Bonjour, Pareeee!

Plot twist! I'm no longer in Russia, rather, I am on a trip to France! 

The mission of arriving in Paris has been accomplished with flying colors:




Checked in ahead of schedule and enjoyed an uplifting cappuccino in the airport café. 

Pleasant surprise on LOT Polish Air! Instead of the typical peanuts or chef mix, we snacked on chocolate wafer bars!! 











Then, a very promising start to my time in Paris was that my suitcase was the first bag to come out on the luggage carousel. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but every time I have picked up my luggage after a flight, I was always jealous of those people who didn't need to wait till the end because their bags came first. Well now my little wish came true - my bag was number one!!




Found the RER train into Paris and enjoyed the views from the window. Everything was in bloom, vibrant green, as though rejuvenated from a long wintery slumber. Such a nice new picture compared to Russia, where spring has yet to arrive.







After about a thirty minute train ride, I have arrived in Paris, made my way to my hotel, walked around and took in the nightlife, and finally am ready to call it a very successful day and get some rest before tomorrow's brand new adventure. 






Until then, bonne nuit! (I'll be practicing my French in my dreams tonight.)

How to Scientifically Prevent your Husband from Cheating on You

I was just watching a morning tv show with my grandmother, who watches every day, where acclaimed doctors talk about a variety of topics that relate to health, healthy lifestyles, and nutrition. One of today's topics was: how to prevent your husband from cheating. This was directed toward women and backed by various scientific facts. …

To begin, let me dissect that statement - "how to prevent your husband from cheating":
     "prevent" - as though it's the woman's role to act in such a way that doesn't allow her husband to cheat…because obviously it's not the husband's choice to go and cheat on his wife…obviously it's the wife's fault
     "husband" - note that the word 'husband' was used - not boyfriend, lover, or friend with benefits. Rather, it's the one that swore "'till death do we part" that you should be worries about cheating on you.
     also, 100% heteronormative - as though homosexuality isn't a thing that exists…

So the host says this title and the entire studio audience (including women) react completely naturally: Duh, obviously this is something that we would talk about because it's a totally natural problem that can be solved by the actions of women that they (women) haven't learned yet. We all needed to come and watch this scientific show to find out how to lead a life, which doesn't allow the husband to cheat on his wife. Obviously. Thank goodness we came or else we would have been living in families where the wife wasn't acting according to this scientific code that maintains harmony in her relationship with her husband and doesn't make him cheat on her. Phew!

And if intro isn't enough, well don't worry, that's just the beginning. Let's get to the scientific backing of statement.

First off, let's take a man who comes back home from work tired and hungry, and he decides to sit on the couch. Warning! When a man is immobile, sitting on the couch, his levels of testosterone decrease due to his inactivity. Lower levels of testosterone make him feel less manly and more inadequate. So attention all women! If you see your man sitting on the couch, go up to him and cuddle him. Make him feel like a man again and remind him that you are his. Then, his testosterone levels will increase and stabilize not only his manliness but your relationship.
        Thank goodness! Now all women know what to do when they see their husbands sitting on the couch. It's not the husband's fault that he (apparently) feels less manly when immobile; it's obviously the women's job to know that this hormone-decrease naturally happens(?) and in that instance, to go and make those levels rise.
       Warning! Women: don't let your husbands sit on the couch… because then he will cheat on you…and that will be your fault for not cuddling with him… basic knowledge…

Second instance: the most obvious reason a husband cheats on his wife is because the wife is getting older and therefore uglier.
       Ah! The truth is finally revealed!
       We all know that there is no other reason for which a man gets married other than the youthful beauty of his wife. He doesn't care about her personality at all! The one and only thing that matter is that she looks good. Because looks are forever and the soul is just an appetizer to the whole woman. But then, this strange thing happens (that is not a natural process and we take every measure to prevent it from occurring) called aging. Noooo! Once you (the woman) starts aging, that's the end of your relationship. You start getting wrinkles, your youthful beauty disappears, and all you turn into is an old hag that is not attractive to your man. Then what do you think happens? Well since he married you for your beauty, he obviously becomes uninterested in you and naturally goes and cheats on you! Once again, it's your(!) (the woman's) fault! The woman is the one that is to blame. She should have stepped back, looked at herself, and said: "Ew! I am so old and ugly looking! If I don't start looking more youthful, my husband is going to cheat on me." Ah, the enlightenment. The woman realizes that she needs to start growing young, and the scientific way to do that is…hormones! So women, when you starts noticing your old age being reflected on your face, go take some hormones, restore that youthful beauty, and then you won't have to worry about your husband cheating on you. You're welcome.

I am so glad that I spent an hour in the morning watching such an enlightening tv program. Now I know all the measures to take in order to prevent my future husband from cheating on me. I know that if my husband cheat's on me, it's my fault, and I should have prevented that from happening. Thanks, Doctors, you just helped me save my marriage!

(Still Drinking) Tea in Russia

It has been more than two months since I've arrived in Russia, and every single day without fail that I have lived here, I have drank at least one cup of tea. That makes for a lot of tea, caffeine, cups, and needless to say…sweets that accompany all of that!

There is always a reason to drink tea be it for a birthday celebration, a relaxing time at home, a chat with a friend, or a wake up call during breakfast. And to make it more fun, the more varying the tea cups are, the better! Here is a continued list of tea cups I have encountered so far.

This cup comes from a hand-drawn set. It wasn't lacquered like nearly all other porcelain cups, which made it really interesting to hold and feel every single paint-bump and matte, grainy texture.
As you can tell from the heart-shaped cake in the background, tea was served in these cups for the occasion of one of my distant relative's birthday celebrations.

At the apartment where my cousin lives, we have a gorgeous double-basin glass tea pot that is perfect to use when the tea leaves are unusually pretty and flowers open up to beautiful blossoms. Observing that 'flowering' process makes the whole process of drinking tea exponentially more pleasant and interesting.







Oh this? No big deal…just the casual tea pot that I have the privilege of making tea in EVERY SINGLE DAY!
This beauty was a present to my cousin from her mother and sister on her wedding day.









The accompanying tea cups are equally exuberant, rococo-esque, light, and delicate.
They seem to make the tea taste significantly better than plain mugs I'm used to drinking out of. Or maybe that's just the aesthetic aspect getting to my taste buds ;)








Occasionally, I go to a Russian class to evolve my knowledge and comprehension of the language and literature. Even there, in the teacher's home, we (the students) are served tea half way into the lesson in order to maintain our Russian-ness and for an extra boost of energy to get through the three-hour lesson.
Just looking at this fun tea cup gives me the necessary burst of energy to keep paying attention and learning.






At the birthday dinner of my godmother's mother's house - I was one of the few 'honorary guests' who was served tea in this luxurious, minimalistic, lovely tea cup.
Definitely felt like I needed to drink with my pinky up!










At my Grandmother Galia's house, celebrating March 8th - International Women's Day, which is a very important and respected holiday. On that day, I was congratulated many times by men I wasn't acquainted with - a typical custom here.
Don't worry, men - on March 23rd is your day and all the women will congratulate you too!








Turns out March is a very popular birthday month!

At my birthday dinner! These simplistic cups look very fancy and neat when they are all placed on the table together. My grandmother has had these her whole life - even when my dad was a boy living in this very house, these were the tea cups he and his friends used.

And finally, though not exactly tea cups, I couldn't not include a picture of Krispy Kreme Doughnut Russian travel mugs.
Very similar to the ones in the US, this place also has their own doughnut-making conveyor belt, which you can watch as the deliciousness is created. Though I have to say, the American doughnuts taste better…
ALL: actually bought a doughnut - can you believe it? Couldn't find the correct dumpster ;) 




Phew! That was a long post! Don't you want to make yourself a nice cup of tea now and enjoy with a doughnut in hand? I sure do, so that's what I'm off to do now. Until next time! :)

Double Birthday (and MORE FLOWERS!!!)

I'm 20! And my grandmother is 82! Together, we celebrated 102 years of life on March 14th.

This birthday was the most unique one out of all the 19 previous birthdays that I have had. First, for the first time ever, I was outside of the US. Second, it was a double birthday - I've never had to share this day with anyone else before! Also, none of my best friends were there to celebrate with me, which was sad; but thanks to Skype, I was able to talk to them from many miles away, which was the best birthday present I could have asked for. And finally, what birthday would be complete without bunches and bunches of flowers? Our birthday was certainly complete:

From Babushka Galia to me :)

One large branch of orchids (from Thailand!)

Roses all the way from Washington DC!

Beautiful tulips (and a bow)

More exotic flowers "for an exotic birthday girl" according to my grandmother

Can't get enough of these flowers!

My favorite shot

Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday!!! Here's to no longer being a teenager! :)

Spring is in the air!

Today, instead of taking a bus to my grandmother's house, I decided to walk. 
The sun was shining and the sky was vibrantly blue with scattered fluffy white clouds decorating it. 


The gusts of wind, which had been vicious and mean ever since I arrived in Russia, were surprisingly warm and friendly, guiding me along my way. 









I turned into a park filled with birch trees that surrounded two frozen-over ponds. 
Strolling along the banks of the white, vast ice, the much-awaited sun warmed my face, sneaking its way through the tall trees. 







The birches looked fresh - as though they had just woken up from a long slumber and now were relishing in the sunlight for breakfast, ready for mother nature to work her magic and create brand new leaf buds. 




I heard the coo of a pigeon who, a few feet away, was puffing up his chest in an attempt to attract the nearby female (who, by the way, was not interested). 








Further along my walk, I saw an old lady tending to the garden adjacent to her apartment building. 


She was carefully picking out all the old leaves that had accumulated on the ground throughout the winter, making room for the incoming new life to breathe and relish in the sunlight. 




Green patches of grass were already showing through, giving me hope that soon, soon I would see more plants waking up rejuvenated and ready to fill the planet with their beauty. 



All the signs of spring were here this morning, and I could feel the long-awaited-for joy in the caressing breeze. 



Spring is coming!

The True Russian Sport

Cross-country skiing is in every Russian's blood. It became a part of them the first time they stood on skis and clumsily attempted the classical skiing style. It solidified as a core element within them a few years into their childhoods when they finally took to the forests and gracefully glided through. In the winter, cross-country skiing here is nearly the only accepted sport; ice skating is for professionals and down-hill skiing doesn't exist. So every Russian, from a very young age, can and does cross-country ski.

That is, every Russian from Russia…

As a Russian from America, I did not grow up in a society where cross-country skiing every winter was a mandatory, normal thing. In fact, in America, downhill skiing is much more prevalent. Though my parents both grew up cross-country skiing, enjoy it a lot, and introduced it to me and my sister at a young age; we succumbed to the American way of life quite quickly, and my most vibrant memories are ones of Ski School at the downhill ski resort Alpine Meadows.

Downhill skiing is much easier than cross-country skiing, which involves technique, power, stamina, and drive. On the other hand, downhill skiing relies a lot on the basic force of gravity, which pulls you down the hill - you just have to attempt to control it so that you don't go flying down…

I'm a pretty decent downhill skier: black diamonds are right up my alley (after I warm up on some blues). But since I've gotten older, thinking back to my Russian roots and seeing how passionate my dad is about cross-country skiing, I've tried many times to improve my xc skills. It's always the same routine:
I decide to go cross-country skiing instead of downhill skiing, very proud of my choice to widen my horizons and actually try to get better. We get to the lodge, rent the skis, get all geared up, mentality set to a good aerobic work out, and go out to the snow. Aaaaaand then it begins. Every step I take, I slip backwards. Gliding isn't a thing that actually happens - it's more of a push and stop. Don't even get me started on the hills: up is tedious and down is frightening. Falling actually hurts more than on down-hill skis. After a few minutes, my feet start to freeze. Did the shoes get tighter? Now my shoulders start to ache because using the poles is the only way I can actually move from place. The whole 'enjoy your surroundings' advise doesn't work. And though the nature is beautiful and the air is fresh, I barely notice it when all I can focus on is my failing technique and lack of movement whatsoever. An hour later (which actually feels like five) I give up and return to the lodge to sulk in my failure and misery. Why did I want to do this again? Oh to get better. Well, that didn't work…
But the next year, the same thing happens again.

Being in Russia, I thought that something Russian would awaken in me and finally after years and years of torture I would get the hang of this thing called cross-country skiing.

I thought… but unfortunately, that didn't happen.

I think the problem is me. There's something in my mental, physical, and/or emotional state that prevents me from overcoming that 'beginner' barrier. Something has to 'click', but I don't know what. I do know that I need to be less critical of myself, but when I am quite literally the worst person in any group of people I go with, it's really frustrating. People aren't perfect, and I excel in other things that others don't. I know that this is the way the world works, but in that moment of utter incompetence, it's nearly impossible to stop and enjoy the little that I can do. But this is a skill we all have to learn if it isn't a core part of us, isn't it?

So that's why next year I'll be back out there on the cross-country roads attempting yet again to evoke the Russian-ness in me, and to finally be able to enjoy this activity called cross-country skiing.
Please, please, please wish me luck….I'll need it. :)


Here are some photos from the last trip - my first time cross-country skiing in Russia!
My skiing may not have been at par, but the company was well above! :)

Is this how you do it? No….

Thanks Женя for putting up with me and not leaving me behind, even though I definitely held you back. It was a very fun trip, and the snow was amazing! Until next year :)

Humor and Kindness Cure All!!!

A note from last night: 

"Currently, I am sitting in the waiting hall of my local clinic. I have an appointment slip in my hand for 18:45, and it is 21:30. Apparently this is typical for this doctor; she often takes extra long amounts of time to check her patients and therefore the timing for all the proceeding patients is pushed back so late that one woman, I was told, left at 23:30 once. To call that doctorly dedication or poor scheduling, I am not sure. But I sure am glad that I brought my trusty Kindle with me - I'm reading one of my favorite books "Eat, Pray, Love" in Russian right now.

To my left are five others who have scheduled appointments before mine. To my right, there were two others but one woman couldn't take the wait anymore and left. She told me that this morning, her blood pressure was high and she can feel it rising with every minute she waits. She seems to be around the same age as my grandmothers, and just like them she enjoys a good listening ear. There is not much else to do so I listen to her stories. She tells me that her hears beats at abnormal rhythms - she was hospitalized when it reached 140 and had to stay for two weeks because she was in such a poor state.

A little interjection: we all are (semi)patiently waiting for our turn to visit the cardiologist because here, with free healthcare, the doctor-visiting system is not the greatest. If we leave, we are going to have to reschedule our appointment for another time, but to do that we have to go to our general doctor and get a referral. Going to the general doctor also requires an appointment slip, and the same wait could happen then as well. So basically, it is a better decision to spend the time waiting now than to risk waiting for the general doctor and then again for this cardiologist.

Between her stories, I turn back to read "Eat, Pray, Love". I am in the last third of the book where Liz is in Bali and the elderly medicine man tells her to keep up her yoga meditations but also to meditate in a new way - to smile: smile with your whole body, even your liver. As I reflexively smile when I read this, the woman resumes her conversation with me by offering me an apricot-flavored sucker. How can I say no? I take it gratefully and she tells me that she buys these by the half-kilogram. They are her favorite and whenever she goes to work, which is rare, she always takes a big bag with her to treat the security guards. She says they stand there all day, and she likes to give them these sweets to brighten their days. I tell her that she is very kind and the candies are tasty. She offers me another one, smiling, and picks up her phone to answer a call from her daughter, who finally convinces her to come home.
As the kind woman puts her coat on, wraps her scarf around her neck, and bundles up, she takes my hand and wishes me luck and good health. I wish her all the best too, and she leaves with a smile despite her failed attempt at visiting the doctor.

All of us patients have almost become a family - joined by our mutual suffering of waiting and boredom. As each individual leaves, a sister or brother departs with positive wishes for the rest of us. Now there is one less (unfortunately she was behind me and not in front - my waiting time has not changed).

The last woman in line, who is scheduled after me, just remembered that it is time for her to take her medicine. Taking out her pill pack, she realized that she didn't have water to drink it down with - verbalizing her issue, seeing as all of us are talking to one another like old friends.
One woman, the one who is next in line, quickly stood up and said that she can help. Earlier in the evening of our wait, she was the black sheep that everyone was annoyed with because she was voicing her frustration with the poor time-allocation of 15 minutes per person. She went around asking everyone what time their appointment slips are for, trying to figure out how roughly long she has to wait. Finally after about an hour she settled down and now that about two more hours have passed, all has been forgiven and she has securely entered into the hospital-family we have all formed.
She gets up and offers a small water bottle to the woman needing to take a pill, who is emphatically grateful for her timely kindness.

A new story graces our waiting hall: this time from the water bottle woman. She tells us about the importance of water - how vital it is to our well being.
Once on an over-crowded bus, she was over heating and needed to take some medicine but alas, she has no water. She was sweating, panting, asking everyone around for water. Finally a lady offered the bit of water that she had, which was literally a sip and a half, and immediately water bottle lady felt much better. She clearly was dehydrated and managed to get off at the next stop, but she could tell that there was no way she'd make it to the nearest store to buy some water. She flopped down on the bus bench and to her luck, two young men were waiting near by. As she started asking them to help her and buy her some water, one of the men didn't even wait for her to finish talking as he ran off across the bridge to the store and returned back with a large bottle of water. He wouldn't even accept any money as compensation for the purchase. Water bottle lady was so grateful, she says that on her deathbed she will remember those young men who helped her and will be forever grateful for their kindness.

It is now 22:22, and another patient has entered the viewing room. One more down, two to go.

We are all laughing at our misfortunes - either because we are delirious or have become friends...or both.

At the end of the day (literally), whether we get called in or asked to leave, we will surely be able to say two things. One - we've experienced waiting in a five hour (or more) line to the cardiologist; and two - there are amazing people in this world, even in the halls of the local clinic, who strengthen my faith in humanity with humor and kindness.

Let's hope I get to the doctor today...just a bit late."


I, along with three others, ended up being called into the doctor's office around 23:15, and we were told that we would have to reschedule our appointments for another time. The doctor apologized fervently, telling us that she had double the usual amount of patients today because due to her absence from the clinic for the past week, she needed to make up several appointments. 

At 23:45, I arrived home, pinned up my new appointment slip for March 13th at 14:45, and fell asleep. 

Last night I learned about kind-hearted people in this world. Hopefully on March 13th I will learn about my own problem-free heart. 

Fun Street Art!!

Moscow, like all large cities, is not only a masterpiece in itself, but serves as a home to many wonderful works of art called ‘graffiti’ or ‘street art’. Much of it is mumbo-jumbo, but some is truly wonderful and brings a smile to my face when I notice it as I walk by.

These pieces of art caught my attention, so I documented them.

Katya took a picture in front of this graffiti wall during our last visit.
It's changed a bit, hasn't it?

No need to dry the clothes alone, just pin the entire boy!

Funny face 

Large sombrero-wearing man!
(Can you see the face on his shirt too?)

Half-finished face

One Love, Bro!

Fishy!!

Octopus!

Nor sure what this is or what it says, but it looks cool.

Not much meaning to this post, but I find these bits of graffiti very interesting when I see them around the city, so I wanted to document them. 

Hope you enjoyed!