We come from two different countries and we have different ideas about what cosy means. In Guangzhou, it used to be a very green city, it’s still green but not so much. It’s surrounded by mountains. It’s fresh and moist, humid. Bamboo and steam. It’s the home of Yum Cha. This is a messy busy cosy place for me. Meanwhile in Russia, cosy is a neater get together inside a home. It’s dark, outside is very cold, but inside is warm. The smell of books. The smell of vodka. In summer outdoor fires, the smell of wood. In winter the smell of pine in the outdoor sauna. The smell of dill reminds me of my grandmother, when she would put it on my sandwich.

SCENT

condensed-water-rising-off mountain leaf, steaming bamboo, pork and mushroom steaming, old books, vodka, fresh dill, heated pine wood.

By

Anton & Rita Bourtsev