Category: Russia

This is kinda the end of the year post. At least the thinking’s that I am doing. I will toss a few more around before 2019 gets here, but this is the grand finale of 2018…

If money was the factor that drove me like it does so many people in the world. Then I could be living very well to do in Russia. There are many who live well to do and they write from their ivory towers downtown Moscow (and they also write from their London and New York towers after saying they know about Russia,) and reap the benefits of cash for lies…

You will not find my work anywhere (unless stolen and better be a link at least) except right here on Windows to Russia. I do not click bait my titles. I do not get paid per word. I do not get paid per article. I do not get paid for lies. I just get a bit of money from donations that trickle in once in awhile…

If I wanted to write good Russia and make money, I could work for RT, Sputnik and many others, controlled medias. If I wanted to write bad, evil and dictator Russia and make lots n lots more money, I could write for BBC, NY Times and other such trash. Well the opportunity is there. They want people who have lived in Russia thirteen years, to tell bad things about Russia…

I could write bad things about Russia and then when the going got heated or at least I could act like it got heated, I would run away and live in London and keep writing about those damn Russians and my life of hell. Problem is; Russia does not bother people like me, even if I was writing bad stuff about Russia…

But that said, they also do not bother people like me who write good stuff and or true stuff about Russia. Then again, I would not take money for writing what I see and feel as the truth. If someone paid me to write good things about Russia, then I would most likely not write at all. I write from my heart and that is not driven by money…

Okay…

I bet Russia pays you to write about bad America?

Nope again, I write about what has happened to me in America. I write what is wrong about what should be the shining star in the world. Yet I write about how far we are and have fallen. America does it to itself, no one else to blame, no one person did it, it was a collective destruction of a great country…

Svetochka and I have spent 100 times the money that WtR has ever generated. It barely generates enough year around to pay for her hosting and domain. But that is good enough…

Can you imagine writing 6000 plus posts for no money? Would you do it? Could you do it? Something drives me! Not money though! Maybe truth drives me? Hmm!

I just looked: 6620 posts. This post will make 6621. I really do not keep track and surprise myself when I do look after months and months. There is a bunch of stupidity in what I wrote yet there also is a bunch of truth. There also is a whole bunch of predictions, some good and some bad. The one thing about my posts is that you will find me anti war and anti bothering other people and countries. America is the best at doing just that…. bothering people…

But, back to hating Russia:

When I came back from the jungles, still soaked in multiples of Agent Orange showers. We were asked to not tell anyone what we experienced. For the sake of the country….don’t talk about blowing up pregnant women, children and old people cowering withing their own personal huts made of local foliage and stuff. Don’t talk about children with dynamite strapped to them and stairs with pressure wires to ignite a bomb. Tunnels everywhere and I personally crawled in a few to clean out the rats. Except it was their land and their home and nothing to do with us…

Just like then, I have been asked to lie, then attacked for over ten years about telling the truth about America and Russia. One way pays well and the other way pays crap…

So why not hate Russia? (And make damn fine money…) We seem to only be able to thrive if we hate someone or something or some country….sounds kinda like we have personal issues… So why not hate Russia?

Because, there is much more to like about Russia than hate….and I will not lie just to make a buck…

That my friend, does not make money!

Truth pays piss poor: Thus, I will be destined to be poor in Russia…

Oh, How much money I can make hating Russia… (Lots and lots and lots…more than you would think that lying should pay!)

WtR

Liver and or Hearts in Sour Cream recipe. So good and so rich, but also a inexpensive type meal to fix. You either like liver/hearts or you don’t and for those that do, yummy time…

Russians love foods like this. First off it uses the most beloved sour cream and then it allows cheap good high calorie food for the harsh winters…

Ingredients:
1 kilo, Liver and or hearts (Cow, chicken, turkey, duck, lamb and pig….I just use a mixture of chicken hearts and livers.)
3 ea med. onions diced (A couple of diced up garlic toes is good also.)
1.5 cup sour cream (20%)
5 tb butter (real butter)
2 cup beef stock (I use beef bullion cubes.)
2 tb dill freshly chopped
2 tb flour
Salt & pepper & garlic to taste

Method:
1. Wash and drain well the meat.
2. Cut large pieces into smaller pieces.
3. Sprinkle each piece of liver/heart with salt, garlic & pepper.
4. Roll in flour and place in buttered skillet. Fry (medium heat) until done turning at least once. (I like mine brown and almost crispy crusted!)
5. Saute’ the onions until translucent golden brown and then mix both liver & onions in separate bowl.
6. Add the beef stock to the skillet still on medium heat, where the liver was fried, stir well and then add the sour. cream, stir and make a sauce. Do not scorch. Just mix well and get it all good and hot.
7. Then add back to the skillet (to the sauce you just made) the liver and onions, from the bowl, back to the skillet…
8. Mix well and cover with lid. Turn heat to very low and allow to simmer.
9. Cook slowly over very low-heat for 20 minutes, uncover, stir well, keep an eye on it, re-cover and cook for 10 to 15  more minutes. This is to thicken the sauce. Always watch, dairy products scorch easy and ruin the flavor…
10. Remove liver from pot, arrange in individual bowls and pour all excess sauce over the slices.
11. Sprinkle with the dill, Russians do, but your mileage will vary with dill! (Parsley is okay!)

Very good when served with a side of Buckwheat is the norm for Russians. But boiled, mashed or fried potatoes or rice and even noodles is great and a good choice also…

Should be served hot and fresh, but it is still good warmed up the next day…

I like it cold…

WtR

PS: This is great to even use chicken gizzards and make it…

China’s Zhejiang Province, home to e-commerce giant Alibaba, shipped over 10 billion parcels this year, according to the province’s postal administration on Wednesday. The figure is equal to nearly 80 percent of the number of deliveries made by the entire express delivery industry in the United States, and double the number of deliveries in Japan, the world’s third-largest express industry.The express delivery industry in Zhejiang has grown by over 50 percent a year since 2012, and the volume of packages shipped has increased from 820 million pieces to the current 10 billion pieces. This includes 200 million parcels destined for overseas. Six cities in Zhejiang are ranked among the top 20 in the national express delivery industry. More than 300,000 people are employed by the industry, which serves over 40 million people each day.

Source: Zhejiang ships over 10 billion parcels in 2018 – China Plus

This should make you think!

Amazon ships about ????? billion items!

Amazon could end up shipping 4.4 billion parcels in 2018.

Source: An Amazon puzzle: How many parcels does it ship, how much does it cost, and who delivers what share? – Save the Post Office

Yes it should make you think…

WtR

Remember that we still have Christmas coming, or the Russian New Year…. Therefore Santa Clause or Ded Moroz as Russians call him, is getting ready to bring gifts for everyone…

So as I have said, the Russians are now getting into the swing of things and here comes the New Year…

This video below is of a local gov. building….I like it…

and then….this image of a poor tree all by itself in a brand new stage area…I like it…

and…this video of a big tree below is so happy flashing away in a parking lot. Background noise is a truck rattling…I like it…

and then…this video looks like colored worms crawling around a tree below…I like it…

I was just walking from Globus, picked up some wool socks on sale and ate breakfast there. 89 rubles a pair. Heavy 100% wool… (Get they say for MEN! So women stay away… 😉 )

One thing that Russia knows how to make is warm clothes. All natural materials and warm. Did I say warm?

So I had a good long walk on a route that I have not taken for awhile. I looked at things that have stayed the same and things that have changed. In Russia things stay the same mainly, but there was neat stuff to look at…

Have good holidays…

WtR

yup from Kyle keeton on Vimeo.

What’s not good for the beehive can’t be good for the bees. With our planet facing peril from global issues like climate change, we all need to find a way to set common goals and work together. What’s the best way forward? Pan Pan the Panda has some ideas.

Source: Understanding Xi’s Way 7: Small homes and a big family – China Plus

They do not point fingers and blame game anyone. They say we all have to do our part and that is the way it has to be…

The blame game is for children…

WtR

Squids in tomato sauce recipe: Russians love squid. The stores have dried squid, frozen squid, fresh squid, canned squid and just about any way you can imagine. Squid is a favorite with shots of vodka also…

A good holiday meal is to serve squid, therefore, lets have squid. I myself just love squid and eat it whenever I can get it…

Ingredients:
1 kilo fresh baby small squid
2-3 medium onions
1 can of tomato sauce
3 fresh tomato, peeled and cut in small pieces
Oil to cook with
Pepper and salt and garlic to taste

Method:

Clean the squids… (Try this link to the left!)
Keep the cut off tentacles… (Follow link above.)
Stuff the squids body with the tentacles that you have cut off and set aside for now…
At medium heat take a saucepan and saute the onions in some fry oil…
When onions are browned and translucent, add the squids and saute for a couple more minutes. Add pepper, salt, garlic, tomato sauce, more oil and chopped diced tomatoes and cook at medium heat until squids are tender. Add some water if required. Do not let dry out….remember it is Squids in Tomato Sauce…

Now you can serve as it is, but I like to oven bake them with cheese on top. This makes for a wonderful meal and another way is to crumble bread over top and then cheese and bake. Nothing else is needed to go with it and you will be fat, happy and sassy…

WtR

I was drinking my second cup of coffee and thinking about Christmas. Christmas on the 25th of December is not on the agenda in Russia. With the exception of a few people here and there, the Western Style Christmas is non existent…

It is strange to me to not feel the full blown hustle and bustle of the season earlier in the month. I grew up that the last few days before Christmas, was a time that everyone ran around gathering the last minute foods and gifts. People packed the cars and took off for Grandmas house and Grandma was cooking up a storm…

Russia has a delayed hustle and bustle. They wait until New Years to have their Christmas. So I can feel the start of it now like the beginning in America right after Thanksgiving. Russians do not have a traditional start of Season. At least a start that I can see. The season just grows slowly and methodically until it explodes at New Years with Fireworks displays all over the country!

I was in the local store today and the people had that edge of frantic that comes with time slipping away at a holiday. Not very strong yet but the edge was appearing…

The stores are packed with goodies and everywhere you go there is a fireworks display stand trying to get your attention. Russians love their fireworks and New Years is the Big Bang! New Years night there will be hundreds of Fireworks displays visible from our balcony…

The difference does not seem that great, because Russia does have a Christmas at New Years. It just feels like a big difference because Santa has always come on the 25 of December ever since I was a little boy and it is hard waiting that extra week for Santa to come. 🙂

But, Svetochka and I do have our Christmas also on the 25th of December. Sveta does not let me miss that holiday. She likes her Christmas meal and yesterday was no exception. We were bad and ate wrong, but had fun and more fun….watched a movie, ate too much, walked, talked and just enjoyed each others company. Sveta took the day off from work, so that we could be together…

Thanks sweetie pie….as she went nom nom nom over turkey steaks, mashed pumpkin, huge tossed salad and later too many desserts…

Oh here are the lyrics to the song. Translated so you can enjoy… 😉

nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom

Annnnnndddddd…..

nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom

That was Svetochka and I yesterday… nom nom…

WtR

Today I went to the store and grabbed some turkey and other goodies. It is going to be a very simple meal for Christmas, because Svetochka and I really try to keep from gaining too much weight….not easy for us, but we try…

Thirteen Christmases in Russia….I am a teenage in time in Russia, thirteen years here. Kinda amazing actually, the Russians have not murdered me. They are hiding around every corner…

Yes I know Russians and having lived with them, beside them, around them and living daily buying, selling, talking, walking, yelling and helping Russians, I have gained sorta an expertise at dealing with Russians. You could say that I am a Western Expert on Russians….but no one cares to ask me about these evil Russians…

Really, “I SEE RUSSIANS EVERYWHERE!”

It is snowing, has been snowing and will 100% be snowing tonight, tomorrow and the next week or so. In Russia I see Christmas snow 75% of the years. For that matter, it snows almost everyday and by the end of the winter, the sidewalks are packed a meter deep with ice. Ice from snow that has been walked on by millions of feet. But they do clear many sidewalks and I am just talking about the sidewalks away from the main areas. It is strange to walk and have your head in the tree limbs, the same limbs that were above your head in the summer…

I spent several hours digging out our Sammy the Volga. She is the green wagon in the middle of the image above. It was -12 out when I turned the key in the ignition and she fired off first time. Been awhile since I started her and she purred like a kitten after a few minutes. The ice was deep on her and we are lucky that we have a bunch of guys to clean the roads and walks at our flats. It helps us to get our cars out when we need to. I also have to get a new ice scraper….I broke two of them while cleaning the car today… 🙁

The snow is here to stay for at least five months and very well could still be hanging around six months from now. So if you do not clean your car and move it enough, you will never get it out for half a year and we have had that happen before. Now in the Tiny Russian Village, it simply was expected. Sammy could not get around in that kind of snow. But here in Moscow, we can get around. Yes, big city has its benefits at times…

Oh the bare patch of snow in the above image, is where Sammy set before I moved her….it does not look like it, but the doors could barely open on the car, much less after I cleaned her off, I had to dig her out to get her out of the hole she was in…

I could say that I miss my family back in the USA, but to cry over spilled milk is not worth it. I have been the black sheep of the family (Both birth given and my own birthed family!) most of my life. It seemed to be the way life was for me in America, yet in Russia, I am not a black sheep. I find that maybe that is why no one likes Russians from America, we are all black sheep here… (Better than being scared sheep!)

My family is here in Russia. I will say it time and time again, “Home is where the heart is!”

My heart is in Russia and between Russia and my sweetie pie Svetochka, they do a good job of keeping it beating good and sound…

Have a nice Christmas….for we will!

WtR

PS: It will be a kinda a sad Christmas with out our Boza though!

The Twelve Christmases in Russia…

Rasstegai pie with fish recipe: Traditionally a fish rasstegai is served with soup. Fish broth with fish rasstegai pie, pork and or beef with meat rasstegai pie and (my favorite) rice &carrots & eggs is served with any soup. Rasstegai is a kind of Russian pie with a  opening on top. Rasstegai is served (sometimes) with a side of dipping broth, but connoisseurs will pour the sauce into the opening on the top of the rasstegai, that makes the pies nice and juicy…

In the Big Village near our TRV they have the best rasstegai around…. Yummy…

Ingredients:
2 lb yeast dough (You can buy it frozen from the store. Thaw it…)
2 lb white sturgeon (cook the starry/stellate sturgeon, but most any fish works. Russians like salmon in this also…)
2 ea med. onion (chopped small)
5 oz real butter
salt to taste
black pepper ground to taste
2 tbsp melted butter for brushing
pinch of sugar

Method:

Cook and remove all bones from the fish and chop it…
Season with salt and pepper to taste, you may add a touch of garlic…
Divide the dough into four parts. Roll each out into a large round ball…
Put them on a greased with butter/Pam/oil, baking sheet, flatten the balls with your palm, evenly…
Poke holes all over the surface of the flattened dough with a fork…
Chopped onion into tiny diced pieces and fry in skillet with some butter, add a pinch of sugar, cook until they brown…. Cool the onions down…
Spread the fried onions evenly on each of the flattened dough….and after that spread chopped fish on top the onions…
Then pour over melted butter and pull up and pinch the edges so that it leaves the center with an open hole… (Make a cradle for the stuff inside…) Brush the sides with butter and bake in the oven (at 210-220 C) until it is ready…golden brown….

Traditionally rasstegay is served steaming hot as chaser to Vodka….shot of vodka and take a bite….but they are served many places and people just buy them and carry them to munch on as they walk around….the best are made by babushka…

Use any meat and or veggies and just substitute the ingredients….also do not forget you can put some cheese in there… Oh my so yummy…

WtR

Good Ole Putin…

Putin holds annual Q and A session Dec. 2018 from Kyle keeton on Vimeo.

Really good. Can you imagine any other politician talking for 4 hours and answering questions….Hell most politicians I see cannot even answer two or three questions about important issues surrounding the world and their own country…

Putin is a rare politician…

WtR

PS: The video is almost four hours long. I sized it to mobile size and thus, it is not able to be full screen and be clear. The original was just too big and I wanted the thousands of people on mobile to be able to get this video also. Mainly it is the questions and answers that are important and everything is translated into English…

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“When it comes to ruling the world, we know very well where those who are trying to do exactly that, have their headquarters,” Putin said. “And it’s not in Moscow,” he added…

“Our economy adapted to [the sanctions]. Yes, there are negative effects, but there are also plus points from this whole sanction business,” the president said. “It made us switch our brains on in many areas.”

“If it was an illegal seizure, then the people of Crimea aren’t guilty of anything. But if they came and voted – then there was no annexation. Sanctions have been imposed against the Crimean citizens. But if they did nothing wrong – why were they introduced?” the head of state wondered.“And if they were imposed over the vote – then it must be acknowledged that the vote succeeded.”

“There were two. There were the presidential elections, that goes without saying – that was important for the whole country. And the football World Cup! That also turned out important,” Putin said.

“In general, this is very bad for humankind because it takes us closer to a dangerous threshold,” Putin referring to the prospect of a nuclear conflict. “If, God forbid, something like that were to happen, it would lead to the end of all civilization and maybe also the planet.” “These are serious questions and it’s a real shame that there’s a tendency to underestimate them,” he asserted.

“I don’t know what this is about. The US has had a presence in Afghanistan for 17 years, lets say? And almost every year it says that it is withdrawing troops from there. But they are still present there,” Putin said.

“I have never dreamt of becoming president, I had no such dream and no intentions of becoming one. This happened due to a set of circumstances and an offer from the first president of Russia,” Putin said.

Putin said that at different times in his life, he wanted to do different things. “I wanted to be a pilot for some time, then a military man, then, when I grew up, I wanted to work as a foreign intelligence agent,” the Russian leader said, noting that his desire to become an intelligence agent was based on films and books about this profession. “It seemed very important and interesting to me when a person working alone is able to achieve results that are important for the country on the whole and for millions of people due to the person’s knowledge, skills, love for the Fatherland, determination to succeed at all costs and self-sacrifice, especially if this takes place in special situations or war,”