Good article. When I stayed with Russian friends in St Petersburg in the early 1990s they used cut-up newspapers for toilet roll. Cue jokes about The Guardian at least being useful for something.
Julia McMaster
3 years ago
Thank you for the article. It does bring back memories to me as well, as my husband and I spent one year in Kazakhstan from 1993-94. In winter all you could get in the bazar were potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Every Russian had a datcha to supplement the shop supplies. Overnight there was a currency reform- the kazakh tenge was brought in- and for two weeks we had no money whatsoever, until the university paid us. During this time my husband had his birthday and our American friends suprised him with a jar of strawberry jam! Due to these experiences and my parent’s childhood in war-time Germany I have always striven to be partially self-sufficient- you just never know what tomorrow brings…
lbibb1067
3 years ago
Yes, Russian speakers experienced a lot of difficulties in the 90s. And nothing can frighten us. However, we can not eat American bread, because it is unnatural, and drink American milk, which can be in the refrigerator for one month without changes( for Russian milk, the time is only 48 hours). The chocolate is too sweet and you can’t taste it because of the extra sugar they put in all the food.It’s hard to find anything edible here in America. But life itself is a little cheaper and easier here, in Texas, for example, where I live. Americans do not know simple but healthy foods, such as kefir or buckwheat,like beets or cabbage. I see what Americans buy in supermarkets and I’m shocked by it. I am sorry that the people are so far from a healthy diet. But the worst part is the lack of affordable medicine and medication, as well as the lack of maternity and paternity leave for moms. I consider it a real disaster
Good article. When I stayed with Russian friends in St Petersburg in the early 1990s they used cut-up newspapers for toilet roll. Cue jokes about The Guardian at least being useful for something.
Thank you for the article. It does bring back memories to me as well, as my husband and I spent one year in Kazakhstan from 1993-94. In winter all you could get in the bazar were potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Every Russian had a datcha to supplement the shop supplies. Overnight there was a currency reform- the kazakh tenge was brought in- and for two weeks we had no money whatsoever, until the university paid us. During this time my husband had his birthday and our American friends suprised him with a jar of strawberry jam! Due to these experiences and my parent’s childhood in war-time Germany I have always striven to be partially self-sufficient- you just never know what tomorrow brings…
Yes, Russian speakers experienced a lot of difficulties in the 90s. And nothing can frighten us. However, we can not eat American bread, because it is unnatural, and drink American milk, which can be in the refrigerator for one month without changes( for Russian milk, the time is only 48 hours). The chocolate is too sweet and you can’t taste it because of the extra sugar they put in all the food.It’s hard to find anything edible here in America. But life itself is a little cheaper and easier here, in Texas, for example, where I live. Americans do not know simple but healthy foods, such as kefir or buckwheat,like beets or cabbage. I see what Americans buy in supermarkets and I’m shocked by it. I am sorry that the people are so far from a healthy diet. But the worst part is the lack of affordable medicine and medication, as well as the lack of maternity and paternity leave for moms. I consider it a real disaster