Bilderverkauf aller 50 km / Pictures on Sale every 50 km

Monday, June 15, 2009

Guest at Eva's and Andrei's home, Relation between Russians and Buriat

8th to 9th of June:

 

We visited Eva and Andrei in their house. They moved there 4 or 5 years ago and when they started there was nothing. The previous owner was drinker and he sold everything from inside the house what he could carry. Doors, parts of the oven .... If you look at the house now it is a really warm and cozy place. Kotomi just wanted to have such a house and she almost forced me to promise that we build a Banja some day in Germany. The shelves in the house are made by Andrei and Eva was painting them I guess. The combination of blue and white is really nice to see and because of the wood it feels really cosy. A big kitchen table, a gas stove and stove  for wood. In the garden they have of course a Banja. Eva invited us to stay and also for Banja. Of course we liked to stay there and it was also time for Banja (:). Kotomi was cooking some Japanese food and after that we went to Banja.

 

It was really interesting to talking with both of them. Andrei’s gandgrandfather was living close to Mongolia and before the revolution he joined one or more expeditions of a Polish scientist. They went to Mongolia, China, and Tibet. Starting with 30 camels and coming back with 5, sometimes close to death because of the lack of water. This sounds really like an adventure. The grandgrandfather was a guard for the expedition and made quite a good money. In Mongolia he met his wife and after the expedition they were living in Russia. The family was quite wealthy having big herds of horse, cow, and sheep. But after the revolution they lost everything and had to leave the place. That is somehow the story how Andrei’s family came to the Baikal. Andrei tries to find out more about his grandgranfather and in the internet he also found some historic documents from one expedition, mentioning also his grandgrandfather. But it is hard to find documents from that time. We started with the story since Eva told me that Russians sometimes call the Buriat, the "Blacks". It is some kind of discrimination.  That means, sometimes Andrei is proud of his Mongolian roots but sometimes not (Buriats look like Mongolians). The other way around in the main city of this area, Bargusin, mostly Buriat people are living and most of the jobs in the city hall or official offices are occupied by Buriats. Eva told me that the Buriats treat the "Whites" in the same way as the Russians the Buriats. Well, who started with the discrimination, I guess the Russians were the first who occupied the land of the Buriats. In the cities like Ulan Ude Buriat and Russians mix, but the villages are strongly separated in Russian or Buriat villages.

 

Andrei had to go to work early so he went to bed and I was talking with Eva almost until 2 in the morning while Kotomi was checking e-mails. During talking we recognised a lot of things we both like although we are not the same star sign (:). We also talked about problems they have. Both made there own place really nice and giving their heart into the place. However it is hard to make friends. Also Andrei’s friends from the village are not living there anymore. Everybody who studied did not come back. Only Andrei, who want to take care about his family and of course he likes his motherland, came back to Ust Bargusin. Actually that is the same that happens in my hometown or also in the small cities of Japan and all over the world. I often think about that and I wonder why it is not possible to have a work in the small places since nowadays a lot of people could work over internet everywhere and they need to eat and other services. That means actually all professions would be needed in the small cities too, consequently there would be Jobs. But maybe I just make it to simple and I overlook some important point.

 

However, world problems or discrimination was just an interesting topic. We enjoyed the time at Eva’s and Andrei’s place very much.

 

Thank You, Arrigato (:)

 

10th to 11th:

 

We stayed one more day at the nice beach of Ust Bargusin. I was Kite Surfing and Kotomi reading and writing. Again we got some Omul for free from some young guys who we gave salt and bread before. They showed us how to grill the Omul at the fire. Just a stick, put the Omul on it, Ca, 15 to 20 cm away from the fire you put the stick vertical in the sand. Well the stick I also tried before but I always put it to close to the fire (:). Was good but not as good as the new way or better experienced way. The next day just driving, around 700 km close to Irkutsk. Nothing special. Update of the coordinates: N 52.11396°, E 103.97549° (:). 

 

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