Finding Fresh Bread .... c'est impossible!

I have been meaning to write about the extremely unfortunate situation of Yaroslavl and bakeries for a while, and how citizens of this um, ahem, lovely city are being deprived of bakeries and fresh bread. The ratio of bakeries to Yaroslavians is ... drum roll.... 1:650,000!!! There is only ONE bakery in town!! Can you believe it?! Yaroslavl has one central bakery where all bread, baked goods and cookies/sweets are made - then all of these goods are wrapped in plastic and distributed to grocery stores and bread shacks all over town. The daily ritual of frequenting the local bakery for bread and goodies has been one of my favourite things about living in Europe - of course, my most favourite thing is eating the goodies. I love the smell of fresh bread and bakeries (so good!!), and the difficult choices and dilemmas I always face once inside: croissant with chocolate or without? Spanakopita or cheese pie? Baguette or cheese bread? All of these questions plus... How many? and... What am I going to eat on my way home?


Bread shacks... where most people buy their bread and baked goods... bakeries are SO much better!!

So... I face none of these difficult decisions here... which may be a blessing in disguise. However, we have not been able to enjoy any fresh bread whatsoever, save for my attempt at making Irish Soda Bread the other day. I'm not entirely sure that I used the right flour (whole wheat flour is not in my mini-dictionary) and so it didn't really turn out as I had hoped. It still tasted good, but the bread itself was fairly dense, and when Dasha came over and I joked that I might be able to seriously hurt someone with this bread, she said that they looked like they could be used for curling. Stones. Yup. The recipe got good reviews, so I think I'll try again with a different kind of flour.

Anyways, the reason why I'm finally writing about bakeries is that I went swimming this afternoon, and was really craving something yummy from the baked good world. On my way home from the pool I bought a cinnamon roll thing that looked good even though it was nestled inside inflated plastic wrap... but it was a major disappointment. I need to bake more. Or maybe not... wait! - I need to swim more AND bake more!

Steve and his team have a big match tonight... they're going for six consecutive wins! So.... I should go and deal with my pool hair. Here's a picture of the gym complex - Atlant - I don't think I've posted it yet!



Atlant - the gym complex: the pool is on the far right in the red part and the gym where Steve's team plays is on the far left

A Hockey Game... and Public Transport

I think spring is trying to edge winter out over here... but we are in the awkward in between seasons stage and it is NOT very nice - there are massive mega ton puddles and flooded ice fields and potholes filled to the brim ready to attack-splash unsuspecting pedestrians. However, I am still well equipped for the weather with my all-purpose Sorels - I just can't really go running in them.

Last night we went to a hockey game - the first game of five in the quarter-finals. The team lost 4-0, but Steve and Freddy met some other hockey fans/maniacs/beer drinkers and bonded while Dasha and I gabbed and made sure the boys made it back into the stadium by at least the middle of each period. She saw a few people she knew there, including the father of one of her friends - who was there with another woman. She said that this kind of thing is pretty common in Russia, cheating and seeing other people while married... yuk.



Okay, and you know how I was wondering exactly how complicated taking the bus might be here? There are three different categories of bus... The electric trolley bus that I took (for 8 roubles, about 30 cents), a smaller bus that doesn't have to stop at every stop (12 roubles, about 50 cents) and a van-bus that only stops where passengers need to get off - very capable of weaving in and out of traffic (12 roubles for an intimate ride in a large mini-van... no thanks!) Daria and I tried to take the mid-sized bus once - she wanted to show me how it works (paying and telling them where I need to get off) - but it was full. So I am sticking to the #5 trolley bus, seeing as how I know how it works and exactly where it goes.

The small van-bus
Medium sized bus....
BIG trolley bus

This isn't a bus.... I think it kind of looks like a mini-tanker!

Ideas about Russia...

So yesterday I was totally shocked by some news. Apparently, only the uber-rich of Russia can afford to shop in the grocery stores on a regular basis. I haven't said much about the cost of food here, but it seems pretty expensive relative to what the average Russian purportedly earns salary-wise - I'd say that our grocery bills here are pretty comparable to our grocery bills at home. The people that I see on my daily trip the supermarket are the rich people – this explains the fancy clothing and rude behaviour. So, I guess that most other (average) people live off of what they can harvest in the summer, and from what the men manage to bring home from hunting trips... crazy! I had no idea. The average Russian will buy milk, eggs and vodka at the store (that is if they don't make the vodka at home themselves) and that's it. Wow.

Wow is right. Did you believe that? I hope not! Russia Today did a story yesterday about what Americans think life in Russia is like. I definitely do not want to compare YOUR ideas about Russia with those of the average American... but, the following questions were posed to a number of individuals, with these results:

How long do you think Russians have to wait in line for toilet paper and bread every day?
Answers were in the 2-3 hour range. Seriously....

What percentage of Russians live on one penny per day?
This is shocking... Answers ranged from the 10% (by far the best guess) to 65% and averaged in and around 50%. !!!?!!!

I know that, to make a broad and sweeping generalization, many Americans are fairly ignorant of the state of affairs of countries as far away as Russia (or as close as Canada)... but really!? However, I know that the content of most American media has been tailored for the specific enjoyment and understanding that the USA is the best place, (the one and only place!) to live, with most other countries (especially Eastern ones - oh wait, and African ones and South and Central American ones... and European ones) not being up to snuff to the American way of life and its high standards. This is extremely unfortunate. I mean, I know that a lot of the news that we get in Canada isn't objective or thorough or fair by any means, and it doesn't always paint an accurate picture of any issue or region. Of course, this is a very difficult thing to do. And when most people read the news... they want news! Not necessarily news of what ordinary life is like, here or wherever.

Anyways, yesterday the United States issued its Annual Human Rights Report, shining the spotlight on governments around the world that are committing human rights violations and failing to provide true democratic systems to their deserving, democracy-hungry citizens. In the report, the USA points its long and accusatory finger at Russia, and asserts that last year both human rights and democracy regressed in this country. The head of the European branch of the Democracy and Cooperation institute, Nataliya Narochnitskaya reacted to this part of the report by saying, “We should not be alarmed by such reports as Americans are alarmed by the reports we publish regularly about human rights violations in the US." Good comeback.

It just seems way to pretentious and presumptuous to assume that what is good for the United States is good for everyone else (duh), especially when it comes to political systems! I'm no expert by any means, and I agree that with the right conditions a democracy is the way to go... but maybe Russia isn't quite there yet. I remember my conversation with the pharmaceutical rep a few weeks ago, and his insistence that the Russian people weren't ready for a democracy... He was a little disillusioned by the fact, but pretty emphatic that with the way things are now politically, the country (and the people) will enjoy much needed improvements in almost every facet/aspect of life. Including the financial stability to go grocery shopping on a regular basis... !!!

The report also criticized the level of corruption in Russia's law enforcement agencies... which are, apparently, about as corrupt as they can get. On our walk a few days ago, Dasha and I passed the city's main police hall... and we started talking about corruption. She asked me if people bribed police officers at home - I said no, that I thought people would get into more trouble if they made such a proposition to a cop. Here, she said, you would get into more trouble if you didn't offer the policeman/woman a bribe. The only reason she doesn't have her driver's license is because it unofficially involves a bribe to city officials... which her father refuses to pay. Transparency International is an association that fights! corruption... and has some neat information on their website. Okay enough for now... it's wet and slooshy-slushy outside, but I'm going for a run anyways!

Books

Seeing as how one of my main activities here is reading, I thought I'd write about what I've read so far and what's up next... the stack of unread books is getting smaller and smaller! But no worries, there are English bookshops in Moscow and Freddy has some friends who are coming to visit from the English speaking world... they can bring me some goods.

I just finished Wayne Johnston's The Custodian of Paradise and had mixed feelings. I thought the story was captivating, but unfortunately not entirely believable - in the sense that it wasn't realistic. I don't want to give anything away but ... the ending and what the main character Sheilagh Fielding found out about her birth... was weird... and her reaction was not, as I said, entirely believable. Just my opinion though. What I really didn't like was the continual and incessant reference to her looming, monstrous height - all of 6'3"! I mean I know that is just huuuuge... but really? I would have been equally annoyed (well, maybe not quite as much) if there had been such continual talk of how teeny or fat she was, or whatever... it just seemed a bit unnecessary. I LOVED The Colony of Unrequited Dreams - that remains my favourite of his. I also recently read The Divine Ryans and enjoyed that too.

Here are some other books that I've read here, and a few thoughts:

The Shadow of the Sun (A.S. Byatt) - She's one of my favourite authors but this was my least favourite book of hers. Possession may is definitely one of the best books I've ever read (the movie was HORRIBLE) and I love the language that she uses... yum.

If on a Winter's Night A Traveller (Italo Calvino) - This book was weird - the style and structure were super unorthodox. I can't say that I read the whole thing because I found it too weird... but I will try again when the book rivers have run dry.

Into the Wild (John Krakauer) - A good and gripping read. My only complaint, as voiced by many people who wrote letters to Krakauer and Outdoor magazine after the initial story was published, is the glorification of this kind of outdoor adventure trip. Solo, battling the elements, surviving in the wilderness (in jeans, without map) - maybe noble? I don't know, I'm not convinced. I liked the movie but thought that it did just this. Admirable though his adventure was - to follow his dreams and find solitude in the pursuit of some sort of clarity on the meaning of life... he was horrible to his family and unprepared for the reality of surviving in the Alaskan wild.

The Conde Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys - There were some great stories in here and some fabulous writing. I loved Philip Gourevitch's "Where the Wild Things Are" - I looked up the lodge where he stayed in Tanzania and it looks super deluxe and very fancy... and VERY expensive... a place to dream about.

Paddle to the Amazon (Don Starkell) - definitely a good read but this guy is crazy. I think I said in an earlier post that he could have used the advice of Captain Osberg - he didn't even put all of the stuff in the canoe to see if it fit... until the morning he left! (Or waterproof his maps! Or even have maps!) What a great adventure though... and I couldn't put the book down.

The Long Ships (Frans G. Bengtsson) - a story about Viking and Scandinavian adventures. A neat look into what life was like in this part of the world a thousand years ago... or more. I also mentioned before that part of the story takes some Viking gold hunters down the Kotorosl River to the Volga... not too far from where we are living now! Neat.

So next up is Salman Rushdie's Shalimar... and then there are a few more before I get to reread The Poisonwood Bible... and put an order in for more goods. There are some fantastic book blogs out there - in fact, a whole online blogger book community. Bookmineset is a good place to start if you're interested - there are lots of links posted too.

My last thought (okay two thoughts) for the blog for today are these - last night we saw a short clip on the news about water in the United States (maybe California?)being contaminated with a small panoply of pharmaceutical drugs including growth hormones and antibiotics; it was reported that there were such small amounts that they would do no harm whatsoever. I can't find this story anywhere though... hmmm, how strange. Lastly, the Vatican issued new "deadly sins" that accord with the more modern world, in which globalisation is touching everyone. They include:

- Drug abuse
- Genetic Manipulation
- Morally dubious experimentation (including bioethical violations - like birth control)
- Environmental pollution
- Social inequalities and social injustice
- Causing poverty
- Accumulating excessive wealth (at the expense of the common good of society)

I have too many thoughts and comments about this list to talk about right now - it's sunny! I have to get outside! But... isn't the Vatican one of the richest organizations in the world? I mean, almost excessively so? I don't know... but ???

Maslenitsa - March 9th...

I am behind in important Russian days. Yesterday marked the end of Maslenitsa, an important Russian holiday that has Pagan and Christian roots... and is important for a couple of different reasons. In Christian tradition, Maslenitsa marks the beginning of Lent - and is the last week in which Orthodox Christians can eat meat, eggs, dairy and fish...(and if strictly observed... the last week people can drink alcohol of any kind, party, dance and have sex...) As in Greece, most older people observe these traditions while many younger people still frequent McDonalds, night clubs and... er.. visit their significant others. Anyways, the week is also referred to as Pancake Week (yum, pancakes) and, seeing as how Sunday is the final day of the week, it is THE pancake day.... everyone fills up on these things on Sunday (apparently there are pancake parties all over town), including ME! I made pancakes yesterday morning... but burned the first one and the last one. Oops. Furthermore, yesterday was also Forgiveness Sunday, a day on which people ask for forgiveness from each other and from God. (People literally call each other and ask for forgiveness from a past wrong.) In the pagan tradition, it is a celebration of the coming of spring and the sun - symbolized by round, yellow pancakes. I hope I didn't extend winter at all with my burnt, black, crispy pancakes... oops again.

Last year in Greece we had met a family that we became good friends with, and experienced these days with them. Though they didn't have a pancake week or pancake feast day, this past Sunday was also a big feast day in which people ate a special kind of unleavened bread, with lots of fish, wine and halva - all of which are to be given up for the 40 days leading up to Easter. Another really neat thing about this holiday in Greece was a tradition followed today, on "Clean Monday" (clean because everyone has confessed their sins and asked (and granted - I hope) forgiveness) where people go to the beach or countryside and fly kites! I remember it being a really beautiful sight.

I'm hoping that today's weather is a sign that spring is on its way - it was a gorgeous day! Almost... warm!! I met up with Dasha and we went for a long walk downtown and along the river Volga. There was some sort of an event for the holiday yesterday at a main square near the river - as indicated by several rows of porta-potties and garbage cans. Though it sounds funny that toilets and garbage cans made me wish I had known about the party... I do wish that I had known about it! I would have gone to check it out for sure. Along the river is an art gallery that had a very interesting exhibition in the back yard, I mean, ahem, on the grounds. An art gallery doesn't have a back yard, it has grounds... Anyways, there was a show of some strange work from students from St. Petersburg - I'm not convinced that they were art students, but whatever. So here are a few pictures of some of the interesting and eclectic art!

Dasha with an alien... an art-alien

This is a portable banya (a Russian turkish-bath)... not sure why it's so funny...







p.s. While I was out and about... Steve and Freddy were BAKING. And going to practise... recovery day in the sauna - tough day at work!!

March 8th - International Women's Day!!

So yesterday was a big day for women here in Russia... well, around the world I suppose - International Women's Day is celebrated here with much greater enthusiasm and aplomb (and with a very different focus) than at home, or anywhere else we've been. As the Defender's of the Fatherland Day was the all inclusive day for men (Father's Day, Veteran's Day etc.), so is IWD for women. This, however, is an international day, and I don't ever remember noticing such emphasis or importance placed on this day anywhere else, even at home in Canada. And, the emphasis is much different. I checked out CBC for some news and IWD events at home, and the focus is overly political, decrying the lack of equality and rights women have around the world and in Canada. Here, it's a celebration for women! I went out with a friend last night (new friend, story in a minute...) and asked her, "So, it's a celebration for being a woman. Just, for being a woman?" And she answered me, "Yes, of course!!" in a way that made me feel a little silly for asking - do we need any other reason?! Grandmothers, Mothers, daughters, wives and girlfriends are all given flowers and/or chocolates (the chocolate aisle in the supermarket was choco-blocked full of men on Friday and Saturday... pardon the pun) and if March 8th doesn't fall on a Saturday or Sunday, everyone gets the day off of work. So, seeing as how Steve was gone, I bought myself a chocolate bar. Yum. YAY for women! I like the idea that the day brings some attention to women's rights and the many inequalities that still exist even in a country as progressive and liberal as Canada, but a day for celebration alone is so lovely! My friend Dasha was getting text messages all night long from male friends sending their congratulations... for being a woman. Love it.

So! My new friend! Last week we went to a hockey game and Freddy had met this girl through one of his teammates... and she came along. We didn't get to talk too much at the game, but we texted each other a couple of times this week and decided to hang out this weekend. Her english is really good... and she's super easy going and friendly. We met up downtown around 8:30 and found a place to go for some drinks. We talked non-stop and laughed a lot... and drank a yummy bottle of German wine. A friend of hers came to pick us up in what was apparently a very typical Russian car (I didn't get the name of it)... but wow.. what a monster! It was old and rumbly... and apparently the type of car that gangsters and big men drive around - so people are surprised they see a young attractive woman behind the wheel. Anyways, the three of us went to the Summit club, a new disco/nightclub in town, where women got in free! It was our special day.

At first... there were only women... it was a single guy's dream. And I know how many times I've talked about how fancy and glamorous women are here, their clothes, hair, shoes etc... and I've usually been referring to what people wear to the grocery store! I honestly could have been at a fashion show in Milan or something - some of the outfits were so fancy and over the top... dresses, high heels, fancy boots - I don't think I've ever seen so much shiny patent leather in my life! (There was even a photographer snapping pics of people as they arrived... making everyone feel very glamorous and important... we missed this part though - arrived too early.) I was definitely the only girl (maybe person) in there wearing casual shoes... mrrrrr. More comfortable to dance in! We danced for most of the night... I swear, the men have the weirdest dance moves - I wanted to secretly film some of them and then post - it's sort of like a chicken dance with the arms and a random spazzy leg flex/bend unflex/straighten spastic movement... very weird and frankly completely unattractive. (I feel sorry for all of these beautiful fancy Russian women ... the men are blech. No offense.) Around 4am we were both getting sick of the smoke and increasingly deafening techno beats... time to split. Dasha called us taxis and we called it a night. It was SUPER fun... awesome to meet (and connect with - important!) another friend.

More good news - Steve and the guys won last night! Five in a row... they are on such a roll! They're now in 7th place! Awesome... Here are a few pics from around the neighborhood - we've had a few sunny days which is a mixed blessing - sun means very windy... and the whole ice and snow melting and refreezing to form sidewalk ice sheets... not so easy to walk on. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Near the mall... sort of on the outskirts of town - beautiful view!

The main intersection near our house (our building is just behind the big apartment block on the right)... this sidewalk is pure ice!

My first trip to the pool...

So I made my first trip to the pool today, at the same complex where Steve's team trains and plays - and it went off without a hitch. I know that a trip to the pool sounds easy and straightforward - but remember, my verbal communication skills match those of a toddler and I am unaccustomed to the acceptable rudeness accompanied by most daily interactions with other people. Anyways, people were nice - I got the gist of everything by responding to Russian words with "dah, dah" and really, following their gestures, not their words. It is a bit of a complicated system - chez nous, a visit to the pool involves a one-stop shop: either exchange money in return for a key at the cashier, OR swipe your membership/pass card. Here, the process involved four stops before entering the pool area. First, I had to show a woman my doctor's letter clarifying that I didn't have any infectious or contagious diseases; she told me to go downstairs and put my coat and jacket in the coat check; I then proceeded to a ticket counter where I said "I would like to..." and motioned swimming. The woman there issued me a receipt and directed me to the cashier's office down the hall where I paid $4.00 for 45 minutes of swimming - this is how they manage their pool population. At this point, I wondered if someone was ripping me off because I was a foreigner - $4 seems expensive for 45 minutes of pool time, doesn't it? So I said the word for expensive, "darahgoy," and she nodded in agreement. (I learned the word yesterday after I was unable to communicate with a saleslady in a sportstore - I was NOT interested in paying $40 for Speedo swim goggles!!) So, finally I was ready to go swimming. I was issued a lock and key, and a kind lady showed me the change room, and explained how to make my way to the pool. There weren't too many people in there (pool population control - every 45 minutes a lifeguard sounds the get-out-of-the-pool horn) and I had a lane to myself for most of the time. I had a good workout (albeit short) - I hadn't gone swimming for a LONG time... my arms felt super weak and I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. Doh.

Steve is away with the team for the weekend so I'm on my own - taking it easy tonight and taking advantage of the internet connection. I've just spent an hour on cbc's website - it's fantastic - and read several of Heather Mallick's articles, which I've really enjoyed. Anyways, time to get outside for a walk before it gets too dark...

грубый = grubih = (roughly) rude

A word that I would have like to have known and used today (and many, many other days) is rude. I cannot get over how RUDE people are here!! I came home from the supermarket this afternoon and made a beeline for the dictionary – the word was surprisingly NOT THERE. Another surprise? Our internet wasn’t working, and it didn’t work until I made a final, perfunctory effort just before heading to bed – so here I am. Anyways, I was standing in a short line at the supermarket this afternoon to pay, when a woman (blond, high heels, fancy jacket, mid 20s) totally budged in front of me in line. She came into physical contact with me to get in front of me! And I was at a total loss for words. A total loss for Russian words that is – I could think of LOTS of things to say to her in a few other languages. I know of a few budging techniques – like the one where you pretend to be standing beside someone that maybe you know (false) and fade/absorb into the line as it slowly inches forward – I saw that one at the post office a few days ago. This, was not at all subtle. She sort of tried to get past me on the left (I was thinking – is this woman really trying to cut in front of me?!) and so I take a small step to the left. She then squirmed around me, physically almost pushing me out of the way to get in front of me! I couldn’t believe it.... and I couldn’t say anything! So, I gave her a mega stare down (daggers), from the time she placed her groceries on the belt until she had bagged them and left – she totally ignored me. There are many reasons that I hate not being able to communicate here (with words that is), and this was one of them. The only thing that I could have said that may have remotely expressed how I felt would translate as “not beautiful.” I’m not sure how that would have been understood, but surely it would not have accurately conveyed my annoyance. I really wonder if she would have done that to a Russian woman – or someone who at least looks Russian (remember, I stick out like a sore thumb)... hmmm. SO! Now I know the word for rude. As for the rest of what I would have said in English.... next time I might just say it anyways!

Haphazard Baking...

I've never been one to obey the rules... when it comes to cooking and baking that is. Then and only then - of course! I often alter recipes so much (and don't write anything down) that when it comes time to make it again I make something totally different. Usually this isn't really an issue - I mean, things turn out and taste good anyways (most of the time) BUT... I have no measuring cups here so am guessing recipes and quantities... a new venture in guesswork and baking. I made banana muffins today (they are THE BEST!)and they turned out - even with my advanced measuring tools (see below).


In our haste to get out of Winnipeg or, rather, in our haste to get to Russia we forgot a lot of "essentials" that we usually bring with us overseas. We were SUPER rushed to pack and get organized because turn around time from the Olympic qualification tournament in Puerto Rico to flights to Toronto was nil - this was all exacerbated by the fact that the documents we needed to get our visas were late and then lost... (it was super stressful) but we left anyways and, yes, left a lot of things in Winnipeg. Some of the things that we usually bring with us but forgot include: a plastic bendy spatula, cheese slicer, Euro-plugged hand held blender, silicon bakeware, and measuring cups. And FOOD... we usually make maple syrup and barbeque sauce a top priority. Geez... what were we thinking! Of course, one can usually find these things in Europe, but we haven't had any luck here. As far as the kitchen stuff goes, we could buy some of these things but when I think about how many cheese slicers and spatulas and lasagna dishes we've bought... we could stock a small store. So, we've only purchased a few things here - a cookie sheet that doubles as a roasting pan, a frying pan and a pot (we had one... but sans lid). So the kitchen is not fully equipped by any means, but I can still make muffins. And eat them too.



Here is my thrown together recipe (from a delicious recipe written down in a cookbook.. in Winnipeg)

3 smashed bananas
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
about 1 1/2 cups of flour
a teaspoon of baking soda (or powder)
a small chunk of melted butter (maybe around 1/4 cup?)
chocolate chunks (yum)
I think that's it... 350 until they're done.

One more recipe that I LOVE... another throw it together one but very healthy and vegetarian (or not.. add meat if yee like)... LENTIL STEW: (doesn't really sound that appealing but it is super yummy)

sautee some onions
add about a cup of lentils... stir stir stir
add about 1 1/2 litres of broth
AND potato chunks, carrot rounds, a can of diced tomatoes... and whatever else...
bring to a boil, then let it simmer away, until all is cooked and ENJOY!

(p.s. Reading this recipe makes me think of Amelia Bedelia... I wonder how she would make these recipes?... I'm hoping that someone knows this lady and her innumerable talents - a character from kids books!)

Finally.... the SUN!

An apartment building close to our place...

The sun is out! Finally! So this will be a short one... maybe. It's amazing how the weather can govern your life... maybe not govern, but influence. So yesterday our internet cut out and it didn't work until this afternoon - Steve worked his magic and somehow got it going. It's pretty frustrating not being able to rely on the connection - we need internet! I don't know what I'd do without it. Well, yes I do - I'd be completely out of touch with friends, family, news, the world... etc. Boo.

Last night we went out to the Dublin Pub, a small place attached to a hotel in town. There weren't many people, but there was beer! Yum. We were joined by a Russian couple that was trying to decipher our accents - their guesses were American or British but weren't sure... yikes - we immediately set them straight. They were pharmaceutical reps on a business trip from St. Petersburg, but have medical degrees - one is a psychiatrist and the other a urologist, and get this - it is more lucrative to work as a pharmaceutical rep than as a doctor in this country.... wild! They told us that a doctor makes around $500 USD a month here! (Dentists make more apparently...) I know that Daria and I talked about this last week, but when she said that a health care worker made around $500 I assumed she meant a nurse or a care aide or something... eep. They were really nice and their English was pretty good so it was enjoyable, save for the smoking - they sheepishly admitted that yes, it's very unhealthy and yes, we tell all of our patients/clients NOT to smoke. We asked them what they thought about the recent elections (when I said that he parenthesized "elections" with his fingers) and Medvedev's victory. They seemed disappointed and convinced that the election was a fake - Medvedev was a shoe-in, and in reality, the public had no voice or say in the matter. However, when I asked him if he thought free elections and a true democratic vote would be better he said no, that Russia wasn't ready for a democracy. He also kept saying that Russia was stuck in medieval times, save for the larger cities. Yaroslavl doesn't seem stuck in medieval times... but there are parts of town that seem stuck somewhere. Anyways, it was refreshing to meet some new people and have a good conversation about Russian politics and life in general.

It was still snowing this morning, and there's now a thin coat of snow on top of the frozen ice-slush. I had to get out and do some exercise so I went for a run in the park and somehow managed not to fall and not to twist an ankle - lucky. Tonight we're going to a hockey game - first playoff game of the season for the local team... so that should be fun. Not much else - I'm about to start a new book, yay. It's either going to be Wayne Johnston's The Custodian of Paradise or Salman Rushdie's Shalimar... haven't decided yet. Okay, the sun is shining... must get outside!

Here are a few pics from Saturday's win:

Yesterday's Post..

Our internet cut out just as I was about to post this yesterday...

It is still snowing here, but because it’s a bit warmer today we’ve got a slush city on our hands. Like I said, I’m good in my Sorel’s... but the wind is still discouraging me from going outside. Not that I haven’t been outside today – this morning I made a trip to the post office, and had my patience severely tested. There was a looong line... that was not respected. People jostled around the window, cut in line, and some people even left and came back to reclaim their space in the queue. I waited for about half an hour (without even knowing if I was in the right place – no one else seemed to be mailing letters)... and left. We also went downtown this morning; Freddy visited DHL and Steve and I checked out the World Gym – a potential gym for me! It was nice, but nothing special. (The woman just called to let me know the monthly rate – they usually sell memberships on an annual basis only – and she said it would be 9000 roubles!!! That’s over $350! I don’t think so...) I’m hoping that the weather might clear up a little bit so I can hit the park for a run...

So I finished The God Delusion, and my final impressions are much the same as my initial ones. I think that the book was too long - but could it have been any shorter? A book discrediting religion? Probably not.

Anyways, I think that Dawkins is way too brazen, self-confident and self-assured; he often refers to himself as "enlightened" and focuses way too much on Darwin’s theory of evolution. He completely discredits theology as a discipline, and refers to religion as a disease ("When I noted the symptoms of an individual infected by religion...") which seems pretty disrespectful (I wonder if he'd like to present these ideas to Ayatollah Khamenei?) This reflects one of his main points: religion shouldn't be afforded automatic respect - i.e. we shouldn't respect and accept someone else's beliefs just because they are religious. While I agree with this, I don't think that there's any need to be rude, and he often was quite rude. Anyways, the book didn't leave me an atheist or an agnostic but it did make me think about my beliefs. This was one of his other main points: we should question faith (especially in the face of science and Darwinism) and scripture. While all of this is a pretty acceptable phenomenon in the liberal West, it's not quite so popular in other religions. Other things that I liked about the book were the point that religion needs to be left out of politics - but I think we're in a little too deep for that. Also, he pointed out that religious wars and conflicts are often more about avenging previous wrongs than about theological differences; true, but very complicated... arg. I also agree with the fact that religion is often used to justify harmful or abusive cultural practises such subjugation of women - again, no good. This is such a complicated and complex issue that it's hard to even think about it all at once... my head hurts!

So, it was worth reading but... with a grain of salt. Religion has been around for so long... and has played so many different roles in different societies that it seems a little naive to think that we can, in the name of scientific evidence, abolish God and religion from human life. I think that the idea of God is changing (in some places) and people have different ideas about what "God" is, or what religion is, and about what role it might have in their lives. The big issue, in my opinion, at the moment, is extremism and fanaticism - and these issues can't be addressed without thinking about politics and international relations. Unfortunately. I think the best we can hope for, at least as individuals, is a balance between fact and whatever fiction we need to be happy and positively affect the lives of those around us. But then again, who defines what is positive? Or good? The debate could go on forever... just like the book. Doh!

Hit by a Blizzard!

Spring has not sprung. It has been snowing for the past two days and there's no sign of it letting up. It's windy and blustery and my morning excursion (to buy internet recharge cards and water - necessities!!) will likely be my only trip outside for the day. It was not pleasant - not that I enjoy feeling trapped in the apartment; I'd much rather be outside... BUT the wind was just too much. Positive things about this weather are that it provides a very nice view from our window - everything blanketed in white and the wind whipping here and there, and the snow is much easier to walk on than frozen ice-slush... it's just the wind.

The guys won last night 3-1 in a bit of a scrappy match and though the team is still in 9th place, they are tied for points with the 8th and 7th place teams... making relegation a lot less likely. As per usual they have the day off today so... we're taking it easy. My plans for the day include yoga, some schoolwork, reading and watching The Office. Yes, very exciting. Here are a few pics from the last couple of days...

The address is painted right on to most buildings: this is ours, 16 Mendeleeva

Out for a walk, in the time of melty snow-slush

McDonalds is everywhere!

One of the main streets downtown

After last night's game... wearing my new jacket!

Election Day

It’s Election Day today! It seems a bit strange that it’s on a Sunday... but at least most people are free I imagine. I’m not sure if there’s been a lot of campaigning, as our TV exposure is limited to Italian channels and Russia Today, where there has been news of the race, but no propaganda. I mentioned something about a municipal election last week – the reason being that there were lots of fliers and posters being handed out with a female political figure, and because there are no women in the presidential election in Russia, I assumed that it must be for something else. Anyways, my exposure to and knowledge of Russian politics was very minimal prior to coming here (and still is - it’s only slightly improved), but this is what I understand of it so far. Life in Russia has improved immensely under Putin, and I’m sure that he would remain in power if the rules were such that he could serve for more that two consecutive terms. However, seeing as how that isn’t the case, he’s endorsed Dmitry Medvedev, and is definitely staying around to help out... albeit, in a more behind the scenes role. Medvedev is the favourite, and there is some concern that people won’t show up at the polls because it’s been predicted that he’ll win with an overwhelming majority. Other players include Andrey Bogdanov, who reminds me of someone in the Addams family (is that mean?), Gennady Zyuganov and Vladimir Zhirinovsky. I don’t know much about Zyuganov, but Zhirinovsky... wow. We’ve seen several clips on the tube where he’s literally assaulted other political figures – on several different talk shows, and in Parliament!! This guy is as belligerent and pugnacious as you can get – I’m not sure if such aggressive and confrontational behaviour is what one wants in a president, or in a fellow foreign leader – I don’t quite think so. I can’t believe that legal action hasn’t been taken against this guy prior to last week’s decision of Mr. Addams family - he didn’t sue Zhirinovsky for assault (nor did his representative who actually was assaulted)... but for political extremism and hooliganism. Popular opinion is that nothing will come of it, as this is deemed normal behaviour... at least for Zhirinovsky. Amazing. The confrontation (during a political debate) was televised a few days ago, and this is some of what Zhirinovsy said:

“Don’t interrupt me! Don’t interrupt now! Don’t interrupt me! You don’t know how to moderate; I’ll moderate the debates myself. He’s a scoundrel. Look at his face! The guy’s sick! A typical schizoid! Any psychiatrist will tell you the guy’s a wacko,”

And,

“Get out of the studio! Get out of here, I say! Get the hell out of here! Scoundrel! You’ll see me in court? I’ll rip your head off! A professor, my foot! Idiot! [Addressing to his bodyguard] What are you looking at?! Grab him and kick him out of here! Get out of here!”

After the show he spoke to the press regarding his actions: “The man accused me of lying to the people and betraying the country. Me, a four times presidential hopeful! I've just explained to him that he had no right to say that. All this happened after the debates were over. They had no right to film that.”

Check it out...

Yaroslavl

The coat of arms of the Yaroslavl region

Yaroslavl is a very old city with a very long history, and though there was settlement here long before 1010, 2010 marks its 1000th birthday! Yikes. The city was founded by the Kiev Prince Yaroslavl the Wise. As legend has it, local inhabitants set loose a bear to chase him away, BUT! much to their chagrin the strong prince wrestled with and killed the bear... and founded the town on the spot. There's some debate as to where this spot is exactly, but I'll have to check it out. I'm not sure why Prince Yaroslavl was considered wise, or what the locals had against him, but in any case, the bear is now the town's symbol. Steve pointed out that this is a bit ironic... didn't Yaroslavl kill the bear? Didn't the people express a sort strong dislike for the Prince by releasing a bear to chase him away? Hmmm... anyways, it's a neat emblem.

The weather is getting warmer here and the ice is melting, leaving super slushy mushy streets during the day, and slick sidewalks at night when the temperature drops again. We went for a walk in the park yesterday and came home with wet feet. At least Steve did, my Sorels are impenetrable. Though neither of us are super into watching tv, with all our free time over here we've started watching The Office. I hated season one - there was way to much obnoxious, sexist, racist humour for my taste and I was SO annoyed with Michael (worlds best boss) that I wanted to somehow transmigrate into the show and quit work... and quit watching. However! We're now on season three and really enjoying it - I'm not sure whether I've gotten used to the humour or whether it's changed... but ??? I love Dwight Schrute. And Pam and Jim.

Last thing for now... Good news ladies - it is acceptable for us to propose marriage today! Apparently, in the English speaking world, it is a tradition that women may only propose marriage on leap years. Hmmm. Interesting. Furthermore, apparently in 1288 there was a law passed by Queen Margaret of Scotland (age five) that a man would have to pay a fine if he refused the proposal! As a result, the tradition was "tightened" because men felt that this placed them at risk... I can only imagine - crazy women on the loose hunting for husbands! I imagine that it would have been a day where the men would have, er, stayed home.

Another good day....

Just inside the walls of the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour.

So there were no deep, profound moments today, save for my enjoyment of and appreciation for layered cheesecake. I had a slow morning - I stayed up really late thinking of random things like some of my favourite memories from the places we've lived - I'll have to blog about some of those for sure. Anyways, this morning I went jogging in the snow/rain (got some crazy looks, but earned at least half of my cheesecake), did some reading for a course I'm taking (Urban Geography) and cleaned up a bit around the apartment. Daria and I planned to meet up again and this time... I was on my own with the bus. SO! I get on the bus, there is no lady taking the tickets... and no one makes any sort of move to go to pay the driver, so I'm thinking that maybe you don't have to pay if there is no lady? Whatever. So I met up with Daria downtown, and we went for coffee and cheesecake at a new, very cute cafe.

It's been great meeting her, and I'm learning about what life in Russia is like for Russians, and not just passersby like myself. We get along really well and have talked about everything from politics (a little bit...) to work/jobs/salaries (a little bit more) and... guys! No, not just googly girl talk about guys but about gender relations and relationships... all very interesting. Apparently people get married quite young here, and the divorce rate is mounting, leaving many young mothers with two or three kids. A friend of hers that called during coffee has two kids (three and seven), is newly divorced... and 27 years old. Yikes. As far as work and salaries go, things seem abysmal. Well, costs are fairly relative to salaries... but still - she said that the average health care worker might make between $200 and $400 a month... USD. There's a saying here - "Dollars are for saving, and roubles are for spending" - because of the relative volatility of the currency. (Many jobs pay in USD, and many Russians have USD savings accounts.) Rent is, on average, between $100 and $150 a month, and though salaries are rising (At this point in the conversation I asked, hopefully, "Aren't things improving though??"), so are costs. I also learned that if there isn't a lady taking tickets on the bus, one must pay the driver... or risk a fine of 50 roubles - two dollars.

The most important thing that I learned today is that there are SEVERAL sushi restaurants in town! YAY! One of which is in the shape of a plane... interesting! I am SO excited about sushi! What else... Daria's on her way to Italy this weekend, for a week-long snowboarding vacation with her dad - she's graduating from university and starts work the day after she gets back. Fun. Apparently there is a mountain pretty close to Yaroslavl, so who knows, maybe we'll go. It was pretty warm here today though, (two degrees) and I'm secretly hoping for spring, even though skiing in Russia would be a very fun activity. Steve and Freddy won their game tonight (three in a row!) and are on their way back to Yaroslavl... expected arrival time is 4am. blech. Some pics were posted on the teams site so here are a few from their last win against Fokel.

p.s. I'm glad people enjoyed yesterdays blog - I still have a lot to say about that book!

p.p.s Here's a great article and picture of Steve and Putin (and a few others...) at the all star game in Moscow a few weeks ago!

Awesome Day!!!

A map of our route downtown today: the big yellow circle is The Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, and the other circle is the Kazan Church and Cathedral. There are a few X's where the main bus stop is and where we went for coffee.

So yesterday Steve left with the team to go to Ekaterinburg for the clash of the Canadians - tomorrow night they are playing against the only other team in the league with Canadian players... and both teams are fighting to stay in the top division. I woke up this morning with the idea of finally braving the public transit system and take the bus downtown. The morning was lousy - slushy rain/snow, but by around noon the weather had cleared up and I decided to make my move. Down to the bus stop I went... and as luck would have it, the first person I talked to was SUPER friendly and spoke English almost fluently. Daria explained to me how the system worked, what bus to take etc. - she was also on her way downtown, so we took the bus together. The system is a bit different than at home, but really, how different can taking the bus be? It was just the initial language barrier and figuring out how to pay (a woman works on the bus all day, collecting money and issuing tickets... yikes), how much to pay (eight roubles - about 30 cents), where to get off (there's a central bus station and the #5 is on a loop... passes right in front of our house!) and how (it stops at every stop regardless...) SO! It was pretty easy. Anyways, Daria and I talked the whole way downtown, and she invited me to go for coffee with her and her friend. She lived and worked in the United States for a couple of summers through a travel and work abroad program, and has also travelled extensively in Europe - Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. So anyways, we went for a super delish coffee in a very small, very dark cafe.

On the bus I had told her that I was interested in visiting some monasteries, so after we had coffee and she reviewed a project with her friend, we went a'visiting! Most monasteries and churches are only open in the summer when there is a huge influx of tourists... but we were able to see two, one of which was under construction/renovations. (I'll talk about the first one in a second...) The second one we visited is the Spaso-Preobrazensky Monastery (Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour) and has an impressive history. It's surrounded by thick (10 feet!) white walls, and contains several churches; according to our guide book, it dates to the 13th century and was Northern Russia's first school of higher education. Ivan the Terrible apparently took refuge within the walls in 1571, when the Mongols were threatening Moscow. Cool. During the summer there is also a bear that lives within some walls within the walls... the bear is a symbol of the town, as a result of the story of how it was founded - more on that later.
Inside the walls of the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour
After monastery number two (phew) we were both hungry, so hit up the Van Gogh cafe for some delicious food. I had borscht which was SO good... and this sort of pork roll - thin pork stuffed with feta and ham (calorie explosion) and potato croquettes with a white mushroom sauce. It was SO good... yum yum. We then caught the bus back home - she lives very close to us - and we went our separate ways. I'm so glad that I finally made the public transit trip downtown... and that I met Daria... she's awesome.


Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral

Okay, now about our trip to monastery number one - the Kazan Convent Cathedral. It's a small cathedral, but functions throughout the year; it's currently undergoing renovations but a small, very friendly woman (who I assumed to be a nun, even though she was habit-less... or er, wasn't wearing her habit), showed us around and gave Daria all of the details on the church, the grounds, and the famous icon of Our Lady of Kazan. She was very talkative and informative. The ceilings of the church are adorned with beautiful, colourful frescoes... and the main entrance is home to several different icons and statues - while she was telling us about the grounds, several people came in, lit candles and said prayers... and finished by kissing the different icons. She told us that several sets of bones were found beneath a main cross in the courtyard, and are presumed to be the remains of people who were persecuted during the Revolution. She also gave us a brief lesson on the icon of Our Lady of Kazan, who is apparently very popular for all sorts of complaints, needs, requests, and prayers. Apparently, when someone has prayed to the icon and/or Our Lady of Kazan (forgive my ignorance, I don't know how this works exactly) and she has answered their prayers, the person returns to the icon and places a piece of jewellery on it... so we bought candles and went across the courtyard to pay a visit to the icon ourselves. Before we left, the woman said something about how the proof of the power of God was in our having met each other, and in the meeting and unification of Christians everywhere... and blessed us and our lives and families.

Upon entering the sanctuary of the famous icon, I was told to cover my head, and in rough translation the reason given was so that God could visit me through an angel who might rest on my head... I'll look into that for a better or more thorough translation/understanding. Anyways, the icon was covered in small hoop earrings, necklaces, and rings - it was quite, I don't know, impressive (not the right word...) and moving to see that so many prayers had been answered. We lit our candles in front of the icon, stayed for a moment or two... and then made our way outside.

The visit was more interesting and meaningful than it might have otherwise been because I'm currently reading Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion." I have a lot of thoughts, ideas and reactions to the content AND the writing (I've been wanting to blog about it since I started the book a few days ago) but for now I'll stick to what's relevant. Basically, Dawkins is trying to prove that God doesn't exist (he even goes so far as to state that the goal of the book is to make an atheist of the reader), and scientifically disprove religion. While I agree with many points that he makes (and disagree with more), there is something to be said for faith and religion, (and God, whatever God that may be), regardless of whether there is proof or probability of the existence of God. This is a topic that overwhelms me, and in trying to construct an argument to counter Dawkins' many (unorganized) arguments against the probable existence of God and the purpose and point of religion, I have a hard time explaining that there isn't something bigger than us, whether it's God or Brahma or Allah or Zeus or one or all or none of these Gods.

Anyways, it was just very interesting to have had his arguments and thoughts in mind when I visited this church and convent. To hear our host speak with such deep belief and knowledge in her faith, her church, the Lady of Kazan and the power of the icon, I can't help but think that even if the existence of God isn't scientifically probable or "real", the existence, proof and power of faith is.
Our Lady of Kazan: a picture of a small card of the icon.

The Weekend...

So I know that the first thing I should mention is the volleyball game on Saturday night (big win) but I'll save the best for last. Yesterday on tv we saw some more... shall we say, obscure sports. Did anyone know that there is an international governing body for the sport of Tug-of-War? This weekend the world championships were held in Italy and it was televised here in Russia. Yes, really. The commentators talked strategy and lamented the lack of funds for training, and explained the roles of different team members and of the coach, who guided the synchronized tugging. There appear to be different weight classes/categories, and matches are best two out of three. If anyone is interested, there is a TOW federation in Canada - www.catowa.org.

Obscure televised sport number two - table soccer. We saw some table hockey on tv a few weeks ago and thought that was funny... but the soccer table doesn't use any pulleys or handles but relies on the flick, the one-handed flick, to get the ball rolling. Only one hand can be used to flick/motivate the plastic athlete to kick the ball (hopefully to one of his teammates). I'm not sure if this sport will catch on with the ladies - there weren't any female players. This was on one of the Italian channels that we get, and though there isn't currently a league, there are regularily scheduled tournaments. Wow.

OKAY! Volleyball... so the match was huuuge. Well, the win was huge. They weren't expected to beat this team and I am so glad that they did - the other team was super whiney and complained incessantly to the ref... and to each other - definitely not exemplary behaviour with regard to respect, sportsmanship etc. It was a five-setter and it could have gone either way I guess... with both teams up and down like yo-yos. Yaroslavich came through in the end for the win, and everyone was happy. There were some fans that came with a Canadian flag so that was exciting... they were from a neighboring town and had come to watch the hockey game, but rushed over to the volleyball match as soon as it was done.

So that's about it... we had a mellow night on Saturday and last night I made a yummy dinner - beer battered fish and chips (I had no idea what fish I was buying.. luckily it tasted good) and brownie pudding for dessert. This recipe was SO easy... and so fast. And so yummy: www.allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Pudding-Cake-II/Detail.aspx

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Defenders of the Fatherland Day

Today, February 23rd, is the Defenders of the Fatherland Day (previously known as Soviet Army and Navy Day) and is apparently similiar to our Father's Day. Our guide book clarifies by stating that even though not every man ends up in the army, the holiday honours all men, even though not all men have served in the military. (Quick question - do women defend the Fatherland?) Anyways, there have been ceremonies honouring the military across the country over the past week, and today in the park there was a bit of a dual celebration - there's a local election sometime soon and it seems as though the politicians might have sponsored a barbeque in honour of ... the Defenders of the Fatherland. So there was meat and coffee and music, and lots of different events/attractions for kids like tug-of-war, potato sack races and face painting. So it was a fun little wander around the park with lots going on in the slushy snow.


So there isn't a Defenders of the Fatherland Day for females that have served in the Soviet and/or Russian forces(or a Defenders of the Motherland Day for that matter), but women have served in Russian and Soviet military since World War I. Apparently, a certain Maria Bochkareva petitioned a Soviet leader to allow the formation of the first women's battalion in 1917. Reasons that the government agreed include:

- female soldiers would have significant propaganda value
- their example would revitalize the weary, demoralized men of the Russian army
- the presence of women would serve to "shame" hesitant male soldiers into resuming their combat duties

Interesting. So the first female combat group was the Women's Battalion of Death (lovely name), and close to 2,000 women between the ages of 13 and 25 were recruited to fight in the June offensive in 1917 against the Germans. Crazy. Participation is apparently quite low now, and perhaps it's because, as Wikipedia informs me, "attitudes towards their contribution [were] occasionally paternalistic and reluctant." Really? Anyways, random information, all gleaned from Wikipedia. Happy Russian Father's Day! And Happy Defenders of the Fatherland Day to the Soviet and Russian women that have served also. ")

Is fashion a duty?

Is fashion a duty? Apparently in Russia it is. We saw a short program on an English language Russian news channel (probably the best channel we have) on fashion and why Russian women are always dressed so well (ALWAYs... even in the grocery store). A fur-clad, high-heeled woman was interviewed and said something like this: "women have a duty to themselves and to others to be glamorous and it is an obligation to society to look your best..." If that is the case I am failing miserably. I wonder if that is the translation of the strange looks I receive on a regular basis: you are failing your DUTY... to yourself and to ME! EEK! There was no mention of whether or not men have any duty with regard to fashion; so Steve is in the clear and I, uh, must self-glamorize if I am ever to fit in here.

On another note, this is the first country that we've lived in that doesn't have any recycling services. In Greece we had to walk a few blocks to find the recycling containers, that were often half full of garbage anyways (recycling receptacle means garbage bin if it's closer to your apartment than the dumpster)... but at least there was an option. Here, everything is fed to the garbage chute including all glass, paper and plastics. As in most European countries, water isn't potable, and we go through a five litre jug of water every few days, producing at least three or four of these plastic containers a week... and we can't recycle any of it. I don't really get the impression that people here are overly concerned about it recycling let alone keeping garbage off the ground - littering is quite common. We've seen a few Greenpeace commercials letting us know that garbage goes in the garbage can and NOT on the ground. Unfortunately, people seem more concerned with looking good themselves.

Downtown!

So we made our way downtown yesterday and I finally got to explore a little bit. Steve had some volleball business to attend to, so I was on my own. Well, I was accompanied by a snowstorm. At least there weren't many people about, and the views were gorgeous, with everything blanketed in white. The downtown area is relatively small, but there's lots to see. A girlfriend of one of Steve's teammates was telling us that there are lots of beautiful buildings and churches etc... but that they aren't well maintained and not quite as nice as they could be. She was right - most buildings don't seem to be kept up - but I thought that it really added to their appeal - nothing was in ruins or completely decrepit, you could just see the effects of time in the buildings... something rarely found at home, where everything is new or remodelled, touched up or painted... and if not, then torn down.

Our Moscow and St. Petersburg guide book has a two page deal on Yaroslavl, and notes that the city is knows for its impressive church architecture... and I note that the city may be known for the number of churches in the downtown area... there were so many! And there were some interesting names, like the superfluous Church of St. Demetrius of Salonica and of the Praise of the Blessed Virgin, or the foreboding Church of Nikola the Chopped (eek... what was chopped?).

Church of Elijah the Prophet

Church of Nikola the Chopped !

The mid 17th century Church of Elijah the Prophet was gorgeous - huge, and situated on extensive grounds in the middle of a huge pedestrian square (devoid of pedestrians, full of snow). Apparently it's closed to tourists for the winter, which is unfortunate because it is supposed to have some beautiful frescoes. I'll have to check back... maybe on a Sunday.

There was also a beautiful walkway along the Volga, and lots of parks - it must be bustling and busy in the summer, very nice. I also walked up the banks of the Kotorosl river, and it was neat to think that that these rivers were ancient trade routes... and relatively modern ones too. The Moscow-Volga canal was created in 1937, and now most traffic goes straight to the capital; but prior to that Yaroslavl was an important and busy commercial centre. I stopped by the Museum of City History to see if there was anything in English... but it was closed, and looked closed for the winter.

Walkway along the Volga
At the very right of this picture is the Kotorosl River, and at the very left the Volga... (in the middle a park, with fountains... only in the summer!)

And I found a jacket! yay. And a huge market with clothes, hats, shoes, underwear, beauty products... and a fruit and veggie market! So that was a find... but it's not exactly close to where we live. By the time that Steve was done with his business, he had to get to practise and I was ready to get home... I was cold and covered in snow... it was a great day though and downtown is pretty nice... there's a lot more to see.. hopefully on a clear day! ")

Libraries, warm socks and sushi...

Among some of of the things I always miss over here are dryers, sushi and libraries. I'm not running out of books quite yet but oooooh how I miss the library. I think I might even take a library over warm dry socks and a nice plate of sushi (YUM).... I was just cruising Michael Pollan's website which is fantastic, and I have the urge to read everything he's written. A few summers ago I read The Omnivore's Dilemma, after both of my parents raved about it. In a recent article published in the New York Times and posted on his website (www.michaelpollan.com), he notes that at least 70% of the antibiotics used in the United States are fed to animals living in massive factory farms. Disgusting. And that statistic doesn't even address the drugs that animals are fed in the forms of growth hormones and who knows what else... it's enough to make me turn vegetarian once and for all. I wonder if there is even such a thing as an organic food store here... there must be, but in Yaroslavl? I might be pushing my luck. Enjoy the library... and warms socks and sushi. ")