Chapter 1822 Finally there is a place to eat
Next to the sports center there is a 'Nickel Hotel', which is the only hotel in Norilsk.
Although there are more than 100,000 people living here, there are not many outsiders coming here. After all, the environment here is too bad and no one is willing to come here.
There is a joke that goes like this: Wherever there are people on earth, there are Daxia people, and wherever there are Daxia people, there are Chinese restaurants. However, it wasn't until 2019 that a Daxia person first came to Norilsk, and that person was a girl who was traveling with her Russian friends. Who would be willing to come here if even the Daxia people, who are known for their "hard work", are unwilling to come?
However, the hotels here are of a pretty good standard.
From the name, you can tell that this hotel was built and operated by Norilsk Nickel Company. Its main customers are their company's customers and some figures like officials and media. How can the level of this place be bad?
Terekhin wanted Xiao Peng to stay at his house to prevent him from spending money recklessly, but Xiao Peng still refused his kindness. People still need privacy, especially men - he had been holding it in for a long time, how could he not have some weird thoughts?
And there is another important reason why he lives here: he finally has a place to eat!
I swear to God, Xiao Peng used to shake his head at European foods like steak and pizza, but now they're all delicious to him. However, the European food here is also not authentic. For example, Xiao Peng saw "Hawaiian pizza," also known as pineapple pizza.
It is not easy to eat fruits here, let alone pineapples. It is very popular to use fruits as ingredients here, such as adding apples to soup. And those who can afford pineapple pizza here must be rich people.
But I guess Italians and even Europeans would turn the hotel upside down when they see the pineapple pizza...
How to piss off an Italian? Just say: Let's go get some pineapple pizza.
This basically means that the friendship boat can be overturned at any time.
How much do Italians hate pineapple pizza? A local TV station produced a TV show where actors disguised themselves as pizza deliverymen to deliver pizzas to customers. When the people saw it was a pineapple pizza, their reactions were invariably: profanity was everywhere, and those who ran slower were beaten.
During the Great Influenza, there was a period of panic buying in Italy. Basically, everything in the supermarkets was sold out. The only thing on the shelves that no one wanted was the so-called "Hawaiian pizza" - the Italians said: Even if we die, we must die with dignity!
The origin of Hawaiian pizza is quite interesting: it was invented by a Greek who came to Canada to open a restaurant in 1954. This means that this pizza has nothing to do with Italy or Hawaii.
At that time, the pizza even caused a verbal battle between the presidents of two countries online:
In 2017, Icelandic President Johannesson visited a school and was asked by a child, "What do you think about pineapple on pizza?" Johannesson responded, "I'm absolutely against pineapple on pizza. I think I might even pass a law that prohibits Icelanders from making pineapple pizza."
This answer is definitely a joke, but it also represents the views of many people in Europe on pineapple pizza.
After this news came out, Canadian President Trudeau was not happy about it. He went to a pizza shop and baked Hawaiian pizza himself. He also supported pineapple pizza. At that time, a group of Canadian officials made statements, saying something like: Hawaiian pizza is part of Canadian culture! I am proud to eat pineapple pizza!
Hmm... have they considered changing the name first? After all, Hawaii isn't part of Canada!
During those two years, the pizza war between Europe and America took place. North America was enthusiastically promoting Hawaiian pizza, while Europe was constantly disparaging it. Even the famous "Hell's Cook" chef Gordon Rahm publicly stated: "Pineapple shouldn't be on pizza!"
Of course, the strongest reaction came from the Italians. Once, an American was dissatisfied and went to Italy to order a pizza takeout, specifically asking for pineapple on it.
When he received the pizza, he was delighted: the five dollars were returned in the pizza box, and there was a line of words on the box: "There is no way we can put pineapple on pizza. It's too disgusting. Sorry."
Italy, known as the "Great Summer of Europe," places great importance on food, and so will not tolerate anyone tainting its cuisine. Try putting pineapple on pizza with Italians? Try eating pasta with your pasta cut into pieces? Try treating an Italian to an Americano? Those are all signs of ruining the friendship in a matter of seconds.
But this is understandable. I guess every nation would not allow its own food to be "polluted": if you open a restaurant and put some strawberries in Mapo Tofu, what will happen?
After so many years abroad, Xiao Peng has come to understand that while everything can change, tastes are hard to change. Look at those who work, live, or study abroad. They generally indulge in the local cuisine for the first few days, posting pictures of their food every day. But after a few days, they'd rather eat instant noodles at home. Those "pretentious" people who live a "Western lifestyle" every day in China... The food they eat is also not authentic Western food because their tastes have changed. What happens if you put tomato sauce on your pasta with Italians?
This is similar to the feeling when foreigners serve a plate of braised pork with lots of chili peppers to the people of Daxia!
But regardless of whether the European food here is authentic or not, it is much better than Russian food! Xiao Peng really can't stand the heavy taste of Russians.
Xiao Peng actually didn't like this Hawaiian pizza either. After being baptized by Russian sweets, Xiao Peng really didn't want to touch sweet things anymore. But Terekin ate it with relish.
Alas, the tongue of this fighting nation is indeed different from others.
Terekin sent everyone back home to have dinner with Xiao Peng alone for only one purpose: to persuade Xiao Peng to practice Sambo. He could also get Xiao Peng a residence permit in Norilsk, which would allow him to live here for three years and renew it unlimited times.
The result, of course, was that Xiao Peng rejected Terekin's proposal.
Did he really need to live in Russia? Or in Norilsk, where you don't want to go out for 200 days a year? What a joke. All he wanted now was to get out of this hellhole when the snow stopped. The smog here was so bad it was uncomfortable to breathe.
When Terekin's plan failed, he came up with another one. Seeing that Xiao Peng didn't like this city, he came up with an idea: he invited Xiao Peng to participate in the monthly "Mechanical Festival" to let you feel the true charm of Norilsk!
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