Occasionally we run into Boris outside our apartment building. I snapped this picture on Agrippas Street when we were returning to the school and he was on his way home.
One of Boris' favorite subjects is politics. Israeli politics. American politics. Russian politics. We don't enter into many conversations about Israel, since we aren't adequately informed to warrant intelligent participation. Fortunately for us, his opinions of specific American politics parallel ours. Russian politics? Well, our specific knowledge is somewhat sketchy. He has enlightened us about Russian life under Stalin and other Russian leaders. Apparently Russians love to read nowadays, since for many years their selection of reading material was chosen for them by the government. He says that books are only now being written about terrible things that happened there years ago. Though he is Russian, I doubt if he will ever return. I don't think he considers it his country any longer.
A few weeks ago Boris discovered that my name is "Sylvia" rather than "Sophia." I kept wondering why my name would be difficult for him to pronounce since a popular Russian beverage (vodka) contains a "v." I suppose he had just not heard my name correctly. Anyway, it is nice to have shed the alias "Sophia."
One morning Bill said, "Our alarm clock has a new name."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Boris," he replied.
His dental office adjoins our little apartment. Even with achey mouths, people here are capable of talking in elevated tones of voice. (Such talent!) When they arrive, we can hear them clearly, though fortunately we have no idea what they are saying. The soothing sound of Boris' drill and his compressor kicking on adds to the gentle waking-up procedure. (His compressor is stored on our balcony, just a few feet from our bed.) I must say this is a new experience, since I have never lived next to a dentist before.
All in all, having Boris as a daytime neighbor and landlord has been pleasant. We are nice to him and he is nice to us. As our friend James tends to say, "It's all good" - drill and all.
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