From smells to bread and brooms: what our immigrants yearn for abroad

Homesickness can happen to a person who emigrated many years ago, as well as to an ordinary tourist who took a two-week vacation to soak up the sun. As soon as we go abroad, as something that used to be always at hand, suddenly, due to the absence, it turns out to be more expensive than gold, reports AdMe.ru.

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What our people miss most abroad, what they miss, and what they cannot get there for all the money in the world - travelers and immigrants share their nostalgia.

“My sister brought me black malt bread to Africa. I asked her to keep one piece in my hand luggage so that I could eat it right at the airport. And already at home I treated her to dumplings with mango. What can you learn when you want dumplings!” says Emma Vasiliadou.

“I miss the scent of roses. The one who was there, at home. In the morning I woke up from this smell: they grew below under the windows,” says Marina Ilyazarov.

“I've lived in New York for 17 years. I myself am from St. Petersburg. I still haven’t gotten used to the absence of white nights. It’s really annoying that in June it’s already dark at 9 pm,” says Elena Tikhonova.

On the subject: Can I forget my native language in emigration

“I miss condensed milk... There’s so much in this word! Honestly, I thought she would let me go, the passion would subside, but, probably, this is just the case when it is just flaring up. And nothing can be replaced - everything is not the same,” Natalia Nakhlas shares her nostalgia.

“I have often been asked what I miss most about France. I said baths. The locals are offended, saying that we have saunas. Well, yes, with a “comfortable” temperature of 60 degrees,” complains Danayx.

“We lived in Thailand. We once went into the store, and there were plastic bottles with sunflower oil. The sellers say: “We will give you a discount, please take this.” Nobody knows what it is or where it comes from.” We read the label, and it says that the oil was produced in a tiny village in Vinnytsia, my husband’s homeland. The oil traveled thousands of kilometers on the way to Thailand,” says KsuRo Ro.

“I have been living in Israel for more than 20 years. There are not enough seasons. Well, as they are, let’s call two: very hot summer and cold summer, which is called winter here. But I want real autumn and spring. And I also want heating when it’s raining and windy outside,” says Marina Shestryakova.

“Living in the Czech Republic, I miss 10-hour stores. It’s a shame that everything closes at 12–XNUMX pm,” sighs Jana Holovetska.

“In England I really missed the sound of grasshoppers in the summer. Although at home I didn’t pay any attention to them,” says Larisa Shveida.

“I’ve been living in Poland for 5 years, and for some reason I really miss gingerbread. Such “Festival” ones as in childhood. Here they are completely different, somewhat bland,” says Silverchiffa.

“I haven’t eaten wild strawberries and gooseberries for almost 30 years! I dreamed about the last one at night - large “hairy” berries. At first I even dreamed about the smell of Antonovka. At work, I asked clients who traveled to Russia to bring at least a couple of apples - not even to eat them, but just to breathe them,” recalls Olga Khaikina.

“I missed sorrel. And in the Netherlands I found it in the wild in nature. The locals almost fainted when they saw how I happily bit off the leaves and chewed,” says Julia Dodon.

“In France, it is very rare to find fresh dill for sale. I found a solution: I brought 15 bags of dry dill from Moscow. I add it to soup and minced meat for dumplings,” Diana Zimovskaya shares her life hack.

“My 90-year-old grandmother asked me to bring her an ordinary broom. To Israel. I brought it. There was a lot of happiness,” laughs Oxana Petriac.

“I live in Sicily. When I was pregnant, I really wanted Russian shawarma from the market. Where can I get it? I just imagined eating it: French fries, Korean carrots, cabbage, ketchup, chicken and lavash,” recalls Nadia Koroleva.

“I don’t miss the products at all. And there is a severe shortage of water: St. Petersburg rivers, canals, bays and even puddles. I even miss the sounds. One evening I turned on the sound of rain on YouTube, soothing. I tried this one, and this one, and in the forest, and in the jungle - it’s not the same. The sound of rain on the iron roofs of St. Petersburg is special,” recalls Alexandra Shatalina.

“I moved less than a year ago. After several unsuccessful attempts to get a manicure from an Asian and a German woman, I do it myself. I won’t even look for a cosmetologist: after what the German woman did to my nails during a medical pedicure, it’s very scary to trust my face to anyone here,” complains Anna Latova.

“I worked in the Czech Republic and decided to buy buckwheat. It turned out to be not as easy to do as it was for us. Buckwheat is a completely unpopular product with them, it’s called “toadstool.” And there wasn’t enough of our variety of fish there,” says Zoya Boyko.

“We lived in North Africa. It was a gift if they brought vobla, black bread and doctor's sausage. Yes, in principle, any of our sausages”, says Tanya Martin.

“I really missed black salt - it’s such a Kostroma specialty. Sprinkle it on bread, or cucumber, or tomato, or egg. Mm…” recalls Valery Medvedev.

“I live in Poland. Here, in principle, everything is there: buckwheat, mushrooms, and cucumbers. But there is no black bread and no seeds. That is, they are in bags, skinny and either salted or raw. But like ours: in packages of 700 g at a time, fatty, shiny, fried, there are no such things,” says Silverchiffa.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

“I live in Thailand. I remember an incident: I was once treated to halva. And so I sit and savor it, and my daughter, she was 5 years old then, looks at me in amazement and says: “Mom, are you eating earth?!”, KsuRo Ro laughs.

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