Chili and Fish Heads

We bought beans at the farmer's market today. We looked at, but did not buy, fish heads--the teeth were too sharp & protruded too far. Yes, only the heads. Are they for soup? I don't know. Scary! Lots of frozen fish of many varieties. One man wielded an ax in the bed of his pickup truck to separate the frozen fish into smaller chunks. No, we didn't buy any fish. But we came home with onions, squash, tomatoes, dried white raisins, and a medley of other dried fruit of some sort. Now, we plan to make chili with our beans. Alas, ground beef here is...different. So, wish us luck.

The people selling the produce are kind and helpful--every one of them. The babushka who sold us the beans poured handfuls over the top of the measuring jar to make sure we had a few extra beans. The diadushkas always treat me like a queen.

This morning, we went to the post office for stamps for our postcards. The lady behind the desk was very kind, but couldn't speak English. I was just about to start my mixed Russian and arm-waving when a young woman who was just going out the door, stopped, came back, and said, "I speak English. May I help you?"

We can't help but love the people here.