Last minute trip

[Diplomacy]

Well, my fiance's father is not on good shape.  He had what they thought was food poisoning.  Then it turned into a big liver.  He really has a bad valve and is going to be needing replacement surgery. 

The past few weeks are taking a pretty big toll on everyone.  I am heading out in the afternoon so please behave while I am away.

The parents live in a village, and my fiance has a small room in like a dorm set up.  Best I can do on description.  I got a flat rented and at least I can get Mama comfortable for a couple weeks.  They were real good to me before and after the trip, we have really bonded over the months.

I can at least get the little one back and forth to school and take care of him.  He is only 7, and I am sure he has no real idea what is going on. 

We talked about it, was trying to figure out if I was going to be in the way more than helping.  She agree she need me and so does family if I can make. 

Boss said get out of here, so that is what I am doing.  2 weeks unpaid sucks, but it is what it is.

Best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

BTW, it is really hard to find decent warm clothes in Dallas, right after the frost hit lol.  I am not sure anyone here would survive the New England Winter I grew up in. 

[BillyB]

Well, my fiance's father is not on good shape.  He had what they thought was food poisoning.  Then it turned into a big liver. 

"Big" liver or do you mean "bad" liver? If his liver's not working properly, he may feel as if he had food poisoning because the liver acts as a filter and removes waste products. Tell him to lay off the alcohol if he drinks it. Liver can process one drink but anymore, it allows the alcohol to enter into the body and that's how people get drunk. Your liver considers alcohol as a waste product and too much of it can harm the liver and prematurely end it's life.

Hope things go well and Happy Thanksgiving.

[Diplomacy]

Billy:

No, he is not a drinker.  We did 3 shots for engagement on the first trip and then he actually did not drink again.  I was expecting the whole bottle to be drank. He took it off the table and that was it. I asked then and she said he just toasts on occasions.  Not to say the earlier years were different.

Fair though. and would have been my first guess. 

Everyone Else

I am back and glad I went.  He is better but he needs a valve replacement surgery, but they can not do that it Lugansk from what I was told.  It meant a lot to him and we spent a lot of time with him during the 2 weeks. 

My trips are in the kitchen time category.  Just a whole lot of time with friends and family.  We did not even eat a cafe the whole time.  Between the 2 of us, we can cook up a storm. 

I was making my way around on my own and buying everything I need at the market.  Stronger Dollar was good for me.  It did not seem to me that the prices inflated as much as the gain of the USD.  I have no real hard facts.  Grocery still seem to cost about the same as USA, so they were definitely higher than last time.  I really did not pay as much attention first time, so that is anecdotal at best.

I had Blini though, after all the talk on the boards.  Great stuff, thanks for the tip.  I like the chicken, cheese, and I think it is a cucumber sauce. 

I think I have seen the potato used in more forms then I have ever seen prior to this point in my life.  I enjoy the genius in simplicity, but really had my fill of them over the 2 weeks.  Thank god I can cook real well too and diversify the meals a bit when they get here.  There was one point I thought I may be in fact turning into a potato.  No worry, I woke up and it was only my pillow.  All I could think of was Bubba shrimp.  Potato Puree, boiled Potato, potato pasta, potato soup, potato in chicken, potato diced, potato salad. 

Love the soups, and salads which is the common theme in the meals for sure.  She had made some of the best pickles and jams I had ever tasted.  I admit fully that it may be a very biased view.

Had a few Varenyky variations.  They are like a dumpling, and very good. 

Kotlety which were diced pork, potato, onion and some other things I am sure.  Kind of looked like a thin hamburger.  Pork had great flavor, my guess was marinated.  Mama made them for me, so I am not sure how she did it.  Anyway very tasty, leave room for those.

From best I can tell a buckwheat mixed with onion, chicken entree.  Going to need help with that one from someone more well versed.  I thought it was good, but not a whole lot taste to it.

Soups:

Olive- Greatness

Borscht- Love it

Yushka - Think fish used was mackerel.  Not a big fan of the fish.  It had the bones in it.  Not a fan. 

Mushroom Soup-  Was scared, they were the mushrooms the hunted.  I liked the soup but not the mushroom when pickled in a salat.  It tasted slimy in the salat.  Seems the family likes me and did not put in one of the mushrooms you can only eat once into my soup.

Salat

Kapustianyi- shredded cabbage, nuts, carrot and mayo.  Not bad at all. 

I will try to remember more, but there was a lot of family coming and going.  They were all bringing food.

Sausage,cheese, bread, and pastry way better than USA IMO

Beer and Vodka quite good. 

Wine and champagne infused with sugar is a sin.  I am still trying to figure out how they are not all diabetic.  Half sugar, no sugar, or full sugar were never meant to be questions needed in selection of a wine or champagne IMO.

Beer- Quite Good I thought.

Cognac- You get what you pay for.  Stick to the known names IMO. 

три- or three is not in fact drinking.  It is a mere series of toasts in close succession. Funny to watch the boys doing it with juice, and at the same time a little concerning.  Do not buy a bottle the size you feel is fit for the group you are drinking with.  That is meant to be an appetizer, go with a quality smaller bottle and save your liver.  The bottle must be drank fully, and thrown away quickly.  There will be  runs to get more bottles or they seem to be able to in fact produce a bottle out of thin air. 

A FSU woman can fit a small country in her purse and then still find room for something else.  It reminded me of the clown car at the circus.  Stuff just kept coming out of purses from friends and family. 

I will write more later.











 

 

[SANDRO43]

Kotlety which were diced pork, potato, onion and some other things I am sure.  Kind of looked like a thin hamburger.

Interesting term, probably borrowed from French côtelette/côte and/or Italian cotoletta, originally costoletta, meaning small costola (all meaning rib cutlet). Cotoletta alla milanese is perhaps the most traditional Milanese dish along with risotto alla milanese (rice yellowed with a small saffron addition) .

Cotoletta alla milanese (Milanese after its place of origin, Milan), which is a deep fried rib cutlet somewhat similar to Wiener schnitzel, but is "bone-in", braised in clarified butter and traditionally uses veal meat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotoletta
Milan was under Austrian rule for more than a century, therefore it's a hotly debated question whether Wiener schnitzeln are indeed a Viennese recipe, or just something they 'borrowed' from us during their rule here .

[groovlstk]

Kotlety which were diced pork, potato, onion and some other things I am sure.  Kind of looked like a thin hamburger.  Pork had great flavor, my guess was marinated.  Mama made them for me, so I am not sure how she did it.  Anyway very tasty, leave room for those.

A few years back there was a monumental argument between a long-time RWD member and a particularly obstinate RW regarding Russian kotelty vs. American gamburgers, ahem hamburgers, resulting in (I think) the resignation of the long-time member 

[SANDRO43]

A few years back there was a monumental argument between a long-time RWD member and a particularly obstinate RW regarding Russian kotelty vs. American gamburgers, ahem hamburgers, resulting in (I think) the resignation of the long-time member 

Wouldn't that be a welcome relief after almost 100 pages of Wife split! ?

[Diplomacy]

Well clearly both were right.   

Well it does make me remember another culinary delight.  She wanted to make gelatin and I told her I like it with fruit and not with meat.  Well she just had to make hers to see if I would change my mind.  I did take a bite and said nope still do not like it with meat.

Thoughtful as she was though, she had made some with fruit too.  The meat was just a diversion.  Something about meat and Jello is just not my cup of tea.

I had those little smoked sardines not bad.

Smoked salmon was great, and other white fish.  I just am not a fun of the mackerel for anything other than bait.  May be a mind over matter thing, but Spanish Mackerel is a favorite bait of mine.  The thought of eating makes me feel like I was not able to catch a real fish.

Mueslix(sP) that is some good stuff.  Mixed grains like oatmeal and fruit in nuts.  Then warmed in milk.  I liked it

There were several things that I have no idea what they were and may not ever want to know.  I got a motto I will try anything once with food, and twice for money.

After all that food, I still did not eat enough in her mother's eyes.  I told her I am not Ukrainian, I can not eat more than I did.  I was going to be able to hibernate soon.  She thought that was great.  Then went on to worry about my clothes not being warm enough, and a plethora of other matters that I clearly had no idea what was best for me on lol.  Thinsulate is just to hard to explain.  It took her mind off her husband so I just went shopping for a sweater and made sure she thought it had good stitches.

[Vaughn]

Welcome home Diplomacy!

Between the 2 of us, we can cook up a storm. 

IMHO, a couple who can tango in the kitchen have a bright future ahead.

After all that food, I still did not eat enough in her mother's eyes

It seems to me it's a MIL's mission to see her daughter cultivate an overfed man. My own MIL
judges my better half's wifely performance by the girth of my waist. Fortunately for me, I can
just about eat all I want and still maintain a 34" waistline - as Mama bellows, "FEED him"

I cannot stomach the meat-gelatin combo, either. Almost everything else is pretty tasty.
Good report, D....I hope to read some more soon.

[groovlstk]

Well it does make me remember another culinary delight.  She wanted to make gelatin and I told her I like it with fruit and not with meat.  Well she just had to make hers to see if I would change my mind.  I did take a bite and said nope still do not like it with meat.

I believe this dish is called holydyets and if you managed to take a bite of it you're a braver man than I.
 

[Diplomacy]

Well glad we got some fans of the report.

I guess the lead story is that the match is very good for me.  We are both the types that go nonstop and then take time to enjoy life also.  We have worked through and discussed a lot, and found ways to find an acceptable compromise in areas where we differ in opinion.

That has been the good part, I know there can be a fight and we will work through it for a little while now.  The only real issue was it was done over 6,000 miles away when it happened and not face to face.  I know that while there I was who I am.  I know that under the stress and conditions she had been over the last few weeks, I would be on anything but best behavior.

I really was helping out.  I could take and get him from school, while she was getting ready to go to the hospital.  Help with math homework and keep him focused on getting the rest of it done.  Clean up the dishes and prep some meals.  I did not get to make anything of my own accord this trip, and there was not the luxury of getting to think about what I can make with what is available at the market.

A couple of times I got some prepared food when I felt everyone had enough and needed to rest.  I did not get the we need to be careful with money speech on those occasions and know it was the right thing to do.  She took the majority of the load with Papa, due to the fact that Mama needed to watch over the house in the village.  So Mama would be there every other day.  Mama adores me, but the fact I can and do so many domestic things is still a shock.  She did say I made best husband, so I guess she has given up on the fact that I should not be doing it at all.

Had the dishes inspected, along with the wash a few times.  Mama clearly approved of the job and that came to an end fairly quickly.  I just would chuckle on the inside and if it looked like Mama started to worry about Papa.  I would say I think we should have some tea or something.  Just tried to keep her mind off things and she was clearly worried half to death herself.

My Russian is improving to the point of maybe a 2 year old I think.  They both commented on how impressed they were on how much more I had learned in a short amount of time.  I was able to understand more than communicate myself.  It did not help that the boy thought it was real funny to make up how to pronounce words if nobody was within hearing range other than me.  Funny stuff there, and his little friend was doing it to.  Of course they would laugh and I knew when they were messing with me.

The laughter was much needed, so I would play along and act like I was serious.  That seems to be a key in the humor factor there.  I would here the correct word and say Oy.  Went to the well a lot on that one, and it worked like a charm.

Mama caught him doing it, and My fiance had to explain I had been in on the game for a while. Mama said I was a beautiful man and laughed.  So it was all in good fun.  He is 7 and is a lot of fun.  I was getting his homework done in half the time he usually takes, so we discussed what was working.  He seems to be still doing it that way and it is a big help.

The hospital itself was like a WWII movie.  I had always thought that the scene was filmed in an estate that had been set up as a triage center.  I was wrong it was like walking on the set of one of those movies.  That is the best way to explain it.  Water buckets on the floor in case of fire, no other measure of fire suppression that I could see.

There was a coat room and attendant when you walked in.  A small waiting area outside there.  Then you go through a series of doors and into the room I went.  There were 8 men in what looked like a college dorm room.  Not a single monitor, they were wearing personal clothes, had sheets from home on the bed, the beds were a myriad of whatever they could find and not hospital beds for the most part.

There was a nurse call button at the door, but none on each bed.  There was a fridge in there and it looked like a kiosk at the market.  There was food everywhere and most of it was not what I would be feeding a heart patient.  A constant flurry of people coming in and out to visit.  They were even going to the market and getting Vodka.  I saw a few of them drinking and smoking outside a few times.  It was quite the scene.

Her father had been bleeding through where the catheter was for days.  We were actually changing the dressing.  He had bled through all the gauze and the shirt and onto the sheets over night.  I went to another method and wrapped the gauze around his abdomen and it stopped almost instantly.  I can not help to wonder if we would have eventually slowly bled to death.  He was in rough shape when I first got there, but was recovering quickly once I got there.

You had to buy all the medicine, and I never once saw a prescription.  Some was coming from pharmacy and other you had to buy from hospital.  My guess was the controlled substance was bought from hospital.

It was very strange to go to a pharmacy like you would grocery shopping. 

I will write more later

[GoodOlBoy]

Hello Diplomacy and welcome back home.

I can relate to your visual experiences of the hospital you visited.

I actually had an "interesting" episode in Omsk, Siberia when I went to visit my wife (then girlfriend). I was cooking. I had some boiling hot water in a pot tip over and drop to the floor. The pot landed on my left foot. It was very painful. I got cold water on it immediately, but it was to late. A few hours later, pieces of my skin started to peel off and the bleeding started.

Next day, A LOT of pain. I had to soak my foot (sock) in cold water to peel it off my foot. It was totally encrusted with blood.

So, my wife and her brother took me to the hospital in Omsk. It was really an experience I will NEVER forget. I got several injections of stuff that I still don't know to this day, what was in the syringes. I was kind of worried about getting a serious infection from the burn. But I lived through the whole thing and hey my trip to the hospital was free...no charge!!

I wanted to get some antibiotic burn cream. But I was told they didn't have this?

The hospital itself was pretty much what you described above. It was archaic.

I know it sounds stupid now, but I was carrying my BC/BS federal insurance card with me (thinking I was covered).  

[Diplomacy]

Good Ole Boy

Glad you got better, that is not one life experience I care to have.

Rest

One thing that I will say is the lack of daylight messed with me pretty bad.  Being in sunny Dallas has spoiled me.  It was dark by 16.00 and it was cloudy or raining most of the time there.  On top of the time zone difference it just was hard to get the energy going this trip.

I had a wonderful time with her friend and his husband.  He is in law enforcement so that makes for quite the conversation.  They are both real kind and fun.  Although there was still a lot of translating needed.  It seems as though they liked me also, they kept inviting us to do this or that.  They really did not ask many questions about America. 

We also had her cousin and his girlfriend over for dinner one night.  I had some of the Ukrainian Beer with him.  It was a 2 liter bottle, so that was an interesting twist on sure I will drink a beer with you. 

[Vaughn]

For me, this TR is a refreshing step up from the usual. The focus on family dynamic
is a particularly welcome change - and isn't it nice to be able to speak and interact
with her parents and loved ones? Great report.

IMO, GoodOlBoy and Diplomacy have personified "time in the kitchen", whether it be
over a stove or in the confines of a hospital.

[Diplomacy]

Thanks Vaughn!  I got plenty more where than come from.

Magazine-  Is a store and not a periodical in the FSU.  If you can read a little Russian it helps, but usually there is pictures on the window or signs on the street that will let you know.  They tend to have an armed guard or some rather plain clothed security guard running around with 2 way radios.  You can get a discount card for many of the places and depends on what they sell.  The grocery store I went to it was 9% off retail. 

Market-  Well look to watch the Original Indiana Jones and remember the scene that the monkey eats the date and dies.  That is what you are going to experience Kiosk after Kiosk of goods.  Reminds me of the flea market with a lot more food.  The Kiosk that I saw were grouped with similar goods.  Like Fruit, meat, clothes, electronics so forth and so on. 

Kind of weird people trying on clothes in the fairly wide open.  It is very crowded most of the time.  I would be hiding the wallet and keeping cash in a couple spots.  The pet kiosk was the most interesting.  I am still trying to figure out how the keep the animals from being dead from the cold.  It is open air and some lights.  The fish market is a must see, there sure have some strange looking fish for sale.  I never knew it could take several hours to pick out a winter hat, but the future MIL sure pulled it off.  She did make a fine selection, but that is the good part about the market.  A lot of interesting things to be found and distract you from being bored to tears.

I found some real good clothes and would have cost at least 3 times as much at home.  I know in Kiev there is a real cool market, but I have not had the time when I was there to see it.


Gifts-  I went with the socks, gloves, thermal underwear, and warm pajamas route.  Although the pajamas were clearly not needed in Lugansk.  The parents home in the village is a pellet stove and outhouse variety.  They have running water in the house at the sink, but that is all.  They have a great 1/4 acre farm, and it is a nice break for me from that City.  Whatever you do not sit on anything metal or stone, it is a sure way to catch a cold as I am told.


Bus-  It is real crowded, people push and shove, and lack of deodorant is very evident.  Especially when the heat is put up to the point you could cure a ham in there.  If you like feeling and the smell of a sardine this is a must do.

Taxi- See this is where the FSU logic escapes me.  If 3 people need to pay $1.50 each and take two buses then you are not saving enough to endure the bus IMO.  Be careful though, they will charge you a premium if they think you are an American.  I would say 2-3 times as much.  It was funny to see their faces when I said here you go when my fiance told me what the Taxi cost.  I guess I am mistaken for Ukrainian for the most part.  People had a look of shock when I did not know something they said and you reply Ya Americanist.  There were several comments made about me just not looking American and they could not believe it.

There were several Beautiful Man comments made also, so I guess that is kind of funny.  Here you are being called beautiful by women that are simply stunning.  The women were very forward with me sometimes too. 







 

[Diplomacy]

Ukrainian Humor-

Well there is a lot to this one and I do not believe you know a culture until you can make people laugh in their Native Tongue.  Mind you I am not well versed in Russian, but with some pantomime you can get them rolling I assure you.

Yes, the Ukrainians have two persona IMO.  The first is that outward gruff look the outside world sees and the other is when with friends and family.  I have noticed that one must separate friends and family too.

Family is an interesting dynamic and it does not always lead to the beautiful inside persona.  Friends seem to be lesser than western culture but a much stronger bond.  I am sure there must be some influence from being careful who your friends are and who you trust in Ukrainian culture.

Well my first attempt at Russian humor was with her mother.  Her mother kept bringing more and more food.  I was having flashbacks of the movie 7 where they made the guy eat himself to death.  Ya Yell (I eat), Ya Yell, Ya Yell, YA polon I say(I am full) then say Oy! and puff out the tummy and say Ya kartoshka (I am a potato)  that one had everyone laughing. 

One important culture difference to note.  I was raised to finish everything on my plate.  In Ukrainian culture leave just a little bit of food to show your hosts that you are full.  I wish I had known that one earlier, and it was just chance that I did figure it out.

Mother In Law-

Very much part of their humor.  The mother in law is in the middle of everything to do with your life.  Very funny if you can say to the men Mama zalozhnik (hostage) and point to yourself.

I joke with her Papa and have my fiance ask if her mother has nagged him enough today.  He laughs about that one every time and says Dah!

Also it is very funny if when asked why you are going to marry an Ukrainian woman?  You answer, so my MIL is 9,000 KM away.  I win them over each time with that one.  I can not say it in Russian, but my fiance is in on the joke by now.