First thoughts, Ecuador

Over ten years ago when I was promoting Illinois Programs Abroad in Ecuador, I never thought I would actually live here. I had merely hoped to visit Quito and see what the city had to offer. Back then, it was a great place to send students on study abroad--fairly safe for a major South American city, good language instruction and universities, and a unique city and country that was easy to travel in.


Here I am over 10 years later taking in all Ecuador has to offer. We've been here almost three weeks and so far I think we're going to like living here. While it's not as safe as it once was, taxis are cheap and we're extra careful at night. Walking around during the daytime seems ok but street crime is much higher than Russia where organized crime was the issue.

The food is fabulous and we've enjoyed eating out and sampling the local fruits and vegetables. Tristan has found a new favorite in the local specialty of seviche which I hope to sample post baby.

Our first few weeks have focused on house hunting. Quito is different from other Foreign Service posts in that we have to find our own housing. Most folks take about a month of searching before they find something that suites their family needs. We've gotten lucky (or are a little less picky) and found a house halfway between where we are now and the Embassy that we submitted for inspection today. The process is fairly daunting overall. We're given a list of agents from the embassy, some of whom speak English and some don't. Then we go out and see what is available. I've posted some pics from our house hunt which was quite amusing. I saw about 15 properties--condos and houses. We're avoiding the compound areas since we're not big fans of gated communities. After being wooed by some condos with amazing views, we both realized after 4 years in apartments that we really missed living in a house and having a garden. We're keeping our fingers crossed that everything moves forward easily. As a family of 2, we're allotted 119M2 and an ample budget for Quito. The challenge here is that often what you can get within the expat price range is out of our size range and the housing board rejects it. Since we'll soon be a family of 3, we move up to 174 m2 (1873 ft2) so we have a little more room to work with and the housing board has been receptive to that appeal in the past. (The evidence grows everyday in my belly!) The embassy also checks for safety/security issues--all first floor windows have to have metal grates and the house must have a good wall around it.

What else have I been up to--wrapping up a little work that has been lingering during the day. I've also found a Spanish teacher within walking distance of the hotel. The school has a funny name--Banana Language School--but the teachers seem nice and patient and at $5 per hour Spanish lessons are a great deal. Sunday we went to the Cultural Museum about 10 blocks from the hotel and looked at artwork spanning the last 3500 years in Ecuador. Styles changed drastically as the Incas and Spanish entered the picture. Worth an afternoon visit. Otherwise the weekend was very quiet as Monday and Tuesday were national holidays and those who could left town.

I've got a month left until I leave on Maternity Medivac. We were hoping to get settled in our permanent housing before I left but the Russian movers put our HHE in an uncertified crate (I don't know what that means exactly) and it got to Miami where Transportation said it had to be repacked. It missed the boat that left on Halloween so I probably won't see it until I'm back in March with the little one.

Happy Día de los Desfuntos!

Quito Market

One of the great things about travelling is visiting local markets and tasting what is fresh and local. Ecuador is really fascinating because it has three distinct climates and can grow just about all fruits and vegetables. Coastal, mountains and jungle. I've been feasting on fresh tropical fruits and luckily there's a fruit and vegetable market every Friday just across the street from our hotel. Here's a couple pics--I spent about $7.50USD and walked away with a couple bags of goodies. The next week I spent close to $10 and it was almost too heavy to carry. Apparently, this market is a little more expensive due to location and more organics available but I haven't actually tested the reliability of the organic claim. I used to spend $50+ at the Arlington Farmers' Market so this is heaven!

3 small pineapples, Granadillas, apples, peppers, 5 mangos and sunflowers.

View of the market from my window.

The views in this city are amazing!

First pics of Quito

Here's a few pics from our house hunting expeditions in Quito. I think in the end I looked at about 12-15 condos or houses. We're putting in for an inspection on the first house this week so fingers crossed everything continues to moved forward smoothly!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2504037&id=10734476&l=2c195f8696

Yekat Ice Sculpture Festival--January 2009

I think I posted these to FB but didn't put them up on the blog. I walked from our apartment up to the main square where the annual Ice Festival was in full swing. It's a Siberian tradition with artists coming from across the region to celebrate the winter. It was -8F and I lasted about 2 hours outside with several layers on to keep me warm. The festival theme was China to honor the Shanghai Summit which happened this summit in Yekat.

As much as I wasn't a fan of our time in Russia, this is one of the cool things about living there.

Kyrgyzstan 2007

I can't believe it's already been two years since we took this amazing trip to Kyrgyzstan to visit our FIUTS Friendship Connection, Timur. We are so grateful to Timur and his family for their incredible hospitality. It truly was an amazing trip and they were incredibly gracious hosts. We will remember it as a trip of a lifetime.

Grand Canyon--Home Leave 2009

Moscow street musicians

Well, our days are numbered in Russia and we are bidding farewell to friends, colleagues and our home for the past two years. In the coming days, I'll be posting bits and pieces that I have failed to do over the past two years, either due to crappy internet connections or my own laziness.

Here's a short video clip from these guys who used to sing in the perehod, underground walkway, near my apartment in Moscow.

New First Family

A Portrait of Change
New York Times
January 21, 2009
Nation’s Many Faces in Extended First Family



By JODI KANTOR
Published: January 21, 2009
The new president was sworn in while surrounded by a clan that redrew the image of the first family.

Yekaterinburg Ice Sculpture Festival

Yesterday was a beautiful day to see the annual Ice Sculpture Festival on the main square. This is one of the best parts about living in Siberia/Urals. I lasted about 2 hours in the cold; it was -7C or 19F. Click on the slide show to see larger versions of the pictures.

Obama Names Disciples of Christ GMP Watkins to lead National Prayer Breakfast!

I'm so proud of Sharon and the Disciples of Christ and take some pride in being part of the search committee that selected her!

U.S. / Politics
Obama Names Minister to Lead Prayer Service

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: January 11, 2009
Barack Obama has selected the Rev. Sharon E. Watkins to deliver the sermon at the national prayer service that is held the day after the inauguration.

Ms. Watkins, the first woman ever selected to lead the service, is the president and general minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a small, liberal-leaning Protestant denomination with 3,754 congregations and about 690,000 members in the United States and Canada. Ms. Watkins was elected to the post in 2005, the first woman ever chosen to lead a mainline Protestant denomination.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Dear Friends,

We’re writing to wish everyone Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Our adventures continue in Russia, struggling to understand the language and culture. We’ve been blessed along the road by meeting interesting people, happiness and continued good health. In lieu of a formal Christmas card, here’s a short update on our lives over the past year…

We rang in 2008 in London with Tristan’s training classmate from the Foreign Service Institute, Stacy, and visited Carolyn’s uncle and aunt, who live outside of London.

The two of us at the London Eye.

Carolyn and Uncle Lee.

Tristan--you know where!

In February, we took a much needed warm trip to Thailand where we laid on the beach (or Tristan did when Carolyn went diving), and ate wonderful spicy food. Thailand was a welcome respite from the cold Moscow winter!

Street Food Delights!

April was filled with packing and preparations as we said goodbye to good friends in Moscow and moved to Yekaterinburg. In May, Carolyn traveled back to Moscow to host a Fulbright planning delegation on US-Russian community college cooperation, and then traveled with friends to St. Petersburg, where she experienced the White Nights (24-hour sunlight) and appreciated the beautiful architecture and European ambiance of Russia’s “window on the west”.

Just past midnight as the first bridge went up!

Peterhof

In August, we took R&R (rest and relaxation or the perk of a tough post) in the US, visited friends and family in the Seattle area, and went camping in the north Cascades. It was fantastic to be home, although it rained more than we’ve ever seen in a NW summer. Tristan headed back to Russia and Carolyn stayed on for a few more weeks of travel to New York and Texas.

Camping at Heart's Pass in the North Cascades and the Pasayten Wilderness

We’re taken several trips around the Urals region, including Nevyansk, home to a famous leaning tower, and Verkhoturye, the oldest Russian settlement east of the Urals and home to the oldest Orthodox monastery in the region.

The church at the old Kremlin in Verkhoturye

The famous leaning tower of Nevyansk

In August, we traveled to Lake Baikal in Siberia, the deepest, oldest and largest freshwater lake in the world. After a four hour flight and a five and a half hour taxi ride, we finally arrived at Olkhon Island. It was spectacular, but too cold to swim in!

Carolyn pointing at swimmers on the beach

Day trip to the north side of the island--super windy!

Shamen Rock, a Buryat sacred site, behind Tristan. We had a perfect view from our room.

Today, we are in Yekaterinburg, Russia and have been here just over eight months for the second half of our tour in Russia. The weather here is finally cold with average temperatures hovering around 8F in December. We’ve been lucky to have some sun but it rises at 9:30am and starts to set around 3:30! There’s not too much snow yet, but we’re sure that will change in the New Year!

At the border of Europe and Asia (check out who is standing where!)

Tristan is finding his job rewarding. In a two-person Consular section, he’s been able to take on many management responsibilities and has recently coordinated the local diplomatic community’s first round table on visa fraud. Carolyn finished her first year with Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, an executive search firm serving the nonprofit sector. Her projects have been meaningful and challenging including closing searches for an Asian American domestic violence agency, a research institute on race and ethnicity, and a national service organization working with older adults. In June 2009 at the first company retreat, she’ll finally meet her boss in person for the first time! It’s an amazing world of technology!

Leading a discussion (with Carolyn) about the US Elections at the American Center

We will welcome 2009 as we did 2008, in London visiting friends and family. Carolyn then heads to DC to witness the inauguration of the first African American President (woo hoo!) and church meetings in Dallas. After a mid-winter thaw in Egypt, we’ll be just about at the end of our Russian adventure.

In just under three months, we’re heading back to Seattle where we'll spend home leave followed by a cross country road trip, and then on to the Foreign Service Institute for six months of Spanish in preparation for our next post in Quito, Ecuador.

We look forward to new adventures in 2009!

Blessings to you and your family!
Peace and good tidings in this holiday season!

Carolyn & Tristan

Caroling on December 26th with FLEX Alumni at the Children's Library in Yekaterinburg
(The kids are dancing to Feliz Navidad)

Opposition in Russia

Kremlin Rules

Russia’s Liberal Opposition Loses Its Voice

By CLIFFORD J. LEVY

Published: December 24, 2008

Tired of being hounded, a prominent Russian opposition leader decided to accept a job with the Kremlin.

Death of a Patriarch

Patriarch Aleksy, Russia's equivalent to the pope, died today. I actually got to see him preside over Saturday service during Easter week last year at Christ the Savior. Aleksei has been a pivotal figure in the revival of the church here in Russia which has gone from persecuted relic to a now cozy relationship with the current government. In rural areas, the sense of belief is strong while I still believe city dwellers relate to the church as a fashionable part of being Russian.

International / Europe
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Dies at 79

By CLIFFORD J. LEVY
Published: December 6, 2008
Aleksy II led a revival of the church after Communism and built ties to the Kremlin under Vladimir V. Putin.

St Petersburg

My friend Karen had folks from DC in town last May, and I was in Moscow from Yekaterinburg for a Fulbright committee meeting. We went to St. Petersburg over the weekend in late May about a month before the Summer Solstice. The pics in the middle are from our midnight cruise. The light was incredible at 1AM.

We also took a fantastic walking tour around St Pete's with Peter's. I highly recommend them. There's a pic of our guide and owner, Peter, who has traveled all over the world. His favorite place to visit is Niger, where Elizabeth was a Peace Corps volunteer. He's a graduate of the film school which we walked by.

Peter's Walking Tours

Click on the slide show for larger images.

More Pelmeni Pictures

Kseniya teaches Tristan and I how to make homemade pelmeni!

Rolling out the dough.

Tristan makes Olivie, traditional Russian potato salad.

Election reflections

The wheels of my plane finally touched down around 11:15PM in Seattle after a weather diversion to Portland and a long flight from Moscow to Atlanta. Despite mix ups at the car rental company and the hotel, I was still really, really happy to be here. Here to experience what it means to be American. Here to vote (or at least drop our ballots off). After watching what really was a fake election in Russia earlier in the year to elect Medevedev, I felt like it was important to be here. Home for what is a civic sacrament, the act of voting. While irregularities existed and people of color are stll disenfranchised in the US, my vote counts, my voice is part of the mix and it's my duty to make every effort to exercise that right.

The enormity of what we did yesterday still has not completely sunk in. I've blogged from time to time here about my thoughts on the first African American presidential candidate and, for me, more importantly the first biracial person as a candidate. But I watched not only African Americans, but Americans across the country, break down in tears as this great dream became a reality, but I'm not there yet. Maybe it's not being here for so many months or feeling so connected, or maybe it's just that I still can't believe it.

My heart opened as I watched Jesse Jackson in tears last night at Grant Park. For all his previous nastiness in this campaign, this was a moment of triumph for the road he paved along with so many civil rights leaders. A moment of merging Resistance and Hope, a trasncendent moment for all of us. I'm sure the pit in my stomach will eventually well up, but for this moment it stirs in my jet lagged thoughts of exhuberant, over-whelmed, amazing joy. Pride, a pride we haven't felt for a long time. A pride that this country once again will be respected and a pride that will be redeeming for those of us living overseas.

I do want to take this moment to share what we've seen overseas, what Russians told us about our election. I think back most vividly to a conversation we had with a Russian guy from Moscow in a Banya (outside, wood-fired steam bath) on Okhon Island on Lake Baikal this summer. Okhon is about as far as you can get from Moscow--only recently got electricity, no running water, truly feels like the end of the earth. There Tristan and I were (naked) on one side of the wooden hut, and this guy and his friend, also naked I presume, on the other. The wood stove is gradually heating up our room till we are sweating profussely. Our conversation was across a thin wooden wall with the stove in the middle. Curious, he asked about our election. In Russian, instead of black or African American, you say black-skinned person. Like many Russians, he said he would vote for Obama if it were his choice. For a country that is incredibly racist and really doesn't like black people (or Asians or foreigners for that matter), many folks we talked to said they liked Obama. I don't know if this is because McCain hates Russia and the black guy looks better than the one who wants the cold war back.

Regardless of the reasoning, it seems there choice was more out of fashion than substance. One of the Russian papers had a whole section on the election with pictures of the KKK and headlines about our racist ways asking if we were ready for a black-skinned President. While I have asked that question repeatedly during this election, I found it absurd to have the Russian paper paint the picture that the KKK was still mainstream when dark skinned (blacks and asians) in Russia are routinely beaten for the way they look and then blamed for instegating the situation. There are few places in the US where I won't venture because of my ethnicity. There are many places in Russia where I am careful because I know what could happen. My fear is real and justified.

Regardless of Russia's hypocracy on the race issue, I take great pride in this moment. I look forward to taking pride in being a diplomatic family abroad, to representing this country abroad. For all the damage the past 8 years have done to not only our reputation and position abroad but to the value of diplomacy, an Obama Presidency will restore our image abroad as a place of Hope, Opportunity and Lasting Freedom for all.


NY TIMES Opinion Piece

Editorial
The Next President

Published: November 5, 2008
Barack Obama won the election because he saw what is wrong with this country: the utter failure of government to protect its citizens.

Pelmeni lessons and fall adventures

I've been back in Yekat for about a month now. Fall has come and gone in that short time. We made a day trip out to Aleni Ruchi (Deer Stream) Park for a day hike and enjoyed the changing leaves. Life here is very slow and sometimes a bit lonely for me. Most of my days are home alone since there's not a huge community to hang out with. The American Center is closing this week for remodel so I won't have the opportunity to work with as many students. I did a presentation on Admissions Essays last week and got to meet some really nice students.

We did have a fun weekend filled with Russian adventures. On Saturday, our friend Kseniya came over on Saturday to teach us how to make traditional homemade Pelmeni. Most of us buy these little ravioli-like morsels frozen, bring them home and boil them for a quick dinner. The handmade version is much tastier, but more labor intensive. Here's a few pics from our evening of eating, drinking and pelmeni making.


Making the dough with Kseniya


In the meantime, the snow came down.


One more photo to come. . . .

Leaders in Nonprofits!

Check this out--my boss just got listed in the top 50 next generation of nonprofit leaders you should know!

Congratulations, Laura!

Nonprofit Leadership 601

Fast Catch up & a few opinions

Well, summer is just about gone. Labor Day has past. I've spent a good junk of the summer in the states soaking up time with friends, family and good food. I think I may have finally trained my body to not be overwhelmed by jet lag which is a good accomplishment for this lifestyle.

While I missed pretty much all of the Olympics which I used to enjoy with great fascination as a child, I have managed to catch most of the political conventions. Admittedly, I'm a lifelong democrat so the DNC was a great moment in history for me. I have concerns about America thinking racism is done if we elect Obama, but I am uplifted and energized by his candidacy. What little I saw of the RNC reinforced my stereotypes and left a bad taste in my mouth. It felt like a frat boy revival rather than a presentation of issues and platform. "Drill Baby Drill? Come on, some respect and thought would be good.

My boss, Laura, shared this link before my morning conference call today.
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/politics/2008/09/cindy-mccains-300000-outfit.html
I'm from Louisiana and therefore found the whole concept completely disgusting that Cindy McCain would wear an outfit worth an estimated $300K when asking for money from the poorest state in the country! Republicans have the audacity to call the Obamas elitist??!! How did black folks connected with the southside of Chicago become elitist? Michelle Obama bought her clothes from the Gap or equivalent for the People cover. Granted, they might have been imports made by small children in Sri Lanka, but her choice speaks more to where women are today in this country. Well, enough with the rant. I could go on for a while.

We were at Lake Baikal last week, and this week I am in Indianapolis and Chicago. Baikal was amazing. Tristan put some pics up on FB, but we'll have to put some here.

In the meantime, here's a fun piece from the Daily Show!

Water Woes

I'm sitting at home hoping that the water will come back on. Water outages are not uncommon here in Russia. It's one of those reminders that while the facade of many things here is of a developed country--Versace, Dolce & Gabana and Nike grace the windows of shops in major Russian cities--the bones are more of a developing nation.

In our old apartment building in Moscow, the djshorna (apartment manager) would post a sign in Russian and English letting you know when the water would be turned off. Usually it was just the hot water that was off, but sometimes both hot and cold. The English version of the sign read, "Due to the prophylactic leading of the pipes, water will not be available from . . . to . . ." I'm not sure what version of babblefish they used to create the sign, it did get the point across. NO WATER (or a very cold shower that morning). This occasional annoyance could be tolerated. It wasn't everyday and water was reliable and generally safe to drink. It's better than Tristan's memories of filling up buckets when the water did come on in Turkmenistan because you didn't know when it would be on again.

I admit, I am getting older. Complaining is still not something I like to do publicly or appreciate when others do it, but I want the water to come back on. I'm tired of camping in my own apartment. The Consulate has done their best by providing drinking water and turning the city hot water back on. Still running water in my apartment would be nice.

I was humbled on my walk home last night from the Consulate after grabbing a shower at the gym. I passed the water spigot by one of the many construction sites around town. There was an immigrant laborer, probably from Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan, filling up about 4 huge jugs of water for his evening supply. His housing, in a metal box in the middle of a construction site, doesn't have running water and I suspect little adequate heating in the winter. I suppose I shouldn't complain; I should be moved to change his situation if I had the ability . . . frankly I just want water for us both.

Now I hear the thunder of rain outside which means my internet will probably go down, AFN satellite will be interrupted and progress on the water main near my apartment will be further delayed. Ok, I should really quit my public complaining!

Tomsk and Yekat!

Hello Everyone!

It's been a while since I've posted. Our internet is slow here Yekaterinburg and then Utel did an upgrade which threw the whole thing off. I was blaming my problems on Russian internet connections, but thanks to our neighbor and some testing and head scratching, I finally tried replacing the Ethernet cables on the whole system and that seems to have solved a large part of our problems. It's still slow, but soooo much better! It's so frustrating to stare at your screen hoping that the page will load or message will send and it go nowhere. On July 1st, our internet plan gets upgraded and fingers crossed it will be even better! YEAH!!!! My outlook is so much better here with working internet!

Many of you have asked what life is like in Yekaterinburg. It's much smaller than Moscow which is nice and challenging. No pushing and shoving on the Metro, but not so many social options in such a small town. Work keeps me occupied, and we've started to make some good connections. Believe it or not, my friend Marni from High School in Baton Rouge went to college with Emily who is the ACCEL Regional Director in Yekaterinburg and Novosbirsk. (She's in the Shashlik pictures!)

We celebrated summer solstice on Saturday with new friends Stina and George from the Park Inn and visiting colleagues from Moscow. The light is amazing at this time of year--the sky doesn't get fully dark for more than an hour. It sets around 10:30 or close to 11 and starts coming up again around 3:30. Not sure that bodes well for December!

I am just back from several trips. We arrived here on April 21st. Then I headed back to Moscow for the Fulbright Community College Collaboration meeting followed by a trip to St. Petersburg with my friend Karen. Fantastic weekend--loved St. Petes! Once our internet is upgraded, I'll put the pictures up and my recomendations.

Here's a piece from today's NY Times on Tomsk. Tristan visited there and met with students at the American Center. It really is beautiful. We'll try to put those pictures up as well!

Hope you are well!
Carolyn

Tomsk Journal
A Fresh Take on a 19th-Century Gingerbread Village
By CLIFFORD J. LEVY
Published: June 25, 2008
Nikolai Zakotnov vowed to rescue Tomsk and help the city defend an architectural heritage that is as charming as it is unexpected.

Love Shashlik in the Park!

YUM!

This is the before shot. Ksenia took these with her phone--pretty cool!

Signs of Spring

Spring is a welcome relief in Russia. The winters, even with global warming, are long, cold and dark, and the first signs of spring brighten even the gruff characters of Russians. The first rumblings for me seem to come around Women's Day or March 8th. Flowers are purchased for the women in your life and those bright bunches are tucked under many a passerby's arm. Spring is also for planting. Babushkas take the first weekend opportunity to check on their dachas and get the first plantings in the garden taking advantage of the short but precious growing season.

Spring is also the season of cleaning. Chisty Chetvergk (clean Thursday), or Maundy Thursday as it's known in the Protestant and Catholic calendars (the Thursday before Easter), is a day for cleaning out your house of the winter air and dust in preparation for the Easter Feast.

In Moscow, Spring is painting season. A peculiar practice of painting over anything, usually rather sloppily by young men, metallic in sight--iron fences, siding, trash bins, archways, curbs, etc. I've actually watched them paint trash. This is usually accompanied by a failure to put any notice that mentions wet paint. Just ask Katherine who sat on wet yellow paint at Patriarshy Ponds a few weeks ago. The guy who sat on the yellow bench next to her didn't know he wanted stripes on his suit either. Thanks to former neighbor and Hot Tipper JC for this picture from the Val near our old apartment in Moscow.

Look closely at the fence (click for larger view). HT JC adds, "BTW - now that the fence is painted, they were out washing it this morning. I'm not sure, maybe they mixed up the schedule and painted the fence 3 weeks before washing it? No, I think its just stupidity and low standards!"

Kak obichno, v Moskve! Many things still stump us daily! But isn't that the fun of living abroad??!!??

Easter Bells in Yekaterinburg

Happy Easter from Yekaterinburg!

Today, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the coming of Christ. Easter in Russia also means the coming of Spring, a welcome relief from the long winter. As I write this, I'm listening to the Easter bells of the church next to our new home in Yekaterinburg. Poised on the continental divide, Yekaterinburg is in the Ural Oblast or region and is home to former President Yeltsin.

We arrived on Monday and are settling into a slower pace of life. Moscow was fascinating and lively with much to offer, but often drains the life out of you with its noise, traffic and general aggressiveness. The expat community is small here in Yekat, but so far we like the folks we've met and it seems easy to break in.

Yesterday, we took a walk around town and checked out the market and then met up with Emily who knows an old friend of mine from High School. Very small world we live in.

Tristan at the Market

Babushka checking her eggs as she leaves the Egg Store!

Outside Market area.

Carolyn in front of an old building in Yekaterinburg.

Once I figure out how to manipulate the video, I'll put the Easter bell ringing up from last night.

Obama and the Multiracial debate

There's an interesting piece in today's New York Times on how Obama's speech in Philadelphia has sparked discussion on multi-racial identity. Being mixed, this is not a new conversation, but one that is now taking center stage in US politics.

U.S. / Politics
Who Are We? New Dialogue on Mixed Race
By MIREYA NAVARRO
Published: March 31, 2008
Many multiracial Americans say Barack Obama’s speech about race rang with a special significance in their ears.

Be sure to check out the video discussion by university mixed race students.

In other news, our blog was picked up by AFSA's Foreign Service Magazine highlighting the use of Google's blogger tools! Pretty cool!

It's spring here and I need to finish our taxes. We depart for Yekaterinburg in just 3 weeks and the reality of packing up again is settling in. YUCK! I don't mind the boxes as much as the exhausting task of finding your new favorite spots and leaving behind a strong set of friends.

Lots of fun pictures to post from Moscow after I finish those pesky taxes!!

Trans Siberian

This video was made by friend's of ours who served in Moscow. Hopefully, we'll find some time to do this in the next year.

Happy Spring!

Glad I am a telecommuter!

I laughed so hard, I cried! Thanks for Mei for the forward!

glumbert - Bad Day at the Office

Upcoming Russian Holidays

Reprinted from Fun Stuff News.

International Women’s Day (“Международный женский день,” pronounced “Myezhdoonarodnee zhenskee dyen”) is celebrated on March 8th. Some say that the origins of this holiday can be traced back to the Socialist Party in the United States. At the beginning of the 20th century, socialist in the US were promoting equal rights for women and motivated socialist in other countries to do the same. In 1910, German socialist Klara Zetkin proposed an International Women’s Day. Instead of men treating women nicely, the women went on strike and marched through the streets. On March 8th, 1917, Klara Zetkin and her Russian counterpart Alexandra Kollontai, held a women’s strike “for bread and peace” in St. Petersburg. This was soon followed by a general strike that triggered the March Revolution which brought down Tsar Nicholas II. Today the holiday has lost its political significance. Instead, it has become popular for other reasons: Men are supposed to give women gifts
on March 8th. They are also supposed to do all the housework on this day – at least in theory. You should make the effort to give a small gift (e.g., chocolates or flowers) and a greeting card to your female colleagues, friends, and relatives on this important holiday.

Maslenitsa (Shrovetide) (“Масленица”, pronounced “Masleneetsa”) is a
traditional Russian spring celebration also referred to as “Pancake Week,” “Cheese Week,” or “Butter Week.” It comes right before the seven-week Orthodox Lent. The word “Maslenitsa” refers to the Russian word “maslo”, meaning “butter.” It refers to the fact that all kinds of different foods, including butter and other fats, may be consumed before the seven-week Orthodox Lent. Christian historians say that those were really mad days in the past. Originally a pagan holiday celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring, pancakes were baked as a form of worship of the life-giving sun. People wore funny masks and costumes, and sometimes men wore women’s clothing and vice a versa. Lots of good food and a lot of wine – all of which were forbidden during the ensuing Lent – were consumed during this merry festival. A big straw doll (“Maslyona”) was built and burned on the last day of Maslenitsa to say a final goodbye to winter. Fist fighting was another popular activity that helped keep people warm and sometimes turned violent. Everyone from peasants to tsars and grand princes took part in the celebrations, which also included merry troika rides. Today this colorful celebration is once again gaining popularity, and numerous celebrations
are held during this week, in particular in Moscow’s many parks. Throughout the entire week, people make pancakes that are served with fresh cream, butter, honey, and sometimes caviar. Maslenitsa consists of three main parts: the Meeting (“Vstryecha”) of Maslenitsa on Monday; “Sheerokovaya (“Broad”) Maslenitsa,” or the peak of festive occasion, on Thursday; and the last day, the good-bye day, which comes on Sunday morning and was also referred to as Forgiveness Day (“Prashyonnoye Vaskresen’ye”) because people would ask each other for forgiveness on this day. Also on this day, godchildren would visit their godfathers and godmothers, and the big straw doll “Masylona” was burned together with any remaining foods that are forbidden during Lent.

In 2008, Maslenitsa will be celebrated from March 3rd to March 9th and many events will be held in various locations in Moscow. Restaurants will offer special Maslenitsa menus. Maslenitsa activities (including folk shows, fairs, pancake sales, concerts, ritual burnings of the Maslenitsa effigy, carnival marches, horse sleigh rides, and fireworks) usually take place on Vasilievsky Spusk (that’s the big slope leading from
Red Square down towards the Moskva River ), at the All-Russia Exhibition Center (VVTs) at Metro VDNKh, and at the Kolomenskoye Open-Air Art Museum and Nature Preserve at Metro Kolomenskaya. Information on Maslenitsa events can be found on here: http://www.maslenitsa.ru (Rus).

Right after Maslenitsa comes the seven-week Lent (“Великий пост”; pronounced “Veleekee post”) leading
right up to Easter. Orthodox Russians who take this fasting period very seriously will not consume any milk, eggs, or meat, with fish being eaten only on special occasions. With the exception of small sips of Kagor (a sweet locally produced red church wine), alcohol is also forbidden. The fast is broken on Easter Sunday with a lavish meal. Orthodox marriages cannot take place during Lent.

April 1st is April Fool’s Day (“День смеха”, pronounced “Dyen smyekha,” literally meaning “Day of Laughter.” This day is also referred to as “День Дураков,” meaning “Idiot’s Day,” pronounced “Dyen Doorakov”). This is a day of fun and laughter but not a public holiday. People tell jokes to each other and newspapers and TV publish/run funny stories and jokes. The motto of this day is “Don’t trust anybody on April 1st” (“Первое апреля – никому не верю,” pronounced “pyervoye aprelya – neekamoo nye veryoo”).

Does lack of sun put you in danger?

Here's a funny piece from the Seattle Times. Quite appropriate for those of us living in Moscow. The sun is actually out this morning, and I am enjoying some blue sky while sitting at my desk. We're off to Thailand on Sunday to soak up some vitamins (and maybe some really fantastic food!)

Does our lack of sun put your health in danger?

The Northwest's dreary winters are infamous for inducing depression. But a growing body of evidence suggests it can raise your risk of cancer and increase susceptibility to other diseases, such as diabetes.

Full story: Seattle Times Full Story

Voting from Abroad

Tristan and I filled out our ballots tonight for the Washington State Presidential Primary. Even from far away, we are getting exciting, holding our breath for something different, hoping that a new President will change and influence our reputation abroad. It's an exciting moment. In the Foreign Service Community, we are often quiet about our political viewpoints which is a new position for me. The premise being that we serve no matter who the President is. I do have to say, we would be excited to serve this man as President. For me as a bi-racial person who has organized for issues of diversity and equality, Obama's candidacy is a test of our values as Americans. Do we truly believe that all are fit to serve? Can we embrace an African American man as President? Not be blind to his color or experience, but embrace what he represents for America today? Hope is alive!

Thank you, Wallis!

Thank you, Wallis for the pretty candles!
Looks like Wallis is enjoying her stay!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

And they voted . . . well sort of

Russia held Duma (like Congressional) elections yesterday. The city seemed quiet when we took an afternoon walk (it was freezing cold) during which I received a text message reminding me to vote "Vazhna dlya strani". It's important for the country.

Well, as we all expected, Putin's party came out with a significant majority. Russian friends said they weren't voting when asked because it didn't make a difference. We watched CNN International broadcast their program "Czar Putin" all weekend which was interesting but extremely slanted and failed to explain why Russians are attracted to the strength Putin provides despite the lack of freedoms. Life after the breakup of the Soviet Union was difficult to say the least. Freedom didn't bring economic prosperity here --it brought crime, hunger and low pensions. CNN just made Russians sound crazy and scary for voting for Putin.


Sergey Ponomarev / AP
Garry Kasparov holding his ballot with all the parties crossed out Sunday.

Kasparov, former chess champion and now political activist, was released from jail in time for the elections.

Here's another article from today's St. Petersburg Times (links last longer than Moscow):
Election Coverage St. Pete's
Moscow Times

New Louisiana Governor

Well, Fall is here and I am still behind on blogging. Partly because our wireless has been down for months and I used to enjoy drinking coffee, writing and watching CNN in the morning. Now, I am chained to the desk in order to write. My summer truly was wonderful and it's hard to put into words such powerful and amazing experiences.

I'm off to Vienna or BEHA as it is written in Russian on Wednesday. The other big news is that I got a job working with another embassy spouse. We both come from academia--she is a former Fulbright scholar and has worked in Executive Search for years. Now a VP for Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, the company is expanding and hired two new Associates. It's a great job working with nonprofits in transition leading executive searches. So far I really like it and can sit at home in my PJs while working and no one knows what I'm wearing or even that I'm in Moscow! The Internet is amazing!

Well, the point of this posting was to put up a couple articles about the new governor of Louisiana who graduated from my high school, Baton Rouge Magnet High School.

New York Times
National / U.S.
Indian-American Elected Louisiana’s Governor
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: October 21, 2007
Bobby Jindal, a conservative Republican congressman from the New Orleans suburbs, inherits a state that was suffering well before Hurricane Katrina.

The Advocate
Baton Rouge Newspaper
Jindal carries 60 parishes in landslide win

Only four years older than me, I tend to be on opposite ends of the political spectrum from him. While he has a good track record of cleaning up messes in state politics (Louisiana has plenty of them!), it has been done on the backs of programs for the poor and disadvantaged. I makes me think of life here in Russia where strength in leadership often is at the cost of equality, fairness and opportunity for all. The last time I saw him was on a plane to DC from Baton Rouge last April.

For you K-dawg! The safety of Russian airlines!

Well, I have received my first official complaint that I am a terrible blogger! I know, it's true!

This summer has been crazy--lots of traveling, adjusting and readjusting to life in Moscow and elsewhere. Sooooo, I haven't had the mental space to write like I have wanted. There are lots of drafts in the post section, but not much actually here!

Since I have been so absent, here's a funny story from our neck of the woods!

Drunk parent, crazy kid, and a flight to Moscow

Cheers,
Carolyn

The struggle continues

Education
Alabama Plan Brings Out Cry of Resegregation
By SAM DILLON
Published: September 17, 2007
After white parents complained about school crowding, authorities drew up a rezoning plan. The results: almost all of the students required to move this fall were black.

Full text of article

Summer in the US: Chicago to Texas:

I love summers! Summers in Seattle are magical and probably one of my favorite things in the entire world. This summer was one of reunions with old friends, General Assembly craziness, and an amazing week in Seattle.

Here's the first installment of my pictures. I landed in Chicago on July 10 after a long delay in Atlanta. The flight from Moscow was fine--10 hours of chatting on and off in Russian with a grandmother who was visiting her daughter in Indianapolis. If I understood the story correctly, her daughter just had a baby two weeks ago and grandma was really excited about the visit. Grandma was an accompanist for a regional orchestra in a town outside of the Moscow Oblast.

Chicago was lovely--green & lush--crashed at Jessica & Laura's (THANK YOU!). Enjoyed a surprise visit with my friend Maddie--Maddie and I played flute together in college. She kept me laughing through the tortures of my Music degree!

Then off to Indy and a two-day road trip to visit Gina in Bryan, TX. (Can anyone tell me why Holiday Inns always smell like dirty socks?) The Honda did fantastically! Lots of fun at Gina's with Clara, Scott & Lillian from High School. Gina is an amazing cook & host and it was such a treat to spend time with friends from High School. I am stunned every time I think that we graduated 14 years ago! Ahhhhhh! The blessing is that I still keep in touch with these folks so many years later.

Then I was off to Slumber Falls Camp where I worked for two summers and directed for 6! The weather was so cool and wet for that time of the year (see river pics). I was amazed at the river level and the daily downpour. It was a great treat to sleep in one of the river cabins and listen to the crickets and river roaring down the hill. Got to see old friends and favorite place in New Braunfels which was a restful treat before General Assembly.

Part II coming soon: General Assembly

Click on the photos below for larger images.

A bad Russia day

Cultural adjustment means there will be good days and bad days. I've been back in Moscow for 2 and a half weeks. This is about the time I usually hit a slump--the realities of life in Moscow hit me, the charm wears off, and no one asks anymore how your trip was.

My friend Anita and I were chatting at lunch about Russian service. When we travel outside of Russia, you are shocked when people are nice to you or the service is good. I took a friend of a friend who had just arrived out to lunch and described the restaurant as pretty good food and the service isn't bad. Translation=that's a good restaurant here in Moscow. My friend Anita remarked it's amazing what we will tolerate and pay good money for in Moscow; lowest common denominator is acceptable and anything above is a welcomed surprise. The thing to remember is that in Russia there just isn't a tradition of customer service; there was no incentive in the previous 100 years for good or friendly service.

The hard part of coming back was that my trip was really fabulous and it's hard to top that! I'll post some pictures in the coming days, but it really did fill my soul to be home, to feel independent, to see mountains and sunshine, and most importantly to be around people who know me and love me.

Safe travels . . . Carolyn

Patriotic Conceptions: Time off to Procreate

I'm back in Moscow and on the same time clock, finally! I have lots to write about from my trip to the US, but first here's a funny bit from our English language paper.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007. Issue 3721. Page 4.
Region Aims for Patriotic Conceptions
By Liza Kuznetsova
The Associated Press


The Kartuzovs driving away from the hospital in the SUV they won after being chosen from among 78 other couples.

A region best known as the birthplace of Lenin has found a novel way to fight the nation's birthrate crisis: It has declared Sept. 12 the Day of Conception and is giving couples time off from work to procreate.

The hope is for a big brood of babies exactly nine months later on Russia's national day. Couples who "give birth to a patriot" during the June 12 festivities will win money, cars, refrigerators and other prizes.

Ulyanovsk, a region on the Volga River about 900 kilometers east of Moscow, has held similar contests since 2005. Since then, the number of competitors, and the number of babies born to them, has been on the rise.

Alexei Bezrukov and his wife, Yulia, won a 250,000 ruble (about $10,000) cash prize in June after she gave birth to a baby boy, Andrei. Bezrukov said patriotism wasn't their motive for having a child, their third, although the money was welcome.

"It was a patriotic atmosphere, you know when everyone is celebrating, but I wasn't thinking of anything but my son," he said. "The whole thing is great, it's great to get 250,000 rubles when you have a new baby to take care of."

Russia, with one-seventh of the Earth's land surface, has a population of 141.4 million, making it one of the most sparsely settled countries in the world. Due to a low birthrate and very high death rate, the population has been shrinking since the early 1990s.


It is now falling by almost half a percent each year. Demographic experts estimate that Russia's population could fall below 100 million by 2050.

In his state of the nation address last year, President Vladimir Putin called the demographic crisis the most acute problem facing Russia and announced a broad effort to boost the birthrate, including cash incentives to families to have more than one child.

Ulyanovsk Governor Sergei Morozov has added an element of fun to the national campaign.

When he held the first competition in 2005, 311 women signed up to take part -- and qualify for a half-day off from work. In June 2006, 46 more babies were born in Ulyanovsk's 25 hospitals than in June of the previous year, including 28 born on June 12, officials in the governor's office said.

More than 500 women signed up for the second contest, on Sept. 12 in 2006. Exactly nine months later, 78 babies, triple the region's daily average, were born. They were welcomed into the world as the national anthem was played, the officials said.

Since the campaign began, the birthrate in the region has risen steadily and is up 4.5 percent so far this year over the same period in 2006, according to the regional administration's web site.

Everyone who has a baby in an Ulyanovsk hospital on Russia Day gets some kind of prize. But the grand-prize winners are couples judged to be the fittest parents by a committee that deliberates for two weeks over the selection.

The 2007 grand prize went to Irina and Andrei Kartuzov, who received a UAZ-Patriot, an SUV made in Ulyanovsk. They told reporters that they were planning to have another child anyway when they heard about the contest.

Irina Kartuzova had to have a Caesarian section to deliver the baby and it was scheduled for June 12.

The selection committee chose the Kartuzovs from among the 78 couples because of their "respectability" and "commendable parenting" of their two older children, a spokesman for the governor said.

Other contestants won video cameras, televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.

Under the federal program, women who give birth to a second or subsequent child are to receive certificates worth 250,000 rubles, which can be used to pay for education or to improve the family's living conditions.

Monthly support payments were raised this year to 1,500 rubles (about $60) from 700 rubles.

General Assembly Highlights!

Putin's Youth Leagues

Youth Groups Created by Kremlin Serve Putin’s Cause

New York Times
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: July 8, 2007
A youth movement seeks the ideological cultivation, some say indoctrination, of the first generation to come of age in post-Soviet Russia.

Sochi and the New Turkmen Persona

It's a fascinating time to be in Russia. Sochi just won the bid for Winter Games which baffled many of us. Putin's presentation to the Olympic Committee was the first time I had ever heard him speak English. I do hope this will push Russia to deal with issues of environmental degradation and it's role in the world (maybe it will even improve customer service) as the games approach. There's much to be done.

The NY Times also had an interesting piece on the new leadership in Turkmenistan.

Seeking the Persona of New Turkmen Leader

By C. J. CHIVERS
Published: July 5, 2007
Turkmenistan’s new president holds the keys to enormous gas fields and state coffers and has promised reform.

Kyiv, Ukraine

Ukraine May-June 2007

Tristan has been in Kyiv for the past 5 weeks and finally comes back to Moscow just in time for me to leave for the states. I went for the first 2 weeks and really enjoyed Kyiv. It's more European, smaller, and slower paced than Moscow which can feel so big and overwhelming. People were a bit more friendly and patient with my language. It's Moscow-lite. Charming buildings and parks. Summers are warm (almost too hot) and lovely there. Enjoy these pictures from Kyiv.

Secretary Rice Visit: May 16, 2007

I'm finally catching up on posting old photos. These are from Secretary Rice's visit in May 2007. Relations between the US and Russia have been difficult in recent times, and she came bearing the message that we are not in a new cold war. While I (Carolyn) don't agree with many foreign policy choices of this administration, my neighbor reminded me that it's important to support strong women. Dr. Rice certainly is a strong, articulate and sharp woman and it was interesting to meet her in person.

Secretary Rice's Visit

Wallis the Kitty

I'm cat sitting for my friend who is doing language training in Tver. Her cat is really cute.

New Jerusalem Trip & Russia Day

On Tuesday June 12th, Russia Day is celebrated. Also known as Independence Day, Russian parliament formally declared its sovereignty on this day in 1990. I took a trip to Istra with some folks from the Embassy. Istra is known for the New Jerusalem Monastery, which was founded by Patriarch Nikon in 1656. It was wonderful to be out of the city and enjoy Russia Day festivities.

New Jerusalem Trip 12 June 07

Wanderlust

Thanks to FIUTS member Kim Chan for this laugh!

Things that make us chuckle!

We're in Kyiv, Ukraine for a few weeks. Tristan is on temporary duty for 6 weeks and I am here for 2 to see Kyiv and visit with friends Jennifer and Shawn from Russian language training. You can check out their Blog on life in Kyiv (www.greatdiversions.com). I can't load pictures because I am on a USAID computer, but we've been working on a list of things we find amusing about living in post-Soviet countries.

1. Beer is not really alcohol. It can be consumed any time of the day in public.
2. Correct change is always required. Cashiers always expect you to have exact change and are grumpy if you don't have it.
3. The customer is usually wrong. Customer service has come a LONG way, but still leaves something to be desired. We have found some folks, though, who defy the stereotype.
4. A stamp makes everything official. Russians are really into stamping things which makes them "official."
5. Sitting on cold, hard surfaces (metal, rocks, cement, etc) will cause sterility in women.

More to come . . .

Asian American Heritage Month

Thanks to the Asia Society for this:

Line too long, just crack open a beer--a trip to the Kyrgyz Embassy

Well it's been a busy week. Our HHE or Household Effects arrived and we've been swimming in boxes. Secretary Rice was here (more details and pictures later) with the message that we're not in a new cold war with Russia. And, Tristan and I had a little adventure to the Kyrgyz Embassy.

Tristan had an Admin Day to unpack our stuff (which takes forever!). We worked all weekend so we could try to accomplish two things today: find a vacuum belt for our Hoover which broke en route (no luck!) and find out about the possibility of visas for Kyrgyzstan to visit our friend and former FIUTS Friendship Connection, Timur, who was a Humphrey Fellow at the University of Washington last year.

After much searching on the internet and in the English version of the Russian Yellow pages, we found the address for the embassy and downloaded forms from the DC Embassy's site. We arrived to the Embassy just before noon and wandered around until we found the side of the building with the consulate after asking the Militsia (police) outside. We wandered into this courtyard area with absolutely no security which seemed incredibly strange to me who has to pass through several guard stations just walking within the US Embassy compound, but I suppose the Kyrgyz have yet to have their embassy actually shot at.

We got in line at the visa window and luckily there was a young woman standing there who spoke Russian, some English, and Kyrgyz. When I say a line, I really don't mean a line--it's more like a mass of people gathering in a tight group around the consular services window. Even if it's your "turn" others will interrupt with their questions and listen in on your business. Those of you who know anything about visa lines and border crossings, will know that the US in particular is a big fan of the "yellow line". "Don't cross the yellow line"--"Stay behind the Yellow Line!" My former students even did a whole skit about this. We like order in the US--straight, neat lines where everyone knows who is next. Forget that!

Tristan went to the window and asked about getting a visa. The guy at the window flipped through our passports trying to find previous visas and, I figured, our Russian visas which were stamped in our other passports. Being the American novelty they quickly ushered us to the back. No metal detector, no search of my bag, not even a guard. The door we went through latched, most of the time. We sat down in this lady's office and she gave us a new form to complete, told us to go down the hall to get a copy of our passports, and then take the paper she gave us to the bank down the street to pay for the visas and come back. All this only took about 15 minutes.

We wandered back out, made copies, and completed the form. We luckily bumped into the woman who spoke three languages from earlier and she told us where the bank was. So you understand the craziness of today, it was 86 degrees F in Moscow! HOT! Down the street we wandered through the schlapbom (guard gate), through a parking lot, around a couple buildings and finally found the SberBank. We got in another "line" and there we stood for the next TWO HOURS!!!

There were about 8 of us in this line and you would think this wouldn't take too long. By now it's about 12:15, enough time we thought to pay and get back to the Embassy before 1PM when the consulate closed. HA! The guy at the front of the line was there for at least 35 minutes. Again, this is not a straight, neat little American line. This is a mass of people all trying to figure out what's going on pressed up against the window. The surprising thing was that everyone knew where they were in this "line." Folks would go sit down, read a book, get up, push in front, ask a question, go back, sit down. Still "order" was kept. A Russian looking guy in front of us got so tired of the line, he left and went and bought a beer around the corner, came back and proceeded to sit down and start drinking it. When we started laughing (more out of commiseration), he slipped it under the desk, smiled, and asked us to keep it down. Another lady in line got out to go breast feed her kid twice. After another hour, the first guy popped open another beer. Luckily, he was on #2 by the time his turn came up and the bank guy said he couldn't process his payment because he didn't have his passport.

A word about "passports." Russians have two types of passports--domestic, which is your key to everything; and your actual passport which you use to leave the country. You can't sneeze without your domestic passport. We went to buy a cell phone and it was a big fuss because we didn't have a Russian passport. The funniest exchange was the guy trying to pay the passport fee because he lost his passport and the bank guy fussing at him because he couldn't process his payment without his passport! HUH?

Finally at 2PM, the bank guy said he was going to lunch. Ahhh, we'd been there two hours!!!! Tristan got pushy and pulled the, "I'm an American diplomat and I need to get this done now." We felt a bit guilty for using the privilege, but we'd paid our dues after two hours!! The bank guy processed the last four of us together and sent us to another window to pay, then we pooled our money, paid, and went back to the first window. Then there was the back and forth six times with the papers. Neither of us knew what the hell the little paper dance was all about. Bank guy would print something on the receipt, then an initial, more printing, initials and so on. Finally, a receipt with the correct stamp, I hope.

Tired and hungry, we decided to wander down the street for some lunch. We saw the Kyrgyz Cultural Center Cafe around the corner and thought it might be fun to eat there. We wandered in and the lady from the embassy who gave us our forms was there and told us to come in. She ushered us to the hostess and told her we were Americans and should be seated. I looked around the cafe and said, "I think the whole embassy staff is here." Later we figured out that the cafe closes 1-2:15 to feed the Kyrgyz Embassy staff. We had been cordially invited in by the consular officer. I nudged Tristan to go ask her if we could still get our visas this afternoon, and she said yes, give me your forms. So there in the Stolabaya (cafeteria), we handed the consular officer all our visa forms. Tristan was about to give her our passports when she told us to come back tomorrow at 10AM and she would stamp the passports. Stunned at receiving such gracious back-door hospitality, Tristan thanked her and sat down. Then, I realized, I would have to return in the morning without Tristan to get our visas. I nudged Tristan again to get her business card, tell her he was working, and that I didn't speak very good Russian. She said not to worry, that everyone knew her and not to worry about my language.

Maybe it was being the novel Americans, but I believe Kyrgyz hospitality redeemed what was otherwise a completely aggravating experience. Hopefully tomorrow will be equally as redeeming!

Take a ride on the Metro

Watch the last guy get on the train . . . a day in our life!


by alexweb on youtube

Thank you Mr. Waterman, I think

Well, I made it back safely. For the 2 of you who I know pop on regularly to this blog, you know it's been a bit quiet lately as I've been in the states. 3 weeks at home were busy, but fun--thanks to Rachel & Dave, Kevin & Alison, Mom & Dad, one long week at the Radisson Indy, Patti & Lori, Jessica & Laura, Amy, & back to home base at Kevin & Alison's. Phew! I think that was 7 different beds with my feet in 10 different states! YIKES!!!

Back to life in our little slice of Moscow trying to speak a language I'll never quite understand. After a successful, yet jet lagged adventure to the market, I thought I had not lost all linguistic ability. Then at 7:30AM (who knows what time for the brain), I was jolted out of bed by the water delivery man. Now for the Russian test sans coffee! Last time the water folks had come in typical Russian fashion, I had no clue about what the total bill would be and they had no change. I still find this a bit weird--vendors expect you to have correct change and get fussy if you don't have it. Of course, these guys didn't have any change so they said next time I would pay 500 rubles less. That doesn't mean this gets translated to the next guy.

So try explaining in a language you don't quite speak without coffee (ok, I'm from Seattle!), that the last guys didn't have change and you need to pay 500 less. The delivery guy thought I was quite amusing and figured I had just woken-up! He even laughed which is more than I've experienced from most Russians when they hear me speak. Usually it's confused looks and frowns. Needless to say, the water guy gave up and wrote "bezplatna" or free on the top of the bill and headed out. Well, my Russian got me something--laughter and free water!

Here's an old picture from Easter that I meant to post ages ago.



This little chapel is to the right as you come up from our Metro. We got a big fluffy blanket of snow Easter afternoon.

Eastern Market Fire

I am still in the states and return to Moscow on the 9th. I'll be in DC Monday and probably would have stopped by Eastern Market. It's one of my favorite places in the city.

To read about the fire: click here.

School visit

I had the unique opportunity to visit a proper Russian School in the south suburb of Scherbinka with EducationUSA which promotes higher education in the US. I talked (in English) with a high school English class. It was heaps of fun and a great chance to get out of the city.

Here are some photos from the visit:

Scherbinka School Visit

I am in the states for three weeks, but have some postings to catch up on.
Enjoy!
Carolyn

Protests in Moscow

Saturday was the first large-scale political protests in the city since we arrived. It's a difficult time for Democratic organizers in Russia who face constant oppression from the current government.

Here's the NYTimes article from today's paper
Former Chess Champion Is Detained at March in Moscow

By ANDREW E. KRAMER and MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ
Published: April 15, 2007
Garry Kasparov, the former chess champion, was arrested during a rally that ended in clashes with riot troops.

Best,
Carolyn

Easter Vigil

It was midnight when we finally left our apartment to walk over to Danilovsky Monastery for Easter Vigil service. Fireworks were going off in the distance marking the city's welcome of Easter. The streets were quiet, relatively empty of people which seemed so strange for Moscow.

We entered the gates of the Monastery, a 10 minute walk from our house, after passing through a non-working metal detector (not unusual in Moscow). The service from the main Hram (XPAM) was wafting out of speakers in the courtyard. Hundreds of people were milling about carrying candles in a subdued, yet festive atmosphere.

Russian Orthodox houses of worship are relatively small compared to their Catholic counterparts. There's also no seating and worshipers stand throughout the entire service (4 hours for Easter Vigil!). We tried to squeeze (literally) through the doors to get a peak and hear the music. The church was ablaze in light and the enormous golden chandelier radiated from the ceiling. An all male choir sang a repeated refrain in old church Slavonic while three priests encircled the inner part of the church carrying large, ornate candles. The congregation joined in with the choir on the refrain "XPUCTOC BOCKPECE" (khri-STOS vos-KREH-seh) 3 times. A joyful welcoming of the Risen Christ.

XPUCTOC BOCKPECE (khri-STOS vos-KREH-seh), which, in English, means "Christ is Risen!" It's the Paschal greeting, to which the proper answer is, "BOUCTUHY BOCKPECE" (vo-EEST-ih-nu vos-KREH-seh), which means "Truly he is risen!"

This dance of the candles, refrain and congregational response went on for at least half an hour while we were there, and I suspect long before and after we arrived. Growing tired of being packed in like sardines, we wandered to the basement where several icons were being prayed to and priests were offering Easter blessings. The crowds continued to amaze me as they lined up for a blessing. A few words were whispered in the priest's ear, the petitioner leaned over and the priest's stole covered their head, the priest offered the sign of the cross over the stole draped on one's head, a kiss to the cross and the Bible lying on the podium and the sign of the cross finished the ritual.

We wandered to the other XPAM where a mixed voice choir sang in the upstairs sanctuary, icons and frescoes lined the walls. Children lay sleeping in parents arms or sacked out on benches. Again everyone stood and some joined in the acappella singing. There was quiet stillness.

XPUCTOC BOCKPECE

Easter Call

Faith
in the resurrection
must come from
real glimpses
of our ability
to make whole
our suffering world.
For the work of
Christian grace
and love
is now,
not just later.

Rita Nakashima Brock
Disciples Theologian

Something Strange from Armenia

This Blogger is also Foreign Service. Good to know the strange and absurd is everywhere!

Divine Underground

Clean Thursday

Today is Clean Thursday, a day in the Russian Orthodox tradition where one cleans the house in preparation for the Easter Feast and burns junipur branches to clean out the stuffy winter air from your house. It's also the first day when Kulich(es) appear in the bakeries. A tall pastry much like pannetone, this brioche style bread takes 3-4 days to make and is a treasured Easter treat. I asked my Russian tutor about Easter traditions and she told me about this bread. On my way home, I peaked in the Goriachi Hleb (Hot Bread) stand by our house and was excited to see the tall, round loaves in the window.

I got in line and asked the woman at the window, "Eta Kulich?" "Da" she answers with a smile, amused at the cute little foreigner's interest in this Russian treat. My tall cake in hand, I headed home eagerly anticipating my first Russian Easter treat.

For a recipe: Kulich Recipe

Eggs play a significant role in Easter cooking in Russia. Besides in Kulich, they appear in a crustless cheesecake like dessert as well. I am watching a Russian talk show right now on Easter preparations. They have a nun and a priest along with other guests demonstrating the traditional foods for Easter. It's all in Russian so I am understanding about a third, but it's still kind fun!

On our evening stroll around the neighborhood Thursday, we walked up to Danilovsky Monastary which is the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church. Mostly women were streaming out of the grounds with candles in hand. It was beautiful to see the light being carried out of the church. In protestant traditions, the light gradually is extinguished marking the death of Jesus.

I watched the women guarding their light in the wind, ensuring it didn't go out as they returned to their homes. I think it says something about how their faith has been preserved during Soviet times when the church was supressed by the government. The faith was sustained through the nurture of women much like many significant cultural traditions.

Here's a little peak at my Kulich. Blessings on your Maundy Thursday.

First Month Pics

Here are some pictures from our first month in Moscow. Enjoy! The weather has been unusually warm and we haven't seen snow since we first arrived.
Cheers,
Carolyn

Moscow Arrival March 2007

Democracy & Russia

NY Times Article: March 26, 2007

Only in Moscow

Something tragic, absurd, and only found in Moscow.

http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=21083

The Zoo is just down the road from the US Embassy and we pass it everyday on the way to the Metro.

Racial Tensions

It doesn’t take long in a new place to figure out the pecking order of life. Here in Russia, there has been well-publicized removals of Georgians just a few months ago portrayed as the result of tensions between the two governments. Many complained that it would be the end of decent food and wine in the city. Moreover, it has ushered in a broader scale Russification of the country where people with darker hair and skin are suspect and the target of government action to reclaim, in particular, economic sectors that have long been success of those from the Caucasus.

I like to walk through Danilovsky Rynok each day near our apartment. My Russian is still not good enough to strike up a conversation with vendors, and I usually feel more comfortable just pointing and asking how much certain things cost since I still lack the vocabulary for most food items. Tristan and I were on one of our evening strolls today picking out a few things for dinner and struck up a conversation with one of the vendors. I had noticed a sign on the entrance earlier in the day, but hadn’t taken the time to decipher its meaning. I did note it was rather official looking and out of place for the rynok. This woman, like many vendors in the market, is from Azerbaijan. She said she remembered me from earlier in the day. We picked out some broccoli and parsley and started to ask about a few other things she had for sale. She had us try some canned figs which were really tasty, but too sweet for us. I said next time maybe, and she said there wouldn’t be a next time. Apparently, all the non-Russian vendors are being kicked out, and she said a Russian guy would be here next week selling in her place. Everyday, she told us, she stands here 10-11 hours a day. It’s hard work. The Russians can’t do it—they are too busy drinking, she says. I showed Tristan the sign and it confirmed that March 30 would be the end of all non-Russian vendors at the market.

While our first response is to view the situation from that of the superior expat, one can’t ignore that this exact same phenomena is taking place in the US. The rynok in Russia or the meat packing plant in Kentucky or the farmland of central Washington, in either place this is the systematic removal of browner people doing the jobs that no one else wants to do. The Russians, as is culturally appropriate, are just far more blunt about the whole thing.

Africans in Russia are routinely the victims of severe violence and hatred. We attended one of the expat churches this past Sunday whose membership includes many Africans. One of their members was attacked by a group of young men with a beer bottle last year on the way to church. I definitely have concerns about being Asian in this city, but do feel lucky to also look very American and possess the privilege of a Diplomatic identity. But I continue to ask myself if this is really significantly different than the US or just far more blatant and less sophisticated? Time will tell.

To read more about Racial Tensions in Russia, click here.

Tristan's Thoughts

Hi everyone. We've been here in Moscow for two weeks now, and I've gotten a little settled. Before coming here, my only experience of the former Soviet Union was Turkmenistan and the other Central Asian countries (except Tajikistan) that I traveled through as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1996-98. It's quite amazing how different Moscow is from those places at that time. For one thing, things here for the most part work. In T-stan, a lot of things evidently used to work, during the Soviet period, but then stopped working sometime between 1991 and the time I got there.

The telephone system, for instance. To call home from T-stan, usually I had to go to the local telegraph office and give the clerk the number for the AT&T operator in Moscow (this often flummoxed the staff, most of whom seemed not to have dealt with a call to Moscow since Gorbachev's time) who spoke English and could put me through to the States.

Often this was a lenghthy and delicate process, involving waiting for the correct booth's phone to ring and then dealing with multiple audible conversations on my line and trying to determine whose voice was that of my family member on the other end.

Now, in Moscow, we just had high-speed internet installed in our apartment. I just talked to several folks back in the U.S. using our Vonage wi-fi phone, and the call was free and for the most part perfectly clear. They can call us using my old cell number, which means it's a local call for people in the Seattle area. Pretty cool.

Also, there's a lot more variety of food here. Though I haven't seen camel yet. We'll see.

more later,

Tristan

Don’t leave home without your diplomatic potatoes.

Well, we have arrived safely and with all our maxed out luggage. It’s amazing what you can stuff in 200+ pounds of luggage. Thank god everything has wheels. Our apartment is just south of the Garden Ring which encompasses the inner part of Moscow. At first impression, it’s an amazing city. We haven’t waited longer than 3 minutes for the Metro or Bus. Within 5 minutes of our apartment we can hop on the Metro, bus or trolleybus and be most places in about 30 minutes. There are three 24-hour grocery stores and several pharmacies all within walking distance, not to mention the bakery, tabak (tobacco stands), large rinok (pronounced ree-nock, or large farmer’s market), plus vendors for just about everything else you could want on the street. If you thought Russia was still the center of bread lines and limited availability, put those preconceived notions aside. THIS is the NEW RUSSIA!

With the new Russia comes a high price. Inflation is on average 10% a year, and my jaw hit the floor at the sight of a litre of soy milk (from Finland no less) for about $10 USD. Yes, I bought the soy milk.

This doesn’t mean you can’t find a bargain. Fur is still cheap and fashionable (more in later postings on fur). In the Perehod, or underground crosswalks you can find good deals and plenty of pirated DVDs.

Today is International Women’s Day (March 8^th). While originally a Communist holiday to celebrate the great contributions of women to the Soviet State, it now is a day for families to stay home and the men stop drinking enough vodka or beer to fix their wives dinner and relieve them of their household chores. In the new Russia, it’s an excuse for men to buy the women in their lives flowers formally unavailable in Soviet times. On the Metro and street this week you can see colorful splashes of tulips or roses poking out from the sea of brown and black coats. With a little prodding, I too received a bouquet of tulips. The closet equivalent in the US is Mother’s Day, but Women’s Day is better. There’s not the painful recollection of your family of origin issues, or marginalization of single or childless folks; this holiday embraces all women (and makes a ton for the flower vendors).

Well, if you’ve read this far, you might still be wondering about the diplomatic potatoes. While I made plenty of jokes about moving to the land of snow, cabbage, and potatoes, this actually has nothing to do with cooking or snow. Upon arriving in Russia, Diplomats and their families must register with the Foreign Ministry before receiving their credentials. After a few days, a pink laminated card with your picture is returned to you. This card doesn’t really do much for you except keep you out of trouble if you are stopped by the local Police and looks like something I could have engineered in High School Yearbook class. The Embassy tells us to make sure you carry your Dip Card with you at all times. Those of you who know the beauty of the Russian language know that there are many words with close pronunciations. As Tristan and I were getting ready to head our one afternoon, I tried my wonderful Russian out and said, “Don’t forget your Diplomatic Card.” With the slight mistake of a sh instead of a ch and shift in the accent, my potatoes were granted immunity and my card got left in fridge. I’m sure that won’t be my last language faux pas.

Lesson learned:

Remember the card, leave the potatoes.