Russian chocolate has become a minor addiction for me. I eat chocolate every day, sometimes several times a day. At home in the US I avoid sweets. The reason I eat chocolate here as opposed to at home in the US has to do with packaging. Since Soviet times, and to the present day, it … More Russian chocolate by Valerie Sartor 2016-08-27
“You’re nothing in Russia without a fur coat; you’re simply not a woman,” Nastya said casually, sipping her tea. This willowy young mother with silvery blonde hair could easily have been a professional fur model. I was sitting in the kitchen alcove chatting with my friend, and trying to understand Russian culture from a female … More Without a fur coat by Valerie Sartor 2016-07-06
“We are floating in a barrel filled with gunpowder, down an unknown river,” said Tatiana, smiling. “Russians describe our current economic situation this way.” “Americans have a similar saying like yours: sitting on dynamite,” I answered. Tatiana and I had met at the posh Russian Petrushka Café to chat and drink tea, but both of … More Men’s toys by Valerie Sartor 2016-08-20
“Russians want to be pretty,” said Nastya, a young, elegant woman who wanted private English tutoring from me. She was indeed pretty: as a very petite silver blonde woman with a small, perfect nose, high catlike cheekbones and deeply set almond eyes the color of blueberries. “No one knows whether we are European or Asian,” she … More Want to be by Valerie Sartor 2019-07-09
They’re pushy. They’re odd looking. They grumble, sigh, moan and bless. Today’s post-Soviet Siberian grandmothers are just as tough, and just as sweet, as those I encountered in Moscow during the USSR Era. Currently, I live in a shabby cement block building that is located one-hour’s walk from my institute. As you enter through the … More Russian Grandmothers by Valerie Sartor 2019-07-09
It is almost evening at the Goriainsynsk Resort. The temperature is minus 18, with no wind and a full moon. At 7PM, the snow glistens as I crunch along the path from building number 4 to the dining hall. Dinner is served from 7-8PM, a regular eating time for Russians. I am so delighted with … More Fasting – Body and Spirit by Valerie Sartor 2016-07-22
In recent decades, throughout China, traditional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine have become less popular than modern scientific medicine / western medicine). Nevertheless, in western regions of China, traditional Tibetan, Mongolian, and Uighur medicines are still being taught in colleges and universities. Rural and indigenous peoples in China and other parts of Asia continue … More China’s Evolving Medical Practices by Valerie Sartor 2015-02-04
Visiting Chinese cities, I am always amazed by the 21st century architecture and the combination of traditional Chinese design with avant-garde design. Chinese cities are amazing spaces to behold, always evoking ideas of fluidity and hybridity. Likewise, young Chinese women, using their fashion sense, are also evolving and transforming themselves by their sartorial choices. What … More Clothed in Paradoxes: The Qipao and the White Wedding Gown by Valerie Sartor 2015-01-24
The Ovi 