One percent of our genes is devoted to the sense of smell (only the immune system rivals this) and yet still we can't say how the nose works. When we talk of the nose, we might as well be talking of the soul.
These thoughts and more are explored in this wonderful book, The Emperor of Scent, by Chandler Burr, which I find myself returning to again and again. It explores the perfume trade in France and a man with an unorthodox view of the sense of smell. Highly recommended:
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Emperor of Scent by Chandler Burr
Friday, December 19, 2008
Notes From an Underground (a recording)
In Ukraine, all of the smaller, corner stores work much like markets did in the United States fifty or one-hundred years ago. You'll go in and see that all of the goods are on shelves or in cold cases only employees can reach or access. Consequently, if you want some cheese, you'll have to go up to the dairy counter and speak with a blue-aproned продавщица (prodavschitsa/saleswoman) who will call out, Я слушаю! (ya slushayu!/I'm listening!) and take your order. If you want some meat, or some dry goods, you'll have to repeat the process, seeing two more Blue Aprons.
There is certainly a benefit to this system: a drastic reduction in theft. But the problem is, if you don't speak Russian, or if you speak a little Russian but are too shy to test it in public, you will likely starve, especially if you haven't yet discovered one of the western-style supermarkets, of which there were several in Kharkov.
Anyway, all of this is a long introduction to the fact that I wrote an essay about my experiences trying to scrape together a few good meals in Ukraine during my first couple of weeks in-country back in the fall of 2005. A while back I pointed you to the journal that published it, NOÖ Journal, which subsequently nominated the essay for inclusion in the Best of the Web 2009 anthology.
Now I'm writing to say you can find an audio recording of the essay below. Fourteen minutes long, it should prepare any traveler for a trip to the Former Soviet Union. Tell me what you think. And Приятного аппетита!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Manure
Just discovered this website that allows you to view magazines online -- and I found the first story I published had already been uploaded by Dave Housley, one of the editors of Barrelhouse. My story, "Manure," about my trouble with credit cards, begins on page 19.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Great blog
If, like me, you're learning -- or, more honestly, trying to learn -- to speak Russian, you'd be well-served by visiting this blog, which is written by a Swedish literature student living in Russia. I love the word of the week feature, as well as the type of travel reportage that I enjoyed posting here. The title of the blog, Russian Blog, sounds like the result of a brainstorming session that lasted all of five seconds. But each post is obviously the work of a good deal of effort. I'm certainly reading and hoping for more.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Greatest Gift.
This should be of interest to many readers of this blog: a memoir of survival and Siberia. Get an introduction to the book here:
Sunday, August 31, 2008
The Cost of Marriage (Part Two)
Two years after receiving your conditional Green Card card -- the first you will receive after marrying a U.S. citizen -- you must apply to have its conditions removed, using form I-751. If you do not do this, you will not be allowed to live legally in the United States. If you do, and you're successful in your application -- meaning, your marriage is not ruled to be a fraud, entered into only to circumvent immigration laws -- you will be rewarded with a 10 year Green Card.
Can you guess how much it costs to file the I-751?
$545.
That includes $80 for a biometric finger-print.
Please, do not write USDHS on your personal check or money order. Write it out in full: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Some of you may say this is perfectly fine. You choose to marry a foreigner, you pay the price. But we do not parse out the costs of the nation in this way with other things. We all pay for the military. We all contribute to Social Security, MediCare, etcetera. Yes, homeowners support education. But do only drivers support the cost of building and maintaining new roads? Etcetera, etcetera.
For a previous entry on the Foreigner Tax see here.
Monday, May 26, 2008
How to Make Chicken Kharkiv
During my first month or two in Kharkov, I reported that I wasn't eating so well. Now the full story can be found in the latest issue of NOÖ.
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