Our Month-iversary: Only in Russia

Credit: Isobel Morrice

So Saturday 5th was our official Month-iversary of being here in Voronezh and we most definitely chose to see it in in style. Russian Champagne is way cheaper than any bottle of wine on a restaurant menu, so being fancy is just more economical (cue a Friday (all)night(er) consisting of 7 bottles between four or five depending who was chipping in at the time)!

As a celebration of our first milestone, I have decided to share with you some of my favourite 'Only in Russia' moments so far (in no particular order).

• Sam's Landlady's Home Remedies. To cure fresher's flu: pick flowers from your windowsill garden and prepare magical daisy broth for your patient to drink. Place both hands and feet in scalding water. Rub hands, feet and chest with copious amounts of vodka. Swathe the infected person first in muslin cloth to protect the vodka infused areas, then in as many layers of warm clothing as you deem fit. Tuck them in tight (to prevent escape) and then leave them to simmer for the rest of the night.
• The giant inflatable sausage being paraded down the street during the City Day festivities.
• The man cursing under his breath while walking along the pavement with his bumper in hand.
• Realising on a drunken night in that the corner shop had closed and buying wine was no longer an option, then going down the street kiosk and buying 3 beers (which can be sold without a license alongside soft drinks) Beer is far too tame for Russians!
• This nice little path someone create to cross the epic puddle on the zebra crossing (helpful for me because my legs are too little to jump)

• The trolleybus that came off its electric runners going around a bend. The driver got out, climbed on top of the bus, reattached the runners without batting an eyelid and drove on.
• Meeting a guy and his female friend on an all-nighter. We spent ages chatting and laughing, he told us about his wife and two daughters and about life in Russia. As much as we tried to our protest, he then proceeded to pay for our entire bill (including drinks and food ordered before we'd even met) and insisted on driving everyone home.
• The ridiculous bureaucracy involved in obtaining a student reading card, then the palava of traipsing half way across the city (3hours in total) to get our verb book from a library where there are no books! The books are under lock and key, you request which on you want and it is found on your behalf - no perusing the shelves here then!
• Sam's Landlady's notorious cooking: any one for chicken stomach or this fabulous meat jelly??

Credit: Samantha Herriot

• The very helpful old lady on the front desk at the central library who spent 15 minutes talking to us, flashing her full set of gold teeth the whole time.
• Realising that full sets of gold teeth are not a rarity.
• Tyla's landlady boiling her water to wash with in a spell of no hot water (a regular occurrence for all it seems). The landlady politely told Tyla to strip, not to be shy because she had 'seen many breasts before' and then lovingly washed her hair for her.
• The Russian guy who got escorted out of the bar by two policemen (one on each arm) after spending over an hour harassing us!
• This prime example of Russian health and safety (this hole is as wide as a table and deeper than I am tall)

Credit: Samantha Herriot

 

 ...these are just some of the many anecdotal 'Only in Russia' stories we could tell! and with one month down and two to go, I am sure there will be many more.

All that's left to be said is За здоровье!

Credit: Isobel Morrice

 

With love from the Motherland, Comrades!