Guinness AND Vodka! in a Russian Irish Pub
I’m sitting in an Irish pub (Temple Bar) in Moscow, drinking both Guiness (yay!) and Russian Vodka (meh). Not a single staff member here speaks English. I’m not really sure why I’m surprised. Interestingly, their uniforms are halfway done over with a Scottish plaid. One of the guys looks Chinese. My shirt is from an Australian Writer’s Festival. I’m pretty sure Turkey and the Ukraine are playing football on the television. I’m feeling rather international, actually. Oh, my life – how lucky I am!
Earlier this week, I went to a Russian market where I spoke Spanish in order to ask the prices of things! Talk about cross-cultural! I had overheard the ladies next to me at a booth speaking to one another in Spanish about prices. The mother would ask the vendor about prices in Russian and report back to her daughter. I’d already tried my luck with the vendor, who could really only tell me prices by putting numbers into her calculator and holding it up for me to see. Got the point across, but no room, really, for questions! I guess we just make do with whatever tools we have to get what we need! Also the vendor was pretty busy that morning. Prices were really good, as I was at the market on the day the vendors all go to buy from one another – usually in bulk – so the prices are rock-bottom (something I actually did know before I went that day!)
Handicraft Market Entrance
Since Kim would still be in isolation, I had promised to return to the market one more time before we left Russia to pick up a couple more gifts and souvenirs. I timed it with vendor day so that I could get deals for both of us, as I had a gift or two I wanted to get. Laurie, the lady here from California kindly offered to bring a couple things back to the US for me and mail them home, so I wanted to get a couple things to send to my family before we leave Russia.
Which brings me to the reason I’m sitting in this bar having a vodka. I realized I’ve been in Russia for nearly a month now and I haven’t tried any vodka at all! None! I just haven’t been out partying and haven’t had much reason or opportunity to drink. With my many migraines lately, alcohol hadn’t seemed like the best option. I’ve even had a bottle of wine sitting unopened on my counter/bench for weeks!
Nonetheless, it just doesn’t seem right to leave Russia without at least sampling a little bit of vodka (which is, admittedly, better than I expected). So I came to this bar to meet one of the other HSCT caregivers, a guy who is here with a friend from Australia. He was hoping one of the footy games he wanted to watch would be on the tvs here. (They are not.)
mmm…Guinness
Also, it has begun to snow outside. I arrived late, having left the hospital a little later than anticipated and then waiting for the tram. I’m pretty sure I’ve missed meeting this guy, which isn’t a huge problem for me. I got my vodka which is admittedly, quite smooth and tasty, and tastes a lot less dirt-like than most vodka I’ve encountered, and managed to order a rather good eggplant dish (I couldn’t bring myself to order borscht), using the mighty useful Google Translate and menu picture-pointing. So I had my adventure, and got my meal. I can definitely call it a success and head home for some much-needed sleep! We leave the day after tomorrow – early – so there’s plenty of errands and last-minute stuff to do tomorrow.
Russia’s been interesting, but I’ll be happy to be back where it’s warm again! I’m not a fan of this snow! Brrrr…