Have you ever said, "I just need to run to the store for a few things."? Living in the States, it means I hop in the car, drive a mile or two to the local grocery store, park my car, walk a hundred feet or so to the front door, push my buggy around the store, unload my groceries in the car, and drive the short ride back, all in about 30 or so minutes, unscathed.
Here in Russia it means a completely different thing. Take the other day for example. I get on the elevator, go down to the bottom of the apartment, walk up the hill to the courtyard gate, walk down the hill about 5 minutes or so, go into the store, try to figure out what I am looking at by reading all the Russian labels, pay for my groceries, bag them myself, and then walk up the hill with my hands as full as possible, get to the front door to the apartment, only to find out that the lift (elevator) is broken, go back outside to the stairway entrance and walk up the dark 7 floors to our apartment. By the time I get to the front door, I am out of breath. On the positive side, I hope my arms are a little stronger.
Or take today for example, I walk a block in the rain to the bus stop. I get on the bus, pay my 15 rubles (about 50 cents), go another block or two to the next stop, get off the bus, take my life into my own hands by crossing the extremely overcrowded street (where btw, drivers have absolutely no regard for pedestrians), and after purchasing my groceries, walk home the 3-4 blocks in the pouring rain because I forgot that the bus stop is behind the store and not in front of the store. The humorous part is that although it is raining, I am actually carrying 3 umbrellas under my arm. As it apparently rains often here, I bought 2 umbrellas for the kids and was carrying one for myself. None of which I was able to actually use because my arms were loaded down with groceries. It would probably be better to have a video of this experience for those of you who have never lived in this part of the world. But you get the picture...the little things we take for granted in the States are not so little over here.
p.s. Please excuse the run-on sentences. These postings are unedited and simply musings from life here. Usually there is a little person at my side waiting not so patiently for Mommy's attention.
Here in Russia it means a completely different thing. Take the other day for example. I get on the elevator, go down to the bottom of the apartment, walk up the hill to the courtyard gate, walk down the hill about 5 minutes or so, go into the store, try to figure out what I am looking at by reading all the Russian labels, pay for my groceries, bag them myself, and then walk up the hill with my hands as full as possible, get to the front door to the apartment, only to find out that the lift (elevator) is broken, go back outside to the stairway entrance and walk up the dark 7 floors to our apartment. By the time I get to the front door, I am out of breath. On the positive side, I hope my arms are a little stronger.
Or take today for example, I walk a block in the rain to the bus stop. I get on the bus, pay my 15 rubles (about 50 cents), go another block or two to the next stop, get off the bus, take my life into my own hands by crossing the extremely overcrowded street (where btw, drivers have absolutely no regard for pedestrians), and after purchasing my groceries, walk home the 3-4 blocks in the pouring rain because I forgot that the bus stop is behind the store and not in front of the store. The humorous part is that although it is raining, I am actually carrying 3 umbrellas under my arm. As it apparently rains often here, I bought 2 umbrellas for the kids and was carrying one for myself. None of which I was able to actually use because my arms were loaded down with groceries. It would probably be better to have a video of this experience for those of you who have never lived in this part of the world. But you get the picture...the little things we take for granted in the States are not so little over here.
p.s. Please excuse the run-on sentences. These postings are unedited and simply musings from life here. Usually there is a little person at my side waiting not so patiently for Mommy's attention.
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