Friday, October 08, 2004
Russian dolls
Hmmmm, Russia... What can we say? Sometimes it seems just like 'the west' and then other times the differences jump out.
Our homestay with Dmitry (who looked a lot like a young Putin) and Valentina turned out to be a bit boring really. They were a nice, but not very forthcoming family. The only noteworthy thing was the breakfast - proper Russian breakfast - pancakes wrapped around sour cream and then fried one day, and raviolis filled with cherries the next.
Walking around we soon realised that much in the same way we had stuck out as tourists in Turkey for wearing helmets on our scooter, we stuck out as tourists here for not drinking extra large cans of beer at 10:30 in the morning. So the stereotype that Russians are boozers is true...
Since it has been a bit too cold for sitting outside (we miss you Greece!) our days have been an endless round of museums. Most too grand for words (you'll have to wait for the pictures). Museums are where Pete can engage in his 2 favourite passtimes: moaning about dual-pricing for foreigners and taunting the security grandmothers (old ladies - guarding the exhibits presumably?). Taunting the grannies involves making jokes in English they can't understand. Asking the lady at the cathedral where Henry the 8th was buried was my favourite example!
Other uniquely Russian experiences inlcude a Metro as deep as Australia and designed like a communist poster - with NO maps; observing the multiple queueing system in supermarkets; a dancing bear; beautiful girls and ugly men; loads of brides and grooms getting their photos taken at local landmarks (drinking beer the whole time).
Off to Moscow this evening on the night train sharing a sleeper cabin with 2 strangers (hopefully they won't be too drunk). Should be interesting!
Our homestay with Dmitry (who looked a lot like a young Putin) and Valentina turned out to be a bit boring really. They were a nice, but not very forthcoming family. The only noteworthy thing was the breakfast - proper Russian breakfast - pancakes wrapped around sour cream and then fried one day, and raviolis filled with cherries the next.
Walking around we soon realised that much in the same way we had stuck out as tourists in Turkey for wearing helmets on our scooter, we stuck out as tourists here for not drinking extra large cans of beer at 10:30 in the morning. So the stereotype that Russians are boozers is true...
Since it has been a bit too cold for sitting outside (we miss you Greece!) our days have been an endless round of museums. Most too grand for words (you'll have to wait for the pictures). Museums are where Pete can engage in his 2 favourite passtimes: moaning about dual-pricing for foreigners and taunting the security grandmothers (old ladies - guarding the exhibits presumably?). Taunting the grannies involves making jokes in English they can't understand. Asking the lady at the cathedral where Henry the 8th was buried was my favourite example!
Other uniquely Russian experiences inlcude a Metro as deep as Australia and designed like a communist poster - with NO maps; observing the multiple queueing system in supermarkets; a dancing bear; beautiful girls and ugly men; loads of brides and grooms getting their photos taken at local landmarks (drinking beer the whole time).
Off to Moscow this evening on the night train sharing a sleeper cabin with 2 strangers (hopefully they won't be too drunk). Should be interesting!
// posted by courtney and pete @ 18:00 
