What Happened Saturday 09-19-09

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before, we picked up the girls at noon and went to the Pit Stop. We promised the girls we would get them fruit if they ate everything they ordered and were good. Again stop me if you’ve heard this one.
Well let’s put it this way, Nastia ordered only potatoes and a dessert. Elena ordered potatoes, a schnitzel, and a salad (yes it had mayonnaise in it) and a dessert. The final outcome as you might of guessed was Nastia finished her meal and Elena didn’t. At this point team work came into play and we did not mind. Nastia offered to finish Elena’s salad and Elena finished her dessert. The plan was working to perfection until they realized it was only three thirty and they had over an hour to try and act good. It went well until about quarter to five when Nastia and then Elena started to walk around the raised fountain base and would not come when they were called. It was such a valiant effort and failed only in the home stretch. If they could of resisted the temptation to run around the fountain they would of won what was behind door number two fifteen almost ripe bananas. Instead they will go home with a home version of Listen to your Momma, and thank you for playing today.Saturday weekend is here and we’ve done this all before 09-19-09
Saturday is a repeat of another day which is a repeat of another day. We wanted to do something different, but we didn’t. We went to the Pit Stop and the river side walks. It has gotten to the point that we don’t know what to do with the girls and our translator who is twenty-three has little or no idea what to do with the kids. She is a nice person, her name is Yulila. She is 5 and change feet tall depending on her heals. I saw pictures of her and the other translators in their winter heals and they were several inches tall then they are now. She has been living with her boyfriend for about seven years ever since she was seventeen. She learned to speak English and Chinese at the University and was recruited by Nadezda while at school. Nadezda runs the local branch of Bridge of hope and get stuff done here in Birobadijan. Yulila tutors children when she is not shepherding around Americans. CJ and I asked her questions while waiting for pizza at the pizza joint. CJ asked if Americans ask too many questions and her answer was yes and his reply was that is how we learn which I think shows a little difference between American and Russia.
Now to the important stuff, the pizza. It did not come with cheese only and it came in only one size, medium. It tasted a little like Momma Celeste frozen pizza. The toppings were interesting. The closest thing to plain cheese was bacon, a very smoked type of bacon cut in very thin strips and it was ok. Stuck in Russia and looking for something American it was pretty good. The other pies had other stuff on them like chicken and tomatoes and stuff like that and I’ve eaten stuff and enjoyed it that I would not of eaten at home and may not when I get back. There is a lot of good beer here.
Back to the girls, we were at the Pit stop and they misbehaved and we told them if they eat all the food they order they get fruit at the end of the day and they almost made it. We were at the riverside park and we gave them pickles for a treat (They want pickles and fruit and are willing to try and act good for it how bad can these kids be). They finished the pickles and went back to chasing pigeons when they began runnug off and walking around the fountain rim so we didn’t give them fruit. Maybe tomorrow.