Russia Cuisine

Ok, so I haven't really explained Russian food. I think the best way to describe it is to first bring to your attention that there isn't Russian Cuisine in America.

You never say, "Hey Fred, what you want to eat today?"

"I don't know...Thai?"

"Too spicy. Mexican?"

"Nah...that won't be good for either of us. Chinese?"

"Hmmm....that MSG might fuck up our heads. Russian?"

"What? What the hell is Russian food? Your weird. Think I'm just gonna warm up this hotdog."

You get the point. Russian food is very utilitarian. Lots of dishes are meant to give you protein and energy...stuff your body needs...but not necessarily stuff you tastebuds like. One of it's main dishes is kasha, which is kinda like rice and kinda like lentils, but also kinda like neither of them. Very bland.

Going through the line in the cafeteria (which is really inexpensive....about 3 bucks for quite a bit of food) is always an interesting experience. I've developed a point and eat method. Point at the food that looks most like what you want and hope you can eat it. My success rate is 100% so far, so that's good. I often choose something that I think looks like something I recognize. Then I taste it, and suddenly the beef i thought I was getting is actually beef with a bunch of russian weird crap added to it. It's not all that bad actually, but I'm definitely craving a steak when I get home (Brandon, start marinating).

For lunch, Jason, Justin, Christina and I went and ate just outside the Kremlin. Lord...one of the most beautiful places I've seen in my travels! We entered along this fountain-stream with a color mosaic along the floor of the stream and statues of Russian fables interspersed. I really can't even describe it. We sat on the grass and enjoyed our lunch (actually I didn't...my sandwich had Dijon on it...dijon...Kenny G...barf) and the people watching. Our time was cut short by the Russian police herding everyone off their lawn, so we found a spot some steps for the remainder of our break. So nice to watch everyone sitting around, not seeming to care about much of anything, relaxing in the middle of the day.

We got to meet Anatoly Smeliansky yesterday. He runs the Moscow Art Acadamic Theatre (it's official title) and has for the last 9 years, same age as our program over here. I don't know what it is, but there's something about this man...so genuine and...I don't know...just a very special guy. He talked to us for about an hour about the history of the 110 year old theatre. Good stuff!

After class we went to see Brecht's Three Penny Opera at the Moscow Art Theatre. Man...MIND BLOWING! The things that they do to theatre over here....doesn't look a thing like American Theatre. There was giant skeletons with dragon penises, audience members getting on stage and people climbing the walls to Heaven. Just indiscribable! The only bad part was that I started nodding off right away....not for lack of interest...oh no....everyone's just so exhausted. It's pretty amazing that that was the only bad part because it was over FOUR HOURS LONG! It was so captivating and inspiring that it really didn't matter...you didn't leave the theatre bored.