- [Interviewer] How do you guys shop together?
(buzzing lips)
- I had to do some research first,
'cause I have to always find what's best.
- [Interviewer] So is that how you decide
on which Hot Pocket to get?
- Yes, literally.
(clapping beat)
(hip hop beat)
- I'm Melina.
- And I'm Kevin.
- I'm Brie.
- My names Ralen.
- I'm Rich. - Bernice.
- We're engaged.
- We're married.
- We've been married for 23 years.
- [Interviewer] How old are you guys?
- I'm 28. - I'm 24.
- I'm 19. - I'm 19 too.
- [Interviewer] How long have you guys been together?
- A year. - Almost a year in March.
- Same thing.
- [Interviewer] Where are you from?
- From Chechnya, it's a Islamic Republic
in Southern Russian Federation.
- [Interviewer] What brought you to The States?
- The war was happening still a little bit,
so it was a little bit safer here.
- [Interviewer] Is there a big
cultural difference with how you guys were raised?
- I would say so.
- I just feel like I had a harder childhood then he had.
- [Interviewer] So you think he grew up spoiled?
(laughing)
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] What does $100 mean to you guys?
- I feel like normally when we spend $100
it's not ever on this much food.
We were kinda like wow we can actually get a lot for $100.
- When you have a child, and you have to make ends meat,
you could go to the cheapest store
and $100 barely stretched.
- [Interviewer] Let's talk about the food here.
What do you think this is a good reflection of?
- We love cereal.
- I drink a lot of Capri Suns.
- Sprite is my favorite drink.
- [Interviewer] It looks like you guys eat like children.
- Everyone says that, we have a mini fridge in our room,
and when my friends come over they're like,
"Oh my god this is a kindergartner's fridge"
- [Interviewer] Who chose all the junk food?
- Me. - Who do you think?
(laughing)
- Oreo's and energy drinks, I have to have that.
- [Interviewer] Who here is trying to bulk up
with that Muscle Milk?
(laughing)
- I'm not trying to bulk up, but I mean--
- I go to the gym more often is the short answer
to that question.
- [Interviewer] What's the most expensive thing
you guys got here?
- Probably like the Vegenaise.
I have a lot of health issues
related to having diagnosed bulimia.
Which is what led me to veganism.
- [Interviewer] He must be vegan too, right?
- No.
- [Interviewer] What are dietary restrictions for you guys?
- Coming from Islamic Republic, no pork.
- And also no marshmallow, or anything with gelatin in it.
- You'd be surprised, it's in everything.
- Yeah, no alcohol.
- End of the day,
it's nice to wind down with a glass of wine.
Especially with the salmon.
- [Interviewer] How do you guys work together
when you're out shopping?
- I push the cart and take care of the baby,
and she picks the food.
- I had to do some research first,
'cause I have to always find what's best.
- [Interviewer] So is that how you decide
on which Hot Pocket to get?
- Yes, literally.
- The angriest we've been at each other I think,
has all been shopping experiences.
- I don't really go shopping
at a grocery store with a mission.
I just go for the experience.
- I go for the experience of completing a mission.
- He lies sometimes. - Sometimes, yeah.
Sometimes if it's something that I know
is definitely just a waste of money.
- Like "Oh there's gelatin in it."
And puts it back. - Yeah, exactly.
(laughing)
- [Interviewer] What's your living situation like?
- We live in a house.
- [Interviewer] Do you guys own it?
- She does.
(laughing)
- We've got three kids, a dog and a boat.
I mean we may look like the American dream I suppose.
- Kind of the edge of town,
so we got lots of land around us.
- We live in a concrete box.
- Yep, a little studio.
- We live with my mom.
- We live with my parents.
- [Interviewer] Is it annoying
living at your parents place?
- It's pretty good, she just gives us freedom.
- [Interviewer] Do you guys pay rent?
- No. - No.
- [Interviewer] Does that help you guys save?
- Yeah.
- It's helped me save, I mean.
- [Interviewer] Have you guys considered
a mutual bank account?
- Mhm.
- I dunno 'cause I feel like you're gonna spend more money.
- I'm not though.
- [Interviewer] Who's worse with money?
- I dunno, I don't think we've talked about this.
- I like to talk about money.
- I initially was not as open about talking about finances.
- 'Cause he's like, this is America,
we don't talk about money.
- Four years ago we were in the food bank line.
We starved.
- [Interviewer] Are you guys on food stamps or?
- Yes, we receive EBT.
I've had people look at me and be like,
you don't deserve it because you clearly had enough
to get this resolved.
Like that phone, that bag.
You don't know if those are gifts,
you don't know where that stuff came from
and with food stamps it has helped us so much,
but it's supplemental, it's not enough to live off of.
- How much do you make?
- I can't say.
- I'm pretty sure I saw it through the email,
you're just telling me--
(mumbles)
26.50.
- [Interviewer] Is that how much he makes an hour?
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Who does the cooking?
- She does. - Typically me.
- I do.
- I cook.
- [Interviewer] Why do you cook?
A woman is supposed to cook right?
(laughing)
- No I would say--
- I could cook but I don't think he'd like it.
- [Interviewer] Ask her, do you find it sexy
when I cook for you?
(scoffs)
- Do you find it sexy when I cook for you?
- I don't know, it's kind of expected at this point.
(laughing)
- [Interviewer] Do you guys eat together?
- We try to have dinner together
at least the nights that we're home at the same time.
And we sit at the table.
We don't watch TV while eating.
- We love to gather around food,
and celebrate our family and friends.
- We're not the stereotypical sit down, eat together family.
We'll eat upstairs, watch something really quick.
- I have some military experience,
so food is subsistence.
- If we're sharing food I have to eat fast
because he eats so fast.
- [Interviewer] What does food mean to you?
- I would say food is just a medium
for community, family.
- I kind of see food as fuel, and nothing more.
- Food for me is always been something
that was used as punishment.
- [Interviewer] What do you mean by punishment?
- If I ate too much of something,
you're getting too big,
or if you eat that you're gonna get fat.
Food is like, an enemy.
- [Interviewer] Do you guys want to get married?
- Mhm. - Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Have you guys talked about it?
- Yeah. - All the time.
- [Interviewer] Why do you guys wanna get married?
(sighing)
- [Interviewer] You guys are gonna get married.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Kids?
- No. - No.
(laughing)
I don't want to be responsible
for another human being.
- I can't even take care of a plant.
- We don't want to have kids in America.
We have certain religious values,
and we'd prefer to raise our kids
in an Islamic country or Republic.
- No, the kids are kind of trying to go away,
and it's just us.
We're starting to have some fun,
and do some weekends away and trips on our own.
- [Interviewer] What keeps you guys together?
- We do have enough in common,
to feel comfortable sharing our differences
and talking about them, and trying to learn more
about ourselves and each other.
- We fight like cats and dogs.
I've said some things, even in the past week
I think I've said I hate you.
But there are days where you just say things
you don't mean and I can say from the bottom of my heart
that I do love you, even in those horrible fights.
- I love you. - I love you too.
- I love you.
(kissing)
- [Interviewer] All right, now make out
and we'll leave you guys alone.
(opening can)
- Ahh, mm.
(laughing)
(chuckling)
(opening package)
(kissing)
- Mmm, Muscle Milk.
(laughing)
(clinking glasses)
- [Both] Cheers.
(kissing)
(clapping beat)