The Irony of Fate, or S Lyokhim Parom!

Organizer's Note: Though we are no longer at a Russian Sauna, there IS a SAUNA At Yoga Now, as well as a STEAM ROOM. Each fit 4-6 people each. We love Natasha's original write-up, so we're keeping it here:

Every year on New Year's, Russian t.v. plays a movie akin to "It's a Wonderful Life" called "The Irony of Fate, or Have a Good Steam." In it, our hero, Zhenya, gets so wasted at a New Year's celebration in a sauna with his friends that he accidently takes boards a flight to St. Petersburg. He ends up at "home," having given the cab driver his address in Moscow. It turns out that in Russia, the little public housing made of ticky tacky has the same addresses in the same streets with the same state locks "union" wide. The buxom blond who actually lives there comes home to find a man passed out in her bed, and a romantic comedy is born.

I can't explain to you how dear this movie is. The music is legendary. I can't resist posting a link to a clip of some of the music.

The New Year's tradition of having a drunken sauna with your friends is central to the Russian experience. In a country where there is very little that is tender, this holiday and this custom make Russians just a little softer.

There are many things to know when partaking in a real Russian sauna (which the Russians call a "banya.") Two things, however, must be noted. The first is that real Russians don't mess around with "bathing suits." Now I don't expect anyone to crave the authentic experience that much, but I can say that for a people who subsist on starch, the Russians are not modest about their bodies. Me and my winter pudge are going to be rocking a bikini - you all can do as you wish.

The second thing to know is that you must greet people before going in by wishing them a "good steam."

So with that in mind, I wish you all well and hope to see you there. S lyokhim parom!