День Победы: May 9th

On Victory Day here in Russia I ran into a group of French tourists on the metro. I was thrilled to momentarily return to my first language love, and helped them locate the next metro stop they wanted to see...people actually tour the metro here. And with good reason! But we'll file that topic away for another day. My friends expressed their surprise at the extent of the Victory Day celebration they were witnessing, despite having their own fête de la victoire on May 8th. They were not alone.

Victory here is a BIG deal! It starts off with a serious display of machinery at the Victory Parade. You can take a quick peek (or watch the entire thing!) to get a feel. In case my earlier posting on tanks left you wanting more, this is it!
Impressive, right?! I didn't brave any crowds to try and witness this one in person, but rather enjoyed some clips from the comfort of my own home...a precious morning off does not need to be rushed! Besides, I needed to save energy for the day's itinerary.

First up, a stop at Сад Эрмитаж. It's a lovely little park where you find another one of Moscow's opera theaters, Novaya Opera.  But there was no opera on tap for this girl today, location aside. This park tried to create some 1940's flair in modern Moscow with an old car display, a concert of war songs and dance, some youth dressed in military WWII costume, and plenty of Russian military men on hand.  

My favorite moment while here was this sweet couple that started to dance to the older tunes. To think of all this veteran witnessed and all the changes this couple has seen over the decades is unfathomable. But to see them caught up in sweet remembrance was beautiful.

Almost as beautiful as Nastya's picture as a little boy turned out. I'm only sorry I didn't work harder to squeeze my head through the child-sized hole provided.

Next up, was a quick photoshoot in the courtyard of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art...a courtyard shared with the Moscow cafe that offers my absolute favorite tea: ginger, mint and lemon.

 Even on a day off escaping this beautiful Bolshoi tends to be an impossibility. Especially on Victory Day, given that one of the city's long-standing traditions takes place here. Directly in front of the theater, veterans gather to greet crowds. In yet another beautiful Russian flower tradition, veterans and others who lived through the war are presented with flowers from anyone and everyone. Of all the day's events, seeing this tradition was one of the most touching. I don't know who these people are on every other day, but seeing them recognized in such a way at least one day of the year is truly beautiful.

Poetry performances were given by people of all ages. (Note: I LOVE that Russians memorize poetry!!! I have yet to meet a Russian who can't recite at least one!) We witnessed an 8-year-old's admirable performance. Russian is all the more impressive when I hear children speak it.

Last stop in the city is by far the most popular on the 9th...Поклонная Гора (Poklonnaya Hill) and Парк Победы (Victory Park). The crowds were out here in full force, reveling in the holiday sunshine. Unfortunately they had completely depleted the ice cream and water resources at ALL the vendors' stations we passed!

We passed on the evening salute, and instead ended the day with a sister slumber party and watched the Soviet wartime film, Отец Солдата. The story is that of an older Georgian father who's journey begins when he sets off to visit his injured son in a hospital. He eventually finds himself at the battlefront and, when he does finally find his son, the scene which unfolds is unforgettable. Rather than give away the entire plot, I'd encourage you to find this film and turn on some subtitles. While the version below likely won't do much for you, this movie for me was truly unforgettable. 

Sunshine, my sister, some interesting insight into Russia's experience and remembrance of WWII, and lots of victory made for a pretty fantastic holiday! 

A

Жди меня...Wait for Me (Simonov)

Tomorrow, May 9th, is Victory Day in Russia, commemorating the Red Army's victory over Nazi Germany. It's like Memorial Day in the States times 50. The majority of the country will have Thursday and Friday off work and the list of events is unreal. Not to be left behind, we at the Bolshoi are doing our fair share to contribute and our Young Artist Programme will be doing a concert of popular songs from the war.

We had a private performance of this concert today with several army officials present and it was my first time hearing the project. (Not surprisingly I was not picked to oversee the concert of Russian war tunes). It was stunning and yet another insight to the beautiful Russian culture.

As I listened to the war songs and watched the video display, I was touched. But tears came to my eyes when I saw the reactions around me. You see, while war songs often may seem like patriotic propaganda, the truly beautiful ones are far more. They don't express patriotism, but rather humanity. The emotions felt in times of suffering, sacrifice, and great loss are universal. The horror of war and the reality of its effects on individuals can be understood by all, regardless of nationality.

One of the program numbers, this beautiful tune and its text have been haunting me since hearing...LISTEN!!! You won't regret it. The poem, "Wait for me", is by poet Konstantin Simonov, and unfortunately I wasn't able to find an English translation that I liked...as it turns out it's seriously difficult to do a good rhyming translation! So, here I offer my own, rhyme-less version. Somehow less seems lost and, while it's far from professional or smooth, I hope you can see through the flaws to the beauty of these words.

Жди меня, и я вернусь.
Только очень жди,
Жди, когда наводят грусть
Желтые дожди,
Жди, когда снега метут,
Жди, когда жара,
Жди, когда других не ждут,
Позабыв вчера.
Жди, когда из дальних мест
Писем не придет,
Жди, когда уж надоест
Всем, кто вместе ждет.

Жди меня, и я вернусь,
Не желай добра
Всем, кто знает наизусть,
Что забыть пора.
Пусть поверят сын и мать
В то, что нет меня,
Пусть друзья устанут ждать,
Сядут у огня,
Выпьют горькое вино
На помин души...
Жди. И с ними заодно
Выпить не спеши.

Жди меня, и я вернусь,
Всем смертям назло.
Кто не ждал меня, тот пусть
Скажет: - Повезло.
Не понять, не ждавшим им,
Как среди огня
Ожиданием своим
Ты спасла меня.
Как я выжил, будем знать
Только мы с тобой,-
Просто ты умела ждать,
Как никто другой.

Wait for me and I'll return.
Only, really wait.
Wait when yellow rains
Bring sadness,
Wait when snow flies,
Wait through the heat,
Wait when others don't wait,
Forgetting yesterday.
Wait when from far-off places
Letters don't come.
Wait when all who are waiting together grow weary.

Wait for me, and I'll return.
Don't wish well to those who know by heart,
That it's time to forget.
Let mother and son believe
That I am gone.
Let friends grow tired of waiting,
sit by the fire,
And drink bitter wine
in the soul's remembrance.
Wait. And together with them
Don't hurry to drink.

Wait for me and I'll return,
In spite of all the deaths.
He who didn't wait for me, then let say:
"He had some luck."
They won't understand, having not waited for them,
How from amidst the fire
With your waiting
You saved me.
How I survived, we will know,
Only you and I -
You simply were able to wait
Like no other.

Happy Victory Day Celebrations to those in Russia. And to all of us...happy remembering. Here's to humanity!

Life Lessons in Moscow: The Do's and Don'ts of PDA

If you think of Russia as a frozen wasteland, covered in ice and snow and inhabited by an equally chilling population sporting every type of fur imaginable...you're partially right. On the surface, things can be a bit cold here. But catch a glimpse of the Russian soul and you'll be convinced of the fiery heat that lies within.

Take it from Tolstoy (Lev):

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love.

The whole world is divided for me into two parts: one is she, and there is all happiness, hope, light; the other is where she is not, and there is dejection and darkness...

Such passion is not a thing of the past. (Though it's quite possibly less eloquent). Step into the Moscow metro...or any public arena for that matter...and you'll find that the fire is alive and well. EasyJet recently began non-stop service from London Gatwick to Moscow and asked me to a "Snapshot of Moscow" video. Said video can be found here. (Side note: I don't know why, but this process was exceptionally embarrassing for me. VBlogging? Never going to happen!) But here's a different angle from the outtakes:

My reaction while filming did not nearly do justice to the laughter that continued afterward, as nearly every shot I attempted inevitably included some Moscow makeout.  Welcome to my city...capital of the most serious PDA I have witnessed in my life! In the metro, you'll witness it within moments. Likely on the escalator on the way down, while you're waiting, and in the actual train. But we're not limited to public transportation in this city. Anywhere is fair game. If you're feeling it, you go for it.

I would not call myself a proponent of PDA. Especially not when it borders on pornographic. But I will say, the Russian "emotional readiness" has its advantages. Part of the profound amount of PDA stems from the ability to more openly express love. (NOT equivocating PDA and love...just noting the relationship.) I come from a culture where saying "I love you" often seems as serious as reading a death sentence. (Or maybe this is just me??) Those "three words" mean commitment, responsibility, future, and maybe even weakness...you're vulnerable if you say it first, right? While I don't believe that love should be treated lightly, and true love does mean work and commitment, there's a refreshing emotional freedom in acknowledging only it's pure emotional form and being able to easily express it. Just because you feel it.

Here in Russia, my girlfriends use an abundance of endearments: my sunshine, my happiness, my little bird, my dear, my beloved...the list goes on. In America? I can only come up with girl, girlfriend, and lady at the moment. I'm not advocating adopting "my little bird" in English. Somehow it doesn't have quite the same ring. BUT, I have found myself, after talking with one of my close friends, wrapping up by saying "I love you." Because it's the truth.

So, those are the perks that come along with PDA. But it most certainly comes with some downsides as well. To address those, I have compiled a list of what I consider the "Dos and Don'ts of PDA," based on my personal viewing experiences in Moscow. These are not what I would consider city-specific, however. Feel free to observe them regardless of location.

1. Do keep it short and sweet. If you have to ask how long that is? Too long.


2. Don't display your tongue techniques. If we can see tongue, the technique you should really 
work on is subtlety. And besides...it's likely you've already exceeded your time limit.


3. Do hold hands. Do not hold other body parts.


4. Do not moan or produce similar noises. Especially if it's that loud enough that we can still hear 
it in the metro. Also, moaning likely means you've broken Rule #1. Yet again.


5. Do limit kissing to the facial area. Or at least above the neckline.


6. Don't unbutton, unzip, or unfasten. No explanation needed.


7. Do keep aware of your surroundings. While we're impressed with your balance and multi-tasking, we do fear your safety when the metro brakes and you fall.


8. Don't straddle your partner while there is more than enough bench space available immediately next to them. Straddling will imminently lead to the breakage of all the rules on this list.


9. Do dance with inner joy as you rejoice in your love. Do not dance for each other. In public.


10. Do tell her she's beautiful. Do say you love him. Do not say what adventures that combination will be taking you on for the evening.


The list could go on, but ten seems like a lovely number for now. Contributions, however, are more than welcome!

Embrace a culture. Embrace emotion. Embrace each other. But when you're embracing the moment, think about embracing this list.

Love you, my little birds!

From Russia with Love: The V-Day Special

Love and Russia. Put those two words in close proximity and I immediately get a bit wary. The complexity of life (and language!) here have made the past 5 and a half months quite a rollercoaster. Do I love Russia? Yes. Is our relationship status "It's Complicated"? YES!

Today it came to me that it might be a bit like a sibling relationship. Your job is to tease them, "snake" them, blow spit bubbles in the face, dunk them repeatedly while swimming in the lake, put food that you don't want on their plate (even if it's already been chewed), give their suitors grief, and basically complicate their life as much as possible. Or maybe this is just my life calling...

But should someone else hurt them, make fun, or give them too much of a hard time? Sister's not going to stand for it. And suddenly it's all love and loyalty. (Although those attributes are generally present in "snaking" and spit bubbles as well. Just less evident.)

RUSSIA: I complain, make fun, and try and give difficulty back when it's been handed out to me. And it gives me a pretty thorough sibling treatment in return. But at the end of the day, it's somehow a part of me now. And I'll love it forever, flaws and all.

Valentine's Day Eve was as Russian it gets:

For 3 weeks, my Russian sister and I have been trying to meet up to go to an ice-sculpture exhibit which she purchased tickets for, courtesy of Groupon. (Note: Groupon in Russia does NOT mean the same things as Groupon in the US. Consider yourselves warned.) Tonight was the night it FINALLY worked out. We met at the metro, where I was greeted with a "rose"=CHOCOLATES. Is there a better combination of two fabulous things?! LOVE.

We made our way to the exhibit, only to see all the lights out and a "CLOSED" sign on the door. A closer look confirmed that, according to their "hours", they were open until 9. It was just after 7. Another sign on the door said they'd taken a 5-minute break and would be back shortly.

We opted for a walk around the neighboring scenery while waiting, which included the Cathedral of Christ our Savior and a bridge with some stunning Moscow views. And standing on the bridge in a relatively-biting cold, Moscow took my breath away. LOVE.







And as we headed back to the exhibit, we passed by a man peeing in the middle of our populated, non-discrete path. A little extra bit of Moscow scenery that didn't quite have the same effect as the earlier views. And upon our return, it became evident that the only accurate signage on the exhibit door was the "CLOSED."

Luckily, love for Moscow won out this evening, appropriately given the day. You see, this city has gifted me with some amazing people and relationships and, even on the lowest of days, they manage to help me find the laughter and love in any given situation.

LOVE.