Some of us spent the time after the first day of university looking around the city. However, the majority of us did the typical student thing and found the first watering hole. This just happened to be Kivach, named after the waterfall, which by Russian standards is not too far from Petrozavodsk.
We spend time at the bar where we are all sampling Russian beers and one of us asks for a typically Russian cocktail. My Russian fails me hear but in pouring the drink, I believe Max, the barman, said it was called "Dog sick". The cocktail consisted of the Russian staple, vodka, Tobasco sauce, and a yellow unnamed spirit. When he finally downs it, it doesn't seem so bad, but the Tobasco sauce is yet to kick in. When it does, he starts to feel the sensation like heartburn but the staff at Kivach, especially Max, are laughing. It seems this joke is an annual one for us English students.
We all decide the next night to have our first night out with a few pints in Kivach. About 11 o'clock, one of our lecturers, Sasha, turns up and joins us. I have a feeling no lecturer at University of Manchester would just turn up and join you when you were having a pint.
Sasha has a very dry wit and good sense of humour. When one girl asked "Will I get raped if I walk home by myself?" he quickly replied "If you're lucky, but it's never happened to me" whilst casually taking a drag of his Lucky Strike.
Walking home after midnight can be both terrifying and a great experience in Russia. Because of the 24 hour bars in Petrozavodsk, it is almost impossible to make it home without seeing at least one drunk. But now it seems like we are back on the negative stereotypes of the alcoholic Russians...
We spend time at the bar where we are all sampling Russian beers and one of us asks for a typically Russian cocktail. My Russian fails me hear but in pouring the drink, I believe Max, the barman, said it was called "Dog sick". The cocktail consisted of the Russian staple, vodka, Tobasco sauce, and a yellow unnamed spirit. When he finally downs it, it doesn't seem so bad, but the Tobasco sauce is yet to kick in. When it does, he starts to feel the sensation like heartburn but the staff at Kivach, especially Max, are laughing. It seems this joke is an annual one for us English students.
We all decide the next night to have our first night out with a few pints in Kivach. About 11 o'clock, one of our lecturers, Sasha, turns up and joins us. I have a feeling no lecturer at University of Manchester would just turn up and join you when you were having a pint.
Sasha has a very dry wit and good sense of humour. When one girl asked "Will I get raped if I walk home by myself?" he quickly replied "If you're lucky, but it's never happened to me" whilst casually taking a drag of his Lucky Strike.
Walking home after midnight can be both terrifying and a great experience in Russia. Because of the 24 hour bars in Petrozavodsk, it is almost impossible to make it home without seeing at least one drunk. But now it seems like we are back on the negative stereotypes of the alcoholic Russians...
No comments:
Post a Comment