Absinthe, aka "the Green Fairy"

Saturday night was my first experience with the nightlife. It is quite interesting and definitely is different! We went out (a part of the group) with one of our Russian tutors, or guides, Leila. First we went to dinner at "Lenin is Alive". The food at the restaurants so far has been pretty good. The best part about dinner was experiencing absinthe. Apparently it's illegal in the US because it is considered a hallucinogen. The whole absinthe drinking is quite the show. They use a cognac snifter and pour it in. Then they light it on fire, spin it around, and capture the alcohol fumes into another glass, which they cover with a coaster with a straw through it. She blows the fire out and you're supposed to take the entire shot (which is green, by the way). I didn't quite manage that, just took a sip. It was like drinking gasoline fumes. Then you suck in the air in the other glass through the straw. Much worse! We all ended up sipping on the absinthe throughout dinner. Everyone at the table was a real sport and did it, even if they weren't big drinkers. Even Leila had never done it before, so I'm glad we were able to give her a new experience.