Posts Tagged "story"
Arina: Star Wars Fan (2)
Arina was buying something from a kiosk in a Moscow street underpass, a schoolbag in the form of a Stormtrooper from Star Wars on her back. Arina said she became a Star Wars fan thanks to her older brother and subsequently showed me her Darth Vader t-shirt. She said she wants to become a fashion designer and create 'something different'... like her unusual schoolbag.
Arina: Star Wars Fan
Arina was buying something from a kiosk in a Moscow street underpass, a schoolbag in the form of a Stormtrooper from Star Wars on her back. Arina said she became a Star Wars fan thanks to her older brother and subsequently showed me her Darth Vader t-shirt. She said she wants to become a fashion designer and create 'something different'... like her unusual schoolbag.
Nastya: Belarus Highschool Student
Nastya, 17, was walking around the center of Minsk taking photos with her school friend. She said she is interested in Japanese culture and has begun studying the language. The biggest event in her life last year was developing a relationship with a Russian youth. She said they first met 3 years agoand mainly kept in touch via Skype, only seeing one another a few times over ghe years. In February 2014, he moved to Minsk to be closer to her.
Anna: Lover of Indian Culture
I remember how some friends in NYC changed their look and image rather substantially after one or two years after highschool...Anna, who grew up in a provincial Volga town, entered university as an architecture student in Sept 2013 with brown hair. By January 2014, she had black hair. By June, when I first past her at a bus stop, she was blonde with dreads and 'India-inspired' clothing. She said she was on her way to a weekend-long outdoor music festival and dreamed of visiting India. When I saw her again at end of 2014, she said she was taking time off from university, spending her days drawing India motifs and doing yoga.
Akim: A Family of Musicians
In my previous post about Lera, she said both her parents were skilled at drawing, . Akim, pictured here, takes the family artistic skills to one more generation. I saw Akim talking to friends near a music academy in the center of Moscow on a snowy afternoon, carrying an instrument on his back. He said he plays the violincello, recently finished his Russian music studies and was planning to continue his education in Germany. I asked if anyone else played music in his family. He said his parents and grandparents play the violin, among the eight professional musicians in his family. Akim grew up in Obinsk, a town outside Moscow built around the world's first nuclear power plant that is known for its top-notch physicists and engineers, not musicians.
Sasha: Pop Singer at Diner
Sasha was eating in the back of a 1950s style American diner in Moscow late one evening. He was dressed in an outfit that reminded me of old-school rappers from the 1980s, so I walked over to chat. He said he is a pop singer in the duo 'In2Nation' and had just come from the studio. Having attended a highschool focusing on stage performance & jazz, he is is now studying singing at university. He did not follow in his parents footsteps, both of whom are winter biathlonists.
Lera: Teenager with Yankees Hat
Lera, 15 was sporting a Yankees winter hat as she walked on a coldy, sunny day with her friend Nastya along a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Moscow River. A highschool student, Lera said she "loves to draw everything", a hobby she said both her parents enjoy as well. She said she may pursue design in university.
Nastya: Japanese Music Fan
One thing I have learned from my Russian street portraits is that Japanese culture is more popular among Russian youth (girls in particular) than I thought. Natalya, who was sitting in a Moscow cafe with a friend at a table next to me, said her most memorable event of 2014 was attending a concert by One Ok Rock, her favorite Japanee band. "Their music is an escape from everything bad that has happened." Natalya, who works in HR, has been a One Ok Rock fan for 6 years and was planning to go see them in Japan as she never imagined they would perform in Russia...Natalya said One Ok Rock's visit was especially memorable because she got the chance to give them a picture she drew for them.
Starbucks: Girls Watching Fargo
As I mentioned in my last post, the Starbucks shops in Moscow attract a colorful crowd. Alina and Dasha were watching the American TV serial Fargo on their tablet as they drank their Lattes. Each shared one earphone to listen to the show. Alina, a journalism student, said after watching many serials, they can understand the peculiar jokes. I left shortly after taking their picture to run some errands. When I passed by the store about 75 minutes later, Alina and Dasha were still sitting their watching the serials.
Grigori: Guitarist, Starbucks Lover
Starbucks in Moscow tends to attract a colorful, younger Russian crowd, which was where I randomly sat across from Grigori. A guitarist and recent college drop out, he says he likes the music at Starbucks and is trying to learn to play Jazz. Grigori said one of his favorite groups is 1990s American experimental group Deli Creeps, which had one of the best guitarists in his view. He said he was discussing the Deli Creeps guitarist with a Russian girl via social media and the two are now dating. He called their virtual connection a 'wonderful, random coincidence.' She lives 400km away and he travels to see her.
