Russia in Love

        There is a saying here that if the food is too salty, it means the chef is in love. Based on the cuisine I have been exposed to, every Russian chef is so distracted by their lover that they lose control of the saltshaker. Recently though, I have had a few opportunities to take over at the stove. Last week in a Tatar cooking class I learned how to make the classic ish pish mach, a tasty potato and meat filled pastry with an awesome name. While learning how to make this local dish was delightful, nothing is quite as therapeutic as comfort food. Although my host family originally scoffed at the idea of macaroni and cheese claiming that it is “too simple” (referring to the lack of meat, I think), my homemade masterpiece changed their minds.

            Last weekend we went to visit the Gabdullah Tuquay museum, which is about two hours north of Kazan. The villages we drove through to get there were really quite lovely, even in the rain. Tuquay is said to be “the Tatar’s Pushkin”, their national literary figure. His is most famous for his poetic retellings of traditional Tatar fairytales. An English translation of his poem “The Shurela” can be found at the following address: http://www.gabdullatukay.ru/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=165&Itemid=37. Yes. It is a poem about a monster that tickles young maidens to death. Enjoy!

            I apologize for the brief post, but there is more to come! I promise! Much love to family and friends back home; I hope you are all doing well!
~abby~

Princesses, and Communists, and Monks, oh my!

         Overlooking the crowded streets and tall, modern apartment buildings of Kazan is the beautiful Kazan Kremlin. Aside official government buildings lies both the Russian Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral that dates back to 1564 and the Kul Sharif Mosque, built in 2005, a demonstration of the ethnic and religious diversity that makes Kazan such a unique place. On my first visit to the Kazan Kremlin, a local told me the folklore behind the Soyembika Tower, a seven-story brick tower that stands next to the church. In 1551, Ivan the Terrible mercilessly set out to conquer Kazan for Russia and quash Tatar culture; however, the beautiful Tatar princess, Soyembika, captured his heart instead. In order to save her people, she told Ivan that if he could build a tower of seven stories in seven days, she would marry him. Every day the tsar added another story to his brick tower. On the seventh day, the princess requested to see the top of the tower before the wedding. When she got to the seventh story, she jumped to her death rather than marry the tsar. Evidence shows that this is only a myth, but the actual age of the tower is unknown.  

            I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to see another of Kazan’s historical sites: Doma Lenina; the Ulyanov family’s residence in 1887 when Lenin attended Kazan Federal University. After Lenin’s older brother Alexander was executed for attempting to murder the tsar, it was suggested that he abandon his plan to attend university in Moscow so he came to Kazan instead. The house that the family rented while in Kazan has been turned into a museum including documents and photos, and many of the rooms have been restored to look as they did when the family lived there. While Lenin museums appear all over Russia, I suggest that visitors to Kazan take the time to check this one out. While you will be asked to wear some super cute burlap sacks over your shoes so you don’t track in dirt, this particular museum provides a good look at a younger Lenin and his family life.

            Last weekend was cold and rainy, but that didn’t stop us from continuing to explore the city. Before a visit to the cinema to see Jane Eyre dubbed in Russian, we went to the Raif Monastery. Considered to be one of the most holy places in this part of Russia by Orthodox Christian Russians, the monastery lies only about an hour away from Kazan. Raif was built in the 1600’s and remained in working condition until it and other religious establishments were outlawed by the Soviet Union. Political dissidents were imprisoned there during the soviet period, but it has since been restored as a working monastery and boy’s home. Even in the rain, the lake and gardens were alive with color, and the green domes of the chapels stood out against the grey sky. Inside, religious visitors pray to the icons that line the gold-plated walls and the complicated harmonies of the monks reverberate throughout the room. For many, a highlight of visiting the monastery is the chance to experience the supposedly medicinal qualities of the holy water. Babushkas and young hooligans alike line up at a small building to fill their water bottles and jugs. I can’t vouch for it’s medicinal qualities, but I guess it tasted all right! 

            Bus rides continue to be a daily source of entertainment. I’ll be brief and say that I have seen some creative uses of duct tape and some experimental off-road driving. Otherwise, all is well in the land of blini!

I send my love to my friends and family on the other side of the world!

~Abby~

 Kul Sharif Mosque

 Soyembika Tower

 Raif Monastery Cathedral

In Which Hilarity Ensues

While many would be put off by the thought of living abroad, especially in a country like Russia, I have realized that living abroad is like living in an unreal comedy world. Things that you would never expect to happen in the States happen all the time here. The other day a wild dog hopped on my bus and fell alseep under a seat. A friend of mine was sniffed and smacked by a babushka in a bazaar. As far as I can tell, there are no traffic laws whatsoever. The jungle of identical apartment buildings reminds one of the "sketchy" part of most towns and cities at home, but here it's just where people live. The Russian mindset is that outside of your own apartment does not belong to you and it is not your responsibility to take care of it. The television is always on, which does wonders for improving language skills by the way. Whether it's a dancing drunk at an outdoor concert or the fact that they still allow tire swings, see-saws, and those merry-go round things on playgrounds here, you can always find something to make you giggle. Sure there's the language barrier to deal with, but who doesn't listen to Eminem? Even the misconceptions of America and Americans are funny. I was asked why I'm not fat. Russian students explained American history to me like this: "George Washington was the first president. Then Abraham Lincoln freed all of the rappers from the South." Even on my "off" days, I can find comfort in the small comedies and, if all else fails, the MacDonalds down the street from me.