When we were in Chicago recently, our first meal was at the amazing Russian Tea Time restaurant. It was a special occasion; if we lived in Chicago, the expense would make our visits rare. But if I were there now, I'd make a point of taking in another of their wonderful Afternoon Teas. Whatever we may think of the recent actions of Vladimir Putin, it makes no sense to penalize our Russian neighbors. This is the letter we received from the owners of Russian Tea Time.
Dear RTT patrons and friends,
We are heartbroken by the recent news; our thoughts and prayers are with those who are affected by this inhumane and despicable invasion. We do not support politics of the Russian government. We support human rights, freedom of speech, and fair democratic elections.
Украинцы (Ukrainians), the world is with you, the world is behind you. Stay strong, our hearts are with you!
The past two years have been so very hard on restaurants; they don't need any more grief.
Besides, you never know who it is you're actually affecting. The owners of our favorite place for sushi in Central Florida (now, alas, no longer in business) were Vietnamese, not Japanese.
The owners of Russian Tea Time are Ukrainian.
I toured 10,000 miles of the Soviet Union during the Cold War and found, to my amazement, found that 90+% of the Russians I met welcomed our group with open arms, recalling our aid in WWII, even after nearly 30 years. If they were standoffish, one confided, it was because the only people they'd seen dressed as well as we were were Germans. When they learned we were "Amerikanskii," they were delighted. (And yes, I studied Russian for 6 months before I went. I managed pretty well until we got to Siberia and was defeated by the accent. College educated, okay. Man-in-the-street, no.)
When our daughter was in high school, a boy from Brooklyn fell in love with a girl from the Deep South. Their classmates were happy to translate for them.
