Trip 2, Day 10

No tears today!!!! He had several episodes of making his crying face, but then he'd stop. It was really quite comical. More of his personality is coming out, and we've decided he is all boy. His favorite thing to do by far is clang the stacking cups together or beat them on other toys to make noise. He also pulled himself to standing, and we've watched him crawl on all fours, but he doesn't go very far when he does. It's almost like he has this invisible boundary he doesn't cross. We were asked not to visit tomorrow because it is a national holiday here--something similar to our veterans day maybe. It is freezing cold here today (-17) and it's expected to be even colder this week--should have got all our running around they day it was +32 degrees the other day!

Eating around here is interesting. I find it amusing that there is so much Italian food. Pizza is everywhere! I think our favorite place so far is this bar several blocks from here. They don't speak English there, but they have menu with pictures, so we do the pick and point thing. Doug ordered a close cousin to American fajitas the other day, and they were really, really good. I think I like that place so much because they play 60s, 70s, and early 80s American music on the video screen. I've seen Boy George, Cyndi Lauper, Jefferson Starship, the Supremes, Roy Orbinson.... Why they play it in English when no one there speaks it is beyond me, but I think I could stay there all afternoon and just sit. I can't believe how "relaxing" it is to listen to something I can understand.

We've found some interesting Lays potato chips around here. They have crab flavor, bacon flavor, and green onion flavor--we're talking serious green onion flavor. They have these instant soups we've been living on at night that taste like liquid Stove Top Stuffing. Delish!!! The glasses are small by American standards. It doesn't matter if it is a coffee cup or a water glass--and heaven forbid drink your bottled water out of the bottle--you pour it into a glass. They are all small sizes. There are no "to-go" cups to be had. No body walks around with any food or drink in their hands. The restaurant portions are smaller too. We've found it interesting that we have seen very few overweight Russians here. Hmmm....

The gum here is substandard Doug says. I wouldn't know; I don't chew it. He says it's tougher and doesn't last as long as what you'd buy in the states--even the American brands like Wrigley. They don't have a lot candy around here. We have yet to find an aisle filled with hard candy like in the US. What they do have, however, is chocolate. And it is good stuff!!

We went to this place called Micks the other day. It's like a Furrs Cafeteria. No one speaks English, and I had no idea what I was picking out to eat. I think this was pretty authentic Russian type food here. I chose some kind of salisbury looking meat with sauce and I chose red sauce to go on top. I won't be going with the red sauce again--not a good move on my part. I was not crazy about it at all, but we both ate for a total of $10 US!

The Russians eat later than we do. Their typical lunch hour is from about 1:30-2:30PM. We were always eating around noon, and the restaurants were empty. I thought no body ate out. Then one day we got back from the orphanage late, and didn't get out to eat until nearly 2:00. It was packed. They expect you to take off your coat and hang it up on a coat rack. It is not kosher to keep it at your chair. I was in Moma Romas today, and our waitress explained to me in Russian that there was a coat rack to hang my coat. It was packed with coats, so I just kept it on my chair. She came by several times and pointed to the hangars. When one opened up, I put my coat there. I then turn around, and she's taken Doug's into her own hands and is putting it up. I never would have imagined that sitting with your coat at the table would require a Zantac! :)

By the way, Doug can't keep his hands off my Snoopy puzzle that he scoffed at before we left the states! LOL