Travel
Yuri’s travel guides and a tribute to Anthony Bourdain.
How To Visit London and The Yookay
Comrades: Has London fallen to The Yookay? I recently visited the city for the first time in a decade. It was also my first international trip since the COVID hysteria.
How To Visit Oxford University
Comrades: Oxford is the most magnificent campus on the planet. It would take years to absorb all the culture, history, and architecture there. If you look closely, you can see rot beneath the facade. The current students are not worthy of its legacy. Let’s go for a stroll on the second episode of Yuri subversive
How To Speak Taiwanese
Comrades: Taiwan is a beautiful country and Taipei is one of the best cities in the world. The first and only time I visited Taipei was a decade ago. It combines the best elements of Chinese culture, Japanese cleanliness, Southeast Asian tropical climate, and Western openness. The nature, food, history, and transportation are all world class. I have longed to return to explore the rest of the country and had planned a road trip around the island in February 2020, but was forced to cancel last minute due to COVID. The way things are unraveling now, I wonder if Baby Yulia will ever get to meet her family on either side of the Taiwan Strait.
How To AFUERA: Drink Mate, Dance Tango, Eat Steak, and Win the World Cup
Comrades: En unión y libertad, Argentina! Argentina is a beautiful country. New President Javier Milei appears to be well on track to restoring its glory and scattering socialist government to the winds. Inject his legendary shit leftists rant straight into your veins:
How To Visit a Warzone
Comrades: Nagorno Karabakh is one of the most naturally beautiful and historically fascinating places in the world. Also known as Republic of Artsakh, it is a disputed territory the size of Delaware located in the Caucasus Mountains between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It’s a picturesque 12-hour round trip drive from Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. 100,000 Armen…
How To Speak Russian
Comrades: спасибо! I am one of the last Americans to visit Russia. Before journeying to Karabakh (pray for Armenia, the largest violent escalation in 2 years has just occurred) in summer 2018, I fulfilled a boyhood dream by going to the World Cup. It was an epic blur of soccer, vodka, cigarettes, adrenaline, and jet lag as the sun never set.
How To Speak Vietnamese
Comrades: Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries on earth. I had the good fortune of backpacking through Vietnam and several other Southeast Asian countries almost a decade ago. They were enchanting places full of friendly people, fascinating cultures, and delicious food. All travel posts including this one can be found on the
How To Speak Burmese
Comrades: Myanmar is a mystical place that is unlike any other. It is the only country I have visited where you must be accompanied by guides the entire time. Many regions were off limits to foreigners and the whole country is difficult to navigate on your own. In February 2021, the military junta staged a coup to retake control after a brief window of “democracy”. This video of a masked exercise instructor dancing as the coup unfolds behind her is mesmerizing:
How To Visit a Warzone (Part 2)
Comrades: BOMBSHELL BREAKING NEWS - A petro dictator has invaded a sovereign nation. He literally has a Hitler mustache and wants to finish a genocide from a century ago. Hundreds have been killed, including civilians. Add the Armenian flag to your social media profiles and front lawns immediately to stand against Azerbaijan!
How To Take a Hike
Comrades: Hiking rejuvenates the soul. Whenever I need an escape from Karenland FUPAZ, I seek nature. The best part about day hikes is that you don’t need to carry and set up camping gear - you can have a glorious rest in your own bed. Below are the best day hikes in our beautiful country.
How To Explore Parts Unknown
NOTE: A rough draft of this post was accidentally emailed on June 12. This is the final polished version. Comments are open, this one hit me hard.
How To Speak French (Part 2)
Comrades: Fiction and reality continue to merge. In Part 1 of How to Speak French, I examined the cover-ups of “vibrant local youths” attacking fans at this year’s Champions League Final in Paris. The movie Athena captures that lawless no-go-zone phenomenon better than any film has. It is the violent European version of