Me, Me and again Me
Sorry for the delay on getting pictures up. These are terribly out of order but I guess it doesn't really make any difference. For those of you who left comments on the blog, I finally got them to show up...thank you for writing! It would be great if when you leave a comment you include your email address so that it's not just a one-way conversation! I hope everyone is well!
P.S. Sorry for typos or anything else that sounds dumb...didn't have time to edit!
This deserves little explanation as it is relatively clear that I am posing with a large, fake Santa Clause. He is standing next to the entrance to McDonald's inside my favorite mall 'Druzhba' (Friendship). Druzhba is a very well-kept, small and cozy mall that satisfies all my shopping needs. It's located directly next door to the metro that I take from work, so when I first learned of it I visited it almost every day.
Nazee and I in front of one of hundreds of decorated trees in the city. This is just outside of my 'friendly' mall.
On the first day of Hanukkah (Dec. 25) when I was very sad that I had nowhere to go, I worked up the courage and did something I've never done before: I went to the theatre alone! It was a concert called "Hanukkah in Russia" and they named "Jewish People of the Year." There were famous Jewish actors, singers, songwriters, journalists, authors, movie directors, etc. and performance were interspersed with the giving of awards. The award itself was an Oscar-like statue, but instead of an elongated golden body, there sat a copper-colored round bearded man playing on a fiddle. Winners also received an envelope with money, and a huge bouqet of flowers. All of this was too much to hold for most awardees, and made it difficult for them to climb down from the stage. The stage settings were equally overdone: an ongoing (and very distracting) lazer show, fountains, flowers, columns, decorations, etc., etc., etc. In other words it was very 'Russian' style, which is still based on the "more is more" theory. It was this very Russianess, and the spirit of the crowd, and the songs from my childhood and knowing that, finally, on some level, Jews are finding their way in Russia, that made me happy to be there. It is also important to note that this event was held in the "Hotel Rossiya" (Hotel Russia) theatre, which is a large, glamorous establishment, and it was completely packed.
Before the beginning of the event, members of the Chabad Lubavitch synagogue distributed menorah and candles and set up a menorah-station, where they let each person light their own menorah, and then take one home.
This is the view just outside of Hotel Rossiya...one of an infinite number of picture-worthy sites in Moscow.
This is a picture from the same point as the one above, but 180 degrees turned around. This building is one of several of Stalin's 'Visotki' ('high ones'), a style of architechture from the days of the Communist regime. The prestigous Moscow State University is one of these rare-breed buildings as well.
On the second day of Hanukkah, when the electricity in our office mysteriously turned off and we were let go early in the day, two of my friends from work Ilya (a.k.a. Topinambur) and Arseniy accompanied me to the Red Square in search of the giant menorah that I was told was lit there. They were convinced that I was crazy, and that the Orthodox church would not stand for such a thing. After 20 minutes of standing in front of the Red Square and not finding it, and asking a security guard who had no idea what the words 'menorah' or 'hanukkah' meant, I called a friend only to find out that it was in another, neighboring square. Nonetheless, above is a picture of me and Arseniy in front of a somewhat snowy and always breathtaking Red Square. To the far right you can see St. Basil's, and behind us is ГУМ (goom) a huge shopping mall that is so expensive that its better to avoid going inside.
Me and Topinambur in front of the menorah...we found it! As you can see in the back right corner, it is not far from the Kremlin.
This is me in the theatre named for Tchaikovsky. Tamara and I went there for a performance by the Moiseyev Dance Company. I have seen them perform at least five times and am always left spell-bound by the stupendous talent of the performers. They are considered the best folk-dance troupe in the world. They perform traditional dances from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and other former soviet states. The costumes, music, choreography, energy and perfection of every move are unrivalled by anything else I have ever seen. They come to the states annually, so if you ever have the opportunity to see them, I promise that even the most cynical, theatre-hating person will not be disappointed. It is an absolutely breathtaking expression of Russian culture.
Me, Tamara and Angela...a friend of Tamara's from somwhere in Eastern Russia.
This is Tamara's (and to some degree now mine) cat. Her name is Peggy, but we just call her 'kisa' (kitty). She is very sophisticated and is the first cat that I have really taken a liking to, and if I am not mistaken, the feeling is mutual. She goes to the bathroom in the toilet, but she will not use it twice if it has not been flushed. Once she is done, she finds Tamara, emits very obnoxious cat noises and doesn't stop until Tamara flushes the toilet and sings her songs of praises for a job well done.
This deserves little explanation as it is relatively clear that I am posing with a large, fake Santa Clause. He is standing next to the entrance to McDonald's inside my favorite mall 'Druzhba' (Friendship). Druzhba is a very well-kept, small and cozy mall that satisfies all my shopping needs. It's located directly next door to the metro that I take from work, so when I first learned of it I visited it almost every day.
Nazee and I in front of one of hundreds of decorated trees in the city. This is just outside of my 'friendly' mall.
On the first day of Hanukkah (Dec. 25) when I was very sad that I had nowhere to go, I worked up the courage and did something I've never done before: I went to the theatre alone! It was a concert called "Hanukkah in Russia" and they named "Jewish People of the Year." There were famous Jewish actors, singers, songwriters, journalists, authors, movie directors, etc. and performance were interspersed with the giving of awards. The award itself was an Oscar-like statue, but instead of an elongated golden body, there sat a copper-colored round bearded man playing on a fiddle. Winners also received an envelope with money, and a huge bouqet of flowers. All of this was too much to hold for most awardees, and made it difficult for them to climb down from the stage. The stage settings were equally overdone: an ongoing (and very distracting) lazer show, fountains, flowers, columns, decorations, etc., etc., etc. In other words it was very 'Russian' style, which is still based on the "more is more" theory. It was this very Russianess, and the spirit of the crowd, and the songs from my childhood and knowing that, finally, on some level, Jews are finding their way in Russia, that made me happy to be there. It is also important to note that this event was held in the "Hotel Rossiya" (Hotel Russia) theatre, which is a large, glamorous establishment, and it was completely packed.
Before the beginning of the event, members of the Chabad Lubavitch synagogue distributed menorah and candles and set up a menorah-station, where they let each person light their own menorah, and then take one home.
This is the view just outside of Hotel Rossiya...one of an infinite number of picture-worthy sites in Moscow.
This is a picture from the same point as the one above, but 180 degrees turned around. This building is one of several of Stalin's 'Visotki' ('high ones'), a style of architechture from the days of the Communist regime. The prestigous Moscow State University is one of these rare-breed buildings as well.
On the second day of Hanukkah, when the electricity in our office mysteriously turned off and we were let go early in the day, two of my friends from work Ilya (a.k.a. Topinambur) and Arseniy accompanied me to the Red Square in search of the giant menorah that I was told was lit there. They were convinced that I was crazy, and that the Orthodox church would not stand for such a thing. After 20 minutes of standing in front of the Red Square and not finding it, and asking a security guard who had no idea what the words 'menorah' or 'hanukkah' meant, I called a friend only to find out that it was in another, neighboring square. Nonetheless, above is a picture of me and Arseniy in front of a somewhat snowy and always breathtaking Red Square. To the far right you can see St. Basil's, and behind us is ГУМ (goom) a huge shopping mall that is so expensive that its better to avoid going inside.
Me and Topinambur in front of the menorah...we found it! As you can see in the back right corner, it is not far from the Kremlin.
This is me in the theatre named for Tchaikovsky. Tamara and I went there for a performance by the Moiseyev Dance Company. I have seen them perform at least five times and am always left spell-bound by the stupendous talent of the performers. They are considered the best folk-dance troupe in the world. They perform traditional dances from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and other former soviet states. The costumes, music, choreography, energy and perfection of every move are unrivalled by anything else I have ever seen. They come to the states annually, so if you ever have the opportunity to see them, I promise that even the most cynical, theatre-hating person will not be disappointed. It is an absolutely breathtaking expression of Russian culture.
Me, Tamara and Angela...a friend of Tamara's from somwhere in Eastern Russia.
This is Tamara's (and to some degree now mine) cat. Her name is Peggy, but we just call her 'kisa' (kitty). She is very sophisticated and is the first cat that I have really taken a liking to, and if I am not mistaken, the feeling is mutual. She goes to the bathroom in the toilet, but she will not use it twice if it has not been flushed. Once she is done, she finds Tamara, emits very obnoxious cat noises and doesn't stop until Tamara flushes the toilet and sings her songs of praises for a job well done.
posted by Liza | 1:44 AM
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