Over the River and Through the Woods to Zhudinovichi We Go: Flannel in the FSU

Eritchka watched in amazement on Thursday night as a marine named Ron from Georgia, this time not Tbilisi, cut a 15-pound Turkey for Thanksgiving, and scooped out the stuffing. American Ambassador to Belarus, Karen Stewart ordered Turkey from Helsinki especially for the casual pot-luck dinner at the U.S. Marine House in Zhudonovichi, north of Minsk. The house, fully equipped with an indoor pool, bar, and exercise center, was also not lacking the traditional Thanksgiving American football game, received via satellite TV.

Look Mom, No Subtitles! Eritchka Sees Her First Russian Film in Minsk.

Last night Eritchka went with Alona, the logistical assistant at the Joint, to see the acclaimed Russian film, Ostrov, or The Island, an epic drama which was the closing film of the 2006 Venice Film Festival. They saw this film in the Octyabr Cinema, a theater which holds approximately 1,000 viewers. Like all films shown in Belarus, this film had no Englsih subtitles, and even the English films shown across The Republic are dubbed. Don't be fooled by the picture--this film isn't about a cantor and a rabbi. It's actually about the paths of repentence of Russian Orthodox monks living ascetic lives on a remote Russian island. Thankfully for Eritchka, the lack of ample dialogue made the film easily comprehensible.

Eritchka's 8th Day as Minsker!

In celebration of the momentous occasion of her 8th day in Minsk, Eritchka is premiering her blog and eating buckwheat!