 Day 121: Fruit is not a beer snack. |
This is most likely not news to you if you’ve caught one or two of my Ukraine blog posts, but it was cold when I was there. I thought that getting to Ukraine in the winter would be a challenge, but one that really lets me see what Ukraine is like. In that sense, it was a success. I saw the real Ukraine when women still trounce around in knee-high leather boots and 2 inch heels when the sidewalks are covered in snow. I saw the real Ukraine where markets pop up on the side of the street in temperatures at or near freezing. I saw the Ukraine where locals jump for joy at the chance to take part in winter games like sledding or ice fishing.
It was bloody cold, so what does a group of bored and cold teachers do? We drink. More specifically we drink what’s cheap, and in Ukraine that would be beer and vodka.
Some of my fondest memories of my time there would just be heading over to a friend’s apartment after teaching evening language lessons to partake in a couple of beers before slipping back home later in the night. They were good times that were only topped when the teachers decided to have a big teacher and student party.
That sounds a bit odd, hey? Normally a teacher and student party is a taboo thing, but here we were teaching people our own age. Plus, it gave them a really good opportunity to practice their English and teach us more about Ukrainian life. Win-win!
Part of the fun involved seeing what everyone would bring to the party. It could have been a bottle of vodka, some disgusting salo, cookies and cakes or my favorite: fruit. Because that’s what everyone wants at a party, no?
My flatmate, Tanya, was uber healthy and thought it was a fantastic idea. Sliced oranges, banana halves and apples were all dropped on the table by Ukrainian friends, and she couldn’t help but comment on the fact that this is the exact type of thing you *should* be eating when imbibing alcohol. I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but think how bad I wanted some salted peanuts, some cheesy nachos and some spicy salsa to go with my drinks. Is this a cultural thing?
Oh, fruit. You will never really be a beer snack to me… ever.
Ha! Me either. Though, I do like to eat chocolate with beer, especially Guinness. Love the top picture. If you ever write a cookbook, I think that should be your profile photo on the dust jacket.
Hmm, never tried they combination of fruit and alcohol, not sure its a good idea either. Peanuts and nachos sound like a much better idea to me as well
Although fruit is healthy in general, nachos and peanuts are both better for soaking up alcohol. I love it when things that are supposed to be bad for you actually turn out to be good for you.
(And trust me, I used to be a welfare officer.)