Dog Breeds from Russia

Dogs were brought for a purpose and these dogs do just that and have adapted to the harsh climates of Russia.

1. Black Russian Terrier: developed during WW2 in the USSR by mixing multiple imported breeds  and was mainly used as military working dog.
2. Bolonka: This is the one I would want off the list. This breed dates back to czarist Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries and were breed as fashionable companions to wealthy women.
3. Borzoi: breed for hunting wolves starting in the 9th and 10th centuries but this slighthound is not as popular as it once was.
4. Caucasian Shepherd Dog: Originating from the Caucasus mountains and were breed to protect property and livestock because of their aggressive natures.
5. Central Asian Shepherd Dog: also breed for the purpose of protecting property and livestock in the USSR. This breed is also used in traditional dog fighting however the dogs seldom injured each other because they were looking for the most dominate and not really the most aggressive.
6. Laika: a hunting dog skilled in bark-pointing and was very popular in the 19 and 20 centuries.
7. Russian Spaniel: because Cocker Spaniels have little legs they were bred to have longer legs so they could move through the harsh Russian terrain and help hunting
8. Russian Toy: This dog was bred to be a watchdog and a ratter but the breed nearly went extinct when the Iron Curtain fell.
9. Samoyed: a herder and a carting dog, this breed was developed by the people in Siberia. Recent studies has this is the oldest breed tracing back 3,000 years.
10. Siberian Husky: And of course, the sledding and carting dog that has spread across Russia and into Alaska. It is most popular for is ability to make it through tough terrain and being able to travel more than 600 miles.

Some Russian home food!!

They say food is the front door to culture, it’s the way to immerse yourself for the first time, and a great way to meet new people. One of my favorite Russian dishes is Beef Stroganoff.  It takes about an hour and a half to make the dish from start to finish.

The necessary ingredients are:

·         2 pounds of beef chuck roast (quality depends on your budget)

·         ½ teaspoon of salt

·         ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

·         4 ounces of butter

·         4 green onions sliced (white half only)

·         4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

·         1 can (about 10.5 ounces) of condensed beef broth

·         1 teaspoon prepared mustard

·         1 can (6 ounce) of sliced mushrooms (drained)

·         1/3 cup of sour cream (I know, gross, but you don’t taste it and it's necessary)

·         1/3 cup of white wine

To cook:

1.       Remove any fat and gristle from the roast and cut into strips 1/2 inch thick by 2 inches long. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of both salt and pepper.

2.       In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and brown the beef strips quickly, then push the beef strips off to one side.  Add the onions and cook slowly for 3 to 5 minutes, then push to the side with the beef strips.

3.       Stir the flour into the juices on the empty side of the pan. Pour in beef broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Lower the heat and stir in mustard. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.

4.       Five minutes before serving, stir in the mushrooms, sour cream, and white wine.  Heat briefly, then salt, and pepper to taste.

When I made this dinner for my sorority family dinner this past weekend, I served it over a bed of wide egg noodles and everyone enjoyed it.  This is a tasty meal to share with your friends and family because it is quick, easy, and inexpensive, especially for college students on a budget!!!

In Search of the Soundtrack of my Life

I love to listen to music and I don’t really care if I can understand it or not. As long as it the beat and the words sounds good together, I am all for it…then later I actually listen to the lyrics and then I make a second opinion on the song…then I may or may not continue to listen to the song.

That’s my life.

So for this blog entry, I wanted to find Russian music that fits my personality and hope I can recognize some words and learn some new ones…maybe.  Also, for a disclaimer, I don’t know much Russian, therefore, I can’t be held responsible for whatever songs I find.

So my initial search, I started like any other person will, with YouTube! I turned on my Russian keyboard and typed randomly.

The first song I found was живота е един by Ice Cream. I loved the sound of the song but I had no clue, at all, what the song was about, didn’t even recognize a single word (which is fine, I don’t know enough words and I am sure the song isn’t about if she’s a student, her name, or where she is from, but I still added it to my morning playlist).

When I came to class the next day, I had to test my TA, make sure he knows what he’s talking about.  So, I played the song for him and he was going to translate it for me.  Well…that didn’t work out because 2 seconds in he said that it wasn’t Russian.  Turns out, it’s Bulgarian but to my defense it looks like Russian.  Therefore, random letters might not be the best way to search for Russian songs.

So for my real attempt number two, I found t.A.T.u. Turns out, I was listening to them back in middle school.  Meaning I was learning some Russian words before I had any clue it was Russian.  This lead me to my next discovery.  Russian music is written in plain English letters (!!!!) sometimes.  Here is the t.A.T.u. song I already knew which has Russian words as well as English –> Malchik Gay and here is another song from back when, Ya Soshia S Uma which has an English version, All The Things She Said!

Now, because I already knew these songs, I believe I need another attempt with Russian music. Now, I am googling Russian Top 10! This didn’t lead to an exciting search result since all of the Top 10 consisted of music I hear on the radio every day. With a bit more scrolling, I found a Russian song I like, with the trusted help of Shazam, and found song number 19, Имя 505 by Время И Стекло! I know what Имя mean, First Name!!! Exciting! And there’s number 22, Штрихкоды by ЭММА М, which I’m pretty sure I recognize some words.  Lastly, number 28, День И Ночь by Мот, which has also been add to my morning playlist and since I added it, I had to look up the lyrics. They are interesting, you should google translate it too!

If you are also interested in listening to the Russian Federation Top 100, you can check it out here: http://www.shazam.com/charts/top-100/russia

So this was the adventures of finding the sound track to my life!