American Girls in Moscow

Scenes from My Hometown after Storm Alfred...

2011-11-10T20:28:00.000+04:00

Yeah, it was baaaaad! Some people STILL don't have power back (Day 13...) and the clean-up is going to take a looooong time.

Lost Power but Found the Joy of Reading...

2011-11-10T18:28:00.004+04:00

Thrilled she's reading... And thrilled we can now turn on a lamp...

While we've been at my mom's in Connecticut without power, we've spent time at the town shelter (the library) and at a bookstore that had a generator. Along the way, something just *clicked* for Natalia and she has now really, truly, discovered the joy of reading. She had been working her way more and more through junior books written for girls (the Candy Apple Series, Judy Moody, Ivy and Bean, etc.), but wasn't confident enough to try anything else...

Then this book caught her eye, she picked it up, and couldn't put it down until she was done:

She LOVED My Very UnFairy Tale Life. She carried it everywhere, even while walking through the grocery store, etc. It's wonderful to have to actually tell her, "Could you please stop reading for just A BIT for a your own safety??!"

I hope that her newfound confidence and joy in reading in English will inspire her to have a more positive attitude about doing so in Russian... She isn't remotely interested and it's like pulling teeth to get her to do it... It would help if there were more books available to young readers in Russian that she actually would want to pick up; you can't even compare the choices available here to what you can get there...

I emailed Anna Staniszewski, and she wrote me back right away, happy to answer a few questions for Natalia as she works on a book report for school... Yay!

If your daughter is spunky and independent with a wry sense of humor and loves fairy tales—but isn't so into the "pink princess thing"—get her the book and be prepared for her to disappear for a while!

Power Outages and Visa Photos...

2011-11-04T15:00:00.002+04:00

...really don't make a good pair!

The girls and I had to take visa pictures after a few days without power, water, showers...

WON'T be posting them here...

The kids saw mine and begged me to redo it, afraid I wouldn't be let back into Russia...

Hah!

Back to the US and Back to High School...

2011-10-30T20:21:00.000+04:00

The Russian government required us to fly back to US in order to get our new visas. What a long trip to just get four pieces of paper! Little did we realize when we got here yesterday that we had arrived just in time for a historical winter storm! We barely made it to my mom's town, but then the hill she lives on was blocked off by fallen trees, so our taxi took us in search of a hotel...

THERE WAS NO POWER **ANYWHERE**. Imagine Route 44 completely blacked-out! We went through three towns looking for a hotel before giving up... I kept thinking, "Where could we show up unannounced during a storm at 9 p.m. and get housing?" Oh, and it was impossible to drive up any kind of hill... The roads were treacherous and there was almost no visibility.

Then I thought of my high school! Sure enough, we pulled up in front, I rang the door bell, and within 15 minutes we were settled in one of the dorms :-) The nicest dorm parents gave us air mattress, pillows, blankets and made us feel so welcome. The campus is the only place with power (i.e., heat and internet!) for miles and miles...

These photos don't give an accurate picture of just how much snow there was during the night; it rained and much of it melted.

This morning the Head of School and Head of Admissions brought breakfast over; the campus is on lockdown because of falling trees and power lines.

Katya and Natalia are having such fun with the three dorm kids and students...

Chris is still snowed-in at JFK before he can go on to Denver... While figuring out where to go once the airport shut down, he met actor John Rhys-Miers and they headed out to dinner and the same hotel! Adventures, adventures...

My mom is on her way to get us here now that the roads are plowed. She's bringing towels so we can all take a shower before heading back to her house where we'll have no power...

The Bolshoi Theater's Historic Stage Reopening—Finally!

2011-10-29T00:29:00.003+04:00

It feels as if the Bolshoi has been under renovation since we moved here in 2004... Well, the complete remodel began in 2006, but the scaffolding covering the beautiful facade has been such a sad sight for the past six years that it seems to have lasted much longer. We would have company visit from the US, take them to the Bolshoi, and they would pose forlornly in front of the construction!

This is the facade now, so bright and clean! I took this picture three weeks ago. I could see people going in and out, but the theater wasn't yet open to the public.

A friend of mine took this great picture yesterday! Isn't it clever? Thanks for letting me post it, Gayane!

I went to see Evgeniy Onegin at the original Bolshoi in 1991 and was literally left stunned by the beauty of both the theater and the production... I then took Katya to see Swan Lake for her 4th birthday. As we waited in the buffet area, she started to stretch and use the rails as a barre. I thought she was cute and smiled at her... Then she started to look concerned. "Mom, when do I change into my costume? Shouldn't I be down there by now? They'll be worried where I am!" She actually thought she was going to BE ON STAGE! So many tourists had fun snapping pictures of her as she got ready for her debut... (Don't have any digital versions of those photos available right now; ohhhh, how I wish I did!).

We then went to see Sleeping Beauty, I think, with my mom on Christmas Even in 2004. We chose to leave Natalia home, and she wasn't very pleased... She blocked the door to to the hall and GLARED at us...

Meanwhile, we had a nice time!

Wonder what we'll go see this year!

One last picture; sorry I couldn't get it to be upright. It's Katya doing ballet in her snowsuit in front of the theater on Christmas 2004 after the performance.

Best English-Language Games

2011-10-23T15:23:00.008+04:00

I know that the holidays are coming and people are starting to put together gift lists...

I'm often asked for recommendations about resources for teaching English to both native-speaker kids and foreign students (of all ages) of English alike. I figured I'd a post to try to get all this information in one convenient spot!

I am a HUGE proponent of teaching through games. Languages are meant to be communicative, and what better way to get students talking and listening than by putting them in an environment where the focus is on fun—and the task at hand—instead of on worrying about making a mistake? I find that even the most timid students perk up when we're playing a game; they're happy to be part of a team and are often very valuable contributors. Speaking games are the BEST way to build up one's active vocabulary. You're forced to use synonyms and to "problem solve" very quickly—skills that come in very handy when in a new situation and you're forced to use language in a new way!

I used to make all my own games when teaching French and Spanish full-time... I made my own versions of Taboo, Cranium/Cadoo and Headbanz so my students could further practice the material in any given unit...

I didn't include Scrabble in the lists because it's a given... But it doesn't lend itself well to larger groups, and the pace at which you play it is rather slow. The games I have listed below easily work with more than four people. PLEASE NOTE: THE GAMES INCLUDED FOCUS ON LANGUAGE SKILLS. I purposely didn't include things such as Math Cubes, Twister (although with foreign language students, Twister is super for teaching the imperative tense, colors and body parts), Monopoly, etc.

So what have I forgotten?? Please let me know any others I should try!!!

Favorite Games with Older Groups:

Cranium
Taboo
Origin
Blurt
Scattergories
Pictionary (..but not in the classroom setting with ESL students; learning isn't quick enough).

Favorite Family Games for Kids 8 and Older:

Scribblish
Bananagrams
Whoonu
Perfect Sense
Story Cubes
Scattergories
Blurt
Totally Gross
Taboo (VERY IMPORTANT: Remove any cards with inappropriate adult words first).
Headbanz (VERY IMPORTANT: Remove any cards with inappropriate adult words first).
Pictionary (Remove any cards with words kids won't understand).
American History: Way Back When in History
American Trivia
Boggle
Morphology (think Pictionary, but you have to sculpt words out of arts & crafts objects)
Clue
Hexagon
Upwords
Made for Trade (about Colonial America)

Favorite Family Games for Kids 6-8:

Don't Say It
Bananagrams
Cadoo
Headbanz
Story Cubes
Totally Gross
American Trivia Jr.
Hexagon
Upwords

Favorite Games for Teaching English to More Advanced Students, Ages 14+:

Taboo (Review cards for appropriate level/content).
Perfect Sense
Headbanz (Review cards for appropriate level/content).
Whoonu
Bananagrams
Story Cubes
Scribblish
Scattergories
Origins (Review cards for appropriate level/content).
Blurt (Review cards for appropriate level/content).
Pictionary
Cranium ((Review cards for appropriate level/content).

Favorite Games for Younger Native-Speaker Kids and Less Advanced/Intermediate Students:

Headbanz
Bananagrams
Story Cubes
Don't Say It
Cadoo
Guess Who?

Scribblish
This is basically a game of "telephone," only through quick doodles and quirky captions... Lots of fun for all ages. My family loves it and so do my students.

Taboo
This is my students' FAVORITE game. It is the best way to get them talking, and quickly, while also increasing their vocabulary and teaching them about items from popular culture. Whenever they come up on a card they can't describe (because they don't know what it is), we "pass" and I then describe those cards for both teams to try to guess. I haven't played this with my kids yet, but I know they'll love it. Christmas is coming...

Don't Say It
My kids LOVED this when they were younger, and it's a huge hit with middle school students. Think "Taboo," but on an easier scale. Super for building vocabulary and fluency!

Cranium
My all-time favorite party game... Huge hit with seniors a few years back, too.

Whoonu
EVERYONE loves Whoonu... My kids, and ALL of my students. Super way to learn about popular culture around the world while also learning about your classmates/fellow players... You can reinforce language skills by having players say why they prefer what they do...

Perfect Sense
My kids and my students (of ALL ages) LOVE this game. It's basically riddles (one for each sense) that help you guess what the secret word is. When playing with less advanced students, I act out the clues, too, or simplify them. LOTS of fun.

Story Cubes
SUPER game. Can use it with little kids, and you can also use it teach SAT vocabulary! Simply roll the cubes and put together a story (or sentences) inspired by the prompts on each cube. Can easily be played in ANY language. I keep it in my purse for when we go out to eat.

Bananagrams
Ah, Bananagrams... Think Scrabble and crossword puzzles all rolled into one, but only MUCH more rapid and fun... Great for any age and any level. Gave it to K's classmates when they were in first grade to even practice spelling the most basic words... Super fun as a competitive game, too. You can actually run out of breath when racing to win! Big plus how compact it is. Other variations on this, too, in the shape of a pear or apple.

Headbanz
My kids and my students LOVE this one. Super for practice asking questions. Easy to make your own version, too, by writing vocabulary on blank cards and sticking them on a band on someone's head.

Blurt
Haven't played this yet, but it looks SUPER. Getting it for Christmas. From what I read, very adaptable. Looks like a nice alternative to Taboo.

Scattergories
Fun for individuals competing or for teams. Great vocabulary-building game.

Cranium Cadoo
Ah, Cadoo... We spent HOURS playing this when the girls were ages 5-8... SOO much fun. Think Pictionary, sculpting, acting, riddles and trivia all rolled into one... My middle school students love it, too.

Origins
Christmas... We have an older version of the game that we LOVED playing with friends before we had kids... I use it with my most advanced students and you have fun while learning so, so much. Origins of expressions, superstitions, vocabulary...

Totally Gross
We have another game like this (Scabs and Guts) that girls and some students of mine LOVE. I picked this one for the list because kids also have to do mini science experiments. Lots of fun learning about the body while being, well, gross.

Guess Who Extra
My kids loved this game until they were nine... SUPER for teaching language to students of all ages, too. Practice asking questions and describing features.

American History: Way Back When in History
Not easy, but good for teaching American history while also having fun. Up to age 12. Wouldn't play with my students; by the time their vocabulary would be strong enough, I think they'd be bored...

American Trivia
Christmas this year.... I'll let you know what we think, but it looks really good for families.

American Trivia Jr.
Same as above, but easier for younger kids.

Simple Little Pleasures & Traditions...

2011-10-22T11:55:00.002+04:00

It's funny what things can really make you happy when you're far away from "home." Sure, we're "at home" here, but there are little things from the US that mean so much more when you're able to have them on the other side of the world. Culturally-specific items are often impossible to get here, so you have to plan far in advance and bring them back with you in your suitcase.

Last August we were SO happy when Bath and Body Works ended up rolling out its Halloween line right before we packed up for the year! We were actually able to get some fun goodies... We already had a jack-o-lantern hand soap pump that we refill each year, but we got some other great little candle holders and mini hand sanitizers.

The Slatkin (Bath and Body Works) and Yankee Candles we have in seasonal scents also make me so happy... Creamy Pumpkin... Spiced Cider... LOVE the scents coming up for Christmas—but I use them sparingly, since each candle weighs over a pound.

Here are some scenes from our apartment, lit up at night... There are our new candle holders—a Frankenstein and a skull. We also bought a pumpkin and a black cat. The pumpkin broke in transit, but we're happy to have the other three.

This is what it looks like when the lights are on:

In our entryway we have a neat plastic lamp from IKEA that makes half the house orange-y. Neat. The little photo holders and bat scene frame were brought back two years ago...

We also have sheer white ghosts hanging in a few of our doorways...

And some decals on the bathroom window, along with the jack-o-lantern soap, the black cat candle holder, and an orange bathmat & hand towel.

There's nothing else really going on for us for Halloween this year, so the kids get into the decorations. We might have some people over and I brought back American candy.

We might, however, actually have to/get to fly to the US next weekend for the week because we're required to be on US soil to get our new visas... No news about whether or not we'll be given the necessary work documents by the government yet, though, so we're just waiting on pins and needles... Sure would be fun to actually get to go trick or treating in America!

Russian (well, Euro) Shoes...

2011-10-21T21:45:00.013+04:00

While on facebook the other day, this sidebar ad caught my eye: "Shoes without heels...," and it gave their website, etc. The shoes looked SO cool... So colorful, and they seemed really comfortable... And they would be amazing with jeans... So I clicked on the site. They have them in a whole assortment of yummy color combinations!

That style also comes with a heel... I've lived here long enough that I really like these, too...

Now, I actually need a new pair of black boots, so I started to look through their catalogue... Found one pair, but wasn't too crazy about the style...

Oh, my! Kind of funny that a shop raving about "shoes without heels" actually specializes in some of the most bizarre shoes I've ever seen! As you look at the next styles, keep in mind that living here means seven months of winter weather, ice, lots of slush, and cobbled streets... Russian women amaze me.

Wow... And then the regular heels???!

Can you imagine??

I think I'll stick with my American shoes...

Getting Ready for Swan Lake—Sort of...

2011-10-14T16:48:00.000+04:00

Natalia's after-school drama group is putting on Swan Lake in a few weeks. There's some dancing in it, and the kids are supposed to wear ballet slippers. Natalia is playing the prince's mother and she also needed a white leotard and fancy fan. I spent about four hours taking the metro and walking from place to place until I found a leotard thick and non-scratchy enough to meet Natalia's standards...

Even though she needed simple white slippers, the shelves lined with satin toe shoes were veritable eye candy... Yum!

I used to think that by living in Moscow, my girls could benefit from classical ballet training... I imagined years of watching them dance, influenced by their early years of exposure. Well, um, not so much. Katya has NO interest in dance, and Natalia is only interested in her OWN dance moves which are much more wild and pop inspired... I think she would enjoy hip hop, but she likes the activities after school so much that she refuses to leave early to go do anything anywhere else.

Here's where I got Natalia's stuff: the Grishko factory store off of Tverskaya. I've seen Grishko products for sale in the US and vowed to do the Grishko factory tour outside of Moscow some time!

Steve Jobs and Moscow

2011-10-14T08:53:00.001+04:00

People here were very much shaken by the death of Steve Jobs. The last time an American was mourned on such a large scale was when Michael Jackson died; he, too, had really captured the country's collective imagination. Many of the kids at school have grown up with Apple as part of their lives, not quite able to imagine what life was like before iPods, etc...

The Moscow News had a great article about the larger impact Jobs' vision has had on Russia. President Medvedev won't go anywhere without his beloved iPhone, even procuring the iPhone 4 before it was even legal here... Interestingly enough, despite his "black market maneuvering" to get his phone early, he has also held up Apple as an example in the government about how a company could be extremely successful and have worldwide impact without corruption...

I took this picture the day after Jobs died while riding the metro home... Just an average day, with some commuter unable to divert his attention from his beloved Macbook Pro while yet three others were flicking through their iPhones.

I am so appreciative as an educator of how Jobs' contributions have changed the way I can teach... Students can look up translations, definitions and synonyms with the touch of a finger. They can follow podcasts about grammar and culture. They can look up recipes and instantly convert them to grams and Celsius while standing in their kitchens...

Звуки Музыки... The Sound of Music!

2011-10-13T19:09:00.000+04:00

"The Moscow streets are alive... with the sound of music..."

Yes, yes, the new musical for this year at THE theater for musicals is "The Sound of Music"! When we first saw the billboards advertising it upon our return to Moscow in August, the girls and I literally shrieked with glee!

The premiere was last weekend; we'll go sometime soon. I can't wait to see how they've translated the songs and how the movie is reworked on stage... The Russian stage version will also be different from how it was presented on Broadway; the Russian production team was granted permission to tweak it according to their vision.

So far I think the translation of Do-Re-Mi is neat; they picked entirely different images to illustrate the notes... "So" is for "solomka" laying on the table (pretzel sticks--a neat choice since it works in both Russian and Austrian culture).

Here is a promotional video released by the theater in August; the cast was in Salzburg for inspiration...

Here are some clips from an open rehearsal in September:

Here are some clips from when the premiere was covered in the news:

9/11, Ten Years Later...

2011-09-11T22:52:00.005+04:00

Two Weeks after 9/11; Katya's First Haircut

We moved to New York City a few days before September 11th, 2001. Fresh out of law school, Chris began his career at one of the big NYC law firms smack in the middle of Manhattan... I busied myself with unpacking the never-ending stacks of boxes while simultaneously running after my one-year-old...

It was the first autumn since I had turned five that I wasn't "going back to school." Having decided to take a few years off from teaching while Katya was small, I was trying to figure out what my new life would be. I missed teaching terribly, and the kids back at Cranbrook in Michigan were on my mind... But I was also so thankful to be with Katya, and she certainly kept me busy!

On September 11th, Chris left for work around 8:30 and I began getting breakfast ready for Katya... It was a beautiful morning; the sky was bright blue and the sun was shining... I couldn't wait to take Katya to the park later on! I still hadn't found the boxes with the television set or radio, so she and I just chatted amongst ourselves and sang some toddler songs while I made her oatmeal and cut up some fruit...

Then the neighbor knocked on my door. He said something incomprehensible about the World Trade Center and invited me to come watch the news coverage on his television set. We ran up to the roof, and I could see smoke billowing from the 1st Tower... We still didn't realize the magnitude of what had happened, and I went back downstairs to quickly finish breakfast.

That's when the second plane hit.

I didn't know this... The neighbor got so swept away by the coverage that he didn't come get me again... But then the first of many strangers rang our door bell. Keep in mind, we lived in an apartment building—in order to ring OUR bell, you had to either know our apartment number, or you had to ring EVERYONE'S bell.

On September 11th, exactly nine strangers took it upon themselves to ring our building's bells until they reached me. They remembered seeing a large moving truck a few days prior, with a young family... They were afraid that my husband (or I) might have been in the towers and wanted to make sure that we were OK, especially since we were new and wouldn't have any "safety network" in place.

That was just the beginning of kindness that poured out of my neighbors' hearts.

Once I realized what had happened, I tried to reach Chris—but couldn't. It turns out he was directly underneath the first tower when it got hit, but the metro then continued on to his office. He made it to work, but everyone soon realized what was going on and like most Manhattan workers, he then literally walked home (across the Brooklyn Bridge).

We were beyond thankful that he had turned down a job offer on the 85th floor of the first tower...

By this point I had grabbed Katya and we RUSHED to the local hospital to give blood. The line was literally around the block... Everyone was in shock... I gave blood, but sadly no survivors ever needed any...

I can't even remember the rest of the day; it's all a blur. I remember the days afterward, however, with stunning clarity...

Eight children on our street lost a parent. Twenty-three of the twenty-four firemen at our neighborhood's fire house died. The grief rocked you to your core. Strangers cried together. Everyone walked around as if an extra in some post-apoctalyptic film. Office papers were littered all over our street. The air tasted of smoke.

And then people snapped out of it.

Those who survived threw themselves fully into honoring those who had died, and a palpable sense of community overtook the entire city. I remember seeing a mother with a newborn baby in a carriage on 9/14... I asked her how old her daughter was, and she told me "three days." It turns out she was born at 9:02 a.m. Her name is Hope Grace.

Around this time Katya fell in love with wearing a feather boa, crown, purse—and carrying a matching magic wand. Everywhere we went, she waved her wand at people, granting their wishes... I let her. She blew kisses at businessmen, kids, housewives and homeless people... In her own small way, she made people feel better when they were reeling inside.

Katya's Attire of Choice for Six Months after 9/11

In the three years that followed, we developed a real rapport with our local firehouse... We ended up moving next to another firehouse that had also suffered great losses in the Towers. Whenever I baked, I did a double batch and shared it with the men... We shared the basil from our garden with them... They let Katya sit in the fire truck.... We went to their holiday parties... I helped them to make special albums for the families of the men who had died...

We made sure they knew how much we honored them, and Katya and Natalia spent the first years of their lives knowing that the firefighters and police of New York City were true heroes.

Perhaps that's why it was so hard in some ways to adjust to Moscow...

After living through all that we had, I just couldn't get used to the corruption of the officers we encountered on a regular basis... A few times a month I was stopped to by traffic police looking for bribes, even when I had done nothing wrong... It got so bad that one day Katya just asked the officer, in perfect Russian, "Could you just hurry up and take Mom's money? We're late for ballet..."

When she was five, she was asked as part of a US-created development test, "What does a police officer do?" She then said, "He works with the cash register." The examiner thought Katya's development was off-pace; we then realized that she had associated being a police officer with dealing with money...

That's when something in me snapped. I had been raising my children to think of the police, and firefighters, as heroes—and all of these corrupt officers were polluting their innocence and faith... A few months later when I was stopped, yet again, for no reason, I actually "lost it." I LET THE OFFICER HAVE IT. I refused to give him my license, refused to pay him a penny, and tried to just walk away... When he, in shock, demanded I play along, I let loose the wrath of God, explaining how such corrupt behavior had tarnished the memory of my nation's heroes in my children's eyes... I went ON and ON.

He could not believe it... He had every right to take away my license, car and send me to temporary lock-up, but he just let me walk away... I think it was just easier that way! I got in the elevator, though, and burst into sobs...

I should say that both of the girls know that police corruption is the "exception," not the "norm," no matter how prevalent it may be here... I want them to grow up honoring public servants, especially those who have risked everything, some even giving their lives, to help on 9/11 and after other horrid terrorist attacks that have happened in Moscow...

Moscow Sunset

2011-09-06T22:26:00.000+04:00

Alexandra, a very talented student of mine (and—as we discovered tonight as I went to pick up Natalia—neighbor) took this incredible picture tonight. WOW. And to think I was inside dealing with dinner, homework, laundry, etc. and didn't even look out the window to see what was happening in the sky! I look forward to more of her photos!

Well, Now! Okay...

2011-08-31T22:22:00.001+04:00

Never know what you'll see when walking down the street (Noviy Arbat) in Moscow...

Was running an errand to pick up some resources for the high school English department... I have NO idea why she was there...

I guess you can see that it's still rather warm here! It will be great to have nice weather for all the outdoor ceremonies for the first day of school tomorrow, as opposed to how cold and rainy it has often been in the past...

MANY, MANY PHOTOS and some video coming tomorrow!

Safe and Secure, Thanks to Lenin...

2011-08-28T22:00:00.000+04:00

We're back in Moscow... Slowly emerging from jet lag and unpacking a year's worth of stuff...

We haven't changed apartments since moving here and we're literally bursting out of it, which makes daily life stressful and unpacking a real challenge! Given how prices for apartments SKYROCKET once you go from a two-bedroom to anything larger (and how hard bigger places are to find, irregardless), we decided to look into a self-storage place to free up space in our current digs.

Brilliant. No more fake Christmas tree hanging over your head when you walk in... No more boxes with birthday and Christmas presents... No more seasonal items (tires, sleds, skates, scooters), craft supplies, hand-me-downs that don't yet fit, etc., etc., stacked up to the ceilings...

I highly recommend Red Box Co.! The facility is fantastic. Climate-controlled, great security measures, a variety of sized storage spaces, very clean... Two locations in Moscow and more opening throughout the city this year.

Lenin himself watches over our stuff when we can't... (He's a statue in the courtyard of the space that primarily houses factories).

Cousins, Part I...

2011-08-15T22:05:00.001+04:00

My dad comes from a BIG family (nine kids) and I have so many cousins here! As a result, my kids have a bunch of really great second cousins here to see! We had lunch with my beautiful cousin Lindsey and her fiancé on Sunday; their wedding is this coming weekend... Then this week they're seeing all the other kids who are more their age. For kids who haven't seen each other in two years, they sure picked up where they left off!

Can't wait for them to see my other dear cousins' kids as the week goes on...

My Daughter the Hiker—and Budding Photographer!

2011-08-12T02:32:00.000+04:00

One day this week Katya and my in-laws went for a hike at Beaver Brook Trail outside of Denver. It was nice for them to spend some time together just the three of them... plus two eager dogs!

Katya took such fantastic photos! I'm very proud of her!

Beatrice...

And Henry!

The girls miss all their grandparents as they say good-bye during the summer... Now on to our last stop (I'm enjoying in-flight wifi for the first time) with my dad in Portland, OR!

No, You Can't Light It on Fire!

2011-08-12T02:05:00.002+04:00

You can now get marshmallows more easily in Moscow... Ironically, the brand is "Rocky Mountain Marshmallows!" Hah! Here are the girls at a big food festival in Moscow this spring where they tried to teach Russians what you DO with marshmallows :-)

My girls gladly participated in their demo...

And here we now are in the Rocky Mountains, roasting them the REAL way!

Last night we continued our tradition of having a fire and making s'mores with my in-laws' next-door-neighbors on the eve of our departure. Natalia and Andy, one of their sons, are best buddies... He even came over EARLY today to spend time with her before we left for the airport.

Normally we chat, roast/burn our marshmallows and jump on the trampoline—but this year, Natalia got a new idea... Luckily we caught on to what she had in mind before she went through with it!

She actually wanted to light both ends of a big stick on fire and do the following!

Yikes! (But... I bet she would have done brilliantly!)

Wonderful Weekend Day in Winter Park, Colorado

2011-08-10T23:28:00.003+04:00

This weekend we went to Winter Park, Colorado with friends from when we lived in Michigan (who now live here). What FUN!

Winter Park offers a plethora of fantastic summer activities: mountain biking; an alpine slide; a human maze; safe bungee trampolining, a kids' zip wire; a climbing wall; mini golf; a bounce house; and a gyroscope. Really great! All of the kids ended up loving an activity that initially scared them a bit; it was a great opportunity to build confidence while having a blast.

The maze made me a little sick, but the kids did it over and over!

Who doesn't love a trampoline?

Everyone did this... Some only once!

I also climbed this wall, making it to the top on my first try. I think I earned some "cool mom" points for that one—but I won't share the many pictures Katya took of my rear as I made my way up...! There's an indoor climbing center in Moscow we'll have to visit; Natalia was very good and loved it.

Our kids all had such a wonderful time together. Katya even went to school with their daughter yesterday and their classes are going to be pen pals! Natalia and their son also became good buddies; to think that the two of them first met seven years ago when we had just moved to Moscow and my friend was still there waiting for her newly-adopted son's passport! Very special.

It goes without saying that their youngest gal stole the show...

Wish we could see our friends more often! And it sure would be nice to spend more time in such beautiful mountains!

Voda s Gazom

2011-08-05T09:35:00.000+04:00

I am a dolt. I literally JUST realized that "вода с газом" is club soda in America! I never buy it in America, and have never really had it in America, so I had no idea! Guess I never stopped to think about it... !

Expat Trips to the Mall...

2011-08-04T23:15:00.001+04:00

We were thrilled today that Halloween stuff was already on display at Bath and Body Works. HOORAH; that means we can stock up on some little things to celebrate at home... That must sound so insignificant to some, but when you live in a country where Halloween isn't celebrated—and schools are forbidden from mentioning it—you tend to do what you can to jazz it up at home! We can't trick or treat, but I can at least have some decorating fun and let the girls have some themed sleepover parties...

Natalia LOVES the Halloween soap dispensers we got last year; this year I'll simply refill them (a cute ghost and a pumpkin). Today we picked up some cute votive candle holders that won't weigh much at all in our suitcases, but will work well with IKEA tea lights back in Moscow. I also picked up some fun holiday-themed scented pocket hand sanitizers for the girls and the two Russian-American girls I've been tutoring for five years... Such little, little things—but they mean a lot when you can have them in a place where they don't exist!

I'll also track down some Halloween candy before sealing up those boxes. In fact, I've already got Easter candy set aside...

I'm also almost done getting thirty birthday gifts for the girls' classmates... It's customary at their school to do something (small) for each kid on his or her birthday—but "small" is still rather expensive at Moscow prices, and I hate to have to rush around finding something there when I'm working full-time... So far I've found really neat stuff on clearance at various places: sets of Jelly Belly lip glosses; mini packets of cotton candy that turn to gum; VERY cool Japanese eraser sets; and cute necklaces ($1.50 at Forever 21!). I'll get a few more little things and then mix and match for little gift bags... I'm going to get some neat flashlights I saw at Eastern Mountain Sports for the boys and some other girls—all different mini animals whose mouths open up to reveal the lights.

Every time I go somewhere I snag something... Back-to-school shoes or clothing; birthday and Christmas stuff for the kids and other family members (I hid my mom's Christmas presents in her house in a place she'll never find them until I tell her in December, and I've even already found something for her for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day...); and other stuff I can't get once in Moscow...

Before I leave Colorado, I'll be stocking up on various dried peppers for my Mexican cooking...

Here are two of the necklaces I found today! It's funny how fashionable matrioshkas now are! I chose non-Russian themed necklaces to give as gifts to the girls' friends, though. Mine, however, will be thrilled to get these at Christmas.

Oh—speaking of Christmas, as of this morning, Santa is already set to stuff the girls' stockings... I must say, getting everything out of the way over the summer makes it nicer as the holidays approach (if only we didn't have school up until—or even on—the 25th!).

And Natalia's birthday in December? Can't wait for that hand-cranked $16 shave ice mini machine to arrive from Amazon, along with some syrups and cute bowls. She's really into Hawaii right now, having read the American Girl Kanani books, then learning to paddle board two weeks ago and looking forward to her godmother's wedding in Oahu next summer (who was my student when she was in 7th grade Spanish and is now a teacher herself). She also wants to learn some Hawaiian, so I'll surprise her with a CD "Learn Hawaiian" set for $11...

Just curious—what essentials do other expats stash away in post-summer suitcases? Even though things I used to have to bring are now available in Moscow, there are still many things that aren't...

Gel food dye... Cream of tartar... Glycerin for making fondant... Molasses to make my own brown sugar... Almond, vanilla and orange extracts... Mexican peppers... Pretty larger and mini-sized cupcake liners (the ones from IKEA are too narrow)... Specialty ingredients for baking/cooking certain things (allspice come to mind, and I need to make up my list of others)... Ranch dip mix... Knox gelatin... Halloween and Easter candy... Candles with favorite autumn/Christmas scents... Oreos for a special occasion (when I make individual Oreo cheesecakes)... Candy canes... American stocking stuffers... Interesting (and somehow inexpensive and American) party favors for all the girls' classmates when we have their birthdays at school... Birthday gifts they really want that won't make us go broke... This year a few "Glee" music items for Katya (a neat book for writing her own music and a travel mug) and a the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" game for Natalia...

Then there are other more essential items such as: boxes of knee-high nylons; regular stockings (American ones are better made and so much cheaper); shoes for everyone; outerwear for the girls; boots for the girls and for us adults if they need to be replaced; back-to-school clothing for the girls, in a range of sizes to last the whole school year; any clothing needs for Chris and me; prescription medications (we can't get some of ours in Russia); over-the-counter medications; make-up; reading material you can't get on an e-book; magic eraser cleaners; Goo-Be-Gone; earring backings; printer inks (SO much cheaper in the US); all books I'll be teaching out of to supplement the curriculum; all books for the girls' English classes at school; the gear I'll need to run the half marathon in Siberia in March; some random gifts I can give as nice "hostess gifts" when invited somewhere by Russian friends and I need something thoughtful...

I'm sure I'm forgetting other stuff, too... But I *WILL* remember when not tired late night and closer to our departure date!

I'm SO, SO thankful that we no longer need to bring back books (well, almost no books) now that it's so easy to get e-books!!!! That is SUCH a help!

Mila Kunis in Russian

2011-08-03T20:30:00.000+04:00

I saw this article on people.com the other day and it made me laugh... I've never seen Mila Kunis act before, but I thought it was really neat how she accepted a marine's invitation to his ball this fall (that he filmed in Iraq and posted to youtube).

Turns out she was born in Ukraine, and here she jumps in to defend Justin Timberlake against a snarky question by a reporter. She's funny!

Quite a few people in Hollywood are multilingual. Beyond the obvious (Heidi Klum and various Latino actors), there are Brooke Shields (French); Gwyneth Paltrow (Spanish); Michael Vartan (French); and Kristen Scott Thomas (French)—but I just read that Sandra Bullock is a native German speaker! Didn't know that one of her parents is German.

A Few Days in the Countryside

2011-07-25T18:16:00.001+04:00

This spring we made some new friends with a boy in Natalia's grade. They invited us to visit their dacha and it was charming! Here are some of the cottages in their village. I LOVE old traditional Russian windows... The carved frames look like elaborate lace...

Here are the kids after a day of running around outside. Behind them is a little cottage that has a Russian banya (sauna) inside it; it's GREAT! The first time I went there, it was just three of us adult girlfriends and no kids; we had such a nice time cooking ourselves and then cooling off!

A definite highlight of going to visit them at their dacha is seeing my friend's mom and dad; they are so interesting and kind. Babushka is passionate about her garden, growing almost everything we ate. Her kompot (a concentrated drink made from fruit, in this case cherries) was the best I've ever had. Natalia enjoyed helping her out, and gathering scraps to feed the rabbits.

Dedushka (Grandpa) was not to be outdone by his lovely wife... He regaled us with... No, not programs on an old Soviet television set... But with HONEY and tales of beekeeping—and a tour of the bees he keeps inside repurposed items! Just check this out!

Isn' that NEAT??!

I also teach the little boy's older brother, and he told me how watching his grandpa's bees "on TV" is more interesting than an actual program any day!

We didn't just see a smorgasbord of old Soviet televisions... Grandpa also uses old refrigerators and freezers for his hives! He drills air holes in them and the bees stay comfortable in them all winter! Who would have known?!

Here's a more traditional spot for a hive. I had NO idea how fascinating beekeeping is until I met him. The honey was also INCREDIBLE. Knowing it was sweetened by the flowers around us made it taste even better.

One of the things we ate was "okroshka," a cold soup made of "little pieces" of boiled potato, radishes, green onion, boiled eggs, and sometimes cucumber and sausages and dill. You then add kvas (an actually delicious drink made from mildly fermented dark bread) as broth—or kefir, a yogurt-like tangy drink. Frankly, you either like okroshka or you don't. When made with top-notch ingredients, it's actually delicious, especially on a very hot day.

Natalia ended up staying there on her own for three days later in the month. She had the best time being on her own and getting a little break from us in Moscow... She helped Grandma in the garden, tended the rabbits, played with her friend, entertained my friend's granddaughter (Natalia's classmate has a much older sister, too), and learned to ride a bike... She was in NO rush to come home when Katya and I went to fetch her.

We brought her the girls' old play tea set and she loved it :-) What an adorable and sweet baby!

Dachas are super and such an integral part of Russian culture, but I don't know how Russians cope with the massive traffic you have to battle to get to—and home from them. Our friends' place is about an hour and a half outside of Moscow, but it has taken me up to 4 hours to make trip. Once you're there, you are SO glad to be outside of the city, and yet... I don't think I could pull it off on a regular basis. Weekends are also when we get stuff done around the house and run some errands...

Love You, Alissa!

2011-07-21T06:10:00.000+04:00

Getting caught up on blogging, and sorry to Facebook friends for the repeat!

Do any of you remember how Natalia wrote a letter to the Alissa Czisny, the US figure skating champion, and we threw it onto the ice during the 2011 World Championships in Moscow?

Well, at the end of May we got QUITE the surprise in the mail!

YAY, ALISSA! Not only did she send Natalia an autographed photo, but she also wrote her a very sweet note!

IT MADE HER MONTH, and she received it five minutes before her big debut in the school play... Definitely good luck. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALISSA, FOR BEING SUCH A GOOD ROLE MODEL!

Russian Fashion...

2011-07-19T18:15:00.002+04:00

I took these pictures at the beginning of June... While staying at Lesniye Dali, a Soviet-era "vacation place" ("rest home"--think a nicer version of a YMCA family camp place where you have a main lodge/hotel and dorms, in the woods), I came across this kiosk shop...

In the window I spotted this gem of a dress and just HAD to take a picture. Where on earth do they get these designs? You'd THINK someone who knows English could verify signs and printed clothing before they're made...

Just in case you missed that snazzy fashion detailing, here's the pocket logo:

Um, no. I'll pass. Who buys this stuff?!!! Moscow is such a place contrasts: you're surrounded by ULTRA-chic people all the time, sporting the world's top fashion labels, and right next to them you see styles right off the "Krushchev" runway...

Lazy Summer Days & Assumptions of Alcohol

2011-07-18T17:49:00.000+04:00

While still staying at my mom's, Natalia and I went on a some bike rides on a fitness trail that followed the Connecticut river. It was so pretty! We loved going over this old bridge... (You can see her up ahead, annoyed a bit that I was stopping for a picture...!)

Afterwards we cooled off at this gem of a restaurant... They serve the most incredible empanadas, tacos and burritos... I love the "Americana" look of the street and storefront! The little "tree house bench" out front is just perfect, too. We simply ordered Mexican sodas: creme for Natalia and diet coconut for me. Yum!!

We had eaten there earlier in the week with a friend's two boys. I had taken out the hand sanitizer for everyone before we dug in, and I remembered something from Moscow... I gave some of these mini Bath and Bodyworks bottles in neat scents to a student once as a prize for something she had done. The students passed it around, taking a whiff of the coconut lime smell... And someone then piped up, "I can't believe you're giving her alcohol!" Yes, the sanitizers do smell like alcohol before they evaporate on your hands—but I couldn't believe that anyone would think they were actually a DRINK, and an alcoholic one to boot! And that a teacher would give such a thing to a student!

When Starbucks first opened in Moscow, I had a "to go" cup with me when I got in a cab. The driver eyed me drink, and asked, "What's in there? Beer?" When I replied, "No, coffee...", he looked at me as if I were nuts, and muttered, "Whatever for?"

Are We Crazy? Baikal!

2011-07-14T16:50:00.002+04:00

Two friends from high school and I have decided to meet turning 40 head-on and we're going to have a mini reunion in Russia... They'll join me in Moscow and we'll head to Siberia to run the Lake Baikal Ice (Half) Marathon on March 4th! Wonder if more friends will join us...

From the Ice Marathon's site:

"The Lake Baikal International Ice Marathon offers competitors the unique opportunity to race across the frozen ice surface of the world’s largest, oldest and deepest lake. This extraordinary event takes place in one of the most beautiful places of Lake Baikal, and is based in the small town of Listvyanka, 65 km south of Irkutsk (a major stop-over on the Trans-Siberian route)...

Prior to the start of the race, competitors some years are required to partake in the precautionary ritual of “vodka sprinkling”, in order to pacify the spirits of the Great Baikal ( introducing the novel element of starting a marathon with a shot of vodka)...

The course is predominantly flat, but the surface is hard at times and uneven. Although it’s mostly covered in a soft layer f snow, there’re areas of highly polished ice that create conditions similar to an ice-rink. Wind can add to the already bitingly cold temperature and provide serious resitance to progress across Lake Baikal. Though, often the weather is sunny and with no chill factor one can even get some sun tan.

The utterly featureless landscape gives little or no sense of perspective to competitors. The finish line at the port of Listvyanka can be seen almost from the start line. It is a long, cold, lonely ( if not to count the mobile 8 to 10 feed and drink stands) 42,2 km trail across the baren white landscape, where progress is marked only by checkpoints positioned at 5 km intervals ( with hot drinks, food and, for the brave, some more vodka)."

ARE WE NUTS???! But what fun!!!!! And just to clarify, we will do the HALF marathon, not the full one! Egad, I'm not utterly insane!

Natalia's First "Big Girl" Bike!

2011-07-13T10:19:00.002+04:00

Natalia and her first big bike... Go, Walmart! That's the only way we'd be willing to shell out for a bike she can only ride for three weeks...

Here's Natalia's first time on her bike. The videos look odd because I filmed them on my phone—with a narrow rectangular format.

And then Natalia taught her big sister how to ride a bike, too!

I know I already wrote about this on Facebook, but other readers might not know about why it's not so odd that my kids are only learning how to ride bikes when they're almost eleven and 8 1/2. In studying Third Culture Kids (kids who are raised in a culture/country other than that of their parents), researchers found a few similarities among TCKS, irregardless of where they had grown up. Surprisingly, one of those is learning how to ride a bike much later than peers in their non-TCK home countries. (Other similarities include not knowing how to drive until after college and not knowing quite how to answer the question "Where are you from?").

It makes sense if you think about it... Unless the kids are growing up in a country where kids easily ride bikes for most of the year, and it's easy to store them, kids aren't that likely to ride a bike where they live during the school year. Then, during the summer—when most kids ride bikes all the time during their vacations—Expat kids tend to travel from relative to relative in order to see everyone. You're just not likely to buy a kid a bike that she can only ride for a few weeks at most!

We're so cramped in our Moscow apartment, and we have no storage at all. Our balcony isn't covered, either. The only time the kids could ride a bike in Moscow would be on weekends in September, the second half of April and May—and then during June. I would need a bike to keep up with them in order for them to really use them, too... Where would we put those bikes?

We've decided to go ahead and get bikes back in Moscow, though... We'll keep them very well oiled and covered in heavy plastic on the balcony. It's going to be a real pain to get them in and out of the apartment, but the girls really love it! At least Katya won't be growing that much anymore, so a bike will last her a long time.

Happy 450th Birthday, Saint Basil's!

2011-07-12T17:22:00.002+04:00

This is the heading on Google today! Happy, Happy Birthday!

We LOVE this church...

Remember this playhouse I made when Katya was a year old and we lived in Brooklyn? Yeah, that was neat... I was clearly going a bit out of my mind being home all day with a toddler after having loved all the creativity I had poured into my teaching! We all loved that playhouse and it was so sad to have to rip it apart when we moved... There was no way to get it out of the apartment; I had built it to wrap around a corner and it was huge...

I'm B-A-C-K!

2011-07-11T06:39:00.001+04:00

My new laptop arrived...

I L-O-V-E my new Mac laptop! Yay!!!!! Thank you, Chris!!!!!

I'm soooo sorry I hadn't backed up my previous laptop before it died... I really hope I can somehow retrieve that data... From now on I'll use a cloud back-up service!!!!

Now that I have a computer again, I can get back to blogging! I've got pictures from June that I'll now post... Sure hope I can get to May's photos...

Purple and Yellow and Pukh... Achoo!

2011-05-23T10:55:00.002+04:00

Gorgeous blue sky this morning... And bright purple lilacs... And bright yellow dandelions...

Too bad everything is covered in tufts of pukh, dogwood pollen...

If only I weren't allergic to spring!

Khamovniki Windows

2011-05-23T06:00:00.002+04:00

At Novodyevichy Convent

Khamovniki is the southwestern neighborhood in central Moscow that includes landmarks such as Novodyevichy Convent, the Luzhniki Olympic Sports Complex, St. Nicholas the Weaver Church, and Tolstoy's home. When our friends were visiting two weeks ago, we spent a morning walking around this area. Across from Tolstoy's home are two great and relatively inexpensive places to eat and/or get a drink: Jean-Jacques Bistro and John Bull Pub. Really yummy. We had fish 'n chips and I ordered a cherry ale—DELISH.

At Lev Tolstoy's home.

On Tolstoy's street.

AAAARGH! Russian Medicine...

2011-05-22T23:38:00.004+04:00

OK. So I stayed up until 11 p.m. so I could give the stray kitten a rabies shot.

A shot he was supposed to have last night, but, well... That didn't go so swimmingly.

The vaccine, you see, comes in a glass ampule. A GLASS AMPULE WITH NO OPENING. As in, Chris and I last night at 11 p.m. going "WTF???!!! How do we get this stuff out and into the needle???!!!"

Chris ended up cracking it somehow, and I picked up the glass shards on the counter and floor. At this point you're really hoping they didn't get into the vaccine. And you're really ticked off to have spilled a good bit of it.

Fast forward to tonight, after I wasted another hour today going to get the $15 ampule YET AGAIN, since we'd wasted more than half when we had tried. Knowing how much success we had in the endeavor last night, I sprung for two ampules. Good call.

Turns out that the only way to open these containers is with a metal nail file. Thought we had one. Well... We, um, don't. We had cat claw trimmers. They did the job. Cleaned up the shards. Filled the syringe, which I had gone to buy today as well.

Felt pretty darn smug, and I hadn't even jabbed the cat yet.

Until I noticed the syringe had NO NEEDLE! I speak Russian, people... I had CLEARLY explained what I needed... Even told what it was for...

ARGH, ARGH, ARGH! Now I'll have to repeat the whole bloody process (yeah, I've been hanging with Brits all year...!) tomorrow night.

Joy!

At least this isn't as disconcerting as it is when you've just moved here, and you have a screaming toddler who needs medicine, and a four-year-old demanding your attention, no car, and you manage to get the doctor, and to get the medicine, and you get home... And when you open the antibiotic, you see the bottle ONLY HAS POWDER IN IT and you have to MIX IT YOURSELF!

It's not so easy to figure out how much water to add... And you mistakenly go to the wrong mark... And then have to go out ALL OVER AGAIN with two docile (!!!) pleasant (!!!) children... AND I SPEAK RUSSIAN! That has to just knock non-Russian speaking expat moms flat cold on their tooshes...

Socks—The Classic

2011-05-22T21:30:00.001+04:00

In light of this weekend's developments, I just had to order this Beverly Cleary classic from amazon... Natalia can't wait to read it :-)

It's that Wedding Time of Year...

2011-05-22T13:50:00.003+04:00

Limos everywhere on weekends... This one pretty much takes the cake. It even had a "veil" on the back of the car.

Looking for a Home...

2011-05-22T09:31:00.005+04:00

As any teacher knows, the last two weeks of the school year are always chaotic. Double, or triple, the events and things "to do"... Add in all the things I have to attend as a parent, too—and, well, it's utterly exhausting.

I was REALLY looking forward to just "crashing" on the couch with the girls Friday night and watching a movie after we got home... And then, around eight, the doorbell rang. The sweet German girl who lives on the top floor had found this little guy wedged between the stairs and the elevator shaft on the first floor. He was meowing and meowing for help...

Her family couldn't take him and didn't know what to do, so, well, you know the rest of the story.

Wary of what taking in a stray cat can mean, I knew we'd have to immediately take him to the vet and keep him separated from our cats. Two years ago we tried to rescue an injured kitten, and it was a fiasco... Chris got all scratched up, fleas were everywhere, and I went on a wild veterinarian goose chase from nine p.m. to 3 a.m. all over Moscow that ended at a rabies quarantine testing center—from which the poor kitty never emerged because of neglect.

This time things went much more smoothly. Surprise, surprise—when we got to our vet's, they were happy to see us! They've earned enough for lavish vacations off of us when Lyalya was still in his toy-swallowing days...

In a nutshell, this little guy is a sweetheart. Clean bill of health except for ear parasites that we're treating. (No longer gross, not dangerous, will be "gone" after ten days). He's quarantined in the girls' room until the treatment is over/until he goes to a home. In the meantime, he has been christened "Socks" for obvious reasons. Little white "peds" on his front paws, longer sport socks on his back paws—one all the way up, one falling down...

He is thrilled to have a home. Um, temporary shelter. We're giving him so much love... Even though the weather was gorgeous yesterday, we just stayed home with him... Natalia read almost all day on the couch in their room with him nestled on her chest.

He's getting tons of exercise playing and he promptly claimed the American Girl colonial doll bed as his favorite place to rest—and then LEAP out of when he wants to play, popping out from behind the curtains. He's also very, very happy to have food and is already litter box trained.

Here he is on my chest while I read...

Anyone in Moscow interested??? My mission is to get this guy a loving home. Natalia's mission? As she just declared it? "To ruin your mission." Hah!

Russian Recycling

2011-05-21T12:57:00.001+04:00

A bird feeder made out of a dairy container... These trees are so beautiful and fragrant. Anyone know what kind of blossoms they are?

We walked under boughs of these trees on our way home after Katya's play.

The Wizard of Oz/Волшебник изумрудного города

2011-05-20T09:56:00.004+04:00

This past Tuesday was Katya's big school play, The Wizard of Oz. The kids read the book and then wrote their own script. As you can see, Katya was the Tin Man (with quite a dash of fashion panache... Any excuse to buy sequined clothing, of course...). Her friend Ailis was the lion, quite a feat considering that she only moved here from the UK last August! Katya's big scene is "Part 3," below. Two of the other main parts (the Scarecrow and first Wicked Witch/flying monkey/Oz) were played by girls we've known for years, when they were all in the same preschool/kindergarten.

I'm glad they did this play; I was Dorothy when our class put it on in 9th grade...

Katya had so many lines to learn that I asked one of my students, a wonderful tenth grader who lives nearby and who has hung out with us before, to help her with them. She then came to see the play, and Katya was so happy to see her.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3 (This is Katya's big scene):

Part 4 (This is the big scene for Katya's friend from the UK):

Part 5:

Part 6:

Tsaritsyno with Friends

2011-05-19T13:56:00.002+04:00

Even though it was raining, I'm glad we took our friends to Tsaritsyno, Catherine the Great's Moscow palace. It's almost like a gingerbread castle that's life-sized.

And to think she didn't like it—never completed it—and never even lived there...

Even though the renovations were poorly done and they're not holding up well at all, it's still beautiful.

Katya thinks this photo below would be a cool picture for her first album cover...

Looking for Luck at Tsaritsyno, Catherine the Great's Moscow Palace

2011-05-18T13:29:00.000+04:00

Tossing coins onto the model of the palace.

Newlyweds leaving a lock on the bridge on their wedding day to "lock in their love" forever.

Tossing coins into the main fountain.

Moscow State University

2011-05-17T13:01:00.000+04:00

Bulgakov and Patriarch Ponds

2011-05-15T15:18:00.006+04:00

Today's Google logo honors Mikhail Bulgakov, author The Master and Margarita and A Dog's Heart, among many other works. I remember reading those novels back in college, the second one without any translation. That was hard. Since moving here, I've seen a few theatre performances of The Master and Margarita—but I still prefer the book.

One of our favorite areas in Moscow figures prominently in The Master and Margarita: Patriarch Ponds. These pictures were taken in October 2008.

Just off of the Garden Ring Road, tucked between Malaya Bronnaya and Spiridonovka Streets, it's a a pretty area with a little park and pond that people like to skate on in the winter. The Café Margarita is a nice place to go for live music and authentic Russian food in the evening without going broke. It's very small and intimate!

Busted...

2011-05-11T23:09:00.004+04:00

Busted. When I was her age, I snuck a flashlight under the covers...

We got mail today from the US and I just caught Katya devouring the latest American Girl magazine... We get mail about twice a month after my mom collects it and puts it in a bigger envelope to mail through Chris's office. (Thanks, Mom!) She was also pretty excited to get a card from her godmother, a card from her grandmother, an invite to an event celebrating girls' sports (that happened over two weeks ago) for girls her age at the high school I went to (and where she'd love to go), and a Nintendo DS cartridge to learn French...

Me? Well, it's always such important and welcome news to be notified that our credit card is offering new promos... And now I have more insurance statements to file for FSA reimbursement... But I did love getting the alumni magazine from the wonderful school I went to through 9th grade...

Oh, and in other mail? Well, the State of New York seems to think **I** owe over $30,000 in back taxes. Um, WE MOVED AWAY SEVEN YEARS AGO! And while in NY, my only job was as a Creative Memories consultant, not exactly earning big bucks! Unfortunately our mailing address for the first four years there was through his office's New York office... And we have filed all the paperwork we were supposed to... In multiple ways, on multiple occasions, and now there are supposedly only three days until they nail us for something we don't even owe... New York maintains that even when you move away to another continent, it's ASSUMED to be temporary and you'll OF COURSE be coming back.

WHAT A PAIN! We now have to dig up all the lease agreements and cable bills (the only bill with our last name on it) for the past seven years... And that's probably only the beginning...

Thinking of Tomorrow...

2011-05-08T23:05:00.004+04:00

There are so many photos I could post from the past few days as we tour the city with friends, but here's one from a billboard in our neighborhood in anticipation of tomorrow's May 9th Victory Day celebrations...

It reads: "Make it from Moscow to Berlin on foot? You try!... Our grandfathers did it... 1941-1945."

I really like this one. It sure catches your eye...

Morning at Novodevichy Convent

2011-05-07T22:24:00.004+04:00

We have friends from the US visiting... So we had to take them to Novodevichy!

Church services were just getting out when we arrived.

These ladies had missed church, but seemed in no hurry, happily enjoying their stroll towards one of the cathedrals...

There are tulips EVERYWHERE in Moscow now. This city spends a FORTUNE on flowers imported from Holland... One minute it's still winter, and BOOM, the next patches of sod with flowers in bloom are literally dropped into flowerbeds...

We then walked a little in the park... And our friends even tried out the girls' funky "shake your hips from side to side in order to make it go forward" scooter... Hmm... I have video...

Let's Go Fly A Kite...

2011-05-06T13:08:00.004+04:00

The springtime theme for the decorations at GUM (the famous massive department store lining Red Square) is kites and Japanese cherry blossoms. It's so beautiful! Mom—do you remember eating blini and drinking THICK hot chocolate on that balcony?

For you family friends back in the USA, here are Jack and Jill (our guests from home here right now) in front of the Mac Store...

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-05-06T12:50:00.002+04:00

Here's a little something for you...

It was taken four years ago... While you might not have chosen a Hannah Montana song for a birthday serenade, be (perhaps) glad that I couldn't locate the clip I was really looking for—you and the girls rocking out to Mamma Mia in the kitchen a few summers ago!

Flowers and Soldiers

2011-05-05T23:54:00.002+04:00

Today I saw lots of people walking around with carnations to place at memorials... I look forward to Monday, when children (including my own) will give their flowers to proud elderly veterans who will be decked out in all their medals...

Getting Ready for Victory

2011-05-05T23:00:00.006+04:00

The banners are now up pretty much everywhere... Moscow is in full "Victory Day" mode. (Victory Day is May 9th, the end of World War II). I've written about this before, but basically May 9th is A MAJOR RUSSIAN HOLIDAY. Many Russians would be surprised to find out that Americans think they won the war, oh, yeah, with the Allies. For Russians? IT'S PERSONAL, and it was fought, fiercely, on their own land. Over 20,ooo,ooo citizens of USSR died during World War II. It's almost impossible to find someone who didn't lose a direct relative during the war.

This a fantastic time of the year to visit Moscow and we have company again this year; close family friends are here until Tuesday. It's fun to have guests; it makes you step out of "daily routine" mode and just enjoy the city. For example, I actually got out and took photos today! Yes, there is work I could have been doing instead... But I can get that stuff done in the next few days...

Russians do decorative metal structures and flag-like decorations better than anybody...

This picture is deceptive; it makes you think that traffic doesn't exist here. Hah! Tonight I felt so sorry for the parents who were only just then realizing that many of the main roads were closed down tonight at 6 p.m. for a rehearsal for the big parade on Monday... I have no idea how some of those friends made it home; traffic must have been at a complete standstill in some areas...

Outside of Red Square, General Zhukov's statue (he lead the forces into Berlin) is flanked by flags representing all of the various fronts.

Lifting the number nine... Big grandstands have been put up to accommodate guests at the parade, and there is a huge stage for the gala concert that night.

Flanking the National Museum of History are these replicas of war medals... The one below is particularly striking. The background even looks like ribbon.

It was even hot today... I was too warm in my jeans and short-sleeved shirt... It's almost impossible to believe that a little over two weeks ago there was still snow and I hadn't taken off our winter tires!

Craving!

2011-05-03T18:22:00.002+04:00

I really, really want some black beans to make some favorite Mexican dishes!!!

Does anyone know where you can find them in Moscow? I used to know of a few places, but they no longer carry them...

I also ran out of vanilla extract, but ended up making some that's even better than what I had by scraping plump vanilla beans and throwing them in back in the extract bottle with vodka...

We're Not Giving Him Away...

2011-05-02T16:12:00.003+04:00

Katya is busy writing thank you notes for all the teachers who have worked with her in the elementary school (you graduate after fourth grade and move to the middle school in a nearby area of the city). I've put all the gift sets from The Body Shop in gift bags, freeing up the bags they originally came in... As you can see, Lyalya took one over... He's now sound asleep, as happy as can be!

Cheering for Our Skaters

2011-05-02T12:19:00.002+04:00

Here we are before the Women's Long Programs began at the World Figure Skating Championships on Saturday. I'm so thankful that Jenna McCorkell from Great Britain made it into the final group! Natalia's friend really had her heart set on cheering on someone from "home"! She had looked a little down when she saw the really long banners we had made for Rachel Flatt and Alissa Czisny—but when it came for Jenna to take the ice, she was beaming.

The timing was off a little bit at first—and we found this little fan bouncing up and down, intently beaming her good will to the skater on the ice—who truly didn't look like a good Irish lass... These days, though, you certainly could find an Asian Brit with that last name—but the skater was actually from China, so we got to then cheer on the next, and correct, skater afterward!

The women that came out bearing flowers and bouquets were in HIGH heels, strapless gowns with HIGH slits, and white fur stoles... Very Russia... My friend commented how in the UK, those women would have had on track suits!

Earlier in the day, Natalia had made this card for Alissa Czisny, the US champion. It's so funny! Click on it to read it!

Yeah, sure, they're basically the same! Except, well, Natalia doesn't like skating much! She added in that "But watching you changes my mind..." after I snorted when she read the card to me the first time...! We got it to the US contingent in the first row and they made sure she got it. I wrote on the back, adding in our US mailing address and offering to get her any books/music, etc. to help her keep up her Russian (she was a Russian major in college). I hope we'll hear from her!

I wonder what this building is... It was near the rink and Dinamo metro. Isn't it gorgeous?

Miki Ando's Prayer for Japan

2011-05-02T12:08:00.002+04:00

Here is the video of Miki Ando's Exhibition performances yesterday at the closing ceremonies after Worlds... I wish the video hadn't been spliced between her two numbers so you could hear the roar of the crowd and see her reaction! The first number is her regular exhibition number; the second can only be interpreted as a new prayer for her country...

The Ones to Watch...

2011-05-01T19:34:00.006+04:00

Today Katya and I went with two friends to watch the Exhibitions at the closing of the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships. It was GREAT!

Every single male skater in the top 5 was fantastic; they all had super technique and phenomenal stage presence. Competition at the Olympics in 2014 will be fierce! They were:

1. Patrick Chan, Canada

2. Takahiko Kozuka, Japan

3. Artur Gachinski, Russia

4. Michal Brezkina, Czech Republic

5. Daisuki Takahashi, Japan

We particularly liked Takahiko Kozuka's show program set to Glee music!

We really enjoyed the American champions in Ice Dance, Meryl Davis & Charlie White (1st place) and Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (3rd place). The Canadians who came in 2nd, Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, were also superb!

The woman who stole the show, however, was Miki Ando of Japan, who came in first. She is the very picture of graciousness and she was crying so much at the crowds roar of appreciation and support that she had to stop to dry her tears before doing her encore. There isn't any video of her performance on youtube yet; once it is, I'll post it. She did a lovely routine to begin with, and then a new routine that can only be interpreted as a prayer for Japan in the wake of the tsunami. It was breathtaking and incredibly moving... The crowd roared for her!!!

We were also very happy to see Alissa Czisny, the US Champion, skate again. She came in fifth overall and she is so beautiful... Last year she missed Worlds because of her disappointing Olympic Year 10th place finish at US Nationals—when she was coping with just having learned that her twin sister had cancer (you can read more about her journey back in this NYT article). Alissa had a fall at the beginning of her short program here in Moscow, but she fought hard to skate clean throughout the rest of the competition. She should feel so good about her finish... I'll write more about the card that Natalia made for her in a separate post :-)

In addition to all the top skaters, the audience was treated to performances by Russia's up-and-coming stars... Starting with an adorable 7-year-old whose name I couldn't catch, to these next two ladies, we were WOWED.

First up? Elena Radionova. REMEMBER HER NAME, BECAUSE YOU'LL LIKELY BE HEARING MORE OF IT. She turned twelve in January and she is ranked 4th in the Russian Junior Nationals. She trains at the Red Army Club in Moscow, the literal farm for future Russian Olympians. That's where Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov started skating when they were three... Kids admitted to the program devote their whole lives to it. Sports before school, then condensed schooling with all the other athletes (from a variety of sports taught there) and then training again. No wonder these kids get so good so young!

Here are some videos of her:

Talking at a professional ice show starring Evgeniy Pluschenko this year; isn't she adorable?!

Short Program at 2011 Junior Nationals:

Long Program at 2011 Junior Nationals:

2010 Rostelekom Crystal Cup:

The other skater is Adelina Sitnikova, the reigning Junior World Champion.

Long Program at 2011 Junior Worlds:

Short Program at 2011 Junior Nationals:

My Whirling Dervish

2011-04-28T17:42:00.000+04:00

This week was the talent show for the first and second grades (when I took that cute picture of the first grade boys that I posted a few days ago). Natalia sure does love baton twirling! She only did it for a month last summer, but still enjoys doing it on her own.

Now if only I could have made her PUT HER HAIR UP!!! Aarrgh!

Good Morning

2011-04-27T21:18:00.005+04:00

I drove by this church in the morning... On gray winter days it almost recedes into the background—but when there's a bright blue sky and the sun is shining onto the golden domes, it's utterly breathtaking...

Friendship

2011-04-27T20:13:00.002+04:00

I took this picture of two first grade boys at the school talent show today. They were so, so sweet and innocent... I love the Russian "Festival Talantov" written on the wall and the big white hair bow on the girl in front of them...

Easter Egg Hunt 2011

2011-04-24T14:53:00.005+04:00

The girls' favorite tradition all year is the egg hunt (plastic eggs that open up to hold treats & clues) that the Easter Bunny leaves for them—with 32 clues, all written in rhyme.

This is how he got Katya, a reluctant reader when she was 6, to start reading... She had to read the clues in order to find her basket! It's now the highlight of the year.

The Easter Bunny must do a LOT of planning, especially since our apartment isn't very large and the clues must be new each year, and tough enough to figure out that the hunt isn't boring...

In the clips above, I just love Natalia's accents! Why she chose to speak like that, I have no idea! But she's actually pretty good! And poor Katya... How resigned she is when solving the clue about her messy shirt drawer! Hah :-)

Here are some of this year's 32 clues; purple ones were read by Natalia, green ones by Katya:

Gigantic! Enormous!

So much bigger in size!

You sure like this item,

And so do your eyes!

(our larger TV that was bought in February)

Another new toy

From the midwinter days....

When you watch something with this,

It will simply amaze!

(the dvd player—blue ray—that came with it)

This fun-loving girl

Travels near and far...

Bringing along her friends,

In this cool kind of car.

(inside the shower in the American Girl camper they have)

Point and shoot...

Zoom in, and zoom out...

Capturing what matters...

Is what this is all about.

(inside my camera bag)

Hours and hours

Spent this way

Creating beautiful patterns

To keep or give away...

(inside the bucket of perler beads they use to make figures that you iron to set)

You know you want one!

But in Moscow? Hard to conceive...

These just don't exist in a city, so

You'll have to make believe...

(inside their dolls' tree house)

If you lose a baby tooth,

Leave it here at night...

A fairy will come to take it away

Remaining out of sight.

(under Natalia's pillow)

The King of the Bathroom...

And the King of the Bed...

Perched up here regally,

Resting his head...

(where Katya's cat, Lyalya, sleeps at the foot of her loft bed)

This latest item of comfort

Added to your house...

Is so comfy for the kitties...

That they'd ignore a mouse!

(behind our IKEA Poang chair, where their basket was hidden)

Sleek and sporty on the outside,

Soft and furry within...

Keeping your Mom's treasure safe,

Blue like the Caribbean...

(inside the neoprene padded sleeve for my laptop)

"Those aren't yours! Just go away!"

"But I can't find mine! And I need some today!"

Ah, such battles in the morning make you nuts...

Such fighting among sisters, such a fuss...

So Mom gladly went back to your favorite store

And bought lots of these—more and more!

(inside Natalia's sock drawer)

With sequins and sparkles...

And sayings with pizzazz...

But if they're all bunched up and shoved in,

You know your mom will spaz!

(inside a Gap t-shirt in K's drawer)

Every day these make our home gleam...

Wiping up spills and keeping things clean...

Then washed in hot water and throw in to dry,

Without these, we just couldn't get by!

(in the stack of rags we use to wash the floors and instead of paper towels)

Jewelry, perfumes, secret treasure...

Katya picked this out with pleasure!

A place you love and think is great...

Part of your room since you turned eight.

(inside the "locker" from Justice that Katya gave Natalia for her birthday)

What a big year for you,

Since last I hopped this way...

Now you have quite a collection of these!

And this is where they stay...

(in the case where Katya keeps her earrings)

Oooh, là là!

You're now so grown up and chic!

Pink grapefruit, mademoiselle?

Smells good enough to lick!

(inside the box that Natalia's pink grapefruit French perfume came in)

"Yay! What fun!"

So he jumps right inside...

Settling down

For a girly-girl ride.

(inside the doll carriage—in which our cat loves to go for rides)

Gleeful singing from the kitchen...

Cooking after school...

Rocking out with your mom..

With this multi-purpose tool!

(in the rack where I keep my "microphone" tongs)

A certain someone depends on this

To keep his kingdom clean and fresh...

If it ran out, he'd refuse to rule—

From a throne that is a mess!

(in the bag of CLEAN kitty litter)

If your mom is headed to Auchon,

You sure hope she'll bring some home!

Favorite flavors, to each her own...

At first you didn't like them,

But now you'll really do...

Not only are they yummy, but also good for you!

(in with the yogurts)

Just how many can you eat?

As many as you please?

You should both turn into mice...

From eating so many of these...

(in the bag of string cheese sticks)

If your father always remembered,

You'd be done with me for already a while...

When what I've started will be finished,

You will dazzle with your smile!

(in the case where we keep the key to tighten Katya's retainer spacer)

Now that Spring has come,

I hear you shout and cheer...

As you zoom and whiz with glee,

Smiling bright from ear to ear!

(where we keep the scooters)

I see everything...

I'm such a clever rabbit!

But leaving these here isn't too smart...

What a dangerous habit!

(the crevice in the hall where a spare key is left on odd occasions)

Gliding and shivering,

Avoiding any fall...

What a fun way to pass

Some hours at the mall!

(in Natalia's ice skate bag)

Company's coming...

Best drag me out...

I make delicious golden ribbons

That make your guests shout!

(in with my pasta maker)

Upside down and neatly stacked...

Lined up neatly in a row...

Scrubbed and scrubbed then rinsed...

This is where wet things go.

(in the dish rack)

Such a handy octopus...

Always ready to help...

But if your classmates saw what I hold,

You surely would yelp!

(hanging from the IKEA octopus with clothespins on each "arm" where we dry our underwear)

"Please, pretty please..."

Was your heart-felt pre-Prague plee...

"If you love me, you'll let me borrow it..."

And then you kept it for thee!

(in the pocket of my North Face windbreaker that Katya has taken from me...)

Not always predictable,

Sometimes too hot and capricious...

But most things that come from me—

Turn out delicious!

(inside our very temperamental oven)

It's gone! It disappeared!

NOW WHERE DID IT GO?

Hmm... As usual, it slipped inside...

Your mom told you so!

(in between the couch cushions—where the remote slides)

Working Hard...

2011-04-24T12:16:00.002+04:00

Yesterday the girls and I tracked down where to get some 0dd-sized light bulbs we need. While the woman who worked at the shop was in the storage room, I just couldn't help but take this picture of her work station—where she sits in front of the shop, in full view of all customers...

On either side of the laptop, signs of a hard day's work: an entire BOX full of manicure supplies; a bottle of red polish; a bottle of top coat; and a big box of chocolates...!

I'm betting the only web site visited was "V kontakte," the Russian version of Facebook...!

As we left, Katya remarked that the woman only had one red nail– on her left pinky! (She picked up on that even before she knew that I had noticed all the manicure stuff... Good eyes! Future spy?)

Headed to World's!

2011-04-23T17:23:00.003+04:00

Due to the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships were last-minute relocated to Moscow! You have to really feel for the Japanese skaters, though... They have a very strong team and they have surely been looking forward to performing in front of their home crowd for years... The defending champions from last year's World's are both Japanese...

People in Moscow are very grateful, however, for the chance to attend the competition and cheer on everyone... Because of the short notice, it wasn't that hard to get some good tickets. The four of us are going with friends to watch the ladies' freestyle (medal-deciding) competition next Saturday, and then on Sunday Katya and I are joining another mom and daughter from her class to go to the Exhibitions.

This year I'll be sure to not put on face paint backwards while looking in the mirror...

Come to think of it, I think I'll just skip the face paint...

But we WILL bring big banners for the Alissa Czisny and Rachel Flatt! Alissa was a Russian major in college; she must be so excited about the unexpected trip to Moscow!

Katya's "Let Your Star Shine" Presentation

2011-04-22T13:24:00.013+04:00

Fourth grade graduation is a big deal in our school; you leave the elementary school and actually go to a different part of the city for middle school. Part of graduation is earning your "star," a plaque presented to you after you do our "Let Your Star Shine" presentation.

Students speak in front of the 3rd and 4th grades for about five minutes, talking about themselves. What matters to them? What kind of a person are you? What are your strengths? How have you grown while in the elementary school? What are your goals? What is your family like? Etc., etc. Then they can do some kind of a presentation, either showing a collection of their artwork, a video of them pursuing something they do outside of school (usually a sport), or a musical performance.

Katya started playing the guitar in January; since they she has written a few songs and set one to music. She sang and played that song for her presentation.

Afterwards, there's a rather long question and answer session when students and teachers can ask you pretty much anything. It's a good opportunity to develop confidence speaking in front of a group!

We were SO proud of Katya. She was extremely well-spoken and self-possessed... Her voice sounds much more childish than it usually is because she was so nervous, and her Russian wasn't quite as "you can't tell that I'm not Russian" as it usually is, but she did very well. She had the teachers (and me...) crying or darn near, proud not only of her Russian progress since first grade, but also of the young lady she has become.

Her presentation, and all of her teachers' and classmates' reactions, really highlighted what a great place this school has been for her. She has been so loved, nurtured and challenged.

We didn't help her at all; she made the powerpoint presentation by herself, decided what to say, and did the song on her own (with the help of her guitar teacher). Not all parents actually stay out of it, even though that's supposed to be whole point... (Developing confidence doing something independently...)

Since we didn't work with her on it, we were actually quite surprised by some things she said!!!

The highlights?

When she grows up, she wants to be either a country singer or the first woman President of the United States.
According to Katya, one of the reasons she loves Taylor Swift is that Taylor wasn't always so popular... When she was younger, kids used to tease her about her looks. She found comfort in writing songs and music, building up her self-confidence through artistic expression. Katya says that she is a wonderful role model for her.
Her teacher read a story that Katya wrote in third grade about looking beyond appearances and valuing people for their inner qualities. It was so lovely, and her teacher said that is truly how Katya is. I couldn't believe that she can write like that! It was so good! I'll do a post about that at a different time.
She had really nice things to say about all of us in the family—when we tend to hear the negative much more often at home... It meant a lot to Natalia to hear what Katya said...
She said that she considers everyone a friend, trusting them unless they give her reason not to...
Her favorite things? Taylor Swift, Shakespeare, Robert Frost, 39 Clues books, mysteries, music from Glee, singing, treats at Starbucks, monkeys, acting, playing the guitar, reading, and studying the American Revolution.
What does she like most about Russia? How there are so many historical places everywhere and there's always something new to learn.
When she grows up, she doesn't plan to take her kids to another country to live. When asked about this, it's not because she personally doesn't like the experience—but she thinks it's too hard on her grandparents and me.
She was also asked what she likes least about Russia, and she tactfully avoided answering, saying she couldn't quite think of the words... But when I asked her afterwards, having clearly noted that she had something in mind, she replied, "Well, dishonesty in the way things work. But then I realized I might offend someone if I said that because you never know..."

Oh, just realized, I did help with one part... I baked enough of her favorite chocolate chunk cookies to share with everyone in the audience afterward. There just wasn't time for her to do it all on her own... She brought in a few other things from home, including her autographed picture of Taylor Swift ("My mom really knows how to pick presents"—THANK YOU, Ebay!).

Below are the videos from the day. Everything is in Russian except for the second video which has her singing the song she wrote and performed on guitar. At the beginning of the fourth clip her teacher for the past four years asks her a question; we just love her and her voice... Katya will miss her terribly after this year!

Here's the "About Me" part of her presentation: (She picked the funniest picture of Chris on his birthday and it made everyone laugh!)

Here is the song she wrote (clearly inspired by the Taylor Swift music she loves):

Here are the clips from the Question & Answer Session:

Fresh Paint

2011-04-21T09:40:00.002+04:00

Old people who work for the city covering up the hedge fences, benches and sidewalk borders with seriously stinky paint yesterday.

This is perhaps one of the busiest weeks of the year in Moscow. The city takes VERY seriously being all spruced-up in time for the major May 1st and May 9th holidays.

While it may have still been snowing two days ago, and there is still mud and thawed dog poo on pretty much every non-paved area, by May 1st somehow everything will be green, in bloom, clean, swept... AND FRESHLY PAINTED.

Russians paint everything, and in rather odd combinations. Sometimes you wonder if there was a clearance sale on unusual colors when you see the palette chosen for particular places... Or if some city planner was in a drug-induced state when he charted out what colors would go where, mixing up bizarre combinations and patterns...

Metal playground equipment... Hedge dividers... Doors... Park benches... Trash cans... Concrete planters... Everything gets painted before May 1st.

They mix the paint in empty 5 liter water containers; you can see them in the background.

You don't have to worry about accidentally brushing up against wet paint, however, because you can smell the paint a mile away... And THIS I don't understand. Russian paint smells TOXIC. You just know that if you were shut in a room with walls just covered in this paint, you would get sick. It coats your lungs and nasal passages. It tastes bad as you breath it in. It's awful when they paint the entryway and stairwell of our building!

Seriously... THIS is what they use to paint PLAYGROUND equipment? You really wonder what is in the paint to make it smell so bad—and how such paint is so much cheaper than more ecologically-friendly versions. It must be a question of price...

This stench, however, means that spring is truly just around the corner, so I'll gladly plug my nose and step carefully!

I Kid You Not...

2011-04-19T18:49:00.003+04:00

BIG SNOWFLAKES BLOWING EVERYWHERE, AT ODD INTERVALS THIS AFTERNOON.

UH, ??????!!!!!?

Spring weather is supposed to officially arrive this Sunday, just in time for Easter :-)

NO TRUMPET PLAYING!

2011-04-12T20:45:00.001+04:00

Got it?!

Love this sign... Have been meaning to take a picture of it for ages...

The One in Which Another Friend Now Blogs

2011-04-12T20:27:00.003+04:00

I'd like to welcome one of my former students, now in her last year of law school, to the blogosphere... I just got caught up on many of her prior posts, and she's funny! You'll find, for example:

irreverent takes on fashion (and fashion faux-pas...)
political and cultural commentary
cooking
beautiful design and photography
feminist wit

She's really great... And she came with us when we first moved to Moscow to help me out for a few weeks. One of my favorite things about her? She gave me one of the best baby gifts ever when Katya was born (her class slowly watched my body double in size...): a letter, written in the best French she could muster, that Katya is supposed to read when she turns fourteen. A letter that basically lays out why I'm awesome—when Katya will be at an age when she will likely be inclined to think otherwise...

You can check her out here.

Someone's Glad It's Spring...

2011-04-11T13:54:00.002+04:00

March 2011

Yesterday I noticed that this car finally left its parking spot after months of not moving. Wonder how dented in the roof now is...

Uh, No.

2011-04-10T17:16:00.000+04:00

Look closely. Really? That's what she thinks it means to get her coffee "to go"? At least this café offers lids for your "take it with you" beverages...

Then again, I remember seven years ago when you just didn't get coffee "to go" at all without people looking at you a bit oddly. Alcohol while walking around, sure! Soda, fine! But not coffee... Once I got in a cab with my Starbucks tumbler full of home-brewed coffee. The driver raised his brow at me and remarked, "Vodka?" as he eyed my drink. When I remarked that it was simply coffee, he shrugged his shoulders and muttered, "Why?"

Hot Juice and Other Cross-Cultural Clashes

2011-04-09T17:45:00.003+04:00

Today we went for lunch with our British friends. The kids all ordered apple juice, which arrived in the customary tall glasses. I picked up a glass to give it to the one of the girls—and it was HOT. The glass was so hot, in fact, that it was hard to hold it.

I looked up incredulously at the waitress and told her this—and she simply shrugged. Forget that you don't give children—including small children—beverages that could harm them if they dropped them. This was more of a, "Are you kidding? We ordered apple juice and you're serving it hot without any discussion on the matter?" We had not asked for hot juice; how could one possibly assume that's how we'd want it?

The waitress was so stubborn! She refused to take back the juice, only finally conceding to bring ice—but there was barely any room at the top of the glasses for any cubes. She actually argued with me about our wanting the kids to have cold juice. I ended up getting a little prickly, explaining that lukewarm juice wasn't even what we wanted. We wanted it COLD.

She wouldn't give in... She clearly thought we were irresponsible parents and wouldn't let our children's health be endangered by our carelessness... (People here think that cold drinks can hurt you in a variety of ways). When she brought the ice, she wouldn't let the kids put it in their glasses by themselves. She wouldn't even let me do it. And she gave each kid ONE cube.

We added more after she had left...

My friend's younger daughter, however, picked up the warm glass, took a sip, and declared it yummy. As she sucked it down, her mom muttered, "Traitor." Hah!

Shopping and Dropping...

2011-04-09T10:17:00.002+04:00

During our whirlwind trip to the US last week, we went to American Girl in Boston for lunch. Natalia loved the life-sized Kanani display. Natalia's godmother is getting married in Hawaii next summer, so she's particularly interested in learning more about the Hawaiian Girl of the Year. She curled up in the shaved ice stand and started reading Kanani's books.

We just had fun browsing, and Natalia borrowed Kanani from the shelf of "Dine with You" dolls when we went to the café.

I needed some shoes and white t-shirts and luckily there was a 60% off sale at Lord & Taylor's. Poor Natalia, though, literally dropped as I shopped.... Understandable, since we had only flown in the day before!

American Girls No Longer in Moscow... And Then in Moscow... And Now Unsure...

2011-04-09T09:39:00.005+04:00

It has been a few months of big changes...

I accepted a job teaching French and Spanish at a great boarding school in Massachusetts and we had all made the decision to move and somehow make it work... Simply choosing to move was HUGE. All the details then came rushing at us... Exhilarating and exhausting.... When I had initially applied for jobs, I wasn't sure we would actually be leaving this year. It was a surprise when we found this one school that seemed to be a perfect fit for us. I had never thought of this year as our last in Moscow and there are so many things that we still haven't done here...

We made a quick one-week trip to the US to visit the school... Managed to cram in seeing my mom and some dear friends... Then flew back and I INSTANTLY jumped back into work, also covering for a colleague who has been ill while dealing with my and the girls' jet lag...

And then for various reasons that had nothing to do with our simply having second thoughts, all of the sudden I had to turn the job down. It was utterly unexpected and it took the wind out of us.

Now we're thoroughly tired, physically and emotionally... No idea what's next... I have other options at some great schools, but they aren't in areas where we could see ourselves long-term taking all things into consideration...

It appears we'll stay for one more year, knowing it's our last.... This way we would have plenty of time to plan in advance... But it won't be certain until other things fall into place in the next few weeks.

Argh, the not knowing is hard! The whole time we've lived here, I've never known what "the game plan" is. The uncertainty, the inability to make any long-term plans, has been the hardest part of living here for me. I've just needed to know. Life of course always brings surprises—but I wanted to at least have an idea of where we were headed...

If we do end up deciding to leave at the end of this school year, it is going to be bittersweet and exhausting... So much planning, sorting and packing... And then starting out all over again somewhere in the US. It would also be tough quite possibly having our family on two continents, doing what has to be the crummiest commute!

Maria's Children in Washington, DC! At the Library of Congress!

2011-03-01T01:55:00.002+03:00

If any of you can make it, check out the art exhibit tomorrow at the Rayburn Building Foyer, all day, in the Library of Congress! What an incredible opportunity for Maria's Children!

The press event is at 11 a.m. Patch Adams will be there, as will Maria, her husband, Ilya, and some of the older orphans who have grown up with Maria's Children.

Here is a newspaper article with all the pertinent information!!

If you're curious to read more about Maria's Children, just search for them in the side bar of my blog. It's an AMAZING organization! They provide art therapy, educational assistance, other types of help and give lots of love to orphans and needy children in Russia.

Fashionable Prisoners of Forced-Labor Camps

2011-02-16T13:17:00.001+03:00

Zek: a prisoner in a forced-labor camp (U.S.S.R.)

Hmmm. So there's this shop at the mall called "Zeki." Whoah... Plural! MULTIPLE prisoners from a forced-labor camp!

What a bizarre shop...

On the right side: fur hats. Serious massive Russian fur hats. Ear flaps and all.

On the left side: skimpy bikinis & bathing suits. The prints and colors? Anything but prison-regulated garb!

So, someone please explain to me, just HOW does this fit into a marketing plan?

My Barely-Breathing Blog...

2011-02-10T10:57:00.006+03:00

I never intended to just stop writing...

There have been a variety of factors... Such a varied readership, bigger than I had ever envisioned, and as a result I'm quite limited sometimes in what I can write about. (More on this below, added later). Ever since that school trip when our pictures and my blog were in the Aeroflot magazine, there has been more tension among the different "hats" I wear as a blogger.

As for Moscow, yes, there are certainly still some really neat things going on here, and there's much to write about!

But even though I didn't even think this was humanly possible, my husband's job this past year has been even more grueling and all-demanding... I've been pretty much entirely on my own in dealing with daily life here, being a parent and working full-time. That just doesn't leave much time for blogging, or for anything else, for that matter...

It has definitely been a year of of high pressure and bubbling situations on all fronts... I've felt like a cook trying to not burn multiple dishes at the same time.

Right now I'm also pretty busy looking into jobs in the US for next year. We don't know for certain if we'll be leaving, but it's *definitely* a possibility. It's exciting, but also quite daunting. There's only ONE Russian high school teaching job advertised for next year and it looks great... Otherwise I'm facing jumping back in doing full-time French and Spanish, and I haven't done that in a long time.

I'll post more of the kind of stuff you always used to see here real soon!

Added later today:

What I mean is that once people from work find out you blog, in particular your students, you hesitate to ever write anything that detracts from your professional image. And I pretty much never blog about work—even when there could be SO many interesting cultural things to say if my blog were anonymous!—so sometimes I'm not left with that much to write about... I also feel so compelled to always be super chipper, making things seem effortless and positive. Sure, no one is "making me" do that—but doesn't it just make sense? At work I'm very cheerful, encouraging and enthusiastic... I also try to be like that with my children... I think my "chipperness" has then been a bit spent by the time I get a spare moment sometimes :-)

Knowing that other potential expats are also reading what I'm writing, I really don't want to ever make things seem easier than they might be—that could make the reality of moving here more isolating. I would hate for anyone to think, "Well, what's wrong with me? Moscow Mom seems to just love being here and does it all so effortlessly!" That's how other expat women appeared to me when we first moved here, and that made the adjustment SO much harder...

It's also trickier being a "Mommy Blogger" when your kids get older and you need to respect their privacy more...

On the Community Board at Starbucks...

2010-12-21T19:46:00.003+03:00

...but not under our tree... Brother and sister, 1 and 1/2 months old...

Isn't he a little clone of Lyalya? Now, if Lyalya were still going around swallowing objects and incurring $1,000 vet bills, it might make sense to have a back-up... But he seems to have learned his lesson last May...

p.s. Nasty Virus Update: Katya now has it. Poor girl is so sick. Her British pal now has it, too; funny how both sets of sisters got it at the exact same time... I'm still not all better, either—but it's that last crucial week of school... Tomorrow is the final day I have to go to meetings and teach. Thursday and Friday are the girls' holiday assemblies and the high school assemblies, but at least I won't have to prepare lessons... Okay, now one day to finish getting ready for our three friends who arrive on Thursday morning!

The Other Birthday Party...

2010-12-20T21:45:00.002+03:00

Well, it was quite different from the little party I threw in Natalia's class at school—the kind of birthday we always do. It's a tradition in the girls' school to have classroom birthdays.

Some families then do a party outside of school—but we can't fit more than a few kids in our apartment, and I would never want anyone to feel left out. People often hold such parties at some other venue, but that's not what we grew up with or do now. If the girls had birthdays at the end of the May, then I could see gathering at a park and playing outdoor games—but it's already cool by September and school's in session... In December? Forget it :-) Sure, we could gather to skate, but it's such a busy time of year and you'd end up having to throw in a restaurant stop for everyone, including parents, and, well...

In any case, we had a great time. We met a restaurant on Noviy Arbat, one that was actually there when I lived here in 1991. It was next to the Irish grocery store, the only place I was able to reliably buy boxes of orange juice with my grandmother's credit card when I was getting the jitters from vitamin C deficiency. How times have changed!

There was one area of the restaurant for the kids, and one for the parents. Think small wedding reception or bar mitzvah. Great food, SUPER music, fun for the kids... Since you stay in the same homeroom class, with the same teacher, from 1st-4th grade, the kids and parents all know each other really well. It was nice to hang out.

The chocolate fountain was a huge hit...

Halfway through, we got a BIG surprise. All of the sudden a famous Russian pop singer, Glukoza, walked onto the little stage!

Here's a video of one of the songs she sang:

The kids went nuts and had a blast dancing and singing along with her. She was really super with the kids and they all got her autograph before she left. When she first came out, though, Katya was hanging out at the table with two friends. I told her to come to the dance area, and she grabbed her science book out of her purse—wanting to get the singer's autograph on the title page... That's my K! Pop star and science all mixed together...

Happy Birthday, Natalia...

2010-12-19T22:31:00.003+03:00

Natalia turned 8 a week ago (on December 13th). She had been counting down the days since last January. Seriously. We all got up early so she could open presents before school. This year a huge theme in our house is PRIVACY. They kind of live under their loft beds behind their curtains... I've written about this before, but just to put it into "expat" context, neither girl can get enough of it (privacy), and it's rough sharing a room in a small apartment with one bathroom... They also can never go outside on their own, and we have no relatives on this side of the ocean where they could go for an individual visit.

Appropriately, Natalia's favorite gifts were therefore pretty locking boxes. One looks like a locker, from Katya, and Katya even had decorated it inside... She really made a gesture to be kind... They have been at each other's throats for months, so the reprieve was nice. The other box is like a pretty mini footlocker, and it was even filled with goodies from her best friend.

The big surprise? Heelies. Yeah, I know. Probably super dangerous. But given Moscow weather, where will she ever even wear them than in our apartment?? I get credit for being a cool mom without incurring much risk... She has to use a helmet. She was so, so thankful for everything and loved every bit of her day.

I already posted pics of the cake on Facebook, but here it is again. All the little figures are her favorite things, which I made out of marzipan: batons, soccer, a dog, her cat, a paint palette, ice skates, a dolphin, a plate of homemade cookies (she loves to bake with me), ice skates, a laptop, a banana, a musical note, high heels that sparkle, a top hat and rabbit (she loves to do magic tricks), and a mug of steamed vanilla milk.

For her party at school, I gave each kid a small pack of cloves and a mandarin orange so they could make pomanders. (Ever the teacher, I thought, "Hmmm... Fine motor skills...!") It made the classroom smell delicious! The kids had never heard of them before, so it was something new and fun. I love the designs they came up with—not your typical Victorian fare!

We then played Bingo, with Natalia calling the numbers. Natalia is so funny... She tells things exactly as they are, in a very deadpan way... The kids were ecstatic to play Bingo again; we did it last year, but then I made all the cards myself by drawing things. This year we used my official big metal Bingo wheel with the numbered balls inside. She actually said, "Well, I really don't like this game at all... But you all like it so much, that we're playing it again..." The other kids were like, "Uh, OK, now just CALL THE NUMBERS!"

She ended up LOVING being a leader in the game, and kept stopping to hug me and thank me for the cake and whole birthday. It was sooo worth all the draining effort! Most parents don't bake, so it really means a lot to her to have a homemade original each year. It's nice how the kids look forward to it, too... So often the girls have to play second fiddle to my grading papers, etc... It's nice to have a day when they know it's all about them and having a nice time with our family and their friends...

For favors we gave out bags with some of her favorite things: little magnet ball pairs you can do tricks with; a pack of cotton candy that turns into gum; a small Japanese eraser; and some silly bandz rubber bracelets that feature Americana items (outline of USA, eagle, Statue of Liberty, etc.).

I'll write more tomorrow about a different kind of birthday party we went to last night... We had a great time, but it was sooo different than our little home-grown shindig! Birthdays are such a big deal in Russia (HUGE! HUGE!) and they sure offer fodder for cultural comparisons!

In the meantime, the wicked stomach bug in our home continues... Yesterday was false reprieve... Charlotte, a young American teacher who has been living with us for a month while she apartment hunted, even ended up being admitted to the American hospital and put on an IV drip... Chris was equally sick, but he roughed it out here all day, I'm exhibiting symptoms, too... But I have to have our apartment ready for guests arriving Thursday, do all necessary "end of term" things for school, and get everything ready for Christmas—in addition to the non-stop laundry from everyone's illnesses... (Oh, yeah, and clean, cook, grocery shop and be "Mom," too!)

GOD BLESS a good friend who took the girls along with his own to go skating this afternoon! Natalia now feels kind of sick all over again, though... But no actual yucky activity yet, though—so knock on wood!

Racial Tensions: Update

2010-12-18T22:10:00.001+03:00

Nothing has really happened since Wednesday... There are many more officers on the streets, though, particularly at train stations and key subway stops. Teens I know are forbidden from going to the mall with friends, and merchants must definitely be losing out on much-needed business at this crucial time of year!

There's one dark-skinned boy in Katya's class (make that, school—there just is not diversity here like you see in other countries with a culture of immigration... ), and it made me so sad to hear his mom talking about this all... She's afraid he will never get to walk alone outside and be safe here... He's only ten, and yet she's already figuring out how to help him eventually study overseas... He might even go to camp with Katya this summer!

We tossed out the possibility to the kids, and they were so excited! It would be such an eye-opener for him to go somewhere where there are kids from all different bagrounds: African-American, Latino, Asian... And no one really cares!

It's so sad to know that he's only in fourth grade—and it doesn't seem likely that the atmosphere here would have improved that noticeably by the time he's in college...

Racial Riots in Moscow

2010-12-16T10:05:00.006+03:00

It has been a tense week in Moscow... Yesterday the problems really erupted. (You can read about it all in this article from The Moscow News or in this one from The Economist.) I was oblivious to it all, rushing from work to get some items I needed from IKEA, OBI and Auchon before the school holiday assemblies and my guests arrive from the USA. Traffic was really bad, but then again, isn't that now a given in Moscow?

On the way back I noticed it was really bad, so I turned on the news—and I was so surprised to hear about Red Square, Kievskiy, Evropeyskiy Mall and other places being closed down and swarming with OMON soldiers dealing with skinhead rioters... It even spread to Park Kulturiy metro and Frunzenskaya as the rioters ran away from cops at Park Kulturiy—and skinheads had gathered nearby at Luzhniki since many immigrants work at the big market there.

It seemed hard to believe until Katya and I were leaving her school building, and suddenly a Russian man started to beat an Asian immigrant who works as a "dvornik" (think street cleaner, outdoor janitor) in our neighborhood. It was really loud and scary; I grabbed Katya by the coat and we ran to our car. I let a security guard know about it; I hope the man wasn't hurt too badly and that someone came to help...!

Katya wrote about it last night in an email; I'm reprinting her text because I think she did a really good job.

Dear people,

Any one of you probably hasen't heard of this, but you might have. Has any of you heard the news of the Moscow Riot?

This Monday, there was some soccer chapmpionchips. And at the championchips some man named Yegor Sviridov died. I don't know the connection, but some Russians believe it has something to do with racism (the color of your skin). And ever since, there have been some attacks. The people who believed that Yegor Sviridov's death had to do with racism, got together and decided to TRY TO kill ( hurt ) anyone who's not white. And when mom picked me up from school today, right next to my school a fight between one of the weird Russians and an Asian man broke out. But I'm O.K. Some of those Russians surrounded Evropeyski, one of the most widely known malls in Moscow, waiting for immagrints to exit or enter the building. It is so bad, that there are police and soldiers in the bussiest streets. A lot of places were shut down, such as some metro stations and Red Square.

I'm so scared (but interested in the depths of the story),

Katya

Before and After... Wow!

2010-12-14T00:13:00.001+03:00

The dining room at an orphange in Voskresyenk, a small town two hours south of Moscow...

Most definitely BEFORE.

(Keep scrolling...)

And what an AFTER!

TA-DAH, n'est-ce pas?

So how did this magic happen? On Sunday Katya and I went with some of my students and volunteers with the organization "Maria's Children" to paint a mural at the orphanage and to simply spend time with the kids. They do this kind of activity throughout the year as one of the many ways the organization helps children in need. The other volunteers were amazing and they're a close-knit group. They were like SWAT team, organized down to the last detail, swooping in and pulling off the whole event. Some of the volunteers, mainly in their late teens-twenties, themselves grew up in orphanages and received help through Maria's Children. THAT is inspiring.

After unloading all our supplies, we "checked out" the walls and interacted a bit with the kids as they finished their lunch. There were only 23 kids out of the 71 who live there year round; the others were away in the forest at a "dom otdikha." (Think something like a very basic scout/YMCA facility where you actually stay in a big building—and usually in an area surrounded by forests).

It's really sad that only 10 of those children are actually orphans; the rest are there because either their parents didn't want them, or because their parents' rights were revoked because of neglect, abuse, etc. As a result, most of the kids there cling to the hope that they're only in an orphanage temporarily, and that their mother or father are coming soon... I couldn't help but wonder, what about the aunts? Uncles? Grandparents? Family friends? I just can't fathom that many kids being simply unwanted.

That being said, I was very impressed by the director of the orphanage/school who greeted us. She's clearly a woman who give her heart and soul to these kids, striving to create a better future for them. She's making a difference; some kids from this orphanage are moving on to brighter futures. They are challenged academically and athletically.

The building probably hasn't changed much in 60 years; as the director said, any repairs/improvements must be done with their own hands since they have no money...

That's why these murals will make such a difference in cheering the children up. Those who helped us to create them will be so proud whenever they're in that room; those who are away and will discover them as a surprise will feel special that someone cared enough to come and create them. I'm glad we painted the dining room; they're in there five times a day! Perhaps that will be five more times to smile?

We started off with some pencil sketches. Ruslan, the leading artist in the group, works magic with a pencil and brush... At first the children just watched him, a bit in shock. As one boy kept saying, "Нельзя!!" It's forbidden! You can't draw on the wall!

It didn't take long, however, for him to join in...

As he painted, he chanted to himself in a sing-song voice, "I'm breaking a schoooool rule... And nooooobody can punish me...!" It was so funny!

We then dug in with the paint, encouraging the children to join us. I'm up on the ladder.

Meanwhile, another mural was underway. On the opposite wall, children were busy painting planets, little by little.

They then filled in the cosmos with sponges and paint....

And we all enjoyed a MUCH-awaited snack. After 2 1/2 hours in the car and our time painting, we were so hungry!

It was then time to play with the younger children; they're not able to paint for hours on end. I brought my parachute to play games with them and it was a big hit! No one had ever seen one before, so people were quite curious.

This little girl, Yulia, was so afraid at first... But then she wouldn't get off! To make her feel more comfortable, I told her the parachute was the ocean with soft, nice waves... And she could swim in it as long as she wanted, feeling the water against her body... The other children then helped to create gentle ripples in the parachute and Yulia was filled with glee. She visibly relaxed and had such a good time...

Playing with parachutes can be tiring, so we took a break to play some communicative games—telephone and "associations." As you can see, Katya was our resident photographer throughout.

Look at these sweet ten-year-old boys who just wanted to be cuddled... Vasya, the boy on my right, didn't want to leave my side. He was SO sweet and so happy...

After about an hour and a half of play, we stopped to check on the murals—and look what we found!

The actual painting up-close is FANTASTIC. I hope it will help the children to imagine what the future could hold. Meanwhile, the kids realized we would be leaving soon—and they conscientiously soaked up every last drop of affection.

This little boy fell in love with my student... She was pretty happy, too!

Here we all were at the end. The children were so thankful to have received little stuffed "Coca Cola" polar bears that had been donated. Even the ten-year-old boys held them in a way that shows they will cherish them:

Yulia, the sweet little girl who "went swimming" on the parachute, actually cried when she saw the owl and she tried to run away from it. I then picked her up and told her how the owl was name "Anochka" (sweet Anya), and that she was there to make sure the children were OK—that they always have enough to eat, that they know they're special, and that... they eat their vegetables. I asked her to then find as many ladybugs as she could in the tree leaves, and there were four (I painted them). I told her there were four ladybugs because Yulia herself is four—and it's proof that the owl, the ladybugs and all the butterflies around the tree are her friends.

She soaked it all up and was BEAMING by the end. It was just grand!

We also had to be a bit creative in talking with cooks, convincing them that they aren't now wicked "Baba Yaga" witches—instead they are kind cooks who have come to rescue the orphans form a terrible fate at her hands. Even the cooks "ate it up"!

We then got stuck in almost five hours of traffic on the way home... So what a LONG day... But, really, what a great one. If you're in Moscow and want to join us some time, friend "maria's children" on facebook for the schedule of excursions. You can also call the studio directly to become involved in any number of ways!

p.s. I just ordered a parachute online for Maria's Children to keep... Friends are coming from Michigan to visit us next week and they'll bring it. The kids will be so happy!

p.p.s. Thanks to Oksana Yushko for some of these wonderful pictures!

You Know You've Lived in Moscow a Long Time When...

2010-09-08T23:10:00.004+04:00

The cheapest dryer you could find that was good enough to withstand daily use cost almost $1,000. And you simply accept that and move on, since otherwise your doors will continue to serve as ad-hoc clotheslines for sheets and towels and the kids' room will be continuously half-filled by an enormous drying rack... And you realize that without a dryer, you'll never actually "catch up" with the dirty laundry... And you won't be able to wash down coats during the winter (not good, since they get dirty here FAST).

Another sign? When you read the directions about how to use it—following along just fine—and then suddenly realize halfway through that they're not written in Russian but in some other Eastern Slavic language... Not Ukrainian... perhaps Belorussian?

Ahhhh...

2010-08-26T23:46:00.000+04:00

There are those who are VERY happy to be together in Moscow...

Oh... Popcorn is DANGEROUS...

2010-08-26T23:25:00.005+04:00

Only in Moscow.

I wanted to buy some popcorn yesterday while at the grocery store. It was on the kids' "short list" of what they wanted. No big deal, right?

Well, it turns out that U2 had a concert here last night—their only concert ever in Russia. MOB SCENE. Miles around the stadium were affected. So what did that mean? All grocery stores and kiosks were prohibited from selling alcohol, lest those rowdy concert-goers turn violent.

And the popcorn? It's on the same aisle as the beer at our local grocery store. Ergo it was off-limits, literally barricaded with rope and taped.

I slid under the ropes to make it to the microwave popcorn packets, and tried to slide back. But I was caught!

Ohh... Breakin' the law...

"Come on! It's POPCORN! My kids are begging for it!"

"Eet iz forbidden. Popkorn end snaks dongeroos ven big konzert! No sell! No popkorn!"

They wouldn't let me buy it! Who knew... Yeah, popcorn is really dangerous...

So I went to another check-out aisle after surrendering the contraband, then sneaking under the rope and taking more... I pretended that nothing was amiss... This clerk was unaware of popcorn's dangerous potential... (Just to clarify here: The sale of popcorn and snacks was NOT prohibited. The store had simply chosen to block off the whole aisle because it was easier for them. That's so typical... Why think about potential lost profits when you can just do what's easier? It's also typical that employees then literally interpreted the policy to mean that everything on the beer aisle was banned from sale.)

So "Mama Breakin' the Law" scored...

Hah!

JUST ANOTHER DAY BACK IN MOSCOW!

Um, Not Just Now...

2010-08-25T23:17:00.002+04:00

So... We're back in Moscow. Flying was always a true joy alone with two kids. And Aeroflot, economy class, made it an extra-special experience. Our dryer is broken. Many light bulbs need to be replaced, all weird sizes that are hard to find. The disorganized chaos of our apartment after three years of working again didn't magically disappear. Our cluttered apartment is also covered in dust from the toxic smog—and there's no dryer!!!

I had to run to the store after arriving for some basics like milk, water and bread. These masks were on sale at the check-out, not that I've seen anyone wearing them... Comparing to how bad it was in Moscow this month, Muscovites are definitely in "it's over" mode.

I then saw this sign outside the next grocery store where I needed to go. Um, an international MARATHON? HERE? NOW? (Not that I'd be in shape if the air quality weren't already compromised...) Umm... No, thank you!

Somehow I managed to drag myself out of bed and to work, though... I certainly had enough time to prepare, given that Natalia got up for the day at 1:30 a.m.!

62 Cubic Inches and 50 Lbs...

2010-08-21T22:30:00.000+04:00

I've been at it for hours... Packing and unpacking, lifting the huge boxes and standing on a scale until the weight is exactly right...

Ugh.

I really hate this part of getting ready to go back to Moscow.

This year it's a bit easier since Chris and Katya will be coming to the US in mid-Fall... But I need to pack all essentials just in case for some reason they can't make the trip then... It is pretty nice once we arrive, however, to know I'm "set" for all birthdays, Christmas, teachers' gifts, classmate gifts, etc., etc.

My guilty pleasure(s)? Today I nabbed these (with a coupon!) at Bath and Body Works:

Yeah, I know. Soap. But...

Katya and Chris will be in the USA for Halloween, while Natalia and I will remain behind in Moscow... I'm going to let Natalia throw a sleepover party for a few of her friends and I've brought back some glow-in-the-dark nailpolish colors, too...

It's just some stilly stuff. But it makes Moscow feel like "home" and it gives my kids a "treat" for Halloween—a holiday that otherwise doesn't exist in Russia. I also picked up some fun hand sanitizer gels that smell like "candy corn" and "marshmallow."

It's amazing how much a $1 trinket can make your day when there's no other way you could have had it... I also picked some up for the two wonderful Russian/American sisters I've been tutoring for the past four years. On a dreary October day, those gels with glow-in-the-dark backpack attachers (you stick the gel container in the plastic case and it can loop around a backpack strap) will make their week!!

Twirly Girlies!

2010-08-20T18:24:00.005+04:00

Natalia twirled with a local group for a few afternoons this week and loved being part of it all. Their coach is the same woman who taught baton twirling at her camp and she thinks she's the greatest!

All the girls put on a little show in the afternoon.

Not bad for just a few days' practice! And Natalia has now only twirled for one month total...

It turns out that the daughter of my mom's boss is also in the group! Natalia thought she was so nice... She helped out with the younger girls. Katya asked if we could give both of them a little bouquet.

Scenes from the Farmers' Market

2010-08-19T18:26:00.003+04:00

I love, love, love sunflowers...

Heirloom tomatoes are scrumptious, too!

The ever-present American pumpkin! (I still chuckle at Russians' reactions to how we call our kids "pumpkin"... Here is a friend's cute story about that...)

Sunflowers and zinnias are what we had for our wedding... Blue Arizona Iced Tea bottles with sunflowers on the tables... And the bridesmaids carried bouquets made from the zinnias I planted in the garden where Chris asked me to marry him...

Last, but not least, here is Katya holding a parakeet that's wearing a body diaper! Random!

We ran into the beloved former Headmaster of the school I went to... It was so nice to introduce him to Katya and to chat... I still remember how he used to bring his golden lab to school... I would go up to his office to pet the dog... I once even fell asleep under the large conference table while we cuddled, and then had to pop out after a meeting started to rush back to class!

GASP! A GIRL playing SOCCER? (UGH... Homophobia and Sports...)

2010-08-17T17:28:00.008+04:00

(Edited)

Click on the picture to see the surprising array of items for sale...

I'm almost done with the soccer postings... Here's my last one...

I just had to take these pictures in a store that sells sports-related gifts. An entire wall is devoted to SOCCER and GIRLS' LOVE OF THE SPORT.

What is blog-worthy about this? Seems pretty obvious, no?

Not to anyone living in Russia... I brought the director of our elementary school into this shop when she was visiting us last month and she was STUNNED.

You see, even in the girls' Western-style "enlightened" school... girls just DO NOT play soccer.

The P.E. teacher is a wonderful woman who was even on the national team back in her day, winning many titles! Who better to coach our girls? She would LOVE to!

But we don't have enough girls to form a team! (The BOYS get to have a team, and they even got to play a game in the Olympic stadium!) I rallied and rallied, trying to convince other parents to let their girls sign up. No can do... While some parents do think a girls' team would be great, there just aren't enough. (I noticed that most of those supportive parents work in Western companies and have significant interaction with foreigners... Many of them have also lived for a period overseas...)

You see, in Russia, only LESB-ANS* play soccer. This is a "fact" according to almost everyone I asked. ARGH.

It's really too bad... There are girls in the elementary school who would love to play, but their parents just won't let them...

Maybe it's the way people raise an eyebrow when boys do ballet in America? But do people even do that anymore? Maybe it depends on where you are in America? It's no big deal at all for boys to wear tights (even when eight or nine!) under their clothing or to dance in Moscow... So what's the big deal about girls and soccer?

Katya has so many t-shirts featuring soccer, all covered in sparkly sequins... And headbands, bracelets, etc... No one gives her any trouble for it, though... Pretty much anything our family does that's odd (letting the kids pick out their own outfits and do their hair--however they turn out, my wearing flats, my using a backpack, the girls wearing short-sleeved shirts all year long, the decidedly casual style of the girls' clothing, my ever-present travel mug) is simply chalked up to our being "American" and let slide...

I'm repeatedly amazed by the intensity of homophobia in Moscow... In popular culture, the color light blue, or "goluboi," also is a derogatory term for a gay man. As a result, I've ended up removing blue playing pieces from board games I use in class—so that no boy is stuck having to use them (no one EVER wants them, any way), thus subjected to any kind of teasing. It's ridiculous! Others shrug it off when it happens, but I can SEE how much it hurts some kids and I just won't allow it in my presence...

Now I really understand how when I was hired, the Director of the school told me that one of his main hopes for my teaching wouldn't be simply to share native-speaker English—it would be to share an American belief of TOLERANCE.

Here's raising a glass in the hopes of more open-mindedness in the future... (The other parents at our school would NEVER believe that anyone would even make—or buy—or use—this set above...!)

*Just a note about how I wrote the word without the "i." I only did this to reduce the number of hits from people looking for "adult" content. I'm SICK of getting readers like that, readers who sometimes leave a trail that brings other such readers. Having monitored for a few years what key words bring new readers to my site, I've learned to avoid anything that could attract people looking for *ornography. I've also learned what words in general to avoid with a blog that has "American Girls" in the title! I certainly meant no offense.

"Word Cup" Soccer Finals

2010-08-16T10:25:00.003+04:00

(Edited a few hours after originally posting to elaborate on sports in schools).

The British Soccer Clinic in town ended with a World Cup between Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. The girls got VERY into it! The team flags were made by other kids on their teams.

Didn't Natalia's face turn out fantastic?

I'd never even seen the Wales flag before googling it, but now I know how to paint that dragon rather well! I guess UPS men see it all, because ours didn't even blink an eye when Natalia charged out to accept the latest books from Amazon...!

Natalia's team ended up winning!

Here are some pictures from earlier in the week:

I'm so happy that they had this experience! There is an kids' expat soccer league in Moscow, but it only meets on Saturdays for about ten times total, and many of those days can end up being rather wet and cold as winter sets in... Both girls loved this soccer clinic so much, though, that they have asked to play in that league when we get back. I just wish they were able to play MORE...

It has been very good for Natalia to learn that success isn't all about being the best individual, that helping others to succeed, too, can help the whole group to achieve it's full potential... She's such a natural athlete, but I haven't been able to get her involved in a sport in Moscow for a variety of reasons. As I've written before, seven is already "old" for Russia; others already begin any given sport by age four. If I were to sign her up for gymnastics or soccer now, there's a good chance she wouldn't even be accepted. If she were, she'd be years older than others...

She would hate that. She just wants to be like the other kids... She doesn't want to miss out on after-school activities, and she doesn't want to stand out in a group for anything other than excellence... She would happily commit to three three-hour practices a week, training hard, if she felt like a part of a group, but otherwise... Uh-huh.

Katya loves soccer, and gets to play at school... But I wish it could be more... And she loves being part of a team... They have a gym class, but it's only four times a week at the most... They do run around at recess, and she plays soccer twice a week after school, but their playground is too small to really PLAY. Sports aren't part of the regular school day in Russian schools; you go elsewhere after school for that.

Since watching the Olympics this winter, she has been begging me to try curling. Seeing that this isn't a passing interest, I'm going to do what I can to let her check it out... (Today I emailed the Moscow contact for the Russian Curling Federation and asked about signing her up for a few lessons... She is beyond thrilled!)

Another downside to pursuing sports on a competitive level in Moscow would be that I would expose the girls to some serious psychological risk... I do NOT want them developing complexes about their body shape and weight... When Katya skated for a few weeks our second year in Russia, the coaches were already criticizing anyone whose body type wasn't lean and skinny—as were other kids and their grandmothers...

The coaches and other kid would certainly make comments to my girls... Russians tend to call a spade a spade, and I don't want the kids being blatantly told when they stink at something or stand out in a negative way. If they want to give it a try and work hard, let them! Just not in Moscow...

(For kids who fit the bill for Russian sports, however, getting training in Moscow is SUCH an opportunity! I hear regularly of expat kids who return to their home countries and are superstars because of their ballet/gymnastics/tennis/hockey...)

All that considered, if I can find appropriate classes for the girls after school, I would love for them to be able to give them a try. Unfortunately, it would likely mean having to hire a babysitter and possibly a driver to get them there... Travel times can be so unpredictable with Moscow's traffic that I wouldn't be able to regularly bring them there while also working... Argh, things can all get so complicated and expensive! (The curling rinks are out beyond Domodyedovo airport—NOT next door—but do-able by subway on a weekday...)

You just don't appreciate simple things like a town sports league or your local ballet/gymnastics center until you don't have them! We may have access to amazing Olympic level coaches at rather amazing prices in Moscow, but..

For now we'll just keep going to our gym and hope that more kids join so the children's classes are more fun. We'll also keep up the private swimming lessons on weekends. If only there were more hours in a day...

Highlights from US Gymnastics Nationals (Even There, Moscow Isn't Far Away)

2010-08-15T21:36:00.006+04:00

We started off the day cheering on Aimee Gupta at the Senior Rythmic Gymnastics Finals. Her family is friends with friends of ours, and it was fun to be rooting for someone in particular! It's amazing what she can do! I wonder if Natalia will now start trying new tricks with her hula hoop...

While there, the family behind us spoke Russian. I found out afterwards that they're originally from Moscow. They have friends there who are looking for a good school for their kids; who knows; they asked for the website and contact information... Maybe they'll join our ours...

We then headed into Hartford in the evening for the Women's All-Around Finals. We are VERY lucky that friends of ours had three extra tickets in a fantastic spot that we were able to get for only $25 a seat!

The evening began with a ceremony to honor the 1980 Olympic Team. It turns out that because of the US boycott of the Moscow Games, these men and women had never stood together to be recognized! Nadia Comaneci was on the floor directly in front of us cheering on her husband, Bart Conner, with their cute little boy. It was really, really nice to be part of a crowd singing the national anthem... The girls and I never really get to do that! Having studied the history of the flag and anthem, Katya loved it.

The 1980 US Olympic Gymnastics Team

It was then time for the competition! Watching gymnastics is like watching a five-ring circus! It's so hard to focus with the events all going on at once! Who's up? Who should you watch? What did you miss?

Bela Karolyi and Natia Liukin were easy to spot from where we were sitting. (Like I said, we were so lucky!)

It's too bad there wasn't really any way to get autographs!

Mattie Larson came in second and we really enjoyed her. You can tell she loves what she does! She ended up winning the floor exercise, pulling herself into second position overall.

Briley Cassanova, a teammate of Rebecca Bross' from their gym in Texas. Natalia took this picture!

The All-Around Champion was Rebecca Bross, of Ann Arbor, Michigan! (Just like our Katya!) She was so determined and equally excellent all evening. Here she is on bars:

This was after her last rotation... Just waiting to see if she would hold on to the number one spot!

The All-Around Medal Winners:

It was very inspirational to see how Vanessa Zamarripa recovered after a fall on beam to move up to number 8—all while being a full-time student at UCLA. You also kept wondering what it was like for the parents of the Caquatto girls—Mackenzie (she finished fifth) and Bridgette! They were even in the same rotational group in the finals!

Valery Liukin (Nastia's dad) was honored as a coach. He trains Rebecca Bross, along with others in the finals. I wonder just how many of the girls and their families/trainers have ties to the former USSR...!

We really enjoyed all of the top girls... Now I'm looking forward to the coverage from London in 2012!

Still Exciting After All These Years...

2010-08-11T00:01:00.000+04:00

These are for ME! August means new pencils, folders, clips, etc... That's when "New Year's Resolutions" are made in my book...

"This will be the year of improved organization!"
"This year I'll always have scissors and a stapler when I need one!"
"This year I'll stay on top of the grade book every day!"
"This year I'll plan well enough in advance so that I'm not stuck up past midnight photocopying!"
"This year I won't let myself plan lessons in such detail that I place them above my own need for sleep!"

Ah, good intentions.

Wonder when I will actually even get back to school...