пятница, 3 октября 2008 г.

My crayon world.

Sometimes I live in cartoon, crayon world. I'm surrounded by anime personages and alien landscapes. And...it makes me happy ^_^
Last weekend we (my friend Alex known as Lyosha, The Shy Photographer, and my guest from Italy Manlio) went to the Russian island. It's a very special place that is just 30 minutes by ferry from Vladivostok.
This is a huge island (like a half of my city) and ex-military base. There are a lot of stories to tell about it but I just want to load few pics with all crayon places and faces)














среда, 3 сентября 2008 г.

Somewhere on the seaside.

I'm a sad little mermaid...

We have a heap of such kind beautiful small bays over our region.


My mom looks more natural with this haircut)

Just old mine on the beach (but still active).


These couple were looking so russian that I felt something wrong. They are from Tver! (160 km from Moscow).

Monument of fallen pilots in a deep-deep forest.

I've found this thing on the beach and still curious what is it. Something from Greek ship.

We went through abandoned military base. Some people still live here.

среда, 20 августа 2008 г.

Autumn is coming.

When autumn is coming all dogs are sad.


Summer dogs are so relaxed...

четверг, 3 июля 2008 г.

How I was a barman.

Why did I decide to become a barman? Well..i just had a thought I had no any skills that could be useful almost everywhere. I'm a journalist and can write only in Russian. I needed something "real"...something to make by my own hands. And as I had some practise in making mojito and have been succeeded I've bought a barman course. It cost 3500 rubles. It took two weeks for theory...We wrote down some words about cognac, rum, wines and so on. It was not only "theory"...we made some real cocktails every lesson. And of course we just had to drink it! Strawberry tini.
"Herring on the beach"

Vodka kiwi.

There were 6 coming barmen in my class - 3 girls and 3 guys. All are younger than me. Students just wants to have some own pocket money. Barman isn't an actual "profession" in Russia. It's just an easy way to earn some money (not a lot) for young people. So if you are 24 and you are still the barman everybody asks you why you don't climb the ladder. Next step of the career is a bar manager. My classmates:

I'm not going to climb a ladder. I just want to KNOW HOW TO MAKE COCKTAILS! So next part of education is a practice in clubs and cafes. I was sent in a one abandoned night club called "Pallada". It's huge and nobody's inside for all night! My young teachers were so nice and told me how to cheat a boss and clients) It's necessary if you want to earn more than 10000 rub per month (it's a usual salary for barmen in Vladivostok). When it was a half past midnight we just left the club and closed it.

Next time it was a big festival of break-dance and rap. Plenty people and everyone wants to drink. That was a real job! I was busy so much that couldn't even go to a bathroom till 4 at night. Mostly they wanted Redbull+vodka but I even made one pina colada. Hope that girl has survived...Next time nobody came. Again. But I had a very nice conversation with Andrey (on the right).

After my 4th time (that was quite successful) I decided to stop. But now I have a practice on my friend's birthdays parties. It seems they like it)
And I have a diploma! It's kinda international so I hope I'll be able to work with it abroad. Oh...I should say it's a great pleasure to see people like that you make) It's a new feeling for me because usually I can't see people's reaction for my article this instant.

среда, 7 мая 2008 г.

Hidden place, Shevchenko "cul de sac", Vladivostok.

I've never been on this street right above the sea...It's seems old and very cozy. Full of peacefulness and sundown light. I'd love to live here.


среда, 16 апреля 2008 г.

Anisimovka.



I have one special place where I feel switching off the world. It's 3 hours away by car from Vladivostok in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains (main mountain system in Primorye). That's truly magic place.
Everyone can feel this. There is a main mountain called "Pidan" (not really high - about 1300 m above the sea). All "ezoteric people" addict to conquer this mountain. I've never been on the top. I'm not ezoteric) Oh, may be a kind of) But I prefer to spend all my winter weekends in the small house in the taiga...
The Host of this house is Sergey. He is great person. Retired he's still full of energy. He is ex-KGB agent (true!), has been around the world and knows a lot of amazing things. Every time he has a new story to tell. His house in the wintertime is always full of guests. That's me in the corner in zebra sailor's t-short (or it's dress?)

There is a slope in this place...

...so most part of them are skiers and snowboarders and "mountain conquerors" as well.

Sometimes there are about 30 people in 3 small rooms! New Year party. Sergey with his guests:

Sergey likes girls. Girls like Sergey) This shot was made 5 minutes later new year chime. It's about -20 C. The guy at the left is Sasha, Sergey's son. He is
definitely his son, isn't he?

Well...I'm skier, snowboarder and mountain counqueror at the same time. Yeah, my life is so complicated).

I've been on the top of Falaza mnt. (it's close to Pidan and 100 m. lower) few times and even had a kind of countrycross. It's snowing even in the may!

It's awesome in all seasons...


Winter is great...
But I much prefer to go there when it's fall or spring. Nobody's in the house and I just lay in the small room on the 3d floor whatching through the window:

Ok...It's not 3d floor, it's lavatory)
In the eveving we spend time playing guitar (mostly Sergey and another talented people, I have no any musical abilities) and seating around campfire.

Oh...and there is a place for barbecue. "Shashliks" are sooo tasty.
Another reason to love this place is banya! What can I say about Russian banya? You should try it to understand.

In the worm season Sergey is building and renovating and improving his property. He made all this by his own.


And he's making "samogon" (home made vodka) and perfect cat meat for "shashliks":

Hehe...just joke)
It's truly magic place: lamps are planting right on the trees) I'm so happy that I live here and know about it.