вторник, 31 августа 2010 г.
воскресенье, 29 августа 2010 г.
пятница, 13 августа 2010 г.
A story about vodka
On Christmas Eve, as expected, there is a blizzard – of some frozen fluid, at times reminding of snow. In Schärding, just like everywhere, there is vanity. In a supermarket there is a line for angels and bread. And I have to go to the interpreter, to borrow some nonsense at least, but in my native language, like suspense fiction, or something. Interpreter Eva shyly speaks Russian to us, touchingly exchanging greetings with my three year old Sonya, inviting to the private part of the house where, like all over Europe, there is a special corner of a Christmas arrangement: miniature nativity scene with a tiny bull, a cradle with the Child, Joseph and Mary. Eva – an unusual woman, shy and full of dreams, and her decorative den with all the inhabitants is original – Mexican. Joseph wearing a serape, and Mary – a knitted hat with ears. Bulls are very strange too: skinny, wise and inedible.
My daughter is studying it in detail, while we are talking about our “adult” things. When she starts to ask questions, Eva says in awe: "Your girl is very fluent in Russian!", and leads the child to a table, where there is a crystal bowl of candy.
I look at the shelves, I'm surprised by the amplitude of Eva's interests: there are things like "Virgin Soil Upturned" and the elder Silvanus. For personal reasons I choose Goncharov. "Oblomov". I opened it on a random page that said – “If a German’s wedding doesn’t go well, he’ll return all his costs on courtshiping by hook or by crook”. I laugh. I suddenly noticed that my little child nestled in Eva’s couch and sleeps like a log. In panic, I put my ear on the baby’s chest: it’s OK, she is steel breathing. And on the table – a mountain of candy wrappers. I read the inscription: "Vodka". In fear and anger I look at Eva. She stares at me in deep confusion and quickly gives an apology: “I thought, it won’t hurt a Russian girl…”
I thank Eva for the book, for the concern in my upcoming marriage and drag my sleeping daughter into the car. Joseph and Mary feed cattle from an overturned sombrero and look at my Sonya with their Mexican eyes. If not for the sombreros, they could be taken for Jews.
Sonya slept all the way through. From her pocket fell out a candy with the dangerous filling. I tried one. Driving while eating them is not a good idea... although... "It won’t hurt a Russian girl..."
My daughter is studying it in detail, while we are talking about our “adult” things. When she starts to ask questions, Eva says in awe: "Your girl is very fluent in Russian!", and leads the child to a table, where there is a crystal bowl of candy.
I look at the shelves, I'm surprised by the amplitude of Eva's interests: there are things like "Virgin Soil Upturned" and the elder Silvanus. For personal reasons I choose Goncharov. "Oblomov". I opened it on a random page that said – “If a German’s wedding doesn’t go well, he’ll return all his costs on courtshiping by hook or by crook”. I laugh. I suddenly noticed that my little child nestled in Eva’s couch and sleeps like a log. In panic, I put my ear on the baby’s chest: it’s OK, she is steel breathing. And on the table – a mountain of candy wrappers. I read the inscription: "Vodka". In fear and anger I look at Eva. She stares at me in deep confusion and quickly gives an apology: “I thought, it won’t hurt a Russian girl…”
I thank Eva for the book, for the concern in my upcoming marriage and drag my sleeping daughter into the car. Joseph and Mary feed cattle from an overturned sombrero and look at my Sonya with their Mexican eyes. If not for the sombreros, they could be taken for Jews.
Sonya slept all the way through. From her pocket fell out a candy with the dangerous filling. I tried one. Driving while eating them is not a good idea... although... "It won’t hurt a Russian girl..."
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