I wasn't arguing with you, that was just my listening mmmmm. They're certainly very interestng, aren't they, these homeless (I presume homeless?) dogs. I think there's a difference between animals that were always wild and animals that were once wild, then got used to domestication, then found themselves wild again. They are very worldly wise. I wonder what they say about us in their Zh Zh?
When Matthew Flinders landed on Kangaroo Island in south Australia, the kangaroos all came out to welcome the people. After the new arrivals shot the kangaroos, Skippy became more wary. Or so I was told. On the other hand, in Australia I met some wonderful people who go out onto the roads, rescuing still-living joeys (baby kangaroos) from the pouches of mother kangaroos that have been run over by cars. One woman put her joeys in string bags (like Soviet avoizkas) and hung them from nails on the wall, so that the joeys felt as if they were swinging in the pouch. When the joeys grew up, they were released back to the wild. I love Australia because it is the only country I have seen that is as mad as Russia.
Pillow talk, sweetheart. I mentioned the bald boyfriend in Balashikha. And before that, there was a husband, also Russian. (I must be a masochist.) This explains why I know so many rude words and pretty well when and where to use them; also why I can speak fluently but make a lot of grammatical mistakes when I'm writing. Never learnt it formally, you see. As for the land of Oz, you should definitely go there. Meanwhile, it would be cheaper for you to visit my Outback magazine www.bushmag.com.au I ran out of capital to keep it going, which is why I came back to Moscow. Like a boomerang.
you didn't mention his baldness! yes, russian men are famous for sloppiness, laziness, and fatalism. just as russian women are popular for (presumably) being the other way around! i looked at your magazine, and then found some of your (?) pessimistic articles about russia through google. so, what's your secret, why do you live here? also, i have never been abroad.
Yes, he's bald, and a pianist, by the way. He doesn't fit too many of the stereotypes. Your travel virginity is farily easily solved these days. Of course, we travel (explore) in order to come home (to our true selves). I feel in some ways you are already at home. You obviously have a very rich inner life. As for why I am in Russia, that is a very long story. Fate, love, feeling half at home here already, obligation to finish a task I started... these are some of the reasons. What is that task? Well, it was observing Russian reform on behalf of my readers in the West and I guess it still is. Although I now know I am unlikely to live to see all Russians, not just the elite, free, prosperous and happy, i.e. at ease with themselves. I would not say my articles are any more pessimistic than your photos. How can you be gung-ho and enthusiastic at the sight of a pensioner looking for food in a rubbish bin?
well, i was born here, and have never been abroad, so it isn't so much a matter of choice to me. i do find such things as babooshkas salvaging stuff from bins or the freedom-of-speech-being-stifled sad and scary, and in fact i stopped following news because of that at some point, but if i were concentrating on such things, it would be very difficult, and i would probably be thinking about how to emigrate all the time. i've come to accept many things about russia, that i used to hate when i was younger, like sloppiness and бесхозяйственность, for example, i guess i have just adapted to the environment (but only somewhat, since i don't go around or mix with people much). i'm quite aware that this sloppiness comes at a high price, but some things are better taken care of by chance than by orderliness and majority opinion. like for example, i would miss feral dogs if they were taken from the streets like in usa and europe. this is just an example. also, i might be overestimating western orderliness and efficiency. but i really prefer littered shabby streets to tidy ones, that's for sure.
Oh, this is very interesting... I have travelled a great deal -- I dreamed of travel as a child and it was my job as a foreign correspondent -- and I can tell you that all places on earth are the same. Superficial decoration may be different but in essence, human life is absolutely the same everywhere. And so in a way, you don't need to go anywhere, you don't need to get out of your armchair. But you only reach this realisation after you have travelled quite a lot. When the time is right, I am sure you will go abroad, if only for a short visit. You have already taken the trouble to learn another language to a very high standard. You have also found a way of living here that suits you. I think you already know that wherever you go, Vriad Lee always goes with you. (By the way, for this reason, you don't need to worry about missing feral dogs because you carry those ferals dogs inside yourself.) So here, there or wherever, everything will be fine, I promise you. I will dig out a poem for you about travel. It's by Cavafy and he's referring to the Odyssey. Wait a sec...
As you set out for Ithaca Hope your road is a long one, Full of adventure and discovery. Laestrygonias, Cyclops, angry Poseidon -- don't be afraid of them: As long as you keep your thoughts raised high, As long as a rare sensation Touches your spirit and body Laestrygonias, Cyclops, wild Poseidon -- you won't encounter them Unless you bring them along inside your soul, Unless your soul sets them up in front of you...
Keep Ithaca always in your mind, Arriving there is what you're destined for. But don't hurry the journey at all, Better if it lasts for years, So you're old by the time you reach the island, Wealthy with all you've gained on the way, Not expecting Ithaca to make you rich. Ithaca gave you the marvellous journey, Without her you wouldn't have set out. She has nothing left to give you now And if you find her poor, Ithaca won't have fooled you, Wise as you will have become, So full of experience, You'll have understood by then What these Ithacas mean.
(My note: Ithaca, of course, is your home, ultimately your own death. The Australian writer Robert Dessai, who was dying of AIDS, wrote "The traveller who does not keep Ithaca in mind is not a traveller but merely adrift.")
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-07 09:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 05:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 06:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 06:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 07:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 07:24 am (UTC)They're certainly very interestng, aren't they, these homeless (I presume homeless?) dogs. I think there's a difference between animals that were always wild and animals that were once wild, then got used to domestication, then found themselves wild again. They are very worldly wise.
I wonder what they say about us in their Zh Zh?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 07:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 07:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 08:23 am (UTC)On the other hand, in Australia I met some wonderful people who go out onto the roads, rescuing still-living joeys (baby kangaroos) from the pouches of mother kangaroos that have been run over by cars. One woman put her joeys in string bags (like Soviet avoizkas) and hung them from nails on the wall, so that the joeys felt as if they were swinging in the pouch. When the joeys grew up, they were released back to the wild.
I love Australia because it is the only country I have seen that is as mad as Russia.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 11:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 01:26 pm (UTC)This explains why I know so many rude words and pretty well when and where to use them; also why I can speak fluently but make a lot of grammatical mistakes when I'm writing. Never learnt it formally, you see.
As for the land of Oz, you should definitely go there. Meanwhile, it would be cheaper for you to visit my Outback magazine www.bushmag.com.au I ran out of capital to keep it going, which is why I came back to Moscow. Like a boomerang.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-08 05:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-09 06:05 am (UTC)Your travel virginity is farily easily solved these days. Of course, we travel (explore) in order to come home (to our true selves). I feel in some ways you are already at home. You obviously have a very rich inner life.
As for why I am in Russia, that is a very long story. Fate, love, feeling half at home here already, obligation to finish a task I started... these are some of the reasons.
What is that task? Well, it was observing Russian reform on behalf of my readers in the West and I guess it still is. Although I now know I am unlikely to live to see all Russians, not just the elite, free, prosperous and happy, i.e. at ease with themselves.
I would not say my articles are any more pessimistic than your photos. How can you be gung-ho and enthusiastic at the sight of a pensioner looking for food in a rubbish bin?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-09 11:50 am (UTC)i've come to accept many things about russia, that i used to hate when i was younger, like sloppiness and бесхозяйственность, for example, i guess i have just adapted to the environment (but only somewhat, since i don't go around or mix with people much). i'm quite aware that this sloppiness comes at a high price, but some things are better taken care of by chance than by orderliness and majority opinion. like for example, i would miss feral dogs if they were taken from the streets like in usa and europe. this is just an example. also, i might be overestimating western orderliness and efficiency. but i really prefer littered shabby streets to tidy ones, that's for sure.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-09 07:12 pm (UTC)I have travelled a great deal -- I dreamed of travel as a child and it was my job as a foreign correspondent -- and I can tell you that all places on earth are the same. Superficial decoration may be different but in essence, human life is absolutely the same everywhere. And so in a way, you don't need to go anywhere, you don't need to get out of your armchair. But you only reach this realisation after you have travelled quite a lot.
When the time is right, I am sure you will go abroad, if only for a short visit. You have already taken the trouble to learn another language to a very high standard.
You have also found a way of living here that suits you. I think you already know that wherever you go, Vriad Lee always goes with you. (By the way, for this reason, you don't need to worry about missing feral dogs because you carry those ferals dogs inside yourself.)
So here, there or wherever, everything will be fine, I promise you.
I will dig out a poem for you about travel. It's by Cavafy and he's referring to the Odyssey.
Wait a sec...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-09 07:21 pm (UTC)Hope your road is a long one,
Full of adventure and discovery.
Laestrygonias, Cyclops, angry Poseidon -- don't be afraid of them:
As long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
As long as a rare sensation
Touches your spirit and body
Laestrygonias, Cyclops, wild Poseidon -- you won't encounter them
Unless you bring them along inside your soul,
Unless your soul sets them up in front of you...
Keep Ithaca always in your mind,
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all,
Better if it lasts for years,
So you're old by the time you reach the island,
Wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
Not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.
Ithaca gave you the marvellous journey,
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now
And if you find her poor,
Ithaca won't have fooled you,
Wise as you will have become,
So full of experience,
You'll have understood by then
What these Ithacas mean.
(My note: Ithaca, of course, is your home, ultimately your own death. The Australian writer Robert Dessai, who was dying of AIDS, wrote "The traveller who does not keep Ithaca in mind is not a traveller but merely adrift.")