Monday, August 15, 2011

10 days of a freezing cold hot summer...




Post-it note to self:  “Take nothing for granted!”  This presently applies to the joy of having an unlimited supply of hot water running through the pipes of the apartment. We are in the middle of what I call the "10 day challenge"...currently experiencing 10 invigorating days without a drop of hot water.  Translation:  icy Siberian showers and a selection of cold water rinses for the dishwasher and washing machine.



As relative newbies to Moscow, we are being initiated into the concept of no hot water throughout the city for 10 days.  And let me tell you...cold water in Moscow, in the summer, is darn frigid!


While Moscow is emerging from the shadows of Soviet times and starting to come into its own as a flourishing city, a few items of old-world deprivation remain.  Most buildings in Moscow get their hot water from a central city plant rather than from hot water boilers in the basement, as we do in the U.S.  For 10 days, the hot water is turned off throughout the city for pipe maintenance.  Hello breath-taking mornings!

Me after the cold water douse...


As you know, depending on the heat, and workout activity, many summer days are “2-a-days” in the shower department.  After our workout yesterday, Steve and I looked at each other and said “you first”!  My cold water shower survival tactic of choice is the “hokey pokey”.  I put my right arm in, I pull my right arm out, I soap my right arm up and I rinse it all about.  Then lather, rinse, repeat with my other limbs.  And I'm not opposed to “turning myself about” as it makes the whole experience that much more pleasant. 


Two more days to go....then hot water heaven!

This method makes more sense to me...perhaps we can get the neighborhood to chip in for one of these...







Friday, August 5, 2011

Sky high heels!



The stereotype of the beautiful Russian woman is, for the most part, spot on.  Kate Moss comes to mind - mixed with a little Gisele and topped with a smidgen of Heidi Klum for good measure.  And there’s no shortage either.  Russian women out number men by approximately 10 million, (76.7 million women, 66.2 million men).   Some say because of this illegible men shortage - competition is fierce - and, so, the young Russian woman is dressed to the nines 24/7.  I give them full credit - it’s quite amazing, really.

And...high heels abound!I We’re talking really, reeeeeeally high heels, in the 4-8 inch category!  All day, every day, through the rains of spring and the deep snows of winter, ascending the steepest of hills and foraging across broken, cracked, iced over, undulating pavement.  Unfazed. Unflinching. They carry on.  I have to think the podiatry clinics here are making a fortune.   As I’ve mentioned, Moscow is very much a walking city - it’s not unusual to walk 5-6 miles a day depending on what’s “on the list” and where we’re going. I’m not quite sure how the heels do it - no insole cushion or strap relief gel pad can stand up to the beating these women dole out on their feet.  Dr. Scholl’s - where are you?  You'd make a killing.  




When we first arrived in Moscow last November, I was completely dumbfounded as to how these women were navigating the elements so gracefully in these stilts. Finally, after weeks of watching these high heeled aficionados navigate over the frozen tundra, I walked into a shoe store and picked up a pair of these shanks to see what gives.  Viola!  Many are made with something like this.... 



 No wonder these gals are prancing on the ice like ballet dancers from the Bolshoi.  Bravo!  (Brava! in Russian).



Now these look very practical....some sort of heavy gauge wire...good for piercing the ice...with solid traction on the ball of the foot - genius!


Here is a hero if there ever was one....I like the way this gal thinks....if I decide to go the high heel route in winter - I’ll just have Steve carry me around.  He’s big and strong after all.
There’s even an annual high heel sprint race in Moscow. Looks competitive and somewhat dangerous...with some banana peeling along the way...


These seem to make a bit more sense...a little clunky maybe...


I posted this photo in an earlier blog entry....but I love it!!!!


This sums it up....

I’ve also heard during Soviet times, high heels were not available....today, the more the merrier!



Shoveling in stilts - impressive!

This link will take you to a video that is an absolute representation of what I would look like on ice, in heels.  It’s a bit lengthy - no need to watch the whole thing - but at the one minute mark you’ll see the knee gear - where can I buy a pair of these???!!!!

I think I’m up for the challenge this winter... I understand “function over fashion”....but what fun is that?  No pain, no gain...maybe.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Eeeny, meeny, miney....surprise!

Grocery shopping continues to be quite the adventure here in Moscow.  It’s the popular  game called “what’s inside the box?”   The primo challenge is the hunt for baking items - sense of humor mandatory!  Sugar?  Nyet, salt.  Baking powder?  Not so much...turned out to be some sort of custard filling.  Major victory in finally finding cornstarch last week.  It only took 8 months to realize Google Translate would become my very best friend.  Popped in “cornstarch” in the translate box and out came “кукурузного крахмала”....then the “match this phrase” game begins at the store.  No surprise, grocery shopping is typically a longer process here in the motherland.
Interesting choices abound...

Plentiful produce, you can find just about anything...

Russians LOVE their cakes...they are beautiful!

Prepared food, haven't ventured here yet...

This is as much of the sausage lane as I could get on my camera....add 10 feet on either side...

Again, add about 10 feet to these bins... (see below)
Found in the refrigerator section, about the length of your index finger...some sort of cake with fruit filling....interesting, sort of.

The yogurt aisle actually goes the length of the entire store - lots of drinkable...

Dairy products come in varying degrees of fat...here you can see 0%, 5% and 9%...the higher the fat, the thicker the product.  I believe this is сottage cheese...

Mayonnaise for days!!!  Add 10 feet in either direction to this aisle - lots 'o flavors that come in stand up pouches...we'll call it interesting...
Available year round - very bitter...

These peaches grow flat - actually very tasty!

I call this the white albino bell pepper - a little light on taste...

Corn is often sold like this (already cooked) or in a jar (also pre-cooked) that looks like some sort of science experiment...
Gave it a try....one and done...

Always SO happy to find items like this...appears to have come from Germany...?

If really in doubt, there's always Wendy's....this just opened!!


Note curly fries, instead of regular fries and an unidentified food item 2nd from the bottom on the right....?

Friday, July 15, 2011

Big day out!


Big, big day for Steve and me this past Saturday.  For the first time in 8 months of living in Moscow, we actually drove ourselves to a grocery store.   Hallelujah!  

I know this sounds strange.  But...when you live in a large European city, can’t read the road signs, traffic signals and rules are different (well, actually non-existent), and everyone on the road is “driving like a maniac!” (as my mother would often say)... then, we’ve leaned to the more rationale side - safety first, of course. Many ex-pats have drivers for this very reason.  Steve and I opted to buy a car - which Steve drives to and from work...a relatively easy drive that doesn’t take him through the  driving abyss through town.  This girl is on foot 100% of the time - thank goodness for the amazing metro!  But this calls for limited grocery buying as I can only buy what I can haul....hence the happiness brought on with the drive on Saturday.  I took Steve to the store that has some US brands - we stocked up on Nabisco, Duncan Hines, Old El Paso and Kraft products ... heaven!

A few people have asked about the process of obtaining a drivers license....quite easy, really.  No driving or written test needed for ex-pats - come one, come all!  Our US licenses were translated into Russian - and we were free to hit the streets!


I witnessed a driver turning right onto a road full of drivers waiting at a traffic light.  Rather than drive down to the end of the waiting drivers, make a U-turn and get in the back of the line, the driver U-turned immediately under the light in the very front of the waiting line of cars.  Now that’s efficiency!

This doesn’t mean people don’t get pulled over for traffic offenses.  This is actually another reason we are careful when we drive.  The scenario:  traffic accident....you don’t speak Russian....the police officer and other driver do....you’re asked to sign off on a police report, written in Russian, of course...any guess who is at fault?  Not typically a winner for the non-Russian.

Garmin is also in Russian...the hunting and pecking through the Cyrillic alphabet is a bonus round for the adventure!


Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Pomme frites s’il vous plait!


Just back from a wonderful week long vacation in France.  We joined the best man in our wedding, Bruce Lander, and his wife, Lori, after Bruce finished Ironman France in Nice, (and did quite well, I might add!).  The start - south in Marseille then west to Toulouse, Bourdeaux, Alloness and Paris.



Steve and I were fortunate to have dinner with good friends in Moscow a week before our departure who own a home in Toulouse.  We got the insiders scoop on what to see, where to go - merci Joanna and Derek!  My favorite dinner of the trip was at L’Entrecote.  This is a chain of restaurants in France based on a brilliant idea:  Serve one thing...and serve it very very well.......... (drum roll) .........Steak frites!  For those who know me well - this would be my last dinner request, (particularly from One Midtown Kitchen in Atlanta!).  
So glad the French only use a tiiiiny bit of butter....

Heaven!
And my favorite “experiential” touch - the sound of cows mooing, loudly, in the restrooms - loved it!!!!


We also went wine tasting in Bordeaux....Steve even mixed his own award-winning blend, (80% merlot, 20% young cab)....and we watched the racers dancing on the pedals at the “Tour de....”!  One of our favorite things to do...
 




I heart France!!