I had an extremely Russian day today. I woke up around 11am (OK I'm lazy on weekends), had breakfast, and went to a big park in Vladimir and rented cross-country skis. I skied for two hours, and it was great. It was quiet; snow was falling; and the temperature was around 0F, which is perfect for skiing--you don't overheat. I'm getting better at skiing, and I had a few moments where I felt like I was really cruising along the trail. It was just me, my skis, and a vast pine forest. Of course, I also managed to fall several times, and all those times happened to be right in front of other people, so I still have some work to do.
I arrived home, had some borshch for lunch, and helped my host brother with his English homework. I was planning to go to the gym after that, but as we were going over his homework, a ton of guests arrived. The table was set, and there was already beer poured for me. It was time to celebrate Old New Year! Until 1917, Russia used to use the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Georgian calender used by the rest of the world. The old calender is still used in the Russian Orthodox Church, and some holidays are still celebrated "in the old style."
So I decided to forego my workout today and relax po russki. We had homemade pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), solyodka pod shuboi (a layered salad made with herring, potatoes, beets, and mayonnaise), homemade pirozhki (baked pastries filled with meat, potatoes, eggs, or jam), and other salads and appetizers. All this was, of course, accompanied by plenty of beer and vodka. In great Russian tradition, one of the guys brought out a guitar, and we sang songs for hours. I didn't know all the songs, but my repertoire of popular Russian songs is growing.
Old New Year roughly marks the end of the New Year's holidays, which have stretched on since December 31st. Of course, there are a few more minor holidays left in January, but I think most people are getting back to a regular schedule on Monday. That's a good thing, because I need a break from all this eating and drinking. My host mom was talking about how everyone in Russian goes on a diet in January and February and noted that I've put on some weight since I've come to Russia. She's right--I'm the heaviest I've ever been, and, while I think a good part of that weight gain is muscle, I definitely notice a little something around my waist that didn't use to be there. Time to get back to my flavorless diet of grechka and chicken breasts.
Anyway, here is a clip of one of the songs we sang today. It is by the legendary group Machina Vremeni (time machine), and everyone in Russia knows this song. Heck, even I know this song. I picked this video because it has good shots of a really Russian rock festival.
I arrived home, had some borshch for lunch, and helped my host brother with his English homework. I was planning to go to the gym after that, but as we were going over his homework, a ton of guests arrived. The table was set, and there was already beer poured for me. It was time to celebrate Old New Year! Until 1917, Russia used to use the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Georgian calender used by the rest of the world. The old calender is still used in the Russian Orthodox Church, and some holidays are still celebrated "in the old style."
So I decided to forego my workout today and relax po russki. We had homemade pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), solyodka pod shuboi (a layered salad made with herring, potatoes, beets, and mayonnaise), homemade pirozhki (baked pastries filled with meat, potatoes, eggs, or jam), and other salads and appetizers. All this was, of course, accompanied by plenty of beer and vodka. In great Russian tradition, one of the guys brought out a guitar, and we sang songs for hours. I didn't know all the songs, but my repertoire of popular Russian songs is growing.
Old New Year roughly marks the end of the New Year's holidays, which have stretched on since December 31st. Of course, there are a few more minor holidays left in January, but I think most people are getting back to a regular schedule on Monday. That's a good thing, because I need a break from all this eating and drinking. My host mom was talking about how everyone in Russian goes on a diet in January and February and noted that I've put on some weight since I've come to Russia. She's right--I'm the heaviest I've ever been, and, while I think a good part of that weight gain is muscle, I definitely notice a little something around my waist that didn't use to be there. Time to get back to my flavorless diet of grechka and chicken breasts.
Anyway, here is a clip of one of the songs we sang today. It is by the legendary group Machina Vremeni (time machine), and everyone in Russia knows this song. Heck, even I know this song. I picked this video because it has good shots of a really Russian rock festival.
Aww cute, you are getting a little tubby?! :)I know with your impossibly high standards it probably means you have gained 1/3rd of a pound.
ReplyDeleteWhat you should do is adopt a grad student diet of Progresso soup and beer, I may have gout and a vitamin deficiency but i'm definitely underweight!
Haha I'll have to try that out. Although judging by the sorry condition of fruits and vegetables here in Russia right now, I doubt I'm getting much in the way of vitamins either. Mostly the vegetables are all rotten or nearly rotten, so the closest I get to fresh food is pickled tomatoes. Yummmm....
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