What to read when in Russia? Posted by josefina on Nov 13, 2007
Of course, as a student of Russian literature, I would have like to take this moment to convince as many people as possible that the thing to read when in Russia is Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Bulgakov, Gogol, Akhmatova and Lyudmila Ulitskaya – in that very same order. But today I will put aside my higher…
How to Approach a Russian Posted by josefina on Nov 12, 2007
Господин, товарищ – молодой человек? It’s that old dilemma again – how do you approach a Russian in a courteous and politically correct manner? Saying ‘comrade’ to anyone anywhere after 1992 without feeling a tinge of irony is impossible, and even though the titles used before the October Revolution, such as «господин» [mister] and «госпожа»…
Helsinki – Saint Petersburg Posted by josefina on Nov 9, 2007
[August, 2004] Already in Helsinki, as I step onto the train that in about eight hours will reach Saint Petersburg, I can sense Russia. Feel her. Russia is in the brown cloth on the seats, in the green, thick curtains hanging in front of dusty windows, in the once upon a time shiny samovar with…
Why Russian? Posted by josefina on Sep 28, 2007
If you are wondering where Russian found me, you should look to a basement at Beloit College. This basement housed classes in many languages, but I spent most of my early time there on Ancient Greek, which I was sure I wanted to continue through college. It’s one goofy language. But that first year, I…
New Station on the Moscow Metro Posted by josefina on Sep 10, 2007
The trains in the Moscow Metropolitan runs over 9000 trips on a given day, and now those trains can run to a new station, “Trubnaya.” They quit working on this station about 20 years ago, but now they’ve refurbished it and opened it to the public. It’s stylized after a Moscow street from the 20s…
Weird Russian Fruit Drinks Posted by josefina on Sep 6, 2007
This is compote, or rather, компот. Don’t be afraid of it! Compote is not a thick fruit desert, but a watery fruity drink with fruit on the bottom. It’s like juice, but lighter. You boil fruit in water with sugar to make it. The fruit on the bottom looks suspicious, but it’s good. I’ve seen…
An American Anecdote for Russians Posted by josefina on Aug 10, 2007
There are a lot of corn fields in Wisconsin, some of them striped, dodging hills, others flat and monotonous. In a very few of them an enterprising farmer has mapped out and reaped a large maze. A maize maze. You grab a pennant on a long wobbly pole, and enter the corn. If it’s a…