Snap!

I attached the snap with the ring all by myself!Growing up in a relatively warm climate, I’ve never been much of a coat person. My logic is, “I come from a warm house, go to my car, which will be warm soon, then go from my warm car into a warm building. I don’t need a cumbersome coat.”

In Russia I quickly learned coats are important. Your apartment is warm, but instead of a nice warm car, there is a long walk in cold temperatures to a building which may or may not be heated. You need to keep bundled up at all times. Babushkas (grandmothers or older ladies) don’t hesitate to comment on your coat if they don’t think it is warm enough, and often if you stop and talk with them before going outside, they will adjust your scarf and do up coat snaps, buttons, zips and ties that have been inadvertently left undone while you talk. Even after seven years I don’t see a need for the very bottom snap on my coat which is zipped up from the bottom anyway, but I know if I see a babushka, or Russian woman in general, she will probably snap that last snap, so I try to remember to snap them all.

This fall when I picked up my winter coat from the dry cleaner, it was missing the snap that keeps the hood tight just under the chin. At home that wouldn’t bother me, but when you’ve been walking outside for an hour or more in negative temperatures, you really like that snap near your face.

I bought a set of heavy duty coat snaps and a snap setter tool which sat on my coffee table with a hammer and a piece of Mum’s old nightdress (practice material) for almost a week. I looked dubiously at the little pile of tools each time I passed thinking, “I hate all that stuff just sitting there!” but was nervous to try. What if I ruined my coat? The more I looked at it, the more daunting the project seemed.

Finally I couldn’t stand it any more and tried a practice one. I guess I hammered too hard. I punched an almost perfect circle out of the material, leaving the snap hanging onto the rest of the nightdress by a few threads. Certain the coat material was sturdier, I held my breath and tried it on the real thing – not hammering so vigorously . . . and it worked! What a feeling of accomplishment! I feel like a champion snap-setter.

We always need coat repairs. When you buy a Russian coat the first thing you do is pull the buttons off and re-sew them onto the coat. This does not usually require much effort, they often conveniently fall off in your hand before you wear it the first time. Usually it’s a good idea to do the same with the pockets which have a tendency to fall off too. Now that I’m experienced, I’m bringing the remaining snaps and snap setter tool back to Russia to help the kids if they need snaps on their coats.

First Phone Call to "Family Home" from Russia

Monday and Tuesday (Feb 22nd & 23rd) are “Defenders of the Fatherland” holiday here in St. Pete, and the family home will be full to capacity. Natasha, the Mama there, asked me if I could stay from Saturday through Tuesday. I usually spend the night Saturday and Wednesday nights, but since this is a special occasion, and I’ve just returned after being gone so long, I quickly agreed. I can’t wait to see the girls.

When I called Natasha to finalize plans and find out what I need to bring she told me something I didn’t want to hear. “It’s cold here!”

I know it’s cold in St. Petersburg. Tonight I planned to run errands at four places including a trip on the metro to another part of the city. It was 2°F (-17°C), which isn’t that cold, but the wind was blowing hard. The snow pelting my face felt like little rocks. After walking fifteen minutes to the first place, I began changing my plans. I couldn’t smile and could barely bite my lips to keep them moving. I’ve had fingers and toes almost freeze, but never my face. I bypassed the metro, tempting as it was with the warm glow of lights inside, went to the grocery store, then straight home.

I asked Natasha for clarification, “It’s cold in St. Petersburg? Or it’s cold inside the apartment?”

“It’s cold inside the apartment.”

“Cold? or cool?”

“Cold.” This was not good news. I’ve never quite been sure why God sent me to Russia since I don’t like being cold. Usually our apartments are toasty warm through no doing of our own. Someone, somewhere controls our apartment temperature for us. Mine is 78°F (25°C) now. The family home is not. I packed my warm wool socks and extra-warm pyjamas.

I’ve been thinking for a few days about what we will eat while I’m at the family home. I’ve missed Russian food. Natasha knows I love her pilaf (rice with chicken and carrots) and had planned to make that my first night. Borsch (beet soup) another of my favourites was on the menu for another day. They wanted something American. I always have trouble when people ask what we eat in America, because we’re such a melting pot of cultures. One night I will teach them to make spaghetti sauce and we’ll have spaghetti, garlic bread and salad (with lettuce, which is a novelty here).

They wanted to bake something. “Do you want chocolate chip cookies or cake?” I asked. Natasha explained to the girls what chocolate chips are because they don’t have them here, and if you translate it literally “shokoladnee chipsee” (which is what I call them because that’s what they are) it sounds like “chocolate potato chips”. I heard a chorus of . . . something. I couldn’t tell what it was. Was it “torte” (cake) or “pecheniyi” (cookies)? What I was hearing didn’t sound like either.

“Everything!” Was their answer. It’s settled. We will make chocolate chip cookies and cake. I was hoping to make carrot cake, my favourite, but they wanted “the chocolate cake you make with the white icing in the middle.” Natasha said, “We’re so excited! We miss you so much, and your cooking! We’ll see you soon!” I’m really excited too. This will be a fun weekend.

Back to Russia on Valentine's Day

After a couple of months of being home and travelling I am preparing to return to Russia on Valentine’s Day. Time home always flies, and although I spend most of it with people, I can’t see everyone I want to see, and wish I could spend more time with those I am able to see.

Although my body is in America, my mind is in Russia and I can’t wait to see the girls at the family home. Then, of course there is all that time I’ll be spending in Russian lessons. Honestly, I’m not too excited about that, but my teacher and I will be glad to see each other. It will be interesting to see how much my Russian has improved. Somehow it seems to get better each time I leave Russia. It makes no sense, but I like it!