Sunday, May 18, 2014
Sunday, May 18.
I have 5 days left in Russia. I spent this Sunday with my best friends. Natalia, Masha, Julia, Valentina….and their fellas(Dmitris, Anton) + Ksyusha + Vladimir Michaelovich. We grilled chicken, potatoes, peppers, eggplant. Out in the suburbs of Saratov in some trees between fields. My friends have been so kind to me. It was such a beautiful day. I am a very lucky man to have met these people.I am going to miss them. But life is good.
Scenes from a cafe on Volgograd waterfront.
Funny story. I went to Rodina Mat with Valentina, Tatyana, and Ludmilla on Friday. Lots of walking. We were tired and stopped to have a beer and tea at a café on the waterfront near the boat. While we were sitting outside, the prerequisite, ever present thumping of Russian pop music, was suddenly replaced by a trio of relatively risqué Fifty Cent rap songs, profanity and all---loud---courtesy of the young man in the first picture.
I snapped quick photo because he looked so cool doing his thing. Soon after, a man, probably his father or uncle came over, said something, and replaced the music with something more HIS own liking……a song very popular in Russia 5 years ago, especially if you were a darker, more ethnic citizen. Song was called Chornee Glazah----Black Eyes. It is rather catchy but also corny done in typical Russian pop style. The music then continued in that vein for the remainder of our stay.
Черные глаза
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC68amM-8nI
20 or so minutes later, my man instinct was triggered by a small thin fella, sunglasses, making his way across the patio----seemingly taking a beeline for me. He had been sitting with a group of guys 50 feet away, during our time there, and drinking beer. As he neared, I said to my friends, "Here we go…." He arrived at the table and sternly said to me in Russian---"we need to talk". I didn't quite get the reason for the visit, nor did I understand him completely, but New Mexico cultural attributes kicked in quickly. He didn't seem friendly. I said…"Is there a problem?" and my next move was to think about getting up. There were police and soldiers everywhere and I didn't really feel threatened, but, you know, fella comes to YOUR table, perhaps threatens YOUR friends. Maybe he needed a little thumpin'. Anyway, the girls were a bit worried. I could tell. I didn't stand up. Women don't like conflict and I resolved to be a good boy. They quickly told him I was a foreigner. He wanted to know why I was taking pictures of course. He thought I was snapping them of him and his friends----not even close. I took the two pictures above and that is all. They reassured him I was not dangerous to his manhood and promised I would snap no more photos.He relaxed, extended his hand, we shook, and off he went. Black eyes.
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