new fave blog

My new favorite blog is EnglishRussia. Since I revealed my fascination with Drag Queens yesterday, why not just reveal all my secrets? I am also quite interested in Russia. Maybe it stems from actual going through a nuclear drill in elementary school, the fear of being overtaken by the Soviet Threat and growing up during the throws of the Cold War. Or just because when there is mystery, there is magic! Anyway, this site has so many cool things that bring to my American eyes, that little bit of Russia.
I have dug into this Russian infatuation by reading. "Doctor Zhivago", "The Brothers Karamozov", the works of Martin Cruz Smith, biographies of the czars. All these serve to whet my appetite and make me long for a visit to Tsarkoe Selo, Chelyabinsk, Moscow and the plains of Siberia. I just want to see it, and to learn the history and meet the people. One of the great things about the internet is that it brings these far off, exotic places right into my home, and while it is not feasible for me to visit there in the near future, perhaps in a year or so, I might just go there!
Check out the photo. I love the naive use of color and plastic flowers and peppers! The author of EnglishRussia features ads and photos from life during the Communist Regime, this includes fashion, advertising, and not just from the USSR era. There are vintage photos of Russians from the turn of the 20th century and shots of current Russian traffic jams. It is both educational and amusing. Check out the 2 features on Russian public toilets! I guess the fact that the author also has a humorous approach makes this so much more interesting to me. I really want to go to Russia and this site is a little Russia each day.