The Russians who the Philippines
October 17, 2005 | 12:00am
Ay, ayoko nang kumain, busog na ako, baka mabuntis ako."
This is the funniest line that Ekaterina "Katya" Baklanova remembers telling her Filipino friends during a lunch break at UP Diliman three years ago. "Talaga, tawa sila nang tawa!"
Otherwise, Katya speaks Filipino like a native Pinoy, complete with Taglish and swardspeak phrases.
Another Russian belle who speaks Filipino well is Natalia Zabolotnaya, a Scarlett Johansson lookalike. "I enjoy talking in Filipino even if our Russian friends say we sound like croaking frogs when we speak Filipino," says Natalia.
Katya and Natalia are two beauteous Russians who speak Filipino and love the Philippines. They acted as our interpreters when we attended the Otdykh Leisure Fair 2005 in Moscow together with the Department of Tourism team under the leadership of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano to sell the Philippines as a holiday destination. The team, headed by Assistant Secretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., had an easy time communicating with Russians, thanks to Katya and Natalia.
Both girls specialized in Philippine studies at the Moscow State University, finishing their master’s degrees as well. They are now on their way to earning their Ph.D and love calling themselves "guro ng Tagalog."
Both spent almost two months of "apprenticeship" at the University of the Philippines in 2002, while staying at the house of National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose. Both came back in 2004 as interpreters for DOT’s tourist groups in the Philippines. And both are yearning to come back.
How easy it was to converse with the two Russians! Here’s how our conversations went:
Philippine STAR: Saan mo unang nabalitaan ang tungkol sa Pilipinas?
Katya Baklanova: Sa Internet lang, konti, tapos sa bali-balita.
Bakit Pilipinas ang pinili mong pag-aralan?
Para sa akin, mas maganda ang Pilipinas kaysa Thailand. Dito, mabait at mabuti ang mga tao.
Paano mo nalaman ?
Mamaya, nalaman ko ito noong kinuha ko ang Tagalog.Pumunta ako sa Embassy of the Philippines sa Moscow. Mabait na mabait sila sa amin, nagpayo sila sa amin sa iba’t ibang naaaral naming. I started with my college course when I was l6, I am only 24 now pero guro na ako ng Tagalog.
Russians din ba ang nagturo sa iyo ng Tagalog sa Moscow State University ?
Oo, natuto sila ng Tagalog din kasi the first group of Russians studying Tagalog started mga 20 years ago in MSU. Ang aking grupo ay ikalawa. Ngayon, nagtuturo ako sa ikaapat na grupo ng estudyante.
Dalawang beses ka nang nagpunta sa Pilipinas, hindi ba?
Nung una, nag-aral ako sa UP, sa main library ako madalas kasi maraming materials doon para sa M.A. thesis ko. Nung second trip, guide ako ng DOT para sa journalists of leading Russian travel magazines. We stayed at Makati Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental, tapos pumunta kami sa Palawan.
Ano ang pinakagusto mo sa Pilipinas ?
Ang nature, virgin nature. Tapos, mga marine diversity. Napaganda ng mga fish noong nag-scuba diving kami. Tapos, mababait ang tao, talagang hospitable. Dahil dito, I am frankly and taospusong inviting all Russians to go to the Philippines. It’s really a paradise.
Nasubukan mo bang kumain ng Filipino food?
Ay, oo, ang sarap! Gusto ko ang lechon at mga Kapampangang luto. Cabalen is my favorite restaurant in the Philippines! Masarap tikman lahat ng pagkain sa buffet nila.
Siguradong maraming Pilipino ang lumigaw sa iyo.
Marami, kasi mabuti ang mga Pilipinong lalaki at naka-smile sila sa amin. Actually may boyfriend na akong Russian noon. May Ph.D rin siya sa pero sa Astro Physics. Kinasal kami October last year, pero wala pa kaming anak.
May balak kang bumalik sa Pilipinas?
Panaginip ko sanang mag-attend ng l0th International Conference of Filipino Linguistics in Palawan in January 2006. Pero hindi siguro ito matutuloy kasi kailangan ko ng funds para makapunta. Pag meron sana kaming pera, siguro my husband and I will go together.
Alin ang mga favorite places mo sa Philippines?
Ang nakita ko lang ay Manila at Palawan. Sayang, hindi ko nakita ang Bohol, Boracay at Cebu. Sa Manila, madalas kaming mag-shopping sa SM Megamall at SM North Edsa. Nakasakay na ako sa jeepney, tricycle at MRT. Minsan nga, nilibre kami ni Natalia ng driver sa tricyle. Siguro naawa siya kasi matangkad kami, nakukuba na kami sa tricycle. Sabi niya, "Sige, free na lang kayo, kasi maganda kayo!"
Mabuti hindi kayo natatakot maglakad sa kalye?
Actually, the only thing we didn’t like was the pollution in Metro Manila. Pero what I liked was seeing Filipinos wearing clean, white shirts despite the pollution.
Ano ang qualities na pinakagusto mo sa mga Pilipino?
Mabait na mabait and mga Pilipino. Hospitable sila, laging ngumingiti. Natural at tunay ang ngiti ng mga Pilipino, hindi tulad ng mga Amerikano, di ba , kung minsan, hindi natural ang ngiti nila?
What similarities do you see between Russians and Filipinos?
Ah, marami. Halimbawa, we are both trying to make friends. Tapos, ano pa, in business, mahalaga ang personal relations. Tapos, ano pa, we are both not very particular about money. Relationships are more mahalaga sa akin kaysa pera.
Natalia Zabolotnaya is a fashionista who looks like she just stepped out of the pages of Russian InStyle magazine.
Philippine STAR: Saan ka bumibili ng damit?
Natalia Zabolotnaya: Dito sa Moscow, pero Italian brands.
Don’t you have Russian-made RTW here?
Meron, pero hindi ko gusto, hindi masyadong maganda.
Hindi ba mahal ang imported?
Bumibili ako habang may sale.Halimbawa, itong suot ko ngayon, more than $100 na lang sa sale.
Ano ang natutunan mo noong tumira kayo sa bahay ni F. Sionil Jose?
Ay, ang bait ni Sionil. He told us about his Ilocos Norte province. Inimbita niya kami doon pero hindi kami nakapunta. I read three of his books and I learned a lot about the Filipino family and traditions. I read his books in Russian! I have also read Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal and The Woman Who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin.
Do you write? Who are your favorite writers?
My favorite is Guy de Maupassant. I also like Victor Hugo and Fyodor Dostoevsky.I like a lot of Russian poets like Aleksandr Pushkin.I write Russian poems, pero ngayon walang time. Pag hindi mabuti ang pakiramdam, I can write poems.
Can or cannot ? How about writing Filipino poems?
Maybe I should, to practice my Filipino. Binabalak kong magpunta sa Philippines next January to celebrate my birthday, like I did this year.Tumira ako sa bahay ng Consul (Roderico Atienza) sa Shaw Boulevard and I enjoyed very much.
What other countries do you dream of visiting? How about America?
No, of course not! I would rather go to Europe and Asia. I really want to live in the Philippines. I always think about the Philippines, its people and its culture.
You might get offers to model in the Philippines.
Modelling, ayoko. Artista, pwede. I enjoy salsa dancing too.
Did you get to meet any Filipino artistas in Manila ?
I watched a lot of Filipino movies. Si Aga Muhlach hindi ko na-meet pero siya lang ang naaalala ko. Favorite ko siya.
May nagustuhan ka ba sa dami ng Pilipinong lumigaw sa iyo?
Maraming kaibigan pero walang boyfriend.
What do you think of Filipino men?
Palagay ko, mabait sila at marunong sila manligaw. Very romantic sila, they give you flowers, say a lot of compliments. Mabait na mabait. Mabait din ang Russian men, pero di tulad ng Filipino men. Mainit ang diwa nila. Filipinos are warmer.
What do you dream of doing in the Philippines?
I want to run a business there. Or mag-artista nga. I can sing Tagalog songs, like Basil Valdez’ Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan which I learned from a tape given me as a gift by Filipino friends. Kami ni Katya, marunong sumayaw ng tinikling, pangdanggo sa ilaw at cariñosa.
Any idols? Who are the people you admire?
Maybe my father, my family. My idol is my God.
I like his wit and sense of humor," says Aleutina "Alya" Abenoja, a Russian Uma Thurman look-alike who loves the Philippines and loves a Filipino.
She is talking about her Filipino darling, Rodolfo "Rudy" Abenoja, a CPA who went to Moscow to start a career. Little did he know that he would soon start a Filipino-Russian family as well.
Married for six years now, Rudy and Alya have a handsome baby boy named Timotei Christian. They live in a neat two-bedroom condominium unit in the central region of Moscow .
"We met in l998 at a Siemens party in Moscow, " says Rudy, 36, who is currently financial director of Siemens in Moscow. After working with Punongbayan and Araullo from l990 to l993, Rudy moved to Saudi Arabia as an accountant for HP . It was in l995 when he was recruited to join Siemens in Russia.
And what does Rudy like most in Alya ?
"She’s the girl of my life," he smiles. "She’s wonderful." She took up interior design and transformed this former bare condo into a nice, modern home. In so short a time, this condo unit Rudy purchased has appreciated in value, he proudly says, And while most young couples their age are still dreaming of having their own country home, Rudy has already purchased a land for their dacha in Zavidovo, a few hours away from Moscow.
"Filipinos are very open and hospitable. They are a happy people, so people-oriented and easy to deal with," explains Alya who has been to the Philippines seven times. "I have seen Palawan and Cebu. Next year, it will be El Nido."
And of course, the couple regularly visits Rudy’s Pampanga hometown where he has built a grand house for his parents.
Since Russian women are granted a really long maternity leave to enable them to breast-feed their baby, Alya has put some extra free time to good use. She and Rudy have established a travel agency servicing Russians who wish to travel to the Philippines. "She’s the CEO and I am only the VP," laughs Rudy. "We have sent two divers to Puerta Galera, and we will be sending more."
Alya is also so in love with Philippine furniture, she plans to export these to Russia. "The Russians will surely love your native pieces for the home. These are so nice!"
Aside from their business ideas, Rudy and Alya have a more important project in mind. They plan to have two more children.
Yes, more Filipino-Russians are coming.
Email the author at milletmm_philstar@pldtdsl.net.
This is the funniest line that Ekaterina "Katya" Baklanova remembers telling her Filipino friends during a lunch break at UP Diliman three years ago. "Talaga, tawa sila nang tawa!"
Otherwise, Katya speaks Filipino like a native Pinoy, complete with Taglish and swardspeak phrases.
Another Russian belle who speaks Filipino well is Natalia Zabolotnaya, a Scarlett Johansson lookalike. "I enjoy talking in Filipino even if our Russian friends say we sound like croaking frogs when we speak Filipino," says Natalia.
Katya and Natalia are two beauteous Russians who speak Filipino and love the Philippines. They acted as our interpreters when we attended the Otdykh Leisure Fair 2005 in Moscow together with the Department of Tourism team under the leadership of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano to sell the Philippines as a holiday destination. The team, headed by Assistant Secretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., had an easy time communicating with Russians, thanks to Katya and Natalia.
Both girls specialized in Philippine studies at the Moscow State University, finishing their master’s degrees as well. They are now on their way to earning their Ph.D and love calling themselves "guro ng Tagalog."
Both spent almost two months of "apprenticeship" at the University of the Philippines in 2002, while staying at the house of National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose. Both came back in 2004 as interpreters for DOT’s tourist groups in the Philippines. And both are yearning to come back.
How easy it was to converse with the two Russians! Here’s how our conversations went:
Philippine STAR: Saan mo unang nabalitaan ang tungkol sa Pilipinas?
Katya Baklanova: Sa Internet lang, konti, tapos sa bali-balita.
Bakit Pilipinas ang pinili mong pag-aralan?
Para sa akin, mas maganda ang Pilipinas kaysa Thailand. Dito, mabait at mabuti ang mga tao.
Paano mo nalaman ?
Mamaya, nalaman ko ito noong kinuha ko ang Tagalog.Pumunta ako sa Embassy of the Philippines sa Moscow. Mabait na mabait sila sa amin, nagpayo sila sa amin sa iba’t ibang naaaral naming. I started with my college course when I was l6, I am only 24 now pero guro na ako ng Tagalog.
Russians din ba ang nagturo sa iyo ng Tagalog sa Moscow State University ?
Oo, natuto sila ng Tagalog din kasi the first group of Russians studying Tagalog started mga 20 years ago in MSU. Ang aking grupo ay ikalawa. Ngayon, nagtuturo ako sa ikaapat na grupo ng estudyante.
Dalawang beses ka nang nagpunta sa Pilipinas, hindi ba?
Nung una, nag-aral ako sa UP, sa main library ako madalas kasi maraming materials doon para sa M.A. thesis ko. Nung second trip, guide ako ng DOT para sa journalists of leading Russian travel magazines. We stayed at Makati Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental, tapos pumunta kami sa Palawan.
Ano ang pinakagusto mo sa Pilipinas ?
Ang nature, virgin nature. Tapos, mga marine diversity. Napaganda ng mga fish noong nag-scuba diving kami. Tapos, mababait ang tao, talagang hospitable. Dahil dito, I am frankly and taospusong inviting all Russians to go to the Philippines. It’s really a paradise.
Nasubukan mo bang kumain ng Filipino food?
Ay, oo, ang sarap! Gusto ko ang lechon at mga Kapampangang luto. Cabalen is my favorite restaurant in the Philippines! Masarap tikman lahat ng pagkain sa buffet nila.
Siguradong maraming Pilipino ang lumigaw sa iyo.
Marami, kasi mabuti ang mga Pilipinong lalaki at naka-smile sila sa amin. Actually may boyfriend na akong Russian noon. May Ph.D rin siya sa pero sa Astro Physics. Kinasal kami October last year, pero wala pa kaming anak.
May balak kang bumalik sa Pilipinas?
Panaginip ko sanang mag-attend ng l0th International Conference of Filipino Linguistics in Palawan in January 2006. Pero hindi siguro ito matutuloy kasi kailangan ko ng funds para makapunta. Pag meron sana kaming pera, siguro my husband and I will go together.
Alin ang mga favorite places mo sa Philippines?
Ang nakita ko lang ay Manila at Palawan. Sayang, hindi ko nakita ang Bohol, Boracay at Cebu. Sa Manila, madalas kaming mag-shopping sa SM Megamall at SM North Edsa. Nakasakay na ako sa jeepney, tricycle at MRT. Minsan nga, nilibre kami ni Natalia ng driver sa tricyle. Siguro naawa siya kasi matangkad kami, nakukuba na kami sa tricycle. Sabi niya, "Sige, free na lang kayo, kasi maganda kayo!"
Mabuti hindi kayo natatakot maglakad sa kalye?
Actually, the only thing we didn’t like was the pollution in Metro Manila. Pero what I liked was seeing Filipinos wearing clean, white shirts despite the pollution.
Ano ang qualities na pinakagusto mo sa mga Pilipino?
Mabait na mabait and mga Pilipino. Hospitable sila, laging ngumingiti. Natural at tunay ang ngiti ng mga Pilipino, hindi tulad ng mga Amerikano, di ba , kung minsan, hindi natural ang ngiti nila?
What similarities do you see between Russians and Filipinos?
Ah, marami. Halimbawa, we are both trying to make friends. Tapos, ano pa, in business, mahalaga ang personal relations. Tapos, ano pa, we are both not very particular about money. Relationships are more mahalaga sa akin kaysa pera.
Philippine STAR: Saan ka bumibili ng damit?
Natalia Zabolotnaya: Dito sa Moscow, pero Italian brands.
Don’t you have Russian-made RTW here?
Meron, pero hindi ko gusto, hindi masyadong maganda.
Hindi ba mahal ang imported?
Bumibili ako habang may sale.Halimbawa, itong suot ko ngayon, more than $100 na lang sa sale.
Ano ang natutunan mo noong tumira kayo sa bahay ni F. Sionil Jose?
Ay, ang bait ni Sionil. He told us about his Ilocos Norte province. Inimbita niya kami doon pero hindi kami nakapunta. I read three of his books and I learned a lot about the Filipino family and traditions. I read his books in Russian! I have also read Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal and The Woman Who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin.
Do you write? Who are your favorite writers?
My favorite is Guy de Maupassant. I also like Victor Hugo and Fyodor Dostoevsky.I like a lot of Russian poets like Aleksandr Pushkin.I write Russian poems, pero ngayon walang time. Pag hindi mabuti ang pakiramdam, I can write poems.
Can or cannot ? How about writing Filipino poems?
Maybe I should, to practice my Filipino. Binabalak kong magpunta sa Philippines next January to celebrate my birthday, like I did this year.Tumira ako sa bahay ng Consul (Roderico Atienza) sa Shaw Boulevard and I enjoyed very much.
What other countries do you dream of visiting? How about America?
No, of course not! I would rather go to Europe and Asia. I really want to live in the Philippines. I always think about the Philippines, its people and its culture.
You might get offers to model in the Philippines.
Modelling, ayoko. Artista, pwede. I enjoy salsa dancing too.
Did you get to meet any Filipino artistas in Manila ?
I watched a lot of Filipino movies. Si Aga Muhlach hindi ko na-meet pero siya lang ang naaalala ko. Favorite ko siya.
May nagustuhan ka ba sa dami ng Pilipinong lumigaw sa iyo?
Maraming kaibigan pero walang boyfriend.
What do you think of Filipino men?
Palagay ko, mabait sila at marunong sila manligaw. Very romantic sila, they give you flowers, say a lot of compliments. Mabait na mabait. Mabait din ang Russian men, pero di tulad ng Filipino men. Mainit ang diwa nila. Filipinos are warmer.
What do you dream of doing in the Philippines?
I want to run a business there. Or mag-artista nga. I can sing Tagalog songs, like Basil Valdez’ Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan which I learned from a tape given me as a gift by Filipino friends. Kami ni Katya, marunong sumayaw ng tinikling, pangdanggo sa ilaw at cariñosa.
Any idols? Who are the people you admire?
Maybe my father, my family. My idol is my God.
She is talking about her Filipino darling, Rodolfo "Rudy" Abenoja, a CPA who went to Moscow to start a career. Little did he know that he would soon start a Filipino-Russian family as well.
Married for six years now, Rudy and Alya have a handsome baby boy named Timotei Christian. They live in a neat two-bedroom condominium unit in the central region of Moscow .
"We met in l998 at a Siemens party in Moscow, " says Rudy, 36, who is currently financial director of Siemens in Moscow. After working with Punongbayan and Araullo from l990 to l993, Rudy moved to Saudi Arabia as an accountant for HP . It was in l995 when he was recruited to join Siemens in Russia.
And what does Rudy like most in Alya ?
"She’s the girl of my life," he smiles. "She’s wonderful." She took up interior design and transformed this former bare condo into a nice, modern home. In so short a time, this condo unit Rudy purchased has appreciated in value, he proudly says, And while most young couples their age are still dreaming of having their own country home, Rudy has already purchased a land for their dacha in Zavidovo, a few hours away from Moscow.
"Filipinos are very open and hospitable. They are a happy people, so people-oriented and easy to deal with," explains Alya who has been to the Philippines seven times. "I have seen Palawan and Cebu. Next year, it will be El Nido."
And of course, the couple regularly visits Rudy’s Pampanga hometown where he has built a grand house for his parents.
Since Russian women are granted a really long maternity leave to enable them to breast-feed their baby, Alya has put some extra free time to good use. She and Rudy have established a travel agency servicing Russians who wish to travel to the Philippines. "She’s the CEO and I am only the VP," laughs Rudy. "We have sent two divers to Puerta Galera, and we will be sending more."
Alya is also so in love with Philippine furniture, she plans to export these to Russia. "The Russians will surely love your native pieces for the home. These are so nice!"
Aside from their business ideas, Rudy and Alya have a more important project in mind. They plan to have two more children.
Yes, more Filipino-Russians are coming.
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