My husband likens coming back to Alabama from Russia to walking through the wardrobe at Narnia.  After spending 4 months in Far East Russia, I tend to agree with him.  It is a completely different world.  People are people, of course.  But there is really little reference point to describe the differences particularly if you have never been to Russia or a former Soviet country.  I am sure the opposite is true as well for a Russian coming to the suburban United States.  May I say it is just so "other".    People ask me, "So, how is Russia?"  My response should be, "Do you really want to know or are you just asking to be polite?"  Please don't be offended.  I know that Southerners mean well, but culturally we ask things not always wanting a response.  Take the classic, "Hey!  How are you?", for example.  Are we always genuinely interested in the other person's problems, stresses, and frustrations?  Sometimes, but not always.  In Russia, I rarely ask someone "Kak dela?" (How are you?) unless I really want to hear.  On the positive side, Southerners are much more friendly to strangers.  Just the other day I had a lengthy conversation with the checkout lady at Brunos about gardens, school, her career goals, and healthy eating.  Never once has the checkout lady in Russia had anything more to say than, "Hello", "How many bags?", and "Thank you for your purchase."   We spent almost 5 days when we first arrived in the States seeing only family.  After recovering from jet lag, we began to make "dates" to visit with friends.  In Russia, my kids would have been home only 24 hours and already seen all their playmates.  This is because we live in an apartment where the kids "backyard" is a communal courtyard or playground where Moms meet twice a day with their kids to play.   No playdates have to be scheduled, at least when the weather is decent.  When the kids pick up some more Russian, it will be a lot easier for them to make friends there.   It is also generally much safer than in a comparable American city.  Although it is a big city, there are things kids can do in Russia independently that they couldn't do here.  Kids walk to school and take city buses by themselves from as young as 9 or 10.  They can walk a block to the store and get a loaf of bread or a carton of milk for Mom.  And if they get into trouble or are doing something mischevious, the babushkas will most certainly say something to them.  

Yes, there are a lot of problems facing Russia as a society and country.  Alcoholism, drug abuse, and corruption rank up there in the top 10.  Walking down a typical street, in addition to the regular citizen, I can see drunks, orphans, and/or a homeless person taking refuge under a building.  There are potholes in the street, broken bottles lying everywhere, and stray dogs.   There are young Moms strolling babies, schoolchildren walking to school, babushkas walking their grandchild, older ladies selling produce from their dachas, and sometimes beggars begging for money.   I sometimes see tired workers on the side of the street, many of whom look like they are from North Korea.  The faces are numerous.

Funny that I spent the first few months struggling to figure out how to cook in Russia.  Just when I was getting used to cooking there,  I come home and guess what?  First time I went to the grocery store, I couldn't find the things I wanted.  I don't mean couldn't locate; I meant they weren't there because they aren't typically sold in American grocery stores.  In addition to the usual cabbage, potatoes, beets and carrots that are commonly thought of as "Russian", they eat a lot of fresh herbs, pork, fish, vegetables, and traditional soups.  And no Russian grocery store is without plenty of "Pelmeni".  Pelmeni is a staple food that is basically a ravioli-like dough filled with cheese, meat, potatoes, or cabbage.   Maybe I can post a few recipes in a future blog entry. 

Even though Russia and Alabama are so very different, there are positives to both "lives", and I am grateful we can take the best of  both and enjoy them for what they are.