Did you eat?

9-4-08

Another day, another passive aggressive conversation about eating. It starts early in the day.
Inna: Did you eat?!
Me: Yes.
Inna: What did you eat?
Me: Food.
Inna: What kind of food?!
Me: Good food.
She usually walks away exasperated until another opportunity presents itself later in the day.
Inna: Tea, tea, tea again. Deema says she's watching her figure so she doesn't eat and instead drinks a lot of tea.
Nastya: ….
Inna: She didn't eat the borsch for lunch and she hasn't been eating her potatoes. At least she'll look nice.
Nastya: ….
Me: Inna! I'm 28! I eat when I'm hungry! I can take care of myself!
Inna: laughs.
This has happened ever since I got back from camps and Turkey. I honestly can't stand the idea of hot borsch in 90 degree weather and another winter of potatoes. I should point out that I am of course eating. I've been picking fresh tomatoes from the garden and making salads, eating a shitload of watermelon from the families five hectre crop and have been avoiding big meal times because they always force me to eat too much.
I suppose when you get right down to it I am watching my figure. I refuse to let myself become an unhealthy blimp from potatoes and oil every day. Many may think I exaggerate about the issue of food in the house. Let me stress that the food isn't bad - it's just really unhealthy. A combination of oil (think half a pan for an omelet, a cup for boiling noodles), butter on anything and everything, mayonnaise always on the side and salo (pig fat) added to anything fried. And speaking of fried, everything is fried. The mashed potatoes filled with butter and salo? Refried in oil for breakfast. How about pasta noodles? Also refried for breakfast. Hey! Let's refry them with the potatoes tomorrow!
There's a new store down the street, on the way to the sea, where I now buy low fat yogurt every now and then. It's like a ray of sunlight breaking from the clouds! Maybe it's because I haven't been out of my village in a few weeks so the tedium of daily meals is worse than usual, but I now crave a bag of yogurt at all times of the day. Sadly, going there too much is a risk. My host dad owns the store down the street. He doesn't sell yogurt.
I'm not sure I can pull this off for another nine months. Eventually they'll see through my plan or get so passive aggressive I'll feel guilty and give in. They'll see how much food I'm bringing back from the big city and Inna will tell everyone I don't like her cooking. And I still don't think they're past running into my room and shoving food into my mouth. Inna has tried variations of this in the past by bringing in plates of cakes and treats she knows I adore.
Whether it's the defined muscle I can once again see on my body or the fact that I'm finally learning how to cope with Ukrainians seemingly affronted reaction to not eating, I know I'm going to win this time. I am going to cook and I am going to eat healthy! Down with the potato!