I decided that it didn’t seem right to jump into the Sodom and Gomorrah (according to my guide book anyway) that are Petersburg white nights, after talking about religious icons. So here’s the rest of Friday…

Friday night was a little crazy, but a lot of fun. We decided that we should all go out to eat at the Idiot Café (popular among foreigners, and known for its décor). We met up at Sadovaya around 9:30, since O’hara had her first hockey game—she plays goalie for a men’s Russian hockey team here. She told us how there was no separate changing room for her, so they gave her a broom closet in which the light didn’t work—she said she could still see them running around naked through the crack they left in the door anyway.

It is her birthday on Monday, so we were celebrating a little early at the cafe. Teema, Prof Evdokimova’s godson, who had brought O’hara to the rink (which strangely was built on the third floor somehow) earlier in the day, came along too. He was really nice and incredibly funny. Eventually we got there and ordered some food, which was good, despite Russians saying it wasn’t great. But that may be just because we don’t like everything covered in dill, soaked in oil, loaded with sour cream, or stuffed with cabbage. David was especially happy when he got there because he constantly feels ill from what his host mother gives him for breakfast every morning: two eggs, two sausages, salami, bread and butter, two Oscar Meyer wieners (because she thinks all American boys like hotdogs, for breakfast even), and then a cup of cream (not milk, cream). She says he is too thin and needs to eat more, and she gets offended if he doesn’t eat everything. Hopefully David will survive till August.

Either Teema ordered them, or there are complimentary shots, but at the restaurant the waitress brought out shots of vodka for everyone. Without having eaten anything since lunch, and being hot and exhausted and not being a very large girl, I could already feel it working after the one shot. Before coming here, we were warned never to try to keep up with a Russian in drinking—they’ll always win. That rule got broken as Teema decided to buy Zach a drink, or a few. Zach asked what and how much he had ordered, receiving a telling response of “enough.” The vodka they ordered was rather strange, having a honey and pepper taste.

We read on the menu this deal they have where you get free vodka all night if you can drink 40 thimbles of vodka without eating (you can before you start and after you’ve finished), and with no more than three seconds in between shots. There is a fine if you don’t finish and more vodka as a prize if you do. Teema was wise enough to advise against this feat, but then described a whole number of Russian drinking games, which we decided to pass on—one you probably know is the taking a shot on every step of a staircase.

So lots of food, Georgian wine, and speaking in half Russian half English with Teema and his friend Makseem who showed up with David, who had gotten lost on the way to the café. Maxseem is one of the most goofy Russians I’ve ever met. It’s impossible to describe him. But seeing him, Teema, a table full of mostly American girls and a few American guys trying to interact and speak in Russian/English was unforgettable. Makseem with crazy Russian accent: “So I have a confession to make… I am gay and Chechnyan.” I guess that constitutes as Russian humor. “No I am not a fierce hunter on the dance floor, I am mostly shy and dance with myself” (insert ridiculous Russian dancing here) “No I am a disco hunter” (raises eyebrows knowingly). We’re not really sure what he meant, maybe discrete hunter? We had no idea. Great guy.

Around 12:30 we left the café, deciding to stay out all night since it was a kind of holiday here. Students graduated school today and were celebrating and also it’s the solstice weekend full of festivals and music concerts. The metro opened at 4am, which only happens on this Friday.


So then we broke another rule tonight…. taking gypsy cabs. In Russia there is a shortage of real taxis, so many people take gypsy cabs, which are private cars that you flag down, you then decide on a price, and the person takes you where you want to go (but that’s the happy version). In general, they are dangerous for foreigners and for women. Teema and Makseem thought otherwise, but since we were with two Russians it was pretty safe and we split into two cars with a Russian in each.

We ended up at this bar/club/café where there was live Russian music and tons of people dancing, drinking, and milling about. It was pretty fun and the music was not bad. Zach and David kept drinking with the Russians who could easily out drink them. Zach didn’t seem to understand when he was speaking in Russian or English, which made for an amusing evening. I hope he doesn’t remember it later.

Around 3:30 there was more walking around. Tons of people on the streets, even kids with their parents, and of course packs of drunken young Russian men. We made sure Zach got home ok because he was feeling very ill (he does not drink at Brown, because he likes only mind expanding recreational experiences not mind numbing ones). This took a while since he lived on the 4th floor, there were no lights in the staircase, which meant we couldn’t see which stairs were half missing, and he couldn’t walk very well. He also needed water, which involved searching for a 24-hour grocery store. He got in ok.

After that we split up to go home. Tania lives far away, so she went with Teema and a couple others. After Teema sobered up around 5:30 he drove Tania home. Alisa and I live somewhat near each other so we went on the metro together. It was kind of fun going on the metro at 4am (it actually first came around 4:20) because there were tons of people and everyone cheered when the empty subway car pulled in. Maybe it’s good luck or something, but people wanted to be the first one on the car—so lots of pushing.

Because the trolleybuses weren’t running yet and I did not want to walk 25 minutes home on secluded streets and by a park, I slept a few hours at Alisa’s in a chair and then left around 7am to go to Vostaneeya to take the trolleybus. It was raining unfortunately. I got home ok and slept for a few hours only to be woken up with a huge meal from my host mother. I don’t think I’ll be staying out so late again while I’m here… but it was white nights.