The Grocery Store, Putin and some Lettuce!!!

So I've just come back from one of my daily activities - going to the grocery store... so exciting! And I've noticed something that I've failed to mention to Steve or anyone at the risk of sounding totally paranoid. I cannot emphasize enough how different I look here, from other women: when I go to the grocery store I do not wear fancy high heeled boots (don't have any anyways), but Sorels; I do not wear tight pants but jeans; and I don't wear a fancy 3/4 length jacket with fur trim (don't have one of those either) but a kind of ugly maroon down jacket... point being that going to the grocery store is NOT a fashion statement for me. This, however, is not what I've noticed (it was obvious from day one). The grocery store just downstairs has security guards, or store monitor people That patrol the aisles making sure good order is kept and that no one pilfers anything - grocery store police... and I feel that they are always watching me! Do I look that suspicious? Like I said, maybe I'm paranoid BUT... I notice them watching me, wherever I am in the store. It is just so weird!! Oh well. Whatever.

So we made a trip to the mall this weekend, where I looked for boots (no success) and a bathing suit (no success either). I'm surprised I couldn't find a bathing suit that fit me, because people here are taller than most other places we've been. I NEED to find a bathing suit though, because swimming is one of my only workout options; there is a community centre type place across the street where Steve's team trains and plays, but other than the weightroom with one measly bike (the height is non adjustable so I feel like I'm riding a tricycle - it does not work) and running in the snowy park, swimming is my only other option... fingers crossed that I find a bathing suit!!

The mall also had a huge grocery superstore, like Carrefour or Auchan, but the RUssian name is Real. The real deal. And we found lettuce there! There is still a ball of dirt dangling from the roots, and I'm wondering if we can plant it... ??? it is super hot in our apartment, though not a lot of light so who knows what could grow in here. We learned that the only way of turning down the heat in our apartment is by turning on the air conditioning (what the Russian team manager suggested) or opening a window (more logical). For, if we turn the radiators off in our apartment, everyone above us will also lose their heat. We know this because it happened to one of Steve's teammates. For real! So here is our prized lettuce that we are having for dinner! YUM!

Also, Steve and the team had a game... did not go well... so their next three matches are big time important. They are in a position where if they don't win any of these games they might go down to the second division... bad news. Will look for pictures of this past match too.... And here is the picture of Steve shaking Putin's hand... or Putin shaking Steve's hand!!!