Letters From Moscow
Thought I'd write a blog inbetween these bits of audio. And I haven't really gotten round to recording any more audio yet.
So our visit to Moscow so far...Saturday our flight was delayed by an hour because someone failed to board the plane, and the authorities at BA had to search for his baggage and remove it from the plane in case it was a bit suspect. So we arrived an hour late, and waited ages for our bags to appear on the re-claim, after which we were hurriedly taken to Ira's folks flat and had a bite to eat and a few vodka's. On Sunday we pretty much slept until midday, later in the evening we went to a restaurant to celebrate Vladimir's 60th birthday, I'm not sure which one, maybe both as he has two, an official and un-official, I think it has something to do with the fact he was born in the small town and wasn't registered until some days after his birth. So the restaurant was very nice, loads of food, most ate a small pig which had been cooked especially for our party, I'm glad to say we didn't have to see it slaughtered. I opted for lamb with apple and mint which was very nice, unfortunately I can't remember how nice, as my taste budds by that time had been severely stunted by the continual shots of vodka. Vladimir had taken no chances and had brought a bag full of alcohol (which incidentally we nearly lost by leaving it in the taxi we arrived in), including some expensive voda, about 6 toasts into the evening everything started to become hard to remember. We did dance though, to music supplied by local heart throb no doubt, a young lad giving it his all to several rock power ballads, at least he sang in tune and didn't over cook any of the performances, even though he sang to backing kareoke tracks. The evening finished around midnight, when we were still the only party in the place, I think maybe Vladimir had brought out the entire place.
When we arrived back at the flat, Vladimir and Ivan (Vladimir's brother, aka Uncle John, and before you ask I have no idea why he's called Uncle John) decided they hadn't yet consumed enough Vodka to make them fittingly ill, so broke open another bottle, calling me into help them out. How could I refuse, I had a couple of shots and decided that was quite enough, after they had gone to bed I stopped up a little and watched TV before retiring to the stool in our bedroom, where I sat for about an hour contemplating whether I would be throwing up. I decided to get into bed and after closing my eyes, my next memory is of Ira waking me the next morning.
Not a lot happened Monday, me and Ira took a walk in Moscow, through red square and around Arbat where we brought several much needed items. Cornflakes and tea bags for me being a couple. It's just the tea Ira's family make is without milk and to weak when I add it. And being an avid tea drinker I really need to have something which doesn't resemble a kind of cloudy milky mass.
Everytime I come to Moscow to visit with my wife's family I have to prepare myself for Vladimir's relentless hospitality, he's hospitable to the point of irritation, he will offer you twenty things at once and not even think of the consequences of you having them. So this morning I had breakfast of ham and eggs, Vladimir offering me Vodka and Beer, and Ira's mom giving me tea and coca cola. There is no point at which Vladimir will stop his onslaught of Vodka pleeese, and although I love him as my father in law and a decent enough man, one or two weeks of him are more than enough in any one go. He's very active for his age, and from the moment he wakes in the morning until the moment he closes his eyes at night, he's constantly on the go, trying to impress, offer the best, be a gracious host. I commend him for this, but wish he would just relax a little sometimes, take a chill pill and give his guests some space.
Today, we went to buy a present for him, he wanted a printer, and settled for a lazer copier from the local supermarket "Metro", the place is hugely impressive about three times the size of our local Asda and is a combination of Asda, B&Q, Homebase, MFI and Ikea, you can most of everything there, including baths, tires, laptops, office furniture, and all manner of food. It's pretty incredible really. It's wear we will later pick up several bottles of Vodka to bring back home. Later in the evening Ira visited the local dentist to see if she could get a filling redone. I've never seen a dentist like it. Extremely up market, very clean, posh, modern looking, soft music plays in the hall way, as you await your dentist to call you in, you sit on plush soft furnishings, it really is home from home, and apparently cheaper than the UK private dentists too, and you don't have to wait for an appointment for weeks. The UK really had a way to go to compete with it.
Tomorrow night we will be visiting what I've read is one of Moscow's best kept secrets, a small but friendly blues club. More on that and the rest of my trip coming soon in written or audio format, plus I still have to record a podcast later on for Homegrown. Providing I survive the Vodka.
So our visit to Moscow so far...Saturday our flight was delayed by an hour because someone failed to board the plane, and the authorities at BA had to search for his baggage and remove it from the plane in case it was a bit suspect. So we arrived an hour late, and waited ages for our bags to appear on the re-claim, after which we were hurriedly taken to Ira's folks flat and had a bite to eat and a few vodka's. On Sunday we pretty much slept until midday, later in the evening we went to a restaurant to celebrate Vladimir's 60th birthday, I'm not sure which one, maybe both as he has two, an official and un-official, I think it has something to do with the fact he was born in the small town and wasn't registered until some days after his birth. So the restaurant was very nice, loads of food, most ate a small pig which had been cooked especially for our party, I'm glad to say we didn't have to see it slaughtered. I opted for lamb with apple and mint which was very nice, unfortunately I can't remember how nice, as my taste budds by that time had been severely stunted by the continual shots of vodka. Vladimir had taken no chances and had brought a bag full of alcohol (which incidentally we nearly lost by leaving it in the taxi we arrived in), including some expensive voda, about 6 toasts into the evening everything started to become hard to remember. We did dance though, to music supplied by local heart throb no doubt, a young lad giving it his all to several rock power ballads, at least he sang in tune and didn't over cook any of the performances, even though he sang to backing kareoke tracks. The evening finished around midnight, when we were still the only party in the place, I think maybe Vladimir had brought out the entire place.
When we arrived back at the flat, Vladimir and Ivan (Vladimir's brother, aka Uncle John, and before you ask I have no idea why he's called Uncle John) decided they hadn't yet consumed enough Vodka to make them fittingly ill, so broke open another bottle, calling me into help them out. How could I refuse, I had a couple of shots and decided that was quite enough, after they had gone to bed I stopped up a little and watched TV before retiring to the stool in our bedroom, where I sat for about an hour contemplating whether I would be throwing up. I decided to get into bed and after closing my eyes, my next memory is of Ira waking me the next morning.
Not a lot happened Monday, me and Ira took a walk in Moscow, through red square and around Arbat where we brought several much needed items. Cornflakes and tea bags for me being a couple. It's just the tea Ira's family make is without milk and to weak when I add it. And being an avid tea drinker I really need to have something which doesn't resemble a kind of cloudy milky mass.
Everytime I come to Moscow to visit with my wife's family I have to prepare myself for Vladimir's relentless hospitality, he's hospitable to the point of irritation, he will offer you twenty things at once and not even think of the consequences of you having them. So this morning I had breakfast of ham and eggs, Vladimir offering me Vodka and Beer, and Ira's mom giving me tea and coca cola. There is no point at which Vladimir will stop his onslaught of Vodka pleeese, and although I love him as my father in law and a decent enough man, one or two weeks of him are more than enough in any one go. He's very active for his age, and from the moment he wakes in the morning until the moment he closes his eyes at night, he's constantly on the go, trying to impress, offer the best, be a gracious host. I commend him for this, but wish he would just relax a little sometimes, take a chill pill and give his guests some space.
Today, we went to buy a present for him, he wanted a printer, and settled for a lazer copier from the local supermarket "Metro", the place is hugely impressive about three times the size of our local Asda and is a combination of Asda, B&Q, Homebase, MFI and Ikea, you can most of everything there, including baths, tires, laptops, office furniture, and all manner of food. It's pretty incredible really. It's wear we will later pick up several bottles of Vodka to bring back home. Later in the evening Ira visited the local dentist to see if she could get a filling redone. I've never seen a dentist like it. Extremely up market, very clean, posh, modern looking, soft music plays in the hall way, as you await your dentist to call you in, you sit on plush soft furnishings, it really is home from home, and apparently cheaper than the UK private dentists too, and you don't have to wait for an appointment for weeks. The UK really had a way to go to compete with it.
Tomorrow night we will be visiting what I've read is one of Moscow's best kept secrets, a small but friendly blues club. More on that and the rest of my trip coming soon in written or audio format, plus I still have to record a podcast later on for Homegrown. Providing I survive the Vodka.
posted by Nic Treadwell at 7:56 pm
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