Russian Babooshkas, Cat Falls, & Blocks of Parmesan Cheese
Audio Version Here:
Last week, my friend’s 75-year-old Russian mother moved in with me. She doesn’t speak much English.
Right now, I don’t know much about her life except that she, like me, loves jewelry with big colorful stones. She didn’t bring much food with her. I’ve only seen her drink coffee and eat fancy cheese, which suits me just fine.
Who doesn’t like to eat blocks of Parmesan cheese and drink it down with black coffee?
I’ve been warned she makes soup for breakfast, which I find delightful. I can eat soup for breakfast. She already offered me beet soup in the afternoon and porridge “with only salt” in the morning.
So far, our communication is mostly charades to understand simple household things. “The coffee cups are HERE”, I tell her, and open the cabinet door and gesture dramatically to them all. I feel she’s far too polite to just go searching through my cupboards to find cutlery or plates or cups, so I want to give her a very clear tour of all the things she will need and let her know she can just help herself to them anytime.