Super-Duper Wacky n' Tacky Euro Adventure: 2006-02-12

Today's word...

1 comments Published Friday, February 17, 2006 by Beto Juarez III.

is from my endless preparations from the last two weeks for midterms and arguing and writing in French. Here's to not having to study my ass off this weekend. And to the two lovely ladies coming to visit me from Florence!

Word of the day: nevertheless - néanmoins

So I was just realizing...

0 comments Published Thursday, February 16, 2006 by Beto Juarez III.

How much more descriptive and such I was when I first got to Moscow. I really need to step things up here. So I'll go for a popular entry last quarter: food. Although, I gotta say, it's not gonna be nearly as interesting/disgusting as Russia's version.

So when I get up in the mornings for school here, I usually have half an hour to get ready before I start off on my 'oh so long' 15 minute walk to school. So as a huge contrast to last quarter, my host family doesn't really do breakfast. Needless to say this is highly dissapointing. Coming here, I was used to Kasha (porridge), some eggs and ham, buterbrati (cheese and sausage sandwiches), and (instant) coffee. I was used to being stuffed silly before heading off on my long trek to school. Usually after my hour-long journey in Moscow I was pleasantly filled and could hold off on lunch for a long time. Come the contrast. On my second day here, my host mother showed me where the bowls and spoons were, where the box of cornflakes was, and where to find the milk in the fridge. Oh yeah, and as a luxury, she also showed me where the sugar in the pantry was for my cornflakes. Didn't like cornflakes as a kid, still don't like 'em now. But when it's the only thing, I eat it. I attempted to send a small hint by buying some nice fruity/raisony cereal that lasted for less than a week; the size of the box was 200mg. A week after that, I saw two new 500mg cornflakes boxes above the fridge. Lovely. Russia 1, France 0.

Lunch was very frequently the local market in Moscow. If not the market, it was bleen or sandwich that was under two euro and tie me over till dinner. Noooot so much here. Cheapest lunch I could find for a long time was a sandvich grec avec frites for 4 euro. and that's really cheap. I have payed up to ten euro for my lunch before. Then comes in the lovely socialist French state. Scattered around town are these great Crous student restaurants (see pic) that serve a veritable meal for, get this, 2,70euro. Oh yeah. It really is that cheap. It's not the biggest hit with all the Stanford students because, well, I guess it isn't the most high quality food. But it is several levels past edible. Plus there are always tons of different students all studying in Paris that are good for, if nothing else, a little French practice. Score one for France.

Then comes dinner. Hmmm. As a requirement of French (or rather Parisian) snootiness, everyone believes they are the best cook to ever hit France; and frankly, that isn't too far from the truth. My dinners always start out with some kind of vegetable soup. And it's not the stuff that comes out of a box. I'm still a little weary because I have yet to encounter a soup in Europe that hasn't been whizzed up, but if they taste good, then what's the worry? Next comes the main dish which is a considerable size of meat and some sort of side dish. The potatoes that my host mom does are particularly good: chopped with onions and left to simmer in a wok. Interesting approach, but it surprisingly works. They are also really big about duck over here, of which I am a full supporter. After the main course usually comes the cheese course. Yes, I said the cheese course. Of this I am also a big supporter. The stinkier the better, I say. Oh yeah, I am also usually munching on wonderful baguette throughout the meal and the cheese course is no different. Favorite discovered cheese so far: chevre. Sometimes pate is brought out, and hey, that's just fine by me. When you're pretty much full, but there's still room, a freshly made dessert is brought out. Some good ones have been apple crumble, peachy-sugary yuminess (that's what I call it at least), and chocolate fudge cake. A great way to end a meal and screw your arteries right over.

There are only two things wrong with dinner: 1) It only comes five times a week, and if I miss one, it doesn't get made up to me, and 2) it doesn't start until 8 at the earliest! Stanford has gotten me accustomed to the 6pm dinner time and my stomach doesn't like the changes. So it would appear after all the point counting that Russia would have France edged when it comes to the meals. But what am I talking about? On account of sheer dinner-time yumminess I think the final score is about Russia-3, France-2.17bazillion. It was a close one.