends around 3am, and those without a car have to hang around church until dawn, or try to find a taxi.

Amur (Siberian) tiger. The Novosibirsk zoo has a lot of animals, but the space for each is neither very large nor natural. The animals seem kind of depressed, but well taken care of and the forest setting is nice (for animals and visitors alike). They have bears, lions, tigers, other wild cats, monkeys, birds, etc. Pretty much everything except elephants and giraffes.
I thought white tigers were a breed of their own, but it's a genetic trait which can occur in several of the tiger sub-species. They are intentionally bred, however, because they are popular at zoos. He (she?) looked so beautiful surrounded by birch trees - perfect camouflage!

recent pics

2008-04-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

I just unloaded pictures from my camera, some are several weeks old already. Since I haven't been posting much lately, I'm just going to post what I have. To start, here's a few pics of some of my friends who come by regularly. We have a group of guests about twice a week in the evening. I think they've all appeared in earlier posts, except for Anith (from India), who I met a few weeks ago.
Russian "Monopoly"
Me, Anith, Vanya, Katya, Sasha
Apartment entry
Vanya, Natasha, Katya
posing with fish at the zoo

late snow

2008-04-05T18:39:00.001-07:00

It snowed yesterday morning. I took a picture (from my balcony) because it's the first time here I saw big flakes like this, and it's also already unusual to see snow. It didn't stick. We've had a few weeks of fairly warm weather, and most of the snow has melted. There's mud everywhere, and litter tossed into the snow during the winter has now re-appeared. It's the ugliest time of year in Russia right now, but the city will get a good scrubbing in May, and flowers will be out, and trees budding.... :)

Banya

2008-03-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

Ah, the banya! It cleanses body and soul.....

For Patrick and me, it was our first venture into this centuries-old Russian ritual. There are public banyas and private ones. The best, I'm told, are simple ones out in the country: in the forest, or perhaps by a lake. Katya lives with her parents in a part of Novosibirsk where people live in private homes (single-family). In such neighborhoods you can feel like you're in a village because there are many small, old, traditional wooden houses. Katya's parents built a banya behind their house, and she often invites her friends over to use it. The basic idea is very hot steam. And getting beaten with birch branches. You sit for 30 minutes or more, and emerge, in principle, a new person.
I would have taken pictures inside the banya, but I was afraid the camera wouldn't like the steam. Katya and her friends went in after us, and then we all sat around awhile in the house, eating blini.

Slava's birthday

2008-03-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Slava's 55th
birthday on
Tuesday.

Sitting around
this table you
fill both stomach
and soul. And
you walk away
more drunk
on life than
on vodka:)

Erico's birthday

2008-03-17T19:16:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Erico's 20th birthday tonight. Tiberio, his wife Masha, and their son David were here, and also Leandro and Erico's friend Anya.

Papa Tiberio (moved to Russia
from Brazil 6 years ago)

David (7 or 8 months old)

Singing a happy birthday
song in Portugese

The rest of the weekend

2008-03-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday night some friends invited me to a sports center which has an indoor rock climbing wall. It had been 15 years since I tried rock climbing the last time, but it all came back to me right away: fear of heights, cramped fingers, sore arms, shaking feet (but despite all that, a lot of fun).

That's me near the top.

Today I played viola at a center for children being treated for tuberculosis. The younger pastor from the church drove us out there (just beyond the edge of the city) to a quiet, beautiful location in a forest birch & pine trees.
We took a load of donated clothes & toys with us, and I played some Bach & Beethoven for 10-15 minutes. Next time I should bring some more up-beat music, more interesting for kids; it was hard to find suitable music. They were a very good audience, though.

Lunch club

2008-03-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

We've started a weekend culinary tradition: me, Valeria, and Tanya (Valeria in black, Tanya in blue). It started a few weeks ago when I cooked chili con carne. This Saturday Tanya and Valeria showed me how to make Russian fish soup. We also ate grechka (buckwheat groats) with pork schnitzel. While the food cooked, we opened a bottle of Argentinian wine and I showed them how to play Carcassone. Lunch was delicious!

Tanya's photo --->

lasagna

2008-03-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

We made lasagna for a dozen friends this evening. Erico and Leandro (new arrival from Brazil) helped me cook. Most everyone are students, some of them my friends (from snowboarding trip) and some are Erico's friends. I didn't think to take a picture of the lasagna, but you can see by the empty plates that it turned out well! I didn't get in any of the pictures either... The last two pictures are of Erico and Leandro (they're eating caviar). They didn't know each other previously.

Red Delicious

2008-03-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

What a surprise this morning to find WA state apples in the grocery store!
A little bit of home right here in Siberia!

Spring coming

2008-03-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Everyone here considers March 1st the first day of spring, not the 21st or 22nd. Regardless of the offical day, winter has started to break. Today in the sun the streets were wet and the snow banks slushy. I rode the streetcar to IKEA this afternoon and walked around the 4-month old "MEGA" shopping center (mall). There's a little skating rink in the main food arcade (pictured). There's also a few Western food & clothing stores, like Subway, Sbarro pizza, Adidas, Marks' & Spencer, etc. but most are Russian franchises. On my way home at dusk, the temperature was already down in the mid 20's and it's going to be a clear, cold night. I took the wrong streetcar home and ended up in a neighborhood which still has old wooden houses from the 1920's or 1930's. I cut through a park to get back to Karl Marx Square, and from there took the right streetcar home.

Baraholka market

2008-02-22T03:29:00.001-08:00

There'a big market like this in every Russian city. I'd known about the one here for some time, but it's on the edge of town, and I hadn't been out there until today. As I walked down the narrow passageways between long rows of stalls, row after row, clothes on hangers tossed by the gusty wind and plastic canopies flapping overhead, the ground white below my feet and the sky white above, I suddenly lost my sense of place. There was only the market...

School days

2008-02-21T05:20:00.000-08:00

I have Russian language lessons three times a week with a private teacher. I went to a lesson this afternoon and took my camera with me.

I'm leaving my building and looking down Блюхера (BLYOO-hera) street, one of the routes for the streetcar. The streetcar is the cheapest public transport here ($0.32) . It's slow, but it doesn't get caught in traffic jams (or pollute). From here it goes to IKEA in about 30 min. Behind the streetcar is a new office building (black & grey), and behind that building is the university hall where I meet for my lessons.

A view looking back at my building. On the left is a bakery where we can get hot, fresh bread every day after 11:00 AM for $0.60/loaf.

University buildings in the U.S. are named after very rich alumni, but here it is different. This is simply building number 8, and you're looking at the main entrance, not the service door.

One of the classrooms we use, which are vacant in the late afternoon.

This is my teacher, Victoria. I studied with her in the summer of 2006 for a few weeks, and now already half a year since my return to Novosibirsk. She's a very intelligent and patient teacher, and is passionate for the Russian language. I have also learned a lot about Russian history & culture from her.

Life in the kitchen

2008-02-19T04:16:00.000-08:00

Hello! I've neglected the blog the past few weeks, but things are going well here. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen: cooking, eating, working, and studying. I took a few pictures just now to share with you.

I made pizza with some friends a few weeks ago, and though I wanted to buy fresh basil, I couldn't find it anywhere. That gave me the idea to grow it at home. There's a little store nearby that sells seeds & everything else needed to start a garden.

This morning, the fourth day after planting the seeds, I saw the first sprout!

People often ask me how prices here compare to the U.S. I tell them almost everything is the same price except alcohol, cigarettes, and bread, which are cheaper here in Russia, especially bread. Cigarettes and alcohol are expensive in the U.S. because of taxes, but why is bread expensive (and not good quality, in my opinion)? I bought this loaf of dark bread for $0.91 but there's good bread for half that price, and lots of variety.

This is the view from the balcony, looking southwest. We get lots of afternoon sun, and it gets dark now around 6pm. I don't know what kind of building they're working on, but they just finished adding the insulation. Here in Siberia, insulation goes on the outside of the buiding. It's thick, solid, and anchored to the masonry walls. The metal framework you see will support the exterior siding, mostly likely a metal or ceramic tile.

Erico cooking

Frozen river

2008-02-03T11:21:00.001-08:00

More pics from "snow town". Look how beautiful the river is, completely frozen and lying quietly under a soft blanket of snow.

Shashlik (kabobs, or "meat-on-a-stick") is sold everywhere outdoors in Russia, even when it's -20. See the woman by the red table, trying to make her kid eat some shashlik (right). There were even shashlik stands at Sheregesh, right at the bottom of the ski slope. It's a great smell when everything outside is frozen, the aroma of seasoned meat on a charcoal grill! mmmmm :) tastes good too

Back to Snow Town!!

2008-02-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, and the weather was sunny. I wanted to spend the afternoon outdoors, and Erico wanted to see the "amusement-park-built-out-of-ice". So we hopped on the subway, and were across the river in a few minutes. It was my second time to "Snow City", and this time I got to try the ice slides. We rented little plastic "paddles" to sit on, and we sped down the courses. It was great!! If I were going to the Winter Olympics, I think my sport of choice would be luge. A lot easier than snowboarding, and more fun.

Sheregesh panorama

2008-01-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

This is the view from the top. Climbing up the last steep slope, with the wind whipping my face, I felt like I was ascending the final meters of Mt. Everest (and wishing I had eaten a bigger breakfast). Elevation 1560m (5117 ft.)

more Sheregesh

2008-01-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we took a long hike to a peak above the ski area. There's a large metal cross standing there, which can be seen from the town below. It was so cold and windy! I didn't know the people in our group very well. Most of them were friends of Katya. Nice people, but I couldn't follow the conversations and the joking around. When i talk with one person at a time, it's easier to understand. There were about 8 of us in the apartment we rented.

Sheregesh

2008-01-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

Pictures from the snowboarding weekend. The weather was perfect: clear everyday, no wind, warmer than in Novosibirsk. The air was fresh, and it felt great to be in the mountains. I did OK on the snowboard, but fell down a lot of course. I think I"d do better on skis.

Snow sculptures

2008-01-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Hello! I'm leaving tomorrow evening on a three-day snowboard trip. I'm taking an overnight bus a ski area southeast of here with Katya and a group of her friends. I'll be back on Monday.

Yesterday I was downtown and had a look at the snow sculptures. It might be able a little hard to see, but some of them are very detailed. I was there a few weeks ago while they were still being worked on.

Snow town

2008-01-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

I went to see the "Snezhniy Gorodok" (snow town) last night with Zhenia. Everything was made from ice, and the main attractions were the Statue of Liberty, St. Basils Cathedral (Moscow, Red Square), and the Taj Mahal. At -15F, taking off my mittens to take photos was a painfully cold experience! But I enjoyed myself, despite the cold. They've also built slides out of ice, but it was too cold for us to try them.

Friends

2008-01-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post pictures from New Years Eve! We celebrated at Oksana's place, with her roommate Tanya (left), their friend (forgot her name) and her son, and Oksana (right). There was a lot of food, and we just ate, talked, and watched the New Year's show on TV.

Below are more recent pictures of friends at my place. First picture, Patrick (from Ghana) and Erico (now my roommate). Second picture, (from left to right) Fabio, Erico, Prince, and Patrick. The third picture show a little more of the kitchen (and me). I cooked a dish of rice and lamb. The fridge in the corner by the window is the one I bought in August. We don't need it, and I'm trying to sell it.

Merry Christmas again!

2008-01-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

It's Russian Orthodox Christmas today. The sun came out around noon, so Erico and I climbed up to the 17th floor to see the view. Lots of snow on the balcony, and a long way down! We could see the river Ob not too far away, completely covered by ice and snow.

Thirty something (degrees Celsius)

2008-01-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family! :)) I spent all day getting the last things out of my old apartment, kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. Finally this evening managed to get a truck and a few guys, through the help of my friend Zhenia. I sold the cabinets to her co-worker and the fridge ended up here in my new place. The weather today was great, a new personal record: clear blue sky, no wind, foggy, and a crisp -33C (-27F). Fresh, untrampled snow on the ground everywhere, and the trees covered in frost. Quiet streets. Beautiful and invigorating!!

New Years Eve

2007-12-31T05:34:00.000-08:00

Here in Siberia, there are only 4 hours left of 2007!!!! Happy New Year!! I'm heading out to greet the new year with Oksana and her friends. I called Oksana last week to help me find a new apartment, and this place turned up the next day. I spent the weekend moving my things, one armful at a time. It's a half-mile walk from one building to the other, but I was just too lazy to call a moving company. I can't believe the stuff I've accumulated in 5 months!! My luggage came in handy for packing dishes & kitchen utensils. Despite being dragged along the bumpy, frozen sidewalk, across rutted roads and icy parking lots, and hauled up four flights of stairs, everything arrived unbroken! I still have a few bigger items back at the old place, and I'll have to call a mover to help me.

New apartment

2007-12-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

I decided to start the new year in a new apartment. I had a feeling that my landlady wouldn't renew the lease in January, and I was really tired of sleeping on a broken couch! I also felt I was paying a lot for the quality of the apartment. I'll be moving just a few minutes away to a new building, still under construction(!). I took some photos of the apartment, but forgot to get one of the outside of the building. Everything in the apartment is brand new, though done very economically. I just noticed today that the bathroom has no sink. I guess I've become well accustomed to Russia, that I wouldn't immediately see anything missing there. It's a typical arrangement, though old fashioned. Erico was with me today looking at the place. I'm considering sharing the place with him. The new place has a different, colder feeling than the place I'm in now, but that should change once I move in. This old corner apartment has character, and I'll miss the view of the courtyard, and my upstairs neighbor lady. But I won't miss the rattling, squealing faucet in the bathroom, the drafty windows, or the car alarm going off every night.

20's Club

2007-12-26T04:55:00.000-08:00

The weather forecast turned out to be correct. I just walked to the grocery store and back, and it was -27C (-16F). I'm happy to report that my jacket, hat, hood, boots, and mittens kept me warm! It's the coldest temperature I've yet experienced, and now I'm a member of the 20's Club (experienced -20C or less). I admit, it's not a very exclusive club, but global warming is making it more difficult to find really cold winters. People say it used to be this cold everyday in winter here, not just for two or three days. Tomorrow it's going to warm up again.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-23T23:17:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!! I'm going to take a break for a few days. I've just finished adding comments to the posts from St. Petersburg, so go back and check those posts if you're interested. Comments about Christmas in Russia I posted here:

http://beninrussia.blogspot.com/2007/12/st-petersburg-day-three-sunday-part-2.html

The weather forecast says that a cold front will arrive Christmas Day. It's getting warmer right now, and will almost reach 0 (32F) by this evening. Then the front will arrive and they expect temperatures to drop to -25 (-13F) in 24 hours!! yeeehaw!

St. Pete, Day 5, part 2

2007-12-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

More of the Hermitage.

St. Pete, Day 5, Part 1

2007-12-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Hermitage Museum in the Winter Palace of Catherine II

St. Petersburg, Day Four (Monday)

2007-12-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

This view across the Neva was so gloomy I decided to take a photo. The truth is, a lot of St. Petersburg looks depressing in winter. The days are short and the weather cold, wet, and windy.

This is Smolny Cathedral designed in the 1700's by Rastrelli, who also designed the Winter Palace. These days it's used for exhibitions and concerts. I only got a peek at the interior, but it didn't look anything like a church. It was looted and closed up after the 1917 revolution, and finally in the 1970's re-opened and converted to an exhibition hall.

I bought a CD of Russian Orthodox music about 10 years ago, which was recorded in this church. Built in the 1820's, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration is an active Orthodox church today.

An evening view of the "Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood". The church is only 100 years old, but has a colorful history. Apparently it was never even used as a place of worship. I didn't go inside, but read that the interior has beautiful mosaics.

On the first floor of this building is the apartment of Russia's greatest poet, Alexander Pushkin. I took the audio tour, and learned that Pushkin died in his 30's, having been wounded in a duel. I felt kind of embarassed that I didn't even know that much about him! He is revered in Russia, I would say, above Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. I've heard that he had an active vocabulary of 20,000 words.

St. Petersburg, Day Three (Sunday) part 2

2007-12-18T10:39:00.001-08:00

In Russia, Santa Claus is known as Grandpa Frost (Ded Moroz in Russian). He doesn't have reindeer, or climb down chimneys, but he has a granddaughter called the Snow Maiden (from an old Russian fairy tale). Ded Moroz was banished by the Communists, but actually brought back by Stalin, who ordered him to wear a blue coat so people wouldn't confuse him with Santa Claus. That's what I gathered from the internet.

Christmas traditions in the West are confused too, mixing up the birth of Jesus with St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. But in Russia, the non-religious aspects of Christmas (trees, presents, Grandpa Frost) got shifted to New Year celebrations when Chistmas became illegal. Now that people are free to worship in Russia, religious observance of Christmas is separated (freed?) from the old and increasingly commercial traditions. The New Year is now the big family holiday in Russia, leaving Christmas as a lesser event, observed only by those who really want to celebrate the birth of Christ.

There's still one more complication, and that is the question of calendar. Orthodox churches celebrate on Jan 7th, because they still use the old Julian calendar, which is now two weeks behind. This leaves non-Orthodox churches the choice of when to celebrate. Many, but I think not all, have chosen to observe as the rest of the world does, on Dec. 25th (as it falls in the Gregorian calendar). However, it's a working day for everyone in Russia. Russians have the whole first week of January off.

As a result of the two calendars (Lenin adopted the Gregorian calendar shortly after the revolution), everyone in Russia enjoys a fun, uncomplicated bonus: the 14th of January is the New Year in the old calendar. They call this "Old New Year" and it's an excuse to open another bottle of champagne :)

St. Petersburg, Day Three (Sunday) part 1

2007-12-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

In the Smolensk Cemetery on Vasilyevsky Island, common graves of people who died in the seige of Leningrad (1941-44).

My Russian language teacher told me about St. Xenia (Ksenia) of Petersburg, who lived in the 1700's. She lived in the cemetery, was buried here, and a chapel was built at her grave-site in 1902. People have been coming to this place for over 200 years to pray and ask for her help. You can read a lot more about her on the internet. It was Sunday afternoon, and people were lined up all the way around the chapel, silently waiting their turn to go in.

This is the Smolensk Cathedral, which St. Xenia helped to build. Workers discovered that it was she who had been secretly helping them at night, carrying bricks up the scaffolding and stacking them, ready to be mortared in place the next day.

Vasilyevsky Island. This metal tower seems to be standing here to hold up a power line. I liked the contrast with the high-rise apartments disappearing into the fog, the cold colors, and the gritty, unfinished quality of the stairs climbing to nowhere.

Back in central St. Petersburg, St. Isaac's Cathedral (museum) was lit up and enshrouded in fog.

St. Petersburg, Day Two

2007-12-16T01:49:00.001-08:00

It was Saturday, so I went to the city's weekly garage sale. Found what I was looking for: cheap ski pants!

St. Petersburg, Day One, part 3

2007-12-16T01:46:00.000-08:00

The ice-skating rink in front of the Hermitage. Every evening it was open to the public (for a fee), but the day I left they were getting ready for a professional show. When I was back at the Novosibirsk airport, waiting for my luggage, I saw Sasha Cohen (Olympic silver medalist) interviewed on TV. She performed that night in St. Petersurg.

Main entrance of the Winter Palace (Hermitage Museum)

A theater on Nevsky Prospekt.

Nevsky Prospekt. The main street in St. Petersburg, coming alive at night.

The holiday lights went as far as I could see in either direction. The clock tower on the left was the most decorated building!

St. Petersburg, Day One, part 2

2007-12-16T01:43:00.000-08:00

Cathedral in the Peter & Paul Fortress. Burial Vault of the Tsars (Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, etc)

Below: the tomb of Peter the Great is next to the wall, at the end. His bust is mounted above the tomb. Catherine the Great is entombed in the next row, to the left of the picture. The others are also Tsars, but not as famous.

St. Petersburg Day One

2007-12-16T01:40:00.001-08:00

Statue of Peter the Great. St. Isaac's Cathedral is behind. The time was about 11:30 AM! Sun set about 5 hours later, and hasn't reappeared yet.....

A view from the Peter and Paul fortress, looking across the Neva River to the Winter Palace & Hermitage. A lot of people were walking on the frozen beach, even sitting down on a bench to enjoy the sun! It was probably 28-29F.

This church was built only 100 years ago, on the spot where an assasination attempt was made on Tsar Nicholas II. The style is out-of-place in St. Petersburg, it's considered "Moscow-style". I forget the exact name of the church, but it's commonly called the Church of Spilled Blood.

One of Petersburg's canals.

Peter and Paul Fortress. It was built to protect the city from the Swedes, but it was never was attacked. It ended up being used as a prison I think.

Hanging out on Sunday

2007-12-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Fabio, Erico, and Prince came over this evening for dinner and I introduced them to the boardgame Carcasonne. They enjoyed it. It snowed a little yesterday, and this morning every twig and branch of every tree was beautifully coated with fresh snow. Days are very short, and the weather is cloudy. Christmas trees are on sale everywhere now, some lights are up, and many stores have a Christmas tree in the window, but there's no holiday music playing, and no Salvation Army volunteers ringing bells anywhere. We'll definitely have a "White Christmas", but no Bing Crosby to sing about it!

Birthday

2007-12-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

Russian life is centered around the table. The more food, the more people, the merrier. I celebrated my birthday last night, everyone sitting happily around the table. (l to r: Olya, Prince, Natasha, Olya, Fabio, Anya) And today I met a man from church who invited me to his place afterwards, where I met his wife and friends. He's an excellent guitarist, singer, and songwriter. I improvised a little as he played and sang, and the others sat around the table listening. There was such feeling in his songs, I can only describe as Russian! And finally, I walked down to the ski slope to say hi to Katya and her friends (and return the socks I borrowed last week from Olesya's brother). There's a nice view of the city lights across the river, and they were playing heavy metal on the loudspeakers! :)

Over the river...

2007-11-30T21:07:00.001-08:00

I walked home across the bridge, watching the huge sheets of ice flow down the river toward the Arctic Ocean. I went down to the quiet, deserted beach and found the summer sand under 8" of powdery snow.

Oktabrskaya

2007-11-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

It was a rare sunny day, though the air hazy & dirty. Took the subway across the river to Rechnoy Vokzal (river station) and walked up the avenue to the main library. It's the largest library east of the Urals. Stopped at one of the many WWII monuments in the city. There's one in nearly every plaza.

Sunday dinner

2007-11-26T07:09:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving, by the way! Here are some photos of Erico, Prince, and myself from last night. They are good company, and it would be nice to do dinner every Sunday. After eating, we searched on Google Earth and Erico showed us the house where he grew up in Brazil, and then Prince showed us his hometown in Ghana (the country closest to 0 longitude, 0 latitude!). I showed them where I lived in Tacoma (in the photo you can still see my truck parked in its spot).

Today we had some sunshine, but these days the sun is barely making it over the buildings across the courtyard. Still one month away until the shortest day of the year! I was outside today for only 2 minutes to take out the trash, but tomorrow I hope to take a nice walk, the weather is supposed to be clear. I want to walk across the bridge and get photos of the river Ob. I've only had a few glimpses of it since the cold weather started, but I saw that it's partly frozen. Apparently it never freezes over completely.

Katya and Oleysa

2007-11-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

A late fall day in Siberia. Two snowboarders and an inexperienced skier. The plan for the day, to go cross-country skiing in the forest. Cold air moved into the area yesterday, the temperature dropping to -16C (3F). We met at 9:45 this morning at Rechnoy Vokzal bus stop. It was windy, overcast, and -14. Felt cold. Wore my fur-trimmed hood for the first time. Took a marshrutnoye taxi (yellow van) toward Akademgorodok, getting out at a stop along the highway. Walked through the snow to the ski rental lodge. We were one week too early to rent skis, but the girls had fun on the seesaw. Walked back along the higway to the bus stop and returned to the city. I rode for the first time in a tram (streetcar) to Oleysa's house, where we warmed up with tea and her mom's homemade sweet rolls (they were still warm, and delicious!). We bundled up again and her brother drove us across town to a large park, in a forest near the river. There we we were able to rent skis, and we went off along the groomed path. It was already getting late in the day, and after one hour, we turned in the skis and walked to the nearest bus stop. I had been carrying lunch with me all day, and when we reached the bus stop, we decided to sit down at a table and have a picnic! The girls had a thermos of hot tea, and we sat with our backs to the wind, drinking tea and eating a few rolls and some venison jerky. By this time, the temperature had warmed to -8C (18F). You have to take off gloves to eat, no matter the temperature, but bare hands get cold fast at -8, and it was a short picnic! Into another marshrutnoye taxi, and we were soon back to the city, and a metro station. We parted company, and I headed home on the subway. A good day in the snow! :)

note to myself: need to buy wool socks, thick hat, winter boots, and fleece-lined mittens (if I can find them).

Hockey sport complex

2007-11-20T02:25:00.000-08:00

Last friday I went to take a look at two hockey facilities in a small town about one hour from Novosibirsk. I'm trying to help someone here find an architect who can design a similar sports complex. He drove me early in the morning to get some pictures, and to show me the kind of facility he wants to build. If anyone has a good lead, leave a comment!

That evening I went to Anya's 20th birthday party. There was so much food! In the picture: her sister Dasha, best friend Olga, Anya, me. They loaned me the Frito Lay shirt because I was burning up in the sweater I had on. Russians love giving toasts, and it went around and around the table, everybody getting the opportunity to give a toast several times. I haven't heard so many toasts in one evening, even at a wedding. The more that was drunk, the more frequent the toasts (and vice-versa!)

Snowcam

2007-11-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

Hello! Yesterday it snowed all day, and now we have about 8" on the ground. Light & powdery! It stopped snowing in the evening and got cold. Right now it's 8:30AM, and -10C (14F). I'm going for a walk!

I forgot to mention it before, but you can take a look at a webcam anytime. It gives you a view of the street I live on. The quality isn't very good - it's not really so dreary here as it looks on the webcam! Here are two snapshots from this morning (I brightened them). Most of you will have to check late in the evening to see them during daylight hours (I'm +14 from PST).
www.sibproject.ru
www.lnd.ru

Gagarinskaya

2007-11-03T03:43:00.001-07:00

This is one of the subway stations in Nobosibirsk. It's named after Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. The stainless steel columns and suspended lighting make it look like a 1960's space exhibit. I like it. To me, it's a good example of Soviet design, and perhaps one of the last: the station opened in 1992. I was taking the picture, and a woman in a uniform came over and explained that I needed permission (I think) to photograph. I put the camera away, waited until she walked to the other end of the platform, and took the photo.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

In search of pumpkins

2007-10-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

I took the subway to the central market yesterday to find pumpkins. You can see a few in the picture. They asked me, "For the holiday?". I don't think most people are very interested in Halloween, or understand what it's all about. Well, it is a very strange holiday. I could tell that the lady who sold me a nice, big pumpkin really hoped I was going to eat it. She said a word which means either "to spend" or "to waste". I have a feeling she meant the latter! (they weren't cheap, either) I assured her we would eat it afterwards. But she pointed to where I could put the eyes, nose, etc!

A picture of my courtyard (right). Compare it to the one on the August 17 blog! The garbage pile is disgusting, but a fact of life (below, left). You might think the garbage collectors went on strike, but no, this is typical. Karl Marx Avenue in the snow (below, right) and very slippery. The snow is going to melt today or tomorrow.

I'm going on a diet

2007-10-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hi, I hope you're all enjoying the recent updates. Yes, I'm going on a diet!! A diet to GAIN weight, and FAST! I went for a walk this afternoon with my friend Zhenia, and I was cold. brrr! I could have been dressed warmer, but come on, it was only -1 (30 F). It's going to be -20 and more in a couple of months! The "winter" jacket I bought turned out to be more of a fall jacket. It's made with down, but it's not very thick. On the bright side, I went to a ski shop yesterday and bought polypropylene underwear (longjohns). That will help, but I realized one of the best things I could do right now is put on some fat! But how? I shed calories like ducks shed water. My first thought would be to eat as the locals do. Russians have survived for centuries on potatoes, though it's never been my favorite vegetable. Right now they are storing up potatoes, beets, and carrots for the winter (mostly to save money because they'll be 2 or 3 times more expensive in the winter). It might be a good idea to start eating potatoes regularly. What about eggs? More mayonnaise? :) meat? Russians also never sit down without eating bread. What are the best weight-gainers?

Somebody made a "snow dog"! or cat? hard to tell...

Hanging out

2007-10-27T01:06:00.000-07:00

Meet my new friends from Brazil, Erico and Fabio (center and right). The guy laying down is Iyoann (Russian version of John), who I met last year at the church I went to a few times. His dad is the pastor. He's Korean but lived here all his life, and though we only met once or twice last year, he remembered me. Erico is 19 and Fabio is 33. They live in the international student dorm, where I stayed last summer. We played darts and hung out for awhile, drinking tea. There were also two girls who aren't in the picture. One Russian, one Mongolian. That was last night. This morning I woke up to more snow, and it continued to snow lightly all day. I spent most of the day cleaning house, and trying to get the windows shut tight. The last person who painted the windows painted over the bolts which hold the windows shut. I spent hours chiseling paint, and finally managed to get them all free. I wedged in pieces of cardboard to hold the bolts firmly in place. That cut out about 90% of the draft. It's 0 C today (30-32F), so not terribly cold. I'll have to tape the window seams later.

New neighbors

2007-10-25T03:13:00.001-07:00

They moved in about two weeks ago, and hang out in the courtyard all day. I see a flicker of yellow in the window at lunch-time, and know they've come by for their daily visit. I've been waiting to get them on film, and today I had my camera waiting!

Checking up on me, or just looking for food?

Winter already?

2007-10-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from the bus stop close to where I live. There's usually at least one kiosk at every bus stop, where you can buy snacks, drinks, cigarettes, etc. Busier bus stops attract more vendors. Do you see the little table with the orange tablecloth? Shredded cabbage and carrot is being sold there!

And this is how people cross the street. First get to the center of the road, and then wait for the other direction of traffic to clear. (There's no turn lane) It's a little scary, but you get used to it!

Seaweed?

2007-10-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

Who would have guessed that Russians eat seaweed?

They call it "sea cabbage" but we know it as kelp (Laminaria Japonica). They don't eat it dry, but rather they make salads of fresh (or probably reconstituted) shredded seaweed, and add carrot, mayonnaise, and spices. You can buy this salad pre-made in any grocery store. I first tried it when I was in Moscow in July, and I eat it from time to time. I was told it's good to mix in hard-boiled egg too, and that's how I usually eat it. I was just having a dinner of smoked fish, bread, and seaweed salad, and thought it would be interesting to mention it. I don't have a picture because I already ate it all! I did a search on-line and learned that "morskaya kapusta" (sea cabbage) was used to treat victims of Chernobyl very successfully. No doubt that's why it's available everywhere now. It's packed with nutrients, including iodine. Maybe more people in the U.S. would eat it if it wasn't called sea "weed". Sea "cabbage" sounds more appetizing, doesn't it?

Speaking of healthy foods, who knows anything about kefir? It's available everywhere here, and apparently it's also very healthy. It originated in the Cacausus, and it has "live cultures" like yogurt (but more beneficial ones I read). It's thick like a milkshake, and it's sold in milk cartons. I mixed in fruit syrup today and had an instant smoothie!

P.S. I still haven't made blini yet, but I collected a few recipes this weekend.

Sunny breakfast

2007-10-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

I bought a little table and two stools a week ago, and now the kitchen is much cozier. I enjoy sitting there to eat breakfast or to study Russian. On a sunny day I get sunshine all morning, but today it's frosty and foggy.

Morning walk in the city

2007-10-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

The U.N. has arrived!

I'm joking, it's just a make-shift market in a park.

Brand new BMWs in need of a wash! Are these for sale?? You can see how dirty it gets here.

This is a strange ad. Nobody buys Miller beer (and nodoby sells it either, as far as I know) and almost nobody celebrates Halloween. Is there a "Halloween" edition of Miller in the States? The tiny print on the sign is a translation of "Halloween, the Miller way" and below that is the warning required in Russia: "We warn you of the harm of excessive consumption of beer"
**I've since noticed that lots of stores have MGD!

Food

2007-10-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

For those curious about what kind of food you can eat in Russia and how much it costs, here's what I had for dinner last night.

Box of plov (plof). It's a spicy rice dish normally made with lamb, but I used chicken instead. $1, bought at the supermarket.

Chicken breast, $3/lb. I bought it at a stall in the indoor market (trade house). I'll get some pictures of the place later.

Pumpkin (hubbard squash?) $0.80. A woman was selling some produce at the bus stop: pumpkin, bell peppers, parsley...things from her garden. I haven't seen squash in the supermarkets so I bought a slice (about 1 - 2/3 lbs.)

I'm saving the bottle of wine for another day, but it's from Bulgaria and cost about $7-8. I've noticed that there's a lot more choice in wine this year compared to last. I haven't seen wine from California, but from nearly everywhere else: Spain, Italy, France, Hungary, Chile, Australia, etc. There's always been Russian wine available, but everyone says it's bad. (reds are semi-sweet)

I ate the plov with sour cream, and some freesh-squeezed lemon juice. Tasty!

Next weekend I'll learn how to make blini (Russian crepes). stay tuned

First Snow!!

2007-10-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here it's already the morning of October 3rd, and we had our first snow. The snow came before the frost! It's going to warm up again after a few days; this is just a passing storm. The sun is now shining through the windows in my eyes, and the radiators are so warm that I have the windows partly open and I'm sitting in shorts and a t-shirt and it's still too hot in here!

Hockey

2007-09-30T08:53:00.001-07:00

(clockwise from upper left) Buying snacks before the match; me outside the stadium; the rink; the fans

Novosibirsk won!

Train Museum

2007-09-30T08:17:00.001-07:00

I went out to Akademgorodok again this morning,
and stopped at the train museum on my way home.

not my daughter ----->

(left) USSR!

(right) a fairly good-sized snow plow

Some classic Russian cars fom the 60's

Siberian forest in autumn

Sunday dinner

2007-09-23T20:35:00.001-07:00

I was invited to dinner at Anya's house. Her whole family was there. From left to right: Sasha, (brother & oldest sibling, lives in Novosibirsk). Dasha (sister - lives in Moscow, her husband had to stay there to work), Ira (Sasha's girlfriend), Anya, me. (Mama is taking the photo.)

Anya and Ksusha (Dasha's daughter) - almost 3 yrs old

2007-09-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived! Trees haven't turned color yet, but the weather has turned cold and wet. It's also getting a little chilly in my apartment, but I'm told that the heat should be working soon. There's central heating here, which means that the radiators in my room are connected to a big boiler somewhere in the city, and I don't have a thermostat. People have assured me that my place will be nice & toasty in the winter. Even the broken window pane should be no problem (really)! Today I finished with the kitchen cabinets by finally hanging the uppers. Drilling the screws into soft brick made me kind of nervous, but since the cabinets haven't fallen down yet I think I must have done it right. Now I need to get a little table for the kitchen. Russian guests won't feel completely at home with you until they've sat at your little kitchen table! Everyone who's come by has mentioned to me that I need to get a table in the kitchen! Never mind the big one in the living room....

Novosibirsk has a really nice opera and ballet theater, newly renovated this summer. I went to see a ballet tonight with a woman, Zhenia, who arranged everything I needed to get officially registered here (just yesterday). It's a long story, so I won't go into detail, but I owed her a big thank you! The ballet was "Coppelia" with music by Delibes. Excellent production, great dancers, colorful costumes, and absolutely no plot!