Draniki by Vivienne Glance Lyrics
DRANIKI
by Vivienne Glance
Part of the Belarusian Dream Theater Project 2014
CAST
ALENA - MIDDLE-AGED, MOTHER OF YELIZAVETA
YELIZAVETA - EARLY TWENTIES
© VIVIENNE GLANCE 2014
SCENE ONE.
PRESENT DAY, A KITCHEN
ALENA is grating peeled potatoes into a bowl. She is using the fine cutting hole on the grater. She is a middle-aged woman who has worked hard all her life.
ALENA
Can you imagine that, ‘Lizaveta? The whole town went crazy! The queue at the supermarket went twice round the block - and that is inviting trouble. ‘Go back in line!’, ‘I’ve been here hours, how did you get in front of me?’ Fists flew, I can tell you! No one was hurt, just a bloody nose and some bruised pride. We love an argument, don’t we ‘Lizaveta? Part of who we are, eh? No, no - we love watching an argument. That’s more it, don’t you think? It helped to pass the time. And when I finally reached the counter there were sacks of potatoes, hundreds of them! but they siad there was a shortage! I bought as much as I could carry, just in case. Maybe those sacks had turnips in them. You can never be sure these days - about anything.
(ALENA’s arm begins to ache.)
(CALLING) Yelizaveta! ... Yelizaveta!
(There is no reply.)
Have you got those little headphones in your ears - shutting out the world? It’s not natural. Boom, boom, boom! And big sunglasses even when there’s no sun! How do you know if there’s a car coming as you crossing the street? Bah - nothing I say makes any difference.
(Pause)
‘Lizaveta! Come and help me make draniki. My arthritis is playing up... Yelizaveta!
(ALENA exits)
ALENA (OFF)
Yelizaveta, take those things out your ears
YELIZAVETA (OFF)
What!?! Ow! Don’t pull my hair!
ALENA (OFF)
It was wrapped around the wires. Come with me. Now.
YELIZAVETA (OFF)
Why?
ALENA (OFF)
Just come. It’s important.
YELIZAVETA (OFF)
Somebody died...?
(ALENA and YELIZAVETA enter. YELIZAVETA holds a smartphone and has headphones around her neck)
ALENA
You need to learn something.
YELIZAVETA
I left school last year, Mum. Did enough learning there.
ALENA
And what good did it do you? You still don’t have a job.
YELIZAVETA
There’s a Global Financial Crisis - in case you hadn’t noticed.
ALENA
And worse, you don’t have a husband. Why are you wasting your life? All you do is hide in your room with your phone. Do you even know what happened yesterday?
YELIZAVETA
Hey, Mum! listen! Maxim friended me on Facebook.
ALENA
Who’s this Maxim? Does he live Grodno? He’s one of those internet predators.... Oh, my! Don’t meet him, you hear? There are funny people -
YELIZAVETA
I went to school with him. Maxim? Tall, dark hair, He played football.
ALENA
The little fat kid you used to play with in the back yard? They moved away.
YELIZAVETA
He came back. He’s at university now.
ALENA
Do you have a nice dress? Don’t turn up in jeans, they’re so - they don’t send the right message.
YELIZAVETA
Mum, we’re friends on Facebook - he hasn’t proposed. He hasn’t even asked me out.
ALENA
Why are you friends with a boy if you don’t like him?
YELIZAVETA
I never said that, it’s just we’re Facebook friends. He wanted me to know he’s back in Grodno.
ALENA
Tell him to come for dinner. Tonight. I have all these potatoes, I’m making draniki. He loved them when he was a boy. You hardly touch your food these days. He must come. Send him a message - is that how it works?
YELIZAVETA
He only friended me this morning.
ALENA
Tell him Alena wants to see her little Maxi again after all these years. Go on. Message him.
YELIZAVETA
You’re inviting him, not me, okay? He’ll think I’m desperate.
ALENA
Go on.
(YELIZAVETA messages him on her smartphone. ALENA tries to see what she is doing. YELIZAVETA turns away)
What did he say? Is he coming?
YELIZAVETA
I dunno. He might not be online. Might not get this until tomorrow.
ALENA
But I’m making draniki today. Can you call him?
YELIZAVETA
No. I can’t. Now what was so important to drag me in here?
ALENA
I didn’t drag you, I asked you and you came. I don’t want people thinking I drag you anywhere. The things kids say these days!
(YELIZAVETA puts in her headphones and turns to leave. ALENA grabs her arm to stop
her.)
YELIZAVETA
What?! (Removing headphones)
ALENA
It’s time you learnt. Come on, over here. This is important. It is part of who you are. You must keep up traditions.
YELIZAVETA
Duh! I know who I am.
ALENA
It’s more than you, it’s who we all are. Us. The whole family. The town. Belarus. My mother taught me, and her mother taught her, so I must teach you.
YELIZAVETA
I don’t have time for this.
(ALENA takes YELIZAVETA’s smartphone from her and puts it in a pocket in her skirt, underneath her apron.)
You can’t treat me like I’m five years-old. Give me my phone back.
ALENA
Is it your phone? Did you work hard and save up for it? Who pays the bills each month? You haven’t had more than a few weeks work since you left school. Your father has never been out of work. Even when there were no jobs he was growing food in the yard for us, finding what he could to sell or barter. You’ve no idea how lucky you are not to have suffered those times. You’ll stay here and you’ll learn how to make our national dish, if it’s the last thing I ever do. On my mother’s grave, I swear you will learn this one thing about your country.
YELIZAVETA
Okay, okay - chill... I didn’t know it meant so much to you. Will it take long?
ALENA
It’ll take as long as it needs to for you to make them properly.
YELIZAVETA
And then I get my phone back?
ALENA
Yes.
YELIZAVETA
And Dad’ll still pay the bill?
ALENA
Put an apron on.
YELIZAVETA
Mum - I just want to be clear, all right?
ALENA
Put on an apron. Go and tie back your hair and wash your hands.
(YELIZAVETA exits. ALENA says a silent prayer and crosses herself)
Thank you, lord. At least she didn’t swear at me! I’m thankful for that small mercy.
(ALENA takes out the phone and looks at it. She tries to make it do something but can’t)
What? It’s a phone - why does it need a password?
(The phone indicates it has received a message. ALENA puts it into her pocket and starts to sing ‘La, la, la!’ YELIZAVETA enters, her hair tied back)
YELIZAVETA
Was that my phone?
ALENA
I didn’t hear anything.
YELIZAVETA
So, what now?
ALENA
Grate those potatoes.
YELIZAVETA
All of them?
ALENA
All of them.
(YELIZAVETA grates, taking care not to damage her fingernails. ALENA peels and finely chops onions)
ALENA
No! Not like that. Use the small hole. If you grate them that size they fall apart in the pan.
YELIZAVETA
Okay! But if I break a nail…
ALENA
It will grow back again. Just make sure you don’t leave it in the mixture.
(ALENA beats some eggs, adds flour and salt to make a batter. YELIZAVETA continues
grating)
That’s better. You’re going a good job there. These will be good draniki, the potatoes are not too wet. The mixture must be not too wet and not too dry.
YELIZAVETA
So how do you know the difference? Don’t you follow a recipe?
ALENA
What good is a recipe when different potatoes hold different amounts of water? It varies depending on the time of year, too. Cook by feel - and you get to know what it should feel like by experience. Here, add the batter.
(YELIZAVETA adds the batter to the bowl of grated potatoes.)
ALENA
Now mix it all together. (YELIZAVETA mixes briefly) A bit more, all the pieces must be covered. That’s it.
(Some mixture splashes onto YELIZAVETA’s apron.)
Just put it back in.
YELIZAVETA
Yuck!
ALENA
Your apron’s clean, it’s going to be fried, what’s the problem? Good, that’s enough. Now flour your hands and flour the table. I’ll heat the oil.
(ALENA goes to the stove to heat up a pan of oil. YELIZAVETA flours her hands and the table, but spills flour on the floor. She leans over to see where it has gone and when she stands up she has flour all down the front of her apron. She tries to brush it off but makes it worse as her hands are covered in flour. The more she tries to clean up the worse it gets. ALENA turns around)
ALENA
(Laughing) Are you under all that?
YELIZAVETA
Don’t laugh at me!
ALENA
But you should see yourself! A Snow Queen!
YELIZAVETA
I’ve made your stupid draniki now give me back my phone.
ALENA
You’ve only made the mixture, that’s half the job. The important part is the frying.
(The phone indicates a message again)
YELIZAVETA
I should get that. It could be important. (PAUSE) Give me my phone.
(ALENA is silent and does not move)
GIVE ME MY PHONE!
ALENA
Please, Yelizaveta. Stop this. I’m your mother. I bore you, I helped you grow up, read to you, wiped away your tears, kissed you good night for so many years. But still I don’t feel like I’ve given you enough. All that care and love and now - I look at you and I don’t feel I know who my own daughter is. You’re like a stranger living under our roof. We don’t talk, you barely eat meals with us anymore, I know nothing about your life, you don’t bring friends back. All that matter’s to you is this stupid phone! What happened to you? Where did we go wrong? What did you want from me that I couldn’t give?
YELIZAVETA
My phone for a start.
ALENA
You’re tearing my heart out! What did I do wrong?! What?! Ahhhh! God forgive me, if I ever neglected you for a second! I tried to be a good mother! As the Saints are my witness, I tried.
YELIZAVETA
Mum! You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just - it’s like -
ALENA
Like what? Please tell me.
YELIZAVETA
If you give me a chance, I will! (ALENA sobs silently) I know it was hard before I was born - before things changed. But I don’t understand why you want to remember that? It’s like you enjoyed the suffering. Look at us. We have a house, Dad has a job, I’ve had a good education. We’re pretty healthy, we have more than enough food to eat.
ALENA
There was a shortage of potatoes, I had to stock up. You can never be sure from one day to the next.
YELIZAVETA
Listen Mum. They make that shit up so you buy more and they can get rid of extra stock.
ALENA
Language!
YELIZAVETA
It’s all over the Web. Give me my phone, I’ll show you. I’m not making this up. (Pause) There’s no shortage of potatoes.
ALENA
It could happen. You can’t predict the future. It’s happened before. We have to learn from
the past.
YELIZAVETA
That’s just it. Learn from the past, don’t relive it all the time. I’m not like you, just as you’re not like Grandma.
ALENA
Traditions are important. They tell us who we are.
YELIZAVETA
Do they? Or do they just sell potatoes? I can prove it.
(ALENA is silent, then she hands back the phone to YELIZAVETA. YELIZAVETA taps into the phone and brings up a web page which she shows to ALENA.)
See? Some official lost his job over that this morning.
ALENA
I don’t have my glasses.
(ALENA picks up the mixture of drank and takes it over to the pan. She starts to make small potato cakes and fry them in the pan.)
YELIZAVETA
Sorry, Mum. I - sorry I said those things.
(YELIZAVETA takes off her apron. Her legs, hands, face and hair have flour on them, but her clothes are clean. She sees herself and start to giggle. ALENA peeps over at her. She cannot help herself and she also starts to laugh. After a moment they calm down.)
Maxim messaged me. He’d like to come over.
ALENA
Then we must cook for him! It’s important to know how to cook. No man will marry a woman who can’t feed him. Come on.
(They start to make draniki)
YELIZAVETA
He’s just coming over to say ‘Hi’, don’t start planning the wedding. He might not even be into girls, who knows?
ALENA
Lord, have mercy on us!
YELIZAVETA
Like that’s gonna help.
ALENA
He played football - that’s a game for men.
YELIZAVETA
If you say so...
ALENA
(Indicating the potato cake YELIZAVETA has made) No, that’s too big. Take off about a quarter... Make them smaller, like this. Too big and they won’t cook in the middle. Too small and they’re too greasy. Put your apron back on, the oil can spit.
(YELIZAVETA puts her apron on, but is carefully texting on her phone at the same
time. She puts her phone on the table. As she makes the cakes, she reads and responds to
texts and messages as ALENA talks to her.)
See how the oil is just about to smoke? That’s the perfect temperature... Careful… My mother made the best draniki! Crispy on the outside, but smooth and soft inside. They’ll take a minute or two... So, what is this Facebook...? How’s it work?
YELIZAVETA
You set up an account and -
ALENA
An account? Is this where all your money goes?
YELIZAVETA
It’s free. So, you get an account and you log in with your password -
ALENA
- What if you forget it?
YELIZAVETA
Write it down, make it simple. Then once your in, you type in comments, like posts, upload pictures - that sort of thing. Plus there’s Instagram, instant messaging -
ALENA
(Referring to YELIIZAVETA’s phone) Four hundred and twenty-seven friends! How
come I never meet them.
YELIZAVETA
Their Facebook friends, Mum, I haven’t met them all either.
ALENA
Quick! Turn them - mustn’t burn them.
(They turn over the draniki in the pan)
How long before Maxim gets here? We might have time to make machanka. There’s pork in the fridge. I hope I have enough sour cream... Can you set me up one of these account on Facebook? At least then I -
YELIZAVETA
I’m not friending you, Mum!
ALENA
Those look perfect! You’re getting the hang of this. See? It’s not so hard, is it?
END
RECIPE for Draniki - one [of many, I'm sure)
http://www.belarusianfood.com/2009/05/draniki.html
by Vivienne Glance
Part of the Belarusian Dream Theater Project 2014
CAST
ALENA - MIDDLE-AGED, MOTHER OF YELIZAVETA
YELIZAVETA - EARLY TWENTIES
© VIVIENNE GLANCE 2014
SCENE ONE.
PRESENT DAY, A KITCHEN
ALENA is grating peeled potatoes into a bowl. She is using the fine cutting hole on the grater. She is a middle-aged woman who has worked hard all her life.
ALENA
Can you imagine that, ‘Lizaveta? The whole town went crazy! The queue at the supermarket went twice round the block - and that is inviting trouble. ‘Go back in line!’, ‘I’ve been here hours, how did you get in front of me?’ Fists flew, I can tell you! No one was hurt, just a bloody nose and some bruised pride. We love an argument, don’t we ‘Lizaveta? Part of who we are, eh? No, no - we love watching an argument. That’s more it, don’t you think? It helped to pass the time. And when I finally reached the counter there were sacks of potatoes, hundreds of them! but they siad there was a shortage! I bought as much as I could carry, just in case. Maybe those sacks had turnips in them. You can never be sure these days - about anything.
(ALENA’s arm begins to ache.)
(CALLING) Yelizaveta! ... Yelizaveta!
(There is no reply.)
Have you got those little headphones in your ears - shutting out the world? It’s not natural. Boom, boom, boom! And big sunglasses even when there’s no sun! How do you know if there’s a car coming as you crossing the street? Bah - nothing I say makes any difference.
(Pause)
‘Lizaveta! Come and help me make draniki. My arthritis is playing up... Yelizaveta!
(ALENA exits)
ALENA (OFF)
Yelizaveta, take those things out your ears
YELIZAVETA (OFF)
What!?! Ow! Don’t pull my hair!
ALENA (OFF)
It was wrapped around the wires. Come with me. Now.
YELIZAVETA (OFF)
Why?
ALENA (OFF)
Just come. It’s important.
YELIZAVETA (OFF)
Somebody died...?
(ALENA and YELIZAVETA enter. YELIZAVETA holds a smartphone and has headphones around her neck)
ALENA
You need to learn something.
YELIZAVETA
I left school last year, Mum. Did enough learning there.
ALENA
And what good did it do you? You still don’t have a job.
YELIZAVETA
There’s a Global Financial Crisis - in case you hadn’t noticed.
ALENA
And worse, you don’t have a husband. Why are you wasting your life? All you do is hide in your room with your phone. Do you even know what happened yesterday?
YELIZAVETA
Hey, Mum! listen! Maxim friended me on Facebook.
ALENA
Who’s this Maxim? Does he live Grodno? He’s one of those internet predators.... Oh, my! Don’t meet him, you hear? There are funny people -
YELIZAVETA
I went to school with him. Maxim? Tall, dark hair, He played football.
ALENA
The little fat kid you used to play with in the back yard? They moved away.
YELIZAVETA
He came back. He’s at university now.
ALENA
Do you have a nice dress? Don’t turn up in jeans, they’re so - they don’t send the right message.
YELIZAVETA
Mum, we’re friends on Facebook - he hasn’t proposed. He hasn’t even asked me out.
ALENA
Why are you friends with a boy if you don’t like him?
YELIZAVETA
I never said that, it’s just we’re Facebook friends. He wanted me to know he’s back in Grodno.
ALENA
Tell him to come for dinner. Tonight. I have all these potatoes, I’m making draniki. He loved them when he was a boy. You hardly touch your food these days. He must come. Send him a message - is that how it works?
YELIZAVETA
He only friended me this morning.
ALENA
Tell him Alena wants to see her little Maxi again after all these years. Go on. Message him.
YELIZAVETA
You’re inviting him, not me, okay? He’ll think I’m desperate.
ALENA
Go on.
(YELIZAVETA messages him on her smartphone. ALENA tries to see what she is doing. YELIZAVETA turns away)
What did he say? Is he coming?
YELIZAVETA
I dunno. He might not be online. Might not get this until tomorrow.
ALENA
But I’m making draniki today. Can you call him?
YELIZAVETA
No. I can’t. Now what was so important to drag me in here?
ALENA
I didn’t drag you, I asked you and you came. I don’t want people thinking I drag you anywhere. The things kids say these days!
(YELIZAVETA puts in her headphones and turns to leave. ALENA grabs her arm to stop
her.)
YELIZAVETA
What?! (Removing headphones)
ALENA
It’s time you learnt. Come on, over here. This is important. It is part of who you are. You must keep up traditions.
YELIZAVETA
Duh! I know who I am.
ALENA
It’s more than you, it’s who we all are. Us. The whole family. The town. Belarus. My mother taught me, and her mother taught her, so I must teach you.
YELIZAVETA
I don’t have time for this.
(ALENA takes YELIZAVETA’s smartphone from her and puts it in a pocket in her skirt, underneath her apron.)
You can’t treat me like I’m five years-old. Give me my phone back.
ALENA
Is it your phone? Did you work hard and save up for it? Who pays the bills each month? You haven’t had more than a few weeks work since you left school. Your father has never been out of work. Even when there were no jobs he was growing food in the yard for us, finding what he could to sell or barter. You’ve no idea how lucky you are not to have suffered those times. You’ll stay here and you’ll learn how to make our national dish, if it’s the last thing I ever do. On my mother’s grave, I swear you will learn this one thing about your country.
YELIZAVETA
Okay, okay - chill... I didn’t know it meant so much to you. Will it take long?
ALENA
It’ll take as long as it needs to for you to make them properly.
YELIZAVETA
And then I get my phone back?
ALENA
Yes.
YELIZAVETA
And Dad’ll still pay the bill?
ALENA
Put an apron on.
YELIZAVETA
Mum - I just want to be clear, all right?
ALENA
Put on an apron. Go and tie back your hair and wash your hands.
(YELIZAVETA exits. ALENA says a silent prayer and crosses herself)
Thank you, lord. At least she didn’t swear at me! I’m thankful for that small mercy.
(ALENA takes out the phone and looks at it. She tries to make it do something but can’t)
What? It’s a phone - why does it need a password?
(The phone indicates it has received a message. ALENA puts it into her pocket and starts to sing ‘La, la, la!’ YELIZAVETA enters, her hair tied back)
YELIZAVETA
Was that my phone?
ALENA
I didn’t hear anything.
YELIZAVETA
So, what now?
ALENA
Grate those potatoes.
YELIZAVETA
All of them?
ALENA
All of them.
(YELIZAVETA grates, taking care not to damage her fingernails. ALENA peels and finely chops onions)
ALENA
No! Not like that. Use the small hole. If you grate them that size they fall apart in the pan.
YELIZAVETA
Okay! But if I break a nail…
ALENA
It will grow back again. Just make sure you don’t leave it in the mixture.
(ALENA beats some eggs, adds flour and salt to make a batter. YELIZAVETA continues
grating)
That’s better. You’re going a good job there. These will be good draniki, the potatoes are not too wet. The mixture must be not too wet and not too dry.
YELIZAVETA
So how do you know the difference? Don’t you follow a recipe?
ALENA
What good is a recipe when different potatoes hold different amounts of water? It varies depending on the time of year, too. Cook by feel - and you get to know what it should feel like by experience. Here, add the batter.
(YELIZAVETA adds the batter to the bowl of grated potatoes.)
ALENA
Now mix it all together. (YELIZAVETA mixes briefly) A bit more, all the pieces must be covered. That’s it.
(Some mixture splashes onto YELIZAVETA’s apron.)
Just put it back in.
YELIZAVETA
Yuck!
ALENA
Your apron’s clean, it’s going to be fried, what’s the problem? Good, that’s enough. Now flour your hands and flour the table. I’ll heat the oil.
(ALENA goes to the stove to heat up a pan of oil. YELIZAVETA flours her hands and the table, but spills flour on the floor. She leans over to see where it has gone and when she stands up she has flour all down the front of her apron. She tries to brush it off but makes it worse as her hands are covered in flour. The more she tries to clean up the worse it gets. ALENA turns around)
ALENA
(Laughing) Are you under all that?
YELIZAVETA
Don’t laugh at me!
ALENA
But you should see yourself! A Snow Queen!
YELIZAVETA
I’ve made your stupid draniki now give me back my phone.
ALENA
You’ve only made the mixture, that’s half the job. The important part is the frying.
(The phone indicates a message again)
YELIZAVETA
I should get that. It could be important. (PAUSE) Give me my phone.
(ALENA is silent and does not move)
GIVE ME MY PHONE!
ALENA
Please, Yelizaveta. Stop this. I’m your mother. I bore you, I helped you grow up, read to you, wiped away your tears, kissed you good night for so many years. But still I don’t feel like I’ve given you enough. All that care and love and now - I look at you and I don’t feel I know who my own daughter is. You’re like a stranger living under our roof. We don’t talk, you barely eat meals with us anymore, I know nothing about your life, you don’t bring friends back. All that matter’s to you is this stupid phone! What happened to you? Where did we go wrong? What did you want from me that I couldn’t give?
YELIZAVETA
My phone for a start.
ALENA
You’re tearing my heart out! What did I do wrong?! What?! Ahhhh! God forgive me, if I ever neglected you for a second! I tried to be a good mother! As the Saints are my witness, I tried.
YELIZAVETA
Mum! You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just - it’s like -
ALENA
Like what? Please tell me.
YELIZAVETA
If you give me a chance, I will! (ALENA sobs silently) I know it was hard before I was born - before things changed. But I don’t understand why you want to remember that? It’s like you enjoyed the suffering. Look at us. We have a house, Dad has a job, I’ve had a good education. We’re pretty healthy, we have more than enough food to eat.
ALENA
There was a shortage of potatoes, I had to stock up. You can never be sure from one day to the next.
YELIZAVETA
Listen Mum. They make that shit up so you buy more and they can get rid of extra stock.
ALENA
Language!
YELIZAVETA
It’s all over the Web. Give me my phone, I’ll show you. I’m not making this up. (Pause) There’s no shortage of potatoes.
ALENA
It could happen. You can’t predict the future. It’s happened before. We have to learn from
the past.
YELIZAVETA
That’s just it. Learn from the past, don’t relive it all the time. I’m not like you, just as you’re not like Grandma.
ALENA
Traditions are important. They tell us who we are.
YELIZAVETA
Do they? Or do they just sell potatoes? I can prove it.
(ALENA is silent, then she hands back the phone to YELIZAVETA. YELIZAVETA taps into the phone and brings up a web page which she shows to ALENA.)
See? Some official lost his job over that this morning.
ALENA
I don’t have my glasses.
(ALENA picks up the mixture of drank and takes it over to the pan. She starts to make small potato cakes and fry them in the pan.)
YELIZAVETA
Sorry, Mum. I - sorry I said those things.
(YELIZAVETA takes off her apron. Her legs, hands, face and hair have flour on them, but her clothes are clean. She sees herself and start to giggle. ALENA peeps over at her. She cannot help herself and she also starts to laugh. After a moment they calm down.)
Maxim messaged me. He’d like to come over.
ALENA
Then we must cook for him! It’s important to know how to cook. No man will marry a woman who can’t feed him. Come on.
(They start to make draniki)
YELIZAVETA
He’s just coming over to say ‘Hi’, don’t start planning the wedding. He might not even be into girls, who knows?
ALENA
Lord, have mercy on us!
YELIZAVETA
Like that’s gonna help.
ALENA
He played football - that’s a game for men.
YELIZAVETA
If you say so...
ALENA
(Indicating the potato cake YELIZAVETA has made) No, that’s too big. Take off about a quarter... Make them smaller, like this. Too big and they won’t cook in the middle. Too small and they’re too greasy. Put your apron back on, the oil can spit.
(YELIZAVETA puts her apron on, but is carefully texting on her phone at the same
time. She puts her phone on the table. As she makes the cakes, she reads and responds to
texts and messages as ALENA talks to her.)
See how the oil is just about to smoke? That’s the perfect temperature... Careful… My mother made the best draniki! Crispy on the outside, but smooth and soft inside. They’ll take a minute or two... So, what is this Facebook...? How’s it work?
YELIZAVETA
You set up an account and -
ALENA
An account? Is this where all your money goes?
YELIZAVETA
It’s free. So, you get an account and you log in with your password -
ALENA
- What if you forget it?
YELIZAVETA
Write it down, make it simple. Then once your in, you type in comments, like posts, upload pictures - that sort of thing. Plus there’s Instagram, instant messaging -
ALENA
(Referring to YELIIZAVETA’s phone) Four hundred and twenty-seven friends! How
come I never meet them.
YELIZAVETA
Their Facebook friends, Mum, I haven’t met them all either.
ALENA
Quick! Turn them - mustn’t burn them.
(They turn over the draniki in the pan)
How long before Maxim gets here? We might have time to make machanka. There’s pork in the fridge. I hope I have enough sour cream... Can you set me up one of these account on Facebook? At least then I -
YELIZAVETA
I’m not friending you, Mum!
ALENA
Those look perfect! You’re getting the hang of this. See? It’s not so hard, is it?
END
RECIPE for Draniki - one [of many, I'm sure)
http://www.belarusianfood.com/2009/05/draniki.html