Russia
Dress for the weather, not the calendar!
It’s November, and record-setting cold temperatures are hitting Alaska. Usually, we don’t see these types of temps until January or February. This cold snap brings to mind a saying all Alaskan and other cold-weather dwellers understand. “Dress for the weather, not the calendar.” Alaskans understand dressing for the weather. Well, mostly. Sometimes I see teenagers…
Termination Dust: Winter Begins
One morning, earlier this month, I woke up to the sight of termination dust. For you non-Alaskans, that is SNOW. On the mountains. The termination of summer. Today, I woke up to snow everywhere. Alaska, I’m not ready for winter. I’ve barely said goodbye to summer and hello to autumn. Yet I feel winter…
Walking in Freedom
A couple of years ago, I unexpectedly found myself getting emotional while pledging allegiance to the American flag. My reaction surprised me. Since then, I’ve experienced the same emotional response upon hearing the soaring notes of the Star-Spangled Banner at various events. I suddenly had a new appreciation for walking in freedom. Maybe this unexpected…
Read Me! Translate Me!
When my family moved to Russia, I convinced myself that I would be an excellent language learner. Unfortunately, God didn’t grant me the gift of tongues. I ended up failing repeating my first semester of Russian. Thankfully, a community of Russian speakers came alongside me and introduced me to the phrases “Read me” and “Translate me.” …
A Band of Babushkas
In the Russian language, the word for grandmother is babushka (BAH-boo-shka). A Russian babushka is a grandmother to all and has the right to express her opinion on any subject. I’ve seen a young mother reduced to a quivering mess as a babushka berated her for not dressing her baby warm enough. Most of my…
Jack, Jill, and Katya Go To The Vet
Today I cried, watching “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” It’s a movie where the main character is a dog with Kevin Costner’s voice. I love a good dog movie. I began to reminisce about the dogs in my life and came up with the perfect dog reality show. The name of this reality…
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Women spend a great deal of time and money on their hair. I’ve always wondered why. Is our identity tied to our hair? Is our femininity? Our beauty? In biblical times, a woman’s hair was referred to as her “crowning glory.” Yet, hair can be here today and gone tomorrow. Particularly after a visit to…
A Taste of Home
When I moved overseas as a cross-cultural worker, I discovered I suddenly craved the strangest foods from America. Things I usually wouldn’t think twice about back home, I suddenly dreamed about in Russia. I hungered for a taste of home. In America, we rarely went to McDonald’s. I always preferred a bacon cheeseburger from Sonic…
It’s a Dog’s Life: A Grueling Lesson
Gruel (noun): a thin liquid food of oatmeal or other meal boiled in milk or water. I first learned of gruel when I read Oliver Twist. I remember feeling sorry for Oliver and the other orphans as they ate gruel three times a day. Yuck! Little did I know, one day I would be the…
Language Learning: A Study in Humiliation
If you want a lesson in humility, move to another country where you don’t speak the language. During my many years of living overseas, one of the hardest and most humbling experiences was learning a new language. I moved overseas, believing myself to be a well-educated and competent woman. Suddenly, I felt like a helpless…
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