Cookies and Liver!

The other day I was really wanting some "syrniki". It is a Russian desert patty that is made from cottage cheese. My teacher told me that I could buy them in the grocery store next to the frozen "blini", which are thin pancakes. So off I went!

Well, the one store I went in did not have any, but they did have some blini which, I thought, said that they had cookies in them. I asked a worker at the store if they had sour cream in them and she said yes, after telling me they did not have the syrniki that I originally wanted.

I read the word "печень" and understood it as cookies. So I thought I was getting cookies in my blini.

I got home and fried a couple of them up. As I tasted them I could not believe the taste in my mouth. I was tasting salt, onion, carrot, and some sort of meat in the blini. I was thinking, "Wow, this is an interesting tasting 'cookie' blini." I admit, I am not a big fan of liver.

That must have had something to do with the taste in my mouth. So I finished eating what I had prepared, then left the rest for later.

The next day while I was at class, I asked my teacher what "печень" meant.

She was like, "Oh, it's liver." Right then I could not believe what I was hearing.

The whole time I thought I was suppose to be eating some cookie filled blini, and yet, I was eating a liver filled blini. Oh to understand the differences in this language sometimes!

"печень" is liver!
"печенье" is cookie! Such a surprise! I now know if I want cookie filled anything to make sure of the spelling before I buy it!!!!

Language

So Yeah, language is coming along. I got use it quite a bit the other day while picking my friend up from the airport, showing him around the city, then taking him back to the airport. It was fun and comical all at the same time.

For instance, while we were out walking around Moscow State University we stopped to get some food on the side of the street. I ordered our food. A guy came out of the booth and started to talk to me. I was understanding enough that he wanted to know if we wanted a roasted chicken. Daniel is standing next to me asking me what the guy is saying. I had to think in order to attempt to translate for him, but it was fun actaully knowing some of what was being said.

When I took Daniel back to the airport we were going through the initial security. I set my bag down and walked through. No problem. Daniel set his back down and the lady did not like the side he set it on. She proceeded to say something. He looked at me. I asked her again. She said something else. I had no idea. Daniel turned his bag on another side. She did not like it. He turned it again. She still did not like it. Finally, after 3 or 4 attempts he laid it on the right side. Who would have thought there were like 10 sides you can turn your back on, and only one is right. His response afterwards was, "She could not have turned it herself?" Of course not. Granted it was 3:30am. Oh well.

The next time he was going through another place. Another lady asked him what flight he was on. I told her the flight number. She asked again. I told her again. She still did not like the answer. I said "Amsterdam." She asked "Rome?" I responded "No, Amsterdam." She was finally satisfied. This whole conversation was in English. Once again. I think it was because it was early. So, life goes on and language sometimes progresses.