I am fat. Wait, no, scratch that. I am obese. I have been for quite awhile. If you have read this blog before, you might remember the travel post where I was removed from the emergency aisle seat on the final leg to spoil my first-class journey. In that post, I made a declaration of Continue reading
California Cutie Chicken
My 8 hour layover wasn’t so bad. In situations like that, you just need to accept it. No sense getting frustrated about it. I didn’t want to spoil my attitude, especially after having such a nice first class flight from Moscow to Washington. My flight from Washington to Chicago was also first class, but uneventful. It was a short enough flight that there was no meal service or anything special. They gave us drinks while the other people were boarding, but that was about the extent to the special treatment. Perhaps I was already getting used to the extra space to feel comfortable in. My flight from Chicago to Los Angeles would bring me back down to earth. (pun intended) Continue reading
4am and the alarm rings, but I’m already up. Actually, I never got to sleep. My plane doesn’t leave until 6:50am but of course it takes time to take that last shower and get ready, calling a taxi and hoping they arrive quickly at such an early hour, and of course extra lead time the airlines want you to give them to go through security screenings and standing in line.
It usually happens when I am traveling with an early morning departure. I always tell myself I will get to sleep early so I can be nice and rested for the travel, but it never works that way. I have too much energy right before a trip, thinking about all the details and trying to make sure I don’t forget anything, at least not something important. Sleeping and getting some rest to start fresh is pretty much out of the question.
I know I’ve shown you a lot of photos of street vendors, including street meat and typical babushkas selling green onions and apples. Well, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression but yes, this is the traditional way that products were dispersed to the masses, with locally sourced meat and produce being the norm, and people supporting each other by buying from people they know. Well now, there’s a new wind blowing… and it’s not smelling so great. Continue reading
Well, it happens every year whether we want it to or not – birthdays. It’s even true in Russia. I know you have all heard me say that everything is different in Russia and birthdays are no different (wait, that’s a conundrum). The point is, even birthday traditions follow a different set of rules than the customs I am used to in America. Continue reading
I arrived safely in Saratov after waiting nearly 2 months for my visa to enter Russia. However, the visa is actually a 2 step process. Now that I am here, I am required to register my visa. This is not as easy as it sounds. It’s not like simply going to the office and saying, “OK I’m here” Continue reading
After many complications with getting a new visa to return to Russia, it was finally time to head back. This time I was taking many gifts back with me since I missed Valentine’s day with my sweetheart. On my last trip back to Russia just before New Year’s Eve, the airline had lost my bags, and I wasn’t the only one. There was a sea of bags in the Moscow arrivals area that did not arrive with their corresponding owners. It took 3 weeks for them to finally find my bags, even with me calling daily to try and hasten the situation. After this experience, I decided the common black luggage I had was a bad idea. Since my bags were severely beaten up and damaged beyond use when I did finally receive them. I needed to buy new luggage. Continue reading
Sometimes it feels good not to eat a full meal, heavy with meats, starches, vegetables, etc. I am here in California for a few weeks while I am going through the unending difficulties of renewing my Russian visa, and looking forward to the forthcoming difficulties of actually registering the visa within 3 days once I land back in Russia. So, I take these opportunities to take advantages of the flavors that I miss from California that are not available or cost-prohibitive in my city on the other side of the world. Continue reading
Rostik’s definitely hatched from the Kentucky Fried Chicken empire, however there were some very disturbing differences. Growing up, I rarely got a chance to eat KFC since there wasn’t one in my home town. However, when I did find a KFC and had a chance to eat there, I always ordered the same thing. So when I saw this KFC in Moscow, my mouth started to water and my stomach screamed “YES!” after weeks of eating tasty, although unfamiliar, and sometimes unidentifiable food. Continue reading
