Staying Alert While Leaving for the Village

Another way to stay in touch.

Getting ready to leave the city is more complicated this year. We watch the news to see what's happening, and also to anticipate changes in money supply, prices, and train schedules.

My monthly Social Security and New Jersey teacher pension payments are automatically deposited in US banks.  We use Visa cards issued to our accounts to withdraw in Russia   $300 at a time, at $5 a transaction.  Now we have less confidence that Visa, and even the banks, will fulfill their contracts, and not bend to whatever wind is blowing from Washington.   

I've been wary of Russian banks for years, but now I'm starting to feel our money at times is safer with them.  We have accounts in rubles and dollars.  Whether the ruble or dollar is up or down, the result for us often seems a wash.

When there is a crisis, stores tend to raise prices.  Receipt slip items the past few weeks at our neighborhood Season supermarket are up... but across the way at Pitorichka, one of a  chain of smaller markets, they are about the same as usual.

We have train tickets for June 6... that's right, D Day!.. for Ostashkov, Tverskaya oblast.  I expect this train will be running no matter what.  But as with driving a car, you may control how you drive to an extent, but not  be able to control the car coming towards you... such as what strange thing the US will do next in the current crisis.

We were going to skip TV at the village, but with the current news, we now will bring a small set so we can keep up with what is- and what may- happen.

Our village is quite isolated, which may make us more vulnerable.  We have frquent power failures.  Often after a storm the lines are down for a few hours to a few days.  Some of our neighbors have gas powered electric generators. 

Some people are good about letting Larissa bring food to keep in their refrigerators to save it from spoiling. Russian reflexively assumed that any American they meet is rich and would have a generator and car.  One lady figured we were hiding our money and accused Larissa of being either poor or cheap! 

We have no land line for phones in the village.  Most Russian women love to talk for hours on the phone, so just a cellphone is tragic for Larissa.  Besides cellphone, the last few years the village has had a sort of pay phone, connected by antenna to a nationwide system.  We use a card with charged phone time from the local bank.

The roads to Pena, the next larger town to Zaloze,  are rough.  The unpaved segment can be blocked after a heavy rain, and the log bridge down.  People often swerve to the other side of the paved part to avoid pot holes.  Bad roads, unsafe cars, and erratic, sometimes drunk, drivers make for dangerous highways in Russia.

Pena has a clinic and hospital... and  two ferocious dentists, which seem to mainly pull teeth.  I was there a few years ago.  I waited a long time, watching patient after patient half stagger from the treatment room, gripping their jaws with cotton and gauze, with an upset and surprised look in their eyes.

As is  typical in a Russian public dental clinic there were two dentists working in the same room.  My dentist asked me what I wanted him to do.  I explained I needed a chipped tooth smoothed off.  He did this quickly and well... no charge.  Still, I'm going to my gentle woman platne (pay) dentist to check for cavities before we leave.

We are buying three months of pills.  This is fairly easy because Russia doesn't require the brouhaha of prescriptions unless you need to purchase narcotics or psychotropic medications.  

I will pack around 10 to 16 good paperbacks to keep me happy under the apple tree this summer.  They have to fit in my small backpack, as we're also lugging a suitcase, another large pack, a food carrier, and now a small TV and of course, this computer.

Ten years ago there were two or more trains to and from Pena every week starting in May.  Now there's one a week starting in June, but no train after the first days of September.  Each train ticket is 1504 rubles... $43.12.

The last few years the train only lets us off one station before Pena, at Ostashkov. The road trip from Ostashkov to Zaloze is longer, rougher... and more expensive... costing as much as a train ticket from St Petersburg! 

I'm sorry to see the cutback in train service, as it is still a great way to get around Russia.  Now most of the young have cars.  This trend towards more car drivers will continue, so  it's only natural that train travel will have less priority in future transportation planning.

Be sure to have a good summer, and stop by for supper sometime!

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Reducing Expat Isolation in Russia

                                            Years gone by bring an isolated feeling...

Surprising how getting older increases my sense of isolation... not just from the USA but also how I feel in Russia.  My grandma commented that after she left Scotland some of her relatives and friends there became emotionally distant.  People go on with their lives, now separate from anything about you... others die.

It’s too expensive to buy a home in the USA now.  I’m ready to visit again but I’ve been asked not to fly!   My cardiologist views me as fragile as an uncooked egg!

                                            Our last difficult trip to the USA kept us away for ten years...

Our visit last visit was a mixture of great travel, and bad situations.   While traveling in California I was caught in a legal maneuver in New Jersey.  The judges were switched by the opposing party, and the new one ruled I owed $27,000... done with no accounting, a case of local corruption.  When we arrived at Glacier Park, Montana, I had heart palpitation.  Locals drove us to the American Indian Clinic.  Not being Indian they could  only give me emergency care and send me back to our motel.  An Indian woman drove us to the hospital in Great Falls.  They didn’t keep me overnight because I had no medical insurance.  This was ironic as I made most of my income as a medical insurance salesman before, but New Jersey residency requirements prohibited my having medical insurance on our return visit. 

We decided to press on to a Duke reunion in Durham NC.  As an alumnus, I hoped they would be willing to stabilize me for the return trip to Russia, where I had health coverage as a permanent non-citizen spouse.  To our chagrin, even with Larissa’s yelling and pleading, they were chary about helping me, as, again, I had no health coverage (didn’t matter that I couldn’t).

Back in St Petersburg later when older and eligible for Medicare, I enrolled... but it’s only operative within the USA. Every month Social Security deducts a little over $100 to pay for Part B   I’m at the point where I may cancel Part B, but I hate to take this irrevocable step even though it’s unlikely I’ll ever return.

                                            Russian social culture and language both tough hurdles...

People in my neighborhood don’t wave, call out to people on the street, or make jokes with strangers.  People can be so undemonstrative that for me it’s difficult to spot whether people on buses are related or strangers. After all this time I should have gotten used to this reserve, but it makes me miss the States a lot. 

I’ve only been able to talk with people casually and often when we are in our summer village.  I’ve found a direct relationship between my ability to speak Russian and my social life with the people I see everyday, Russians.  I often go months without speaking English face to face with another native speaker. 

So I am motivated every morning to study my Russian.  Verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, names all change constantly so it seems Russian is a language I will never master.  But I find when I know that my Russian is improving every day, I feel much better about living far from my natural environment!

 

Technorati Tags: Scotland,Glacier Park,Montana,Durham NC,Duke University,Medicare,Part B.

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A Russian Feat About Feet

Gymnastics of switching between slippers and shoes.

We Americans were raised on flag worship, where it approaches a mortal sin to let the Stars and Stripes touch the ground.  Here in Russia there are serious concerns about feet.  Many people are aware that Russians never wear shoes at home, but switch to slippers at the door. 

We Americans blessed with Russian wives are stressed with a higher expectation... to balance so well that you can switch foot apparel without socks hitting the ground.  Heaven help you if you are spotted out of your shoes and taking the unnecessary step of standing in your stocking feet before donning your slippers...  or vice versa!  People here worry that the sock bottoms will get dirty... as if anyone back in the USA cares.

Now approaching age 71,  an attempt to gracefully move from shoes to slippers has become gradually more difficult for me... This performance anxiety in my creeping old age is something I wouldn’t have to manage in the States. To cope I’ve been known to use my head, putting it against a wall to maintain my balance during the Great Transition. 

Knowing that I am expected to at least attempt this footwear switch has encouraged moments of rank dishonesty, as I warily glance to see if I am being observed by a Russian before I cheat.  It also has inspired a new level of curmudgeonly expletives, most of which are fortunately not understood by the wife and neighbors. 

On asked about this phenomenon, Larissa suggested I find a seat when switching footwear, and observed that only Americans would think of putting socks or other clothes on the floor.

Footnotes about the foot towel, and the leg cross

Most Russian bathrooms have a hook low on the wall for a foot towel.  Whether you just finished a bath or shower, or follow the custom to at least wash your lower legs and feet before bedtime, this extra towel is waiting for you.  To dry your feet with a large bath towel is considered gross.

It’s very rare to see a man on TV crossing his legs as they do in America, wide open.  The main concern about the wide leg cross is that the sole of one shoe flashes out for all to see.  I’ve heard this is profoundly offensive to Arabs but why does it upset Russians?

My views...

There is still some residual prudishness more than 22 years after the end of the Moral Code of the Soviet Union.  Some American men esteem casual or sloppy behavior as Rough and Ready and are known to put their boots on chairs and railings.  Russian culture, less flexible, is quick to stop behavior that may threaten cultural norms.

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What you won’t find in Russia’s supermarkets can tell you a lot

Where am I?

I believe you could wake up in a grocery, and without seeing the languages, figure out the country you were in, perhaps even which province.  We are not so homogenized after all. 

One way to identify the country is to take note of what is missing compared to other places.  Another way is to see what is included. 

Good American food...When I visited my mom in New Jersey, she would make me a tuna sandwich with lettuce on toasted bread, served with a bowl of Campbell’s tomato soup.  People in Russia don’t eat that way. 

Even after the rapid commercialization of the food industry since 1991, ready-made processed foods are not as popular as in the US.  Concerns about shippable fruits and vegetables are starting to override taste.  Still Russian food seems better than the sometimes cardboard products of the USA produce aisle.

Tuna and tomato soup missing in Russia...

Sometimes I find canned tuna, but rarely the albacore white tuna ideal for sandwiches or salads.  Toasters are on sale at large stores in Peter but I don’t know anybody that has one.  Most people have little appreciation of the joys of toast at breakfast. 

Russians frequently make soup, usually with several ingredients, even in the hot  months of summer!  American soup companies mostly offer cans of one type of soup... tomato, potato, onion, chicken, and mushroom.   Campbell’s Soup set up an outpost in Moscow a few years back to win over Russians to  condensed soup.  But Russians feel time in the kitchen is well spent.  The Americans weren’t sufficiently successful, folded their tents, and left town.   

The last few years I’ve hungered for just such a condensed tomato soup.  As I get older and further away from life in the USA, for me a one ingredient soup beats complex heavy ones with parsley, dill, pieces of meat and pepper balls. I’ve made my own soup from tomato juice or left over spaghetti sauce, and enjoyed it on the sly when no one’s home to wonder.

Often American Internet recipes specify canned soup for flavoring.  I add the main components of the missing canned soup or just skip that part of the instructions.

Attitudes, tradition, and habit... 

Russians do not eat sandwiches with two pieces of bread.  They are mystified by my pleasure in putting together a midnight sandwich, a Dagwood special!

German brands of peanut butter and marmalade are available, but neither are part of daily Russian food.  With no sandwiches and no toast, where would you put them?

In New Jersey supermarkets there are long aisles for bottled spaghetti sauce.  Here I feel lucky to find a few varieties of tomato paste.  You won’t find any significant shelf space for bottled salad dressings, either.  Most Russians are not in the habit of eating green salads, so why would they need a prepared salad dressing?

Cold cereals unpopular...

There may be a few dry cereals near the Finn Crisp but there is nothing like the shelf space for such cereals as in the States.  Russians prefer hot cereal with butter but don’t slosh milk on top... or just eat buterbrod...  buttered bread with a cold slice of ham or kolbaca on top.

Vegetables...

Russian often fry vegetables. Frozen veggies are sold in open freezer bins with a scoop to fill a plastic bag, or you may buy from a small selection of packaged frozen vegetables.  Fresh or frozen, asparagus, spinach, and Lima beans are hard to find.

The meat aisle...

Americans and Russians both favor beef, chicken, and pork, but the USA also eats a lot of turkey and lamb.  I wish lamb chops (and mutton) were more available in St Petersburg. 

Most Russians know very little about turkey.  On some Thanksgivings we have eaten a frozen slab of tasteless turkey, but now we just eat chicken, and call it turkey.  Broiler chickens and turkeys are not popular. With Russia’s huge agricultural acreage, turkey could become a big consumer item.

The taste test says... Russia!

Of course, there are foods a Russian would tell you are missing in the typical American supermarket.  Most of the items I’ve mentioned here are not essentials, just preferences.  Overall, living in Russia these past thirteen years I feel that I have gained when it comes to the availability of tasty and healthy food.

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Technorati Tags: Tuna sandwich,toasted bread,albacore white tuna,peanut butter,marmalade,bottled spaghetti sauce,bottled salad dressing,buterbrod,kolbaca,frozen vegetables,lamb chops,mutton.

Advice from Russia to Potential Expats

In America vacations were few and short, but in Russia it’s possible to spend all summer at a beautiful lake next to the Volga.

It’s almost thirteen years since we arrived in St Petersburg from New Jersey.  Given our situation it was for the best.  Still, I caution others who are considering the expat life. 

In New Jersey...

I didn’t realize until after arriving in Russia  how much I enjoyed living in Flemington.  I worked in a small, pretty, safe town and knew many friendly people... politicians, policemen, customers.  I was always yammering in English and Spanish, sometimes taking an hour to get back from the post office because of chats on the street. 

I could stop in a luncheonette and give and get cheerful helloes and smiles.  We belonged to the Presbyterian Church and enjoyed the Sunday service and relished the church suppers.  I got respect as a businessman and active community member that I could never find in Russia... an old foreigner of no consequence stumbling with the language.

The MacDonald Insurance Agency, Inc. was a one man business whose potential was limited by my heart disease.    My association group disability claim was denied, and living costs were rising.  The INS was sending my wife to Russia, and I didn’t want to go back to a lonely single life.

In Russia...

Nowhere anywhere could I have a more loving relationship than I do with Larissa.  It is better to live in a strange country than live without her.  She is attentive and caring and has made my years with heart disease much happier than they would have been.

As a non drinker I don’t see the friendly exuberant people that only exist here with alcohol flowing. Russians are less outgoing than Americans, but have much in their culture that I admire.  Our summer village is beautiful.

We live comfortably on my Social  Security, a small NJ teacher pension, and Larissa’s Russian pension .  We  have state medical insurance, which covers hospitalizations and some doctor’s care, but surgeries, drugs, and dental are our expense. I have received good to excellent medical care including intricate valve surgery while living here.

A FEW THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU GO

Tentative becomes irrevocable...

A tentative decision can within a year or two become nearly irrevocable.  So... go for a year or less.  Just like buying property in Florida, don’t burn your bridges before you know what life will be like for you overseas.

Contrast your destination with London and Paris...

Know that life in a cosmopolitan enlightened city can be vastly better than elsewhere.  St Petersburg has beautiful buildings and culture, but lacks many of the amenities of modern life. 

To get a clear contrast, try comparing your destination with London or Paris. For instance...

• London and Paris are walking cities.  Being a pedestrian in St Petersburg is a high risk adventure.
• The British are famous for their civility.  The Russians often display no manners, not even holding a door for another shopper.
• Books and newspapers are available in many languages in England.  I have yet to spot an international newsagent in Peter.

Knowing the language may not be so helpful as you expect.

If you know the language of your host country that doesn’t assure friendly opportunities if the culture is standoffish  Russians are not usually gregarious, and can be wary of social groups.

A charitable, outgoing people are easier to mix with.

In the US many people are charitable towards their church, help the needy, and raise money for such organizations as the American Heart Association.  Russia is a paternalistic country where people are much less likely to help others, and are not likely to take the initiative.

How safety conscious is your new country? 

Not every culture values safety as much as yours. Russians are poor at checking for dangerous conditions and fixing things before accidents occur.  You will have to live with this attitude every day.

Your potential climate and level of pollution.

I miss the clear and often beautiful seasons we had in New Jersey.  St Petersburg  is often overcast, damp or humid, and polluted.

A lot of people are attracted to the challenge of getting through a winter in Maine or Russia, but it gets old after a while, especially as you too age.

Missing the views

Are you truly aware of how much you value the hills, mountains, seaside of your own country?  Living in a flat country with unattractive housing, adorned with few flowers, can have a depressing effect for someone from a scenic environment.

If it is to be, it is up to me!

With me, love trumped all other considerations, but still... it’s wise to think things over before you make the leap!

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Technorati Tags: St Petersburg Russia,Flemington NJ,Flemington Presbyterian Church,disability claim,INS,MacDonald Insurance Agency,Inc,heart valve surgery,American Heart Association,Social Security,London,Paris.

Social at 70 with InterNations in Russia

Tactless but true...

“I guess you’re the oldest person here”, a man from Central Europe said glibly.  I was chagrinned, as I have rarely thought of myself as looking that old.  I had just arrived at my first InterNations Get Together, this one at the Liden & Denz Russian Language School in St Petersburg center.

My Global Mind...

The comment was off putting, but didn’t lessen my enthusiasm for InterNations. It’s purpose is to socialize, thereby ‘Connecting Global Minds.” Unlike other organizations, InterNations emphasizes meeting in person more than mainly communicating on the Internet.

Before male expatriates had no such group as provided by the IWC, the International Women’s Club, which continues to be an excellent option for women.  The IWC is expensive and can have a rarified club-woman atmosphere.  InterNations  welcomes men and women of all ages, with no restrictions as to whether you are a local or an expatriate. 

A full membership works out to around $5.25 a month and includes monthly get-togethers with free food and two drinks!  Part of the costs are carried by sponsors for the monthly events. 

An outgoing group...

I joined InterNations a few years ago but only started attending some meetings last October. 

InterNations was the idea of three friends in 2007.  Now it is run by the founder, Malte Zeeck of Munich..  Its expansion now includes 300 cities worldwide, including 35 just in the United States!  They have most of their meetings in bars and restaurants.

Most of the men wear jeans, shirt, and sports coat.  The women, typical in Russia, are more elaborately dressed, and include many Russian women in their twenties.  The hot food and hors d'oeuvres were lavish.

My faltering  Activity Group attempt...

This fall I started a Book Club activity group.  I wanted to see if through InterNations there could be a local subgroup that would enjoy and swap books.

Our first author was Agatha Christie.  We met twice to talk over her writing, once at the English language Mayakovsky Library on Fontanka, another time in a hotel lobby.  I couldn’t generate much interest, so I resigned as book club leader.

Friends in high places are hard to find...

In November we had our get together from the 18th floor of the Azmut Hotel with a scenic view overlooking downtown St Petersburg.  I was planning to meet some Book Club members, as well as a few Scots, and figured I’d recognize them by their name tags.  First, I headed for the scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, planning to find people after having my vertical supper.

Suddenly the hotel management turned out most of the lights so we could get a better view of the city.  Under cover of darkness, more people lit up.  The resulting smoke in the darkened room  made reading name tags impossible!

Take the leap!

As people get older I think it’s sensible to put more money into convenient transportation than in earlier years.  When I go to a meeting I take the metro and walk, but take a taxi home. 

It’s never too late to join a good group, but I especially encourage younger readers to jump in the fun and give and get the most they can from InterNations and not wait until they, too, are the oldest guy in the room!

Questions to cogitate...

Is there an InterNations chapter near you?

How do you feel about smoking during a meeting?

Has your age ever made you feel a little out of place?

Comments and Emails...

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Technorati Tags: InterNations,International Women's Club,Malte Zeeck.

Forum Accusations Threaten an Innocent Expat in Russia

We live comfortable and interesting lives in Russia, but at times I have problems related to my being an expatriate.

I get most of my books on the Internet...

I rarely go to Mayakovsky Library or the English bookshops.  The trip to the Fontanka embankment takes an hour by bus, metro, and foot, which makes it too tiring for my  limitations.

Instead, I rely on BookMooch as a sociable way to get free books, only requiring a walk to the post office and some inexpensive postage.  It’s pleasant to  send and receive books worldwide with BookMooch. 

A new vulnerability...

Enrollment errors, anti- fraud measures, misinterpretations... can cut essential Internet connections.  An expat can rely heavily on his ability to get items through the Internet.  With what happened recently with BookMooch, I feel some of my emotional well being was put in question.

My website sign-on mistakes were interpreted as shifty behavior... 

In 2009 I tried to enroll with this forum...

  

Forums were a new experience for me.  I had  trouble signing on and navigating the site. 

I sent two emails to the administrator but never  was allowed to become a member. Now I see they have shifted the Way to Russia Lounge to Facebook, so at last I can participate.

I enroll in BookMooch a few months later...

BookMooch enrollment instructions were  clearer.  Here too, if someone confuses the enrollment system by re-enrolling with different email addresses, he may be blackballed from joining just because there is a possibility the applicant is a trading finagler and it often seems there is no appeal available for the innocent. 

Logo artwork courtesy of BookMooch.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

Trading sites share information about their members to sort out those who may work the system improperly. 

Internet websites aren’t able to be very flexible...

Owner John Buckman is public spirited, a giving entrepreneur.  Naturally he needs to protect this innovative and worthwhile site from schemers.  BookMooch therefore is wary, strict, and firm about indications of suspected transgression. 

It’s difficult to give everyone with a problem a fair hearing when there are around 75,000 members, and 2000 books traded each day.  As with daily life, website membership can be precarious.

Unexpected problem on the BookMooch forums

Recently I started participating on Mooch forums.   Last year a good friend on BookMooch, who had helped me secure many books, had her account frozen as a result of forum comments that were complained about (flagged).  I knew then that any problem with the forums could be serious.

I wrote Technical Support, asking why my posts on various topics had disappeared.  An administrator answered I had received ‘multiple flags by multiple members’.   They had suppressed my posts without telling me. 

The email said to not post to forums for 90 days and then I could request the ban be lifted.  Unfortunately I redid a post just before I received this letter... and then tried but couldn’t remove it.

A frozen account...

I got a second letter stating I had posted after I was told not to and my account was Vacationed (frozen)  for 90 days.

It’s mystifying how this all came about.  Perhaps some members objected to my praise of European members...their quality inventories and polite emails... which could have been taken as an implied criticism of American Moochers.

I believe strong statements are not something to be feared or crushed.  Even if I had posted provocative opinions (which I hadn’t) I don’t think that’s any reason to stop me posting.  Give and take on a forum is healthy and part of the free marketplace of ideas.

BookMooch needs clearly identified volunteer moderators.

These forums need moderators who can respond to inappropriate comments or resulting complaint flags without endangering anyone’s status or membership.

When applicants and members are turned away or frozen without fair consideration, it can only hurt the morale and growth of an organization.

As the forums exist now, I  was unwise to post on  them.  I won’t go there anymore.

A fair response...

So I was very upset.  Besides sending and receiving books with BookMooch, it is also a good site to find out about interesting books and correspond with intelligent people.  I felt I was losing an essential, worthwhile, and entertaining hobby.

Fortunately, once I wrote the administration that my repost was a glitch, my prohibition was lifted later that day.  I received reasonable and fair treatment!  I don’t want to jeopardize my membership by encountering  conflict, and have resolved to be especially careful in my dealings on the site.

Here in Russia, if you want, you can say pretty much anything on or off the Internet with little or no squelching or repercussions.  So it’s strange for me to have experienced problems on these two sites.  Have you had a similar situation in your Internet life?

Comments

It was pleasing to get so many comments on the last post.  I’ll be answering each one.  It’s a great incentive to keep writing!

Technorati Tags: Mayakovsky library,bookstores,Anglia,Parson's,forums,Way to Russia,Facebook,internet site enrollment,sharing membership information,frozen account.

The Mystery of the Russian Turnip... ‘Lass, why will ye no cook my neeps?’

Image via Wikipedia

 

The Expat Cook says...

Our up-to-date list of Russian Cooking Blogs is at the end of this post!

Russian wives are usually a compliant lot about what’s cookable in the Slavic kitchen.  True, Larissa doesn’t like smelly kidneys, and changes the subject when I talk about haggis.  But I wonder, why she refuses to cook turnips!

Madam, I’m sorry, I believe you have mistaken my rutabaga for your turnip!

The rutabaga.  In Scotland neeps = Swedes= rutabaga.  Required by law in the USA to be called rutabaga. Purple/yellow rough skin with yellow/orange flesh when cooked. Grows to 15 cm (6 inch) diameter.  Botanists view them as  a probable accidental hybrid from the early 1600s of the turnip and cabbage. Waxed for winter storage.  Sweet mild taste, loaded with nutrition.  Can winter over, no matter how severe the frosts.  Smooth leaves like those of the cabbage.

The Turnip.  White inside and out. Size ping-pong to tennis ball.    Good for stews.   Seed to harvest in a fast 5 to 8 weeks.  Must be harvested in the fall. Rough leaves with sparse hairs.

My quiet memories, and Larissa’s Soviet field work...

I assumed that a turnip had to have the same name everywhere.  What my mother taught me to cut safely and prepare for stew was actually a parafin-waxed rutabaga... .  All these years I have lived in ignorance!

While I was chopping rutabaga in New Jersey, Larissa was helping a collective farm get in the harvest in the Leningrad area... day trips from the research institute for hard but satisfying work!  If they had been harvesting rutabagas, there would have been no rush, as they can easily stay in the ground throughout the winter.  She correctly remembers that they were turnips, white round veggies that grew to a large size, only meant for pig fodder, which they still call with scorn... турнепс, turnips!

The Russian word for turnip is repa!

So Russians think a turnip is unacceptable food for people.   All these years Larissa has cooked what Russians call repa, which is (don’t tell!) a kitchen acceptable turnip.  The inside turns orange when cooked and its pungent taste is just right with melted butter.

Russians say brokva when they want rutabaga.

The other turnip-like vegetable Russians will cook is the brokva.  Only now, after days of talking with Russians and checking the Internet,  am I aware that brokva are rutabagas...the Holy Grail of what Scots use at their gatherings.  Eureka!

Mystery solved!

If I want some mashed Scottish turnips and potatoes, the ingredients, more or less, have always been at the market or cooling on the balcony.  I just need to ask for pronounced in English brokva e cartofelnoya puree... that is to say, bashed neeps and tatties!

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Our soon to be famous updated list of Russian Cooking Blogs.  Just scroll to the second half of the post that appears when you click Russian Cooking Blogs.

 

Articles and References

Are ‘Neeps’ Swedes or Turnips? Guardian.co.uk, Word of Mouth Blog, Oliver Thring

Turnip and its hybrid offspring http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/turnip.html

 

Technorati Tags: Turnips,rutabaga,neeps,tatties,Swedes,accidental hybrid,parafin waxing vegetables,repa,brokva.

 

 

 

A Startling Moon, the Barbershop Reprise, and an Expat’s Christmas in Russia

 

There’s a moon out tonight...

Early 21 December around 2 PM, I pulled back the bedroom curtain to do some sky gazing.  The nearly full moon was in the western sky.  It looked like an egg yoke from a poorly fed chicken, on a drab yellow-grey blanket with tinges of red... the worst, most depressing, moon I have ever seen!  It told me... Get thee outta here now!  With ghastly visions like this, my expectations of better village views keep me going.

The lunar eclipse occurred between 829 AM and 204 PM.  It was still dark until 959 AM but I was either sleeping it off the effect of my moon viewing, or stumbling around and didn’t notice a thing. 

Country summer life is a safety valve for frustrations in Russia.  The stars are simply wonderful in late July (after the residual effects of the White Nights), and the rainbows are spectacular.  Nothing matches the beauty of late night stars except those I saw crossing Texas in August 1964.

Low cloud cover, pollution, and too much surface light...

Besides pollution, living in an apartment makes celestial events observation difficult. We see less than half of the sky from our side of the building.  New Jersey has varying measures of light pollution, but otherwise I could walk around the yard or sit on a blanket, and pretty much see what I wanted.

How much has pollution and star dimming light increased in ten years?  I sense they are more of a problem now, as clear skies and sunshine are a rarity this season.  People care about pollution in New Jersey, but in St Petersburg citizens complain, but little effective action is taken.

Larissa and I are too on-in-years to make a change, have limited resources, and need to watch our health.  Life here is usually pleasant regardless... good friends, good food, comfortable apartment... but if we were younger and healthier we could move south to Krasnodar on the Black Sea, or Saratov at the confluence of the Don and Volga.  Somewhere with a good climate, maybe even buy a trailer in Florida!

WE NOW SWITCH THE GEARS!

Barbershop Sanitation

At last I got to my local barbershop/salon and asked the question posed in a recent post. как вы делаете дезинфекцию инстумена (How do you disinfect your instruments?)

Larissa, an older stylist, finished with a lady patron, swept and called me to the chair. Scissors and brushes lay on the shelf.  I asked Larissa my magic phrase, clearly, syllable by syllable.

She said with confidence, that they have a machine that uses ultra-violet light. I asked to see it.  Apparently they only use it once a day (if that... it had a radio on top of it).

It’s around the size of a breadbox, plastic, with a sliding tray.

Ultra-violet has been used for sterilization for over a century in TB sanitoriums, and is effective.  It is outlawed in the USA as a means to dry nails, as that procedure is carcinogenic.  Of course, if scissors are getting UV only overnight, it will not protect you from bacteria, viruses, and  pests from the last customer. 

With time I hope I will find a barbershop/salon that follows sensible sanitation procedures. More likely to find the Holy Grail.

Working Conditions in a Russian shop.

Yalena, the other stylist, eagerly asked questions about America and my life here.  I explained that in America the owner of the salon usually works side by side with the other stylists, and the mood is more upbeat. Just as here, the stylist gets around 50%.

Most St Petersburg salons have a woman whose only work is to take money from customers.  This is a waste of payroll dollars, but evinces the lack of trust between owner and worker. 

Russian bosses often look down on their employees and can treat them unapologetically with contempt.  They often don’t work in the business, but just take any profits they can squeeze.  I believe much of Russian rudeness comes from being treated badly at work. 

Article Suggestion! at end of this post, Trust Nobody!  It explains some typical Russian attitudes.

It’s very hard to be successful in your own small business here, so most stylists don’t see a better future to shoot for.  Long hours, low pay, and little opportunity are their problems.

Tipping is rare.  I usually give the 20 rubles change I get when paying for my 180 ruble cut ($6.00).

WE CLOSE WITH...

An Expatriate Christmas

Christmas is just another day in Russia. Friends and family telephoned good wishes, as many people know this is an important holiday for Americans.  People don’t send cards, but are very good about telephoning on an occasion.

Larissa and I asked her friend, Leeda from the 5th floor immediately below us, for a Christmas Eve dinner. We had three cold salads (including an especially tasty one of shredded carrots and cheese), smoked fish on French bread, and a white wine.  Then I served an American smoked ham casserole.

How some returnees to Russia react...

Since we all lived in the USA at some point, I asked if Leeda was as happy to be back in Russia as Larissa was on our arrival.  Leeda said no.

She missed the casual friendliness of American people on the street and in the  shops, how they would say, “ Excuse me!” if they bumped into you.  It was agreed that public manners have gotten worse in Russia since 2000.

It seems this is a difficult season for travel... no matter how or where.

On Christmas Day we planned to splurged on a taxi across town to have dinner with a couple from Britain and the Ukraine.  We packed wine and some small presents but no cab arrived. Traffic was impossible and it would have taken hours to get to the south of St Petersburg... so we had to cancel, losing our little bit of British Christmas we had looked forward to so much. 

We were very crestfallen.  The day after Christmas we were invited to try again in a few days, for the same menu and lots of Christmas singing!

Our wish...

Larissa and I wish you, the Reader, a happy 2011, with good friends, good health, and lots of interesting plans for the future!

Just click Comments...

How’s the moon where you are?  What’s on your mind about boss/employ relations?  Has travel been a struggle this year?

Article... Sveta Kononova, Russia Profile, “Trust Nobody!”

Technorati Tags: sky viewing russia,climates,barber sanitation,disinfecting equipment,ultraviolet,working conditions Russia,employer attitudes Russia,rudeness Russia,Svetlana Kononova,Tipping,Russian returnees,public manners,St Petersburg traffic.

New Year’s Comes First in Russia

Be careful what you wish for….

Sometimes in America when I got fed up with all the palaver of the holidays, I wished I could spend December 25 as a normal day.  Well my wish came true for the Christmases since 1999, as we now live in St Petersburg Russia.

Calendar melding  made things better.

Russians celebrate a secular New Year’s first, and then some of them have a church Christmas seven days later. They are lucky because they do not experience the babel  of a secular Christmas of Santa Claus and a religious one of Christ  wrapped together  in one day, as in America.  I believe this is healthier for Russian society, and helps enhance clear thinking.

Calendar abrakadabra!

The Russian regime since 1918 has at times followed the Gregorian calendar, the same one the West has used since the 1700’s.   New Year’s is on January 1.  Previous  New Year's long ago were March 1 and September 1.

The Orthodox [1.]  traditional Julian calendar  has Christmas on December 25, which translates in the modern Gregorian  to January 7. Those who have religious feeling can celebrate Christmas then.  We also have a largely unobserved  traditional New Year’s on January 14.

[1.] You will confuse a Russian if you ask about the Orthodox Church.  In Russian usage Orthodox means Jewish.  If you want  to be understood, you need to say Protoslav, with noun endings tacked on to fit.

New Year’s on January 1 is the biggest holiday in Russia…

We have a New Year’s tree,  Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), and presents.   Ded Moroz and his little granddaughter Snegoruchka,  his snow girl granddaughter, arrive in a troika (that can fly through the sky), to give children presents.

It’s the gulag for red Santas!

Around 1937 Stalin ordered that all Ded Moroz at the Palace of Unions have blue fur coats so they could not be confused with a Western Santa.  Now it’s easy to spot ads made with American video or ideas because  they include a red-dressed Cocoa-Cola Santa and stockings hanging by an open fireplace.  Most people live in apartments without a fireplace so the images are a little strange.  

Festive color choices are a shock to Americans such as I!

Russians don’t  follow a red and white color pattern for the season… anything is appropriate, even orange and chartreuse. 

Nostalgic music?

I heard the music of a  carol that I sang in church  in America. When I looked at the television I realized it was the background  for an advertisement unrelated to  Christmas.
 

A much easier holiday than in America…

The roads and airports are not packed as they are in America. Most people have their families nearby.  

Russian have a mandated 10 day vacation from January 1 to the 10th.  Some continue drinking, others sleep and watch sports, others still have to go to work.

Ka-boom!

In 2000 I was impressed and startled by the din of fireworks from early December 31 through the 1st.  I thought maybe it was because of  Year 2000.  I now understand that some Russians are crazy about fireworks.  No one calls the militsia unless there is a violent crime… never because your neighbor is setting off fireworks at 3 AM.

People say to whomever they meet …  Praz d' neek!  Holiday!

Women spend many hours in the kitchen making a New Year’s feast of such items as cold salads, red caviar and smoked fish on bread, vegetables, boiled potatoes, and chicken.  The men help out as ordered,  and steal food off the table set early with cold Russian salads and buterbrod (one slice sandwiches…  butter bread). 

We offer toasts during the dinner.
 

   In America the host may ask if anyone wants a drink, and make each to order… and bring  filled glasses to the table.  Here vodka, cognac, and wine bottles are put on the table and stay throughout the meal.  The host, others near you, and you yourself  keep glasses topped off.

Many Russians drink a complete small glass after each toast… at least the first one.  I no longer drink but it’s bad form to say anything… just don’t drink what is poured in front of you. But raise your water or juice glass with each toast, clink glasses, and sip some of your boring liquid!

Russians take time to have fun.

It’s usual to spend hours at the table.   Later we may dance in the hall.  Then people sit down for  some  tea and cake.

The Russian answer to “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

See if you can find “Ironiya Sud’bi”,  also called  Slorkeem Parom (the Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath),  a 1975 movie classic.  You will see the atmosphere of New Year’s in Moscow and Leningrad.  It gives a  good picture of  Soviet life.

Language students appreciate the excellent Russian in this movie.  The Polish star had her dialogue replaced with the faultless Russian accent  of another. 

Ironiya Sud'bi is a romantic comedy that leaves Russians and expats with a wonderful holiday spirit of happiness.  So, in the order that they occur here in Russia,  Happy New Year and a Merry Christmas to you, our  Valued Reader!

We appreciate comments!  Please click on the small date  way below.   It will say 23.12.09.  When clicked, this page goes to the top.  Then scroll back to the bottom and you will find the Comment box.

Technorati Tags: Russian New Year's,Russian Christmas,holiday colors,feast foods,Orthodox calendar,fireworks

Tips on Enjoying the Expatriate Life

This September to May in St Petersburg has been enjoyable. Now we are off to little Zaloza for the summer.

Last November... I started this blog about life in St Petersburg. While gathering information for the blog, I have posted to some interesting forums. Stumble Upon, which provides random sites to look at from the 'net, introduced me to Book Mooch, which is a wonderful addition to my expatriate life.

I use Google whenever I have a question, curiosity, or problem. Last fall I was frustrated that I knew few expatriates after so many years here, and did a Google search for expatriates in St Petersburg. One of the listings was for ContactExpats... search for old expatriate friends, and also start a blog for free. If it's free, It's for me! Later I realized that Contactexpats was missing some editing features, so I switched to the Blogger platform.

I registered with... WaytoRussia travel and expat forum. I put off making my first post, and was blocked, apparently for inactivity. I am still asking to be reinstated with no effective action from them. The other forum I joined last fall was ExpatRu, with a subforum about SPB. I quickly posted some comments to the forum, and decided to Google for other forums that include St Petersburg.

Forums send emails to me that are copies of replies to my posts, or activity on a topic. These include links to click to immediately return me to the right location to pen another reply.

Some forums have Russian participants, which is obvious by the phrasing they use, either missing or adding too many articles. Readers can be far away or in the same city. Some allow ads or self-promotion for free, such as for English teaching. I've received good information about the Russian keyboard, city livability, and learning Russian.

I am Loquacious, Robert7, or just my actual name appears. Recently I replied to a post from an American in St Petersburg, and got a private reply by forum email. This Russian lady and her American husband use the moniker the Great Penguin. You can have a funny or strange image placed next to your writing, or have a thumbnail photo ... which might be more surprising!

Here's some hot links to forums available for a curious expat.

JustLanded... glossy well organized world and country forums... including free classifieds
ExpatForum... the most active of them all, sponsored by an expat directory
EnglishRussia... leans towards humor, but also serious topics
RussiaClub... well organized
BritishExpats... subforum thread St Petersburg... intelligent posts
Moscow Expat... located at ww.expat.ru/forum/


Besides blogging... and forums, Book Mooch is wonderful! Blogging and forums are free, but Mooching requires a financial commitment.

John, a Californian that spent years in Europe, founded this internet club to make swapping books within countries and internationally easier. He's a good example of American iniThough life is challenging in St Petersburg, since November it has been more interesting and fulfilling! tiative and the volunteer spirit, having spent many hours setting up and maintaining a remarkable system. Sure, people can order books new and used from Amazon, but here you are part of an international community of book lovers!

I feel lucky that St Petersburg has an English library, and two foreign language bookshops to boot. But I have a problem finding less popular titles of classic authors. Book Mooch's large membership often has just the book I want. Today I reviewed their Mooching recommendations, and requested books by Zola, Joyce, and Saroyan to be sent from France, Canada, and the Phillppines!

The system sheppards communication about a potential Mooch. You list books you are willing to send, and also your wishlist. The sender pays postage, the receiver gets the book free, and points are exchanged to keep expenses and contributions balanced.

I enjoy sending and receiving books all over, and the email correspondence is particularly pleasant and literate. Now I have plenty of just the paperbacks I want to take to the village. I'll bring them back to list on Bookmooch in the fall.

Although life is challenging in St Petersburg, it has been more interesting and fulfilling with blogging, posting, and Book Mooch.

Whether you are a fellow expatriate or not, think about the kind of blog you would enjoy writing, Google your interests to find forums you might enjoy, and check out the Book Mooch website. I hope these tips add some more fun to your life!