May 26, 2008 in :))), neeka: life, neeka: photos, ukr: culture, ukr: election '08, ukr: kyiv, ukr: language, world: turkey

On Saturday, I was feeling claustrophobic in Kyiv’s center, so I got into a random marshrutka and went where it took me: to Poznyaky and Osokorky, on the Dnieper’s left bank. Some of my favorite pictures from the trip: All photos are here. *** Marshrutka driver seemed like a very religious guy: *** Lots of [...]

May 24, 2008 in neeka: life, neeka: photos, ukr: kyiv

Soon, we’ll have many new neighbors moving into the two apartment buildings that are blocking whatever view we used to have on this side:

May 24, 2008 in neeka: life, neeka: photos, ukr: kyiv, ukr: mess

We’re in Kyiv. One of the first things that greeted us was this mess at the playground in front of our building – same as ever:

May 13, 2008 in :))), blogosphere, neeka: life, neeka: photos, rus: medvedev, rus: moscow, rus: politics, rus: putin, soviet history

No photos from this year’s Victory Day, as we were returning from Istanbul on May 9. Instead, here’s the stuff that our building’s concierges posted on the walls by the entrance and inside the two elevators (as they say here, one elevator’s for the wife, the other’s for the mistress, to keep them from running [...]

April 26, 2008 in global voices, marta, marta: pics, neeka: life, neeka: photos, rus: kavkaz, rus: politics

I’ve spent the past week in Moscow, with a nearly total kindergarten in and around my head: *** What little I’ve had of the adult stuff this week all had to do with my Global Voices reading, linking and translating. *** Oh, and I’ve also managed to read Olga Allenova’s text (RUS) on the current [...]

March 28, 2008 in blogosphere, marta, neeka: family, neeka: life, rus: kavkaz, rus: shurpaev, rus: tv

It’s been a week since Ilyas Shurpaev’s death. There are 720 messages on his Odnoklassniki.ru page now. And 241 on his last blog post. Rest in peace, Ilyas. That’s what most of them say, more or less. Channel 1, for which he worked, is a shithole. After watching part of their Sunday newscast, a dear [...]

March 28, 2008 in blogosphere, marta, neeka: family, neeka: life, rus: kavkaz, rus: shurpaev, rus: tv

It’s been a week since Ilyas Shurpaev’s death. There are 720 messages on his Odnoklassniki.ru page now. And 241 on his last blog post. Rest in peace, Ilyas. That’s what most of them say, more or less. Channel 1, for which he worked, is a shithole. After watching part of their Sunday newscast, a dear [...]

March 17, 2008 in 2008: istanbul, marta: pics, neeka: childhood, neeka: family, neeka: life, neeka: photos, rus: moscow

We are back to Moscow. Nothing has changed here. This strange new season that can’t decide whether it’s winter or spring is still here. Judging by the weather forecast and the thick shield of clouds that we’ve seen from the plane, it’s not going anywhere. It’s raining, and it’s snowing. In Istanbul, on the other [...]

March 17, 2008 in 2008: istanbul, marta: pics, neeka: childhood, neeka: family, neeka: life, neeka: photos, rus: moscow, world: turkey

We are back to Moscow. Nothing has changed here. This strange new season that can’t decide whether it’s winter or spring is still here. Judging by the weather forecast and the thick shield of clouds that we’ve seen from the plane, it’s not going anywhere. It’s raining, and it’s snowing. In Istanbul, on the other [...]

March 13, 2008 in 2008: istanbul, marta: pics, neeka: family, neeka: life, neeka: photos

I’ve changed so much: in Istanbul, it’s much more important for me now to locate nice playgrounds for Marta than it is to spend the day running around the city like crazy, taking pictures of pretty much everything I see. So far, the best place to take Marta for a walk is Ortaköy, even though [...]