Since today has passed without any major events, this might be
a good time to present you with some truths about life in Russia.
After class, we went and bought an Internet dongle from the
phone shop for the small price of 1150 roubles, or £23 to you guys back home.
Internet access is in no way a given here and even to be able to get a slow,
limited connection like mine is a luxury afforded in few homes. In fact, the
lifestyle in general is a lot more minimal than the standards we’re so used to
in the west. Shopping chains are rare; there’s a Mango and a United Colours of
Benetton on the high street and a H&M and Zara out of town, but so far
these are the only international chains I’ve come across. Russian chain stores
appear to be non-existent, with the preference seeming to trend towards often
tired-looking independent shops selling clothes or footwear. The markets do a great
trade, selling anything from fruit and vegetables to shoes, hats and thick
winter coats. When you ask a Russian where to buy the best clothing,
particularly coats, they will recommend the market.
You’re expected to haggle at the market and, like anywhere
in the world, you can get seriously ripped off if you don’t keep your wits
about you. Ben from UCL learnt this the hard way today when he paid 250 roubles
(£5) for a melon at the market, only to find it for sale in the supermarket at
12 roubles per kilo. He was annoyed; we were amused.
Nevertheless, it’s easy to see why the Russians prefer
shopping at the market. There’s a huge variety of goods on offer and, if you
know where to look, you can get some good quality stuff for very little money.
With the prospect of such a scarily cold winter ahead, I was thrilled to see
the selection of cosy-looking jumpers and hats on offer already. Unfortunately,
one hat-seller noticed my amazement and before I knew it, a white fur шапка was being thrust onto my head. I
did look very Russian and sophisticated with my dark hair and white hat, I
thought, before asking warily: was this real fur? Yes of course, the vendor
said proudly, it was made from Arctic fox. What? That’s an endangered species!
I also had another slight run-in with my lovely yet
easily-riled хозайка Lyudmila
this evening. After politely eating two of the твороги (a sort of thick curd cheese pancake) this morning, and having
been still being slightly hungry afterwards, this evening I cautiously enquired
after a bowl to keep in my room so I could snack on Special K (or Fitness, as
it’s called here) if I ever get hungry.
Unfortunately, I must not have said the word ‘bowl’ clearly enough, leading to more great confusion over what it was
that I actually wanted. My babushka is quite scary when she’s confused, but
I’m beginning to realise that this is just the Russian way. They’re quite
abrupt until you’re direct with them about what you want; they’re a very direct
nation themselves so are easily frustrated by people being unclear.
Anyway, following my experiences of Russian cuisine I
decided it would be a good idea to do a little research so I’d be more likely
to know what it actually was I was eating. My natural reflexes kicked in, so of
course I clicked on the relevant Wikipedia article (Wikipedia does know
everything, you know). However, my plan of finding out all there is to know
about Russian food has been thwarted: Wikipedia is a blacklisted site in Russia.
Here, apparently, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
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