Vodka. I knew it would play prominently in my social and work environment in Russia, but little did I know how quickly it would thrust itself into my existence. On Friday night, I went out with two co-workers for drinks at a local English-themed pub. After a couple of beers, the topic of conversation and drinking turned to Russian water, or vodka. Needless to say, our choice drink changed quickly. Russians generally drink shots of vodka followed by a pickle (a sweet gherkin) as a chaser. The typical sized shot is 50 grams, but you can order larger glasses or even a fifth for the table. After two beers and three shots of vodka, I could have used a few more sweet gherkins. I was feeling no pain. Following a quick dinner, we then went to a local music venue to watch some jazz. Anton, one of the Russian attorneys who I am working with, had reserved a table and six of his friends were already there. When we arrived, a fifth of Ukrainian vodka was waiting. After we finished that, we got another one. The strangest thing to get accustomed to was drinking the vodka straight. In the States, I might have one or two vodka tonics. In Russia, I quickly learned I'll have to get used to drinking vodka neat.
Needless to say, we all got completely bombed. I was proud of the fact that my new Russian friends complemented my drinking abilities. They also commented that my Russian seemed to get better the more I drank. I'm not sure if I attribute that to my Russian skills or their inebriation.
The next morning, Saturday, I was a bit hung over, but nothing too bad. We were drinking high quality vodka -- I can't imagine what the day would have been like if the cheap stuff was flowing through me.
On the apartment front, I think I've found a place. Hopefully will sign the lease on Monday or Tuesday. I'm still trying to figure out how to post pictures to the blog, but I should have photos up of the apartment soon.
On an unrelated note, I can't think of a better year to be out of the United States than this one for purposes of Michigan football. I hope I don't run into any Ohio State fans over here.
