Facing the Beef

I had my first Ukranian experience the other day. I realize that I have never been to Ukraine, but I did have my first Peace Corps experience abroad. I tutor a Russian speaking refugee at her home. Normally the home has a few little boys running around and mama babushka sitting on the couch rubbing her feet. This time in I was greeted by about 10 Russian speaking women in traditional dress and a table so full of food that I could hardly find a spot to place my keys. They don't speak English, I don't speak Russian. My student, Nasiba, walked over to a large pot and put a huge amount of rice and chicken on my plate. Uhoh. I don't eat chicken, I am a vegetarian and have been for over half my life. I knew that one of my main concerns when moving to Eastern Europe would be avoiding the constant push of meat onto me. I didn't expect it to come so soon, I wasn't prepared! Honestly, I was a bit scared. I ate as much of the rice as I could without eating the chicken, they were talking about me, I just know it. I think they thought I did not like the food. So I did my best to ask to take some home. So I ended up getting a large grocery bag full of various goodies. I probably looked like such an idiot overcompensating for the fact that I didn't eat the rice, but I did my best to make it seem like I had just eaten and wanted the food for home. It was a challenge. I will make sure that some of the first things I will learn to say is that I do not eat meat, that it makes me feel ill.

The good thing about this bag was that it was full of some delicious vegetarian options, flaky bread, more solid bread, chocolate candy, fruit (and one piece that I had never seen before, it looked like a dark yellow flat tomato). It got me really excited once again to go to Ukraine and enjoy all these new experiences. I know that there will be difficulties with the food situation, but also great joys that accompany it.