Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Poetry

In winter I get up at night and dress by yellow candelight.
In summer quite the other way: I have to go to bed by day!
Robert Louis Stevenson

It does not get dark here until around 11:15p.m. and the sun gets up again long before I am - maybe 4:30a.m. or so. They describe the life in Russia as hurry hurry during the short summer and sleep on the stove all winter. It is not quite the White Nights of Petersburg where it never really gets darker than dim, but it is hard to convince myself it is bedtime when it is still daylight!

Traffic here seems very polite in that there is absolutely no recreational honking for just amusement or to warn a pedesterian to get out of the way. There are striped areas by signs that say "crosswalk" but I have yet to see any car stop for a pedestrian in one. And drivers do not like to swerve. Where there are crossing lights, they blink green for 10 seconds and then blink very fast green and beep for 5 more and then cars just go. Walkers run or else...But it is quiet.


We went to a Teddy Bear museum today. The story behind the city is that St Yaroslavl had to wrestle a bear who was the sacred totem of the tribe who was settled here before he came. He won, but the bear is the symbol of the city. Micha Bear which is Russian for Michael. We heard lots of bear history, then had a hot chocolate - think pure chocolate bar melted in a cup - and watched the shoes go by from the cafe. After that a long walk up the Volga we heard a concert with what must be one of the two pieces of music I can recognize: Afternoon of a Faun by Debussy. (The other one is Stars and Stripes Forever.)

I saw preschoolers today which is much better for me, and most of them don't talk yet so language is no problem. Cute as they are and normal as they look, they are there because life at home is so bad they have been taken away for either family rehabilitation or adoption. Today they made dragonflies that made them smile. A tiny gift of time and imagination is all I get to give.

Our driver knows both the Bulls and Balckhawks. Most other people know nothing about Chicago! We obviously need to export more movies.

1 comment:

  1. I guess you need body armor to take a stroll. How's the weather? How are your companions? Other than the potatoes and the vodka, are they feeding you? Hope you're having a good time!

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