Eat your lunch BEFORE you read this, buy your flowers AFTER... 021406

Hi, all,
OK, so I've been trying to lay low. I think my problem lately is that I haven't really been sleeping… or eating for that matter. This has caused me to be fairly unproductive… well, not unproductive, but not as productive as I'd like to be.

You must know that I'm not anorexic (just look at me!), but I have my limits. There are deal breakers for me… they include mushrooms, mayonnaise, parts of animals that I can't distinguish, fish from waters that have once been radiated and cream based sauces. So, lets take a look at today's Business Lunch menu… Well to start there is always Liver Stroganoff… mmm, delightful! Not only is there a piece of a cow that I wouldn't be able to identify by sight, but there is also a cream based sauce. Yummy! Let's continue down the menu-- Squid salad in marinade, Salad with both mushrooms and mayonnaise, Cream soup with mushrooms, Pike (perch) with cream sauce and bacon, a part of the cow that I can't translate (chopped) and baked with tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. OK, then there are the items that are unidentifiable. I'm not quite sure what these words mean… Сотэ (I think it is something from chicken), Солянка (something to do with some vegetables), Биточек (something to do with beef)… Then there are the things that just don't make sense to me, such as Икра овощная. This says caviar with vegetables. Hmm.. Also, on the website the list a spot for Диетические, вегетарианские блюда-- this means diet and vegetarian courses. There are two interesting things about this. 1) I've never seen any of this actually at Business Lunch. Maybe you need to ask?; and 2) The vegetarian menu includes all different kinds of meat (broth, etc). Ahhh… Russia! I know now why everyone is so thin here. Maybe we should adopt this diet in America-- Extremely high fat food that makes your stomach turn to think of it. I think I was better off when I went to lunch blind. I guess ignorance is bliss.

So, today is Valentine's Day. I am such a bad wife. This marks the third "holiday" that I have missed in the past year-- Thanksgiving, my birthday, and now Valentine's Day. I almost missed our anniversary too, but thanks to the Russian consulate, I was sent home. Sorry, there will be no Valentine's dinner party this year… Next year though, liver stroganoff for everyone! ;-)

So, what's going on here in Russia for день Святого Валентина? Believe it or not, it is very similar to the US. Flower prices have skyrocketed overnight, which is a tad surprising to me. There are WAY more florists in Moscow, and you would think there would be more competition. I guess it is directly relational to the Russian love of flowers. There are also these little stores called "Podaroki" which means "Gifts"-- imagine that. They are basically, the Hallmark store, take away the cards and make it Russian-ghetto. Here you can buy stuffed animals and crap to give to your sweetheart. Everything is heart shaped right now. Heart shaped does not mean gaudy in Russia! It means better. I talked to a few of my compatriots here and they say that V-tag is mainly for you and your sweetheart. You don't give Valentine's or e-mails to your friends and family… only your honey.

Coming up is a set of special Russian holidays to honor everyone. First, there will be Men's Day. I guess it is similar to our Father's Day, but you don't have to be a Father to still be special. On this day, you must do something nice for every man that is special to you… friends, family, husband, etc. Two weeks later comes Women's Day. I've heard that Women's Day is a flower extravaganza. If the florists haven't already made a load off of V-tag, here's where they are going into the black. Men are expected to buy flowers for pretty much every woman they know. It is said that the florists make more money on Women's day than they will cumulatively the rest of the year. From what I hear though, how good your woman's day is directly depends on how good his man's day was. These holidays are distinctive to Russia as they are remnants of Communism. **Below is a Women's Day Sign from the Communist Days.

Very important! Flowers mean different things in Russia. I know they mean things in the States, but no one recognizes it. Here it matters! In Russia, flowers are a key form of communication. They transcend language and are a key indication of care and consideration. You do not want to give your boss red roses especially long stemmed (these are much more expensive and rare), unless you really mean it. Another very important detail, in Russia, you would never send a dozen roses. Even numbers of flowers are considered highly unlucky and are only sent at funerals! Another interesting tidbit of info… so, are you tired of your girlfriend? Want to give her a hint that you want to move on? Just send her some yellow flowers. Yellow flowers mean bad luck and signify the end of an affair.

As for me, I'm going to head down to the little "Produktoy" (little stand on the side of the road that sell stuff) to grab a Diet Coke and some gum (it is the Moscow diet). I don't think I can stomach Business Lunch today after reading the menu.
Have a great Valentine's Day and remember the rules. С днём Святого Валентина!
Amanda
**Note: Those are real Russians at the top picture. I took it off of a Russian Valentine's site.