is it no wonder that I have found a heart in my motherland?

this post is dedicated to Chris, the Red Road, and the great blue heron in the sky.

welcome back to my life. been taking my sweet time getting comfortable here in Russia, and so I've neglected posting up to this blog, but after this post I think i'll actually tell people about this travelogue. so far, i've only told a handful of people about it. this post will be mostly photos, as usual, because its more fun for me to post photos and i'll assume its more fun for you, my dear anonymous (or not) reader, too. also, sentences will be rushed and broken, alas, there is a lot i want to share and it is already late

so, a few weeks ago I made my residency "mine". I turned my room into a warmer place by placing my various things around. The effect has been wonderful, especially when I put up some of my prints and got a bayan (more on that later). Below is a print I made a few weeks ago, and a shot of my room.




before my real classes started (two weeks back), and without any net-connection, my desk didn't have much purpose.. so gave it new purposes:

(please notice that I am wearing "tapochkii" on my feat. everyone wears them inside, because the ground is considered dirty and it prevents socks from wearing out quickly.)

but then, I started taking lessons to play the bayan, which is like an accordian but different. (picture below) and my classes began. With that, my desk started getting filled up:



here is what my bayan looks like:



and, for contrast, what it looks like outside my window:


other things that have made me very happy here, is the russian food. Though the country has changed rapidly in the last 10 years with the coming of capitalist dictatorship and acceptance of globalisation, it is still possible to find inexpensive and preservative-free food that tastes right. not sure if you, my dear reader, know this, but preservatives follow capitalism. the only food i'm excited about eating back in the states is kale, but everything else doesn't taste the way it aught to. Cheese here is amazing, milk tastes like milk, chocolate milk tastes amazing (chris!), and there are "ryinkii" large (markets) to go to where there are fresh veggies, meats, cheeses, breads, etc, etc every day at low prices . my heart can be uplifted from my stomach. luckily, i walk about 10 kilometers a day which helps burn all this yummy eating. as for alcohol, it is inexpensive and high quality. at least vodka is, and i've found some good beers too. a week ago I purchased some pickled mushrooms from a grandma on the side of the road and have been so happy (they disappeared pretty quick once I shared them with my host-family). below is shot of me keeping food in my window:

not a good beer, by the way

yum

and now, on a totally different note, the electricity went out yesterday and it made me really happy. here is a photo of the experience:



And now, a "pamnik" (remembrance) for the great Blue Heron. I often wonder how it's faring out there, and whether it has the kind of friends it did but a year ago.


the main human rights issue visible in st. petersburg / russia right now is the large fascist/nationalism uprising/movement. every week i go to the banya and on the way there I walk past a building with nazi grafitti and then "GAY RIGHTS" sprayed over it. I'm planning to do a mini-project collecting fascitst/anti-fa grafitti around the city. There is a notable park in the city where fascist groups and anti-fa have met (and still meet) to fight each other.

for those of you who read this far, i'd like to share a story with you.
During my second week here, I was sitting in a bar around 11:30pm with some americans who were part of the program when 3-4 guys started yelling and throwing punches. chairs and tables went flying pretty fast, a few russians immediately got up and left (the smart ones), but we remained as the fight progressed. body guards couldn't/didn't really do much as one of them started yelling "fascist! nazi!" while kicking a guy who was laying nearly under our table. for the most part I just kept talking with a friend about nationalism/fascism (ironically), but then the fight got pushed to the entrance and out the door and we heard a gunshot. some folks ducked under the table and I jumped into the back room while another gunshot went off and lots of glass was being smashed. russians pretended nothing had happened. The ordeal ended shortly after, and no one was hit by the gun shots, but it has made me much more aware of my surroundings, my safety, and nationalism/fascism in this country. the ordeal also made me think of my friend chris (hope your reading this), and I thinking about his stories of working as a bouncer, I feel like I understand a little better what it was like. Thinking about what he would do, I focused on taking care of the people I had been drinking with, many were pretty shaken. Afterwards, I checked in with myself on how it effected me.

and so, I'll probably write about fascism some more. In a country where it is a miracle whenever I see a black man/woman, i've had some really interesting conversations with Russians about racism, equality, nationalism, fascism, and so on.

This is not the U.S., and for many americans on the trip, it has been difficult adjusting to this land. some find it cruel and unloving. Feeling more comfortable here, I understand it and it's culture, and have found where the love resides. and it is good. more on that later.

To my friends, loved ones, and all my relations, I wish you health and understanding.

Vladik
Vladislav