Russia - Something Wonderful!!!

So it went something like this...

Not feeling at me tip top these past few days. The sore throat has explained itself as part of an over arching allergic reaction to the poplar seeds flying through the air on their cotton parachutes. They are everywhere. I have them in my beard and hair constantly. Sometimes they pile up near the sidewalk in large clumps you can set them on fire and watch as they burn up in a fast moving combustion. Other than their incendiary spectacle they are the bane of my existence.

"Where do you want to go to eat?"

"We're around a few blocks from Caravan Sa-rai"

"What's that?"

"Uzbeki food"

"Any good?"

"Should be amazing"

"Let's go then!"

And that's kind of how it happened. At one point it seemed like everyone in the world was going to leave the Mayakovsky and head down there with us, we took the most direct route (Masha, David, Sarah, Tom and I). Tom headed the gang off at the pass and sent them to Kilikia. We found the restaurant, as Igor had said, on the corner of Liteny Prospect and Nekrasova Ulitzah. A posh joint with people in traditional dress with ornamented tea cozies on every table. The smell of incense and lamb and fresh baked bread filled the room. I felt instantly at home.

An order later, with plates of Samsa (fried/baked dumplings filled with lamb and onion cooked in a clay tandoor), Lagman (thick broth of beef with hand made noodles and vegetables piled high and a spicy sauce for dipping) and Eggplant infused with the smoke of the tandoor down to it's molecular structure, I made a call to home.

"Dad, Hi!"

"Oh! Hello! Kak deela?"

"Fine! Is mom there?" It was hard to hear over the blasting music and even harder concentrate with the belly dancer just 10 feet away gyrating for a table of uzbeks still in their business suits enjoying a late meal.

"No, she's not.. but you should call your brother!"

"What?"

"Call your brother, he's a father!!"

And with that, I would like to announce the birth of my first nephew at 10:00am PST, weighing in at 7lbs 10ozs, Nathan(iel) (TBD) Kantorov.

Two weeks early, but what the hell...

Mazeltov!
Mazeltov!
Mazeltov!

We hoisted 400 grams of vodka to celebrate his birth and then I bought everyone dinner, cause I figured Alex would if he were there...

Pictures coming soon...