Out and About in Petersburg
In this second half of our posting here, we feel like we've finally begun to hit our stride, both personally and professionally. Work-wise, we've found useful roles in the community, with the local organizations are coming to us on a regular basis for help and advice. Alyson is working hard on the Pesach Project and launching the YESOD website, and I've been keeping myself busy with my summer camp program, launching the YESOD Sports Program, and helping with Purim preparations. It was a long time coming, but we seem to have found our niche at YESOD and in the overall community.
On a funny side note, you may have heard that there was a bombing at a St. Petersburg McDonald's. The bombing certainly isn't funny, but the response of our Israeli friends, Liat and Biko, is. I received an email from them asking if we were ok -- and telling us how excited they are that the tables are turned, and now they are the ones checking up on us!
We also have this awesome streak going: four consecutive weeks with Saturday night plans with friends. Since returning from Israel, we've been to concerts, out to Georgian food, visited a painter's studio apartment, and I even found an ultimate frisbee game to join! This week, we have plans three of the next four nights. I am enjoying... but for Alyson, who is the true social butterfly in this family, this is a major coup and I'm excited for her to feel like she has a base of friends here.
That brings me to the highlight of this past Sunday: Maslenitza. I couldn't even begin to explain this unique piece of Russian culture, except to say that it is a big festival that involves lots of blini eating, walking around in sub-freezing temperatures, ice skating, creating large hay-stacks in the shapes of people, and then burning them. Like I said, I can't explain it. But you know you have reached true Russian culture when the music played around the campground is Russian and not American.
On a funny side note, you may have heard that there was a bombing at a St. Petersburg McDonald's. The bombing certainly isn't funny, but the response of our Israeli friends, Liat and Biko, is. I received an email from them asking if we were ok -- and telling us how excited they are that the tables are turned, and now they are the ones checking up on us!
We also have this awesome streak going: four consecutive weeks with Saturday night plans with friends. Since returning from Israel, we've been to concerts, out to Georgian food, visited a painter's studio apartment, and I even found an ultimate frisbee game to join! This week, we have plans three of the next four nights. I am enjoying... but for Alyson, who is the true social butterfly in this family, this is a major coup and I'm excited for her to feel like she has a base of friends here.
That brings me to the highlight of this past Sunday: Maslenitza. I couldn't even begin to explain this unique piece of Russian culture, except to say that it is a big festival that involves lots of blini eating, walking around in sub-freezing temperatures, ice skating, creating large hay-stacks in the shapes of people, and then burning them. Like I said, I can't explain it. But you know you have reached true Russian culture when the music played around the campground is Russian and not American.
posted by Matt Fieldman at 9:10 AM
2 Comments:
Masleniza is an ancient Russian holiday. It was the most important holiday. Masleniza is a meeting of spring. Russian very much wait this holiday, in fact it(he) means arrival of long-awaited spring! The spring is means, there is no cold more, is warmly and the Sun! The person from hay which burn name the Scarecrow. The scarecrow is a winter. In a scarecrow put leaves with desires which are always executed. When the scarecrow burns it is necessary to speak " Gori, Gori yasno chtoby ne pogaslo " (Burn, burn clearly, that would not die out!)
Farewell to Winter is accompanied by pancakes with caviar, vodka, songs and dances. Masleniza lasts week, to it Russian get fat on two kgs and drink vodka in 10 times more usual!))
I am so glad to hear that you are both feeling like you have hit your stride-- personally, culturally, and professionally. That is fantastic, and I greatly enjoy being along for the ride with you through this blog.
-Stacy
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