Yesterday was the Russian Orthodox holiday called “Radonitsa.” The second Tuesday after Easter, Russians go to the cemetery to visit their relatives and friends on this day of remembrance. Rather than tell you what people generally do, I’m going to tell you my experience of the holiday this year.
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Which Five New Zealanders Would You Invite to Dinner?
When my wife and I went to New Zealand, we were able to see an exhibit on the country designed to bring families together. They handed out a deck of cards that were supposed to be used at home with the family. The fronts of the cards have different photos, and the backs have questions to answer. One of the questions was “Which five New Zealanders would you invite to dinner?”
Continue readingCoronavirus Delays Our Journey to the U.S.
In Sep. 2018, we applied for my wife’s green card to live in the U.S. We thought we would go about it the right way, so we sent in our money and waited. Then we waited some more. Then we waited some more. In between all the waiting, we spent time in the U.S. with her tourist visa. By Sep. 2019, we still hadn’t heard anything, and we decided to book a trip to New Zealand. It would be easier to get to than if we flew from the U.S.
Continue readingNew Zealand: Waitomo Caves Where the Stars Are Glowworms
In the Waitomo Caves, there is no photography permitted, which makes the experience all the more sacred. New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves are home to thousands of glowworms that light up the ceiling.
How Glowworms Eat
While much of the tour is conducted in low light, there is a truly magnificent and terrifying view of what glowworms do to eat. The glowworm is the larva stage of an insect that lives only long enough to mate. It attaches itself to the ceiling of these caves where insects fly following the current of the air and river. If the insect flies too close to the ceiling of the cave. It gets caught and eaten by the glowworm. Many adults end up feeding the larva after they have mated.
The tour guides explain this and then turn on the lights to see what the glowworms look like. The bright flash blinds you for a second. When your eyes adjust, you see thousands of strands of saliva hanging a foot or more from the ceiling. These strands are excreted by the glowworms and used to trap their food. The lights go off, and you’re left with your thoughts, which may or may not include the ending of the original fly and what if you were that guy in this cave.
A Quiet Boat Ride
As you descend to the boats, the guides ask you to remain silent to allow everyone to enjoy the cave and its atmosphere. The lights above seem to waver in lines. They look like a 3D matte painting. It’s unreal, beautiful, and quiet. As an addition to our Hobbiton tour, Waitomo Cave was a perfect contrast to the manmade set. The entire experience highlighted New Zealand’s ingenuity, beauty, and natural wonders. If you can’t make it to New Zealand, You can listen to Johnny Mercer’s Glow Worm (affiliate link) tune!
Disney in Arbat, Moscow, Russia
It always neat to see how Disney has been appropriated in other countries. As we walked the area, we saw a lot of Disney in Arbat. The Mary Poppins Hotel is a chain of sorts in Moscow. Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen were at the local toy store. Mickey Mouse stood outside of a children’s place, and the Cheshire Cat in its 1951 “Alice in Wonderland” style floated above more traditional Alice characters at the door of an Irish Pub. Check out photos of Bulgakov’s house in Arbat.
Continue readingArbat in Moscow Photos: Check them out
While visiting the U.S. Embassy, we had a lot of time to walk around Arbat in Moscow. We went to the Patriarch Pond and to Bulgakov’s House, where he wrote “The Master and Margarita” (affiliate link).
Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy 
Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy 
Cool Stair Railing 
Neat sculpture and painting on building 
Neat sculpture and painting on building 
Ice Skating Rink 
2020 
Year of the Rat 
Street art 
Street painting 
Dramatist Gorin 
Pushkin 
The museum of the history of Russian Chocolate was closed.
Moscow’s Patriarch Pond: ‘Master and Margarita’ Opening Scene
Moscow’s Patriarch Pond and its park are the setting for Bulgakov’s opening of “Master and Margarita” (affiliate link). It also pays homage to Russian Fablist Ivan Krilov. Check out our photos of Bulgakov’s home.
Continue readingWhere Bulgakov Developed ‘Master and Margarita’
Mikhail Bulgakov developed his classic “Master and Margarita” in this house in Moscow.
Continue readingMoscow’s Sweet Museum in Arbat
Moscow’s Sweet Museum in Arbat combines color and shape to create a wonderland inspired by every child’s dreams (and dentist’s nightmares). Take a look at the mirror hall and see thousands of you, swing through the saccharin pink of the first hall, or jump into the blue and white candy pit. You can spend a wonderful moment here satisfying your sweet tooth without worrying about cavities.
Continue readingNew Zealand Food Stories Collected during Our Journey
Watching How-to-Dad’s YouTube videos gave us an idea of what to expect for some New Zealand food. He has a great video on things that Kiwis, the people who live in New Zealand, eat. Most of the things I didn’t expect us to get a chance to try, but there were a couple of times when I was able to get food that Kiwis eat at home.
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Penguinate! Positive Creativity 