Life on the road

Hitchhiking is not about a big risk in Russia, especcialy, when you move in a pair. It is more about picturesque crazy views of the fields & forests in their true festival spring. Adventures in the rain and in the sun. Then it is a lot about totally different drivers: intelligent, smart and cute or sheely dull and a bit rude, but funny anyway. Sure, hitchhiking is a lot about exhausting movement along the highways or staying at some doubtful position with your thumb, when nobody wants to stop and lift you. And you begin to lose your patience, self-confidence, and belief in this world. But it's like a small model of the life. Wait longer, or go ahead on the road, or do anything else to change situation, try another way and other position, and smile more - then you will definitely catch your luck again. This week I went to a forest & lake.Beautiful relaxing nature is the best prize for a tired megapolis mouse :) So, it was about 300 km East from Moscow + 40 km South from the main highway. We didn't know much about this lake. Just went at random. And it seems great.

May days - to take a deep breath & travel

On the threashold of May all Russian people are looking forward to their legal additional days off. This is a present from our Past and it seems will never change in the Future. Everybody likes this May weekends.
It's an interesting mix of relaxing practices and visiting some serious ceremonial events dedicated to the Second World War End.
Normally we have 3 days off at the very beginning of May (can vary 30th of April - 2nd of May, or 1st-3rd of May). These are the holidays of our Soviet and Socialistic past, when the working class gathered for festival marches and parades to show their class strength, unity and solidarity. The USSR had fallen into oblivion more than 20 years ago, but nation still enjoys festival atmosphere during these days and like previous generations of working class people, they don´t like to work on these days, too. That´s why nobody replaced, removed or canceled these holidays. And we still have them.
Another 3 days off come to 7-9 or 8-10th of  May. This is our Heroic age holidays. Second World War and millions of our ancestors - grandmoms and grandfathers died during this cruel struggle with nazi. We will never forget (at least try) their feats of arms and all those scary stories left from that terrific war. So, these days are still considered the main holidays in Russia, may be - the main sacred holidays. Their honor and popularity is obvious.
Sometimes when we have a late Easter - all three parts of  these spring holidays that go one after another coincide together - into a big  sparkling and tempting bulk of holidays. For doing nothing - or, for doing everything. That's a real luck. An anormous space for travellings and weekend creativity  - for everyone, especially for those who are tired to sit in the grey office.

This May Day weekend, I made a small holiday trip on the car with my friend and visited just a nice place. We've been there only for a sunset time. But it was really nice and full of deep breath of spring nature. The High bank of river Klyazma, around 200 km East from Moscow.

Music Deluge of rainbows and storms

 I´m busy now, and every story gets its birth in the past time. The most favourite word now is yesterday. Still fresh to remember and recollect, and still alive and topical - to share. Though sometimes some events and occasions in my life remain so bright and significant, as if  they always exist in the close Yeterday. One of such  things was yesterday.

Yesterday I went to some nice piano concert. Nice - is an unpropper word. Better to say - brilliant and touching, though it was very modest, with a few people in the hall and only one pianist on the small stage. Russian Academy of Music named after Gnesiny  sometimes holds free-admission concerts of their students. Before going to some international contest or taking part in a crucial concert students need to revise their programme, try it in front of public for one more time and make sure they are ready to go ahead.
Yesterday was about it.
A young pianist man, a winner of some big international contests, was playing in front of near-empty hall.
But it was great. We waited for him about 10-15 minutes, when he suddenly appeared in the doorway. Like a soldier, decisively and bravely,  he went quickly - straight to the stage and after a two-seconds sitting rush to the attack. It was a storm. He was performimg List and Shopen, downpouring a small hall with sounds of desperate rainfalls, thunderstorms and heavy winds. At once He swept  all the calmness and sleepy state of the site and began to fill the place with a presence of life, struggle and  harmony.And then - with rainbows and sounds of blooming Spring. And then - with sadness, disbelief, nostalgia and beauty. And then - again this an army of sounds.The sounds sparkled like brilliants, jumped out of his fingers running in every which way. And this racing and immediate stops of rage were like a real never-known behaviour of raging sea. And trying to cope the uncertain waves. It was beautifully done.
I'm not a very good expert in music and performance. But it seems that every real professionalism is an art. When you feel that the work is done at the very edge of possibility, at the highest level of quality, with the tiniest polishing of its every movement and step, even breath. That's the art, no matter where it's perpormed. Music, painting, Olympic Records or surgery operation. This is an art - at the edge of possible. And yesterday we heard an art like this. Ever-living classical music with a great performance of it.
And we were sunk into it for 1,5 hour. After that real touch of Art many things seem different when you go back to real life. I usually don't want to see TV or read some yellow newespaper for a while - not to poison and destroy that unreal castle of beauty, that is still inside after touching of real art.

I went back home, to the metro, watching dirtyness at the rainy Moscow and two drunk men coming back home. Everything, everywhere were totally mixed in this world.

Annual Soap Bubble FlashMob in Moscow

We try to struggle with winter. It's hard to feel youself in the middle of April with snow still falling on your head. It's injustice-  cuz the last time we blew bubbles - we were in T-shirts and hats - the same April, on the same street Arbat, in 2010.
Anyway despite the rainy and cold weather in 2011 we were full of conviction - real spring and summer comimg soon. And there is no way for sadness and winter laziness still hide inside any longer.
Normally this flashmob turns to a a big improvised festival on the main Moscow street of art - Arbat. With clowns walking on stilts, musicians, dancers and oddly, strangly and fantascically dressed people. You can yell loudly, anyone can do whatewer they want. Don't forget your soap bubbles. They  are heroes of occasion.
This year there were fewer people and costumes, almost no dances and music bands. But thanks to everybody who come to the streets from their warm flats. Soap Bubble Flashmob in Moscow was alive. And every of us smiled at least 15-30 minutes during this promenad. Now a few photos.