I'm falling in love with Alla more by the day. Today she told me that we were going to make pelmeni together. She didn't ask, she told. This was, of course, fine by me. I realized then that she has two sons and, seeing as how cooking is such an important tradition in Russian culture, she may have missed the opportunity to teach her own daughter how to cook. That's how it felt today in the kitchen, like I was a part of her family and not just a guest as usual. The pelmeni was really good. She said she almost always makes it from scratch, never buys it from the store, that it's better natural'no. She put the pelmeni in a broth of hot water, butter, sour cream and salt. At one point during the meal I got a bottle of water and she asked me if the broth was too salty. I said it was fine but I don't usually eat a lot of salt, so she took the opportunity to tell me that Americans are incorrect in thinking that a lot of salt is bad for you. She said her Grandma ate a lot of salt and lived to be very old, that salt has a lot of important things for your body. Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot are now playing on the radio. 

I also did some laundry this weekend. That is, Alla did it. She has a washer but hangs the clothes over the bathtub to dry. And that's I think pretty much what everyone else in our program has in their apartments. I don't know if I said this, but Alla has a really nice apartment. It's actually the only Russian apartment I've ever been in, so I don't know what the average looks like, and I guess it depends on the city, but Alla's home is very warm and beautiful. The living room is huge and she's got 2 TV's, so I get the idea she does well for herself. The factory she works at (and Mom, I asked specifically for you) makes just random parts of various machines. She showed me a calendar she got detailing the history of the factory... at one point they made car parts, radios, I don't remember what else. It's not a specialized factory, but I did find out they have all kinds of factories here in Vladimir. Bread, vodka, clothes. 

I'm really happy now that I'm starting to feel more brave about exploring Vladimir. I've been limited by caution and intimidation but it's starting to fade. I'm really sick of being laughed at every time I try to speak Russian in a store, I even prefer it when they just get frustrated. Some people have been really nice. There's a Russian Baskin Robbins here, and when I was trying to order some ice cream the woman was surprisingly patient. The woman taking money for the bathroom and another one cleaning up the food court area were also surprisingly sweet. Those unexpected gestures of kindness or understanding mean a lot. 

One thing I find interesting about Russia, something I respect, is what some of the older people have to put up with. Here the sidewalks are coated in ice, every inch. I don't know whether they don't try to get rid of it or if it's just pointless to try, but the sidewalks are definitely a bit treacherous. This is, however, of course the norm here. I watch older women running to catch the bus, climbing huge stairs and crossing the icy streets. Showers here are bathtubs with shower heads and no shower curtain, so while I found myself crouching and sitting in the tub trying not to get the water on the floor, I think about how older people manage these awkward positions. For me it's easy but don't older people have a hell of a time with it? They just seem to put up with more discomfort here. Of course it's just the way of life, it's reality, but I'm still awed by their toughness, fortitude, stamina, grit. This may seem like a stupid thing to say... it's not exactly a revelation that the US is an extremely rich country and people are far less pampered in poorer countries. And obviously there are many countries that are far poorer than Russia. But just seeing this subtle difference, day in and day out, it always seems to get to me. I think it's because it always makes me think of my own grandparents.

The Rolling Stones are on. Have a good day.