Belarus Travelogue EN
Kiev, Ukraine - visited in April 2007
Cesoria Evora singing in my ears, and frozen by the cold weather of Minsk, I start again to write. I am on the terrace of my charming hosts. Milla and Anton live along the train tracks in a 'social-housing' style building in the close suburbs of Minsk. Sober Soviet style apartments like this can still be found in many eastern European cities. The few lights scorching the obscurity fascinate my imagination. Smoking chimneys from ancient factories are still decorating the horizon this Saturday night. The Soviet machine is still in full speed here!
I arrived only yesterday and it looks like it is a long time since I last felt such disorientation. Since my arrival, the only written words I could recognize were Mastercard, Visa, and on the window of a bank " We sell, We bye ". With a slight smile, I choose to exchange my cash here.
Even the poor knowledge I have of Cyrillic is not very useful, seen that the Belarusian language has a different Cyrillic alphabet. They proudly spread and show off their national identity, making Russian everyday more uncommon. Thus, I am blind and illiterate in subways, restaurants, streets, schools, and worse, completely deaf-mute. Asking my way takes ages. The existing maps of the city are unfortunately all in Russian. is The subway is a real mess to me, because stations are marked solely in Belarusian whereas my guide book is only in English. Therefore I am having fun gesticulating hands and feet to make myself understood. Whenever I ask if anyone speaks English, they all answer me with an enthusiastic 'yes!' and keep on speaking Russian or Belarusian to me. I wonder whether they realize it at all; or just make fun out of me; or had too much vodka in their glass; or even don't dare telling me that they don't know speak Shakespeare's language.
At school, I had a beautiful surprise: kids participate enthusiastically to all our activities. They even ask me to remain one more week. They are full of questions and imagination. I am stunned once again to see how the creativity is stimulated in this region of the world. To the question 'What is the first thing necessary to make a drawing', they answered me in unity 'imagination' and 'a good idea'. It was already the case in Latvia and in Lithuania, whereas in 90% of countries one would only answer pencil, paper, eraser, colors, rule�. Here, one concentrates, and thinks, before creating. What a pleasure it is to see that with the youngest!
Local adults can also show themselves as creative but quite different areas, such as composing laws without much sense � it is prohibited to play music in public; which is a real shame as Belarusians must be one of the best musicians and dancers in the world. It is part of their rich cultural heritage. This prohibition is probably due the panic of the government to lose control over this fruitful "trade". Every movement, every commerce and benefits should be registered at the State Department� and it is indeed difficult to keep an eye on such a lucrative activities!
Like in soviet times, every visitor is required to visit and greet the old passageways of the KGB to register his entry on the territory. It's a good thing my host speaks English and explains me the bureaucratic process ironically. She sure is fed up with those ancient and tiring systems. A law compels her to work for 2 years for the government because she benefited from a government grant to study, like most people here. Bad news is the public school she has been working for during 3 months, let her know they would do without her services without any reason! She therefore might be sent for the remaining 21 months of mandatory state service in the freezing isolated parts of Belarusian wonder-world their local version of Siberia, to finish her forced labor.
Don't get me wrong, I keep excellent memories of my stay in Belarus. People are funny, well educated and very creative. They manage to keep smiling and living in spite of their difficult situations. It reminds me a little of the people of Myanmar with their shy and childish smiles. I will come back here one day!
I arrived only yesterday and it looks like it is a long time since I last felt such disorientation. Since my arrival, the only written words I could recognize were Mastercard, Visa, and on the window of a bank " We sell, We bye ". With a slight smile, I choose to exchange my cash here.
Even the poor knowledge I have of Cyrillic is not very useful, seen that the Belarusian language has a different Cyrillic alphabet. They proudly spread and show off their national identity, making Russian everyday more uncommon. Thus, I am blind and illiterate in subways, restaurants, streets, schools, and worse, completely deaf-mute. Asking my way takes ages. The existing maps of the city are unfortunately all in Russian. is The subway is a real mess to me, because stations are marked solely in Belarusian whereas my guide book is only in English. Therefore I am having fun gesticulating hands and feet to make myself understood. Whenever I ask if anyone speaks English, they all answer me with an enthusiastic 'yes!' and keep on speaking Russian or Belarusian to me. I wonder whether they realize it at all; or just make fun out of me; or had too much vodka in their glass; or even don't dare telling me that they don't know speak Shakespeare's language.
At school, I had a beautiful surprise: kids participate enthusiastically to all our activities. They even ask me to remain one more week. They are full of questions and imagination. I am stunned once again to see how the creativity is stimulated in this region of the world. To the question 'What is the first thing necessary to make a drawing', they answered me in unity 'imagination' and 'a good idea'. It was already the case in Latvia and in Lithuania, whereas in 90% of countries one would only answer pencil, paper, eraser, colors, rule�. Here, one concentrates, and thinks, before creating. What a pleasure it is to see that with the youngest!
Local adults can also show themselves as creative but quite different areas, such as composing laws without much sense � it is prohibited to play music in public; which is a real shame as Belarusians must be one of the best musicians and dancers in the world. It is part of their rich cultural heritage. This prohibition is probably due the panic of the government to lose control over this fruitful "trade". Every movement, every commerce and benefits should be registered at the State Department� and it is indeed difficult to keep an eye on such a lucrative activities!
Like in soviet times, every visitor is required to visit and greet the old passageways of the KGB to register his entry on the territory. It's a good thing my host speaks English and explains me the bureaucratic process ironically. She sure is fed up with those ancient and tiring systems. A law compels her to work for 2 years for the government because she benefited from a government grant to study, like most people here. Bad news is the public school she has been working for during 3 months, let her know they would do without her services without any reason! She therefore might be sent for the remaining 21 months of mandatory state service in the freezing isolated parts of Belarusian wonder-world their local version of Siberia, to finish her forced labor.
Don't get me wrong, I keep excellent memories of my stay in Belarus. People are funny, well educated and very creative. They manage to keep smiling and living in spite of their difficult situations. It reminds me a little of the people of Myanmar with their shy and childish smiles. I will come back here one day!
Anthony
Moldova, 23rd April 2007
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