I eat forests, DUH GEORGE WASHINGTON, and we don't have Easter in America: misunderstood with my family

So many things, in such a short amount of time.
We went on a tour of the city, downtown, where the Kremlin, Kreml,  is this is where the wall is around the old churches and monuments and things like this. I have lots of pictures, and I am sure I will be down there again. I'll describe that more when I get the pictures up because its hard to make a mental image look exactly right.
We were walking across the bridge from the historical churches area, to the Kreml and we saw alllllll these people around this monument. We asked our teacher what was happening, and she said it was the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. It was very telling that we did not know that it was the anniversary, because as Americans it is hard to understand it beyond the loss of lives, but in the scarring of their land and how it changed the entire shape of Europe and their own homes. I am fascinated by this feeling of historical difference, how we purely talk about WWII as human loss, but every European I meet, or Russian, also delves into where, and how, and what happened to that place after the war. Very interesting.

So I was thinking about this, and I talked to my Russian mama about it, and she was intrigued that I noticed a difference. She had supposed it was different for us, but never knew for sure. We talked about the blokade, and she told me something our teacher mentioned on the tour: There is an ancient belfry with giant church bells from probably around the 12th century, beautiful, and exquistitely detailed, but they are all very tarnished. This is because when the Germans were headed through Russia, they put the bells in the river, so they wouldn't steal, wreck, or melt them I am guessing, and they stayed there until much later. These bells are HUGE like could crush cars, and it was very moving that they got them in the river. Russians are very prideful, and they take thier history very seriously. Which OF COURSE, I just lap up like a kitty with milk because RUSSIAN HISTORY yessss my reason for being.

As I am talking to my host mom about WWII, she was asking me if I like fish and about meat and I was like "YES I LOOOOVE TO EAT LYES!!" "Lyes?" She asks me, "No, you mean ryba, fish." "No," I say with confidence, "Lyes is one of my favorite foods." Then I pause, only to realize. Lyes means forest. I wanted to say lasos, salmon. She was laughing so hard, and so did I. Forests. Kakoi kashmar, what a nightmare.

So after that, we were eating, her delicious delicious food, I think I had cabbage tomato basil soup, and this fritatta type thing, with salmon and spinach (YES SPINACH lots of spinach thank god!) in it, and watermelon. So we are talkinig about watermelon, and what grows in Wisconsin, and then I tell her I want to go to Lake Baikal because I too have an AMAZING lake in my country, Ozera Superior, Lake Superior, and she is asking me about it, and so I start to tell her that my family is from there and that I always travel up there with my mom in the summer, and then I start to say but not lately because we have been so busy, and I just LOSE it cryyyying like a big wimp. And I am laughing, because, as I tell her with tears literally STREAMING out of my face, I am not sad, I love being in Russia, but whenever I think about my mom subconciously I must be really upset about it because I burst into tears. Keep in mind this was yesterday.

Today, I woke up and had another 3892183 glasses of compote because it is the greatest thing I have ever tasted. She told me get up early and I will make you belini, which are like not quite crepes, but not as thick as pancakes either. The best of both in my opinion, delish not too thin not too thick, absolutely DELISH. And so I get up at 8 allllll excited for belini, and 8 is not early enough by Russia standards fyi. Sooo, I have some sandwiches she left me and Sergey, my Russian dad, got me tea, and we chatted for a bit. He likes to tease me because I am always studying out of my dictionary. He says he hopes I dont leave Russia blind.

My host sister, Nastia, and her husband, Zhenya, who are both ridiculously cool and really nice to me, picked me up so I could go to the museum in the country. Again, better to explain with pictures, but we picked up Andrusha, Andy, and Misha, Mike, who are also from St. Olaf.

Then we stop at the store, because yes, my LUGGAGE is stillll GONE. It was hard to shop and I was not happy because I do not want anything but my own things. I am not sad or petty about my stuff, I just feel lost like I was an alien dropped here or something. Anyways, I got home and had a cry fest, of course, Mama Lena happened to find me and she comforted me and said we would figure it all out and she totally understood. I felt a lot better, but I slept a lot afterward, its kind of my respite from the stress.

But then I ate, late, because I passed out asleep, and she made me mashed potatos, WAY better in Russia, and these chicken patties? I think? They were well seasoned which is all I care about. And an assortment of veggies, yes Russia has LOADS of veggies! Fresh too. And of course, my biggest vice, compote. I swear I will need to get a second bladder to handle all the compote I drink.
We looked at pictures, and they were showing me this is paskha, and I was like I have no idea what that is, lots of eggs and candles and I was like nope we do not have that in America, then I look it up in my dictionary. It's EASTER, of course, EGGS, CROSSES, etc. So I corrected myself, when I said out loud, OH MY GOD, Eaaaaaaaster! They laughed.
And then I left a penny out and I was talking about Lincoln and then I had my last dollar out and I was like THIS is George Washington! I meant to show excitement because I loooove GWash, but they thought I thought they had never heard of him, and they were like um yes, we know about George Washington, of course.....I FELT AWFUL....Anyways, I adore them, and I think they like me back, despite the crazy things I say.

Tonight I had my little America hours, which was super nice, I talked to Mama Boolava, or Amy as some may know her. What a relief, let me say that. She of course, got me right back on track and teased me appropriately. I feel much better now, at peace I guess. I also got an email from Stephanie! And my Oles have been great about supporting me and my blog stuff via email :D So THANK YOU. Its important to me!


Chmok Chmok,
Taan Taan