Kazan — summer 2012

I was reading student feedback from Kiev today. The most common comment? "My host family feeds me too much, and then I feel bad because I don't finish and then they tell me I'm wasting food."

Chuckle. If that's your worst problem in Kiev, you are doing really well.

But it brings to mind the American stereotype of the Jewish mother: "You're so skinny. Eat! Eat!"

It's actually not the Jewish mother. It's the Eastern European mother. Russians, Ukrainian, Poles and Bulgarians... they all do exactly the same thing. And in the 20th century where did many of the US Jews emigrate from? Eastern Europe.

It also is amusing to talk to Russians about the food in a Jewish deli in the US. Blintzes? Those are Russian bliny. Kasha varnishkes? The Russians make that, too. Some Russians even become indignant. "Why do you call that Jewish food? It's Russian food! It doesn't belong to the Jews!"

That's a holdover of generic antisemitism in Russia. It makes me laugh when I'm not thinking of the grimmer sides of it.

Today was Paratroopers Day, which means the city was filled with paratroopers in telnyashki, which are blue-white striped undershirts. In a spasm of testosterone, alcohol and tribal thinking, they wave their "Nobody but us" flags around, break bottles on their heads, occasionally turn a car or two over. Fun for them.

The police are out in droves for the situation. Of course, there are more paratroopers out than police, and the paratroopers are in better shape. The cops don't stand a chance.

This is the one night we advise our students to stay clear of downtown. You get chunks of news like in Moscow a drunken group robs a watermelon stand. Here's a typical picture.

And here is the "Nobody but us" design on the flags that were all over town.

Ah, the hot water is back this morning! Let's see, it was supposed to come back on on July 7, and today is August 3rd, so that makes it a mere 27 days late.

Of course I was entirely expecting this, so one can hardly stress out about it. I just hope I don't have a period again where there is only hot water here. That is actually worse than only cold.

We had an excursion to Raifa monastery today. Two years ago I was a photoholic in Russia. This year I can hardly force myself to take a picture, but here are a few. First let's start off with the rules of the monastery.

Here is student Ken pretending to be a drunken paratrooper. He does it so well that one has to wonder at his previous experience.

BTW, what things identify Ken as an American here? First off, the sunglasses. Next, the backpack. What about the dopey hand gesture? Nah, the Russkis have rapper-envy just like Gringos do.

Next we have Chris and John. These two are doing great with their Russian; I'm proud every time I eavesdrop on them. I heard John using the word еще in contexts just like a Russian would. That and the proper use of уже are two that really show a growing feel for the Russian language.

Next we have the rest of the guys who were in town this weekend. I told them to pretend they liked each other, and this is what they came up with.

Did some market shopping this morning. I bought three types of cooked or smoked meat. When I wanted samples, the women at the counter cut off a chunk for me and made sure to include some of the fat with it. Glorious!

In the US when your try meat samples, I think the fat is maximally cut off. Heavens, what a mistake. I've now concluded that the fat is about the best part. Hm. I bet when professional chefs go shopping for this sort of thing, they want the fat as well.

I remember as a kid my sister would always eat the crispy fat off her steaks. I had already been acclimatized to the American "fat is gross" idea and was horrified. Now I think she was responding to normal physiological queues. The body wants fat. Years later, of course, she grew into the "fat is gross" idea as well. I wonder where she is on that nowadays?