Musings about Moscow #2

This post is mostly about KFC Russia, since that's what brought us here in the first place. Not to mention, I've now EATEN MORE FRIED CHICKEN in the past 2+ years than the last 20! :-) But I've also included a few 'Moscow musings' too.

Cool digital menu boards at the "Sophia" KFC location.

1. Beer -- they sell beer at KFC! Scott tells me that Russia and Nigeria are the only two countries in the entire world that sell beer.

2. Coffee (general musing) -- everyone, including KFC, sells espresso drinks (cappuccinos, espressos, mochas and lattes). Interestingly, the coffee shops here (Starbucks included) don't sell regular 'drip' coffee, only the espresso-based stuff.

3. Women (general musing and KFC) -- Moscow has many more women than men, everywhere! Old and young, working class and upper class, just more ladies, LIVING LIFE. Literally there is a dearth of men because of WWII and alcoholism. The lifespan for Russian men is 55. The women who eat at KFC? Most of them look quite professional and well-groomed (at least this is what I've observed at the "my" KFC which is in the city center). Fascinating!

Two professional women drinking espresso drinks and eating KFC, thus supporting a couple of my points.

4. No-Paper-Allowed Public toilets (general musing) -- yes, that's right. There are toilets where you're not supposed to flush any paper; instead, there's a trash can to the side that contains wads of USED toilet paper from prior patrons. Probably because of bad plumbing, but omg, soooo gross….

Disgusting public toilet with trash can for paper disposal.

5. Sides/Desserts -- KFC sides are much more limited in Russia. There's coleslaw (of course: cabbage and mayo, perfect for the Russian palate!), fries, corn, and Caesar and regular salads. No biscuits(!!!!), no mashed potatoes/gravy, no green beans, no Mac n Cheese. On the other hand, they do have ice cream sundaes, soft serve, belgian waffles and I think blintzes on the menu. Russians L-O-V-E love their sweets.

Soft serve cone and regular fries instead of 'wedges.' 

6. Police presence and loitering (general musing) -- there are a lot more police around town on the street and in police cars. Just a few weeks ago were driving to Beau's swim class on a Saturday morning and we were stopped by the police for literally no reason at all. Gulp. Our driver, R, just said it was "normal" and didn't think twice when we pulled over. Nothing ended up happening; R showed his license to the officer and quietly had a few words with him and then we got back on the road. Seems like they want to remind people of who exactly is "in charge." And as for loitering, theres a lot of that too. In our courtyard, there are always at least 3 big, burly men standing around chain-smoking and…waiting. No idea what they're waiting for - but their presence is intimidating and a little disconcerting when you first walk outside.

Oh, and Siena thinks the guys in the courtyard are waiting to play with her when we go outside. Every. Single. Time. Sweet girl, I love her so much.

7. Chicken at KFC -- all fried. Period. No grilled, no roasted. Just fried, fried, fried, on-the-bone, strips (like chicken tenders but better), bites (like popcorn chicken but better), many iterations of sandwiches, fried, fried, fried.

"Streeps"

"Bah-eetz" and a "Tveester" wrap.

8. Food volume consumed at KFC -- there seem to be two kinds of customers at KFC Russia, the snackers and the big volume eaters. The women (and teens) are the snackers. Then there's the guys who get like 2 big sandwiches, a large fries, AND 2 twister wraps. Oh and probably an ice cream, which they eat first because it will melt if they put it down or leave it till the end. KFC is clearly much more affordable vs all the other options around town so the big guys take advantage of that.

Big guy having lunch. You can't see it here, but he had a pint of BEER  behind that box of wings.

9. Time spent at restaurants (especially KFC) -- people spend HOURS hanging out at KFC! It's a business meeting spot, a date-night restaurant, a lunch place and a cafe all in one. People just set up shop - free wifi!! - and hang out for a long time. Friday nights, it's like a nightclub! 

10. No recycling (general musing) -- so sad. Despite being way ahead of the game with the "bring your own bag" concept, Moscow doesn't seem to have a public recycling program. Actually, it's even hard to find a regular old trash can on the street, so I think everyone just hangs on to their trash til they get home.

Warnings

Scott and I are registered with the U.S. State Department as Americans living abroad so we get periodic emails when there's something large scale happening in or around our part of the world that might put U.S. Citizens at risk. Something like, oh, you know, Russia sending troops to Crimea and the resulting U.S. sanctions imposed against Russian officials. 

Below is a copy of the email we just received today. 

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UNITED STATES EMBASSY MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Security Message to U.S. Citizens: Large Rally/Concert in Red Square and Possible Other Locations in Russia

March 18, 2014

U.S. Embassy Moscow notifies U.S. citizens and family members that Russian government authorities will permit a large-scale “mass rally-concert” entitled “We Are Together” to take place in Red Square at 18:00 today, March 18.  The event will express political support for residents of Crimea and with President Putin’s policies there.  Tens of thousands are expected to participate.  It is possible that similar rallies will take place in other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.  Such large gatherings may cause significant traffic and mass-transit disruptions.

A larger-than-usual police presence will likely be evident in and around downtown Moscow to monitor the events.  U.S. citizens should carry their identification and show it if requested to do so by legitimate authorities.

Please note the following guidance from the U.S. Department of State’s Country Specific Information for the Russian Federation:  “U.S. citizens should avoid all public demonstrations, whether properly authorized by local officials or not, and avoid any large crowds and public gatherings that lack enhanced security measures.”

U.S. citizens are reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.  Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates.  Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security. 

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So I'm in Moscow (of course) and Scott's in Yekaterinburg for work today and tomorrow. We live within walking distance of Red Square. How nice. 

Actually I'm really not afraid for either of us per se (and I don't plan on going out tonight anyway), but it's certainly not a very safe feeling that America's State Department is worried about us little people. 

We did it!

Well, we officially made it back to Moscow! Our beautiful baby Beau was born July 25, 2013 at 4:41 am and Scott and I feel so very proud and lucky to be his parents. 

WELCOME BEAU!

So I just can't stop thinking to myself and smiling: "We did it!" 

What exactly did we do? A LOT.

1. I had an easy and uneventful pregnancy, despite dividing the trimesters between California, South Africa and Russia. Phew!

~35 weeks pregnant in Palo Alto

 
2. Scott made it to the States in time to witness the entire 22.5 hours of labor (ugh!) and cesarean delivery. Love that man so much!!

First family portraits.

3. 11 weeks postpartum, my heroic mom and I packed and checked 4 giant suitcases + car seat + jumbo stroller bag and boarded a plane from SFO --> NYC for Matt and Beth's wedding (yay, Matt and Beth are getting married!!!);

4. Spent a fun week exploring NYC, visiting with old friends and attended Matt & Beth's gorgeous wedding;

  

   

5.  Successfully RE-packed aforementioned suitcases (actually 6 when you count Scott's!) and all the baby gear AND flew 10 hours from NYC --> Moscow;

Mom, Scott & B and The Bags

Beau at the airport in line.

  



6. On the flight, we were able to get a bulkhead row and Beau got tucked in to one of those hook-on bassinets. He slept like a pro.

Little baby in his Aeroflot bassinet.

  

7. All the bags arrived in one piece and everyone lived happily ever after.  In Moscow. :) Lookout Moscow, here we come. We really did it!

Sunset and window view from our Moscow apartment

Now Siena has her parents back together, with the addition of a 1 new baby brother.

Cutest dog ever!

Cutest boy in Moscow:

 Best and most generous Mimi (I feel so lucky to have her here with us!):

Victory Day Part I (Parade) - 9 May 2013

Victory Day in Moscow is always on May 9 and is always a big holiday. The entire city shuts down and everyone has off from work. This holiday commemorates Russia's victory over Germany in WWII. The Russians lost 19 million people in the war - more than any single country or group - and they are very, very proud of the fact that they still defeated the Germans. Even the little kids here seem to know a whole lot more about WWII than any American I know.

Part of the city-wide celebration involves a parade of Russian military tanks up Tverskaya from Red Sqaure. And guess what, Tverskaya just happens to be the very street where we live! So we had an easy front-row seat for this impressive display of national pride and sheer force.

Tons and tons of people crowded along the sidewalk.

This first pic is directly across from one of the exit gates from our building:

Of course Siena came to watch the parade too.

Eventually she got bored and lay down on our feet. 

Crowds walking toward where the tanks end up.

A few military guys for crowd control.

And, here come the tanks! Just your average parade in Moscow...

Anyone need some missiles (maybe Syria?)?

More missiles!

And here's a video of even more tanks parading along the road (I started out with just photos but there were so many tanks one after another, I switched to video):