Holiday trip

It’s been quite a time, since I wrote here last. However here I come with our new trip plans. In August I’ll be going to Spain once again. This time we’re planning to spend 4 days in Madrid and then travel to the North to San Sebastian, which is on the Atlantic Coast. Though I’ve already been to both Madrid and San Sebastian, I’m really looking forward to this trip. In a way it would be quite unique, since we arranged everything ourselves without contacting a travel agency. We’ll be renting a flat in both cities and we’ll rent a car to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian and back.

The only thing that makes me worry is the weather. The Atlantic Coast is well-known for cloudy and even rainy weather as well as cold water in summer. Anyway, I hope we’ll have some luck. Otherwise we’ll be travelling to the nearby villages. 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, 18.05.2010

During my second business trip to Germany we visited a factory in Creglingen, a small town in southern Germany. We had one evening free and we went to Rothenburg ob der Tauber to have a short walk. I was really impressed by the town. It was founded around 970 A.D. There're lots of houses in the center, which were built still in XI-XII century. The town itself looks like a real picture from some old fairy tale. It wasn't destroyed during World War II. Everything is cute, local people go around in national costumes, etc.

I was quite surprised to see lots of tourists from Japan there, I didn't know it was such a popular place, as it's quite far away from big cities. On one of the buildings there was even a sign "doitsu kan" in romaji. I felt like it should be in Japanese, but I couldn't believe it, until I saw another sign, saying that it was some Japanese travel agency or something of that sort.

They have a really tasty local baking. It looks like a ball and is decorated with chocolate or icing sugar, which make it look like a snow ball.

We also had an oportunity to visit local brewery and to taste local beer. They explained us, how beer should be prepared. In that small plant they produce beer according to the recipes, that appeared some 600 years before, without any preservatives. And it tasted really good.

Below are some pics from that beautiful town.

Frankfurt-am-Main, 07.05-13.05.2010

In the begining of May I had two business trips to Germany. The first one was to visit exhibition IFFA, which takes place every 3 years and is dedicated to equipment used in meat processing industry. It was a nice chance to meet all our partners and to make new contacts. However it was also very tiresome, as we were running around the whole day long from early morning till late at night. For me it was my 2d IFFA. Last time I went just as an interpreter.

Below are the pictures of Frankfurt itself and some interesting things from the fair. Though we didn't have much time to go around sightseeing, it was ok, 'cause I know the city pretty well. It was cold and rainy, so after a short walk outside we used to find ourselves in a cafe to have a warm drink.

New office

Last week we moved to a new office. Now it takes only 10 minutes by car to get to work from home. Before the move I spent the weekend in the office helping around with some small works. In 2 days after we moved it felt already, like we were in this building forever as it is very comfortable, despite the fact that there're still lots of things to be done to finish the decoration works.

As I'm quite sure that I'll stay at this work for quite a time, I started to bring small things. First of all I wanted to plant something and I bought a small pot with pepper mint seeds, so I hope I'll have some fresh mint soon. I really like the smell. Then I'll probably plant a cactus, though still don't know of wich type. And I'd love to plant a mandarine tree, 'cause it smells really nice, when blooming, but I'm afraid there's not enough space for it.

I've also put a small figure of a cute cat in kimono, that my friend brought me from Japan. It will remind me everyday, that I have to do my best at work to be able to travel to Japan this year.

Visa

Yesterday I went to the German Embassy to file in the documents for a visa. The thing is, that I felt like I was treated like a person from the third world. The girl who checked our documents talked to us in a tone that was next to offensive. It felt, like we were some poor people, that dreamed of seeing a miracle world of Germany.

I'm traveling at least 3 times a year to Europe. With the new job I guess I will travel even more. Last time I got a visa for half a year to travel to Spain, when I didn't even ask for it. We spend money when coming to Europe and when we're back we again earn money for their companies, as we sell european equipment here in Russia. So I can't understand, why there is such a treatment.

I really hate the idea of visas itself. It really brings trouble. To travel to some asian countries is even harder. You either have to buy a tour from a travel agency which is usually inconvenient by the dates and VERY expensive or you have to find a person, that will invite you there, but that brings a lot of paper work to that person. The third way is to pay someone around 250-300 USD for them to prepare all the docs for the visa (including invitations). You can't just book a ticket and a hotel and go to the place you want to see.

Recent terrorist attacks in Moscow

As you might know recently we had 2 terrorist attacks in Moscow metro.
Actually I have to say, that I wasn't surprised at all and I feel sorry for it. And I guess lots of people were not surprised either, which explains that there was no panic in the bombed stations, people started to help those injured immediately. And not so many people refused using metro in their everyday life, as it's the only way to get to work/university/school.

I guess people here in Moscow become more of fatalists, i.e. you never know what may happen to you next second, but you have to do your best to keep living now.

I'm really sorry for those people killed, as well as for those who were killed in car accidents (a famous actor and a prominent doctor passed away recently).
They showed the photos of the girls, those suicide bombers. I have to say, they look very young and kind. As they say on TV, they were around 17 years old and they were wives of the killed terrorists. I hate to think about what you have to do to people to make them kill other and themselves.

Again there'll be an increase of distrust towards people from the North Caucasus, like after previous terrorist attacks. I understand that there are many good people in those republics and I hate thinking that there're terrorists among them. And I hate being suspecious about who is going in the same car in metro with me.

The chrysanthemum and the sword

I've started to read a book "The chrysanthemum and the sword" by Ruth Benedict, 'cause it was advised to me by my teacher of Japanese. Initially the book represents a research on the order of the US military officials during the World War II. At that time the americans couldn't understand the way they should fight against the Japanese, that's why they decided to make a research to get the insight of what the Japanese think and how they live. The book seems to be quite interesting, though I need to read it to the end first.

The thing I'm thinking about now, is how it is to read about your nation in the works, done by the foreigners. Actually, I never came across the books about Russians, written outside Russia. So it's hard for me to understand, what is feels to Japanese, for example, to read about themselves, if they ever read such books at all.

Saransk

This week I went for a 2 days business trip to Saransk. We were to do the tests of new knives on the local meat processing plant. Together with us there were 2 Germans, the producers of the knives. I was doing the translations. It was their first time in Russia, so there were quite a lot of new things to them.

The tests actually were quite successful. On the second day I had some time to do the sightseeing. Saransk is quite a nice place. And a very cheap one, comparing to Moscow. Recently the city was named one of the cleanest cities of Russia. Indeed, it’s very nice. There were a lot of new buildings and monuments constructed lately. I’ve made some pictures with my mobile, unfortunately I forgot to take my camera with me. Anyway, I hope you’ll be able to get some impressions via those pictures.

Actually the people there have their own language. When they speak it, I can't understand it, because it's origins are finno-ugric. Anyway, it's sounds quite funny.

For more information about the city one can read wiki (the link in the heading) or here: http://russiatrek.org/saransk-city

Saransk

Riga

This week we had a holiday on the 23d of February dedicated to the Defenders of our motherland. Previously it was called the Day of Soviet Army. We usually congratulate our male friends and relatives as well as all military men/women. Because of the holiday we had 4 days free, so my friends and me decided to go to Riga.

Actually the city is really nice, it's central part is very small, one can do the sightseeing of the place in 2 days. There're very few people. It was very strange for me after the crowds in streets in Moscow.

Despite constant stories on our TV, that in Baultic countries people are very offensive towards Russians, we didn't notice anything of the kind. Everyone was really friendly, spoke russian to us.

The most beautiful building there was the House of the Blackheads. It was one of the residences of the merchants. Here's the link to the webcam: http://webcam.riga.lv/webcam/ and some info: http://www.citariga.lv/EN/index.php?page=303&id=1&part=13

Later when I get some photos of our trip from my friends, I'll post them here.

Next week I'm going to a business trip to Saransk, it's a city in the central part of Russia.

Maslenitsa

This week we had Maslenitsa. It's a kind of a carnival before the great fast. The speciality of the weak are pancakes. So you cook them the whole weak with all kinds of stuffings. My favourits are pancakes with meat and pancakes with redcurrant. Sorry, I took the photo of the last pancake left (they are so tasty, that you just forget about everything, while eating), but we made a whole lot of them during the weak.

Another thing about Maslenitsa, is that each day of the weak has some special name and has a special activity connected with it. Usually the activity is inviting or going to visit your relatives (with pancakes, of course). On Sunday, the final day of Maslenitsa, one has to ask all of his relatives and friends for forgivness for all his faults. And as it is the end of the carnival, there're lots of festivals organized in different parts of the cities and towns, which finish with the Maslenitsa (the embodiment of winter) being burnt. Since the day it's considered that the winter shall end soon, though usually it takes not less than a month.

PS: when making a photo of the last pancake with meat, i noticed a bottle of Tarhun, so I thought it's worth being mentioned. It may look like some acid, beacuse its green. But actually it's a kind of a non-alcoholic sweet/sour sparkling drink, which was very popular still in soviet times. It's colour is explained by the fact, that it's made on the basis of the plant called tarhun. Though now most of the producers use some chemicals to reach such a color. I like it, it's really refreshing.

Альбом: lenin's blog

Альбом: lenin's blog

Альбом: lenin's blog