NOTE: The following is not really written with cultural sensitivity. None of my posts will be culturally sensitive for that matter. I want to introduce you to babushkas. I will often refer to these women in my later posts, so keep this information in mind or you can always refer back to this post if you forget. I also realize that it's unethical to take photos of people without permission. But they are my photos, so I am legally allowed to post them. Right?
The correct pronunciation for babushka is BAH-boosh-ka, not ba-BOOSH-ka. Babushkas are old women who typically wear a scarf wrapped around their heads, sell things at the market, and try to make trouble with me. By definition, a babushka is a grandma, but we generally call old women babushkas. If it helps, think of it as addressing an elderly woman in Thailand.
Typical Samara babushka. She sat beside me on the boat to Sharyaevo and shamelessly stared at me for a long time. It was not a nice kind of stare either. She fell asleep, so I took a photo. Hah.Actually, I’ve noticed that older babushkas don’t like me--probably because I’m darker and possibly a gypsy. A few days ago, a different babushka was on the tram with me and called for my attention, “Devushka!” Then, she proceeded to say many things to me. Her tone wasn’t malicious, but the vibes were scary like a curse. This is a great example of when it’s okay that my Russian isn’t great.
I have questions, but I don’t know who can answer them.
-When do you know you are old enough to be a babushka?
-Why do they all wear those scarves around their heads? For the cold?
-If I get cold and I want to wear a scarf, will they call me a babushka?
If you look closely, you will find a babushka in the photo. Can you find her?I’m still honeymooning in Russia, so the attention isn’t bothering me yet. It’s still really amusing to me. In my later posts, I will probably write angrier posts about the attention. The probable causes: I will be tired of the attention, culture shock, or my Russian improves to the point where I can understand what people are saying about me. It happens.
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Yay... you officially get a new nickname!
ReplyDeleteTammie I just found this blog! /stalker
ReplyDeleteI'm in Russian culture this year, and we had a lecture about hair, and basically, in the wayback (the wayyyyyyback) it was believed that if women wore their hair loose or uncovered they would be susceptible to evil sprits. So older women always having their hair covered probably don't believe that exactly, but it probably evolved from that belief.