"From Russia with love",or anything you wanted to know about Russia,but feared to ask

[SergeyM]

I am reading a book of Stephen King's short stories - "Everything's eventual". About to finish it today. I like King, he knows his language.

Yesss, I understand that I am not in the worst position... But actually we have just decided to cancel our long planned trip to Finland this summer - we were about to book a villa in a forest for our family and our parents, but decided the expences were too big...
As to the Hamilton island... The expences worried me much too... But - what the hell - it is only once that we live here...

Our daughter is with us already, equipped with with papers showing that she was an excellent student... We'll see if she keeps at it here...

Alas, lemons and oranges are, most likely, out of the question... It is too cold here at winters, and, what is worse, temperatures could differ as much as 20 degrees within one day: it could be +10 in a sunny afternoon, and -10 before sunrise next morning... As the result a tree cannot accomodate too fast, and starts cracking and deteriorating... Some of the trees could stand low temperatures, but their roots must be dry... And our weather combines low temperatures with wet soil, so most of tropic trees will not see spring here... Are you aware that the soil here freezes as low as 150 cm in winter? And that is in Moscow, there are regions where if freezes even lower...
But, actually, I am thinking about lemons, oranges, palms etc... I think I may have a technology to try with them... But it is for some future, as it needs more time than I can dedicate for the problem now...

In most of Europe the climate is warmer, and even in South Finland they usually never have such a cold weather as we have accustomed to here...

BTW, what books could you advise me to read? What people read in English in Europe now? I have not read any literature reviews for some time...

[SergeyM]

And, Flower, as to the shelves - we have made one whole wall of shelves for books in our dacha bigger house... My wife made a project, then we bought pine boards, I cut them and prepared for assembling, and we both erected a construction... It looks not bad, and lots of books went in there... I would say it is better than IKEA...

[Flower]

I am reading a book of Stephen King's short stories - "Everything's eventual". About to finish it today. I like King, he knows his language.

Yesss, I understand that I am not in the worst position... But actually we have just decided to cancel our long planned trip to Finland this summer - we were about to book a villa in a forest for our family and our parents, but decided the expences were too big...
As to the Hamilton island... The expences worried me much too... But - what the hell - it is only once that we live here...

Our daughter is with us already, equipped with with papers showing that she was an excellent student... We'll see if she keeps at it here...

Alas, lemons and oranges are, most likely, out of the question... It is too cold here at winters, and, what is worse, temperatures could differ as much as 20 degrees within one day: it could be +10 in a sunny afternoon, and -10 before sunrise next morning... As the result a tree cannot accomodate too fast, and starts cracking and deteriorating... Some of the trees could stand low temperatures, but their roots must be dry... And our weather combines low temperatures with wet soil, so most of tropic trees will not see spring here... Are you aware that the soil here freezes as low as 150 cm in winter? And that is in Moscow, there are regions where if freezes even lower...
But, actually, I am thinking about lemons, oranges, palms etc... I think I may have a technology to try with them... But it is for some future, as it needs more time than I can dedicate for the problem now...

In most of Europe the climate is warmer, and even in South Finland they usually never have such a cold weather as we have accustomed to here...

BTW, what books could you advise me to read? What people read in English in Europe now? I have not read any literature reviews for some time...

I was not aware just how deep the grown frooze in Moscow! I know it gets cold in the winter but not that the cold got that deep. Perhaps you could try out some orange/citrus plants inside at the dacha and in the summer take them outside in the sun? My small pots with coffee plants are doing fine and seem to love the fertilizer Im giving them.

I wouldnt be the best to ask what people are reading in English in Europe as it would be a matter of taste and also country, I reckon.

Lately I have been enjoying a Norweigan writer, Per Petterson, who has won several international prize and lately the Nordic Council Literature prize. Also Im reading a Swede called Per Olov Enquist, you may have heard of him as his novels are translated into many languages, maybe even russian, and his plays has been played all over the world. He has written some books about different historical events and from the book reviews, they are nothing but boring!

Happy easter!

[SergeyM]

Actually, we do it. We have a large collection of different Ficus trees, and we usually bring the most of it outdoors in the end of May, when the temperature almost never drops below zero in the night, at least not until September. And we have some cactuses, that like our sun in summer... So, we still have a lot to be happy about in respect to gardening, never mind our winters...

Oh, it seems I have heard about both writers you mention, but haven't read them...

Thanks, our Easter was quite joyful, it is usually a great feast here in Russia... And yesterday we had an "Anti-Easter", the next Sunday after Easter, when it is considered very good to get married on...

[Svidrigailov]

funny.....

[Eric]

Arkady Ivanovich: explain your role in "Slime and Blandishment" for the delight of us all.