I don't go out to eat much here. I cook at home unless invited somewhere. This suits me just fine. I've never cared that much about going out to eat. I love spending time with my wife and if that means at a restaurant, then I am happy.
But I have guests in town, and I have friends who showed me this sort of London themed restaurant Soho a few weeks ago. The women in the office laugh about how it is the most expensive restaurant in Saratov. Both times I've been there it is a little dead. Menu is nice. We get a little dressed up on Sunday and walk over to Soho. On the way there, I am aware of a guy coming up behind us. I am a watchful fella even in the US...one time I had to clock a guy in New Orleans who came up behind me trying to get in my back pocket....we still laugh about him telling me he was going to"climb me like a ladder" after I gave him a good hard elbow. When we walk in Saratov, I am usually out ahead...I've developed the Russian pace, which is a quick one. Janet and Laura are usually a few feet behind. Anyway, this guy sort of splits the two of them and grabs my arm. He's a little drunk, doesn't say much, a lot of mumbling, but I can tell he wants to have some sort of contact with me. He keeps shaking my hand and then pulling me towards him. Strong guy, but again, a little buzzed. I have my right hand, the Irish Sleeping Pill, ready, just in case. He is smiling most of the time but slightly aggressive and we have a little bit of macho male roughhousing going on. He shadow boxes a bit at me, but somehow I don't feel that threatened. Janet is a bit worried and keeps telling him...."dos vedanya", "dos vedanya". Weird. Stepan later tells me after I recount this, that he doubts the guy was threatening me, that this is a kind of Russian way guys treat each other sometimes. We leave our friend after a few more minutes without incident---not before one more handshake that is a bit macho,
At the restaurant we relax. Our first waitress is pretty much terrified of us. No English but also pretty clueless when it comes to my Russian. There is an English menu, but she wants nothing to do with us after a couple of attempts at communicating. We soon have another girl---still a language barrier but much friendlier and willing to deal with us. We have good wine, pasta, salad, fish. When we are done we wander down to the embankment, even more beautiful at nigh. It is spring, a cool/warm evening. I am wearing only a sportcoat. Russians are out on benches enjoying the evening. We walk home in a leisurely fashion without any other incidents.
But I have guests in town, and I have friends who showed me this sort of London themed restaurant Soho a few weeks ago. The women in the office laugh about how it is the most expensive restaurant in Saratov. Both times I've been there it is a little dead. Menu is nice. We get a little dressed up on Sunday and walk over to Soho. On the way there, I am aware of a guy coming up behind us. I am a watchful fella even in the US...one time I had to clock a guy in New Orleans who came up behind me trying to get in my back pocket....we still laugh about him telling me he was going to"climb me like a ladder" after I gave him a good hard elbow. When we walk in Saratov, I am usually out ahead...I've developed the Russian pace, which is a quick one. Janet and Laura are usually a few feet behind. Anyway, this guy sort of splits the two of them and grabs my arm. He's a little drunk, doesn't say much, a lot of mumbling, but I can tell he wants to have some sort of contact with me. He keeps shaking my hand and then pulling me towards him. Strong guy, but again, a little buzzed. I have my right hand, the Irish Sleeping Pill, ready, just in case. He is smiling most of the time but slightly aggressive and we have a little bit of macho male roughhousing going on. He shadow boxes a bit at me, but somehow I don't feel that threatened. Janet is a bit worried and keeps telling him...."dos vedanya", "dos vedanya". Weird. Stepan later tells me after I recount this, that he doubts the guy was threatening me, that this is a kind of Russian way guys treat each other sometimes. We leave our friend after a few more minutes without incident---not before one more handshake that is a bit macho,
At the restaurant we relax. Our first waitress is pretty much terrified of us. No English but also pretty clueless when it comes to my Russian. There is an English menu, but she wants nothing to do with us after a couple of attempts at communicating. We soon have another girl---still a language barrier but much friendlier and willing to deal with us. We have good wine, pasta, salad, fish. When we are done we wander down to the embankment, even more beautiful at nigh. It is spring, a cool/warm evening. I am wearing only a sportcoat. Russians are out on benches enjoying the evening. We walk home in a leisurely fashion without any other incidents.
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