Author Archives: gburley
Life is a journey to the great-grandma’s house
I woke up to a strong smell of coffee boiling and foaming in the copper Turkish coffee pot. The tiny galley style kitchen was in the center of our government issued apartment. Grandma and grandpa were getting ready for a short trip to see my great grandma few miles south of Sochi. I never liked that trip. It […]
All great things must come to an end
All great things must come to an end. For the last few weeks I’ve been following the Olympic games in Sochi, mostly because I was born and raised in Sochi, Russia but also because I love to watch winter sports. Now I am getting ready to join millions worldwide in watching the Closing Ceremony, scheduled for February […]
“No Russians Allowed”
I had no idea that so many of you would read my blog or that The Columbian would publish it. I am truly honored and that is why this next blog is so hard for me to write. I honestly don’t know where to start. Some of you asked me to address the challenges of […]
“Diamond” no longer in the ruff
Sochi was completely revamped over the last few years to prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. According to the Russian government, ten years ago Sochi’s declining infrastructure couldn’t support the scope and needs of the games. In fact, I heard that only 10 to 15 percent of the infrastructure needed to support the games […]
Medals and stats…
I wanted to share this article because it has some summaries about the medal counts and is a good/easy read – The 7 most interesting facts about the 2014 Winter Olympics medal count Enjoy and share your thoughts about the games so far. How do you feel Americans are doing? Do you have a favorite […]
“Man Overboard”
When we first moved to United States, I was 15 years old. My parents left their jobs, home and everything they knew to give us a better life in America. They literally had $50 in their pocket, three kids and one suitcase. They came to America with a dream. A dream full of hope and […]
Football – you play it with you feet!
(photo obtained from Odnoklassniki.ru Sochi 2014) According to any Russian person you know, football is played with your feet. Well, head too, but mostly feet. First, growing up in Russia and loving sports, especially the Olympic Games, was our way of life. Every kid had to be in some sort of athletic track. I did […]
Nothing can stop us…
Freezing rain and snow didn’t stop us from watching the Olympic Games earlier this weekend. After it snowed all day in Vancouver, I finally decided to get out of the house and go visit with my parents down the street. I got the kids ready and braved the cold weather. We walked down the icy […]
t.A.T.u. Ironic? or a Statment?
I don’t know if many of you noticed last night that the Russian delegation came out to the sounds of t.A.T.u, a Russian music group known around the world for their performances, which openly support gay rights. I don’t know what to make of it. Was it ironic? Was it a statement? Did anyone even notice? […]
I’m stuffed…
Russian people love good food, company and celebrations, but we rarely do potlucks. When you come to our home, expect the best and don’t bring food. You should bring something to drink and flowers for the hostess. The hostess works hard. She starts with baked goods a couple of nights before the big event. My […]