May 10, 2015
American Mother’s Day
Moscow is principally for us a place to gather as many friends and family as we can muster at any given time, and since the observed holiday for Victory Day is tomorrow (Monday), the Sunday gathering at our apartment is more than usually crowded. My American friend and his family come over with fried chicken wings and garlic bread, while my wife’s local cousins bring their children for a sleepover. It is a grand occasion of East meets West with overlapping conversations in Russian and English. But the capital part of the evening after all the eating and customary toasting is the after dinner tea. It is the most vital symbol of the seemingly endless conversation that ensues. Continue reading
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Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! As Orthodox Christians, we not only proclaim this fact, but emphasize that Christ’s Resurrection is the very cornerstone of Christianity. Our faith isn’t first and foremost about “Do’s and Don’ts,” about some moralistic standards. No, our faith is first and foremost about Christ victoriously rising from the dead, and destroying death itself! We’re talking about the ultimate victory of good over evil, of life over death, of Christ over Satan.
We were able to get in on a religious visa through a church connection. It was an amazing trip, and some of my favorite memories are of the music. OMG, the music was fabulous! It was like being on the set of “
When a sick queen died, a horrible witch strove to become the heir of the throne. The king chose her as his wife, not knowing that she was a witch. But she deceived him completely and transformed the king’s seven sons into swans. The king’s daughter then married and saved her brothers from the nasty queen’s spell by making magic shirts for them which turned them back into princes. This book started in the Russian language for children, and you may find it at the library in the fairy tale section.
Like Mendicant Monks... 