“Walk deeper, you’ll might find us.”
You could feel the surrounding fir trees, pine trees, cedars and larches were also dancing when our naked graceful bodies running and giggling in that Russian forest. It was a divine experience. I remember smoking a lot. I also remember the field with very healthy and tall grasses. Now I remember everything. My first Raguda Festival in Russia and I didn’t experience it with the reason I went to that country for the first time. It’s you, Luba.
If I ever have to leave Europe someday, one of the names that I will always remember is Luba. She has been one of the most interesting person that I’ve ever met in my life. Born as an Estonian-Russian girl, she speaks both languages other than Dutch, English, French, German, and Norwegian. In her last letter she told me than soon she’ll be able to fully understand Finnish. One language that has always been on the top of the list of her next linguistic adventure would be Hebrew. Lithuanian is also on the list since she has this strange love relation with a girl named Emilija living in Vilnius. None of above languages I can understand, except English and Norwegian. We fell in love at our first conversation at an international students coffee hour and then went to a folk concert on the same day. Walking home from downtown for about two hours that early morning after concert, we had plenty of time to get to know each other more. But time is always not so friendly for our relationship. Both of us were too busy for each other, except for some kitchen parties. Then suddenly, the time also came to pick her up. She had to go back to Amsterdam, where she lived before attending some master courses at the University of Oslo.
I thought I’d always be the one who leave people behind until I met Luba. She travelled more than I do, also in much higher intensity. One day she sent me an e-mail from Hong Kong for a conference on “names and identities” – and I always forget to ask her until now why Chinese language doesn’t seem interesting to her at all. Anyhow, after much lack of communication through any virtual means, last summer we decided to meet in St. Petersburg. I haven’t been there anyway and she could provide me with everything I need in the city. I was fortunately also in the mood to deal with the Russian authorities in the embassy. I managed to get the visa and contact Luba and some of her friends in the delta of the Neva River, where Peter the Great found St. Petersburg hundred years ago.
In the Slavic language, Luba means love. Carrying this meaning deep to her heart, Luba certainly has much of it to invest. This time was a German guy she met in Berlin during one of her conferences on names and identities. One day before I embarked to St. Petersburg, he asked Luba to accompany him riding his Harley Davidson through several European countries, which if I were her, I wouldn’t say no. That’s exactly what Luba did.
I was at first a bit pissed, until one of her friends in St. Petersburg, whom Luba has positioned as “the Guide,” – which I preferred “the Replacement” – asked me to join him to an annual hippies festival called Raguda – or Rainbow – in the middle of one of the Russian forest, about five hours driving from St. Petersburg. So I decided to forget all of the displeasure of not meeting Luba and invest all the feelings left for this festival, I tried to save that short vacation by not caring at all on what would happen next. Both raguda and this “replacement” guy, Aleksei, should be a great replacement for Luba, I thought cheerfully.
It was even better. The festival was located really deep deep inside a forest, near a huge grass field, for real. We met some other friends and got socially involved with almost everyone. I can’t remember all names – perhaps for the better. Aleksei tried his best to guide me through everything so most of the times I was with him, which I enjoyed much. Involving excessive smoking and mushrooms, this festival then evolved into its original form, a naked hippies festival. When we dance, we don’t have to having an excuse (if we need one) to touch another human being, to laugh, sing, roll around in the grass, or the middle of everything and everyone. We were running and giggling, getting the blood flowing, saying “good morning” to everyone although it was definitely in the middle of the night. It was so beautiful.
In the middle of the wild adventure, I had one moment of clearheadedness that I should thank my dear sweet friend Luba for that night. Even though she pissed me off by travelling trough the Alps and the bordering countries instead of meeting me in St. Petersburg, with the help from Aleksei and those friendly people at the festival, it actually paid very well.
More pictures are available at 
Jena
