Bringing literature to life

There is an entire sotre of Henkles knives near my apartment here. I've never seen such a place. I took a picture and will upload it to the pic site as soon as I have the patience to deal with uploading (It may be a few days....)

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Visited the Kazan Cathedral today. This one of the large, central (on Nevski'i prospeck (the equivelant to the Champs Elysees) cathedrals in St. Pete. It's a crazy design because it's got Corinthian colums that makes it looks like the Basilica in Rome. But more interestingly for me, the two statues that are on each side of the curvaceous colonnades are Michael Barclay de Tolly and Mikhail Kutuzov. The first Michael was a Nepolionic War genearl - but the second, Kutuzov, was the hero of Tolstoy's War and Peace. What cathedral, anywhere else creates memorials to their imaginary heros? And, doesn't that degrade, at least a little bit the statue to Barclay de Tolly? I've found that Russia is an emotional country. There are these ideas of "choosing with your heart." Rationality is nowhere to be found. But at the same time, there are no political writings that are engraved in people. No "I have a dream." No "Four score" No "We the People." Russia's gone through so many different regimes that the only thing that's been contanst is it's literature. Everyone is familiar with the stories, the poems. Quotes from Russian fiction can be found everywhere where in the States we'd see quotes from the Consitution or the Pledge of Allegience. It's what make's Russia. But I find it hard to understand. We have busts of Faulker, but not of Quentin Compson.

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I am still in the depths of culture shock, and to write otherwise would be a lie. I slept ~16 hours yesterday afternoon/night/morning. I think because sleeping is easier than doing anything else - and because all of this wears me out. And my peanut butter's almost running out... So all you out there - write to me! And let me know what's going on!

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Mom would love this place though. Apparently, in Russia, it's customary, after the wedding ceremony to travel throughout the city and take photographs at all of the historic places. So, on any given Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (days of weddings), while walking around downtown, you will see 6-8 different wedding parties. Bride, groom, and the entire guest list traveling behind in a van. Around every corner is a different wedding group.

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to be continued...