I just made this all colourful, and then I lost it... Imagine it's colourful <3
Well that was impossible…  I just had my first Polish class, yay <3  not exactly what I was expecting, but it was just nice to hear some polish…  It’s a beginners’ class, so we were doing pronunciation and basic things like that, but at the same time it was IMPOSSIBLE – we have Pani Valentina, who is Russian, and Pani Marta, who is Polish, and doesn’t speak much Russian (2 teachers to 3 of us though, <3). 

So throughout the class Pani Marta would be talking all in polish, and then Valentina would explain stuff in Russian.  Already I’m at a disadvantage.  Then we did an exercise ‘what does this mean’, so they wanted me to take a Polish word, and put it into Russian…  And then I didn’t understand what they said at the end, but I think they will email me some homework, so I can ask then…  I thought it was such a relief to hear polish, where I at least understood most of what she was saying, in class anyway, but when I got out of class and went to a kiosk, I found myself relieved to be speaking Russian again…  basically, I’m buggered…

But anyway, back to the point of this post.  The point is… [fanfare please]  <3 RUSSIAN FOOD <3

Personally, I like it, but I would prefer it if she sometimes didn’t tell me what was in it…  Last night at dinner we had this amazing baked fish thing, and I asked her what it was called, and she said ‘I made it up.  It’s just cod, tomatoes, mayonnaise and cheese.’ 

·         We have a lot of carp here.  I think it’s carp anyway.  It’s white and bony and comes from the lake. 

·         I think the mystery meat is generally pork.  Generally.  Or maybe turkey :/

·         It’s true that they don’t involve vegetables in meals, but there is always a plate of salad from the vegetable patch on the table (bacon, eggs and dill pickles for breakfast, anyone?), and there are markets selling dirt cheap watermelon everywhere.

·         Breakfast is always an event.  This seems to depend on the host, but Irina makes hot food every morning, even if it’s just instant porridge.  At the moment all that hot food first thing is a bit oppressive, especially as there’s nothing to wash it down with but scalding hot tea, but I think in winter I will really appreciate it.

·         They don’t drink much.  I don’t mean alcohol – I’m sitting in a café at 10am and loads of people are drinking beer – but just liquid.  You can’t drink tap water, but they don’t seem to have an alternative.  We have tea with or after meals, but that’s it.

·         They have a mental sweet tooth, these Russians.  Irina puts 3 spoons of sugar in her tea, and after dinner for pudding we just have jam.  Just jam.  Homemade, but that just means it’s a little crunchy…  you have it in a saucer, with a teaspoon.  It’s bizarre, but quite nice. 

So yeah, in all, I like the food here J  I was a bit unsure before we came, having heard mental horror stories, but it’s not so bad.  Glad I’m not vegetarian though.  Or allergic to something…