Windows to Russia
by BlackCatte Luke Daniel Harding (born 1968) studied English at University College, Oxford. While there he edited the student newspaper Cherwell. He worked for The Sunday Correspondent, the Evenin…
Source: Luke Harding : the hack who came in from the cold
WtR
Svetochka is a very unhappy girl… 🙁
A few weeks ago her Samsung Galaxy Zoom phone died. She took it to a shop and they said that her motherboard died and that parts are not available…
But….I know better, for I shop China’s Aliexpress and I found a refurbished motherboard and a new camera section for under 2000 rubles total. These are the two parts that go bad and I will try, yes try, to replace them. Not much else can go wrong with the phone…
Well, except the charging port and a few other issues. They are minor in comparison….regardless, Aliexpress is the most wonderful mail order place in the world. Amazon does not hold a candle to Aliexpress. Since Aliexpress has put a warehouse or two or three in Russia, Russians have increased their buying ten fold from Aliexpress…
The big issue is, “Am I able to do it?”
I hope so…
Svetochka is the kind of girl who does not like to change things. Once she has something she is happy with, she wants it repaired and kept forever. Kinda like she likes me and wants me around forever. 😉
I am lucky in that way. She does not want me to be any different than the grouchy bear I am…
The Samsung Galaxy 4 Zoom is a long gone product. Repair is the only way, except to try to get one from eBay, but I will not trust or deal with eBay…
So in a few days, the parts will come. I am going to use this experience for seeing if I am capable to repair phones for a living. Well at least to make some money. I am kind of worried. I guess I should not be, the phone is dead, but am I able to fix what is wrong? I am no brain surgeon with my fumbling hands and fingers…
The parts are at the border right now of Russia and I will just wait for the Russian Post Office to deliver them. Yes that is always an issue, the Russian Post Office is not the best cup of tea, but they are getting better…
I would love to repair phones for a living and or hobby. Cell Phones are my passion and there is a ton of phones dead from fixable issues. Even water damage can be fixed. My issue is the fact, “Do I have the ability for small work?”
We will see….for I have a dream to open a Cell Phone repair shop in Russia and it would be wonderful for this grouchy bear…
WtR
Chak Chak and or Чак Чак…
Чак-чак (chak-chak) is a dessert food made from deep-fried dough drenched in a hot honey syrup and formed into, most commonly a hand sized mound. It is unparalleled in popularity all over the former Soviet Union. In Russia, чак-чак is especially popular in the Tatar and Bashkortostan republics, where it is considered a national dish. While the basic recipe is always very similar and there is a million plus ways to make it, how it is made differs from region to region and or person to person. Its simple, soft dough is cut into small pieces that can resemble either short noodles, (such as is common in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), or balls, (as is common among Tatars and Kazakhs)…. But regardless how you make it and who’s recipe you use, you will love it and love it…
Ingredients:
2 cups noodles (Look at instructions below! Or use store bought fresh noodles! Or use dried cooked pasta noodles. Just use bigger than a vermicelli or spaghetti pasta noodle…)
1 stick real butter
1/4 cup real honey
1/2 cup sugar
Instructions:
First make non-leaven noodles (For real authentication): 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup water – Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix flour, oil, and salt together in a bowl; add water and blend until dough is soft. Form dough into six sheets 1/8 inch thick, then slice into noodles of your desire thickness and lay onto the prepared baking sheet using your hands. Bake in the preheated oven until noodle is cooked, 8 to 10 minutes…. no need to brown…
Then when noodles of some type done and ready, make Chak-Chak:
1. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat…
2. Toss the noodles in a bit of flour and place in the skillet to cook until a little crispy and golden. About 5 minutes depending on noodle thickness….when done lay on paper to absorb grease and then put in a big bowl…
3. Melt the honey and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the mixture bubble until all the sugar dissolves….but do not overheat…
4. Pour mixture over the fried noodles in the big bowl, while mixture is still hot and runny. Toss like a salad to coat noodles evenly…
5. Dip your hand in cool water and grab a handful (when cool enough, but not cold), then shape the noodles into mounds and or do as I do and just leave them in a pile in the bowl or a tray and cut, grab and sneak whatever you desire…
They will last a few weeks easily if you need to store them. But….. They will disappear fast, for once you taste them, like opening a bag of candy, the candy seems to disappear fast…
Funny thing about that…. So just make more…
WtR
I was drinking my coffee today and Svet came back in from walking the dog! It had been snowing like crazy and Svet took some pictures of her walk…
In Russia they do not have snow men they have snow women! They call them snezhnaya baba (снежная баба). Today was the first day that the snow has been really good to make snow women, normally the snow is so dry and cold that it does not stick together. But with the temperature changing, the snow is wet…
Russians take serious advantage of the correct temperature to make a snow woman. This means young and old alike get out and start rolling huge snowballs to build their favorite snow woman….tidbit time; In Russia I come to understand that when you use the term “snowman” it means you are talking about Yeti and or the Abominable Snowman. Thus when a family makes a snowman, they are making a snow woman….makes sense to me…
The snow women are even made in miniature on the picnic tables.
They come in pairs!
They look like Hares (rabbits)!
They take lots of time and work!
They even come in male and Female!
The kids (old and young) have a blast!
They come sculptured!
They look like animals!
They even greet you on your path!
So Svet had a good walk while I stayed home. Looks like I missed a very fun walk and wish I had gone…
WtR
This morning as I walked Boza,
And looked out of the flat windows and watched the snow fall deep and cold. I thought about the Tiny Russian Village. I thought about the wood burning stove. I thought about Boza and I walking through the snow covered valley, the snow drifted forests and checking the village out…
But alas, this year Boza and I are going to stay with our sweetie in Moscow. Besides it is basically too late to drive to the Tiny Russian Village anyway. Could take a train, taxi and then walk 3 to 4 kilometers into the village but I am not sure Boza could do it anymore…
The Tiny Russian Village is magical…
There is something about the village that heals the soul and body. I say it is 75% mental healing and 25% physical healing. Regardless, I swear by the brick piece from the monastery wall, that I keep by the village home door, I touch it as I leave to walk Boza. It seems to make arthritis fade and it gives me thoughts on where to walk and enjoy life…
Strange huh?
Magical but tough…
The village is amazing when it is deep in snow. It is a winter wonderland that tops all winter wonderlands, but, it is tough to survive there…
I do not have enough wood to survive the winter already cut, due to having to deal with Boza and his eye issues. I spent most of the summer in Moscow. It is the summer time that you have to cut, split and chop wood for the winter. For spring and fall are basically just winter also…. Summer is only real time to do the work and that is basically 2 months long…. I only had two stacks of wood this year and I need four to survive a winter in the village…
The main thing though is this…
It is not Boza and his ailments, it is not me and my ailments, it is not the cold, it is not the isolation (that is my favorite part), it is not even not enough wood, it is the fact Svetochka missed Boza and I. She missed her boys and we missed her also. Until we can get to the point that Svetochka can be full time in the village, we have to share our living between Moscow and the Tiny Russian Village…
We all have wishes and dreams…
My dream and wishes are for Sveta, Boza and I to live full time in the Tiny Russian Village. This may not happen and I may have to settle for part time living there. Though I have tons of stuff to do there and saving the village home and making it secure is a big issue. I have come a long ways in that aspect, I would like to finish it…
To live in the village year around is the ultimate prize in life for me. There is something about the monastery and its healing properties, there is something about rubbing shoulders with Mother Nature and being isolated away from masses of humanity, keeps one sane and stable…
Someday, I hope Svetochka will live in the Tiny Russian Village…
I went to get another cup of coffee…
Actually I grabbed a cup of blueberry chicory. I had my two cup limit already of real coffee and I better drink something not so stimulating. Besides, chicory is good for you and the blueberry type is delicious. I can drink it at night and not have sleep issues. That is another reason to stop coffee drinking after two cups…
I need to check on the two sleeping beauties in the other room. Boza is going to need his eyes done and Svetochka needs to be tucked back under her blankets. She gets all uncovered at times and I pull her blankets back over her several times in the night. My sleep is broken up into two periods during my day. Boza had to get up at 3 a.m. this morning. He had doggy things to do and once I go outside into -10 degree weather and walk around, I am awake for the big part of the day. Boza of course just goes right back to bed… 😉
I then sip a cup of coffee and write something intelligent and or not intelligent. I guess it is up to what the readers think. If they like what I say or not. Most of the time people dislike what I say. For what I say does not fall into the politically correct and it is not all wrapped up with pretty bows and ribbons to keep everyone’s feelings safe from the facts of life…
Then later in the day, I take a nap. Normally this last from 1 to 2 hours. I try to keep it at 1 hour. I hate wasting my day, but since many times I only get 4 to 5 hours of sleep in a normal night, I need a little more sleep….have to consider my heart issues and all…
Therefore, I am going to think of the Tiny Russian Village today…
Boza and I miss it!
WtR
We talk about Sassy again… (My favorite world wide politician puppet!)
Source: Pat Buchanan Exposes “The Nutball The Neocons Wanted In NATO”
WtR
I have to admit, Trump and the Neocons are shaking the trees & stirring the water and hoping that a war pops out somewhere. Trump is doing what I knew he could do, “except” he is doing the opposite of what I voted for and what he told us as his platform and that my friend is the issue…. Since when did Trump become a Neocon? Fooled me and you….you thought he just grabbed pussy…
Trump and the Neocons are definitely trying to start a war, that war of all wars and the Jerusalem issue is a pretty good bet to get one going. Maybe not now, but down the road it will rear its ugly head and bite us….the same as it always does. These kind of illogical political moves, either means we are just plain stupid and or we are looking to stir the water and shake those trees, on purpose…
So lets see:
We are trying to start a war and or at war with…
1. Russia (We beat the tree trunk hard on this country.)
2. China (We tip toe easier with this country.)
3. Venezuela
4. North Korea (We act like rejects with this country.)
5. Ukraine (We got upset that Russia caught us red handed, now proxy.)
6. Turkey (Russia warned Turkey and America failed at the coup!)
7. Yemeni
8. Niger
9. Syria
10. Iraq
11. Afghanistan (We have been beaten and still stay to get our asses whipped!)
12. Somalia
13. We are stirring the waters in Poland, Kuwait, Cuba and several more…
(But we hit the jackpot with this latest effort…)
14. Acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel… (Stupidity now rules America!)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/donald-trump-us-jerusalem-israel-capital
This last one could be the grand daddy of desires for war…
A billion plus angry people may take offense over what we (USA) did and time will tell, again; Was this a very smart thing to do, in a chaotic messed up world???? A world where the USA has been decidedly killing Muslims left and right….at the same time giving weapons and training the same people we kill, to kill, people in many of the countries listed above…
Makes no sense, unless you are messed up in the head!
Some sick people running America…..
I have to admit that I am seriously sad about the direction Trump took after getting elected….but what is new?
WtR
FLOYD MAYWEATHER is set to apply for Russian citizenship. The legendary boxer has previously held open training sessions in the country, as well as opened boxing institutes. And now he is set to ta…
Source: Mayweather applying for Russian citizenship and ‘wants to buy a home there’
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Better put is this…
Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.
Haile Selassie
We do nothing, while Rome burns….at least Nero fiddled…
WtR
