When I started writing this blog I just wanted to write about what made me chuckle, and didn't think of the people other than my friends/family reading my ideas on life, love and the way I see it. I can see that there has been a few Russian friends reading my blog (THIRTY of you in all, Holy Smokes!!). I wonder now if you have a saying in Russian like Holy Smokes?? Give me your top five sayings? What do you say when you stub your toe? Or when you see something beautiful? Or when you have an amazing meal? Or when someone gives you the perfect kiss ♥ ? Or when you are sitting around with your friends after a long work week and are sharing a cold one? We're kind of boring, we say Cheers!! Or if we're really fancy, Cheers Eh! .
It makes me think, and you can tell me if I'm wrong, no really tell me, that I may have hit on a subject or two that you can relate to, and that's kind of cool. You're around the world from me but we connected through my Canadian Blend, and that makes happy.
BUT, it ain't all about me. I want to share my limited knowledge of your wondrous country, and wish to hear back from you. I have the utmost respect for you all, but you have to understand that I have learned about you from many different situations in my life, some stereotypes along the way for sure, and some were experiences by a ten year so give me a break eh!
I would LOVE to know what you think of our fine country of Canada? What do you know about us? What do you think about us?
Okay here's some of the things I have learned (true or not) about your fine country...since I was a young girl, many years ago :D Warning: Go easy on me, some of these Russian connections are pretty cheesy, don't judge me too harshly, it's just an honest view of my history. It's not everything I know now, but the Russian connections I have made along the way....
1. Dr. Zhivago. This made a huge impression on my mom, it was a little before my time (1965), but I do remember Omar Sharif (he's the one who did all the movies with Barbara Streisand right?) and Julie Christie. It was an epic love story with a war torn backdrop and I remember seeing clips and thinking that Russia had such cold landscapes that were both vast and breath-taking and yes, it reminded me of Canada in the winter. Just to let you know, we have some steamy hot summers here in the north as well, today being a good example
2. Russian/Canada series 1972. This is HUGE is my past. In school they wheeled in these TV's on big stands for us to watch in class. There was nothing else that ever interrupted our learning EVER, but this series. Do you guys remember when Henderson scored the winning goal?? Hmm, maybe not as clearly as us Canadians eh?? Canadians will never forget that moment where he scored..it united all of the country. It was amazing? I think you guys were amazing too, you nearly had us...how would we all feel if you would have beat us, how would our sports history be so different?
3. My sister was always enamoured by your country, your language. She even went to the University of Victoria to learn how to speak Russian. We all teased her that the real reason she wanted to learn Russian was to be a translator for Russian hockey players. I still believe this would have been her dream job, yup, no doubt. She loves hockey and Russian (lots of those guys in the NHL). Put those two together, dream job!!
4 I have never been there (yet) but St. Petersburg is the such a beautiful city and the culture and history makes it a dream destination for many people. I remember when Paul McCartney went to St. Petersburg, I think it was was in 2004, and it made quite the impression around the world, and it looked to me that many of you were serious Beatle fans. Am I right?
5. I HAVE TO INCLUDE THIS ONE! I do believe one of my sisters (and she will go un-named) had the following guy on her bedroom wall. Okay this is my cheesy connection, but there was a Russian character in the Rocky series that captured all the imagination (okay mainly the women's imagination) at one time way back in 1985, and his name was Ivan Drago and was played by Dolph Ludgren (OMG)
Now, I know what you are thinking....how pathetic it is that she has a Rocky character in her knowledge of Russia, but it made a huge impression (he had to of been at least 6 foot 5 inches :D ) I'm just saying he was an impressive looking man, and he had a deep voice (and we all know how I feel about deep voices). Did I mention I'm a huge movie buff and although action is not my forte, I have a sentimental soft spot for the Rocky movies....and the Ivan Drago was very popular with us Canadians. I bet there was a few groups of women taking some flights over to your fine country looking for their own Mr. Drago. Too bad he was Swedish (yikes) in real life eh, they were flying to the wrong country to find their dream man. :D We all thought he was Russian, had the accent, had the wife with the fur hat (cue Dr. Zhivago), and he was so TALL. And all those vast barren cold landscapes, so familiar to me, felt like I was stepping outside in the winter bringing my Lucy (beagle) for a walk. But no, he was Dolph Ludgren, what ever happened to that guy, didn't he date Grace Jones, but I digress??
So there you have it, not much but it is a starting point for conversation between me and my Russian friends...I would love to hear about your impressions of our fair country and be honest eh.
Con ♥
I met Dolph Lundgren and Grace Jones in Kettle of Fish ( a Vancouver restaurant ) when he was filming Rocky-what a striking couple-have their autographs....at the time Grace Jones was well-known but she at the time told Dolph to sign my paper and commented that you will be famous soon!
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