Russian

Special report from US (By Tiffany Duke)

Time of publication: 14.03.2003
Autograph signing - Wayne, New Jersey Sat. March, 2

As I walk towards the table where Yulia and Lena are sitting, Yulia looks up and smiles immediately. "Ohhh! Lena! Lena!" She says grabbing Lena's arm and pointing at me (my dad got a pic of this reaction). Lena looks up and they both are looking at me, smiling! I can't believe they really remember me! Then they start saying things in Russian I can't make out. I put my pictures of me with them from Vegas on the table along with some gifts I brought them. I made them both T-shirts that said "Yebat Censorship" (Fuck Censorship), and got them both rings. "Thank you, thank you!" Yulia says smiling at me. She puts her gifts in her pile and hands Lena hers. She grabs the photo of me and her together and puts it in her pile. I ask Lena to sign the shirt I am wearing and she does. Then I go back over to Yulia and ask if she will sign that photo of her and I together. "No, I want! I keep?" She tells me. "Ok, sure" I say. She picks up the photograph and holds it up "Take picture" she says. So I take one. Lena hands the autographed photo of all 3 of us together to Yulia and Yulia hands it to me. I thank them, smile, and walk off.

IMX taping - New York Mon. March, 3

I don't get Much Music at home, so I had never heard of IMX, and didn't quite know what to expect. But it turned out to be awesome. The set and everyone was extremely laid-back and cool. So we begin shooting at 6, and they have me sitting behind a computer. Marianela comes up to me and hands me her card of questions for TATU. "Memorize those lines, you're gonna interview TATU," she jokes. We start talking and I find out she grew up in the same area as me, and even graduated from the same high school I go to now. Pretty cool. So when she begins filming, I read some of the interview questions on the card. I realize question #4 is about censorship and the shirt I made and am wearing is about censorship. Marianela comes up to me 10 minutes later to get her interview card and I tell her about my shirt relating to question #4. She moves me closer to the couches, and tells me she wants me to come up and show my shirt to the camera during that question. SO - Tatu come out and they look adorable! Yulia is dressed in baggy pants and a tank top, and Lena in denim jeans and a black T. They ask some questions regarding how they met, how they like New York, and what Russia is like. Next Marianela begins to ask about NBC and Jay Leno censoring their kiss. "So you guys were on Jay Leno and they censored your kiss. We don't censor here so if you guys feel the need to kiss, it's ok. We're not gonna censor it. How do you guys feel about censorship? Actually, I'd like to bring a little friend over here." She says directing me to come over. I jump up and walk towards them. Lena looks up at me, smiles and says, "We know her!" Marianela pulls me over to where she is sitting, saying that I am a Tatu fan, and tells the camera to get my shirt. They ask me to explain my shirt. Handing Yulia's mic to me, I hear Yulia read aloud the Russian writing on my shirt, "Yeebat". I tell them it says "yebat censorship" meaning Fuck censorship. Guess I wasn't suppose to say fuck on live television. Marianela tells me thanks and I go back to my seat. She asks them how they feel about censorship and Lena tells them she doesn't understand what that word means. They tell her what it is and she replies saying they censor them because they are "stupid"! At one point they turn around and notice the girls with the "Huy Voinye" behind them and give them a thumbs up. Yulia refuses to kiss one of the hosts! HAHA. It was so funny when Yulia said that lady had a manly voice and was a transvestite! And later on in the show both the girls start cussing, Yulia and Lena teach the hosts to say Huy Voinye. And the hosts teach Yulia to say "mother fuckers". Then Yulia says "MOFUCKERS!" and Lena I think says "I have a dick" putting the microphone in between her legs! The girls were hilarious. During the taping I see Ivan Shapavalov filming with his video camera, and in between takes Yulia yells things to him in Russian. After the interview Yulia gets up immediately and talks to Ivan. Lena stays on the couch a bit as she explains Yulia's tattoo to the girls with Huy Voinye shirts. She tells them it means something in Arabic and she does not know the exact translation. "Hiyam- it means love, right?" I ask Lena. "Yes. Something like this. Not exactly love - but is close." She says. Some girls yell for Yulia to come over and show her tattoos, but she doesn't. They all really seem in a hurry to leave. Sadly, we audience members can't move because they have to film the rest of the show. Tatu and everyone with them leave right away.

Hotel - New York Tues. March 4

I go to their hotel and use the house phone to call the girls room. Their translator answers the phone and we start talking. At the end I ask him if it would be possible to get a picture with the girls. He tells me to hold on while he asks them. They all speak in Russian for a little while, and then he comes back on and tells me that they would "love to have a picture taken with me"! he tells me they are showering and getting ready for tonight but if I hang around for 30 minutes they will meet me in the lobby. I tell him that's fine and he tells me he will see me soon! So about 35 minutes later I'm sitting in the lobby and their translator comes up to me and asks me if I am Tiffany. I tell him I am and he says that Yulia will be down shortly. I ask him if Lena will come down and he tells me Lena isn't around. He doesn't tell me where she is exactly, but she's not in the hotel. Waiting by the elevators I see the TATU staff, so I decide to go and talk to them. I talk to their make-up artist and Ami for a while. They're all there waiting on Yulia, she's running late. Then Ivan walks up, and I recognize him immediately! I ask if I can get a picture with him, and he misunderstands and thinks I want him to take a picture of me. He reaches out for me to hand him the camera. "No," I say "With YOU". and he goes "ahhh Ok, sure". I give my camera to my dad to take the picture and Ivan and I pose. Suddenly Ivan kisses me on the cheek! It was pretty funny; I sure wasn't expecting that to happen. So my dad takes the pictures and I thank Ivan. Then, the elevator rings, and Yulia comes out! She's eating potato chips and she walks towards us. Yulia starts talking to them and the whole crew seems ready to go, I get the impression they are running late to be somewhere. Yulia sees me, smiles and walks over. We both say "hello" and she puts her arm around me for the picture. I tell her thanks and she waves and says "bye". They all walk outside, quickly get in the van, and they're off.

Written by Tiffany Duke.
TatySite.Net
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