At Home In The Wasteland: August 2007 Archives

Zesty Fried Guacamole Bites

Speaking of Texas, how amazing does this sound?:

Concessionaire Allan Weiss is offering up Zesty Fried Guacamole Bites, a variation on the Fried Avocados he created last year. The bites are a scoop of guacamole, breaded, fried and served with ranch dressings or salsa.

"The Fried Avocado went over so well, and I think people like guacamole even more than they like avocado," Weiss said.

All of my favorite food groups (guacamole, ranch dressing, fried whatever) rolled into one tasty snack. Someone please send me the recipe so I can have someone who knows how to cook make them for me.

A little R&R in the Golden State

I'm sitting at George Bush Intercontinental whatever airport waiting for my connecting flight to the Great State of California, where I'll be spending a few days at the beach.

I'm really just thrilled to get the hell out of DC. I returned home from work yesterday to discover that the power on my block was out AGAIN (second time this month. WTF?). I went for a run and figured that by the time I got back PEPCO would have it all sorted out. Yeah, right. It didn't come back on until 3am, so I packed and showered by flashlight. I think I really need to invest in some camping lanterns and headlamps for when this happens next time (and trust me, it will). I did miss the A/C as well, not because it was very hot inside, but rather the noise tends to filter out the wannabe gangstas yelling and fighting directly outside our house at 2am. Ohhh, I can't wait to leave this city forever.

Gonna find the breakfast burrito place now. Texans make 'em quite well.

Work stopped at Cash All Gone, er, Kashagan

Apparently for "environmental reasons" (where have we heard that before?)

The government of Kazakhstan suspended environmental permits on Monday for a consortium of foreign energy companies developing a potentially huge oil field in the Caspian Sea, threatening to slow development of the largest oil find in the world since the discovery of Prudhoe Bay off Alaska three decades ago.

The suspension came as Kazakh officials and the consortium, led by the Italian oil company Eni, were negotiating new terms for a $20 billion development contract for the Kashagan field, arousing speculation that the move was an effort to press the companies into ceding a larger share of future profits to the Kazakh government.

The Wall Street Journal has a good article on the trials and tribulations of drilling for oil in Kazakhstan - the lovely Caspian winters, cost overruns, lack of export capacity, etc.

In semi-related news, the Russians are rerouting Nord Stream at a cost of $1.35 billion and former Russneft owner Mikhail Gutseriev now has a warrant out for his arrest, a month after he publicly criticized the Russian government and claimed he was forced to sell his oil company to a Kremlin loyalist. Business as usual in Moscow.

Starbucks to open in Moscow

I guess it was inevitable:

Starbucks, the world's largest coffee-shop chain, will open its first cafe in Russia next month after a decade of delays that included losing its trademark rights in the country.

The first store will open in September in the Mega Mall north of Moscow, a Starbucks spokeswoman, Kate Bovey, said last week.

Starbucks joins the retailers Wal-Mart Stores and Carrefour in seeking to enter Russia, where consumer spending rose 24 percent last year, the most in Europe. Russians are expected to spend $12.5 billion eating out in 2009, after annual increases of more than 7 percent, according to Rosinter Restaurants Holding, which operates the T.G.I. Friday's and Benihana restaurants.

"Russia is hugely important as a region, it's a primary market for us," Carol Pucik, a spokeswoman for Starbucks, said from Amsterdam on Friday. "It gives a lot of opportunities."

IKEA, Starbucks, McDonalds, TGI Friday's, and Wal-Mart? Wow, I can't wait to get back to Moscow.

Play that funky music white boy

If you haven't seen the Kremlin's latest event posting, with Putin's excessive display of machismo, you're totally missing out. It's like the dude just stepped out of the latest Bass Pro Shops catalog:

(And if you, too, would like a body like Putin's, be sure to pick up Wednesday's issue of Komsomolskaya Pravda, which details an exercise regime that will have you looking like Vladimir Vladimirovich in no time).

My favorite photo, though, is this one:

We already know that President Bush's iPod playlist is rather bland (well, for my taste. No "Killing in the Name of" by RATM? Come on). Let's imagine that Putin's ginormous AKG headphones are hooked up to an iPod. What's on the Russian President's playlist? He admitted to being a Beatles fan in his youth, but maybe he's got some Kino, Zemfira, Leningrad, Bi-2, and DDT MP3s on there as well? Or does he just have "Takogo kak Putin" on repeat?

Cold showers build character

The NYTimes reports on a topic familiar to anyone who has spent time in Russia during the summer months: a lack of hot water.

For all its new wealth and aspirations, spurred by a boom in oil and other natural resources, Moscow remains saddled with an often decrepit infrastructure. Around now, an apt symbol of its condition is the city's hot water system, perhaps one of the more exasperating vestiges of Soviet centralized planning.

Buildings in Moscow usually receive hot water from a series of plants throughout the city, not from basement boilers, as in the United States. By summer, the plants and the network of pipelines that transport hot water need maintenance. Off goes the hot water. And in homes across the city, out come the pots and sponges and grumbling.

When my classmates and I first arrived in St. Petersburg in the summer of 2002, our program adviser gathered us in our dorm's common room to go over some basic information - nearest metro station, class schedule, safety, whatever. At one point he added, "Oh, and they just turned off the hot water...yesterday. So that'll be about two weeks without it." We were perplexed by this. A centralized hot water system? The buildings don't have individual water heaters? WTF? Still, the announcement didn't really phase me. I mean, how cold could the water possibly be?

I regretted that thought the second I jumped in the shower and directly into a stream of teeth-chattering, goosebump-inducing, oh-my-god-did-I-just-jump-into-the Bering Sea COLD water. And so it went for two and a half weeks (until the pipes were cleaned and the faucets once again magically dispensed hot water). Some students preferred to boil water and use wash basins, but I was much too lazy to wait for water to boil and instead became quite adept at two minute ice-cold showers. One of my friends who was staying with a Russian family attempted to do this as well, until her homestay "mother" rushed after her, basin in hand, screaming that she would die of pneumonia if she took a cold shower. Thankfully, our class experienced no cold water-related casualties. The food, however, was an entirely different story.

Poland Photos: Krakow / Auschwitz-Birkenau / Wieliczka Salt Mine

Finished uploading the photos from Poland:

A few Poland-related posts on the way.

While souvenir shopping in Russia, it's best to stick to matryoshkas and McLenin t-shirts

The alternative could land you a seven year prison sentence:

A Chilean graduate student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis has been detained in Russia for more than two months after customs officials found several Soviet medals and currency she bought from a street vendor.

Roxana Contreras, 29, faces up to seven years in prison, her supporters say. She "acquired USSR state honors illegally" and attempted to export them, according to Russian court documents.

Supporters in the United States say the physics student was visiting friends in the southern city of Voronezh and probably did not realize she was doing anything wrong when she bought the six military medals, currency and coins for $66 (€49) and tried to bring them on the plane home with her.

"They were being sold by a street vendor, so she had no idea they were not supposed to be taken out of the country," said Sonya Bahar, the director of the Center for Neurodynamics at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Most tourists in Russia are unaware of Russian customs regulations, and unknowingly violate the "50 year" antiquities provision by purchasing a $6 Soviet labor medal:

cultural valuables (musical instruments, paintings, sculptures, icons, antique coins, medals and other period pieces more than 50 years old are permitted for exportation on the basis of a certificate issued by the Minister of Culture of Russia on production of a customs declaration in support of importation of the above articles)

Bad luck for Roxana. I agree that it is the responsibility of the traveler to familiarize themselves with a country's customs rules, but two months detention and a possible SEVEN YEAR sentence for a handful of Soviet coins and a few (what I am assuming) mass produced and widely available WW2/"hero of socialist labor" medals seems like overkill. I will admit to violating the rule myself several years ago (Victory over Germany medal purchased in St. Pete for a few bucks), but in the future I'll stick to eBay.

Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves)

I'm accumulating a rather impressive collection of head scarves due to my travels throughout the former Soviet Union. It's not that I actually collect head scarves, or even wear them, but I always forget to pack one and am thus forced to purchase yet another before heading into an Orthodox cathedral/church/monastery/whatever. While visiting the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, I opted for a cheap, boring yellow scarf. (Nothing will ever top the head scarf I purchased for our trip to a monastery in Novgorod a few years back...it was bright pink and covered with several large flamingos. I think the monks were duly impressed...or appalled.)

The Kiev Monastery of the Caves is one of the most famous sights in Kiev, primarily due to its complex system of underground tunnels. Upon entering the tunnels, you are surrounded by worshipers prostrating themselves before icons, lighting candles, and kissing glass coffins that contain the remains of monks. I was convinced that, while navigating through the narrow passageways, I would bump into a member of the candle carrying faithful and my cheap, yellow headscarf would soon be in flames. I do not recall seeing any fire extinguishers down there. If you're claustrophobic, you might want to avoid the caves.

Seriously, how unbelievably cute is that little onion dome?

Make sure to secure the door when I am gone. There are many dangerous people who wanna take things from Americans, and also kidnap them. Good night!

I love Eastern European apartments. Where else would you find such an awesome bedspread? (Except, of course, perhaps in a certain genre of movies produced in the San Fernando Valley during the 1970s?)

Yes, I slept here.

If you are looking for a place to stay in Kiev, I'd recommend checking out kievapts.com. The apartments are decently priced, especially when compared to a hotel, and it's much more comfortable than a hostel. We really couldn't have asked for a better location - our place was about a 2-3 minute walk to Independence Square.

The building's exterior could use a bit of work...

Ryan loved his inflatable bed

I stole the title of this post from the movie Everything is Illuminated. If you haven't seen this film, and you've spent some time in Eastern Europe, you need to put it on your Netflix queue ASAP.

I hope she hears her husband's voice, Telling her she's coming home

Three years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Since I was living in either London or DC, I wasn't able to see her much over the past few years. I always stopped by her house during my short visits to California, but each visit grew more painful. She had always been a very active woman, simultaneously involved in the community and maintaining a full social calendar, but she spent much of these past three years lying in bed.

I called her a few weeks ago. We talked about the weather, family, work, and my recent trip to Ukraine and Poland. She asked if I liked it out here in Washington. I told her no, not really, and that I was planning to move back to California next year.

She passed away on Thursday, August 9th. I was prepared to write a long post, but it's still too hard. Perhaps another day. I did find this past article from the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce newsletter, however. It's how she would want to be remembered, anyways.

I flew back to California for a few days to attend the funeral. Afterwards, over 60 of our closest friends and family members gathered at Las Casuelas Nuevas, the site of numerous past family celebrations, for huge plates of Mexican food and free-flowing margaritas. She would have loved it.

Kiev: You've seen one Rodina Mat, you've seen 'em all

One thing the Soviet Union excelled at (besides sending dogs into space, building intercontinental ballistic missiles, and producing awesome holiday cards) was designing some rather impressive war memorials. Due to my interest in the Eastern front of World War II (or, as they say in the former USSR, The Great Patriotic War - Великая Отечественная война), I always feel obliged to visit these memorials, even if it means dragging myself and my friends up whatever hill the memorial is situated on. The Kiev memorial, Rodina Mat, more or less follows the standard Moscow decreed blueprint for war memorials (highest point of elevation, stern-looking woman holding sword, various military vehicles scattered about the grounds). At a height of over 200 feet, however, Kiev's Rodina Mat does not disappoint.

Rodina Mat statue in Kiev
If only I had a plastic sword, I could look even more foolish

Rodina Mat statue in Kiev
Close-up of the shield (thank you, 12x zoom)

tanks near Rodina Mat statue in Kiev
I'm positive this wasn't the original paint job...

Rodina Mat statue in Kiev
Sculptures throughout the grounds

Rodina Mat statue in Kiev

Rodina Mat statue in Kiev
Ryan and I

There is also a small outdoor exhibit containing a variety of Soviet aircraft, tanks, and artillery pieces. And you already know how much I love Soviet military pieces...