So this week was fairly mundane. We had a very large group project due for one of our classes, which seemed to encompass the majority of my time. Although it really didn’t, I felt like it was a looming presence over the entire week. Another looming presence was the reality that Katie McKee is leaving us. Although she was only here for a month, she was a vital component of our group and I am really sad to see her leave. It wasn’t until after she arrived that I began singing show tunes on the streets of Moscow. Let’s face it, that’s life changing.
But unfortunately, besides the grey weather and schoolwork, there wasn’t too much involved in this week. So, instead of doing something productive I was able to sleep a lot and I went to the grocery store. I enjoy grocery shopping here. It’s very different because it’s sort of like a free for all. You know those images from the early 1990s at Christmas time when parents were fighting for the red power ranger action figure? Exactly like Russian in a supermarket.
I anticipate this coming week to be a really good one though! :)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Italian Adventure
To continue our fantastic day, we decided to embark on an adventure to an Italian restaurant close to the heart of Moscow. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was at the idea of eating Italian food. Granted my perception of true cuisine is slightly incorrect (Olive Garden isn’t authentic? What?), regardless I was thrilled. Now do not get me wrong, the Russian food we have been consuming has been delicious and I truly have no complaints about any of my culinary experiences thus far. However, Russian food has a tendency to be maybe more savory than the food I am typically used to. The texture is consistent and the flavoring isn’t quite as spicy as my palate is accustomed to. It’s not a fault at all, just a difference. Thus, we figured Italian was the best way to *spice* things up.
After inviting the entire group, our dinner party was narrowed to Karlie, Katie and I. The three of us have actually been consistent travel buddies for the past week and it’s fitting because we all have very similar demeanors when it comes to adventuring. We are very spontaneous and hold time as a relative concept. Our attitudes definitely came in handy that night because our guidebook was misleading. That sneaky little sucker of a book did not include very detailed instructions on how to locate the restaurant. Katie and Karlie, being more daring adventurers than I, took the reigns and bravely navigated the streets. Granted we were a little lost at first, but had I been navigating, we would have ended up in Mongolia!
We ended up wandering the streets of Moscow for about 90 minutes looking for this restaurant! Luckily we were able to maintain positive mindset, particularly because we're all Sound of Music fanatics so we sing all the time on the sidewalks. The three of us decided it was time for several verses of "My Favorite Things" because when the dog bites, and the bee stings, you just remember you favorite things and then you don't feel so bad- right? :)
I couldn’t have been happier exploring though, because we were in the very affluent section of Moscow’s neighborhoods! The streets were adorable, lined with unique boutiques and little, ornate cafes. Because we were completely famished, we stopped in a quaint, French pastry shop. I got a little piece of cheesecake for 60 rubles (only about $1.30!). It was fabulous and provided much needed glucose.
Fortunately, Katie was determined to find this restaurant and used her mapping skills to ascertain our bearings and locate the right direction. When we finally found the Italian restaurant, the hostess saw our distress and immediate sat us. I ordered the margherita pizza and enjoyed every bite of it (yes, I ate a whole pizza- we hadn't eaten all day... minus the tiny cheesecake). All in all, the night was perfect. I feel like when you’re not looking for it, you’re most likely to find something great. Upon reflecting on the night, I was reminded of a quote from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “ Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. Fortunately, that night we didn’t miss anything.
After inviting the entire group, our dinner party was narrowed to Karlie, Katie and I. The three of us have actually been consistent travel buddies for the past week and it’s fitting because we all have very similar demeanors when it comes to adventuring. We are very spontaneous and hold time as a relative concept. Our attitudes definitely came in handy that night because our guidebook was misleading. That sneaky little sucker of a book did not include very detailed instructions on how to locate the restaurant. Katie and Karlie, being more daring adventurers than I, took the reigns and bravely navigated the streets. Granted we were a little lost at first, but had I been navigating, we would have ended up in Mongolia!
We ended up wandering the streets of Moscow for about 90 minutes looking for this restaurant! Luckily we were able to maintain positive mindset, particularly because we're all Sound of Music fanatics so we sing all the time on the sidewalks. The three of us decided it was time for several verses of "My Favorite Things" because when the dog bites, and the bee stings, you just remember you favorite things and then you don't feel so bad- right? :)
I couldn’t have been happier exploring though, because we were in the very affluent section of Moscow’s neighborhoods! The streets were adorable, lined with unique boutiques and little, ornate cafes. Because we were completely famished, we stopped in a quaint, French pastry shop. I got a little piece of cheesecake for 60 rubles (only about $1.30!). It was fabulous and provided much needed glucose.
Fortunately, Katie was determined to find this restaurant and used her mapping skills to ascertain our bearings and locate the right direction. When we finally found the Italian restaurant, the hostess saw our distress and immediate sat us. I ordered the margherita pizza and enjoyed every bite of it (yes, I ate a whole pizza- we hadn't eaten all day... minus the tiny cheesecake). All in all, the night was perfect. I feel like when you’re not looking for it, you’re most likely to find something great. Upon reflecting on the night, I was reminded of a quote from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “ Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. Fortunately, that night we didn’t miss anything.
Mid-Afternoon Adventure
I must say that I had one of the best weekends ever. On Saturday morning, Karlie, Katie, Marie, Miles, Maxime and I ventured to my (Katherine the Great of course) summer estate, Tsaritsino Palace. The palace was commissioned by Catherine the Great as her summer palace in 1775, but because the palace wasn’t up to the Empress’s standards she had it torn down and rebuilt (minor budget setbacks- aka zero money- prevented the estate from finishing during her lifetime). Can you say diva? I like her already!
Anyway, we entered Tsaritsino Palace through a heavily wooded area, which was quite shocking to find in Moscow. Combine the snow on the ground, on the trees and the snow falling from the sky, it created a wistful and magical ambiance that continues through our adventure. I fully plan to venture back to the park when it’s a little warmer and walk along the trails.
Now to the estate- it’s a miniscule little place, quite humble and cozy. Yeah, I’m totally kidding, this place was gigantic! Katie McKee and I had a fabulous time walking around speaking in British accents about “our palace” (it is our namesake after all…). I couldn’t help but imagine the decadent world Catherine the Great must have lived in to envision such grandeur. It definitely wasn’t too shabby!
However, after venturing through chilly temperatures and snow, we were in desperate need of some heat. Fortunately we came across a fabulous little coffee shop and delighted in ordering some coffee and blini (similar to crepes). The café itself was an aged house that had been renovated to accommodate guests. It was adorable and capped off a picturesque mid-afternoon adventure.
*Special thanks to Marie and Katie whose pictures I used for the slideshow!
Anyway, we entered Tsaritsino Palace through a heavily wooded area, which was quite shocking to find in Moscow. Combine the snow on the ground, on the trees and the snow falling from the sky, it created a wistful and magical ambiance that continues through our adventure. I fully plan to venture back to the park when it’s a little warmer and walk along the trails.
Now to the estate- it’s a miniscule little place, quite humble and cozy. Yeah, I’m totally kidding, this place was gigantic! Katie McKee and I had a fabulous time walking around speaking in British accents about “our palace” (it is our namesake after all…). I couldn’t help but imagine the decadent world Catherine the Great must have lived in to envision such grandeur. It definitely wasn’t too shabby!
However, after venturing through chilly temperatures and snow, we were in desperate need of some heat. Fortunately we came across a fabulous little coffee shop and delighted in ordering some coffee and blini (similar to crepes). The café itself was an aged house that had been renovated to accommodate guests. It was adorable and capped off a picturesque mid-afternoon adventure.
*Special thanks to Marie and Katie whose pictures I used for the slideshow!
One Great Night
As a feisty Irish girl, it is to be expected that I would celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with much fervor and festivities. During my years at home, my mom would provide my brother and I with buttons and greet shirts to signal to the world that we were Irish and proud. Our dinners would be complete with green mashed potatoes, green applesauce, green cookies, green pancakes, etc. Thus, coming up onto March 17, 2011, I was a little apprehensive about the idea of celebrating St. Pat’s in Moscow (especially because the annual parade on Arbat Street was canceled). You know what they say though, if you can’t bring Mohammad to the mountain, you bring the mountain to you…or something like that.
It’s very important for me to make sure that I am always wearing green. Unfortunately, I did not bring any green items of clothing to Moscow. I instantly changed that by drawing a shamrock on my forearm with a green pen. Problem solved. Dr. Katie McKee, our fabulous teacher for the month of March, shares my affinity for Irish culture and was just as enthusiastic about engaging in an adventure. So, at about 3:30 we set off to find some mischief.
Karlie, Katie and I began our festivities for the day by taking the most convoluted route on the Metro possible. We had 3 line changes and multiple stops on each line; it was an ordeal. I noticed the banality of the Russian people more so today than other days. No one was wearing green, no one was cheerful, and no one was celebrating. It was tragic.
Our destination for the day was an inexpensive souvenir shop on the other side of town. Unfortunately the guidebook did not include detailed direction, so ultimately we were unable to locate this mythical souvenir shop. However, while on our wild goose chase, Katie entertained us with Irish folk stories. We also kept ourselves entertained by singing show tunes up and down the sidewalk, much to the chagrin of our fellow pedestrians. (Our harmonies were incandescent, in case you were wondering)
So, after our unsuccessful venture, we decided to take a chance on a strip mall located close to the metro. Being the lackadaisical people we are, Karlie, Katie and I had no problem absentmindedly wandering the myriad of little shops littered with suspicious Russian storeowners. I don’t think the concept of customer service is quite as pronounced in Russia as it is here in the US. Nevertheless, this did not temper our mood (we were hyper after singing songs from The Sound of Music).
After a bout of unsuccessful, yet entertaining, shopping, we decided to stop in T. G. I. Fridays for a little American dinner. I could have cried tears of joy at the sight of chicken fingers and honey mustard. I never realized how much I missed those little bundles of cholesterol. Our waitress was the nicest girl I’ve come across. She was so enthusiastic and willing to speak English. We wondered the motives behind this service. We debated whether or not there was a correlation between the customer satisfaction and the T.G.I. Friday company’s American origins.
St. Patrick’s Day was in full swing at T.G.I. Friday. To make a long story short, I will just saw that our night concluded with free t-shirts, full stomachs, and a happy state of mind. But overall, I think it is important to note the disparity in customer service between the boutiques and our waitress at T.G.I. Friday. I suppose Russia is a nation of contrasts, which was perpetuated in our fantastic night out.
It’s very important for me to make sure that I am always wearing green. Unfortunately, I did not bring any green items of clothing to Moscow. I instantly changed that by drawing a shamrock on my forearm with a green pen. Problem solved. Dr. Katie McKee, our fabulous teacher for the month of March, shares my affinity for Irish culture and was just as enthusiastic about engaging in an adventure. So, at about 3:30 we set off to find some mischief.
Karlie, Katie and I began our festivities for the day by taking the most convoluted route on the Metro possible. We had 3 line changes and multiple stops on each line; it was an ordeal. I noticed the banality of the Russian people more so today than other days. No one was wearing green, no one was cheerful, and no one was celebrating. It was tragic.
Our destination for the day was an inexpensive souvenir shop on the other side of town. Unfortunately the guidebook did not include detailed direction, so ultimately we were unable to locate this mythical souvenir shop. However, while on our wild goose chase, Katie entertained us with Irish folk stories. We also kept ourselves entertained by singing show tunes up and down the sidewalk, much to the chagrin of our fellow pedestrians. (Our harmonies were incandescent, in case you were wondering)
So, after our unsuccessful venture, we decided to take a chance on a strip mall located close to the metro. Being the lackadaisical people we are, Karlie, Katie and I had no problem absentmindedly wandering the myriad of little shops littered with suspicious Russian storeowners. I don’t think the concept of customer service is quite as pronounced in Russia as it is here in the US. Nevertheless, this did not temper our mood (we were hyper after singing songs from The Sound of Music).
After a bout of unsuccessful, yet entertaining, shopping, we decided to stop in T. G. I. Fridays for a little American dinner. I could have cried tears of joy at the sight of chicken fingers and honey mustard. I never realized how much I missed those little bundles of cholesterol. Our waitress was the nicest girl I’ve come across. She was so enthusiastic and willing to speak English. We wondered the motives behind this service. We debated whether or not there was a correlation between the customer satisfaction and the T.G.I. Friday company’s American origins.
St. Patrick’s Day was in full swing at T.G.I. Friday. To make a long story short, I will just saw that our night concluded with free t-shirts, full stomachs, and a happy state of mind. But overall, I think it is important to note the disparity in customer service between the boutiques and our waitress at T.G.I. Friday. I suppose Russia is a nation of contrasts, which was perpetuated in our fantastic night out.
Monday, March 14, 2011
American Food
Last Friday was a pretty long day for me. I will spare details but it’s necessary to know this to explain my necessity for American food. You know those days where you would elbow a small child for a cheeseburger? Exactly.
We decided to venture out into Moscow to look for a Starlight diner. It’s a common chain restaurant throughout Moscow that specializes in typical American cuisine. Little did we know the treat that was in store for us that evening!
We arrived at the diner fashionably later (about 1 ½ hours after we left) and needless to say, I was starving! So, we’re sitting in this diner and the wait for service allowed us to fully soak in the experience. The décor was stereotypical 1950s, a la Happy Days. It reminded me of a poodle skirt my mom made me for Halloween one year. The waitresses were dressed in “traditional American clothes”- cheerleading skirts and tops. Overall, it was cheesy but still quaint enough to not be ostentatious.
When our waitress came to our table (she was very enthusiastic and unable to speak a word of English) I ordered the best looking cheeseburger on the menu, with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and some kind of pesto sauce on top. But also with it came… FRENCH FRIES! I had no idea how much I would miss these little bundles of cellulite, but I have. The idea of french fries and ketchup brought a smile to my face, so of course I ordered some. Not going to lie, it was absolutely delicious. It tasted like the American flag, freedom and Capitalism all rolled into one (just kidding, but you get the idea haha). Overall, the entire experience there was great. We had familiar food and we all engaged in lively conversation without the common worry that something we ordered would come out completely different from how we thought it would be (common occurrence at the canteen- I had no idea that the thing that looked like chicken was actually liver…).
I know this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but Russian food is impossibly different from American food. Everything here is starch based, or meat wrapped in bread or a salad with mayonnaise on it. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the culinary experience here, however the same foods can get a little old. Friday night was the perfect way for me to hit a restart button on the food here in Russia. I just needed a throw back to good old America to be able to appreciate the differences of Russian cuisine.
We decided to venture out into Moscow to look for a Starlight diner. It’s a common chain restaurant throughout Moscow that specializes in typical American cuisine. Little did we know the treat that was in store for us that evening!
We arrived at the diner fashionably later (about 1 ½ hours after we left) and needless to say, I was starving! So, we’re sitting in this diner and the wait for service allowed us to fully soak in the experience. The décor was stereotypical 1950s, a la Happy Days. It reminded me of a poodle skirt my mom made me for Halloween one year. The waitresses were dressed in “traditional American clothes”- cheerleading skirts and tops. Overall, it was cheesy but still quaint enough to not be ostentatious.
When our waitress came to our table (she was very enthusiastic and unable to speak a word of English) I ordered the best looking cheeseburger on the menu, with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and some kind of pesto sauce on top. But also with it came… FRENCH FRIES! I had no idea how much I would miss these little bundles of cellulite, but I have. The idea of french fries and ketchup brought a smile to my face, so of course I ordered some. Not going to lie, it was absolutely delicious. It tasted like the American flag, freedom and Capitalism all rolled into one (just kidding, but you get the idea haha). Overall, the entire experience there was great. We had familiar food and we all engaged in lively conversation without the common worry that something we ordered would come out completely different from how we thought it would be (common occurrence at the canteen- I had no idea that the thing that looked like chicken was actually liver…).
I know this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but Russian food is impossibly different from American food. Everything here is starch based, or meat wrapped in bread or a salad with mayonnaise on it. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the culinary experience here, however the same foods can get a little old. Friday night was the perfect way for me to hit a restart button on the food here in Russia. I just needed a throw back to good old America to be able to appreciate the differences of Russian cuisine.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Dairy Farm
Okay, being from the suburbs (former boondocks but as a result of urbanization it’s suburbs) of South Carolina, it shouldn’t come as a shock that I have never milked a cow. I’ve never really seen a cow up close before. Crazy, I know. So you can imagine my excitement when I was informed that our class would go on a field trip to a dairy farm!
We woke up on Wednesday (3-2-11) morning at 7:00, boarded the bus by 8:00 and by 8:15 I was already fearing for my life. No kidding, I was terrified that we were going to die. Take New York City driving, add some snow and ice, and then throw in the inability to see road lines and you have the setting. Now picture a rickety bus, packed with students, inaudible conversations in Russian, swerving and turning and my nightmare is complete. I am exaggerating (the driver was very efficient and in no way were we actually in danger) but this gives you a pretty accurate picture of the drive to the dairy.
You can imagine that I was so excited to get off the bus. We were out in the country; it was beautiful. There were expansive fields completely covered in snow and birch trees. It was exactly what I thought Russia would look like. Anyway, once we exited the bus the owner of the farm- a very well dressed woman- greeted us. Unfortunately for us, she spoke no English (typical haha). So poor Max was elected the translator for the day. I think it was pretty difficult for him, dairy terms are pretty specific haha.
Anyway, it was a small corporation that was all-inclusive. At this farm, they bred, raised, milked, cared for and housed the cows. They also produced, packaged and distributed the milk products. It’s known as a vertical corporation, one that controls all aspects of the manufacturing of a product. Yep, you learn something new every day.
So, once the inner workings of the farm were explained (number of workers, salaries, etc.) we entered into the holding building for the cows. I can honestly say that I have never in my life smelled anything like it. Not kidding, most interesting/disgusting smell I’ve ever smelled. I’m not trying to sound like a priss; it was just unusual. Anyway, within this building resided about 300 cows. They were very intimidating creatures the way they were packed in. They also had horns, which Dr. Katie McKee pointed out to me was very unusual. What also seemed unusual was the fecal matter layered on the backsides of the cows (hence the smell), but I suppose it would be difficult to maintain pristine conditions on such a small scale.
I could elaborate more on the cows, but I will spare you the dirty details. Haha, it was actually a fascinating experience. I’ve never really witnessed such blatant agriculture and I found it to be very educational and interesting. There was one cow that I thought was absolutely beautiful. She was about 4 months old, solid black with big beautiful eyes. We bonded. I would have taken her home, but that would be way too difficult to explain to customs…
After we visited the cows, we boarded the bus and went to the production building of the farm. Here, the milk is pasteurized and depending on the fat content, it is make into either milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. After it is sorted and created, the milk or milk products are packaged into boxes. That was the most fun to watch. I love watching those “how does it work” shows on TLC where they show topics like how crayons are made and they show the manufacturing in factories. It was a similar cycle with workers putting boxes into the machines and systematically they are filled. Another fun aspect was the lab coats we had to wear to enter the processing plant. On top of our heavy, outdoor jackets, the white lab coats look a little bit ridiculous. It added to the joy of the experience. That and the free samples of dairy products we received at the end of the tour! BEST PART OF MY DAY.
So, after consuming my body weight in milk, yogurt, kefir (can’t even begin to explain that one here) and cottage cheese, we boarded the bus. Alisa (a Russian classmate/friend) started jumping around saying “Milkshake! Milkshake!”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Luckily, I fell asleep on the bus not ten minutes into the ride home and didn’t wake up until we were back at our dorm. I would say that it was a pretty amazing experience, one that I would like to repeat!
We woke up on Wednesday (3-2-11) morning at 7:00, boarded the bus by 8:00 and by 8:15 I was already fearing for my life. No kidding, I was terrified that we were going to die. Take New York City driving, add some snow and ice, and then throw in the inability to see road lines and you have the setting. Now picture a rickety bus, packed with students, inaudible conversations in Russian, swerving and turning and my nightmare is complete. I am exaggerating (the driver was very efficient and in no way were we actually in danger) but this gives you a pretty accurate picture of the drive to the dairy.
You can imagine that I was so excited to get off the bus. We were out in the country; it was beautiful. There were expansive fields completely covered in snow and birch trees. It was exactly what I thought Russia would look like. Anyway, once we exited the bus the owner of the farm- a very well dressed woman- greeted us. Unfortunately for us, she spoke no English (typical haha). So poor Max was elected the translator for the day. I think it was pretty difficult for him, dairy terms are pretty specific haha.
Anyway, it was a small corporation that was all-inclusive. At this farm, they bred, raised, milked, cared for and housed the cows. They also produced, packaged and distributed the milk products. It’s known as a vertical corporation, one that controls all aspects of the manufacturing of a product. Yep, you learn something new every day.
So, once the inner workings of the farm were explained (number of workers, salaries, etc.) we entered into the holding building for the cows. I can honestly say that I have never in my life smelled anything like it. Not kidding, most interesting/disgusting smell I’ve ever smelled. I’m not trying to sound like a priss; it was just unusual. Anyway, within this building resided about 300 cows. They were very intimidating creatures the way they were packed in. They also had horns, which Dr. Katie McKee pointed out to me was very unusual. What also seemed unusual was the fecal matter layered on the backsides of the cows (hence the smell), but I suppose it would be difficult to maintain pristine conditions on such a small scale.
I could elaborate more on the cows, but I will spare you the dirty details. Haha, it was actually a fascinating experience. I’ve never really witnessed such blatant agriculture and I found it to be very educational and interesting. There was one cow that I thought was absolutely beautiful. She was about 4 months old, solid black with big beautiful eyes. We bonded. I would have taken her home, but that would be way too difficult to explain to customs…
After we visited the cows, we boarded the bus and went to the production building of the farm. Here, the milk is pasteurized and depending on the fat content, it is make into either milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. After it is sorted and created, the milk or milk products are packaged into boxes. That was the most fun to watch. I love watching those “how does it work” shows on TLC where they show topics like how crayons are made and they show the manufacturing in factories. It was a similar cycle with workers putting boxes into the machines and systematically they are filled. Another fun aspect was the lab coats we had to wear to enter the processing plant. On top of our heavy, outdoor jackets, the white lab coats look a little bit ridiculous. It added to the joy of the experience. That and the free samples of dairy products we received at the end of the tour! BEST PART OF MY DAY.
So, after consuming my body weight in milk, yogurt, kefir (can’t even begin to explain that one here) and cottage cheese, we boarded the bus. Alisa (a Russian classmate/friend) started jumping around saying “Milkshake! Milkshake!”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Luckily, I fell asleep on the bus not ten minutes into the ride home and didn’t wake up until we were back at our dorm. I would say that it was a pretty amazing experience, one that I would like to repeat!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
More details soon!
We went to a dairy farm this week! It smelled crazy and I learned way too much! It’s pancake week!! More details to come!
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