So I guess the biggest news is that I moved. But I don’t really want to talk about that. What is more important and far more interesting is the phenomenon of the microwaves here. Just as a point to mention, when I was in St. Petersburg I didn’t live with a family that had a microwave. I figured it was just the norm. They don’t have drying machines, they vacuum hardwood floors, they don’t have microwaves. A very normal assumption to jump to. However, here in Kaliningrad I guess the people want to feel more European, so they have caved, and own a microwave. I really thought that the people here were modern and way progressive, that is until I saw them use the microwave.
So they put my food in the microwave, on a plate. Ok, everything so far normal and understandable. But next instead of closing the door and nuking the food, they put a huge plastic lid thing over the food. Its strange. I thought that maybe it would just be that first time. Or maybe that particular dish was in desperate need for a plastic lid thing. But no, everything gets the plastic lid thing. Yogurt, Juice, Ice cream (yes all those things are microwave friendly here in Russia… not only friendly, but highly encouraged to be microwaved…) I guess I never really thought it was all that strange before I moved. I guess I thought that my host family was unique in their ways, but no. My new family does the same thing. And they are young. They know about Harry Potter, Legally Blonde. They don’t remember when Titanic sank, or what Perestroika means. Like Legit. But still. Whatever. I don’t want my food microwaved. Its cancer in a neat plastic lid.
