малина!

малина is the Russian word for raspberries. The English word "raspberry" is horrible sounding and that's probably why the word is also used to describe the obnoxious blowing sound one makes with the tongue and lips to signify contempt or derision. It's also the kind of peculiarly spelled word that drives students of English as a Second Language nuts. But, the Russian word for raspberries, малина, is pronounced "Malina" and, unlike the word raspberry, Malina is a pretty and delicate word, just like the small berries themselves. Am I talking about the word for raspberry in two different languages because I have finally lost my mind after spending the past week climbing up and down the endless flights of stairs to my apartment because the elevator in my building, it seems, will never be fixed? NO! I am talking about raspberries because it's the beginning of raspberry season in Kyrgyzstan and I bought a wonderful container of my very favorite fruit today. Yes, I like them even more than watermelons--especially their portability. And, by the way, the first handful I ate were sublimely delicious.