We finished exams, each group had a party afterwards in the classroom, with food and drink and great high spirits, and champagne for the first two groups — they still have to take their second language exams, French or German. Have I said how much we have enjoyed our students? They were all great, even the few who wouldn’t talk at the beginning — and I think at the end, even they talked to us. Friday was another bitterly cold, windy, snowy day, as was Saturday. Did I already discuss how it is that when the weather is like this, no matter what direction you are walking in, the snow and wind are ALWAYS in your face — how does that happen???? We got up and took the tram downtown for souvenir shopping. We found a lovely gift for Galina, hope she agrees, and the perfect souvenir shop. Home for a brief rest before going to dinner at Leonid and Natasha’s house. Another spectacular feast! Daniel you would have so loved everything — you too, Judyth, everything was soooo gooood. Natasha is a really great cook and hostess. Vodka for toasts and, of course, just because. We were there for almost six hours, most of the time eating.
Today, I was so very happy to sleep late. Leisurely day until our friends Sergei and Lilia came to say goodbye, they are off to Abu Dhabi for 10 days. At 2:00 we went to a class — actually more like a conversation club — for our friend Elena, the doctor and medical translator/interpreter. Yet another fun group of Russians, most of them doctors or medical students — three pediatric neurologists among them — and so young they looked! We had a great good time with them and afterwards off to Elena’s house for dinner. Her husband had made excellent plof. I do so love Russian food and as I think I have explained every single woman in Russia can cut food into little tiny pieces — and we had my favorite salad: corn, cucumber, fake crab, sometimes tomato or some other veggie, with a bit of mayo. Their two girls, Leesa (6) and Sonia (4), came home and were a bit shy with us at first, but by the end they were showing off their in-line skates, bikes and scooter — the apartment has a very large hall and an open living room/kitchen so lots of room for two small girls to skate and ride around. Now we’re home and damn if it isn’t already almost 9:00. We got the last of the clothes out of the washing machine — read bathtub — and so we’ll be starting the week with clean clothes, always a good thing.
May you all have a great week — ours is only through Wednesday as Thurs morning we fly off to Istanbul and then to you, MARITA and NOEKIE! We sure hope we see our friend Pinar in Istanbul.
Best wishingly yours, jm
lairdandjonelle 
I would drink a lot of vodka, too, if my April was routinely filled with snow. We had flurries yesterday and it was enough! What’s “plof”?
Plof is like pilaf, rice cooked with meat and egg (I don’t remember egg, but Laird says yes), and anything else the cook has on hand to throw into the pot (that’s also Laird, I just remember the rice & meat) But best of all, NO MAYONAISE — one of their few dishes, I think, without it. A tad exaggerated, but they do love mayo! Shashlik, BBQ skewers, are sometimes marinated in mayo, and I think we’ve told you about French Meat, beef cooked in mayo — actually, surprisingly delicious. Daniel knows how to cook it, so maybe when we get home, we can have family and Daniel for a Russian feast.