tastes of Istanbul

sipping apple tea from tiny glass cups!























Tom ordered Lamb kabob at the cafe we went to!


fresh pomegranate and orange juice mixed...mmmm, our new favorite juice!!

thought for Today

I never expected to see an Egyptian obelisk in Turkey. My thought 'how the heck did that get here?!!'

out for a stroll...

breakfast is served

We went to a local supermarket to stock up on supplies and food.



This bakery has great bread and the fun part was having them pantomime for me the action of cutting. After I agreed he put the loaf through a slicer!



Came back to the little apartment and made some french toast on the two ring stove top!

guess who's going to Istanbul?

Flat Shirley arrived from California just in time to go with us to Turkey to renew our visas!

Shirley was sent to us by a second grader named Natalie. Our assignment is to take some photos with her and journal about the things we do together. I was worried that she would come while we were gone and I would cause Natalie to miss her deadline for Shirley's return.

We are always eager to help out our friends when we can so if you ever need a Flat Stanley or Shirley to visit us, please know that we have experience entertaining out of town guests and will show them a good time!!

from where?

Yesterday we received a notice in our mailbox that a package was waiting for us at the post office. On the line where it tells you what city the package is from was the word:

Fragile

So of course we had to joke about getting a package from the exotic city of Fra-gee-lay!

It turned out the box was actually a Christmas gift from a friend in New York who mailed it Dec 5th... not too bad. We have had things take longer.

And besides it is never too late or too early for a Christmas gift!!

thought for today

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.

Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC)

Presenting Elenora!

Anya and her husband Sasha invited us over to meet their daughter Elenora. It was fun spending time with them, having tea and looking at photos. We were even treated to video of Elenora's first bath.

I wonder how she will feel about that when she is older!!











Elenora and her mother Anya


























Elenora allowed me to hold her too!

I felt fortunate not just because I got to hold the baby but, because she wet her diaper when her mom took her back. And she was wearing a cloth diaper without plastic pants. She soaked her mom and not me!

the sign says

While riding the marshutka we saw two signs.

The first was said:
Don't slam the door!

The second one said:
Buy yourself a refrigerator and slam that door.

HIV testing time again!

Each time we renew our visas we have to get tested. I have actually lost count of how many tests we have had!

We went to a place called City Lab on Krasnix Partizan, within walking distance of where we live. It was very clean, efficient and quick. She took care of the three of us in record time. And we were promised results in 4-5 days. We are used to waiting around at the State hospital lab for at least an hour or more for our turn to pay and then wait another hour to take the test!

today's news...

Are you a Twitter fan? My English class and I have discussed in the past how this type of networking can influence politics here in Russia and abroad.

Here's an article on how Ashton Kutcher plans to use his Twitter account during his visit here to Russia:

Kutcher to Twitter fans during Russian visit

Thu Feb 18, 10:03 am ET

MOSCOW – Hollywood actor and Web-savvy activist Ashton Kutcher says he will "crowd source" questions about the Kremlin's push to develop a Russian Silicon Valley to his 4.5 million Twitter fans.

The actor is part of a U.S. delegation of technology and social media leaders that arrived in Moscow as part of White House efforts to improve ties with Russia.

Kutcher told reporters here Thursday that he will "translate the Russian voice to an American audience" and seek advice on Russia's efforts to build its own high-tech center.

The Kremlin announced recently it would develop its own Silicon Valley to help modernize Russia's economy, which is highly dependent on energy exports.

During the weeklong visit, the delegation will urge the Russian government, businessmen and students to utilize social media and innovative technologies to tackle problems like human trafficking and corruption.

The visit is part of an effort strengthen ties between the United States and Russia after years of strained relations.

_____

Delegation's Twitter page: http://bit.ly/d43eoW

thought for today

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

St. Augustine

premarital counseling...

We just finished an hour and a half session with a couple who will be getting married in a few months. They had a list of questions they wanted to discuss with Tom. One of which was about birth control.

I think I should get a prize for translating about the different methods in Russian... and oh what a joy it was to explain the withdrawal method.

Percy Jackson

We saw Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief with a group of friends this past weekend. Not having read the book I asked the 11 year old what the movie was about. She gave me a quick synopsis and I prepared myself to see young Percy Jackson go on an adventure!

It is always fun to see movies in the theater here with a large group of people... even if you don't catch every single word of the Russian you get the point of what is going on. One of the jokes was not lost on us Americans. There is a quip about going Tennessee and the type of music they play there. The loudest laughter came from our row!

Cutting Alcohol Consumption by 2020

Here is an article from Russia Today that I found interesting:


New measures to cut Russia’s alcohol consumption by 2020

18 December, 2009, 20:24

Authorities plan to introduce an anti-drinking policy to cut alcohol consumption by three-fold by 2020. The measure is expected to be introduced in two steps within the next 2 years.

The government has suggested banning covert alcohol advertisement, limiting the time of day at which alcohol is sold and improving warning labels as just some of the steps in the process.

If the program succeeds, total consumption of alcohol per person should drop to 8 liters of alcohol per year.

In respect to the level of alcohol consumption, contrary to the stereotype, Russia lags behind European countries such as the UK, Germany, France and the Czech Republic, among others. Nevertheless, President Medvedev has called Russians’ proclivity for drinking, a “national catastrophe.”


Dr. Jeannot Hoareau from the European centre for Psychotherapy believes the reasons behind alcoholism among Russians are the same as in the rest of the world: anxiety, depression and problems people can’t deal with on their own.

“The most important thing is knowledge on that matter,” he says, “You can’t stop alcoholism by just raising prices. Back in the 1980’s Gorbachev did that. And it didn’t work. It was an utter failure.”

thought for today

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.

Mother Teresa

I know that I used this quote back in November... however, when things get a little crazy here, these words express how I feel about what we are going through. Please keep continue to keep us in your prayers!

Maslenitsa

Yesterday was the beginning of Maslenitsa. One of my students brought in blini (Russian pancakes)and explained that this holiday is about saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring. Pancakes are to symbolize the sun. Hers were quite tasty. She spread a cream cheese mixture inside and rolled them up. Yum!

After this week the Lenten season fast begins here so that is another reason to enjoy pancakes with butter for a full week!

Beignets... inspired by The Princess and the Frog

If you have seen the movie then you know that in the cafe scene this treat is one of the dishes featured when we see Tiana at work.

The French word Beignet (ben-yay) means 'fried dough'. After researching recipes from New Orleans, reading about the history of the beignet on line, I started experimenting and came up with a recipe that my two trusty taste testers approved of!


Alida's Russian Beignets
1/2 cup water
2 Tbl sugar
1/4 butter
3/4 cup flour
Dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Oil
Powdered Sugar

To make the choux:
Combine water, sugar, butter and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring while the butter melts. Turn down heat and add flour all at once, stirring until the mixture forms a ball. Turn off heat.

After making the choux: Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, whipping vigorously with wire whisk, until mixture is smooth and shiny. Let sit in fridge for a bit to cool.

Drop by rounded teaspoons into hot oil. Fry a few beignets at a time until they are golden brown. Keep a watch on the temp of the oil so as not to cook too fast or burn the beignets.

Remove them with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. Makes aprox. 2 1/2 dozen.


Tom and Spencer enjoyed this batch the best and we all think they taste like the Russian doughnuts that we love called 'ponchiki'.

Bon Appetite!!!

Aleksandr has big love for Tanya

I found this story on the website Russia Today, enjoy!

Biggest ever “I love you” painted with broom on ice

Published 04 February, 2010, 13:44

What can be more fascinating than fulfilling a dream? Especially if this dream is writing a love message to your own wife, in giant red letters on ice, and possibly getting into the Guinness Book of Records?

Aleksandr Kartashev from the Russian city of Rostov says his 2.5 kilometer-long “Tanya, I love you” is a gift to his wife Tatyana.

Read more

“I was going to turn this idea of mine into reality last year but the weather was bad and I had no assistants,” Aleksandr said as quoted by Komsomolskaya Pravda daily. “And this time I was lucky – it was not cold and the ice was about 20 cm thick. And more than 25 volunteers were helping me – I wouldn’t have managed to write the biggest love message in the world by myself. I thanked them with hot tea.”

It took them two kilos of red food dye to paint the message on ice with brooms. The height of the capital “T” letter is 230 meters and the width is 170 meters.

The total length of the lines which form the message is 2.5 kilometers, and the length of the phrase is 830 meters.

Aleksandr’s wife Tatyana said that she is delighted, and is also planning a surprise for him for the forthcoming Valentine’s Day.

thought for today

Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.

Thomas Jefferson

I have what?

Before moving here to Russia I had heard of three types of colds. A cold, chest cold or a head cold. Last week I was out of commission for 4 days with back pain.

I called a medic (think nurse practitioner) who is also a massage therapist. She gave me a back massage and asked me questions about the type, location and duration of the pain I was feeling. After ruling out anything serious the diagnoses I was given was... a back cold.

So that is a new one for my list. Cold, chest cold, head cold and back cold.

it's all about the look

I was able to snap this with my cell phone while waiting for that #34 van that is approaching!

... her boots are the same color green as her coat. I love a girl who knows how to match her footwear with her fur!

Chechen flatbread with an American Twist

I made the Chepalgish again the other day but was out of cottage cheese. So I chose to use some grated cheese instead. It rolled out nicely and fried up a beautiful golden brown. For the final step I chose to add lemon pepper and garlic salt to the melted butter to lightly drizzle on each layer... the guys said it was a hit!

locks and keys

For several days our front door has been tricky to open. Tom tried to lubricate it to see if that would fix it. But, no such luck.

Spencer came home the other night and he could not get the door open. His key would not turn and he could not get it out of the door. Tom had to take off the back panel to reach the lock itself.












Without the panel on the door it is just a shell of metal.

















Tom took the lock apart to open the door.

















We had to use the slider to keep the door locked.

We needed to find a repairman to come out and tell us where or not we needed a new door or if we could just put in a new lock. Anotoly, the repairman came and decided that a new lock could be put on the door. He went with Tom and Spencer over to a little hardware store in the market not far from our building to see if there were any locks available there.

They only lock they were able to find fits the bottom part of the door so the top lock still does not work. But, Tom has the door put back together and we are safe and secure once again!

thought for today

“I will not take "but" for an answer”

Langston Hughes

Drinking Holy Water...

Last week I posted a news article about Russians jumping into the water for Epiphany.

Here is a follow up article:


117 Hospitalized After Drinking Holy Water
26 January 2010
AP

More than 100 Russian Orthodox believers have been hospitalized after drinking holy water during Epiphany celebrations in Irkutsk, an official said Monday.

A total of 117 people, including 48 children, were in the hospital complaining of acute intestinal pain after drinking water from wells in and around a local church last week, said Vladimir Salovarov, a spokesman for the Irkutsk branch of the Investigative Committee.

Salovarov said 204 people required some medical treatment after consuming the water, the source of which was a stagnant lake. He said, however, that it was too early to say what caused the illness.

Many Russians consider any water obtained on Epiphany — which they celebrate on Jan. 19 — to be holy.

The water is typically bottled for consumption later. Tap water in most of Russia is undrinkable.

While in western Christian traditions, Epiphany marks the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, in Eastern Orthodoxy the festival commemorates Christ's baptism.

Orthodox believers also plunge into icy rivers and lakes in their traditional Epiphany celebration. Typically a cross is carved out of the ice near the bathing spot, and a wooden dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit is thrown into the water.

Irkutsk is located in eastern Siberia near the border with China.

Marc Chagall Exhibit

Jeremiah







"Ever since my earliest youth I have been fascinated by the Bible. I have always believed that it is the greatest source of poetry of all time...The Bible is an echo of nature, and this I have endeavoured to transmit.... In art everything is possible, so long as it is based on love"

Marc Chagall


For Tom's birthday we went to the museum with our friends Brennen, Stephanie, Valera and his granddaughter Eva. We were surprised to discover that the exhibit was a collection of Chagall's lithographs with biblical themes.

My favorite was Naomi and her daughter in laws click here to see a copy. Each lithograph was displayed with a verse from the Bible that inspired the piece.

If this collection comes your way you will not regret going to see it... even if you are not a fan of surrealism this Russian artist will leave an impression on you!

Slip sliding away...

The last few days we have had a layer of ice on the ground. The practice here is to cover the ice with sand. However, there always seem to be patches of ice that don't get covered with the sand and that makes walking at a normal pace hazardous.

Yesterday Tom had a fall and so did Spencer. Tom is a little sore from his fall but doing okay. I was concerned that if I fell it would be a disaster due to the pain I am already in from my fibromyalgia. So I decided to buy some salt and sprinkle it on the ground in front of me as I walked. I was nervous at first that if one of the babushkas saw me wasting salt that I would get yelled at. I am happy to report that I successfully protected my path with salt and made it home from my English class without incident!

Praying for Polly's second surgery

Today in Chicago, Polly is scheduled to have surgery again. You can read more about her by clicking here: Pocket Lint

thought for today

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Orthodox Christians brave the cold waters!

Russians plunge into icy water for Epiphany

MOSCOW (AFP) – Scantily clad Orthodox Christians braved freezing temperatures throughout Russia on Tuesday to immerse themselves in ice holes in rivers and lakes to celebrate the Epiphany religious holiday.

To Orthodox believers, water blessed by a priest on Epiphany has miraculous powers, a belief harking back to Christ's baptism in the River Jordan. Jumping into the water is optional, but is a popular ritual among the faithful.

Water blessed on Epiphany "never goes stale, sick people who touch it are healed, devils are driven out and people are given strength," Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said Monday during a trip to Kazakhstan.

Around 30,000 people immersed themselves in ice holes in Moscow overnight, the RIA-Novosti state news agency reported, citing city police.

The emergency situations ministry said it had posted over 200 lifeguards at lakes and rivers around the Russian capital to help prevent tragedies.

Just after midnight on Tuesday morning, worshippers gathered at a golf club outside Moscow, braving temperatures of minus 25 Celsius (minus 13 Fahrenheit) to leap into an ice hole, an AFP journalist witnessed.

Around 200 people followed a priest in a candle-lit procession to a nearby river, their breath throwing up clouds of steam. They then stripped to swimming trunks or wore long white shirts to complete the ritual bathing.

The well-off worshippers had paid 3,500 rubles (119 dollars) for a holiday package that included felt boots and a shirt to wear during immersion, as well as a performance by a Cossack choir and a buffet afterwards.

Six percent of Russians were planning to jump into ice holes for Epiphany, according to a poll published Monday by the Levada Centre, the country's most respected polling firm.

A more cautious 48 percent planned to visit a church to collect water blessed by a priest, the poll said.

The holiday is a favourite with politicians, who reinforce their reputation as devout Russian Orthodox believers by jumping into the ice in previously announced photo opportunities.

Dancing girls!

Angelina and Diana dancing before MOPS













One of my favorite things to watch is children playing. The joy on their faces is priceless!

Cooking Chechnyan Style

This morning we had 6 moms at MOPS and Lena taught us how to make Chepalgish. It is a traditional dish in Chechnya and typically is eaten for breakfast or lunch.


The dough is made from equal parts of flour and buttermilk. Lena used 2 cups each and then added in 1 teaspoon of baking soda.


















Zhenya kneads the dough while Lena explains to us what consistency the dough needs to reach. After the dough is elastic (like for bread dough or pizza crust) let it rise for about 15-20 minutes.






















Lena separated the dough into 7 sections and shaped them into circles. Using a large tablespoon she places a dollop of low fat cottage cheese on each circle. Then she carefully closed each one up like a dumpling.

















After they are the in the dumpling shape take a rolling pin and flatten into the shape of a tortilla and place in dry skillet and cook on each side until golden brown. You can see Lena frying them in the background.

















Each one was then dipped into a hot tub of water, laid onto a plate and drenched with butter!






















They are stacked like pancakes, cut into wedges like a pie and then eaten by hand.


This was the first time that Lena herself had ever made them, normally her mother cooks this dish, and although she said they needed more cottage cheese, the rest of us thought they were great!

shadows & light

Onion domes of an Orthodox Church

thought for today

I keep trying to lose weight... but it keeps finding me!
~Author Unknown

Russia's Anne Frank

I just started reading this diary of a teenage girl, Nina Lugovskaya, who grew up during the Stalin years. After her father's imprisonment the entire family comes under scrutiny. The house is ransacked and her diary is found. Because of the dangerous thoughts written in her diary, Nina, along with her mother and sisters are sentenced to 5 years hard labor in the Gulag followed by 7 years exile in Siberia.

Here is one example of her counter-revolutionary thoughts:

Maybe I should just poison myself? Sometimes I want to, you could say I dream about it, but I know for certain that I won't do it.

Her thoughts were those of a 13 year old girl who was frustrated with trying to figure out if a certain boy at school liked her or not. At this time in Russian history, however, just this mention of suicide was considered a sign of a degenerate thought crime against the state.

donation boxes around Krasnodar!

For those of you in America, who are used to seeing the Salvation Army bell ringers or perhaps the canisters in convenience stores with the local photos of someone in need of help, these photos may not be a big deal. But, when you live outside of your home country there is a tendency to look for that which is familiar.

Not long ago I started noticing these donation boxes to benefit needy children showing up in various places. In the first photo which is hard to see there is one right next to the cashier at our favorite little cafe. In the second photo that box is at our local Tabris supermarket. It warms my heart to see them and to know that all over the world there are people helpers who care about the needs of others!!

Bread & Salt

I just found a new culinary magazine in Russian. I love the way the magazine is laid out and the editor, Yulia Vysotskaya, is also one of my favorites. She has her own cooking show and a series of books called "We eat at home".

If you are studying Russian then watching her cook can be a lot of fun and great practice with listening skills... she talks really fast!

Merry Russian Christmas!!

The Russian Orthodox date for Christmas is January 7th and it is an official holiday... the banks and post office are closed, people are out in the malls, gathering as families and enjoying the holiday spirit.

Here are a few of my memories from today:

Five little angels reciting their Christmas poems!

Pastor Valodya presenting gifts to the guys from the rehab center... a meat grinder and some hymnals!

Christmas show at one of the local malls.

Our church service was at noon and afterward Spencer and I went out to Krasnaya Ploshad to try and see a movie, but, the lines were so long that it was impossible. We settled for lunch and then hung out in the bookstore. Everywhere we went we were greeted with the official greeting for today's holiday which is "С Рождеством Христовым" (s rozhdyestvom hristovim) and literally translates to "with the birth of Christ"!

Thought for today

The tongue always returns to the sore tooth.

Russian Proverb

How Yulia Timoshenko got her hairdo!

Yota WiFi in Krasnodar

Today is the first day of our Yota service actually working in our region. We have friends who started their service a while ago and are quite happy with it. We purchased the Yota egg (Thanks Mom and Dad for the Christmas gift) and then had to wait for the service.

Just a few minutes ago Tom broke through the quiet in our apartment to say "Alida, do you hear that?... That is the sound of the 3 of us on the internet at the same time!"


I love that sound!!