Russia

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names

May 16, 2009

I was nameless for two weeks after I was born.  My mom and dad hadn’t decided on a name beforehand, and didn’t bother to consult the ultrasound.  There was no ultrasound in Russia.  Just, maybe, if the mom’s stomach was more eliptical than round, it was probably a boy.  And if the doctor sacrificed a sheep under the light of the moon and the entrails leaned to the right, then, most likely a girl. Anyway, so after I was born ...

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Book Review: Sashenka by Simon Montefiore

May 14, 2009

When I was little, and even through today, my mom used to tell me, “Don’t be so serious, Klara Tsetkin!”  Who, of course, was a feminist and very political woman, subsequently banned in exile to the Soviet Union, where she died. I was never really as hardcore as she was, but I was very serious in my belief of equality for women in everything that encompassed short of calling myself a feminist. Well, Sashenka (diminutive of Alexandra in Russian) Zeitlin ...

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Happy Mother’s Day!

May 10, 2009

Happy Mother’s Day! Don’t forget to wish your mom, mam,mother, imma, or mamka a good day for making the time to introduce you to the world  in an extremely unpleasant manner for her. Below, the author with her imma and grandma, and Mr. B, with his mom.

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May 9: The Day we Pwned the Germans

May 8, 2009

World War II is kind of a Big Deal for Russians. As much as the Americans helped, we like to say that “Russia threw bodies at Hitler,” and that’s how we won.  By just burying him in bodies.   Also, we probably started making German soldiers drink moonshine vodka (that would be vodka made out of cleaning alcohols.)  That would be the other point of victory. We celebrate it on May 9, which is Victory Day and a HUGE deal in ...

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Quickie Book Review: The Golden Veil by Kim Wilkins

April 21, 2009

What it’s about: Two worlds, one is today’s, the other is the place where all pre-Christian Russian mythology has gone Why it’s good: Very pressing plot, complicated characters, an intricately researched Russian culture Why it’s bad: Too short! Moral of the book:Still important to leave a lil’ somethin’ somethin’ for the domovoi Will I like it:  Yes, if you love fantasy and mythology, combined with Russian culture

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