Events Galore!

The Chagim marked an exciting time for Alyson and I. While Russians in general are not a religious community, they love arts and culture, and no one does singing, arts, and dance like the Russians! There have been numerous events over the past two weeks--here is just a quick look at some of the ones we attended.

The first event we went to was a cantorial concert at the Grand Choral Synagogue. The acoustics there are fantastic, and it's a really beautiful space. Check it out--here is Chazzan Shneur-Zalman Baumgarten from NYC singing "Avinu Malkeinu". Watch it here.

Next, we joined the Israeli Cultural Center for their opening party. It was at a fancy restaurant in downtown SPB, and there were all sorts of fun activities. Here, four of their members do an Israeli dance for the audience. Watch it here.

You wouldn't know it, but occassionally we've found time for a relaxing evening at home. I enjoy sitting on the couch, watching tv and eating kiwi. It's ironic, but here at the Arctic Circle they have fantastic kiwi: less tart than the ones we get in the States, they are like candy from heaven. On TV, two new bizarre sports to tell you about. First, I watched the most bizarre sport I've seen so far: handicapped fencing. It was incredibly boring--the two contestants don't move, they just lunge at each other from their chairs. On the other end of the spectrum was motorcycle soccer, which was fantastic to watch. Players ride motorcycles and kick an expanded soccer ball around an asphalt field. The speed and technical skill were just mezmerizing, and there was a NASCAR-like feeling to the crashes. You hated to watch these guys get thrown off their bikes onto the hard concrete, but you couldn't look away!