Moscow + Summer Sunshine = LOVE

I have been living in this city for quite a while now, and after months of summer and only a few posts I thought it would be a perfect time to shed new (sun)light on the Russian Capital. Here are some fine-weathered photos from my parents' recent visit to Moscow.

Tsar Cannon- The world's Largest

The Giant Bell that fell from Ivan the Great's Bell Tower

The Kremlin Wall in Alexander's Gardens- it shows the exposed rock which lies underneath the building.


GUM- Perhaps my favorite part of Red square is this grogeous shopping center which is still catering to the Russian Elite but allows even the poppers to use the restroom and enjoy 2 dollar ice cream like they have for decades.


Soldiers in Moscow are as plentiful as ants, but probably don't work as hard. However it is always interesting to see them performiong a well-rehearsed ceremony.


Piggy Backing Momma in front of St.Basil's


My Dad with a lovely Babushka demanding money for photos on Old Arbat Street.


The Drowning Horses fountain comes from old Russian Folklore.


A great shot of one of Stalin's Seven Sisters. 7 Skyscrapers comissioned by Staling to be built in a similar style. I have heard they go as deep into the ground as they are tall and that some of them are connected with a secret 'metro 2'


The most famous tower surrounding the Kremlin-It can tell time!


A colorful shot of Gorky Park on the bank of the Moscow River


A picture of Moscow City, the new development of high rises in Moscow. Taken from 'Sparrow Hills' by the University.


A statue in honor of Alexander the Great


The Church of Christ of the Ascension- Built about 20 years ago after a church on this site was destroyed by Communists.


A controversial statue of Peter the Great in the Moscow River. Many Muscovites hate it and think it should be sent somewhere else. Other think that is deserves to be in St.Petersburg as it was founded by Peter.


Gorgeous gardens at Tsvetnoy Bulvar


Tsvetnoy Bulvar


Enjoying some beers and live music from on the Garden Ring in Moscow near Chisti Prudy.


Hotel Metropol near the Bolshoi Theater and Red Square


My lovely parents in front of the gate to Red Sqaure


Good eats have always been the most important thing in my family, other than perhaps the family itself. Since the food didn't change much with the season it's photos were neglected. So here is a shout out to all the great food and coffee enjoyed in Moscow.

A Little Something on Teaching

I think that all children think about becoming a teacher at one point. Often they think about how cool of a teacher they would be and how much better they would teach their students than their current educators, others have a heart of pure love and nurturing and helping a child cut out a Valentine’s heart for his Mom or friend is a dream come true.

I was the first. I thought I would be fun, radical, a bit blunt, honest, and keep my classroom as far from the staunch and normal learning styles as possible while still being effective. Sometimes I am a bit dry but I think that overall I have managed to set out to do what I wanted.

When teaching a language you need to show that it is more than a set of grammatical structures and a memorization of vocabulary lists. The pinnacle of achievement is not a gap-filling grammar exercise. Each language is alive, changing, and used for a million things. We use it for formal situations like school and business transactions; we also use it for buying food in a market, and of course is seducing our lovers and entertaining our friends. So why is it that educators often strip bare the fun and interesting language we use with those most intimate to us and that we spend the most time with. Maybe because it isn’t appropriate in the uppity world of academia, or that the old prudes who designed the system are uncomfortable using it.

Regardless, I am keeping it real. I want my students to be able to do their business and then play hard after. This is life. Growing up in an English society we have plenty of opportunity to hear all the language we will ever need, but when your only access is through books and evening classes you are not so privileged.

In return my classes have been great- they have shed their hard Russian shells, had great laughs, played silly games where they were bartering in a faux market for wives, human hair, and gunpowder. You know your job is done when you hear:

‘Who needs a wife? She is the best quality from Russia, blonde and very tall, she will make all your dreams come true.’

‘I already have two wives, but I do need some barbed wire.’

While from the far side of your classroom another pair of students is haggling over the quality of their shoes.

In the end I feel that effective language teaching is being able to make it fun and relevant to the student’s needs and interests and to have them learn things in your class that they can use when they go online, to their job, or to and English country, and I am very thankful to work somewhere I can make this happen.

Sampling Soviet Satellites

When you think of Russian food you probably don’t get much past Vodka and Caviar, but there is a quite a lot more. What really adds to the cuisine in Russia is the influence and availability of food from former Soviet Satellite countries. These countries have given Russia food of Slavic, Middle Eastern, and Asian origins, which I have not come across even in the most global of cities.

Last weekend I went with a group of teachers and had my first Belarusian dining experience where I dined on Draniki (a small, flat potato dumpling) served in a pot with baked prunes, onions, and veal. It was served with smetana (kind of like sour cream without the sour). With this I has fresh whortleberry juice and krambambula-a spiced Belarusian liqueur made of vodka, honey and spices such as nut meg, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper.

This following weekend we went for homey Georgian fare- Georgia as in the small eastern European country and not the southern states of America. Georgians are known for good taste and culture as well as being much louder and passionate than our stone-faced Russians. From the smoky long tabled bar we dined in I would have to agree.

We started with Khinkali, a large meat dumpling that you eat with your hands and suck the salty juices out of while still piping hot.

Next we had the iconic and famous Hatchipuri. This cheesy Georgian flat bread is simple but divine. To go with these we had kabob-roasted meat topped with dill, onions, and pomegranate arils, which they call sashik. As dessert we had a double round of Turkish coffee served with chocolate. The coffee is sweetened and served with the grounds still swirling in the glass. You must let it settle to the bottom before you enjoy.

When winter is rough and work is demanding food is often the best part of my day and I am glad to be dipping into a new world of cuisine that is a combination of the new and the homey. If I am in any luck we can hunt down some Azerbaijani next week.

Cracks in the Ice

Well once upon a time at New Year I told you I would be publishing many more posts on my blog, and alas the last 2 months have been as dry and barren as my Moscow winter.

Over the last 2 months I have been working at school, with private students and on top of that taking 2 teaching certifications through International House. One in teaching Business English and one for teaching Young Learners. Between the 12 hour days, class prep., homework, meetings, and a teaching practicum on Sundays I have become incredibly productive and have managed to keep some money under the matress for the fall.

On the other hand I have been rendered uninspired and socially uninteresting.

However the first day of spring came yesterday and I have seen some water trickling across the snow-pile-lined pavements of Moscow. Nothing could excite me more! A hint of spring and the summer to follow coupled with the fact that this week is also Maslenitsa (Butter week) in Russia. What the Hell is butter week you ask?

Well, Butter Week or Pancake Week is the week long festival to celebrate the coming of spring and the week before the religious holiday Lent. It is celebrated by eating pancakes (more like a French style crepe) everyday of the week in a different place or accompanying them with social activities and music.

By Sunday I shall be fat, buttery and well informed on the holiday. Watch for my blini news.

What Russians are Like.

What are Russians like? I have been asked this a thousand times now, and after enough conversations I have worked out what I think is an honest answer, at least for those in Moscow.

Russians on first impression are soulless drones who go through the city without expressing themselves or doing anything with personality. At first I was overwhelmed by the apparent misery of the millions of people who had never learned to smile, but I slowly began to encounter the souls of these people. I’ve seen people melt from Robot to a raw loving being when they see someone they know, I have seen a group of friends start a dance circle in the middle of my metro car and shake with uncontrollable laughter, and I have seen a boy holding three umbrellas to try and cover himself and two girls in a rainstorm with success beaming across his face.

I find that Russians are truly ambiguous. On one hand they are rough and insensitive. From a tourist point of view they make no effort to welcome foreigners, cooperate with you when you are trying to speak Russian, or English, and are generally cold and pushy. They also have a streak of racism and bigotry that is not acceptable in ‘The West’; my students are often shocked by just seeing a Black person and need constant reprimanding for the use of ‘Nigger’ in class.

On the other hand once Russians get to know you they are very hospitable, passionate, and loving. They seem be rushing with life blood that is just dying to come out and let you in on everything it has to offer. I feel that you become family once you get past the preliminary meeting and prove you are ok to open up to and that they are truly very funny people. I have also met some very vivacious, radiant young Russians and it seems that the youth in Moscow are becoming much more open and friendly with foreigners and want to mix and mingle with the expat community that is so large there.

Now of course what everyone back home really wants to know is if they drink a lot of vodka, wear fur, and speak with deep accents like in the movies. I have to say that yes, a lot of the stereotypes are sound. Of course with all stereotypes they only apply to a certain percent of the population, but generally the fur is true, smoking is about as common as breathing, vodka is cheap and drank as a shot, and never mixed as a highball (Apparently mixing vodka and coke will make both taste worse.), and most new students do have an accent similar to that we see in cold war movies.

Overall, Russians can be very similar to us; I feel it is the mindset of Russians that make them different. The leftovers of tsarist and communist rule can still be seen. They are a society that has always been told what they can and can’t do, and despite capitalism and democracy they have not taken up freedom, as we know it. Something as simple as standing somewhere for a picture can be off limits, where as it wouldn’t even enter the mind of most westerners. However this won’t stop me from buying a fur hat and joining in on what make Russians the unique and wonderful people they are.

Live to Indulge

Anyone in a megalopolis knows what is like to rush about and commute for hours each day, and anyone constantly on the run knows the hunger caused by this. There is no time to stop and eat. On average a roast pig probably has more stuffed in its mouth than a New Yorker, Londoner, or Tokyoite. Resultantly fast food and kiosks have become the lifeblood of these people on the run. In New York they ‘grab a slice’, Londoners have Cornish Pasties, and in Tokyo they have steam buns and sushi galore. These metro foods are often eaten out of desperation, but can also be an indulgence.

In Moscow I have been starved and enticed into a variety of metro fare. Most of these are high energy and low cost or quality. The first fad I fell into was grabbing a few Sloika Pies on my way to work in the morning. These pies range from ground meats and sausages to creamy cheese and fruits. Stopping for these pies reminds me of indulging at the patisseries in France sans the silky French names, and the smiley Frogs in white hats spattered with flour. Lets just say the quality and ambience isn’t there.

Next in line was the shawarma. Similar to the shawarma we get back in Canada from late night Lebanese joints like ‘Mr. Shawarma and Shawarma Kingdom’ (result of English as a second language I am sure) They wrap up spiced chicken that has been marinating in its owns juices with cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumbers and give it some gusto with garlic mayo and chili sauce. I started eating these late night wraps because it was one of the only things I could say and at 1:30am getting off the Metro I couldn’t ask for anything more. I have managed to cut down but still love having shawarma at least once a week. The best part of Moscow shawarma is that it is sealed on both ends for convenience and they put a dollop of garlic mayo on the top so that your first few bites that are tortilla heavy are just as good or better than the ones that come in the middle. This technique needs to cross borders!

One that I was hesitant to try, but I feel could be wildly popular back home is Kartoshka (Potato). Here you can have a foil wrapped potato pulled out of the oven, have butter and cheese worked into its whites and then adorn it with your choice of toppings. Toppings range from sausage and cheese, shrimp, feta cheese, and move into crispy onion bits, and things I just point at and hope they taste good. Luckily they nearly always do. The point and pray is a strategy I have mastered.

Now here comes my new favorite, a little place called Beard Papa’s. Not exclusively Russian, but exclusively wonderful. Beard Papa is a pipe-smoking sailor that happens to have an expert hand with jumbo cream puffs. As soon as you get upwind of the store you smell the sweet fresh baked scents of tender puff pastry. Once inside you choose if you want chocolate, vanilla, berry, or green tea cream piped into your fist-sized puff. I went with green tea; it is a fix I have been deprived of for months now. I was more than fixed. In a hurry I mowed into my giant creamy heaven as I walked. I had green cream in and around my mouth and icing sugar all over my pea coat like powder burns from a shotgun. I advise you to indulge at Beard Papa’s but to take your time eating your dream cloud and pairing it with a nice cappuccino before you rush off.

Although I am often cursing the fact that I have no time for a real meal, and condemned by other teachers for eating these foods I am enjoying the new tastes on the go. Next up: corn and the cob, and a pint.

Ostankino

The first famous tower I ascended was Eiffel’s masterpiece in Paris and a couple of years later came the CN and the Empire State. To continue the tradition in Moscow I took the initiative to go to Europe’s tallest tower: Ostankino.

The Ostankino Media Tower was built in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the October Revolution and was completed in 1967. Taking 5 years to build, the tower was the tallest in the world when built and stands at 540 meters. Ostankino is named after the district in Moscow where it is located and broadcasts TV and Radio signals over the whole city.

To some the tower may seem a little rough around the edges, and in fact it is with all the antennas and broadcasting arms poking out. It may be one of my favorite buildings in Moscow however. What I see when I look up at Ostankino is a magnificent tower that could be the cover art for a great sci-fi or steam punk novel. The surrounding grounds melt away and my mind washes up nautical, magical, and even post-Armageddon worlds trying to find where this spire fits best. The tower itself seems to have a dark mysterious quality and the area around the tower felt like you were walking into the headquarters of an evil organization.

The situation isn’t helped by Russia’s love of red tape. Usually when one arrives to a famous tower they purchase tickets and line up for the breath taking view. As they wait flashing cameras, people milling about excitedly and flashy presentations about the tower surrounds them. There is fervor in the air. The experience at Ostankino on the other hand goes a little like this: you must first sign up online or at the tower for an appointment to go up the tower (maximum of 30 at a time), on arrival your name is checked on the list at security and then you must go to a check in. Arriving 30 minutes early at the check in you must then give over your passport and once it in scrutinized you are printed an official entrance card.

Your group is brought together and given an entrance briefing in Russian, taken on a path to a security check point where you are scanned for metals and have your ID checked again. Finally you use your entrance card to scan you into the tower doors and you have time to look at the exhibit at the tower base. A security briefing is issued next and then you can finally board the elevator. Once up stairs you are free to roam and observe for half an hour before you must leave with the group and reverse the security process while on the way out. Moscow may be modernized but it certainly has that on its own terms

I felt the procedure of mounting the tower just added to the Russian charm and that the experience wouldn’t have been complete without it. Now when I see Ostankino from the ground it still gives me a spark of magic.

Sticky & Sweet

HONEY! It is a food miracle- the only thing on our earth that doesn’t rot wet or dry. Not to mention that it tastes like heaven and most resembles liquid gold. I have had a good relationship with honey since I was young, often dipping my chicken tenders in it. Now I keep a jar in the house for my love of late night mugs of Earl Grey Tea with milk and honey.

All this in mind: when I heard about a honey festival in Moscow I had to buzz to my nearest metro to have a look. The festival is held annually at the park near Tsaristino metro station and hosts kiosks from honey farmers that hail from all over rural Russia and even some areas of Kyrgyzstan and other satellite countries. Once you enter the steel gates you need to leave all sense behind, except taste, and get ready to plunge into honey.

There are over 200 sellers at the event with dozens of varieties of honey, mead (an alcoholic honey drink) and a Chak-chaks (best described as a giant honey rice crispy square). The varieties of honey range from sweet to smoky and even bitter. They also can be thin enough to drizzle, thick like ice cream, or be full of crushed up honeycomb. Even as a ‘foodie’ I was surprised by the types of honey I have been missing out on for so long. After an hour of picking up a little white dipping sticks and melting a gob of honey over my tongue I managed to pick a nice creamy honey to take home with me.

A point of advice would be to not get too excited from the get go and taste every honey at one stand, because there is nothing around the cleanse your palate and unless your tooth is as sweet as mine you may end up a little overwhelmed.