Russian Connection

In my experience, having tried to make as many Russian contacts as possible, conversation frequently comes around to what they think is the most interesting thing about America (again, the U.S.of A.). I have heard the same response several times which is noteworthy, since I have only met and had time to ask these sorts of questions to fewer than a dozen people. First generation Russian immigrants have said repeatedly that bread was perhaps the most interesting. When I asked why, they said, you, in America, never run out and you have bread for every class, the poor get white bread that is more like a sponge than food. Perhaps for a dollar a loaf. There are breads for middle class people and bread for rich people. Universally, they said that in Russia, you always buy more bread than you need, because the market may have no bread next time you come, or if they have it, there may be long lines to get it, but it is all the "good bread" as they called it and when I asked, they said rich people's bread. No one in their country lacked for good bread, except when none was available and if you were smart enough to buy more than you needed last time you got bread, you would still have some stale good bread.

I wondered long and hard about this place they must have lived before coming here.
Only good bread!