The largest city in Europe

So Moscow is the largest (and by some recent index, the most expensive) city in Europe. And I've been here for less than 6 weeks. Yet somehow I managed to run into Matt, a friend I had no idea was in Moscow. Fancy that.

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going to a football (that'd be soccer) game this evening.

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to be continued...

Listmania - Part II

Things I wish I'd brought:

1. A few small gifts from the States for the random people I've met (This was suggested in the packing list - but I didn't really "understand" and thought, "that's weird... I'm not going to do that... Though I did want to give the people I met on my overnight train a magnet - or something similar - and didn't have anything.)
2. Hairbrush (when I left, my hair was karotinki-karotinki (short-short) and now it's not quite short. Had to buy one)
3. Purse with zipper. (nothing's been taken from my bag on the METRO, but I've wasted a lot of energy making sure.)
4. Blank CDs for burning pictures
5. A Russian grammar book (I thought we'd be given one here. and Didn't want to lug one I wasn't going to use)

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Went to the circus last night. I know what Russia does with all of their gymnasts post Olympics...

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to be continued...

The Man-Bag

Ok - So a quick internet search reveals that these Man - Bags are all the rage, but I just started noticing them in Moscow - and just about keeled over in laughter.

Trying to pass itself off as a briefcase, it's about 8 inches long, 6 high and 4 wide - leather - usually brown and a shaped like a mini-law school graduation present. Good for holding wallets, metro passes, and you lunch, maybe.

I'm trying to discretely take a picture of these man bags. But in the mean time, I'm enjoying Russian men's self-confidence. It'll be a long time, I feel, before these bags are as popular in the States as they are here...

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In other news, I've mentally checked out, met with R. Marc, and hung out with kids from GWU doing the trans-Siberian railroad (they didn't know you, MB) at a vegetarian cafe (Troistky Most trumped it though...)
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to be continued...

Listmania

Things I'll miss:

1. a piano in the apartment
2. METRO that runs every 45 seconds
3. Long escalator rides good for people watching
4. having a laid back attitude towards class
5. my proximity to Svetlana
6. finding creative ways to work around words you don't know in conversation ("The fruit with the small black dots.")
7. Getting news 3 days before the States (you know Condi's "Secret" trip to Beirut? we know she was going Friday...)
8. Seeing New Kids on the Block paraphinalia
9. Kasha and Nina's pirogies
10. My quiet walk to the institute each morning
11. CDs for 90 RR

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Things I'm looking forward to:
1. English
2. my own place
3. cooking for myself/fresh fruits and veggies
4. cars that yield to pedestrians
5. Toilet seats and toilet paper in all bathrooms
6. spicy food
7. ease of keeping in touch with friends/family
8. the relative lack of mullets
9. my bike
10. "real" showers
11. easy access to a computer
12. quick trips to the post office (it took 20 minutes for the woman to put stamps on 4 postcards today - I thought I was going to die....)

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To do:
1. Museum of the great patriotic war
2. Banya
3. Economic convention
4. lunch with R. Marc
5. meeting Blinchik
6. White house
7. buy a few more gifts...

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to be continued...

Presidents Like Peas and Paintings

So I've been meaning to post for awhile - so there's lots of little topics to cover - hopefully this won't be too scattered...

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While I was in Minsk, not only did I buy Georgian wine (which is prohibited in Russia at the moment --- thank you politics!) but I saw the Belarussian president, Lukashenko. I happened to be meandering by the Presidential Residence (note: security almost non-existent - and the "Residence" looks more like an office building on K Street). A man, of appropriate age, walked out of the building, and immediately was saluted by the guard. As I watched the car move down the street, every policeman on the corner saluted as well. Yep - it was 7 am (overnight trains arrive early) and the President was off to work. I'll add him to my current list of Presidents seen or otherwise encountered. We now stand at Bush I and II, Clinton (go State Department Internships :)), Lukashenko. I should work on Putin.

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Svetlana called last night to make sure that I had arrived safely back in Moscow. I've gotten a lot better with telephone conversations in Russian. Understanding a foreign language without gestures or moving lips in front of you is quite difficult. She's doing well - back to the daily grind of work. I spend a lot of time thinking about her - and plotting ways to get back to Belarus/get her to the States. But it probably won't happen for awhile. Trying to get photos developed to send to her - but not having much luck finding a place that can do it here. But you guys can all see photos online. Here are the new ones.

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Pedagogy in Moscow is just short of ridiculous. The book we're using is insane - no instructions - no continuity of vocabulary - exercises that don't require you to think... for example: They give you (the answer)

I like peas (She also likes peas)
I like tomatoes (She also likes tomatoes)
I like potatoes (She also likes potatoes)

and so forth.

And what's worse, the teacher follows the book to a tee. By the end of the class, I'm about ready to shoot myself. I've never see a good Russian text book - either geared to English speakers or only in Russian. You Education people out there - can you write one? I'd be very grateful - (and so will all future students of Russian)

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Just spent a solid afternoon in the Tretykov Gallery (sorry for the lack of accuracy in my Russian transliteration...). I opted for the "new" half since our excursion went to the "old" half two weeks ago. I could wander through galleries of modern art for ever. I love the textures, the simpliticy, the lines. With art in the "old" gallery - I could appreciate skill and beauty. I like the ideas behind more modern art. I wish I knew more...

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Heading out to see Swan Lake. Yeah ballet :)

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to be continued...

When a Rooster Wakes You Up

When a rooster's cock-a-doodle-doos wake you up at 6am you know you're in the country.

The entire point of my trip to Russia was for the side trip to Belarus. And it was so worth it.

I got to the train station in Pinsk (after a way to long train ride), and held up my little sign, "C.C. Босщук" No one responded. I wasn't terribly surprised not to find her there. Though I had sent a letter, she never called me in Moscow, so I figured she had no idea what time I was arriving. I wouldn't spend the day in the train station either... I had her family's address in Parache - and knew that I'd never find her in Pinsk (even though it's not that big of city - ok, barely a city - the only thing I knew was Sveta "lived in a dorm." That wouldn't get me very far. So it was off to Parache. I exchanged money (Russian rubles to Belarussian ones - that was fun!), and made my way to the bus station next store - figuring I could ask my way to Parache. Sure enough, a bus was going there in an hour. So I wait. The bus ride itself was about an hour. Every fifteen minutes or so, we'd pass through a small village. And by small village, I mean small. A post office, a church, about 15 wooden houses and a dirt road. But beautiful. I asked the person next to me to let me know when we got to Parache - and quickly the entire bus figured out that I was a non-Bela/Russian speaker. I think I was probably the first non-Russian speaker on that bus. The bus (as a whole) told me when to get off, and a man on the street pointed me to Sveta's house. Knock on the door. There she is. Ten years older.

I met her sister, Luda, her mother (also Luda), and her "second father" Pavel. I'll let picutres do the talking about appearences (and I will get these posted quickly, promise).

The house is bigger than I thought it'd be. A winter and summer kitchen, a largeish pantry (used for storing food through winter), a bedroom for the girls, a living room, and a room for mom and dad. It's well appointend, somwhere between my St. Pete house and my Moscow one. That said, there's no running water (there's a well outside), and the toilet is in the barn - summer and winter. Showers are in the kitchen with a bucket in the winter and in the river in the summer. Out back is Dasha the cow (from whom comes milk (butter, sour cream, and other uniquely Russian milk products are made), two pigs (one to be eaten this winter, one the next), roosters (alarm clocks?), egg laying chickens, a beautiful garden (1% flowers, 99% food: corn, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, blueberry like plants, raspberries, cherry-like plants (2 types) - and probably others that weren't in season yet. Most of the morning is spent working in the garden.

Sunday night we went out to the discotheque, which is more like a block party. Dancing in the street with a boombox - but is was fun. Svet's a fabulous dancer (we also discovered that we're still much alike in many many ways - our attitudes towards men and marriage (she's got massive pressure from parents to get married. she's 20 and will soon be an "old maid"), hobbies (she, according to her sister always has her nose stuck in a book - or is dancing), sense of humor, just all around we still click - It's amazing how much we've changed, but how it also seemed like it was just yesterday we were at Shrine Mont.

We spent a lot of time just reminising - "Do you remember this? Do you ever think of that?" And looking at photographs. She's got all the photos I sent her in an album and I feel slightly guilty for often being lazy and not sending more.

In other quick observations, because I'm running out of time, traces of her time in the States is all over the house. The Barbie dolls and other toys are in places of honor around the living room. There's an English puzzle and tape cassettes (I translated a whole slew of songs for them... :)), she's still wearing the socks, underwear and pajamas we gave her 10 years ago. Pants that no longer fit have been turned into pillows (I recognized the fabric...). Was really glad to be there.

Here's a picture of the other Luda - Bakhur

Time's up--- ahhh

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congrats HMB4 on the APs!

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To be continued...

A packed bag

For those of you keeping track, I'm heading to the political tumultuous state of Belarus momentarily. I've got the visas, the train tickets, and the phone number and address of Sveta, a backpack filled 1/4 with clothes, 1/4 with various sundry products, and 1/2 with food that my host mother cooked for me. (I'm like a walking street vendor, "pirogies, butorbrodi, pizza, anyone?" If nothing else, my clothes for the next several days will smell like Russian cuisine.) I've registered with the US Embassy in Belarus and sprung for a locking train cabin. But off I go.

I'll arrive in Pinsk noon on Saturday the 15th and leave the evening of the 17th. I'll spend the 18th in Minsk and hop on a night train to Moscow arriving early the morning of the 19th. Looking forward to some long quiet train rides through the Bela/russian countryside. Now if I only had a map of Belarus/Minsk/Pinsk...

I'm looking forward to some hilarious stories, missed connections, and struggling with my completely inadequate Russian. And some photos too.

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Tried to go see Pirates II last evening. It shows in English (I was up for the dubbed Russian, but others disagreed...) at one theater downtown. We turn up to find that the movie doesn't play on Thursdays. Oh well. A bit more planning next time...

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oh and about those pictures.... (Did you actually expect me to post them when I said I would?)

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to be continued...

241 USD and a Blackened Hand

What can you do with $241?

1. A cruise to nowhere
2. 100+ hours at an internet cafe (didn't bother to actually calculate this one)
3. A new pair of designer jeans (or maybe 2 or just 1/2)
4. 5 star/4 course dinner for 2 in NYC
5. a Visa to Belarus

I got number 5. Rush service, invitation, the visa itself, and a "fake hotel" room for 3 nights (had to get the invitation). I should be able to pick up the visa Monday afternoon or Tuesday. Here I go.

I'll be leaving Moscow the evening of the 14th and see Svetlana the afternoon of the 15th! I'll head out of Belarus the 18th. Don't know if I'll spend time in Minsk too - depends on Sveta's schedule, I guess. Too bad my hotel room is fake. There's always a hostel.

Gotta start keeping better track of my finances though...
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Metro doors are not like elevator doors. They do not sense objects. They just smoosh. I was getting on the subway (after a great birthday party for Stephanie!) and it was quite crowded. Kyle was behind me and I was trying to keep him with the group. I reached my hand back so he could grab it, but the doors had different ideas. They closed quite suddenly and with great force. My hand was trapped. Kyle was left in the station. Thankfully, I was able to pull my hand free, but the entire metro car laughed at me. At the moment, my hand's quite black. But all fingers are moving appropriately and everything in intact. Ah Russia.

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I realized I hadn't posted pictures recently. I'll try to do that Monday or Tuesday.

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Heading off to the Treatikov Gallery now :) Group excursion.

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to be continued...

Typical Russia

= random closings. See below for explanation.
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It was Thursday, after class. A group of us (Stephanie, David (new guy who knows Taki and AK-L!), Kyle and me) decide to hit up the museum of unique dolls (thinking of Mims there.), a organic/veggie cafe (must support "alternative" cuisine) and meet our program leader along the way... Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Or so we thought.

We meander ourselves to the Doll Museum to find it closed for remont (just like the Bread museum---still sad about that one). It had moved across town in the meantime. But the address was too far away to walk and we had planned to meet Dasha (our program coordinator) for dinner.

So we decided to head to the metro station at which we were meeting her. We set off for Mayakovskaya. All of our maps put the entrance to the metro at the corner of Bolshaya Sadovaya and Tverskaya. We easily found our way to that address - but, you guessed it, the entrance was closed for remont. Dasha is nowhere in sight. We look down the street in each direction hoping to see another entrance to the metro. No luck. Eventually Dasha finds us (because she's smart, and Russian, and all that....) and we head off to the Organic Cafe.

Again, with no problem, we find the cafe. But, on the door, "Sorry, closed for remont" Three strikes in 2 hours. And a "wasted" afternoon. But my host mom, Nina sure did enjoy the story.

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Today's Stephanie's birthday. Making a trip to the Hark Rock Cafe and a Russian film. Tomorrow it's off to the Tretyakov Gallery.

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Still reveling in the abundance of peanut butter in my life.
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to be continued...

Oh Happy Day!

I'm am now in possession of 3 large jars of peanut butter (2 creamy, 1 crunchy), a note from HMB4 and some stickers...

I'm a happy woman.

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to be continued...

Speechless

So I'm now entirely settled in in Moscow. I'm getting used to another grandmother - but some of her quirks just crack me up. She insists on removing my plate from the table immediately after I take the last bite and decides how much sugar I should have in my tea (I prefer to take it black....) Some days she'll let me drink it with no sugar - at other times I get one teaspoon - other days 3, even if I asked for it black. Ah Nina.

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I'm playing a lot of piano, which is making me happy. I'm (finally) getting back again to a decent level after hours of Hannon exercises. Thankfully Nina's daughter went to conservatory, so she's used to hearing a pianist practice. My goal, before leaving Moscow, is to get Bach's French Suite 6 to a state where I can at least enjoy it :) We'll see.

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But, should you be worried that I'm spending all of my time here in front of the piano - fear not! Recently, I visited the Храм Христа Спасителя. In case you don't click the link the crazy thing about this cathedral - It's massive (duh) costs over $350 million, and was finished only in 1997. The history of the land is quite interesting too. The site was originally a cathedral that was destroyed to make room for the Palace of Soviets. During Khruschev's period, the foundation of the never-built-Palace was turned into a public swimming pool (Nina recounted to me many stories of her swimming in the pool during winter... Crazy Russians.) And now, it's a church again. Ah the irony.

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We got hot water back. No more sponge baths. (At least for the time being)

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But (drum roll please) - the biggest news in my life: My Local Grocery Store Carries the Food of the Gods! Creamy and Crunchy! I just about rolled over dead. No sign of the box mom and Mims sent of PB, but guess what I'm having for lunch today!

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Lecture soon on "Russia Today" Might be interesting, but it 3 hours long: from 11-2. Could they have made it in the morning or in the afternoon? Kind of ruins hopes of getting any significant sightseeing done. But it is allowing for a lazy morning...

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to be continued...

Moscow Tales

I arrived in Moscow Friday morning, and was quickly whisked away to my host mother's house, Nina. The organization here in Moscow seems significantly better than in St. Pete. Instead of being dropped off at the curb, I was walked into the apartment and introduced to my host mom. Sweet. So about her:

Nina Michalovna - a babushka if there ever was any. A retired professor of Russian Literature. On every wall of the apartment are Russian books. Two daughters - grown. One went to the conservatory. (There's a piano in one of the bedrooms. I've already played quite a bit. This makes me happy.) There's a grandson too - about 4 years old. But he's at the dacha for the summer. But I've seen pictures. Nina has significantly more money than my host family in Pete. You can tell by the size of the house, and by how it's appointed. Whereas my St. Pete family has a tiny kitchen with 2 pots and a frying pan, Nina has more than I can count - and cooking utensils too! The piano. The books. The wall hangings. I spent the first 24 hours in awe of her possessions. Kind of crazy, when compared to American standards, she's still barely middle class... But for me, now, it's palatal.

She lives out about 7 metro stops from the center of Moscow - which is ok, because she's only a 10 minute busride from the Institute, which is also outside the city... A 30 minute walk to the metro or a 2 minute bus ride... Not bad.

She's also an amazing cook. I've had 3 meals with her so far. And she doesn't mind cooking veggie for me. I had a spicy Russian (imagine that) - potato/mushroom/other unknown vegetable curry last night. and this toasted bread covered with cheese and dill this morning for breakfast. Yum.

She's very concerned about helping - and very attentive. Sometimes too much so... But I'm quickly getting used to her correcting every grammatical mistake (think every other word...) And finally, she's quite religious. Where the walls aren't covered by books, there are icons. And, one of the first things she did was take me to her local church. So that's Nina.

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Yesterday, we had an excursion to the Seat of Russian Orthodoxy. It was quite a cool trip - a working monastery. There were lots of monks. Lots of icons. Lots of pilgrims. And lots of holy water. Glad for the visit. It was also the first chance to socialize with the portion of the Arizona group that is spending the entire summer in Moscow. So that's Sergiev Posad.

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And today, I'm wandering around the Kitai-Gorod and the Red Square. I saw St. Basil's and Lenin (in his pink poka-dotted tie), the crazy underground mall (where I am now), a whole string of convents (located on one street, side by side... I wonder if they have convent rilveries...)

Moscow's a hilly city - and not nearly as picturesque as St. Pete. The buildings are taller. The city's less European. But it's growing on me. So that's Moscow (for now.)

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Finally, I heard from Svetlana. We spoke on the phone my last night in St. Pete. I'll be going to Belarus the 15th of July (assuming all of my visas are in order (I need an additional entry and exit visa for Russia and a visa to Bealurs. Fillin' up that passport!)) Dahsa, the program leader, suggested that since Sveta lives so close to the Ukrainian border, that I visit the Ukraine too --- no visa required. So I might skip an entire week of classes and see Kiev too. Why not?

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Thanks to every one who's been writing! I love to hear from you guys. Internet access in Moscow will probably be more spotty - there isn't a cafe around the house, and though there is free internet access at school, there's only one computer for ~ 60 students... So I probably won't be able to get on but every 3 or 4 days I'd imagine. Just don't think I'm dead :)

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to be continued...