Kazan — summer 2014

The conversational number forms briefly threw me for a loop this morning. I spotted some very nice scarves, which I thought would make good gifts for Flyura and Dasha. I asked the price of one scarf and was told [tríyse pet]. At first sound I couldn't tell if she meant 3.50 levs, which would be reasonable for a cheap Chinese mass-produced import, or 13.50 levs (ten bucks) or 350 levs, which would be over two hundred dollars. Now these scarves are *very* pretty. In the US it wouldn't surprise me to see something like this sold for that price in a Nordstrom’s, say. It turns out she meant 35 levs. Call it 25 bucks. Hm. Pricey for a casual gift, but affordable. I’ll take that one and that one.

These are hand-painted silk scarves, so they say. They are more the size of a shawl, and in fact are call шал [shal]. They are beautiful. I think Dasha and Flyura will be pleased.