Category Archives: Russia
Moody
There is nothing subtle about the Treptower Park Soviet Memorial. Crushed swastikas, Stalin quotes, statues of weeping soldiers – it’s a place high on drama. A cloudy, brooding sky fits the somber aesthetic nicely, don’t you think? P.S. Here’s Treptower … Continue reading
Polish Pride
The guide books and internet resources unanimously agree that the Racławice Panorama is the major must-see Wroclaw sight. Have you ever heard of it? It seems like quite the well-kept secret outside of Polish borders. Let me fill you in on the … Continue reading
Allied Forces Unite!
Sunshine and warm temperatures have turned Berlin into a happy, smiling wonderland. Everyone, including me, is spending as much time out of doors as possible. This week I made my way down to Dahlem mostly because the bus ride is … Continue reading
A Seven Euro Visit to Poland
Death’s Head played hooky from academia on Friday so that we could meet up with some friends for some adventuring. We planned our day around cheap train tickets in predictable fashion. For seven Euro a person we had the option … Continue reading
Leipzig Love
It’s cheese-ball, but I’ve loved Leipzig since we first visited back in September. It’s up there with Moscow for favorite cities I’ve lived in. Incidentally, these pictures bear some resemblance to cities in Russia (and so do these). This year, … Continue reading
Intersection
This is one of my favorite Leipzig street junctions. It reminds me of Ufa, Russia (where I spent three extremely awkward middle school years), minus the very western-European church spire in the background.
Tales of Violence, Depravity, and General Up-to-No-Good-Ness (Part the Last)
[Author's note: the incident described in this post was briefly mentioned here.] It was the year 1997. Location: somewhere over Kazan on an airplane more suited to retirement in a museum than a career in the air. I sat in … Continue reading
Tales of Violence, Depravity, and General Up-to-No-Good-Ness (Part 2)
[Author's note: this story has also been recounted here.] It was the year 1995, and my days of violence at St. Margaret’s were behind me. Due in part to my inability to speak Russian, I gained a reputation as the … Continue reading
An Adventure!
When I tell people that we’re moving to Germany, people ask, “Oh, so you speak German?” No, I do not. I was eleven when we moved to Russia, and I didn’t speak a word of the language. I think my … Continue reading
Filed under Childhood, Germany, Russia, Totally Useless
Border Crossings: Tunisia
I spent my high school years in Moscow, Russia, where I attended a school primarily made up of missionary kids. It was a small school by any standards – 180 kids from Kindergarten through twelfth grade – and my class … Continue reading
