Turkey and Gorky Park

The first writing of 2010. I cooked a turkey on New Years Eve, like millions of other people. I would not like to be a turkey. They have short lives and are eaten at Christmas and in the USA for "Thanks Giving". By 2025 a "certain" religion will become the second largest religion in the world, so if you are a Turkey move to another area, you will be safe. However, if you are a goat you will be eaten. Sorry dear reader, I am rambling in a crazy way again. Gobble, gobble.

I am not a conventional person, never have been. I married in my mid 30's to a women from the land of horse eaters, had a child in my 40's, worked in statistics and I hate maths, moved to a little known country for five years and now I live in Russia. I do sometimes long to be conventional, to live in a village or town near the sea, to grow vegetables and to cut firewood for my fire, to live a simple life. Instead, I found myself at home on New Years Eve cooking a frozen turkey in an old gas oven that was too small and eating "Foie Gras" as a starter with some French friends. I thought Turkeys had it bad, but the poor Goose is force fed to make its liver taste better. I eat it under protest, as I would not want to upset the balance with my froggy friends but I would rather not eat it at all.

There was a firework display in Red Square in Moscow, but it was a disappointment. It seems funds that had been directed towards buying the fireworks, mysteriously found their way into the pockets of some officials, as is the way here in Russia. So the display was more of a "puff and a poof" than a "whiz and a bang" as it was in Sydney and China. The display here, was not unlike firework displays across the UK on November the 5th. Its now - 14 but the sun is shining and the sky is blue.

We went to Gorky Park on New Years day, it was created in 1928. Its named after Maxim Gorky. You pass through an impressive archway that has Lenin on the side with 1955 below his image. Its a little bizarre and Lenin must spin in his grave (if he had a grave since he has been pickled and stuffed and is on public display in Moscow) on a daily basis, as there is loud pop music coming from speakers above the entrance, when we went, there was "Ha Ha" playing "Hunting high and low", I looked at Lenin's image with slight sympathy as I went into the park. You can skate round the park, it must be nice on a sunny day and I think it maybe a Russian family tradition to go there on the 1st of January. I have nothing else to say for now dear reader, so I'll sign off for now.