Sob at the Movies

Movie theaters give me a great deal of privacy. Having been seated among friends only 10 minutes into the new Russian movie, “The Admiral,” I realized I could sob away during the dramatic scenes. The comfortable embrace of the darkness and the loudness of the special effects worked together to hide all visible and audible traces of tears.

The friend on my right in seat 25 told us that “The Admiral” was like the Russian “Titanic.” His words took me back in time to the premiere of “Titanic” in Varna. I distinctly remembered my strong concentration and persistent efforts not to cry. Drowning passengers, sinking hopes and the eternity of true love—none of that moved me. Clenching my jaws tightly and biting my lips, I looked at my mom sitting next to me. She was already wiping her tears and verbally attacking the villain, wishing for nothing else but Leonardo to kill him. My task had become harder but more challenging. How proud I would be if I could say that my mom wept at “Titanic” but I didn’t shed a tear! So, I held the tears in my eyelashes and reached for some popcorn to distract me.

I continued proving to myself the emotional stability that I lacked during various dramas, thrillers and even happy-ending romantic comedies. My movie partner would cry and I would just laugh, suppressing the flow of tears and the hurricane of emotions in my stomach.

It wasn’t too long ago when I realized I couldn’t help it anymore. When the saddest moment in the movie came and the music grew more dramatic and tenser with every second, the same well-known feeling started suffocating me and I gave in. Still hoping I could control it, I looked at my crying friend sitting on the beige leather sofa in our living room. Our eyes met, overflowing with tears, and we smiled. We smiled at our stupidity, our excessive sensitivity and at the realization that we had just shared and lived this moment to the fullest.

Why Russia?

As my study abroad trip to St. Petersburg approached, I started having doubts. Why Russia? I could have chosen the lazy sunshine of southern Italy or the exquisite fashion of modern France. Instead, I chose the temperamental nature of Russian people. A single walk in a Russian park gave me all the necessary reasons to justify my choice.

If I don’t get on a mini-bus (marshrutka) but decide to walk from the metro station to class at Smolny Institute, I have to pass through a green park called Tavricheskiy Sad. Despite the strong wind, my freezing fingers and running nose, this is the happiest moment in my day.

First, I see small blond babies and their young siblings play on the grass, hiding behind the wooden benches and running around the purple flowers. They are all bundled up in pink or light blue outfits like little stars with funny hats and big gloves. Their smiling blue eyes follow each movement of the pigeons and, at any given point, they are ready to reach out and touch the birds.

Then, come their babushki to fix their tilted scarves and explain again why little kids shouldn’t chase pigeons. The babushki talk a lot and use every possible diminutive form of the child’s name they can think of. Ilya becomes Ilyoshka, Alexander—Sashinka and Ivan—Vanyusha.

I continue further on into the park to see a gorgeous bride posing in her wedding gown for a professional photographer. On the other side of the unpaved path, the groom is holding hands with about 20 other wedding guests. They sing loudly, sipping champagne and getting ready for another picture together. The babushki, the children, the young and the old—they are all holding hands and singing. This is why I chose Russia.

Mhmmm to Pirojki

One of my favorite smells is that of salty sea water and hot sun on my skin. It is what completes the fun-loving beach time along with friends, volleyball and, of course, good food. Although my mother taught me that good beach food consists of fruit, crackers and water, I found myself leaning towards beach food that definitely consists of more calories.

Potato filled pirojki are something I discovered this weekend on Brighton Beach, New York City. They are freshly baked pies that can be filled with meat, jam, potatoes or cabbage. The pirojki would be perfect for any big meal of the day as well as any quick snack in between. When flavored according to my personal preferences, the potato filling would include pepper to bring a spicy taste and trigger your appetite even more.
In short, mhmmm to pirojki!