From Russia With Love

[Ooooops]

In all the mixed American-Korean relationships I know of, kimchi always raises strong feelings.  Either people love it or hate it, with no middle ground. 

Wait till you try "seledka" (pickled herring).      My husband eats pretty much everything, but never warmed up to this stinky delicacy.   

[mendeleyev]

Oooops, then give me his portions. Pickled herring is da bomb!

[Ooooops]

Oooops, then give me his portions. Pickled herring is da bomb!

Here you go 

[Ooooops]

Or would you prefer my home made Ivasi?   

[Anotherkiwi]

...I feel the same as years ago when I first married my ex ...

Did you do a Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor?  How many times did you marry her? 

[ML]

Quote from: ML on Today at 02:09:36 PM<blockquote>I have taken several women on all expenses paid luxury vacations where I did some cooking.  Most of them also did some cooking.  But  with a few; when I gently asked if they wanted to do something, they replied . . . "No, I am on vacation."
</blockquote>

"All expenses paid luxury vacation" means what?       Condo with a kitchen and daily trip to the market?

Read my original post again a little closer, and you will have most of your answer.

[Ooooops]

Read my original post again a little closer, and you will have most of your answer.

I did and I'm still in the dark about meaning of "All expenses paid luxury vacation"...       Does it mean "all inclusive"?  Or just that you picked up the bill for that vacation?

[Faux Pas]

Real samovar???





Or electric kettle?   

I was referring to drinking tea daily from the electric kettle


BTW, we bought real antique brass samovar in St.Pet in 97 for $50, kinda gambling if customs would let us take it out of the country or not.   We lost that gamble, so my Dad uses it at his dacha.   

[Ooooops]

I was referring to drinking tea daily from the electric kettle

Oh, I see.   I guess I'm much more traditional, I use this kettle for my water boiling needs.   

[Vasilisa]

Oh, I see.   I guess I'm much more traditional, I use this kettle for my water boiling needs.   

I have both:) I got a samovar as a present.
I am a  big tea lover and we also got a little iron kettle and tea cups in teavana, they are expensive there.

[Slingerland]

 Late Monday afternoon we pulled into the B&B parking lot.  I had chosen to stay in a B&B in downtown Eureka Springs.  Most of the touristy shopping places would be in easy walking distance, with trolley service further away, and we could leave the car in the parking lot.  I’ve stayed at this B&B years back, and the same woman owns it.  She pretended to remember me, and we checked into our room.
 
Marina fell in love with the room: antique Amish furniture (sigh.)  And while I can live out of a suitcase, she spent half an hour unpacking and… for lack of a better word… “nesting.”  But once settled in, we walked around the tourist shops for a few minutes.  Being late on Monday, most were already closed, but Marina noted the ones she wanted to come back to tomorrow.  We walked into a pub and grill for dinner, then back to the room for the evening.  The local cable only provided HBO and a couple of old movie channels, so we went back outside and got lucky: I hailed a horse-drawn carriage ride through the town, and we snuggled up in the carriage to sight-see.
 
Tuesday morning I rose ahead of her (I wake up at sunrise out of habit), showered and dressed.  She was yawning when the front desk called and brought over breakfast.  She stayed in bed as I propped up the tray for her, smirking at me.  After she ate, she jumped into the shower. 
 
Marina takes long showers.  While I waited on her, I thumbed through the TV and one of the old movie channels was showing “The Hunt for Red October.”  Yes, I was stupid… I stopped there.  What can I say, I like the movie.
 
When she finally vacated the bathroom, still towel-drying her hair, the movie was at the scene where Jack Ryan is in Admiral Painter’s cabin about the aircraft carrier.  If you’ve seen the movie, Painter is played by Fred Dalton Thompson, who excels at playing gruff Southerners.  To appreciate the bad timing, I have to give you both the movie and Marina’s comments:
 
Marina: I thought I heard Russian language?  (Then she sees the TV.)  Oh, this is Navy movie?
Painter: What’s their plan, son?
Marina: I think I see this movie…
Jack Ryan: their plan, Admiral?
Painter: their plan, son.  Russians don’t take a dump without a plan…
 
At this point, Marina turned to me with ice in her green eyes.  “What means ‘take dump’?” she asked with a hint of suspicion and anger.
 
I can think fast when I need to.  “It means our Navy thought the Russians were careful, strategic thinkers,” I immediately lied.
 
“Bullsheet,” she said, and went back into the bathroom.  Yeah.  Happy vacation morning to me!
 

[Ooooops]

Marina: I thought I heard Russian language?  (Then she sees the TV.)  Oh, this is Navy movie?
Painter: What’s their plan, son?
Marina: I think I see this movie…
Jack Ryan: their plan, Admiral?
Painter: their plan, son.  Russians don’t take a dump without a plan…
 
At this point, Marina turned to me with ice in her green eyes.  “What means ‘take dump’?” she asked with a hint of suspicion and anger.
 
I can think fast when I need to.  “It means our Navy thought the Russians were careful, strategic thinkers,” I immediately lied.
 
“Bullsheet,” she said, and went back into the bathroom.  Yeah.  Happy vacation morning to me!

 


Sean Connery makes a one handsome Soviet general, doesn't he?   

[Larry1]

This was terrific.  I remember the movie's dialogue almost word for word.  With your description I feel almost like a fly on the wall watching your exchange with Marina about Fred Thompson's remark.

Sean Connery makes a one handsome Soviet general, doesn't he? 

Sean Connery is handsome, but here he plays a submarine captain rather than a general.  And dominates the film.

It is interesting for us to hear Russian spoken in a Scottish accent.

[Ooooops]

Sean Connery is handsome, but here he plays a submarine captain rather than a general. 

Oooops!        Ok, one step below General...   


Captain 1st Rank in the Russian Navy is the highest Senior Officers rank, preceded by Captain 2nd Rank and followed by Rear Admiral. It corresponds to the rank of Colonel in the Army and the Air Force.

[Slingerland]

This was terrific.  I remember the movie's dialogue almost word for word.  With your description I feel almost like a fly on the wall watching your exchange with Marina about Fred Thompson's remark.

Sean Connery is handsome, but here he plays a submarine captain rather than a general.  And dominates the film.

It is interesting for us to hear Russian spoken in a Scottish accent.

To be honest, I'm glad she didn't hear the opening of the movie and Connery's accent... if she didn't like the "dump" line, I'm POSITIVE she would have hated her native tongue being mutilated... 

[OlgaH]

I'm POSITIVE she would have hated her native tongue being mutilated... 

Who knows... I find it to be cute 

[Ooooops]

Well, now I just have to watch it (I have "Red October" DVD)!       


And I agree with OlgaH - I can forgive Connery for such a little thing as faking Russian.   

[Lily]

For my over 100yo 'Rooster' samovar I arranged all needed papers, and brought it from Russia last year. Now Toronto is its home!
 

[Gator]

For my over 100yo 'Rooster' samovar I arranged all needed papers, and brought it from Russia last year. Now Toronto is its home!

Lily, you have a glorious самовар.   
 
 
I have seen Russian antique metal pieces occasionally at auctions, mostly silver that came with Jews immigrating around the Revolution.  And every now and then a good samovar, yet none that were as interesting as yours with its three rooster legs, rooster head handlepieces (wood, bone or alabaster grips?), attractive barrel shape, etc.   
 
What is the metal?  It seems engraved, yes?  Original steam vent?
 
Did Russian customs simply read and approve your removal documents, or did they also inspect your samovar?
 
The Russian samovar became a part of Iranian and Turkish tea drinking culture.  Again, a very fine piece and something special to remind you everyday of your roots. 
 
 

[Gator]

Prices for antique samovars:
 
http://www.russiansamovars.com/russian-imperial-samovars.php
 
Evidently the samovars made from tombak bronze are highly prized as well as those designed to be heated by burning wood in a central chamber.
 
And a samovar museum:  http://worldwalk.info/en/catalog/1954/
 
Sorry, Slingerland, I could not resist. 

[Lily]

Thanks for your compliments Gator! The material is white metal and bone, no silver. There is an engravement, yes, and an original steam vent, too. Made by Art.Krupp company in Germany, according to the expert's written opinion that I had to collect prior to obtaining an Export Certificate from the Ministry of Culture.
 
You are right, an item that is suspected to be of cultural value is supposed to be demonstrated in person before an expert, who is to give his detailed written opinion for the Ministry.
 
When leaving the country with my samovar, I had to go through the red corridor and to present it along with the papers to the custom officer. He makes sure that the actual item and the documented item are the same, and takes a copy of the Export Certificate.

[mendeleyev]

At this point, Marina turned to me with ice in her green eyes.  “What means ‘take dump’?” she asked with a hint of suspicion and anger.
 
I can think fast when I need to.  “It means our Navy thought the Russians were careful, strategic thinkers,” I immediately lied.
 
“Bullsheet,” she said, and went back into the bathroom.  Yeah.  Happy vacation morning to me!

It is a delicate situation for a new immigrant to hear what she may interpret as criticism of her home and of course each lady is different at least to some degree.

The truth is that during the cold war when you had political officers standing alongside commanding officers, a Soviet officer didn't dare make a move without a "plan" as a plan indicated a decision made by more than one person and that was his political cover in case something went wrong.

Hopefully you were able to "dump" the incident and after a few hours let it be forgotten.   

[mendeleyev]

It is beautiful, Lily.  Is that a rooster or an eagle at the top and the spigot?

[Lily]

Thanks, Mendy. They are two identical little roosters.

[Slingerland]

 Although Tuesday started out with a small storm cloud, Marina didn’t hold it against me.  Well, not much, and once in the various tourist shops, she was happy and carefree again.  She found a set of end tables that she loved, and I bought for her (I’ll go back this weekend to pick them up.)
 
Lunch was a sandwich outside a small bistro.  And something else I’ve never thought to mention: as most of you would expect, she orders her drinks without ice (hot tea if it’s available) but I don’t like ice in my drinks, either.  So the poor waitress asked twice “Are you sure you don’t want any ice?” 
 
Lunch was nice, with a soft breeze wafting through.  After lunch Marina looked over at me: “What is plan now?”
 
“Plan?” I asked.
 
“Da, plan,” she said with a straight face.  “Vacation is limited time.  You should be careful thinker like Soviet navy and make this best vacation.”  I think I saw a hint of a sarcastic smile, but I was afraid to make any assumptions.  And to be honest, I was somewhat of a loss on what to do next… then it hit me.  I had arranged something for the next morning, but maybe I could change the reservation time.
 
“Okay, we’ll make the best use of time,” I said, and stood up from the table.  I paid the bill, made a quick phone call and we walked back to my car.  From there I drove us to Steve’s Stables for a horseback ride.  Let me confess: Marina’s challenge to “plan”… well… I can’t let a challenge pass! 
 
Let me also add that I had NEVER asked her if she knew how to ride a horse… or if she liked horses… or was allergic to horses.  I simply decided to “be the man” and take her there. 
 
Once there, the owner grumbled a bit at having to change up his reservations; then took us to the corral where the horses were waiting for us.  Since I didn’t know anything about  Marina’s horsewoman-ship, he gave her a smaller, gentle mare named “Buttercup.”  Buttercup is normally assigned to young children as a “starter horse” and is a very patient horse.
 
The owner gave me a 16 hand energetic gelding named “Satan.”  With a wry grin he told me that Satan was the only horse he had available on short notice, and reminded me that I was the one who changed up the schedule.  We saddled up and rode down the trail. 
 
Marina is a FANTASTIC horsewoman: she is very comfortable in the saddle, truly a natural.  Maybe it’s the Kazakh blood in her… maybe somewhere she has a Mongol warrior horsewoman ancestor.  (Later she told me she had almost no riding experience, only a few times in her childhood.)
 
As far as my horse Satan, well, the name was appropriate.  I don’t think any more needs to be said about my horse.  (The bite marks are healing fine, thank you, and I don’t think the scars will show much.)
 
Dinner that evening was at the Bavarian Inn German-Czech restaurant.  After dinner, we went back to the B&B and strolled through the town for a while.