Windows to Russia
Hello,
I took my dog Boza for a walk and came upon a school. I thought you just might want to see a public school in Russia.
Sometimes I feel that I am in the days of my childhood. I went to a school just like this.
Except these halls echo Russian language, not English.
Kyle
I call these reflecting thoughts!
Hello,
I was drinking my early morning cup of coffee. I was thinking about several things. First I was thinking about the difference in weather right now, between where I lived in Kentucky, USA and Moscow, Russia.
Many times at the peak of the seasons the two are very are close in weather. It is the switching season times that are so different.
In Moscow, the Fall is here. No Indian Summer as we call it in the USA. The temperature has already made the people wear coats day and night. The rains are constant, everyday it rains 2 to 3 hours. The Watermelons are in season a month behind what I remember in the USA. Everything is off pattern for me. So at times my senses are messed up. I use to be able to tell time by looking at the sun or moon, Not now!
Next, I was thinking about that in a few months will be my one year anniversary in Russia. So I am working on paper work to get my Visa renewed. This is always a fun process in any country and Russia is no different. The bureaucratic paper work is incredible.
Last but not least, I want to get a really nice camera. I have found that I enjoy taking pictures. The camera I have (canon power shot) is wonderful for everyday shootings. What I want to be able to do is get the great close ups and catch that Hedgehog from a long way away.(So he does not cuss at me, in Russian) I am not sure what camera to get and my Wife discusses and I grumble over what to get. :))
I do have other things I think of, like what to post in my Weblog, do I need a new Van, how to lay parquet floor in a Flat and trying to remember how to hang wallpaper.
Kyle
Hello,
It seems that I have posted about this earlier in my Blog. This is going to be interesting to see what decisions come out of Russia’s actions.
“Russian explorers have planted their country’s flag on the seabed 4,200m (14,000ft) below the North Pole to further Moscow’s claims to the Arctic.” (Moscow Times)
link:
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/07/russia-north-pole-ice-station-zebra.html
I think that this is cool, Go, any country that can lay claim to uncharted territory.
America got the Moon but Russia got Santa Clauses home.(at least under it!) Now we are going to have to call him Grand Dad Frost, just like the Russians do. :))))
Kyle
Except for the Russian signs this could be Americans standing there, with all their strollers!
Hello,
I found this link today. If it was not for the Russian words, I would have thought that I was looking at pictures of my growing up in America. These are great pictures and someone went to allot of trouble to put them all together. The site is in Russian, but do not let that stop you. The pictures are worth their weight in gold.
FOLLOW THIS LINK TO 100 SOVIET PHOTOS!
I keep saying: “Small World we live in.”
There, I just said it again. :))
Kyle Keeton
I look at charts like this all the time. I try to study in my own way the value of the dollar against other world currency’s. I am not a finance person but I see things that bother me. I see the eroding value of the dollar against the Ruble and the Euro. I also see that the Canadian dollar is almost equal to the American dollar.
So in my simple Bear mind, I think that the American dollar is going for a big fall. It is at mid 1970’s levels now. (against other currency’s of the times)
Maybe I should think about other types of investments?
Kyle
Once again I was having my morning cup of coffee and I was thinking of watermelons.
They come to mind because on the way back from our trip this weekend, We saw watermelon trucks. Actually we passed, followed, cussed at, yelled at, fell asleep waiting for, and got run over by, watermelon trucks.
I have never seen so many trucks full of watermelons. Beer trucks, furniture trucks, yogurt trucks, trailers being towed by trucks and even baby food trucks. All were stuffed with watermelons.
Being that Moscow has 10 million people waiting for watermelons and those 10 million people, do not like squished and broken watermelons. The trucks went at a very slow speed. Like 20 Km per hour. that is 15 miles per hour for an American.
A Russian byway is busy, traffic will line up behind a train of watermelon trucks for about 5 Km. I said once in a article that Russian drivers hate to wait in traffic. So Russian drivers become deadly drivers. They do not care how they will get by this watermelon truck, but they will get by.
Now all problems would be solved, if the watermelon trucks would pull over and let traffic by. But you see the driver has to get these watermelons to Moscow, no matter how many people he kills!
So you have the idea?
The byway becomes a deadly game of chicken, who will pull over first as you go head on into each other! In Russia, Audi and Mercedes drivers seem to have the highest level of non intelligence.
God gave them money but he forgot to hand them their brains!
Kyle at WtR
Hello,
I was walking today and thought Americans might want to see what is on every street corner, at every bus stop and even stuck in the base of the towers of Flats.
The famous Kiosk, The wonder of the Russian Empire.
These little buildings sell everything from flowers to beer. Many of them are open 24 hours.
People who drink and smoke in America, will be jealous. The price for a pack of cigarettes is as low as 7 Rubles for generics to 20 Rubles for Marlboro, name brand. (this is about 25 cents a pack to 90 cents a pack)
The beer can be bought for anywhere from 8 Rubles to 100 Rubles. (American Beer some of the most expensive)
So, for $1 dollar in America (25 Rubles) you can get 2 big beers and a pack of cigarettes.
Now, I know a whole bunch of Rednecks in America, who would be in hog heaven with those prices.
Kyle
comments welcome as always.
Kiosk:A kiosk is a booth with an open window on one side. Some vendors operate from kiosks, selling small, inexpensive consumables such as newspapers, magazines, lighters, street maps, cigarettes, and confections.
Map of cold war era.
Hello,
I was drinking my morning cup of coffee, I was deep in thought about something my Wife talked about, last night before we went to bed.
She was talking about when she was a little child, that they feared war with China and America. They feared war with any county.
I thought about my childhood, We were the same!
I have talked a little about this subject before in my Blog. But this was the first time that I had heard my Wife mention about the worry of War, as a child.
This seems sad to me that, The children of the world have such a state of mind that worries about war, terrorists, and evil.
Children are suppose to grow up free from the adult pressures of life. Children should know fun, imagination and play.
We live in a world that seems to not have the children’s best interest at heart.
When I grew up, I new that Russia was Bad!! Why? Because the news media and parents told me so.
Children in other countries think America is bad! Why? The news media and parents tell them so.
In America now, The word is China. China is too big to go to war with. Too many people! Who says this? The news media and parents.
I wonder why do Adults have to express Death, War, Murder, Hate, Disasters, Crime, Terrorism’s and many other things that are not really conductive to children’s growth and development?
I will say that many Russian people try to keep their kids away from the media. The media is more controlled in Russia and I do not see that as a bad thing. The public TV in Russia reminds me of TV 30 years ago in America. Beer commercials everywhere. Yes, Budweiser and Miller advertises like crazy in Russia.(capitalism at its best)
I feel that our children should grow up in world that is safe, strong and protected. Not a world that is afraid to transverse the seas.
I know, I was worried about safety in Russia.
Truth is I am safer, much safer, than I was in the USA!!!!
Kyle Keeton
Hello,
Our dog Boza found a surprise for us. A bad attitude and cussing Hedgehog! Luckily Boza did not try to stick his nose to close to the Hedgehog.
So I took pictures the best I could and left the Hedgehog alone. He was not happy to see us or be photographed.
“Hedgehog, common name for any of several spiny mammals that are similar in appearance to the porcupine, but more closely related to the mole and shrew. The hedgehog, which is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, has a coat of long, stiff, pointed spines on its back. The fur on its underside is soft. Hedgehogs average 25 cm (10 in) in length and range in color from light tan to black. They have pointed snouts, small eyes, short legs, and vestigial tails.
When threatened, the hedgehog rolls itself into a ball by the action of powerful muscles that arise from the head and neck on each side and loop around the rump. In this position its spines project in all directions. Hedgehogs conceal themselves in hedgerows during the daytime and emerge at night to hunt. They eat insects, worms, frogs, snakes, mice, and birds’ eggs. European hedgehogs hibernate during the wintertime, but their torpor is not deep and they occasionally awaken and emerge from their nest of dry leaves to hunt food. In July or August the European hedgehog gives birth to four to eight young.”
So there, that is a Hedgehog! The best I can tell he spoke Russian! Because I did not understand a word he said as he hissed at us. :)))))
Kyle Keeton
My Wife and I will be taking a little weekend trip. We are going to swing by the Village, to check on the potatoes and other garden items. We also are going to mow the grass.
Going to take the camera and see what other wonderful sites, that I can take pictures of.
So do not think that my lack of posting this weekend means I have quit posting! I have 80+ older posts for you to enjoy just one click away. You will find that I have written about a very wide variety of Russian subjects, with many more to go.
links to village articles:
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/06/life-in-village-is-it-too-crowded.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/06/road-from-village.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/05/sunrise-to-freedom-russian-village.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2007/05/i-want-to-go-to-russian-village.html
As you can tell I love the Village!
See Ya All, Monday!
Kyle Keeton